Hearing the words of defiance, Lin Xiang's expression darkened further, his anger ignited like a flame. He suddenly stood up, his voice deep and powerful: “If she is unwilling, she will push our entire family into an abyss of no return! Has she ever considered the consequences of defiance? That is a grave sin that could implicate nine generations!” His tone was filled with disappointment and fury.
Lin Qingqiu slightly parted her lips, letting out a cold laugh that was tinged with deep self-mockery and helplessness, as if mocking the cruelty of fate or lamenting her inability to change her circumstances.
She pressed her lips tightly together, remaining silent. Her gaze was hollow yet profound, containing both a spark of defiance against fate and a deep sense of resignation and submission, as if in this silence, she was quietly protesting the injustices of the world.
Lin Xiang sighed lightly, waving his sleeve. “Someone! Cover her eyes! Lock her in the woodshed; she is not to be released without my command!”
Curled up on the cold haystack, Lin Qingqiu clutched her blind stick tightly, the only support she had in this darkness. Tears fell uncontrollably, silently soaking the white gauze before her; each drop carried her profound unwillingness and despair.
Five days ago
A decree had quietly left the palace gates, proclaiming that the virtuous and gentle daughter of the Lin family was exceptionally suited to the Fourth Prince, marking them as a match made in heaven…
After this decree was issued, everyone in the residence rejoiced, except for Lin Xue'er, whose face was filled with worry. She had grown up alongside her childhood friend Zhao Yunfei and had long harbored deep feelings for him. Zhao Yunfei's parents, Old Zhao and Madam Zhao, also cherished Lin Xue'er and had privately regarded her as their future daughter-in-law. A union with the Prime Minister's Residence would undoubtedly be a great honor for them.
In fact, many years ago, the elders of both families had jokingly bound Zhao Yunfei's fate to that of the Prime Minister's Residence's first daughter with a playful remark about "betrothal by proxy." However, when Lin Qingqiu was born as the first child, although she was a legitimate daughter, she was not favored within the household and held no real power. Even more unfortunately, an accident at the age of five left her blind! The Zhao family believed that having a blind daughter without power as their matriarch was simply unworthy.
The couple from Zhao Manor had initially planned to visit their "in-laws" soon to discuss allowing Zhao Yunfei to marry both Lin Xue'er and Lin Qingqiu—making Lin Xue'er his primary wife and Lin Qingqiu a secondary wife—to satisfy both sides. But fate is unpredictable; an unexpected decree shattered this arrangement and ruthlessly crushed Lin Xue'er’s long-hidden love.
Within the Prime Minister's Residence at that moment, waves of resentment and resistance filled the air. “I won’t marry!” Lin Xue'er’s voice rang out like an agitated fawn, filled with determination and unwillingness.
“Are your hearts made of stone? Knowing full well my feelings for Brother Yunfei, why must you push me toward that Second Prince?”
"Xue'er, my dear! What good is Zhao Yunfei? If you marry the prince, you will become a princess, and no matter how great Zhao Yunfei is, he is just a mere grain of sand in the mortal world. How can he compare to the nobility of a princess? Do you know that once you step through the crimson gates of the palace, you will enjoy endless wealth and splendor, golden goblets filled with fine wine, exquisite delicacies—everything the world has to offer will be at your fingertips," Zhang Baizhi whispered to Lin Xue'er, pulling her aside.
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