Chapter 25 – His Majesty has orders, please move house
The matter of Chu Qing-Yan causing havoc in Chu family, in less than a stick of incense's time, had already been pa.s.sed to Xiao Xu's ears.
The person who had just closed his eyes to rest, hearing the subordinate's exclamations of admiration when describing this event, couldn't help but to open his eyes, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes. His tone carried a faint trace of amazement, "She used jumping in the lake to force them?"
"That's right ah! At that time, this subordinate thought that Chu family's little Miss was scared silly, how was I to know that in the end, those people in Chu family were the ones being scared silly!" This time, it was a subordinate that followed by Fire Spirit's side that entered the Manor to report. Now, his expression carried a slight touch of worship. It really was hard to foresee, merely a ten-year-old little girl doll, actually had this kind of insight and courage.
It was not hard for Xiao Xu to guess the scene at that time. Only, he never expected that there was a day that his subordinates, whose gazes were always exceedingly high, would actually praise someone.
His lips rose slightly, it seemed this little girl doll must not be looked down upon. At that time, in Mao Village, when he experienced her meticulous thoughts, and now, to hear again her daring plan, a slight indescribable, gratified feeling unconsciously emerged from his heart.
"Your Highness, just now, Honorable Water Spirit sent over a secret letter." At this moment, a subordinate came in from outside, and a letter was clenched in his hand.
Xiao Xu controlled the mood on his face, took the letter and opened it, after reading it rapidly, the corner of his mouth tightened slightly.
"Your Highness, did something happen?" Seeing His Highness's complexion become colder, the subordinate who had pa.s.sed on the letter couldn't help but to ask.
Xiao Xu gathered the paper letter into his palm, in less than a moment, when he spread out his fingers again, very fine pieces of paper that were like crumbs floating down in great volume.
"There is a change to this king's marriage with Chu Qing-Yan!"
His tone was ice-cold, the temperature inside the room directly dropped, as if it had become the wintry cold of October!
Everyone looked at each other in dismay, not daring to be talkative.
Xiao Xu stood up with hands behind his back. His face was steely and forbidding, however, no one knew that his heart, right now, had already turned cold.
Father the Emperor, in the end,still discarded him again and again for that person, in spite of everything!
No, he could accept being discarded in spite of being not bad, but he was unable to tolerate his father repeatedly offending his bottom line.
Today, she caused a period of havoc in Chu family, deliberately standing up to their power. It might be a.s.sumed that this period of time, they could live a peaceful life.
Chu Qing-Yan's lips bent into a smile thinking of this, but didn't know that some predestined arrangement had already quietly arrived.
She pushed open the door to her parents' room, pa.s.sing through the outer room. She pushed aside the curtain on the door and entered into the bedroom. At one glance, she saw her daddy who was half-sitting on the bed, wrapped up into the shape of a bear. At this moment, Daddy was just in the midst of haggling over matters, acting like a spoiled child. Once he saw his daughter come in, he happily called out in greeting.
"Cai Cai, Cai Cai, you came back ah! Atchoo——" Daddy Chu, who was just happily boasting gave a loud and clear sneeze.
Mother Chu immediately set down the ginger soup and reached out to cover Daddy Chu again with the quilt he had just struggled free from, with a tiger-like fierce face, she said, "Don't move about randomly, be careful not to catch a cold again."
Seeing Daddy's reddish nose, a burst of sourness came from Chu Qing-Yan's chest. Immediately, she stepped forward to grip Daddy's pair of hands, and said with self-blame, "Daddy, it's daughter's fault, I didn't protect you well!"
Father Chu was sometimes very guileless, and sometimes, had a seriousness that was beyond his childishness.
One could only see him lift a hand to rub his daughter's head. His face was not his normally laughing and playful expression, his face had a bit of pride. "Cai Cai, you are very good. Nothing’s the matter with daddy. You also don't know at that time, Daddy was deliberately flopping about in the water. Daddy knows how to swim, but just wanted them to have lingering fear!"
His words had just been said, and immediately, both Chu Qing-Yan and Mother Chu stared blankly. Her family's daddy (husband), when did he become so smart. He even knew to take advantage of the situation for his own benefit and, at the dangerous moment, strike back. Only, what Daddy Chu said afterwards, shattered the pair of mother-daughter's happy amazement.
