The Cloud Feather of the Red Chamber: A Marriage Arranged with Gong Yuanzheng at the Start

Lin Qingyue was still trying to recall the plot when she saw Lin Ruhai walk into the study, looking at her with a hint of something in his eyes. Finally, he placed two yellow scrolls on Lin Qingyue's desk.

The bright yellow hue, with faintly visible dragon embroidery, was reserved for imperial use only.

"Snapped"

The pen in Lin Qingyue's hand fell onto the table. Looking at the scroll, she already guessed what was inside.

"By imperial decree, the Crown Prince has granted you and Gong Yuanzheng a marriage and bestowed upon you the title of Princess. However, the investiture ceremony will be held after the overall situation has stabilized."

Lin Qingyue did not listen carefully to what Lin Ruhai said.

She looked at the scroll and said in a hoarse voice, "Father, let me say goodbye to my sister, mother, and brother."

"Go quickly, we'll be setting off in half an hour." Lin Ruhai's voice was equally hoarse.

Quickly composing herself, Lin Qingyue disregarded etiquette and ran to Jia Min's courtyard.

I left in such a hurry that I forgot to tidy up the documents on the table.

Lin Ruhai read the information written on the paper and immediately pounded his chest in frustration. He was right; the palace gates were a den of wolves and tigers!

Yue'er is powerless; how could she possibly fight against those martial arts practitioners whose hands are stained with blood?

Looking at the two imperial edicts on the table, Lin Ruhai wished he could tear them up.

His last shred of reason stopped his impulsive hand.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was the Crown Prince's decree, and tearing it up would be a great disrespect. He couldn't tear it up, he absolutely couldn't tear it up.

Now that things have come to this, the only thing we can do is to get things done as soon as possible and bring our daughter out.

Today was a rare good day, and Jia Min carried Qingyu to the courtyard to bask in the sun for a while.

Daiyu was teasing her younger brother from the side.

Still ill, Qingyu played with her second sister for a while before feeling tired and dozing off in Jia Min's arms.

When Lin Qingyue arrived, this was the scene she saw.

"Sister!" Daiyu was the first to see Lin Qingyue, and greeted her with a smile.

Lin Qingyue smiled and quickly walked into the courtyard. Seeing that Daiyu had beads of sweat on her forehead, she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped them away for her.

Seeing her eldest daughter's slightly pale face, Jia Min couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness.

"Yue'er, you also need to rest and don't overwork yourself."

She sighed, "My body is so weak, otherwise I wouldn't need you, my child, to suffer like this."

"Mother, I'm fine! Really!" Lin Qingyue interrupted Jia Min with a smile.

Looking at her sleeping younger brother, she couldn't help but kiss him on the forehead.

Having composed herself, Lin Qingyue spoke to Jia Min and Daiyu as if nothing had happened:

"I'm about to set off for Tianning Temple outside the city to fast for half a month."

This was something she and Lin Ruhai had agreed upon; over the next two weeks, Lin Ruhai would slowly explain it to them.

Jia Min frowned. "So rushed?"

"Yes, that's right." Lin Qingyue forced a smile and quickly lowered her head, afraid that Jia Min would notice something was wrong.

"Yu'er, I'm sorry to trouble you to take care of your mother and younger brother during this time."

"Sister, please rest assured, I will take good care of Mother and Brother," Daiyu replied earnestly, looking up at him.

"Good Yu'er." Lin Qingyue touched her little face, then turned and hurriedly left.

Daiyu suddenly felt a void in her heart, and hurriedly chased after Lin Qingyue to the courtyard gate. Looking at Lin Qingyue's retreating figure, she called out:

"Sister, will you be back soon?"

The figure paused, did not turn around, and walked faster, leaving only a sentence in the air.

"Will do."

At the entrance of the Lin residence, a procession of carriages was already prepared. As previously agreed, Lin Qingyue would use the pretext of praying for Jia Min to travel to Tianning Temple.

In the evening, we set off directly from Tianning Temple to the palace gate.

Lin Ruhai reluctantly saw his daughter off onto the carriage, leaving behind only one sentence to express his many words.

"Yue'er, wait for your father to take you home."

Even though she was mentally prepared, Lin Qingyue couldn't help but want to shed tears at this moment.

The struggle for the throne is extremely dangerous; it's a life-or-death gamble, and no one can guarantee that they will have the last laugh.

