From ancient times to the present, she was probably the first princess sent for a marriage alliance only to be shut out at the door!
The sunlight of March was as gentle and warm as spring water. It streamed through the curtains of the splendid carriage window and spilled over the woman dressed in a bright red wedding robe, gathering around her in a thin halo of warm golden light. Hazy and indistinct, it lent her an indescribable beauty. This woman was none other than the Qiyun Kingdom’s Eldest Princess Rongle—Manyao—who had come for a marriage alliance, only to be refused entry.
After a month of arduous travel, she felt as though her bones were about to fall apart. Lazily, she reclined against the soft couch spread with brocade quilts, closing her eyes for a brief rest. Hearing the clamor and commotion outside the carriage, she frowned faintly.
“Knock, knock, knock…”
“Is anyone there? Please inform His Highness that Eldest Princess Rongle has arrived!” A guard wearing a long sword at his waist kept knocking on the stately, imposing gate. Above the gate hung a plaque, on which three large gilded characters were written in sweeping, powerful strokes: Prince Li’s Residence. This was the mansion of Prince Li, Zongzheng Wuyou.
Prince Li, Zongzheng Wuyou, was the only imperial prince of the Lintian Kingdom aside from the crown prince to possess a princely title. He was precisely the man Eldest Princess Rongle had come to marry. At this moment, the great gates of Prince Li’s Residence were tightly shut without the slightest crack, so tightly that perhaps not even a tiny speck of dust in the air could slip inside.
“Minister Yang, look… it’s already been half an hour, and the sky is nearly dark. Still no one has opened the gate. What should we do?” The guard turned back anxiously and asked a refined-looking middle-aged man dressed in official robes—Yang Wei, the newly appointed Minister of Rites of the Lintian Kingdom. This marriage alliance had been placed under his charge. Originally, Prince Li had been arranged to personally welcome the princess into the capital, but Prince Li had shut himself inside and refused to come out. Left with no choice, Yang Wei had brought people to welcome her himself. Yet unexpectedly, after he had escorted the princess here, the gates of Prince Li’s Residence remained tightly closed. No matter how they called at the gate, no one within the residence paid them any attention.
A slightly lower-ranked official said worriedly, “Minister Yang, Eldest Princess Rongle is deeply favored by the Emperor of Qiyun. I heard that for this marriage alliance, the Emperor of Qiyun was extremely reluctant to part with her and personally saw her off for several hundred li. If the Emperor of Qiyun learns that His Highness has treated the princess with such neglect, I fear the situation will be unfavorable!”
Yang Wei frowned and let out a troubled sigh. How could he not know what that official had said? But if Prince Li would not open the gate, what could he possibly do?
Seeing Yang Wei’s face full of worry, a rat-eyed man hurried forward with a fawning smile and suggested, “Why don’t we find a few more people and ram the gate open…”
“Shut your mouth!” Before the man could finish, Yang Wei’s eyes had already widened as if he had seen a ghost. He cut him off angrily. “Preposterous! If you’re tired of living, go find a place to end your own life, but don’t drag this official’s entire clan down with you!” This was the gate of Prince Li’s Residence. Even if Yang Wei were given ten thousand measures of courage, he would not dare force his way inside.
“Exactly! If you want to die, don’t drag us in with you!” The other officials were even more furious.
Never mind carrying out this suggestion—even that single sentence, if it reached Prince Li’s ears, would be enough to make all of them suffer the consequences.
The rat-eyed man had only just arrived in the capital. Aside from blindly flattering others, he understood nothing. How could he know that the master of Prince Li’s Residence was the sort of person whose single stomp could make the earth tremble and the mountains shake? Seeing the officials react so fiercely, he could not help trembling with fear.
Time passed slowly. In the chilly air of early spring, cold sweat quietly crept onto everyone’s foreheads. Yang Wei raised his sleeve and wiped lightly, then looked up at the darkening sky. After thinking for a moment, he turned and walked toward the carriage where Manyao sat.
“Her Highness has had a tiring journey. Presumably you are already weary. Why not rest first at the posthouse? After this lowly official enters the palace and reports to His Majesty, I will then escort Your Highness into the residence.”
The carriage door opened, and a pretty young woman with her hair styled like a maid’s poked her head out. Her face was angry, and her tone was far from pleasant. “We have always heard that Lintian is a great nation of rites and ceremony, but it seems its reputation is undeserved! Our princess has married down, yet Prince Li did not even come out of the city to welcome her. Fine, let that pass. But now he has actually shut the gates and refuses to let our princess enter the residence. What kind of etiquette is this? It is clearly looking down on our Qiyun Kingdom and makes one seriously doubt Lintian’s sincerity in this marriage alliance!”
