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After a moment of laughter, a serious silence fell over the group.
"The Emperor wants to arrange a marriage," Yun Yiqing said, looking at their cheerful faces. She was reluctant to break that warmth, but she had to remind them—they still had a long way to go.
"Who is he marrying?" Qing Luan asked, still caught up in the laughter and curious.
"Me, Nishang, Xuanyuan Rui," Yun Yiqing replied, her eyes fixed intently on her, listing the names one by one and waiting for her reaction.
"Me?" Xuanyuan Rui looked surprised and asked in confusion, "The Emperor never mentioned it. How do you know?" If he had known, he would have outright refused; there was no way Yun Yiqing would be the one to bring it up.
"He didn't mention it to me either; I overheard him," Yun Yiqing said dismissively, ignoring the astonished expressions around her. "The Emperor was discussing with Prime Minister Huang how to match us up, and what I heard was that Prime Minister Huang's granddaughter, Huang Jing'er, is to be married to Xuanyuan Rui..."
"Huang Jing'er?" The unfamiliar name carried an unpleasant connotation. Qing Luan furrowed her brows deeply, her surprise turning into confusion. "It's strange. The Emperor knows very well that Xuanyuan General's death is related to Prime Minister Huang. Why would he still protect him and arrange this marriage?"
After all, Xuanyuan Rui was the Emperor's grandfather; the one who died unjustly was his own daughter and son-in-law. How could it come to this?
"That's something I can't understand either," Yun Yiqing said, an unusual light flashing in her black eyes as she spoke in bewilderment. "The Emperor's ultimate goal should be mutual restraint..."
"Mutual restraint doesn't require turning enemies into family; that's simply impossible," Little Luo shouted in frustration. That was the only happiness the young lady wanted to fight for; she had to stop it, even if it cost her life.
"Everyone knows that's impossible, but with an imperial decree comes justification; no one can refuse," Xuanyuan Rui remained the calmest among them. A murderous intent flickered in his black eyes—cold and bloodthirsty.
"What secret does Prime Minister Huang hold over the Emperor? Despite bearing such enmity, he still lives well. The Emperor actually wants to help him; it's utterly incomprehensible!" Qing Luan regained her composure and focused on the main issue.
None of this made sense.
"If we knew, perhaps we wouldn't be so puzzled!" Yun Yiqing murmured softly.
Everyone fell silent; the secrets of the court were not something that could be casually unearthed. One misstep could lead to utter ruin.
"Actually, I've always found it strange..." Qing Luan broke the silence, glancing at everyone before calmly analyzing, "The Huang Family was a tiny clan back then, easily crushed by anyone of status. Yet, because they uncovered some secret, they rose dramatically to their current formidable position. Although the Emperor has restricted their finances, other matters are still under their control, just like with Yun Nishang's marriage..."
"If that's the case, then Prime Minister Huang must hold the Emperor's weakness. If he were to announce it, the Emperor would be in a living hell..." Yun Yiqing pondered for a moment before voicing the most serious implication.
"Exactly. What Chen Yan'er referred to as a life-saving grace is merely a public claim by Prime Minister Huang; it’s completely fabricated and nonexistent!" As the analysis deepened, Xuanyuan Rui's eyes brightened with clarity.
"That may be so, but how do we investigate this matter?" Qing Luan felt somewhat disheartened.
Her greatest worry was that the Emperor would truly grant Xuanyuan Rui a marriage, leaving her to wonder what she would do then. Moreover, if Xuanyuan Rui married Huang Jing'er, it would be unbearable—living with the granddaughter of her father's murderer and potentially bearing children together was more than she could accept.
"Think about it; after so many years since the Emperor ascended the throne, what events remain unclear? Perhaps Prime Minister Huang seized upon some point that allowed him to rise so rapidly and achieve his current glory!"
"We wouldn't know anything about that," Little Luo muttered in dissatisfaction.
Qing Luan and Yun Yiqing turned their gazes toward Xuanyuan Rui, who also shook his head helplessly. "All I know is from recent years; how could I know about events from before? If my mother were still alive, maybe I could have asked her. Now, no one has any clarity."
"Sigh!" Qing Luan sighed in disappointment and murmured, "I went to the countryside when I was ten. All I know is that Xuanyuan General's death was suspicious; beyond that... Oh! Sister Yun, didn’t you say your parents died under mysterious circumstances? Could it be related to this matter?"
Qing Luan's offhand remark caused Yun Yiqing to tremble slightly. She stared at Qing Luan in shock and shook her head in denial of that possibility.
She couldn’t even bear to imagine how she would face such a reality if it were true.
"Sister Yun's father was once a war god; Xuanyuan General was also a war god, and now Xuanyuan General is..." Little Luo counted on her fingers while mumbling words that held no significance for her but caused everyone else to change their expressions dramatically, looking at her in shock. "I... I didn't mean to," Little Luo stammered defensively under their intense gazes, fearing she might incite their wrath.
No one responded to her. After exchanging glances among themselves, Qing Luan and the others seemed to reach an unspoken understanding.
"Perhaps... the problem really lies here!" Yun Yiqing hesitated for a moment before bravely facing it.
"If that's the case, then why did he marry his most beloved princess to my father?" Xuanyuan Rui wanted to deny it, but this was the only explanation.
"Maybe it wasn't the Emperor's idea, but the princess's own choice," Yun Yiqing said soothingly, her gaze filled with compassion.
To think that her own grandfather was the murderer of her biological parents, and yet he fought to protect the Nation for her sake—how could one bear such a reality?
Seeing Xuanyuan Rui's pained expression, Qing Luan trembled inside but spoke gently, "Maybe we're overthinking this. We need to find evidence; otherwise, it's all just wild speculation. Perhaps we are wronging the Emperor..." By the end of her words, she couldn't even convince herself.
" Luan'er, stop talking," Xuanyuan Rui said, closing his eyes in pain and softly interrupting her. He understood her intentions, but deceiving himself would not ease his suffering; he couldn't even fool himself.
Qing Luan bit her lip, anxiously watching him, fearing that in a moment of agitation, he might do something irreversible.
"We can't confront the Emperor directly. We must find evidence first to negotiate with him and deal with Prime Minister Huang," Yun Yiqing said calmly, having endured her own pain for so many years.
"If we are looking for evidence, we can only find it from Prime Minister Huang," she continued. Entering the palace was simply impossible.
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