bayedsolid Chapter 73 The Engagement (2)
Chapter 73 The Engagement (2)
After bowing deeply to the Emperor and Empress, He Mingfeng solemnly said, "Father, Mother, I know, I have thought it through."
The Empress nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "It's not enough for you to just think it through; you also need to ask General Cheng if he agrees."
The Emperor agreed, "That's right, what does Minister Cheng think?"
At this moment, Cheng's father stood up. Although he was very satisfied with He Mingfeng, he felt that he still had to make the necessary promises, so he respectfully said, "Your Majesty, my daughter is unruly and disobedient, I'm afraid..."
Upon hearing this, He Mingfeng's heart raced and his face turned pale. He wondered if the man didn't want to marry his daughter to him. Thinking this, he hurriedly said, "General Cheng, don't worry, I will treat her well."
Cheng Ying was also a little anxious, but she didn't dare to show it. She could only secretly glance at her father, hoping that he would agree.
The Empress was also getting anxious and was about to say something when...
Just then, He Mingfeng stood up and pulled Cheng Ying to her feet as well. He looked at Cheng's father with a serious expression, then bowed deeply, performing the respect due to a junior. His eyes were filled with earnestness and determination, as if declaring his resolve to everyone. Then he spoke: "General Cheng, I know I may seem somewhat lazy and unreliable on ordinary days. But today, in front of everyone, I want to make a promise to you—in this life, I, He Mingfeng, will only have one wife, Aying, and will never take a concubine! I will not let her suffer any injustice, nor will I betray her deep affection."
After speaking, He Mingfeng turned his gaze to Cheng Ying, his eyes filled with love and tenderness. He continued, "I will cherish and protect her with my whole life. I will never restrict her freedom, nor will I let her lose herself because of me. Please believe me, I will definitely do these things." Cheng's father nodded with great satisfaction, but still said solemnly, "Your Highness, I only have this one precious daughter. If your feelings for her fade in the future, I will not blame you. I only hope that you can return her to me intact then, is that alright?" He Mingfeng smiled slightly and replied confidently, "That is probably difficult to achieve, because such a thing will never happen."
Finally, Cheng's father revealed a relieved smile. He turned to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have no objection." Hearing this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, especially the emperor, whose face was filled with joy. He quickly issued the imperial edict, as if afraid that Cheng's father would change his mind if he delayed even a moment.
After bestowing the marriage decree, the Empress said, "Fifth Prince's marriage is settled, now only Fourth Prince remains." She then looked at He Minglin, who was watching a play when he suddenly felt a pair of worried eyes watching him. Turning around, he saw the Empress looking at him. He thought, "Well, Mother is going to worry about my marriage again. If Father finds out Mother is worrying about my marriage on her birthday, he'll skin me alive!" Just as he was about to find an excuse to leave, he saw someone—someone who had unexpectedly entered his heart.
So He Minglin said to the Empress, "Mother, don't worry, I won't go out again this time. I'll try to get married as soon as possible." The Empress glanced at him and said, "Get married? You don't even have someone you love. When will you ever get married?" He Minglin smiled and said, "It won't be long." Seeing his expression, the Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, already understanding that the topic would end there.
The hall was bustling with activity. After the Emperor bestowed the marriage upon He Mingfeng and Cheng Ying, they returned to their seats, while the ministers offered their congratulations and toasts to General Cheng and He Mingfeng. However, some looked troubled, including He Mingwen. Initially, he hadn't taken He Mingfeng seriously, thinking what was there to fear from a spoiled brat? He had Grand Tutor Liu and countless disciples. But now that He Mingfeng was engaged to Cheng Ying, General Cheng commanded 300,000 troops—not as many as the Duke of Zhenguo's, but still a considerable force—giving He Mingyu an edge. "Looks like I need to step up my game," He Mingwen thought, drinking cup after cup, completely ignoring Liu Xiaoyu sitting beside him.
"Why is Your Highness drinking so much?" Liu Xiaoyu asked with some concern as she watched He Mingwen pour himself one glass after another.
"I'll drink what I want! It's none of your business!" He Mingwen replied impatiently.
“Your Highness, please stop drinking…” Liu Xiaoyu tried to dissuade him, but He Mingwen interrupted her: “It’s none of your business to interfere in my affairs!” After saying that, he continued to chug the wine.
Liu Xiaoyu sighed helplessly, her heart filled with worry. She knew He Mingwen harbored a strong desire for the throne, and He Mingfeng's engagement to Cheng Ying undoubtedly put pressure on him. But she was even more concerned that excessive drinking would harm his health. However, at this moment, He Mingwen was completely deaf to any advice, only wanting to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
At that moment, Liu Xiaoyu happened to see Qin Yaoyao diagonally opposite her, chatting and laughing intimately with He Yanxi, which displeased her greatly. She had originally thought that since she had married earlier than Qin Yaoyao, as a prince's consort, her status would naturally be higher, and she should rightfully sit in a more prestigious position. However, reality was far from her expectations. He Yanxi had actually brought Qin Yaoyao to his seat, making her seat even higher than hers. Furthermore, He Yanxi was extremely attentive to Qin Yaoyao, personally peeling shrimp and cutting chicken for her, as if worried she wouldn't have enough to eat. In contrast, He Mingwen beside her was only concerned with himself, completely disregarding her feelings, which truly infuriated her.
