CHAPTER 21: CHAPTER 20: THE FUTURE PRINCESS CONSORT SU!

Yu Nianzhao stood still, the corners of her lips lifted in a rather mischievous smile.

"Fight against me, you’re tired of living, aren’t you!"

She lightly raised her fingers, and shadows emerged from the ground, grabbing Pei Yunqi’s legs and tripping him to the ground.

"Ah! It hurts so much!"

Pei Yunqi fell heavily, his already swollen cheek now added with a bruised nose.

The pain was excruciating for him.

Mrs. Zhou went crazy, rushing up to hold Pei Yunqi, angrily cursing, "Yu Nianzhao, how long will you bully your cousin? You’re accustomed to using black magic, aren’t you? Are you aiming to ruin him?"

Yu Nianzhao spread her hands, "I’ve severed ties with Marquis Wu’an’s family, he’s not my cousin anymore. Besides, hasn’t he confessed enough already? You could’ve compiled a family genealogy by now, do you want to go through it again?"

Upon hearing Yu Nianzhao’s reckless threats, Mrs. Zhou’s face went from blue to pale.

But she obediently fell silent.

The Confession Talisman was truly formidable, revealing everything entirely.

Terrified that it would be used on her too!

"This is outrageous, this is Marquis Wu’an’s home, not a place for your insolence. Someone, seize her!"

Mrs. Pei protected her own, first Pei Yunzhi, and now Pei Yunqi, both her most beloved grandson and granddaughter. It angered her greatly, leading her to demand Yu Nianzhao be seized.

Ms Lien interceded, "Mother, don’t, she is Zhaozhao!"

"You treat her like a daughter, she may not see you as a mother!"

Mrs. Pei remained unmoved.

As the servants charged forward, Yu Nianzhao’s eyes were indifferent. Calmly, she crouched down, one hand touching the ground, "With my body, commanding my disciples, Hell’s gate opens, all spirits heed my call!"

Accompanied by murmured whispers, a burst of Evil Qi exploded from the ground.

Gusts of eerie wind, countless ghostly shadows.

Woo-wooo...

The echoing wails of spirits frightened all present from the Pei Family to their core.

"I... I told you Yu Nianzhao uses black magic!"

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes reddened in fear, clutching Pei Yunqi, shivering incessantly.

Mrs. Pei forced herself to hold on, trembling as she said, "Such petty tricks, trying to fool people?"

As soon as the words fell, ghostly shadows surged from beneath, trapping those poor servants, mocking them with piercing laughter.

"Ahhh! Ghosts! Help!"

The servants went mad with fear, scrambling on the spot.

"Yu Nianzhao, stop, you must stop! What are these things?"

Seeing the chaos engulfing the entire Pei Family, shadows flitting everywhere, Mrs. Pei panicked, the prayer beads in her hands rolling frictionlessly, muttering all the while, "Amitabha, Amitabha!"

"Zhaozhao, what have you learned in Tomb Guard City? You... you can summon evil spirits?"

Pei Yuanzheng’s eyes widened in disbelief, having encountered pork but never having seen pigs run.

Seeing those dark shadows, he knew they were malevolent spirits.

Yu Nianzhao rose slowly, dusting off her palms, "I have much more in my repertoire, I’ve said, it’s Marquis Wu’an’s family reaching beyond their station! Cut ties, so be it, yet all still act unhospitable to me. Tsk, really think I’m just a pitiable orphan? Look at the evil spirits buried beneath your houses here, never been short of wrongdoing over the years."

Mrs. Pei clutched the prayer beads tighter, rebuking, "How could Marquis Wu’an’s household have evil spirits, surely it’s you who brought them!"

"Old Marquis’ concubines and maidservants, all nearly dead, but still here, would the old lady care to meet them?"

Yu Nianzhao smiled coldly, and Mrs. Pei’s face changed dramatically, fingers trembling as she pointed at Yu Nianzhao, never expecting she would know past events.

Fear clouded her expression, falling silent, her eyes filled with dread and disdain towards Yu Nianzhao.