Yang Wei was slightly startled. He had not expected that even a mere maid would have such a sharp tongue. He hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully to Manyao inside the carriage, “Your Highness, please do not misunderstand. Prince Li merely had urgent business arise and left the residence at the last moment, which delayed him from welcoming Your Highness’s honored arrival. I hope Your Highness will be magnanimous and forgiving. This lowly official can guarantee that our nation is absolutely sincere in seeking this marriage alliance with your noble nation. For the sake of a hundred years of peace between our two countries, I ask Your Highness not to think too much on it!”
The maid curled her lip. “What matter could possibly be more important than welcoming our princess? Even if His Highness is not in the residence, surely there are still servants inside? Why has no one come to open the gate after so long? It’s obvious they mean to shut us out! If our princess truly enters the residence in the future, who knows how she will be bullied!”
“This…” Yang Wei was momentarily at a loss for words. His clothes were soaked through with cold sweat, and he could not answer. Just as he did not know what to do, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly came from within the carriage.
“Ling’er, do not be rude!” Only then did Manyao slowly sit up. Though it was a rebuke, her tone held neither anger nor irritation, yet carried a natural dignity. The maid called Ling’er quickly withdrew her head, pursed her lips, and lowered her head.
In truth, before Manyao came to the Lintian Kingdom, she had already inquired about Prince Li. She had heard that he had a perverse temperament and never acted according to common sense, yet he was also meticulous in thought and extraordinary in strategy. Just one month ago, he had resolved the crisis at Lintian’s border with a single plan. With the cooperation of the young famed general Fu Chou, he had defeated a larger force with fewer men, crushing the northern barbarians and annihilating more than three hundred thousand enemies. His reputation now surpassed even that of the current crown prince. Even more astonishing was that he never took the initiative to attend court. Even when the emperor summoned him, he would decide whether or not to obey according to his own mood. Such arrogance was rarely seen in the world. The emperor’s favored consort had once said that “Prince Li is guilty of great treason,” and the emperor had immediately banished her to the cold palace. After that, no one dared utter half a word against him. There were also rumors that Zongzheng Wuyou had two great taboos: first, he did not touch wine; second, he did not touch women. No one knew the reason. They only knew that anyone who violated these two taboos ultimately met no good end.
Manyao was somewhat puzzled. Since Zongzheng Wuyou had such a taboo, why had she been sent here for a marriage alliance?
Raising her hand, she lifted a corner of the carriage window curtain. Against the orange-yellow curtain, her fair, slender fingers appeared luminous and white as jade. From the front of the intricate and magnificent phoenix crown on her head hung more than a dozen strings of round, lustrous jade beads, concealing her face. Through the gaps between the bead strands, she looked at Yang Wei’s embarrassed expression and smiled faintly. “Ling’er speaks too bluntly. If she was discourteous, I hope Minister Yang will not take it to heart. Let us do as Minister Yang suggested just now. I will trouble you.”
Her gentle and courteous tone made Yang Wei freeze for a moment. He thought to himself: How could the rumored unruly and willful Eldest Princess Rongle be so easy to speak to?
“To serve Your Highness is this lowly official’s duty.” Yang Wei spoke polite words while still feeling puzzled, and was just about to order everyone to set off when a clear, ringing voice called, “Minister Yang!”
Manyao’s hand, which had been about to lower the curtain, paused slightly. She saw a man walk out from the crowd of onlookers. He was eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in splendid brocade robes, his hair bound with a jade crown. His face was handsome, his figure tall and slender. As he walked, his steps were light, and his bearing revealed the air of nobility. A folding fan with jade ribs was closed in his hand, tapping lightly against his palm. He was truly charming and elegant; with one look, it was clear he was no ordinary young master.
As soon as Yang Wei saw him, he hurriedly bowed and called, “Your Highness the Ninth Prince!”
So this was the Ninth Prince, the one closest to Prince Li, Zongzheng Wuyou! Manyao smiled. She saw the Ninth Prince casually wave his hand and say “No need for ceremony” to Yang Wei, then walk straight toward her.
“This must be Eldest Princess Rongle, I presume?” The Ninth Prince smiled as he looked her over.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Ninth Prince.” Manyao inclined her head slightly in polite greeting.