Why was Qin Yaoyao sitting with He Yanxi? When Qin Yaoyao returned, she was originally sitting in her own seat, but while everyone else was watching the performance, she was eating. She thought the sweet and sour shrimp and honey-glazed chicken cutlet in front of her were delicious and finished them in no time. Fifth Brother Qin Yunji, seeing that Qin Yaoyao had no shrimp or chicken cutlet left, handed her his portion. However, all of this was clearly seen by He Yanxi, who was sitting above her. He Yanxi and He Mingwen couldn't help but mutter to each other, "How can my fiancée eat food given by another man? Even if it's her own brother, it's unacceptable!"
Just as Qin Yaoyao was happily preparing to feast, He Yanxi suddenly stood up from his seat and strode over to her. Without any hesitation, he returned the plate of shrimp and chicken cutlets to Qin Yunji, then firmly grasped Qin Yaoyao's hand and led her to his seat. Qin Yaoyao tried to stand up, but heard He Yanxi say firmly, "You are my fiancée, it's most appropriate for you to sit here, no one will object." Before he finished speaking, he had already placed the peeled shrimp and chopped chicken cutlets in front of Qin Yaoyao.
At that moment, a pair of eyes were glaring fiercely at Qin Yaoyao. Qin Yaoyao glanced at them but ignored them; she knew it was Liu Xiaoyu. He Yanxi slowly finished cutting the chicken cutlet and placed it in front of Qin Yaoyao, saying, "Is this enough? If not, I'll have someone bring another one." Qin Yaoyao quickly replied, "No need, I'm full. Brother Yanxi, you've already had one brought over. Are you asking for another one? Do you want them to laugh at me for being such a big eater?"
He Yanxi burst into laughter, and Qin Yaoyao quickly covered his mouth, squinting as she said, "Why are you laughing like that! Who are you trying to charm?" The once lively palace instantly fell silent. Qin Yaoyao felt strange, and when she turned her head, she saw that everyone's eyes were on this side. Everyone had been attracted by He Yanxi's laughter.
Everyone was stunned. No one had ever seen He Yanxi smile so brightly before; they usually only saw him with an icy expression or a roguish grin. For a moment, everyone in the palace was frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped. Only the laughter of He Yanxi and Qin Yaoyao echoed in the air, sounding exceptionally clear.
The women stared at Qin Yaoyao in disbelief. They couldn't believe she would be so bold as to cover the mouth of the Prince of Zhenbei in front of so many people. After all, the Prince of Zhenbei was the Emperor's own brother! However, besides shock, some women felt a surge of envy, especially He Mingxuan and Shen Xiaoran; others were filled with jealousy; and still others, like Liu Xiaoyu, were filled with hatred for Qin Yaoyao. Liu Xiaoyu thought to herself, "What does Qin Yaoyao have that she deserves so much favor? Her family, friends, the Emperor, and the Empress all dote on her. Now, she has a fiancé who spoils her so much. What does she have to rely on? I must destroy everything Qin Yaoyao has. One day, I will kill her with my own hands." At this moment, due to extreme jealousy, Liu Xiaoyu's heart was twisted beyond recognition. The handkerchief in her hand was almost torn to shreds, but her face remained calm.
Qin Yaoyao looked up at Liu Xiaoyu with a provocative smile, thinking to herself, "Hmph, look at you, you're quite the actor. But it's okay, you're probably furious inside, but you don't dare show it, so you can only keep it inside. Haha, let you keep it inside!"
"This is just the beginning. I'll only get happier from now on. You'd better be able to hold on, or you'll end up getting so angry you'll die. That would be so boring."
A short while later, the banquet ended, and the guests emerged from the palace, heading towards the palace gates. He Yanxi and Qin Yaoyao also walked towards the gates. As soon as they reached the gates, they saw the people from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion standing beside the carriage. The two quickly walked to their mother, Fan Ningxin, and softly called out, "Mother."
Just then, Fan Ningxin said to He Yanxi, "We'll be leaving now. Please take Yaoyao back." He Yanxi was overjoyed; he had been worried about not having a reason to stay with Qin Yaoyao any longer. He quickly replied, "Don't worry, Aunt Ning, I will definitely take Yaoyao back safely." Fan Ningxin nodded, indicating her satisfaction. Afterward, she led everyone onto the carriage and left the palace, heading towards the Duke's mansion.
Upon seeing this, He Mingxuan and Shen Xiaoran immediately came to Qin Yaoyao's side.
He Mingxuan spoke first: "Yaoyao, are you free tomorrow?"
Qin Yaoyao replied with a smile, "I'm free, what's up?"
He Mingxuan said with sparkling eyes, "I want to come to your house to play with you~"
Not to be outdone, Shen Xiaoran quickly chimed in, "I want to go too! I've never been to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion before! I have to go and have a good look around."
Looking at the expressions on their faces, Qin Yaoyao understood. She knew they weren't just there to hang out; they definitely had other motives, like gossiping. She smiled and said, "Okay, come on over! I'll invite Sister Ying too, and we can all chat to our hearts' content."
The three of them exchanged a knowing glance and smiled knowingly.
At this moment, He Yanxi suddenly interjected, "Alright, you should go back now."
Upon hearing this, the two immediately understood that he was trying to get rid of them! So they replied with smiles, "Okay, we're leaving now, we won't disturb your date anymore, bye-bye~" After saying that, the two left hand in hand.