Yu Nianzhao cast a cold glance at Mrs. Pei, swept by a gust of eerie wind, noticing the tattoo on the back of Mrs. Pei’s neck, her brow furrowed.

"Royal decree’s arrival!"

At this juncture, a sharp voice echoed from outside.

Yu Nianzhao flicked her hand, the eerie wind swept through, ghostly shadows vanished as the servants lay scattered on the ground.

Ms Jiang clapped her hands, "Our Zhaozhao is really something!"

Mrs. Pei stroked her chest, her face unsightly, "Really something my arse!"

She was nearing furious rage, to the point of despair.

"Royal decree?"

Pei Yuanzheng frowned, a bad feeling brewing within.

Mrs. Pei, seeing Mr. Wang from the Emperor’s side personally arrive, immediately beamed with pride, jovially boasting, "Marquis Wu’an’s family’s honor always remains, now what joyous occasion has the Emperor to bestow upon our household again—Yu Nianzhao, if you gladly stayed at the family home, you’d be a proper second young miss and receive a fine marriage. Now... better not regret your decision instead."

Yu Nianzhao retorted, "I’d have to be insane to regret it, the family sent me to die, and I’d still anticipate staying here? What am I, a masochist, Mrs. Pei, just focus on your small domain. We’ve cut ties, why cling to something?"

Mrs. Pei was infuriated again, straining to maintain her smile, anticipating the royal decree’s blow.

"Mr. Wang, this decree is..."

Pei Yuanzheng wiped the cold sweat, inquiring.

"It’s for the family’s legitimate daughter Yu Nianzhao, though I wonder how the legitimate daughter bears the surname Yu!"

Mr. Wang chatted amiably, surveying the crowd before pinpointing the distinctly spirited Yu Nianzhao.

"What? For Yu Nianzhao? Mr. Wang, isn’t there some mistake?"

Mrs. Pei’s face changed abruptly, her heart clenching in pain, "Could she have caused trouble out there? She’s just severed ties with us, even if trouble arises, it has no connection to us."

She hastily distanced herself.

"This is a royal decree, were I to err, it would mean beheading, moreover, this decrees a joyful event, how does it become problematic? A proper daughter, yet severed kinship?"

Mr. Wang crinkled his brow, dissatisfied with Mrs. Pei’s words and puzzled by the Pei family’s attitude.

Pei Yuanzheng immediately soothed with a smile, "My mother just returned from Qingyun Taoist Temple, so her words might lack clarity. Please don’t mind her, Mr. Wang."

Inwardly, Pei Yuanzheng was also uneasy, was the decree truly for Yu Nianzhao?

Is it indeed...

"I’ll not waste further words, let the decree be proclaimed now."

Mr. Wang’s pleasant mood turned sour, he immediately declared, "By the grace of heaven, Emperor declares, hearing Marquis Wu’an’s household holds a legitimate daughter Yu Nianzhao, as beautiful as an immortal, graceful and elegant, of marriageable age, and highly suited for Prince Su, I’m greatly pleased, hereby decreeing a marriage, Yu Nianzhao for Princess Consort Su, to be wed on a favorable day, thus decreed!"

As beautiful as an immortal was just possible.

Graceful and elegant???

Everyone including Yu Nianzhao doubted Emperor Anqing’s depiction.

"Future Princess Consort Su, hurry and accept the decree."

Mr. Wang waved cheerfully at Yu Nianzhao, being a high-ranking eunuch beside the Emperor.

Aware that Prince Su and the Emperor share brotherly bonds, with Yu Nianzhao destined to break Prince Su’s non-romantic, solitary reputation, she would be a remarkable figure, definitely deserving threefold flattery.

"This commoner accepts the decree."

Yu Nianzhao wasn’t surprised by the decree, she swiftly accepted the bestowed honor.

Mrs. Pei’s pupils widened in shock, her body swayed, feeling stinging slaps on her face, "What exactly happened? Yu Nianzhao just returned from Tomb Guard City, how could she abruptly become Princess Consort Su? What did Prince Su favor about her? Dare desire an orphan dissenting from family elders and summoning evil spirits?"

"Why wouldn’t he dare?"