#16: Arranging a Marriage

The maids and servants who had fainted had long since woken up and were going about their business as if nothing had happened. Therefore, Xiao Qi did not notice anything amiss when he returned to the residence. The next morning, two servants suddenly arrived from the palace with an oral decree from Emperor Yan, summoning Xiao Qi and his consort to the palace for a banquet. Yan Chu smiled slightly when she heard the news.

In other people’s eyes, the Prince Consort was dead, but in Xiao Qi’s heart, she was not. Of course, he would not only take Liuyu to such an occasion.

The weather was cool, so the banquet was held in a small pavilion in the imperial garden. As expected, most of the guests were royal family members. Apart from Xiao Qi, there were only two minor officials of other surnames to keep them company. It was like a royal family banquet, but not quite. The etiquette was not as strict as usual. The women were in the inner room, separated by a hollowed-out carved lattice, and they could see and hear each other’s movements clearly.

Xiao Qi noticed the anomaly. Although he was suspicious, he calmly took his seat. In the inner room, Liuyu was very uneasy. After bowing to the Empress with Yan Chu, she greeted the other Princess Consorts and wives before taking her seat.

Emperor Yan said, “This is not a family banquet. Prince Ding, you don’t have to be so formal today. I just want to chat with you.”

The Empress said, “Your Majesty, that’s not right. The future is long, and it’s possible that we will become a family.”

Emperor Yan laughed and agreed. “I will drink a toast to myself as a punishment.”

Noticing the hidden meaning in their words, Xiao Qi looked toward the inner room. Yan Chu seemed not to have heard anything and was busy with her wine cup. Liuyu, on the other hand, looked surprised and doubtful.

Fortunately, Emperor Yan did not continue the topic. The banquet proceeded as usual, and everyone raised their cups and laughed along.

After a few rounds of drinks, Prince An suddenly said, “Prince Ding saved Princess Pingyang. Old Prince, why don’t you toast him?”

Everyone heard the hint and looked at Prince Qian.

Prince Qian was the late emperor’s half-brother and had a very good relationship with him. Hearing Prince An’s teasing, he quickly explained, “My daughter fell into the water a few days ago, and she was saved by Prince Ding. I should have come to your door to thank you.”

Xiao Qi had already investigated Princess Pingyang’s identity. He said, “It was nothing. Your Highness, you don’t have to be so formal.”

Prince An, who was a little drunk, laughed and said, “Prince Ding has always been lucky with women. I heard that the late Princess Consort was very beautiful, and your consort is also a beauty. Now you have rescued another beauty. We are all so envious.”

The other princes laughed. “Prince An is right.”

“My dear brother, you reminded me of something,” Emperor Yan also became interested. He put down his wine cup and said, “Over the years, Prince Ding has been so busy dealing with my problems that he has neglected his family affairs. He still has no heir. I have been worried about this. This time, it seems like a match made in heaven for Prince Ding. What do you all think?”

Everyone vaguely guessed the purpose of his banquet today and agreed. All eyes were on three people. Yan Chu sat properly with a calm expression, but Liuyu’s face was not very pleasant. The hand holding the wine cup was getting tighter and tighter, and her knuckles were turning white.

Finally, Xiao Qi spoke. “You are all joking. I once swore to only marry one person, but now for the sake of an heir... I will never marry or take a concubine again in this life.”

The topic that had just started was abruptly ended by his words. The rejection was absolute, and the atmosphere became a little awkward.

Emperor Yan said nonchalantly, “Since you have already broken your vow, it doesn’t matter if you have one or two. Prince Ding, for the sake of an heir, the Princess Consort, if she were alive, would understand. Besides...” He glanced at Yan Chu but did not continue.

Prince Qian’s face did not look good. Everyone knew that Xiao Qi had entered the palace to ask for a dancing girl. At this critical moment, his sudden refusal to take another woman seemed to suggest that the dignified Princess Pingyang was not even as good as a dancing girl.

Xiao Qi immediately stood up and said, “I would never have such a thought.”

“How can a man only marry one woman?” Emperor Yan interrupted him, saying with a hint of sarcasm, “Prince Ding, you made a vow for the Princess Consort, but she is deceased. Your consort has not given you an heir. If you continue to be like this, you will be criticized, and it will also damage your consort’s reputation for being virtuous. Consort, am I not right?”

Liuyu bit her lip, looking at Xiao Qi, and did not answer for a long time.

If she said “yes” at this moment, Emperor Yan would grant the marriage. Although she wanted to be known for her virtue, it was all an act. How could she really be willing to let Xiao Qi take another woman? Moreover, Princess Pingyang was from a royal family. Even if she became a second consort, she would not be someone Liuyu could compare with.

