He Lan Tianxia

As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. The Emperor and Empress Dowager decided to abdicate the throne first, and then proceed with the marriage. Upon hearing that an important matter was to be announced, all the court officials performed the ritual of kneeling and kowtowing three times, then stood solemnly awaiting the imperial decree.

Eunuch Cao stood before the hall, holding a scroll of imperial edict in both hands. He slowly unfurled it, about to read it aloud, when a urgent report came from outside the hall: "Report! The Wubei Kingdom outside the city is challenging us!"

"Wait!" The Emperor immediately stopped Eunuch Cao upon hearing this. He then pressed on, "My son, what's going on? Didn't you capture the Crown Prince of Wubei last time?"

"Your Majesty, I do not know. I will go out and investigate." Murong Junlan turned to leave.

"Wait a minute." Who is the Emperor? He's just about to pass the throne to you, and you think you can run away? No way.

"Guard Jiang, go and take a look." Jiang He obeyed and left. Since his meritorious service in protecting the country last time, the Emperor had granted him permission to attend court every day. Although he was still Murong Junlan's close guard, his official rank had risen to the fourth grade.

"Report! The soldiers of the Wubei Kingdom have begun their attack on the city. They also demand that we hand over Prime Minister Jin."

"What? Why isn't it Lan'er they've summoned, but Prime Minister Jin?" The Emperor glanced at Prime Minister Jin in the hall. When did Prime Minister Jin become enemies with the Wubei Kingdom? Oh, right, Prime Minister Jin was indeed involved in the Wubei Kingdom's envoy incident last time. But why now of all times? Could it be that Lan'er has nothing to do with this? I refuse to believe it. So, while the civil and military officials in the hall were filled with anxiety, the Emperor sat motionless on his dragon throne, counting sheep.

Murong Junlan was genuinely unaware that Qin Nan was attacking the city. His original plan was for Jiang He to "steal" Yan'er and Luo Rina from the palace and then leave, but the Emperor had sent men to guard them, not even sparing Jiang He. The only one with any freedom now was Luo Xie, so he delegated the task he'd assigned to Jiang He to him. He was waiting for trouble to break out in the palace. But before the fire even started, Qin Nan arrived to cause chaos. However, chaos was all that mattered; his father wouldn't be concerned with abdicating the throne.

Half an incense stick's time passed, and Jiang He returned. Jiang He stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, Qin Nan said that if we don't hand over Prime Minister Jin, he will kill Jin Chuchu."

"Your Majesty, please grant me justice!" Prime Minister Jin could no longer stand. Wasn't Chu Chu at the Prince's residence? How could she have been captured by Qin Nan? This must be Murong Junlan's doing. So he added, "Your Majesty, Chu Chu has rarely returned to her family since marrying into the Prince's residence. How could she have ended up in the Wubei Kingdom? Your Highness, don't you agree?"

As expected of Prime Minister Jin, he dared to impeach Murong Junlan in front of everyone, putting on the airs of a father-in-law.

“Prime Minister, your daughter is not my maid, she is free to come and go as she pleases.” Murong Junlan’s words neither acknowledged that Prime Minister Jin was his father-in-law nor any identity of Jin Chuchu, leaving Prime Minister Jin speechless.

"Your Majesty..." Prime Minister Jin was still trying to find an excuse, but the Emperor waved his hand. With the army at the gates, the Emperor had no time to listen to such things, especially since they had specifically asked to hand you over.

Murong Junlan wasn't in a hurry; in fact, he was actually hoping for chaos. He could most easily guess that Qin Nan's sudden military intervention was caused by Luo Xie, but as for why Jin Chuchu had been kidnapped, he truly had no idea.

At this moment, Luo Xie was waiting at the Prince's Mansion for the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage decree. Early that morning, he was awakened by someone sent by the Emperor, who insisted he wear a groom's robe. He knew without a doubt who the bride was—his consort. And Murong Junlan was to marry his sister, Luo Rina. If this were to happen, what did losing the Wubei Kingdom matter? But this time, he dared not marry her; he might lose his head before the wedding even began. Seeing Murong Junlan's intense jealousy and hatred towards him lately, he felt both happy and dared not be happy. After much deliberation, he impersonated Murong Junlan and wrote a letter to Qin Nan, instructing Qin Nan to send troops to feign an attack on the Du Yan Kingdom three days later, explaining the reasons later.

