Rumors about Shen Xue were spreading like wildfire in the capital. The guards kept sending people to look for the person in the portrait, but there was no clue at all, which made them anxious.

When Shen Xue came out to clarify, she was instead subjected to abuse and accusations from ignorant people. Because of this incident, she became increasingly thinner, which was heartbreaking.

The rumors about Shen Xue have become a joke among the people, and they curse and ridicule her, saying that no one would dare to marry such a fickle girl.

Chu Jun has always been obsessed with Shen Xue, and he doesn't believe that Shen Xue is a fickle woman. He makes an important decision without telling his family.

The emperor has been thinking about choosing a consort for the second princess and a concubine for the third prince. He wanted to wait for Shangguan Rui to come back to arrange the marriage, but he didn't expect to receive the news that Shangguan Rui had been attacked and disappeared.

But he believed that his son would be able to turn danger into safety and turn misfortune into blessing, which was his growth experience and life's ups and downs.

Chu Yun entered the hall and knelt on his knees. "I pay my respects to the Emperor. May the Emperor be blessed with good health."

The Emperor looked at Chu Yun in surprise and said, "General Chu, please excuse me. What brings you to the palace to see me?"

Chu Yun took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I am attracted to the Princess of Ya'an County. I beg Your Majesty to grant us marriage."

The emperor paused for a moment and finally agreed to his request. Chu Yun happily left the palace and returned home to make preparations.

He knew Shen Xue was in a difficult situation and just wanted to marry her as soon as possible so that he could protect her. How could a girl marry and gain a foothold in the capital after her reputation was completely ruined?

The emperor ordered the eunuch to go to the princess's residence to read the imperial edict, and Shen Xue led everyone to kneel down to receive the edict.

The eunuch read aloud the imperial edict: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: Chu Yun, the legitimate grandson of the King of Chu, is a man of noble character, both civil and military, and a capable minister to the state. I have long observed him, and it is a great comfort to me. Shen Xue, the Princess of Ya'an, is of virtuous character, self-disciplined and prudent, gentle and wise, and possesses the beauty of peace and uprightness. I hereby grant her marriage to Chu Yun, and may the two spend the rest of their lives together. I decree!"

Shen Xue was stunned on the spot when she heard this. Her father-in-law quickly reminded her, "Princess Ya'an, please accept the order!"

After Shen Xue came back to her senses, she took the imperial edict with trembling hands and asked hurriedly: "Eunuch, may I ask why the emperor suddenly granted me and Chu Yun a marriage?"

"It was Master Chu who went to the palace to seek the imperial decree."

Shen Xue didn't expect that when her "reputation was fading", Chu Jun would come to the palace to ask for an order. He might want to repay her life-saving grace in this way, but how could she marry someone else when she already had someone in her heart?

Moreover, Brother Rui will be back from the training camp soon. How embarrassed will he be to find out that I have married someone else? How can I have the face to face him?

Shen Xue and her father-in-law came to the main hall one after another, holding the imperial edict. They knelt down and presented the imperial edict with both hands, their eyes firm and resolute.

"Your Majesty, please see me."

The emperor's face was gloomy, and his deep eyes looked at Shen Xue sharply. He said seriously: "Princess Ya'an, what do you mean? Are you dissatisfied with my marriage?"

"Your Majesty, I am devoted to studying medicine and have no interest in matters of love. Please revoke your order."

The emperor was immediately furious. He slammed the table and roared, "Shen Xue, how can you refuse my order? Don't think that you can act so recklessly just because you cured the third prince's leg."

Shen Xue was frightened, but she remained firm and said, "Your Majesty, calm down. This humbled woman does not despise your grace, but I simply have no interest in anyone else. If I marry Young Master Chu, I will ruin his life. Please grant my wish."

The emperor was already in a depressed mood, but now he was even more furious. He shouted, "My imperial decree is no joke. Return immediately and wait for your wedding. Disobeying my decree is a capital crime."

Even though Shen Xue was afraid in her heart, marrying someone else was something she couldn't do. She looked determined and said, "I have made up my mind. I beg Your Majesty to revoke your decision."

The emperor saw that Shen Xue had a tough attitude. If it were not for the fact that the "deceased Princess Mu" had made great contributions to the country, she would have been sentenced to death for disobeying the order.

Princess Mu had "sacrificed her life for the country" and before going to the South China Sea, she begged him to protect the Shen family. If he killed her sister, he would feel guilty towards the dead Princess Mu.

He shouted angrily, "Come here! Take Shen Xue to jail and wait until she comes to her senses before getting out and getting married."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I would rather go to prison than marry another man."

"Take it down."

At the emperor's command, the guards came forward and carried Shen Xue out of the hall. She did not struggle, with joy in her eyes. As long as she did not marry Chu Jun and go to jail, it didn't matter.

The emperor looked at Shen Xue, who was usually gentle and sensible, and she actually dared to disobey the emperor's order. This was something that many men would not dare to do, but she, a weak woman, dared to disobey the emperor's order.

It is unknown whether she has someone in her heart or is truly devoted to studying medicine.

The Shen sisters are indeed strong-willed. It's a pity that Princess Mu passed away early, otherwise she would have made contributions to the future of Da Qi.

Prince of Chu's Palace

When the old princess and the prince's wife learned that Chu Jun had asked for an imperial decree to marry the fickle Shen Xue at this time, the old princess was so angry that she almost fainted.

He ordered his men to beat him up and after beating him, he was locked in the room and not allowed to go out.

The old princess was so angry that she went to the palace to cry to the Queen Mother, saying that Chu Yun was bewitched by Shen Xue and put the Chu family in trouble, and asked the Queen Mother to step in to stop the marriage.

The Queen Mother never liked Shen Rou in the first place. Her son disobeyed her because he was with her, and eventually died in the sea with her. She has not yet recovered from the pain of losing her son.

Hearing the old princess crying about Shen Xue's fickleness, he became even more dissatisfied with the Shen sisters.

The emperor was summoned to inquire about the matter. The old princess burst into tears and sobbed when she saw the emperor. She told him all the faults of Shen Xue and asked how her grandson would be able to hold his head up in the capital after marrying such a girl.

"Old Princess, I have already issued the imperial decree. To revoke it would be detrimental to my dignity. Besides, Shen Xue disobeyed my order and refused to marry your grandson. Now she is imprisoned by me."

"It's just as well that she doesn't want to. My Chu family doesn't want to marry such an unruly girl into the family."

"Old Princess, the imperial decree granting the marriage has been issued. Any party who disobeys the decree will be severely punished. Otherwise, where will my authority be?"

"Your Majesty, I beg you, if the prince knew that Yun'er had married such a girl and brought disgrace upon the entire Chu Palace, he would definitely not be able to accept it. Please, Your Majesty, for the sake of your lifelong defense of the southeastern border for Great Qi, please revoke your order."

The Queen Mother couldn't bear to see the old princess crying like a tearful person, after all, the King of Chu was a loyal minister of the Great Qi.

"Your Majesty, it's not easy for the old princess at such an old age. The King of Chu is guarding Yizhou, and the old princess is the only one who makes the decisions in the palace. If you marry a granddaughter-in-law like this back home, I'm afraid your life will be difficult in the future."

The Emperor pondered for a moment. "Old Princess, the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Chu Jun came to the palace to ask for the imperial decree to grant him marriage. He should be allowed to come before me. As long as he is willing to cancel the engagement, I will handle it as appropriate."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will go back and persuade him to come and see Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded softly.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like