Seeing this, everyone understood and said nothing more. Many people already had a mocking look on their faces. They had all heard that the Prince’s consort was virtuous, but it turned out she was just a jealous woman.

The Empress tried to ease the tension. “Your Majesty, you are asking the obvious. The consort is from a prestigious family and is well-educated. How could she be jealous? She must be very happy.”

Emperor Yan pondered and turned to ask Yan Chu, “What do you think, Miss Yan Chu?”

Yan Chu stood up calmly and said, “Your Majesty, my status is low, and I dare not say much. I only know that anything you decide will be good. Others would beg for such a thing. It is an honor for the Prince.”

Xiao Qi stared at her, his expression gloomy.

Everyone had heard many rumors before and knew that Xiao Qi doted on her very much. They had thought she would be the first to be unhappy, so they were all very surprised that she would say such a thing. They all wondered if her generosity was genuine. Looking at Liuyu across the way, they couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that the rumors were not to be believed after all.

Prince Nan suddenly chuckled.

The surroundings were already quiet, so his laughter sounded particularly clear. Yan Chu heard it through the carved lattice and couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at, Your Highness?”

Prince Nan smiled and raised his wine cup, but did not answer.

Emperor Yan also asked, “My brother, why are you laughing?”

Prince Nan then said, “To be honest, my brother, I was just surprised that Miss Yan Chu is so virtuous, so I laughed.”

Yan Chu was not polite either. “I am humbled. I have disappointed Your Highness.”

On the surface, they were mocking each other, but in the eyes of some, it was a subtle flirtation. Everyone looked at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi bowed to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, I am very grateful for your kindness, but I heard that Princess Pingyang is both beautiful and intelligent. How would she be willing to be a second consort? Perhaps we should reconsider.”

Emperor Yan nodded and smiled at Prince Qian. “Alright, it was a sudden thought of mine. I forgot about your daughter’s temperament. It would be a bit of a humiliation for her to be a second consort. Please don’t blame me, my brother.”

It was only after hearing about Xiao Qi saving Princess Pingyang that Emperor Yan had come up with this idea. As a royal princess, if she married into the family, her status would definitely not be lower than Liuyu’s. At the very least, she would be a second consort. If she had an heir before Liuyu, the threat posed by Xiao Qi’s military power would be much smaller. But now that Xiao Qi’s refusal was obvious, asking about the princess was just an excuse. It would do no good to force him, because the two of them had to work together in the current situation. Moreover, Prince Nan was present, and he couldn’t be allowed to see the rift between the emperor and his subject.

Emperor Yan pondered. “So, according to you, Prince Ding, if Princess Pingyang is willing...”

Xiao Qi said, “Whatever Your Majesty decides.”

Since the matter was settled, Emperor Yan did not bring it up again. The emperor and his subjects continued to drink and enjoy themselves as usual. The banquet ended, and the princes returned to their residences.

Carriages were parked at the palace gate. Prince Nan slowly stepped onto his, turned around, and nodded at Yan Chu.

Yan Chu then smiled brightly.

Xiao Qi helped Liuyu into the carriage. When he was about to go over, he was held back tightly by Liuyu. He was afraid that she would make a scene in front of everyone, so he had no choice but to get into the carriage with her.

As expected, when they returned to the residence, Liuyu pushed Xiao Qi away and, with the help of her maid, went to the back garden with tears in her eyes. Yan Chu pretended not to notice and leisurely walked into Maple Garden, fanning herself with a fan.

See? All she asked for was a place at first, what a pathetic woman! But once she had the chance, she wanted to make that place a little bigger. The more delicate the woman seemed in his memory, the greater the contrast now. Xiao Qi, will you be surprised? And if she keeps making a fuss, will your patience hold up?

Looking around, it was cold and desolate. When success could not be shared, a person could not be happy alone.

Yan Chu was fanning the maple leaves on a branch when a string of pearls suddenly appeared in front of her. The pearls were all large and round, with a warm and beautiful luster, a rarity that was priceless.

“When did you come back?” Seeing him, Yan Chu felt a genuine sense of joy, but then she mocked herself. “You’re the only one left that I can talk to.”

“Master, you don’t like my gift. I’m sad,” Xiao Yan casually threw the valuable pearls into the pond. “What kind of mischief have you been up to?”

Yan Chu leaned against the tree and recounted what had happened. At the end, she pointed behind her with her fan, a hint of schadenfreude in her tone. “Xiao Qi didn’t agree on the spot. It’s clearly a rejection. And that woman doesn’t know her place. She’s making a scene with him.”

