The Virgin Mary in the Book: I Decide My Life with Two Swords

Cang Yue Kingdom——The Imperial Palace in the Capital

The dark road was full of whirlpools, and Nangong Che's carriage was moving slowly inside the palace, and the sound of the wheels sounded very depressing.

A moment later, the carriage stopped at the gate of a palace. Guangyi helped Nangong Che get off the carriage, and Xianghui held an umbrella beside him: "Your Highness, be careful of your feet, the road is slippery."

The three of them walked forward in the drizzle. The closer they got to the main hall, the clearer the laughter and joy inside.

When Nangong Che arrived at the door, the eunuch chief Kang Hai came out: “Your Highness, why did you come in the rain?”

"Even though my father is sick, he still doesn't forget to have fun?" Nangong Che said softly.

Kang Hai smiled slightly: "Inside are two talented ladies who have just entered the palace. His Majesty is in high spirits and doesn't care about his health at all."

"In this case, you must not let the emperor spoil the fun!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I understand and will take good care of Your Majesty."

“I am in the next hall, you can call me anytime if you need anything.” Nangong Che turned and left.

"Farewell, Your Highness" Kang Hai is quite a bootlicker.

A moment later, Wei Zheng, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and Han Shuo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, entered the side hall where Nangong Che was resting. They both knelt on one knee and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

"Generals, please stand up." Nangong Che put down the memorial in his hand: "The night is long and I have no desire to sleep. Please sit down and chat with me."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Both of them were happy to see it.

After taking his seat, Han Shuo spoke first: "Your Highness, I have waited for ten years and have been Han Shuo for ten years. We can finally take action."

"No matter what happens in the future, you will always be Han Shuo, understand?"

"The end will understand"

Wei Zheng continued, "Your Highness is very foresighted. He long ago used Ye Ling to get rid of Qiu Zhen. Otherwise, if he were still alive, we would have no way of moving around in the palace. Now, all of Qiu Zhen's minions have been dealt with by Commander Han."

"Ye Ling is the best knife in the world. She hits wherever she points and never misses. It's a pity that I cannot use her. But it doesn't matter. She has already helped me a lot," said Nangong Che.

"Your Highness is right. Now that the eldest prince is gone and Beichen's mother was sentenced to death in the cold palace, it is fair for everyone and everyone can become emperor," said Wei Zheng.

"Han Shuo, you keep an eye on the palace. This matter cannot progress too quickly. The overall situation is in my hands now. Even if the bad news about my brother is passed back to the capital, my father will have no one to use. Also, Wei Zheng, guard the palace gates and keep an eye on the women in the harem. Never allow them to send any letters outside. It's better to be safe than sorry," Nangong Che ordered.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. We will obey your orders," the two men bowed in unison.

It was around two quarters of an hour before Wei Zheng and Han Shuo left the side hall. Xiang Hui approached Nangong Che and asked, "What are you painting, Your Highness? Ye Ling?"

Nangong Che looked at the person in the painting and smiled slightly: "She is my benefactor, and also the one I can never get in this life. A few months ago, my plan reached a bottleneck and I couldn't make a breakthrough. Until Nan Lai delivered the imperial decree to meet Ye Ling for the first time, my mind suddenly became clear. As long as all the subsequent plans revolve around her, everything will be solved. Starting from killing Qiu Zhen, to killing Yao Qi, Gu Feixiang, Hou Bing, and step by step to Zhezhou to kill Nangong Xuan, do you think she will hate me?"

"Your Highness, didn't you also give her promises and guarantees? The letter that banned the execution of King Xian was written by you personally and stamped with the jade seal! Once this thing is made public, it will be irrefutable evidence," Xianghui said.

Nangong Che smiled gently: “This king just wants to give her peace of mind. With that letter, she can live a carefree life and not be afraid that this king will kill her.”

"Aren't you afraid she might threaten you with the letter?"

"She's not a foolish woman. On the contrary, she's very smart. So, that letter was only for peace of mind, nothing else. She wanted to consider the Leng family and Langya Pavilion, and that was enough."

"Well, you can't just give him an empty letter. What if she makes excessive demands?"

"She won't. At this time, she will only make a request for the Bao Leng family." Nangong Che looked at the portrait: "Now the people of the world are laughing at the Nangong family and want to see the battle between the royal family and Langya Pavilion. This king is not what they want. Langya Pavilion has its own principles. As long as you don't provoke them, they will abide by the law and at the same time help the court to eliminate violence and eradicate evil. They have never been less in paying taxes. Why shouldn't the court do the same?"

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

"The day after tomorrow, I must have the Emperor issue an imperial decree granting marriage. This prince will marry Leng Qingqing, the granddaughter of the Leng Kingdom, as his principal wife."

"Congratulations, Your Highness, you finally have a female companion." Xianghui was really happy.

Nangong Che still looked at Ye Ling's portrait: "Not being able to be with you in this life is my greatest regret. Once I have a female relative, it will no longer be possible."

"Your Highness, that's not certain! Isn't Jiuyou going to die? Shen Can will definitely kill him."

"Ye Ling is very proud and will never share a husband with another woman." Nangong Che was quite sure. He put away the portrait: "How is Shen Can's family?"

"They have all been dealt with. We kept his family before just to threaten him, but it's useless now. Master Jing will not let him leave Zhezhou City alive," Xianghui said.

