Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

The main hall was completely silent; it was entirely a solo performance by the Lu family.

Lu Jie was merely a commander who rose to his position through connections; he hadn't even won the title of martial arts champion and was therefore not qualified to marry the princess.

Most people thought the king would grant the marriage after Lu Jie won the title of martial arts champion, but now they are all dumbfounded.

This is more than breaking precedent; it's simply unimaginable.

Some people cast envious glances, while others cast resentful ones.

In the imperial court, Lu Zhan was not the only one in power; there were several others who could rival him. However, if Lu Jie married the princess, then the situation would be different.

Not to mention the civil and military officials, even Lu Zhan was somewhat surprised.

He originally thought that the king summoned Lu Jie to the palace to make him known to the civil and military officials and to prepare for the upcoming military examination.

Unexpectedly, they directly arranged a marriage for Lu Jie.

Just as everyone was puzzled, the king dropped another bombshell.

"You will marry the princess in three days!"

three days?

All the civil and military officials were dumbfounded, their mouths agape enough to fit a fist.

This is... far too hasty.

Even as they whispered among themselves, not one of them voiced any objection.

Saying "no" at this moment would be tantamount to offending both the king and the general, something they wouldn't dare do even if they had ten times the courage.

Lu Jie was so overwhelmed with happiness that he took the opportunity of kneeling on the ground to kowtow repeatedly.

"He's pushing Yanran to her death..." Xia Yeran shook her head helplessly, remaining silent as well.

It wasn't that he was afraid to speak up, but rather that he knew it would be pointless.

The monarch must have weighed the pros and cons before making such a shocking move.

Even if others don't understand the reasons, Xia Yeran understands them better than anyone else.

Xia Linglong is the key link between the king and the general. Although this matter is somewhat urgent, it is not to the point of being absolutely necessary.

But things are different now. Xia Linglong is seriously ill, and it's uncertain whether she can pull through.

The king wanted her to marry into the general's household before she died, so that even in death, she would have fulfilled the purpose of the alliance.

Moreover, the ruler could use this as a reason to threaten Lu Zhan and make him wholeheartedly assist him.

Xia Yeran couldn't help but admire the king's methods; if he were in that position, he would probably have made the same choice.

In the face of absolute power, even family ties are unimportant.

After the court session ended, the civil and military officials discussed the matter animatedly, but dared not let Lu Zhan hear a single word.

Some people also took the initiative to curry favor with Lu Zhan, and from now on, it seems that Lu Zhan will be the one to call the shots in the entire court.

Xia Yeran wanted to go and tell Lin Ping the news, but she was afraid of disturbing him as he was devoutly researching the elixir.

Anyway, there are still three days left, so maybe there's not much of a rush.

The king unusually went to the princess's palace, but covered his face with a thick layer of cloth, for fear of being infected by her.

Since Xia Linglong was diagnosed with the plague, the king has never come again.

This broke Xia Linglong's heart, but it was better than him forcing her to marry Lu Jie every day.

Xia Linglong was sitting on the bed drinking porridge. Although her face was still pale, her eyes had become much more intelligent.

Although it was an epidemic, half of it was a mental illness.

After reconciling with Lin Ping, she was relieved of her heartache and had a renewed will to live. Even if she wasn't radiant, she wasn't dejected either.

Moreover, Lin Ping used alcohol swabs to lower her fever, so her spirits shouldn't be too bad for a day or two.

"Eat slowly, don't burn yourself." The king walked over slowly, his tone kind.

As a father, she also felt sorry for Xia Linglong.

Not only did they force her to marry, but they also dared not see her because they were afraid of the epidemic.

Upon hearing this voice, Xia Linglong was startled, and a sense of foreboding arose from the bottom of her heart.

He hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Father."

The king stared at her for a long time, nodding repeatedly, and said with a smile, "Not bad, it looks like she'll get better soon. This Tang Tian really has some skills; he can even cure the plague."

Xia Linglong lowered her head and remained silent. She knew that all of this was Lin Ping's doing and had nothing to do with Tang Tian.

Furthermore, she vaguely discerned something from Lin Ping's expression.

Her illness was most likely caused by Tang Tian.

Xia Linglong didn't want to argue with the king about these things. She knew that Lin Ping didn't care about fame and fortune at all, and she didn't want to expose Lin Ping's identity.

"Thank you for your concern, Father," Xia Linglong said softly.

Missing someone? What an ironic word.

If he truly cared about Xia Linglong, why would he delay showing up?

The king looked a little embarrassed, but quickly accepted her attitude and nodded, saying, "Now that you're better, hurry up and marry into the General's mansion."

"what?"

Xia Linglong stared at this "benevolent father" with a look of utter horror.

She found it hard to imagine that this was something a father should say.

She's seriously ill, yet she's in such a hurry to get married?

Upon further reflection, Xia Linglong understood the king's intention.

I thought I would resist desperately, make a huge scene, or even contemplate suicide.

But she didn't; she even nodded.

Marrying Lu Jie is a done deal, and no one can change that.

She knew she was nearing the end of her life, and if she could help her father before she died, it would be a way of showing filial piety.

Not resisting doesn't mean she's not in pain. She coldly smiled and said, "My daughter is tired and wants to rest."

After speaking, she lay weakly on her side on the bed, her back to the king, and could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes.

"Take good care of the princess. If anything happens to her, neither of you will live!" the king said, pointing at the two newly arrived palace maids.

The two men were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground, their whole bodies trembling.

They knew that a palace maid had died previously, and the whereabouts of another palace maid were unknown; she had most likely been secretly disposed of.

Those living in the palace are all of royal blood, so they must not contract any diseases.

Even if the palace maid was not infected, she would be presumed to be a patient and would be dealt with as a matter of course, perhaps even leaving no trace of her body.

"Your Highness, your porridge..." After the king left, two palace maids approached Xia Linglong tremblingly.

Being able to drink porridge on your own is proof that your body is on the road to recovery.

They dared not let Xia Linglong's condition worsen.

"Go away, try to stay away from me, so you don't catch the disease." Xia Linglong tried to compose herself and said, almost choking with emotion.

The two palace maids, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, exchanged bewildered glances and quickly withdrew.

"We are not destined to be together in this life, so please do not worry about it."

"If there truly is an afterlife, I want to be born into an ordinary family so I can confess my feelings to you before everyone else..."

Xia Linglong's vision grew increasingly blurry, and her pillow was already soaked with sweat.

Others may envy her high status, but she only wants to grow old with Lin Ping.

If she could choose her destiny before she was born, she would rather be ordinary, having the right to pursue happiness would be enough.