What to do if you receive the wrong package?

Zhou Yuran never expected that her happy hot pot party with the shadow guards would be discovered by the King of Chu, let alone that the King of Chu would join them for hot pot.

Fortunately, the King of Chu left without saying anything after finishing his meal, otherwise Zhou Yuran would have been worried that the hot pot she had just eaten would be difficult to digest.

The shadow guards responsible for monitoring Zhou Yueran were somewhat desperate. Although the King of Chu merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing when he saw Zhou Yueran sitting at the same table with the shadow guards, that didn't mean he wouldn't summon them at other times.

All Zhou Yueran could do was pat them on the shoulder and silently pray for them.

I hope you can all come back healthy and strong, otherwise it's too painful to play mahjong with three players missing.

Perhaps the heavens heard Zhou Yuran's heart, for the three shadow guards who had disappeared for a whole day returned unharmed.

Zhou Yuran was a little curious.

What did His Highness say to you?

"... "

"His Highness didn't punish you, did he?"

"... "

"So, will you still be able to play mahjong, card games, eat hot pot, and various snacks with me in the future?"

"can!"

Not only the shadow guards, but even King Duan Chenke of Chu would occasionally appear in the courtyard to eat, drink, and play mahjong.

----------------

As the days went by, just when Zhou Yueran felt like she was turning into a couch potato, Duan Chenke suddenly appeared in the courtyard and said he would take Zhou Yueran to a banquet, which made Zhou Yueran a little nervous.

"Your Highness, why did you decide to bring me along?"

"If I don't have a woman by my side, I'm afraid my homosexuality will become more and more widely known."

After listening to Duan Chenke's speech, Zhou Yuran secretly stuck out her tongue. It seemed like she had said something similar before. The Shadow Guard probably hadn't reported it.

"Your Highness, shouldn't I stay in the manor to save my life? Isn't it inappropriate to go out so openly?"

"Do you intend to stay in the Chu Prince's mansion forever and never leave?"

"..." emm, seems like that won't work either.

"Don't worry, you're safe with me."

Since the King of Chu had put it this way, it would be rude for Zhou Yuran to refuse. Helpless, Zhou Yuran had no choice but to follow Duan Chenke out, dressed in her finest attire by her maids.

Duan Chenke looked at Zhou Yuran, who was sitting somewhat reservedly in the carriage, and unusually praised her, "I must say, Miss Fang looks radiant and beautiful after dressing up."

"Am I not pretty when I don't dress up?" As a beauty enthusiast, Zhou Yuran would never allow herself to hear anyone say that she was not good-looking.

"..." Duan Chenke was speechless for a moment, and could only open his fan to cover his embarrassment. "I was wrong. Miss Fang is even more beautiful and charming after dressing up."

"Your Highness, where are we going? Could you give us a hint?"

"It's the engagement ceremony of the Marquis of Dingyuan's heir today. Let's go and join in the fun."

Zhou Yuran nodded knowingly. She knew what "Wen Ding Zhi Xi" meant; in modern times, it was an engagement ceremony. She just wondered which poor girl had actually gotten engaged to the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

Why do I say it's pitiful?

The heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan was undoubtedly handsome and well-mannered, with a good personality and a wealthy and powerful family. But the key issue was that he was cursed to bring misfortune to his wives! In ancient times, with its feudal superstitions, this alone was a fatal flaw.

When Zhou Yuran was in the women's college, she heard that the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan had been engaged four times. After each engagement, all four brides died of illness before they even entered the family. So this must be the fifth engagement.

Seeing Zhou Yuran's somewhat shocked expression, Duan Chenke immediately guessed what she was thinking and could only helplessly force a smile.

Sometimes, hearing is deceiving, but seeing is believing.

"Hmm? Did Your Highness witness firsthand the process of the Marquis of Dingyuan's heir bringing misfortune to his wives?"

"..." Duan Chenke was speechless again. It seemed that the more he explained, the more confused he became, so he might as well not explain at all.

The heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan: No way! Is this how you treat your brothers?

Upon arriving in an unfamiliar place, Zhou Yuran dared not look around, following closely behind Duan Chenke. When she saw someone approaching the King of Chu to chat, she would simply bow and smile obediently, not daring to say a word.

Because of the King of Chu's noble status, Zhou Yuran also benefited from the arrangement and was placed in the first seat next to the main seat.