Mentioning Xue Jingchuan, Nangong Che showed a bitter smile: "My uncle must hate me to death this time. It is inevitable that there will be a quarrel when I come back. I don't want this to happen, but if the person who died was not someone Ye Ling cared about, how could she kill Nangong Xuan."

Xianghui didn't respond, muttering to himself: Your uncle and nephew are amazing, falling in love with the same woman at the same time. Fortunately, this woman is not a pushover, otherwise you two would have started fighting. Oh! What a sin!

The next morning, at the Duke's Mansion, Fu Qiongyu ran to tell Leng Qingqing about her marriage.

Leng Qingqing got furious after hearing a few words: "What? Grandfather wants me to marry that sickly Prince Wen? I don't want to."

"Sit down first and listen to what your mother has to say." Fu Qiongyu repeated what Leng Bofeng had told her, and then said earnestly: "My daughter! You must think carefully, do you want to be the Empress of the Central Palace, or be the concubine of a fallen prince."

"The Empress?" Leng Qingqing's heart was moved. The reason she wanted to marry Prince Beichen was for a noble status. Now the Empress was placed before her: "Mother, is Prince Wen really the heir to the throne? Isn't he sick?"

"Child, there are some things that we women shouldn't ask about, but would your grandfather and father lie to you?"

Leng Qingqing made her choice without much hesitation: "Mother, I will follow my grandfather's arrangements."

"My dear, you are so good." Fu Qiongyu was extremely happy. As a mother, her status is elevated because of her son. Her daughter became the queen, and her own status also rose.

Nangong Che was extremely swift. On August 28th, the imperial edict arrived. Everyone in the Leng family, except Leng Ruxue, knelt to receive the edict:

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: The Leng family has a daughter, Leng Qingqing, who is virtuous, dignified, and of good character. I am very pleased with her, and I grant her marriage to King Wen as his principal wife. We will choose an auspicious day for the wedding."

"Thank you for your grace!" Everyone in the Leng family expressed their gratitude in unison.

"Congratulations, Duke!" Kang Hai said with a smile.

"Thank you, Manager Kang, for taking this trip," Leng Ruxue replied perfunctorily.

"You are troubling me. This is Nanny Zhou. She will stay in the mansion and start teaching Miss Leng all the rules and etiquette of the palace," Kang Hai introduced.

"Greetings, Duke," Madam Zhou bowed slightly.

Kang Hai continued, "Now that the imperial edict has arrived, I will return to report."

"Slow down, Mr. Kang"

Leng Qingqing was still a little confused when holding the imperial edict: "Grandfather, I..."

"Child, everyone has their own destiny. You are destined to be a phoenix, so you should be the mother of the country. Follow the nanny and learn from her. This is not a joke," Leng Ruxue said seriously.

"Yes, Qingqing knows."

"Madam Zhou, please come this way." Fu Qiongyu couldn't hide her happiness.

After everyone left, Leng Ruxue and Leng Bofeng went to the study.

Leng Bofeng said, "Father, it seems that King Wen can't wait any longer. According to his calculations, Zhezhou's letter will be back around the fifth day of the new year."

"I have already asked your two uncles to go out for a walk."

"I've also done some research and found that there are practically no people left in or around the capital from Prince Xian or Prince Beichen, let alone Your Majesty. However, I'm still a little worried. Qingqing is already betrothed to Prince Wen, and what if he doesn't succeed..."

"I'm so impulsive! If I wasn't absolutely sure, why would I agree to let King Wen help him? This isn't treason. This is just a change of throne for the Nangong family. Remember, emperors come and go, but families remain. No matter who becomes emperor, our Leng family will never be defeated."

"I understand, my child. King Wen has taken over the government. With the support of my two uncles and several ministers, he is doing very well."

"Have the palace begin preparations for your wedding, around the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Time is running out. As a veteran of three dynasties, since His Majesty is ill, I will go to the palace to see him."

"Yes, my son, I will have someone prepare the carriage right away."

Half an hour later, Leng Ruxue, dressed in official attire, appeared in Nangong Hanyi's bedroom: "This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Duke Leng, you've come just in time. Please have a few drinks with me." In just a few months, Nangong Hanyi seemed to have aged a lot and looked haggard.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, who managed the previous dynasty when you are in this state now?"

"Let me take care of that useless son of mine first," Nangong Hanyi said in a half-drunk and half-awake state. "I have already issued an order to summon Prince Xian back. He will still be the crown prince when he returns, Duke Leng. The matter of Ye Tingzhan is over. Don't hold on to it anymore. Xuan'er also knows he was wrong. He is a prince. Killing a general is actually nothing. If the king wants his subjects to die, the subjects must die. If the father wants his son to die, the son must die. Duke Leng, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty, that's 30,000 soldiers!"

"What's wrong with 30,000? Does my Cang Yue Nation lack soldiers? Can't we just recruit 30,000 more?"

Leng Ruxue was completely disheartened at this moment: "Your Majesty, what you said is very good. Then let King Wen take charge of the government for a few days!"

"Don't worry, I've already ordered him to take over. Nothing will happen. If you don't want to drink, go back. I'm fine."

Leng Ruxue shook his head: "Your Majesty, enjoy yourself. I will take my leave."

Nangong Hanyi waved his hand: "Go ahead!"

Leng Ruxue slowly stepped out of the door, looked at the sky and smiled helplessly: "You are courting your own destruction!"