CHAPTER 647: CHAPTER 634: THE DOOMED PRINCESS (PART 2)

Qiuyue couldn’t understand why the Princess suddenly asked her this question.

She had previously warned the Princess that Top Scholar Zhao was not a good person, but the Princess simply wouldn’t listen. Why was she asking about him again now?

After pondering for a while, Qiuyue still answered truthfully: "I have seen him. This servant secretly observed him once and found Top Scholar Zhao’s gaze to be impure."

Anning nodded: "You’ve been with me for so long, and naturally, I trust you. I scolded you the other day, but this time when I asked again, you gave the same answer. It must be that this Zhao is indeed not good."

Qiuyue was stunned.

Anning rose to her feet: "Help me change clothes; I wish to see Father Emperor."

Qiuyue did not know what Anning was planning to do but, always compliant, she fetched Anning an outfit to change into, redid her hair, adorned her with jewelry, and then helped Anning out.

The Baoyan Palace where Anning resided was not far from Emperor Xiande’s sleeping chambers; it wouldn’t take long to get there on foot.

Anning, accompanied by a procession of palace maid and eunuchs, headed majestically towards Tianji Palace.

At this time, Emperor Xiande was discussing state affairs with his Ministers. Anning, without announcement, directly barged in.

She had always been indulged by Emperor Xiande to the extent of being wilful, and nobody found it strange when she rushed in this time.

Seeing his beloved daughter come in, Emperor Xiande was especially happy. He stood up, laughing cheerfully, and asked Anning: "What brings you here? Or do you simply wish to leave the palace to have some fun?"

Upon seeing Emperor Xiande, Anning’s eyes immediately reddened.

She stopped in her tracks, looked at Emperor Xiande, and suddenly burst into tears.

Emperor Xiande was terrified.

The courtiers were also shocked.

Everyone knew Princess Anning for her wilful and flamboyant nature, but they also knew she was strong and seldom seen crying. Now, casting aside all decorum and propriety, she began crying in front of so many people, which truly left everyone at a loss.

"There, there, my treasure, why are you crying? Don’t cry, Father Emperor is here; I’ll make decisions for you."

Emperor Xiande had only this precious daughter over these years, whom he adored to the extreme. Seeing his daughter cry, he immediately rushed to console her: "Were the people below not serving you well? If someone displeases you, dismiss them, and Father Emperor will arrange better people for you. Or did someone upset you?"

Anning, sobbing and clinging to Emperor Xiande’s sleeve, cried: "Father Emperor, I heard you want to arrange a marriage for me. I... I don’t want to marry that Zhao. I just don’t want to marry him. If you force me into this marriage, I’ll die; I won’t live anymore, I..."

As she wept, she took out a delicate knife from her sleeve and began gesturing towards her neck.

This truly frightened Emperor Xiande to the point where he almost lost his soul.

"My treasure, put it down, quickly, this isn’t something to play with. Quickly put it down. The arranged marriage can be easily discussed, let’s not cause a commotion."

Prime Minister Liu narrowed his eyes from the sidelines.

He took a step forward: "Your Majesty, the marriage arrangements have been set. To suddenly retract now..."

Anning abruptly turned to look at Prime Minister Liu: "Father Emperor only said to marry Top Scholar Zhao to a Princess, he never specified it was to be this palace."

Emperor Xiande hadn’t mentioned which Princess, but in the entire Da Xing Dynasty, who didn’t know that Emperor Xiande had only one Princess? There was no need to even say it.

Prime Minister Liu looked at Anning as if he were looking at an idiot.

The other Ministers also cast puzzled glances at Anning.

Anning then pointed to Prime Minister Liu: "Father Emperor, Prime Minister Liu is utmost loyal and patriotic, you should reward him. I’ve heard that Prime Minister Liu’s daughter is two years younger than I am. Instead, why not have Father Emperor grant her the title of Princess, and arrange her marriage with Top Scholar Zhao? This way, we would reward a meritorious subject and also bring about a happy marriage, achieving the best of both worlds."

Prime Minister Liu was taken aback and hastily knelt down: "My daughter is of meager fortune and cannot enjoy such immense blessings."