A trace of doubt flashed through the Ninth Prince’s eyes. His gaze rested on her hand holding the curtain, and he raised his brows with a smile. “I heard that the princess’s appearance is ugly. I did not expect your hands to be so fine. From this, it seems you are not entirely without merit.”
When Ling’er heard this, she was displeased. Her eyes widened, anger rising in her heart. Without even caring about his status, she poked her head out and mocked, “A dignified imperial prince actually believes those street rumors?”
“Ling’er, be quiet! Before His Highness the Ninth Prince, you must not be insolent!” Manyao hurriedly scolded her softly. Seeing the Ninth Prince’s unrestrained smile, she knew he was clearly deliberately making things difficult and humiliating her to test her. Thus, she said lightly, “Your Highness the Ninth Prince flatters me. Rongle only has these hands that are still barely presentable.”
The Ninth Prince was slightly stunned. An ordinary woman, after being ridiculed like this, would surely glare in anger, yet this princess seemed not to care. He glanced sideways and carefully sized her up again. Though the bead curtain blocked his view, he could vaguely see that her skin was fairer than snow and her eyes bright and clear. He had always loved beauties. For a woman like this to actually be ugly—what a pity!
The Ninth Prince smiled. “Rumor has it that the princess is unruly and willful, lacking in both virtue and conduct. In my opinion… that is not entirely true. At the very least, the princess understands the most basic etiquette, and on top of that has a bit of self-awareness.”
Manyao pressed her lips into a smile. There was a faint hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth, yet she merely smiled and said nothing.
Open praise, hidden insult. Though this Ninth Prince smiled brightly, his words were venomous, and he spoke without the slightest courtesy. Hearing him, Yang Wei broke out in cold sweat. He thought to himself that after following Prince Li for so long, the Ninth Prince had become increasingly unrestrained in speech and action, never considering the person or occasion, acting according to his whims in everything. She was, after all, the princess of a nation. Fortunately, her temper and cultivation were excellent, unlike the unruly woman of rumor. Otherwise, would this not have turned into utter chaos, perhaps even a fight? Thinking to this point, Yang Wei hurriedly changed the topic and stepped between them. “Your Highness the Ninth Prince has come at just the right time. Might you help convey a message to His Highness Prince Li? Say that this humble subject has fortunately fulfilled his mission and has welcomed Her Highness the princess’s honored carriage. I hope His Highness Prince Li will open the gate and receive her soon, so that this humble subject may enter the palace and report back to His Majesty.”
The Ninth Prince lifted his brows and turned his eyes toward him, saying indifferently, “Minister Yang, could it be that you are confused? Seventh Brother never agreed to this marriage in the first place. It was you ministers who insisted on matchmaking and guaranteed before Father Emperor that it would succeed. What, now that you cannot enter the door, you are anxious? This matter is not something this prince can help you with! I advise you all to leave quickly. You know Seventh Brother’s temper. If you anger him, the consequences… are not something Minister Yang alone can bear! Also…” The Ninth Prince suddenly paused and leaned closer to Yang Wei. “This prince just came from the palace. I heard Father Emperor is in a poor mood today. Minister, you had best not go looking for trouble at a time like this. Otherwise… be careful that you bring disaster upon yourself. When that time comes, don’t blame this prince for not reminding you!”
The Ninth Prince’s words made Yang Wei’s heart jolt. The marriage alliance between the two nations—officials like them had merely been thinking of the state and its people. They had never expected it would create such a difficult situation today. He could not afford to provoke Prince Li, and he could not offend Eldest Princess Rongle either. Past experience told him that when the emperor was in a bad mood, the farther away one stayed, the better. But this matter concerned the great plan for peace between two nations. If he suppressed it for now and waited until tomorrow’s morning court to report it, at least his colleagues could help speak on his behalf. However, though it was only one night’s difference, the matter could become either minor or grave, depending entirely on Eldest Princess Rongle’s attitude. Yang Wei turned his eyes slightly toward Manyao, his expression extremely troubled.
Manyao had always been perceptive. Seeing Yang Wei’s expression, she understood at once. She smiled faintly and said, “Minister, there is no need to be troubled. Rongle is indeed tired today and wishes to rest first at the posthouse. As for paying respects to His Majesty, if it is delayed slightly, I believe His Majesty will understand Rongle’s fatigue from the journey.”