Honestly, Luo Xie didn't know if his lame excuse would even work, but little did he know that Qin Nan, that bastard, actually brought his troops. Luo Xie spent three whole days worrying about this flimsy reason.

It has to be said that you reap what you sow. Luo Xie had just finished dressing in his groom's attire when he ran into Jin Chuchu. Jin Chuchu only knew it was Murong Junlan's wedding day and wanted to sneak a peek. Seeing a groom, she mistook him for Murong Junlan and rushed out without thinking, hugging him and calling him "Your Highness." Luo Xie had heard of Jin Chuchu before; last time, Chun Wei had used her to almost capture Murong Junlan alive, so he knew exactly what kind of person she was. He knew Jin Chuchu had mistaken him for someone else and was about to throw her out when a guard rushed in to report that there was a challenge outside the city gates of Wubei Kingdom. Luo Xie was delighted. He really hadn't expected Qin Nan, that fool, to come. Since he was here, the fool would definitely be looking for Murong Junlan, which would expose the deception. Seeing Jin Chuchu hugging him, an idea came to him.

He knocked Jin Chuchu unconscious with two slaps, then wrote a letter and ordered a guard to deliver it, along with the woman, to Qin Nan. Since Luo Xie was always seen with Murong Junlan, the guards dared not disobey. They carried Jin Chuchu, who was covered in a sack, along a back path towards the city gate. When Qin Nan saw the letter, which said Jin Chuchu would be exchanged for Prime Minister Jin, he didn't bother to understand and simply shouted as instructed. The shout brought up Jiang He, who knew Qin Nan. The two put on a show of fighting, but Jiang He quickly gave up. The letter insisted on calling out Murong Junlan's name, but not his, which put Qin Nan in a difficult position. He had no choice but to tie Jin Chuchu up and push her to the front of the procession, forcing her to shout herself. Jin Chuchu wasn't stupid; calling for her father was useless, but calling for Murong Junlan would work. So she screamed Murong Junlan's name at the top of her lungs. Her shout was heard by everyone in the hall.

"Your Majesty, Jin Chuchu has asked Prince Murong to rescue her," a guard reported as he entered.

"Your Majesty, please grant justice for my daughter." Prime Minister Jin grew increasingly anxious as he stood there. When he heard the guards announce that if Jin Chuchu did not emerge within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he would be executed. Prime Minister Jin then knelt down in the palace with a "thud".

The emperor shook his head upon seeing this and helplessly ordered, "My son, go and save them."

"Your subject obeys." Murong Junlan dared not walk too fast, otherwise the emperor would think they were putting on an act, which would be a loss.

He wasn't in a hurry, but Prime Minister Jin was. He kowtowed repeatedly to the Emperor, begging to leave the city together.

"You're too weak to even kill a chicken, what use are you going out? If they kidnap you, I might not be able to save you." The Emperor's words truly frightened Prime Minister Jin. "Get up." Prime Minister Jin stood up from the ground, anxiously waiting.

As soon as Murong Junlan left, Qin Nan drew his sword and pretended to approach. However, he seemed to still be harboring a lot of anger, so while making his move, he said to Murong Junlan, "Your Highness, I've gone to great lengths for you this time, haven't I?"

"I truly have no idea why you've come today. But since you've happened to help me, I can't leave empty-handed." With that, Murong Junlan gestured towards Jin Chuchu with the corner of his mouth.

Qin Nan was no fool. After a few dozen moves, he feigned defeat and fled. As he passed Jin Chuchu, he grabbed her and led his soldiers to escape towards Wubei Kingdom. Murong Junlan was nearly knocked off his horse by Qin Nan's knife, so he withdrew his troops and returned to the city.

Prime Minister Jin was even more worried when he realized he couldn't save Jin Chuchu, and with Murong Junlan injured, the Emperor had no choice but to adjourn court and summon the imperial physician for treatment. After the treatment, Murong Junlan requested to return to Yan Garden, and the Emperor granted his request.

No sooner had Murong Junlan entered the house than the Empress Dowager's phoenix carriage followed. The Empress Dowager moved with the same speed whether she was using a cane or not. She rushed into the Yan Garden, ignoring Murong Junlan's objections, and touched his swollen shoulder, asking with concern, "Oh dear, let me see where you're hurt?"

