I was sold when I opened my eyes! My sick and disabled husband comforts me every night after he wake

These words were a huge insult to Lan Zhi. She might as well have said directly that no matter how many women came to compete, Lan Zhi was destined to be last.

In fact, Lan Zhi knew in her heart that Consort Liang did not want her to be the Crown Princess. One reason was that she looked down on her, but the main reason was that she had no family background and no powerful family to support the Crown Prince.

Lan Zhi shook her head and smiled bitterly. Wei Jianning, upon hearing this, instantly became furious and embarrassed. He was about to retort to Consort Liang when Lan Zhi stopped him.

"Alright, do everything as Lady Liang says."

After leaving those words, she took Wei Jianning's hand and went out the door. Liang Fei's lips curved slightly, her eyes filled with a complex expression.

She had already sent people to investigate Lan Zhi's background. From childhood to adulthood, Lan Zhi had either been chopping wood in the mountains or washing clothes and cooking at home. She was illiterate, let alone skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Otherwise, she would not have agreed to let her compete with Lin Yuwei.

As for the dance she performed at her birthday banquet yesterday, it was probably something she came up with on her own and was hardly presentable.

This time, she was determined to make Lin Yuwei win; she was determined to make Lin Yuwei the Crown Princess.

Thinking of this, she called out anxiously.

"Rong'er, Rong'er..."

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

"Go to Jingyi Courtyard..."

She needed to tell Lin Yuwei in advance to make preparations and ensure everything went smoothly.

……

Only after returning to the bedroom did Wei Jianning shake off her hand and question her unhappily.

“I already made it clear to my mother that I did not agree to let you participate in the competition, and that I would marry no one but you in this life. Why did you have to appear at this time? Why did you agree to the competition? Have you thought about what would happen if you lost? Do you really want to be a concubine for the rest of your life? Do you really want to share a man with someone else? Do you really want me to marry someone else?”

His barrage of questions left Lan Zhi feeling overwhelmed.

Seeing his flushed face and hearing his rapid breathing due to anger, Lan Zhi suddenly burst out laughing.

"You're still laughing? I'm so worried, how can you still laugh? Lan Zhi, you've had enough of this miserable life and want to use this opportunity to leave me, right?"

Seeing his anger escalating, she took two steps forward and threw herself into his arms, nuzzling against his chest while chuckling softly:

"Since you know this is a life of misery, are you still telling me to jump into it?"

Wei Jianning suddenly hugged her, resting his chin on the top of her head, and held her tightly in his arms as if afraid of losing her, choking back tears as he said:

"I know this is unfair to you, and I know it will make you feel bad, but I can't live without you, Lan Zhi. Once I have completely defeated the people of Tianwu Kingdom and returned victorious, I will spend the rest of my life taking good care of you and never let you suffer even the slightest grievance."

"What if I lose, and there's no reason for me to stay by your side?"

Without even thinking, he replied decisively:

"If you have no reason to stay by my side, then I have no reason to be the crown prince. In any case, wherever you go in this life, I will follow. Your smile is the sunshine I want to see every day. Your existence is the meaning of my life. If you leave, I will not stay alone."

Although his words sounded a bit affected, Lan Zhi found them very pleasing.

She couldn't help but reach out and pinch his waist.

"When did you learn to use sweet talk?"

He tightened his arms, shaking his head with a burning gaze.

"These are my true feelings. During the time you've been away from me, I've been thinking, what is the meaning of my life without you? Without you, my life will fall into darkness again."

At this point, he pulled her from his arms, and when their eyes met, he solemnly said:

"Lan Zhi, promise me, no matter what, you will never leave me. Even if we die, we will die together."

"No nonsense."

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"We should live well and not keep talking about dying. Since I agreed to the competition, I am confident of winning. Besides, it's much better for me to fight for the position of Crown Princess myself than for you to go against everyone's wishes!"

Wei Jianning gently stroked her hair and nodded indulgently.

"Remember, this competition is not important. No matter the outcome, I will be with you. If you really lose, we will go far away and live a carefree life. It's better than being constrained here."

She frowned slightly in displeasure.

"Wei Jianning, you also think I will lose, right?"

“You grew up in a different environment than them, so naturally you can’t compare to them. However, whether you win or lose, I love you, and that’s a fact that no one can change.”

His sweet words made her fall for him again.

She nestled into his arms and nodded shyly.

"With your words, I am content no matter the outcome."

He held her tightly, wishing he could meld her into his body...

……

In the afternoon, Ling Jiawei arrived in a hurry.

"Lan Zhi, someone from the palace has come to deliver the Empress's decree."

Lan Zhi leaned forward slightly and spoke in surprise.

"What's the content?"

Ling Jiawei hesitated for a moment, then said with concern:

"Tomorrow, I'm asking you to go to the Qianqing Palace to participate in the selection of the Crown Princess."

"Well, I see."

“Tomorrow, besides Lin Yuwei, there will be other daughters of officials. They are all from prominent families. You are different from them, and I am a little worried about you.”

Seeing her elder brother's gloomy face, Lan Zhi forced a relaxed smile.

"If I win, I can continue to be the Crown Princess. If I lose, we'll leave here, find a place to start a small business, and I'll find you a wife in the future. Wouldn't that be a good life?"

"Hi!"

Ling Jiawei sighed heavily.

"I'm not worried about myself. I can make a living by chopping wood and farming back in my hometown. I'm worried about you. You and the Crown Prince have finally made it this far. It would be such a pity if you couldn't be together!"

As he spoke, he took a handkerchief from his pocket, walked a few steps toward Lan Zhi,

"Lan Zhi, these are your things, they should be returned to you."

Lan Zhi blinked a few times, looking at Ling Jiawei with a puzzled expression.

"Brother, what is this?"

Ling Jiawei slowly unfolded the handkerchief in his hand, revealing two silver bells inside. He picked up the bells and waved them in front of her.

"This is what I tied around your waist when I found you."

Lan Zhi took the two small and delicate-looking bells with great surprise, shook them in her hands, and asked in confusion,

"If it's mine, why give it to me now?"

Ling Jiawei shook his head with guilt.

“It’s all my fault. I failed to protect your things. My mother pawned these silver bells on the third day after you arrived at my house. I thought they were your belongings and might be related to your background, so I wanted to redeem them. However, I was short of money. A while ago, I had some savings, so I asked someone to go back to my hometown pawnshop to redeem them. They were just delivered, so I brought them to you.”

It turned out to be the case.

Lan Zhi gently shook the string of bells in her hand, and listening to the melodious sound, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

These bells are exquisitely crafted, with the characters "Lan Zhi" engraved on each one. When shaken, they produce a clear and melodious sound.

"Brother, thank you."