Xiao Yan said, “Is foolishness that funny?”

“You didn’t see the way Qin Chuan Liuyu looked back there. A woman from a prestigious family, and she’s been in charge for so long, but she couldn’t keep her composure. I thought she had seen bigger things,” Yan Chu said with disdain. “Didn’t she have people spread rumors that Xiao Qi was doting on me? Today, everyone could see clearly that anyone can pretend to be virtuous.”

After saying this, she laughed again. “Before, when I was around, she could only secretly fool around with Xiao Qi. She finally got what she wanted after I died and married into the family, but she could only be a second consort. Now, there’s a noble princess. It’s no wonder she’s upset. I even feel a bit bad for her.”

Xiao Yan was half-lying on a rock, his head propped up, listening to her with great interest.

Even though she knew he was an absolute demon, Yan Chu did not have to be on guard or worried around him. She did not hide her smugness. “Since Xiao Qi abandoned her and married me, she shouldn’t have had a secret affair with another woman’s husband and plotted to harm people. It was her choice, and she has no one to blame but herself. Xiao Qi needed the Yue army’s help, so Yue Xiluo had the right to make demands of him. What is Qin Chuan Liuyu? If word gets out to the former Yue army soldiers that Xiao Qi is indulging her in public, she would just be causing more trouble for Xiao Qi.”

“You were the one who made the princess fall into the water,” Xiao Yan reached out and stroked her curved lips. “Revenge makes you happy.”

Yan Chu was so carried away that she didn’t notice his action. “I was just trying to annoy Xiao Qi and distract him, so he wouldn’t pay attention to me. In short, they won’t have a good time. Now he has to find a way to decline the marriage, worry about the Yue army, and appease the woman in the back garden. I’m sure he’s very vexed.”

She couldn’t help but lean into Xiao Yan’s arms and laughed. “Good disciple, I’m so happy. The more this pair of scoundrels fights, the better.”

“My poor brother, he would be sad if he heard this,” Xiao Yan held his forehead. “He has known your identity for a long time and couldn’t bear to hurt you.”

Yan Chu suddenly looked up and glared at him. “He used my feelings back then. I am using his feelings now. What’s wrong with that?”

“It doesn’t seem wrong,” Xiao Yan tugged at his slightly curly long hair. “Will Princess Pingyang be willing to marry him?”

Yan Chu said, “A hero saving a damsel in distress. What woman wouldn’t be moved? That’s how I fell for him back then. Without a Princess Consort, it’s not a great humiliation for her to be a second consort.”

Xiao Yan said, “My brother won’t agree.”

“So I need to help him decline the marriage,” Yan Chu seemed to realize something. She sat up and moved away from him, covering his face with her fan. “He must be suspicious of me now. By helping him, he will trust and protect me more, and I will have a chance to get closer to Uncle Lu Shan.”

Perhaps because he had been locked in the dungeon for too long, Xiao Yan particularly liked the sun. He would occasionally reach out to catch the light and shadows that filtered through the leaves. The autumn sun was very gentle, shining on his long fingers, creating an indescribable beauty.

Yan Chu watched him for a long time and suddenly asked, “You’ve been reincarnated so many times. You must know a lot.”

Xiao Yan lay on the rock with his face up and answered, “Not too much, not too little. What do you want to ask, Master?”

Yan Chu said, “I lost my memory two hundred years ago. Do you know anything about that?”

“Do you want to hear the truth?”

“Of course.”

“That was during the time of the previous Yan Emperor. I was not yet free from control then, and you hadn’t appeared,” Xiao Yan said. “Even if you had appeared, my interests have always been limited, so why would I have noticed you?”

Yan Chu tapped him with the handle of her fan.

“You want to hear the truth, but you find it difficult to accept,” Xiao Yan held her fan. “Master, you are so hypocritical.”

Yan Chu said, “Tell me.”

“I don’t know about your business, but your father, General Yue, was very famous,” he retracted his hand and tapped his forehead. “To avoid making you angry, let me think. Should I call him loyal and upright or stubborn...”

Yan Chu, on the other hand, smiled. She put away her fan, and her expression softened. “I know his personality. He knew that the Crown Prince would not be able to achieve great things, but he did not agree with Prince Nan’s political views, so he never chose a side.”

Her expression quickly faded, and her voice became a little low. “Later, I made the choice for him.”

If she had not married Xiao Qi, General Yue, with his great army, would have remained neutral. Under the circumstances at the time, no matter who came to power, they would have tried to win him over. He would have been safe.