Anning blinked her eyes: "Prime Minister Liu, don’t you admire Top Scholar Zhao’s literary grace the most? Now to have him as your son-in-law, are you not pleased? Besides, I’m fond of sister Ruolan, and having her as my sister is also a wonderful thing. Father Emperor is only granting her the title of Princess; it’s not as though she needs to move into the palace. She’ll still be your daughter, simply with an additional honorable title. Why would you not rejoice over such good fortune?"

Anning’s question was truly clever; once she asked it, Prime Minister Liu really had no choice but to stop demurring.

To say anything else unacceptable would be truly indignant.

Anning tugged on Emperor Xiande’s sleeve: "I don’t care, I just don’t want to marry Top Scholar Zhao, I’m only sixteen, he’s over twenty, so old, I don’t want him, if I have to marry, I want to marry a young lord..."

The ministers in the hall began to cover their faces.

What Princess Anning said was truly shameless.

Emperor Xiande’s face turned stern: "Nonsense."

Anning brandished a knife: "Father Emperor, you don’t love me anymore, I would rather die."

She was truly determined; the knife came down, and as the fresh blood dripped onto the ground, Emperor Xiande trembled with fright.

"Hurry, put the knife down, Father Emperor will indulge you, isn’t that enough?"

"Then, Father Emperor, issue the decree."

Anning didn’t put the knife down; she wanted to pressure Emperor Xiande even more.

Emperor Xiande had no choice but to quickly have the decree drafted; one to appoint Liu Ruolan as Princess Jingyi, the other to arrange the marriage between Princess Jingyi and Top Scholar Zhao.

Once the two imperial edicts were written, and a eunuch was sent to proclaim them, only then did Anning put the knife down.

Emperor Xiande hurriedly summoned a eunuch to bandage Anning’s wound.

Meanwhile, news reached Consort Huang, who personally waited outside the hall, eager to take Anning away quickly.

After Anning’s wounds were treated, Emperor Xiande sent her back to Fengyu Palace with Consort Huang.

When Consort Huang saw Anning come out of Tianji Palace, she was both enraged and pained, seizing her: "You’re being too reckless, you say you must..."

Anning tugged at Consort Huang’s sleeve: "Queen Mother, let’s talk about it back at home."

Consort Huang, holding back her anger, hurriedly escorted the anxious Anning back to Fengyu Palace.

Once back in Consort Huang’s chambers, she sent all the servants away, leaving Nanny Li and Nanny Bai to guard outside.

Only then did she quietly ask Anning: "What are you causing a fuss about, Top Scholar Zhao has talent and looks, why..."

Anning snorted coldly: "It is true he has talent and looks, but it’s also true that he’s without virtue."

Consort Huang was taken aback: "What are you talking about?"

Anning’s eyes were stern: "Top Scholar Zhao has a wife and children in his hometown. The day he achieved top score, he abandoned his wife and children. How can I marry such a man?"

Consort Huang was shocked: "You, don’t talk nonsense, Top Scholar Zhao was chosen by Prime Minister Liu for you, after careful selection."

"If he is so great, then it would be even better to offer him to Prime Minister Liu as a son-in-law."

Anning said with a cold smile: "Queen Mother, Prime Minister Liu knows about Top Scholar Zhao’s situation, yet he concealed the fact that Zhao has a wife and children from Father Emperor, insisting on pairing me with Zhao. What do you think his intentions are?"

Consort Huang grew more puzzled: "But what advantage does it bring him?"

Anning leaned close to Consort Huang, whispering softly: "He wants to curry favor with the future master. He has his eye on Zhou Jingxing, and Zhou Jingxing likes his daughter, Liu Ruolan. He naturally supports Zhou Jingxing’s rise to power, and since I have humiliated Zhou Jingxing more than once, he naturally doesn’t want things to go well for me."

Consort Huang was terrified.

She sat silently for a while before she regained her senses.

After calming down, she embraced Anning and began to cry: "My child, I... they are truly heartless, what has a princess like you done to bother them, that they would stoop to such lowly means."

Anning let Consort Huang cry for a while, then as she wiped away her tears, she asked softly: "Queen Mother, Father Emperor is still alive and well, yet they plot against us mother and daughter; have you ever thought about what our situation will be once Father Emperor... passes away?"