"Grandmother, Lan'er is fine, just a superficial injury."

The Empress Dowager ripped open Murong Junlan's clothes and said with heartache, "It's not serious yet. Look, it's all swollen. Someone, bring my Golden Spear Medicine to the Prince."

Murong Junlan had no choice but to let his grandmother do as she pleased. Finally, the bandage was finished, but his grandmother showed no sign of leaving. She sat down in front of Murong Junlan's bed and said in a serious tone, "Before I came here, I did a divination for you. You have recently broken a rule. If you want to get back on your feet, you must hold a wedding immediately. As the saying goes, 'Breaking the rule leads to establishing a new one,' so I have decided that you must get married today to ward off disaster."

"What disaster are you trying to avert? Didn't you force me to take this knife?" Murong Junlan quickly said, "Grandmother, Lan'er is injured, so this marriage..."

Ignoring Murong Junlan's reaction, the Empress Dowager ordered, "Men, hang lanterns and decorations, prepare for the wedding."

At this moment, Luo Xie, who was still wearing his groom's attire and standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. As the Empress Dowager turned to instruct the servants to prepare, Luo Xie approached Murong Junlan and whispered, "Your Highness, it seems you are doomed."

"Smack." Murong Junlan slapped Luo Xie's buttocks hard.

"Ah, help!" Luo Xie cried out, clutching his buttocks.

This call drew the attention of the Empress Dowager, whose eyes immediately lit up. She slapped her forehead and said, "Oh dear, I'm so senile, I completely forgot about you." The Empress Dowager walked over and stared at Luo Xie's buttocks, saying, "You reminded me, but you didn't need to slap your own buttocks so loudly. I'm not deaf. Don't worry, since you two are so close, you can get married together today."

This time, even the usually stern and unsmiling Murong Junlan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Two bridal sedan chairs were carried into the Prince's mansion at dinner time. Ostensibly, the marriage was to avert disaster, but in reality, the Emperor and Empress Dowager wanted to marry Yan'er to Luo Xie. Once the deed was done, Luo Xie would naturally take Yan'er away. Therefore, to avoid any exposure or complications, the Empress Dowager ordered the two brides, their heads covered with red veils, to be escorted directly to the bridal chamber. After dinner, the Empress Dowager personally began supervising the wedding. For ease of supervision, she specifically chose two rooms combined. After the two grooms entered, she ordered someone to bring a stool and sit at the doorway to stand guard. Ah, what a capable Empress Dowager she was!

Murong Junlan knew that the bride sitting on the bed was Luo Rina, so he walked to the tea table and sat down. He poured himself a cup of nuptial wine and drank it elegantly, uttering a few words between his red lips and white teeth, "Princess Rina, you know that what I care about is Miss Yan'er, and I will marry no one else in this life. Today's matter is purely the Empress Dowager's wish. I hope that you, Princess, will be magnanimous and forget about today's events. I will punish myself with a cup to apologize to you." After saying this, Murong Junlan tilted his head back and drank the cup in one gulp.

The person sitting on the bed seemed uncomfortable, twisting their hands and making muffled noises. Murong Junlan then realized that Luo Rina had been tampered with, and quickly went over to untie them while pleading, "Grandmother is sitting outside the door. I want you to cooperate with me in a play to trick her away. Do you agree?"

The woman on the bed squirmed in anger. As soon as the ropes were untied, she lifted the red veil with one hand, then threw away the cloth stuffed in her mouth, gasping for breath, "I'm suffocating!"

"Yan'er? It's you?" Murong Junlan was overjoyed.

"I should be asking you that!" the woman shouted. She put her hands on her hips and yelled, "I never imagined that a prince of the Du Yan Kingdom would be involved in such a thing as abducting a woman!"

"Forced abduction of a woman?" Murong Junlan was truly speechless. He knew the woman hadn't remembered him lately. Just as he was about to explain, the woman swung her small fists at him. Normally, Murong Junlan wouldn't have cared about such small punches at all; he wouldn't even cry out in pain no matter how much she hit him. But at this moment, he forgot about the knife Qin Nan had given him. The woman's two punches landed squarely on his shoulder, hitting his sore spot, and with considerable force. Murong Junlan couldn't help but cry out "Ah!"

