Accidentally dressed as an empress

Early the next morning, there was a knock on the door outside Jinghe Hall.

Yun Xiu jumped out of bed, wondering, "Who would come here?"

Yunxiu asked the system to watch the door. A female official in her thirties, wearing a dark purple robe, was standing outside the door of Jinghe Hall, leading a young man in a red wedding dress and a red veil. Behind the female official stood two female guards.

Yunxiu quickly put on her outer robe and shoes to go greet her. His Majesty was incredibly efficient. The person who came was Cui Ti, his most trusted attendant. She couldn't let Aunt Cui wait.

Aunt Cui said, "Your Highness is about to leave the palace and start his own household. Double happiness has arrived. This is the husband that His Majesty has bestowed upon you."

Zhong Yi clenched the red silk hydrangea in her hand.

Yunxiu was also stunned. This wasn't a formal marriage; Zhong Yi was being her concubine. What was His Majesty up to?

Or is it because Zhong Yi committed a crime and cannot be the legal husband?

Yunxiu took out the reward money she had prepared in advance. Aunt Cui handed the red silk to her and said, "The groom is weak, Your Highness, please have pity on him."

Zhong Yi gritted his teeth. If Yunxiu dared to touch him, he would fight her to the death.

Yunxiu led Zhong Yi into the bedroom and lifted his veil. "I'm sorry, cousin Yi. To get you out, I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure."

Zhong Yi lowered his eyes. He had been smart and outstanding for more than ten years, even better than women, and had never suffered such a great humiliation.

Yunxiu raised her hand and directly removed Zhong Yi's hair accessories, then opened Zhong Yi's red wedding dress, explaining, "The dress is too big and doesn't fit well. We are similar in size, so if you don't mind, you can change into my clothes."

Zhong Yi had his black hair loose and wore only a white middle garment. He looked at Yunxiu's face and saw her clear eyes, so he did not resist.

Yunxiu said, "Just stay with me for now. When the time is right, you can leave me and go back to the Zhong family or anywhere else. It's up to you."

Zhong Yi still looked alert, like a clever cat entering an unfamiliar environment without saying a word.

Yunxiu poured him a glass of water and brought him a plate of cakes. Zhong Yi drank the water and ate the cakes. Yunxiu saw that his eyes were a little dark, and it was estimated that he had not rested well after several nights in prison. Yunxiu said, "You should rest well first."

Zhong Yi looked at Yun Xiu in confusion, "Why is Your Highness taking care of me personally?"

Yunxiu froze, "You are my cousin, we are family." She couldn't say, "Because I want you to follow me wholeheartedly."

"Thank you, Your Highness," he said, taking off his shoes without any hesitation and lying on her bed.

Okay, she was destined to live in the side room. Yunxiu accepted her fate and walked out of the dormitory.

Yunxiu called the system, "Tongzi, pull up Zhong Yi's information and see what he likes."

Yunxiu took a look at the introduction and thought, well, it’s really what smart people like.

The system said, "Zhong Yi enjoys reading books, especially those on military strategy and governance, preferably rare editions. This world has been through years of war, and many books from previous generations have been lost."

"I see..." Yun Xiu thought for a moment and said, "There must be books in the system. They should be very cheap. I'd like to get a set of Tongzi, The Hundred Schools of Thought, The Art of War, The Twenty-Four Histories, etc."

She wanted to buy wholesale, but was deterred by the points. "Five points for one copy? Why is it so expensive? In modern dungeons, one point can buy a whole set."

The system said, "If you purchase the entire series of the Hundred Schools of Thought, you'll get a 40% discount. There are 20 books in total, which equals 60 points."

Yunxiu gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, let's get a set of various schools of thought, military strategies and tactics, all packed together."

Thank you for your patronage!

Yunxiu felt a pang of pain, as she had spent nearly a hundred points. Next time she came to such a copy, she would remember to stock up on books.

