The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

Anagui raised her meticulously maintained but still plain-looking face with a smile, hoping that the emperor would show her even the slightest pity.

Unfortunately, the Emperor was about to disappoint her again. "What, do you think my son is unworthy of you, a princess from the Western Regions of such high status? Or is it..."

"Did the Western Regions send you here quietly for some other purpose?"

"This humble servant dares not... This humble servant has made an offer of marriage with the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions... I kneel and thank Your Majesty for bestowing this marriage upon me."

Yarkand and Anagui exchanged a glance, and no one knew what they read in each other's eyes;

All that everyone knows is that the Ninth Prince Yuan Jiu, who was just rescued by the eldest daughter of the Fu family, is about to marry Ana Gui, the Ninth Princess of the Western Regions, as his concubine.

Once the imperial decree of marriage was issued, singing and dancing began again in the hall, with occasional acrobatic performances interspersed throughout, making it very lively.

However, each family had its own agenda, and some people lost interest in appreciating the songs, dances, and various performances.

When the final song ended and everyone thought the banquet was about to end, the Emperor suddenly issued another imperial edict.

"The Marquis of Chang'an has truly raised a fine daughter!"

When Fu Luan heard the Emperor mention him, he assumed it was because of the marriage decree he had just received, and had no choice but to return to the palace to kneel and pay his respects.

"You won the championship at the racecourse today, bringing honor to the Great Wei; and you gave up a great opportunity to save Xiao Jiu with the championship."

"Such loyalty and righteousness are witnessed by Heaven and Earth. If I were to let you return empty-handed, it would make me, as the emperor, seem rather petty!"

"Today, because of your outstanding achievement in horseback riding, I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Lady of Yuanshi County.' Fu Luan, why don't you quickly express your gratitude?" The Emperor's smile broadened upon seeing Fu Luan.

Although "Yuanshi" is the name of a county, it is because the royal family of the Great Wei Dynasty used "Yuan" as their surname; since the founding of the dynasty, no one has ever used Yuanshi County as a fief.

A place that even princes and princesses had never been granted was given to Fu Luan...

Fu Che got anxious and kept giving his sister meaningful glances, trying to get her to pass on this hot potato.

But Fu Luan accepted the title of a fifth-rank county lady in the golden hall with great composure and repeated kowtows.

Some people, however, could no longer sit still. "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Fu Luan looked up and saw that it was Tang Wanqing, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

"Oh? Why do you say that, Wanqing?" The Emperor seemed intrigued.

Tang Wanqing glanced at Fu Luan and replied, "Your Majesty, Yuanshi County clashes with the imperial surname and has never been used as a fiefdom. This is one reason."

According to the rules of the Great Wei Dynasty, there are only five types of women who can be granted the title of County Lady—

"Mothers of noblewomen, mothers of officials, wives of officials, and descendants of the imperial clan;"

"And women who have made significant contributions to the people, the world, the Great Wei, the court, or the emperor."

"And Miss Fu today..."

Tang Wanqing paused, glanced at Fu Luan again, and then said, "She won the championship today with unparalleled fierceness."

"But horse racing is just entertainment, a game. Even if you win first place, what benefit will it bring to the Great Wei?"

"Moreover, since the emperor has already granted her wish because of the champion, why would he need to further bestow upon her the title of a fifth-rank county lady?"

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices, in charge of ancestral temple rituals, was perfectly suited to have its people dissuade the emperor. However…

"I have heard that this person is always upright and incorruptible and strictly abides by the law, so I think he would not deliberately oppose me or obstruct my promotion."

"But was he acting out of his official capacity as 'Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices,' or was he acting under someone's orders?" Fu Luan pondered to himself.

She glanced at Tang Wanqing, only to find his gaze strangely familiar—the same omnipresent, burning gaze she'd seen at the horse farm…

The Emperor laughed and said, "So that's what it was about... I thought it was something serious!"

"Yuanshi County has never been a fiefdom before, but I am breaking that precedent today; as for merits..."

"Since Wanqing thinks that horse racing is just entertainment and a game, I suppose you must have a lot of experience with horse racing."

"If I don't see you at the next horse race, I won't stand for it!"

"in addition……"

The Emperor said to Fu Luan, "Fu Luan, you exchanged the title of champion for Xiao Jiu's freedom, which is very good."

"But I've heard that you've suffered a lot while training, and the riding field is full of dangers, so there's absolutely no reason for you to suffer any losses."

"Keep that golden seal from the finish line of the horse race safe. With this seal, I can grant you one more request in the future."

Tang Wanqing continued, "But Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince Yuanlu has been mysteriously and seriously injured."

"Some people are saying privately that Miss Fu did it on purpose to vent her personal grievances..."

The Emperor frowned and waved his hand, "Alright! I know my own son well, this matter..."

"It's Yuanlu's fault for not being skilled enough; besides, the horse racing event has its own rules."

“Life and death are predestined. Injuries or deaths during the competition are each person’s fate and have nothing to do with the law or the imperial court.”

"In short, let's not bring this up again!"

Seeing that the Emperor seemed impatient, Tang Wanqing had no choice but to leave. However, the controversy over Fu Luan being granted the title of County Lady did not end with the end of the banquet.

Fu Luan didn't care about any of that. As soon as the banquet ended, she sent Fu Che away and put Yuan Rui's token in a brocade pouch before heading to Yaohua Palace.

Fu Luan spent the whole day racing horses and seeking revenge; while Yuan Rui was also on tenterhooks in Yao Hua Palace.

Ever since the Western Regions envoys arrived at the palace, Yuan Rui had been filled with anxiety. Every time a palace servant came to report, her heart would skip a beat;

She feared that the emperor had sent someone to announce an imperial decree summoning her to the Western Regions to marry an old barbarian.

In order to gather information about the racecourse, she could send people out more than ten times in an hour.

Only when I heard the final news that "this year's champion is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chang'an" did my heart finally settle down.

Upon hearing that "Grandma Fu used the title of leader to exchange for the Ninth Prince's innocence and freedom," she shed tears several times.

“She did it, she really did it! I knew I hadn’t misjudged her…” Yuan Rui sobbed softly.

Upon hearing that her ninth brother was going to marry the ninth princess of the Western Regions, Yuan Rui could only sigh deeply and bury her boundless feelings deep in her heart.

Compared to Yuan Rui herself, her troubled ninth brother clearly touched her heartstrings more.

Seeing his princess shed tears, the little eunuch quickly stepped forward to join in the fun, saying, "Oh, Princess!"

"Wasn't it Aunt Fu who helped you mount the horse that day, and you had no choice but to give her the token?"

"Now that they've won the championship, we don't need to travel all the way to the Western Regions for a marriage alliance anymore, and the person has become the one you chose?"

The lady-in-waiting spat, "Go away! How dare you nitpick the princess's words? Get back to work!"

Despite saying that, the lady-in-waiting still had to hand Yuanrui a handkerchief.

Just as Yuan Rui wiped away her tears, a palace servant came to report, "The young lady of the Fu family has passed the Silver Bottle Palace and is on her way here!"

Yuan Rui then set off, and the palace servants busied themselves, some fetching water, others attending to her dressing and grooming.

Therefore, when Fu Luan arrived at Yao Hua Palace, Yuan Rui happened to appear in front of Fu Luan, but even the thickest powder could not hide her tearful eyes.

Fu Luan knew she was worried about her and Xiao Jiu, so she didn't laugh at her; she was about to perform a grand ceremony when Yuan Rui stopped her...