After taking her seat, Zhou Yuran quickly rubbed her face with her hands, her facial muscles almost stiff from laughing all the way.

Sitting in her seat and watching the crowd grow larger, Zhou Yuran asked softly, "Your Highness, will we see the girl who is engaged to the Marquis of Dingyuan's heir later?"

Duan Chenke shook his head. "It's hard to say. It's possible that the woman's family exchanged the marriage certificate with the prince."

"Oh, okay." Zhou Yuran sighed regretfully, resting her chin on her hand. She wouldn't be able to see the girl she was engaged to, so she might as well eat more later.

The entire pot of tea was finished, but the food hadn't even arrived yet. Zhou Yuran clutched her stomach, looking distressed.

Oh no, I drank too much water, I can't hold it in anymore.

"Your Highness, I..." Zhou Yuran was afraid that if she held it in any longer she might become the first person to die from holding her urine, so she could only whisper to Duan Chenke.

Duan Chenke watched her movements, glanced at the teapot beside him, beckoned a maid, and whispered to Zhou Yuran, "Just follow her all the way."

Zhou Yuran nodded gratefully and quickly followed the maid out.

Having satisfied her physical needs, Zhou Yuran came back to life and followed her maid, openly admiring every plant and tree in the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion.

Just as she was curiously looking around, she suddenly heard a piercing scream from ahead.

"Ah! You little slut dared to bite me. Grab her, don't let her get away."

Immediately afterwards, she saw a young woman in a pink dress run out of a courtyard not far away, followed closely by three or four heavily made-up, burly middle-aged women.

The young woman deliberately hid in lush vegetation, skillfully slipping away from the older women under their cover. However, she hadn't run far before the guards, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, caught her red-handed.

The middle-aged woman behind her caught up, panting heavily, and the one in the lead kicked the woman directly.

"Why are you running? If you run again, I'll tie you up. Take her back inside. You have to wear this wedding dress today, whether you like it or not."

The young woman kept her head down silently, her hair obscuring her face so that her features were not clearly visible.

Just as the guard was about to take her back, the woman suddenly struggled violently and even kicked the guard in the groin.

The guard was so frightened by the wildness of the girl in his arms that he immediately let go to protect his life.

Seizing this sliver of hope, the woman successfully broke free from the guards' grasp and ran towards Zhou Yuran without looking back. Just as the maid was about to pull Zhou Yuran away from this dangerous place, Zhou Yuran was surprised to find that she recognized the girl in pink.

Because this girl was none other than Hua Yin, who had been left alone in the girls' quarters.

Hua Yin seemed to see Zhou Yuran as well; at that moment, she felt as if she had seen a ray of light.

Zhou Yuran caught Hua Yin as she rushed towards her, holding Hua Yin's wrist tightly and shielding her behind her.

Knowing that she couldn't possibly protect Hua Yin from these old guards on her own, she quickly pulled out several gold hairpins from her hair and stuffed them into the hands of the maid who brought her, saying quickly, "As long as you bring His Highness the Prince of Chu here, these gold hairpins are all yours."

The maid hesitated for a moment, then Zhou Yuran took off her gold bracelet and ring and handed them over.

"You only need to pass on a message saying that I have something to discuss with His Highness the Prince of Chu, and I guarantee that nothing else is your concern."

The maid gritted her teeth, put away the gold jewelry in her hand, and strode towards the hall.

The girls in the garden alone are no match for the guards, and the new heir apparent's wife would never run away from the Marquis's residence.

She just delivers a message and gets so much gold jewelry for free; only a fool would refuse such a deal.

Zhou Yuran kicked one of the pursuing old women to the ground, then protected Hua Yin and engaged in a verbal battle with the others, all while remaining vigilant to prevent the guards from launching a sneak attack. Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff, Zhou Yuran's savior, His Highness the Prince of Chu, finally appeared in her sight. However, it wasn't just Duan Chenke who arrived; walking beside him was also Jian Yuheng, the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuran hesitated slightly as she rapidly waved her arms.

What if Duan Chenke sides with the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan?

At that moment, Zhou Yuran suddenly felt a pang of helplessness and heartache. She was originally just a witness under the protection of the King of Chu; how could she possibly expect the King of Chu to side with her?

Zhou Yuran gritted her teeth, her gaze somewhat solemn, as if she was regretting that she had been too reassured and dependent on the King of Chu.