Xiao Yan said, “Master, why don’t you think one step further? If Prince Nan had become the emperor back then, with General Yue around, Prince Nan’s throne would have been very unstable.”

Yan Chu’s expression changed slightly.

For Prince Nan, there had been natural disasters for several consecutive years. There were foreign invasions from the Mu Feng Kingdom, and General Yue’s army was stationed inside the country. General Yue disagreed with him, and there were also many stubborn old officials who supported “the eldest son.” It was the wrong time, and the situation was tense. Coupled with his “unjust name,” it was not necessarily a bad thing that he had not become the emperor.

But Prince Nan had always been ambitious and decisive. His management of his fiefdom over the years showed his great talent. He was not an ordinary man. He just needed an opportunity.

The Yue army was drawn into the battle for land because of Xiao Qi. Not only was the Mu Feng Kingdom’s strength greatly diminished and unable to invade again, but General Yue and his son were also killed. The Yue army was left without a leader. On the surface, it seemed to have benefited Xiao Qi and Emperor Yan. However, in reality, Xiao Qi had not been able to completely control the Yue army because once the truth was revealed, the former Yue army soldiers might not continue to be loyal to him. The living Yue Xiluo was the chess piece to reveal the truth.

Not only her, but even Xiao Qi and Emperor Yan had become chess pieces. They probably never thought that the ultimate beneficiary of all this would be one person—Prince Nan. It was as if everything was paving the way for him.

Was this fate, or was it a deliberate arrangement?

Yan Chu’s tone turned cold. “Could it be the late emperor...”

“You are giving him too much credit,” Xiao Yan interrupted her. “The only thing the late emperor was right about was his judgment. He knew that Prince Nan was the most suitable successor.”

“That’s true. The late emperor was indecisive and was unlikely to have such a mind. Besides, marrying Xiao Qi was my own decision. No one interfered in the process. It must be fate. Who has the ability to set up this century-long scheme in the Yan Kingdom’s court?” Yan Chu smiled again, but without the spirit from before, as if she was comforting herself. “No matter what, I must avenge my father and brother. Even if I am a chess piece, I am willing to be one.”

Xiao Yan seemed to be very interested in this matter. He narrowed his eyes in thought.

She inexplicably thought of the change in the Land of the Five Colors. Yan Chu tried her best to clear her mind of distracting thoughts. She picked up a strand of hair from his forehead, and a hint of warmth appeared in her eyes. She said softly with a feigned pout, “Look at you. Your hair is all messy.”

“Is it?” Xiao Yan touched his head.

“Come, let me comb your hair for you.”

Since the Evil Flame Lord was in Maple Garden, the maids did not dare to show themselves. Yan Chu personally went back to her room to get water and a comb and slowly washed and combed his hair by the pond.

His black hair had a slight wave and was lustrous. It had a nice firmness, which made his face appear even more delicate and beautiful.

Yan Chu couldn’t help but praise, “What a beautiful man.”

Xiao Yan said, “I have the same appearance in every reincarnation. It’s annoying.”

Yan Chu dried his hair with a cotton cloth and said, “You are controlled by fate and cannot escape the cycle of reincarnation. I was played by fate, and my perfect marriage ended up with me losing everything. We are both suffering from the same fate.”

Xiao Yan lay on the railing and sighed. “We are such a pair of ill-fated master and disciple.”

When such a bitter phrase came from his mouth, the meaning completely changed. Yan Chu’s mouth twitched. She said in a low voice, “You are no longer controlled by the imperial seal. The throne might not be able to affect you anymore.”

Xiao Yan tilted his head to look at her.

“Don’t worry, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to,” Yan Chu smiled sweetly. “You have helped me so much. I don’t want you to risk anything for me again.”

Xiao Yan was surprised. “Really?”

Yan Chu stopped her movements and said with a pout, “You don’t believe me?”

“Your disciple is just surprised that you don’t want to use me,” Xiao Yan said. “As a person who is constantly reincarnated, I was controlled by the imperial seal for a special reason, forced to be connected to the throne, and became a tool for the emperor to gain the faith of the people. This inescapable fate has bound me, making me experience reincarnation and be manipulated by successive emperors. My words and actions were not my own. Your disciple is used to being used.”

He couldn’t escape the fate of being controlled even in reincarnation. The moment he was free, it created this twisted personality.

Hearing these words, Yan Chu was silent.

Xiao Yan said, “I was reincarnated into the Yunze family. They treated me as a supreme honor, but after they discovered that I had an evil flame spirit, they changed. They designed a way to chain me up, used the solidified snow stone to seal my heart, and locked me away, hidden.”