That exclamation of "Good!" delighted the Empress Dowager, who was sitting by the door. She grumbled as she walked over to Luo Xie, just as he cried out "Ah!" followed by the curse, "I'll fight you to the death!" The Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed.

"It must be tough for our precious grandson to marry someone who knows martial arts." After a busy day, the Empress Dowager was exhausted and her back ached. She smiled contentedly at the two doors, then turned and ordered them to return to the palace.

Meanwhile, a fierce argument raged in both rooms. Murong Junlan was regretting drinking the nuptial wine, while on Luo Xie's side, Jin Chuchu and Luo Xie were locked in a brawl. Jin Chuchu, with her naturally wild nature, pulled hair, slapped faces, and even used her teeth when necessary. Luo Xie, who was quite skilled in martial arts, found Jin Chuchu's chaotic actions causing him considerable trouble. So, he retaliated in kind, pulling Jin Chuchu's hair as well. The entire bridal chamber was now a mess.

So, wasn't Jin Chuchu kidnapped by Qin Nan? How did she end up in the bridal sedan chair? This is all thanks to Princess Luo Rina. Three days ago, Luo Rina and Yan'er were tricked into going to the Empress Dowager's palace. The Empress Dowager said she would betroth the two of them to Murong Junlan and Luo Xie. Upon hearing this, the woman smiled. Lately, she only remembered Luo Xie and didn't recognize Murong Junlan, so she immediately agreed to the Emperor's betrothal.

Luo Rina knew the Emperor intended to marry her to Murong Junlan, and she was secretly delighted for a while. However, when the two bridal sedan chairs were halfway there, her thoughts returned to reality. Although she longed to marry Murong Junlan, she knew he loved Yan'er. So, when the sedan chairs reached a small grove, she decided to leave. Just as she stepped out, she heard a woman crying. At first glance, it was Jin Chuchu? What was she doing here? But she was in a bad mood, so she grabbed Jin Chuchu, shoved her into the sedan chair, tied her up, gagged her, and then disappeared in a huff.

Why is Jin Chuchu here? Murong Junlan ordered Qin Nan to capture Jin Chuchu, but as they walked, Qin Nan found her in the way. He figured that if he captured her, he'd have to bring her back later, so he might as well just throw her away now. After throwing Jin Chuchu away, Qin Nan led his troops back to Wubei Kingdom.

Luo Xie already knew that his grandmother and the emperor had betrothed Yan'er to him. In the past, he would have immediately consummated the marriage, but after spending time with Murong Junlan, he dared not, not even if he were beaten to death. Moreover, taking advantage of the fact that she couldn't remember Prince Murong was not in Luo Xie's nature. Therefore, upon entering the new house, he chose to sit by the platform and drink alone. To be honest, during his time in the snowy region, Luo Xie had grown to love his wife even more, but Prince Murong was no ordinary person. If he dared to touch a hair on Yan'er's head, her head would certainly be on his neck tomorrow. Luo Xie raised the wine jug, gulped it down, and said to the woman before the bed, "My wife, this is our second marriage. I, the Chanyu, like you, but I cannot take advantage of your misfortune. I will wait until you truly wake up before I settle things with Prince Murong."

The wine had been specially spiked by the Empress Dowager, making it very potent. Luo Xie drank it all, his vision blurring and his head spinning. He staggered over to untie his wife, but as soon as he untied the ropes, he lost his balance and collapsed onto Jin Chuchu. Jin Chuchu quickly tossed aside her red veil and gauze, and seeing Luo Xie rushing towards her, she raised her hand and slapped him twice. Luo Xie was stunned. He looked up and realized it wasn't his wife. "Hit me? You're not qualified!" he thought. He slapped Jin Chuchu twice in return. Jin Chuchu's wild side flared; she was usually the one hitting others, and there was no reason for her to retaliate. So the two of them started wrestling.

The next morning, the two doors opened to reveal two completely different scenes: one of Murong Junlan holding Yan'er, who was punching and kicking him; the other of Jin Chuchu and Luo Xie, both bruised and disheveled. Jiang He and the guards tried their best to suppress their laughter...