"I won't marry her, I refuse to marry that monstrous shrew..."
As the man's hysterical voice rang out, a sharp slap followed, then an enraged roar, "You degenerate, you dare to use family law on Jiang Ming, I... I'm leaving you." Duchess Ning, collapsing onto the ground, began to wail.
Duke Ning, Meng Lian, his face ashen, roared, "Get up, what kind of behavior is this?"
Duchess Ning, tears streaming down her face, sobbed, "Jiang Ming is right, why should that unwanted old woman come to ruin our Duke Ning's mansion?"
"Insolent! How dare you comment on Princess Xing Yue, a noble lady of royal blood?" Duke Ning reprimanded her.
"Did I say something wrong? Otherwise, why would so many handsome and talented men in court be forbidden to marry her, and instead, my Jiang Ming has to suffer such torment?" Hearing his wife speak, Duke Ning's heir, Meng Jiang Ming, clenched his fists tighter.
He didn't want to marry that monstrous shrew; his heart belonged only to his delicate cousin.
"Insolent! Jiang Shi, I tolerated your petty tantrums before, but this is not the time. This is a personal imperial decree from His Majesty. Are you defying my command?"
Jiang Shi trembled all over. She raised her head, tear-filled eyes fixed on Meng Lian, and asked, word by word, "So, my son can only marry that unwanted old princess?"
"I will not hear these words again. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree; from now on, Princess Xing Yue will be the wife of the heir of Duke Ning's mansion. Jiang Shi, do not forget that if you desire the glory of Duke Ning's mansion, you must bear the consequences that come with it."
Jiang Shi slumped to the ground.
"Moreover, although Princess Xing Yue grew up on the border from a young age, I have heard that she is quite beautiful. Jiang Ming is not at a disadvantage," Meng Lian said.
"No... Father, I don't want to marry her..." Before Meng Jiang Ming could finish his words, he was struck dumb by a glare from Meng Lian.
"Jiang Ming, I will not hold your past follies against you, but from this day forward, you must restrain yourself until Princess Xing Yue has safely entered Duke Ning's mansion."
Meng Jiang Ming looked at Jiang Shi. Jiang Shi, with her head bowed, no longer met his gaze. He seethed with anger. Why couldn't he decide his own marriage? Why did he have to marry that unwanted old princess?
"I won't marry her. If you want to marry her, go marry her yourself..." Meng Jiang Ming finished speaking, stood up, and headed for the exit.
"You degenerate, come back here..." Meng Lian trembled with rage.
As Meng Jiang Ming stepped out of the doorway, he saw a figure standing in the courtyard, a striking imperial yellow brocade robe particularly noticeable. He shuddered, his body weakened, and he collapsed onto the ground. Meng Lian, who had followed him out, was about to scold him when he noticed something amiss with Meng Jiang Ming.
He instinctively raised his head and looked at the figure in yellow, staggering slightly. "Your... Your Majesty..."
Instantly, Meng Lian recovered himself. He kicked Meng Jiang Ming and then knelt on the ground, "This subject pays his respects to the Emperor."
Xue Xing Chen did not look at Meng Lian but walked up to Meng Jiang Ming and said coldly, "You don't want to marry Xing Yue, do you?"
Meng Jiang Ming was stunned. Although the emperor before him was only a year older than him, and he had grown up by the emperor's side, and was favored by the emperor, at this moment, he couldn't understand the emperor's intentions.
"This subject..."
"Your Majesty, Duke Ning's mansion..."
"I am not asking you, Duke Ning," Xue Xing Chen said coldly. Meng Lian quickly replied, "Yes."
At this moment, Meng Jiang Ming felt a pressure of authority he had never experienced before. He couldn't articulate the defiant words he had spoken to his father.
"Heir apparent, defying an imperial decree alone is enough for me to have your head chopped off."
Meng Jiang Ming trembled all over, but Xue Xing Chen did not let him off, continuing, "You insulted Princess Xing Yue, and I can order the execution of the entire Duke Ning's mansion."
"Your Majesty, a person's actions are their own responsibility. It is I who disobeyed the imperial decree and spoke treasonous words. I beg Your Majesty to punish this subject," Meng Lian suddenly said.
Xue Xing Chen glanced at Duke Ning, Meng Lian. "Meng Lian, I thought you were a sensible person. It seems I misjudged you. Since you wish for me to punish you, then fine..."
He roared, "Guards, Duke Ning has defied me and is guilty of great treason. Give him fifty heavy strokes of the cane, administer it now, and I shall supervise."
Jiang Shi collapsed onto the ground, unable to even beg for mercy. Soon, Duke Ning was tied to a stool. One stroke after another fell, and soon blood stained the surface.
"Heir apparent, you see? This is what you should have endured, yet Duke Ning now suffers in your place," Xue Xing Chen said coldly.
Meng Jiang Ming sat paralyzed, while Jiang Shi watched Meng Lian's breath grow shallower, and she quickly cried out to Meng Jiang Ming, "Jiang Ming, your father is dying. You... don't defy the imperial decree anymore."
"Your Majesty, this subject accepts the decree," Meng Jiang Ming said, kneeling there, word by word.
Xue Xing Chen waved his hand, and the executioners stopped. "Heir apparent, you will marry Princess Xing Yue in half a month."
With that, he turned and left.
"My lord, my lord..." Jiang Shi crawled and rolled to Meng Lian's side, weeping.
Meng Jiang Ming, completely limp, suddenly fainted dead away.
Soon, Duke Ning's mansion descended into chaos.
Outside Duke Ning's mansion, Xue Xing Chen, who was in his carriage, did not leave. He sighed. Eunuch Wei, standing beside him, said, "Your Majesty, why must you do this? Is the Princess afraid of not finding a consort? Why must you be so forceful at Duke Ning's mansion?"
Xue Xing Chen looked at Eunuch Wei and asked, "How is Xing Yue?"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Wei's gaze softened considerably. "The Princess appears to be doing well."
"Has she grown up? Is she no longer the mischievous Xing Yue from childhood?" Da Feng Novel Network
Eunuch Wei smiled and said, "The Princess is still the same, her temperament hasn't changed at all."
"She... she strongly opposes my imperial decree for her marriage, doesn't she?"
Eunuch Wei was taken aback. "How could she? The Princess..."
Xue Xing Chen said, "Don't try to hide it from me. If she didn't object, would you have stayed there for so long? I imagine she's been trying every way to avoid accepting this decree."
Eunuch Wei felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Eunuch Wei, do you not understand why I am marrying Xing Yue to Duke Ning's mansion?"
Eunuch Wei lowered his head. "This servant does not understand."
Xue Xing Chen gazed into the distance, and after a long while, he said, "Eunuch Wei, the old man left me with little time."