Yang Wei’s heart suddenly cleared. With gratitude, he said, “Many thanks for Your Highness’s consideration! If there is ever anything Your Highness needs this lowly official for in the future, please speak freely. So long as it is within this lowly official’s power, I will not decline.”
Manyao did not refuse. She curved her lips in a smile. “Then Rongle will first thank Minister Yang here. Your Highness the Ninth Prince, farewell.”
The carriage door closed. Yang Wei bowed to the Ninth Prince, then led the grand and imposing wedding escort toward the posthouse in the eastern city, leaving the Ninth Prince standing there in a daze. He had not expected that a casual remark of his would actually help that woman, allowing her to go with the flow and win over a high-ranking court official just like that. This woman was not simple!
“Princess, we shall meet again in the great hall tomorrow.” The Ninth Prince lifted his fan and waved it several times toward the carriage receding into the distance, thinking: This time, Seventh Brother will have no choice but to attend court! I wonder what Seventh Brother’s reaction will be then?
It seemed a good show was about to begin! He could not help laughing in delight, faint anticipation rising in his heart.
The next morning, the weather was excellent. The sunlight was warm, and the spring breeze gentle, with a little less of early spring’s chill. It was the perfect time to go out and enjoy the spring scenery, yet Manyao was welcomed into the palace early in the morning by people sent by the Emperor of Lintian.
The imperial palace of the Lintian Kingdom was resplendent and magnificent, grand and imposing. Compared with the palaces of the Qiyun Kingdom, it was superior rather than inferior. Wherever Manyao passed, she could not help quietly admiring it in her heart.
Under the guidance of the commander of the imperial guards, she entered Qiankun Hall. Through the bead curtain, from afar she saw a man seated on the high throne, dressed in a dragon robe, his brows and eyes cold and stern. His features were sharply defined as if carved by a blade. The gaze he cast upon her held a keenness that seemed able to see through people’s hearts. Though there was clearly no expression in those eyes, she distinctly felt an invisible pressure that made a trace of nervousness arise in her involuntarily. This was the imperial majesty that belonged exclusively to an emperor, something she had never felt in the three years since arriving in this different space-time. Her imperial elder brother, the Emperor of Qiyun, was very gentle—at least he was that way before her.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts and slowly entered the hall. Civil and military officials stood in two ranks on either side, all turning their heads to look at her.
She wore a phoenix crown, with bead strands veiling her face, and a brocade red robe embroidered with colorful phoenix patterns. Her slender waist was bound, making it seem all the more as if it could be encircled in one hand. The long train of her robe spread across the bright carpet behind her. Its soft red arc moved slowly forward with her elegant steps, like a flowing colored ink painting by a master artist, infused with boundless life. It was exceedingly pleasing to the eye.
The Emperor of Lintian straightened in his seat, his gaze shifting slightly. Though he could not see her face, merely the calm composure in her bearing and the elegant, uncommon aura that emanated from her very bones were already unparalleled. No matter how one looked at such a woman, she did not resemble the rumored ugly, unruly, and willful Eldest Princess Rongle!
Manyao walked to the center of the great hall and bent her knees slightly in salute. “Rongle pays respects to His Majesty, the Emperor of Lintian!”
Her voice was clear, gentle, and ethereal, her tone neither servile nor overbearing.
The Emperor of Lintian raised his hand. “Princess, dispense with the formalities and rise!”
After Manyao stood, she felt a burning gaze cast at her from the left. She glanced over lightly and saw a man dressed in an imperial prince’s court robes, a smile of unclear meaning hanging on his lips. It was precisely the Ninth Prince she had met yesterday. Seeing her look over, he winked at her, wearing the expression of someone waiting to watch a play.
She frowned faintly and quickly swept her gaze around. In front of the Ninth Prince, she saw a man whose eyes, when looking at her, carried mockery and disdain. Vermilion gauze court robes, a white jade crown with twin dragons playing with a pearl—he should be the crown prince of the Lintian Kingdom. As for the reason behind such mockery and disdain, she naturally understood. Smiling faintly, she withdrew her gaze without concern and instructed the man following behind her, “Xiao Sha, present the gift prepared by my imperial elder brother to His Majesty the Emperor of Lintian.”
Xiao Sha answered and stepped forward holding an exquisite gift box. Manyao said, “Your Majesty, my imperial elder brother is grateful for the generous gift Your Majesty bestowed and offers this treasure in return. I ask Your Majesty to kindly accept it.”