The system said, [Host, why are you so generous? ]

Yunxiu poked the metal ball in disdain. "You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. If I don't treat Zhong Yi well, how can he be willing to stay?"

Yunxiu walked back to the main hall and looked at a basket of bamboo strips in the corner, feeling a little confused.

Manager Cui also sent palace maids to bring bamboo strips, glue, starched cloth, and candles. Yunxiu looked through the original owner's memory and suddenly realized what was going on.

The original owner, a filial daughter, would come here to make river lanterns every year when the Ghost Festival was approaching. Then on the day of the Ghost Festival, she would go to the largest lake in the palace, the Floating Light Pond, to release lanterns to commemorate her deceased father.

The sun began to rise higher, and the summer cicadas chirped. In the weed-surrounded courtyard, unknown insects chirped tirelessly.

Inside the Jinghe Hall, the hot summer air is isolated outside by the hall door.

Yunxiu sat on the ground, her hands expertly weaving bamboo strips. She smiled and said, "Come to think of it, it was you, my father, who taught me how to weave bamboo. Perhaps if I ever fall on hard times, I could become a bamboo weaver."

Yunxiu sighed and said, "It is my unfilial son who has displeased the Queen Mother and failed to live up to your wishes. You said that I must be filial to the Queen Mother."

"But from now on, I won't have the chance to contradict the Queen Mother anymore. I'm no longer a princess."

"Hiss..." Yunxiu's finger was cut by the sharp part of the bamboo, leaving a bloody mark. But she just put her finger in her mouth and sucked it for a while, whispering, "The Queen Mother has given birth to many children, and there are many brothers and sisters who will be filial to her."

Yunxiu was addicted to acting and couldn't stop. She said in a tearful voice, "I'm afraid that the Queen Mother has already forgotten me and you. Father, I miss you, I really miss you..."

Yun Xiuyu sobbed, "Perhaps, I should have hanged myself in the Eastern Palace that night. That way... I could have been reunited with you directly, but you scolded me... You didn't allow me to see you without getting married..."

Yunxiu took out a handkerchief and wiped away her nonexistent tears. "...So, my daughter has a husband. He's very handsome, and he's a member of the Zhong family. Father, you can rest assured."

Yunxiu looked at the figure outside the hollow hall and asked cautiously, "Who's there?"

"Your Highness, it's me." A clear voice instantly soothed the summer heat.

Yunxiu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's you, cousin. Come in."

Zhong Yi changed into a light blue brocade robe and stepped into the palace. Yun Xiu looked up at him with a smile, "Are you awake?"

Zhong Yi hummed softly.

Yunxiu finally found a helper. In previous years, as a sign of sincerity, the original owner would make 49 river lanterns by herself. How long would it take her to finish this? Yunxiu asked directly, "Do you know how to weave bamboo?"

Zhong Yi shook his head. Yunxiu couldn't see his expression against the light, so she waved at him and said, "Come, I'll teach you."

Yunxiu also learned it by looking at the original owner's memory, and applied it as she went along.

Zhong Yi didn't say much, but his eyes were relaxed. He walked to her side, bent down, picked up the futon, dusted it off, and sat down.

Yunxiu said carefully, "First, take out fourteen bamboo strips, and weave them one by one and overlap them like this..."

Yunxiu's hand touched Zhong Yi's hand, and she didn't feel rude at all. Under her frank gaze, Zhong Yi also felt that if he dodged, he would seem pretentious.

Yunxiu said, "The lamp stand is ready. Next, paste the cloth. Apply paste on the bamboo strips and stick the cloth on them so they can float in the water for a while."

Zhong Yi learned quickly and had already made a lantern.

"How clever," Yunxiu stood up and dusted herself off. "I'll leave everything to you from now on."

Yunxiu walked out of the hall leisurely. Zhong Yi held the river lantern in his hand blankly. It seemed that His Highness had only made six. Wait, how many should he make?