In TV dramas, the protagonist's halo makes even the most treacherous palace gates seem like a Pyrrhic victory. Now, with the intervention of the imperial court, the future will only become more unpredictable.

Who knows when we will meet again after this separation?

The only thing that brought Lin Qingyue some comfort was that Baicao Cui had temporarily saved the lives of the Lin family.

The carriage drove further and further away, disappearing around a bend. Butler Lin took a cloak and draped it over Lin Ruhai's shoulders.

"Master, it's getting windy, you should go back inside."

"Yes, the wind is picking up." Lin Ruhai sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the diverse crowds on the streets and alleys. How many pairs of eyes were watching among them?

At the back gate of Tianning Temple, Gong Shangjiao waited patiently on horseback, with a small carriage parked beside her.

Before long, a graceful young woman dressed in white and wearing a veil appeared at the back door.

Lin Qingyue gave Gong Shangjiao a deep curtsy and said, "Greetings, Young Master Jiao."

If nothing unexpected happens, this will be her brother-in-law for the next few years.

Gong Shangjiao didn't say much. "Miss Lin, please get on the carriage quickly. We need to reach the palace gate within half a month."

Lin Qingyue understood; presumably, the day for the palace to select a bride would be in half a month.

Without saying another word, he got into the carriage with Qiulan's help.

The Old Dust Valley is hundreds of miles from Yangzhou, and to reach it within half a month, one would need to travel day and night.

Lin Qingyue's health was already weak, and after traveling for ten consecutive days, she finally couldn't take it anymore and fell ill.

Looking at Gong Shangjiao, who exuded a cold aura, Qiulan mustered her courage and said, "Miss is weak and needs to rest. She can't travel any further."

Gong Shangjiao glanced at the trembling maid and listened to the sounds from inside the carriage; Miss Lin was still unconscious.

After a moment of silence, Gong Shangjiao turned and left the carriage. In this situation, if they were traveling, he feared that Miss Lin might die on the way.

After the cold-faced devil walked away, Qiulan finally breathed a sigh of relief, climbed onto the carriage, and looked at her unconscious young lady, her eyes welling up with tears.

There's no village or shop in sight, and we can't even find a doctor. What are we going to do?

As dawn broke, Lin Qingyue opened her eyes. Qiu Lan was lying beside her, still fast asleep, and the tear stains at the corners of her eyes could still be faintly seen.

Lin Qingyue carefully stepped over Qiulan and got off the carriage.

The morning breeze was chilly, and Lin Qingyue instinctively wrapped her cloak tighter around herself.

She gazed back at the road she had come from. Did her sister and mother already know the truth?

"It's cold and foggy, Miss Lin, you should get back into the carriage."

A man's voice came from behind her. Lin Qingyue turned around and saw a man in black standing under the tree.

Lin Qingyue immediately recognized him as Gong Shangjiao.

His appearance is seven or eight parts similar to the actor in the TV series, but compared to that actor, this one has a stronger aura.

Gong Shangjiao only saw her face clearly today. The girl's face still looked sickly, but her elegant temperament was undeniable.

She hasn't fully blossomed yet, but in a few years, she'll likely become an unparalleled beauty capable of captivating a nation.

Such appearance and demeanor are indeed a good match for a distant expedition. Gong Shangjiao thought to himself.

Lin Qingyue stepped forward and handed the prepared documents to Gong Shangjiao.

This was one of the reasons she got off the carriage.

The moment Gong Shangjiao took one look, his initial nonchalance vanished, and he turned his gaze cold as he looked at Lin Qingyue.

"Miss Lin, what does this mean?"

Lin Qingyue remained calm. "Young Master Jiao, you may not know this, but I have had a special ability since I was a child. I sometimes have precognitive dreams."

"Precognitive dreams." Gong Shangjiao's gaze grew even colder. "Don't you find Miss Lin's words laughable?"

Lin Qingyue was not afraid of his gaze at all. "Young Master Jiao will know the truth as soon as he investigates."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the carriage without waiting for his reaction.

A faint voice came from behind.

"In your dream, what happened between you and your brother Yuanzheng?"

Lin Qingyue didn't stop walking, nor did she turn her head. She said firmly, "Cancel the engagement."

Watching Lin Qingyue's figure disappear from the carriage, Gong Shangjiao looked at the names on the paper again, a murderous glint appearing in his eyes.

Myo-muhime...

Gong Huanyu...

Steward Jia...

Clouds as a garment...

Shangguan Qian...

lark......

Moon Prince...