An eunuch received the gift box and brought it before the imperial desk, carefully opening it. Inside the box, upon orange-yellow brocade, lay a pair of delicate, small white jade cups. Coiled dragons rested at the bases, and phoenix-dance patterns were carved around the rims. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the jade crystal-clear and translucent, with flowing radiance spilling in every direction. With one look, it was clear they were rare treasures scarcely seen in the world.
The Emperor of Lintian picked up a jade cup and examined it carefully. His gaze moved. “White Jade Liuli Cups!”
After seeing them, a knowledgeable official exclaimed in amazement, “I have heard that the White Jade Liuli Cups were passed down from over a thousand years ago and were carved from thousand-year spirit jade. There is only this pair in the world, and their value is beyond measure. If one uses these cups to brew tea, the fragrance permeates the heart and spleen. If one drinks water from them in summer, they dispel heat and quench thirst, making the whole body feel refreshed and comfortable. Their wonders are endless!”
The officials were in an uproar. The Emperor of Lintian smiled and nodded, his brows relaxing. “The Emperor of Qiyun has actually gifted Us such precious treasures! Beloved Minister Yang, draft a letter for Us to thank the Emperor of Qiyun for his kindness.”
Xiao Sha knelt on one knee and said respectfully, “Your Majesty the Emperor of Lintian, before our princess’s honored carriage departed, my emperor had a few words he ordered this humble one to convey to Your Majesty.”
The Emperor of Lintian said, “Please speak!”
Xiao Sha lifted his eyes and looked directly at the Emperor of Lintian, without the slightest fear in his gaze. Enunciating each word, he said, “My emperor said that the White Jade Liuli Cups are indeed rare treasures of the world, but compared to Eldest Princess Rongle’s place in my emperor’s heart, they are not even one ten-thousandth as valuable! He hopes your noble nation will treat our princess well, so that the two nations may forge a hundred-year pact of peace.”
After listening, the Emperor of Lintian laughed heartily, though the smile stopped only at his lips. “That is only natural. The princess is the envoy of peace between Lintian and Qiyun. Even if she marries Prince Li, she remains an honored guest of our nation. There is absolutely no reason to slight her!” After saying this, he paused, then added, “As for yesterday’s matter, once Prince Li attends court, he will certainly give the princess an explanation.”
Manyao smiled faintly and said politely, “Your Majesty is too serious!”
The Emperor of Lintian looked at her with admiration. Her bearing was composed, her words appropriate. She was worthy of a princess’s grace. Just then, an imperial guard hurried into the hall, his expression uneasy as he reported, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Prince Li, His Highness Prince Li… he…”
The Emperor of Lintian’s thick brows furrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, “What about him? We sent you to summon him to the palace. It has already been more than an hour. Why is there still no sign of him?”
The imperial guard kept his head lowered tightly, his voice trembling. “The servants of Prince Li’s Residence said… said Prince Li is resting and cannot attend court…” His voice grew lower and lower, so low it was almost inaudible, like the buzzing of mosquitoes and flies. Yet it still fell clearly into everyone’s ears, stirring up stormy waves in every person’s heart.
The civil and military officials, the crown prince, and the imperial princes all wore different expressions. To dare so directly defy an imperial edict—Prince Li was absolutely the first person in the current dynasty. He disdained even making up an excuse, and he had done so before the princess of the Qiyun Kingdom.
To offend the emperor’s supreme dignity was to disgrace the face of the Lintian Kingdom. What a grave crime this was!
Within the solemn and majestic great hall, silence immediately fell. Everyone was on tenterhooks, holding their breath and concentrating, afraid that one careless move would bring fatal disaster upon them and make them the emperor’s target for venting his anger. This was especially true for the several officials who had strongly pushed for the marriage alliance. Their clenched palms were covered in cold sweat. In the air, there seemed to be particles of fury gathering midair, forming a suffocating sense of terror that circled unceasingly above their heads, seeped slowly through the pores of their skin into their blood, and then rapidly expanded and spread, like a poisonous vine.
Manyao heard the sound of cold sweat dripping onto the floor, and it was astonishingly clear to her ears. As for the imperial guard kneeling on the ground, his head remained lowered farther and farther, as if he wished he could hide inside a crack in the floor.
In such a stifling and tense atmosphere, even she unconsciously felt her heart hang in suspense. It was as though a giant balloon had been placed beside her, and someone was desperately pumping air into it. Seeing that balloon grow larger and larger, larger and larger, she had no idea when it would suddenly explode with a bang.