He lifted his face and looked up at the sunlight filtering through the green leaves. “I don’t know day from night in the dungeon. The solidified snow stone was so cold. I craved the sun all the time. What did I do wrong to have this fate?”

Yan Chu shook her head. “We did nothing wrong to be betrayed.”

“Yes,” a smile fanned out from his long eyelashes. Xiao Yan slowly buried his face in her arms. “You’re the only one who’s ever been so good to me, Master. Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?”

Yan Chu had indeed planned to move him and use him, but she found that no matter how low she went, using someone who was more pitiful than herself was still too despicable. She had not changed after all.

Yan Chu continued to wipe his hair and said after a long while, “I don’t need anything.”

Xiao Yan said, “You really don’t want me to help you?”

Yan Chu lowered her eyelids and said, “You should leave as soon as possible. It’s best if you leave now. Life is limited. Go far away and never come back. No matter how precious a flower is, it is just an external object. It’s not worth you giving up your freedom for it.”

Xiao Yan propped up his head with his hand and looked at her for a moment. He said, “Kindness is the weakness of most women. It has never changed. Master, you are not good at scheming at all.”

Noticing that something was wrong, Yan Chu was stunned. “You...”

A low, magnetic laugh filled the air. Xiao Yan raised his finger and lightly brushed her face. “Good Master, you are so considerate of me. How can your disciple bear to leave you?”

“You’re lying to me again?”

“See? You fell for the same trick twice. Your disciple is surprised,” his long eyelashes fluttered constantly, completely covering his narrowed eyes, leaving only two charming arcs. Xiao Yan laughed as he hugged her, almost falling off the railing. “Weren’t you trying to use emotions to move me? It’s another way of using someone. See? Your disciple can do it too, and I’m better at it than you.”

Having been played instead of playing others, Yan Chu said resentfully, “Who in this world can move you!”

“You have a kind and honest nature, but you force yourself to go against it, all because of hatred,” Xiao Yan pulled a strand of her hair to his nose. “Your anger can’t affect anyone. Don’t be angry. Your disciple will compensate you.”

Yan Chu pulled his hand away. “Who wants your compensation!”

“You really don’t want it?”

“Will you help me?”

“That depends on what you ask for.”

Yan Chu was not a person who was easily overwhelmed by anger. She regained her composure and said, “Although Xiao Qi is less on guard against me, he still has people watching me at all times. I want you to help me sneak out of the residence to see Prince Nan.”

Xiao Yan said, “That’s easy.”

Yan Chu was about to continue speaking when she suddenly noticed movement behind her. She immediately stopped and turned around to see Xiao Qi standing by the pond.

Xiao Yan voluntarily stood up and greeted him. “My dear brother, did you come to see me?”

Seeing his brazenness, Yan Chu almost burst out laughing. She pushed him. “You’re not needed here. Go.”

After he left, Xiao Qi’s expression only slightly improved. In the end, he was hesitant to speak, and after a long while, he said, “I was in a hurry earlier and didn’t have time to attend to you.”

Yan Chu invited him to sit down and asked, “Is the consort alright?”

Xiao Qi said, “She wasn’t like this before.”

Yan Chu said, “She only hoped that Yue Xiluo would accept her into the family back then. Now she might not accept Yue Xiluo anymore.”

Xiao Qi said, “She won’t. Don’t worry.”

Yan Chu changed the subject. “The Prince has already shown his intention to decline the marriage. Why don’t you make it clear to the consort?”

Xiao Qi said, “I’m not refusing this marriage for her.”

“Of course,” Yan Chu smiled. “How could you not know what the Emperor is thinking?”

Xiao Qi said, “Is that what you think?”

Yan Chu did not answer. She smiled faintly and said, “From my perspective, Princess Pingyang is a very opinionated woman. All you need to do is have a talk with her. But it’s not appropriate for you to personally invite her. I also helped save her that day, so why don’t I invite her out on my behalf?”

Xiao Qi was surprised. “You...”

“Did you not expect me to help you?” Yan Chu said. “You’ve always wanted me to trust you, but you’ve always been suspicious of me.”

Xiao Qi did not deny it. “You have changed a lot.”

“The Emperor will not force you. All you need is a way to save face for everyone.” After saying this, Yan Chu walked straight into the room.

As she turned away, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

A willful, foolish woman may be lovable, but sometimes, don’t men at the center of power struggles desire a virtuous and capable wife even more? There’s no harm in doing a favor. Even if she didn’t help, Xiao Qi would have been able to solve the problem himself. This little farce was nothing. The next thing was what was truly exciting.