Hua Yin noticed the change in Zhou Yuran's emotions, patted her shoulder, and said quickly in a low voice, "Yuran, don't be stubborn. If it really comes down to it, hand me over first. We can't both die here."

"No. I have good news for you. I've already met Qiqi, Ayan, and Mumu. So, I have to take you out today."

Zhou Yuran's gaze was fixed on Duan Chenke, her eyes filled with a hint of wariness.

Duan Chenke was puzzled by the wariness in Zhou Yuran's eyes. He lifted his foot and walked towards Zhou Yuran, but to his surprise, Zhou Yuran and the girl behind her took a few steps back.

Duan Chenke stopped in his tracks, frowned slightly, and looked at Zhou Yuran with a puzzled expression.

How come you don't recognize yourself after being away for a short while?

Duan Chenke looked at Zhou Yuran, whose body was tense, as if she was ready to escape at any moment, and a sense of worry arose in his heart.

"Your Highness, may I ask what happened in your courtyard? Why are my men so frightened?"

Upon hearing Duan Chenke's question, a hint of hesitation flashed in Zhou Yuran's eyes. She seemed to be weighing something, but ultimately chose to believe Duan Chenke and quickly pulled Hua Yin behind him.

"Your Highness, these old women are hurling insults at me, and they're even threatening to arrest me."

The old women were completely stunned by Zhou Yuran's counterattack. One of them even knelt down beside Jian Yuheng with a thud, sobbing and clutching her arm, to complain.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has defied the imperial decree and attempted to escape. You must catch her and punish her severely, otherwise this old servant will have difficulty explaining to Her Majesty the Empress."

"Yes, Your Highness. You can't just believe what she says. That girl is the one who made the false accusation, but she was the one who started the fight."

Jian Yuheng frowned, his head spinning from the noise of the old women around him. Adding to his frustration, these women were even threatening him with the Empress. His face darkened, and he impatiently ordered the guards to throw the women back into the courtyard and keep them under strict surveillance.

Before long, only Jian Yuheng, Duan Chenke, Zhou Yuran, and Hua Yin remained in the courtyard.

Jian Yuheng looked at the two girls behind Duan Chenke who were watching her warily, and felt rather helpless. She had no choice but to ask Duan Chenke to take the two girls to her courtyard so that she could give them a brief explanation.

The Empress was furious when it was discovered that Su Yuwei had replaced Su Yuanming, so someone had to bear the Empress's wrath.

Unfortunately, Zhou Yuran was protected by the Prince of Chu and could not move, so the Empress had no choice but to focus her attention on Hua Yin, who was "informing" the Empress.

Because Hua Yin was in the women's quarters, which meant she was under the Empress's nose, and the Empress could not openly torment Hua Yin, she had no choice but to issue an edict to marry Hua Yin to the heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan, who had a terrible reputation and had lost four wives in a row, and to complete the marriage as soon as possible.

Hua Yin had no time to react. After the imperial edict was read, she was taken to the Dingyuan Marquis's residence by three or four old women and kept under close guard. She had no way to escape.

It just so happens that today is the day of the engagement, and there are many things to do. In addition, she has been behaving very "well-behavedly," which makes the old women lower their guard against her. They only leave one person to guard her and help her with the preparations.

Hua Yin seized the opportunity and rushed out the door, only to find that besides the old woman, there were also guards secretly watching her.

"Your Highness, Hua Bao is also a victim of this incident. Could we bring Hua Bao into the palace as well?" Zhou Yuran asked Duan Chenke for help without hesitation.

"This young lady has been ordered by the Empress to enter the mansion with me. It would be considered disobeying the imperial decree and would be punishable by death."

"Ah..." Zhou Yuran was somewhat at a loss. Was Hua Yin really going to obey the imperial decree and marry Jian Yuheng?!

“Miss Hua, I know you are unwilling, but the Empress’s decree cannot be easily disobeyed.” Jian Yuheng got straight to the point and stated his thoughts directly.

He also did not want to be forced into marriage, but the imperial decree was of paramount importance. He promised that after the marriage, the two would only be husband and wife in name and not in reality. They would put on a show in front of outsiders, but in private they would live their own lives and never interfere with each other.

After listening to Jian Yuheng's speech, Hua Yin calmed down. After a moment of thought, she asked a completely unrelated question.

Are you really a jinx to wives?

Zhou Yuran: Yes, I'm also very curious about this question.