"Originally, I wanted to scare them away so I could look for the treasures. It's only a pity that those people didn't pay any attention to me, they actually stood guard at the lakeside. It really makes a person feel very disappointed!" Father Chu's face was full of regret.
The corner of Chu Qing-Yan's mouth twitched, how could her family's daddy be so foolishly adorable?
Consequently, Daddy Chu blinked his teary, limpid eyes, wrung his hand and pretended to be heroic and drank the ginger soup. He obediently covered himself with the quilt and went to sleep.
Chu Qing-Yan, seeing her mother's weary expression, couldn't help but to also urge her to go to bed.
However, just at this moment, the peaceful back courtyard suddenly erupted from a commotion.
Chu Qing-Yan frowned, so noisy, how could Daddy rest like this?
Chu Qing-Yan was just about to go out and have a look at the situation, but before she could walk to the doorway, the door of the room was already being pushed open. She only saw Shan Cha hurriedly come in, once she saw Chu Qing-Yan, both of her eyes shone. She immediately pulled at Chu Qing-Yan to walk out.
"Ninth Miss, a person came from the imperial palace to relay the imperial edict. Elder Madam asks you to quickly go to the front courtyard to receive the imperial edict!"
Chu Qing-Yan originally wanted to toss aside Shan Cha's hand, but after hearing what she said, her action immediately stopped.
Imperial palace? To relay the imperial edict?
Could it be possible that it was to have the marriage removed?
Both of Chu Qing-Yan's eyes lit up, and her footsteps accelerated. Originally, Shan Cha was towing her to walk forward, now, she was being dragged by Chu Qing-Yan to walk forward.
One could not blame Chu Qing-Yan for thinking this way, rather, it was because her body's age was still young, and it was impossible for them to so quickly allow her and Prince Ying to get married. As a result, she guessed that this imperial edict was because the person above finally found his conscience and felt she really couldn't match up to the brilliant, military G.o.d Prince Ying. Or maybe, he didn't have the heart to devastate such a small sapling like her, as a result, he dispatched people to come remove the engagement!
Only, in this world, the most unpredictable matter to say was the unexpected.
And as it happened, the unexpected always loved to arrive wordlessly and without prior notification.
Take this instance, for example.
Chu Qing-Yan energetically stepped into the main courtyard. Taking a quick glance inside, hehe, everyone was all present. She lifted up her head and saw that Elder Chu and Elder Madam Chu were currently accompanying a person dressed like a eunuch, smilingly and very cautiously having a conversation. And everyone in Chu family were smiling until their faces were about to be stiff. Chu Qing-Yan's lips couldn't help but to twitch, sure enough, this was a shameless family. It must be because of past three lives' misfortune for her to have become these people's relatives.
Madam w.a.n.g had sharp eyes, once she saw her enter, she immediately called out, "Our Qing-Yan has arrived!"
Chu Qing-Yan shuddered from loathing by Madam w.a.n.g's, this pinched voice call, however, now was the time to listen to serious business.
Coming to announce the imperial edict wasn't just someone, it was the eunuch Cao who was very popular at Western Xuan Emperor's side. He indifferently glanced at Chu Qing-Yan who kneeled on the ground in place, afterwards, he opened the imperial edict and read it out loud.
"The heavens have acknowledged his calling to be emperor. The emperor speaks through this imperial order, I the emperor heard that Chu family had a good daughter Chu Qing-Yan, behavior and appearance are first cla.s.s. Smart and dignified, is well-matched to Prince Ying, so I the emperor's great heart is comforted by this. Only, my heart is somewhat worried that Chu Qing-Yan is still young and needs to interact more with Prince Ying to get along. So, she will move into Prince Ying's Manor to wait for the wedding day to arrive, then get married."
This imperial edict was like a bolt from the blue, with rapid speed, dropping down on top of Chu Qing-Yan's head.
Chu Qing-Yan immediately was stupefied on the spot.
The erudite words on the imperial edict, frankly said that Western Xuan's Emperor was afraid that this daughter-in-law would run away, thus, had her move to now live in Prince Ying's Manor. To properly grow up there and wait to get married!
Compared to Chu Qing-Yan's blank, foolish stare, everyone in Chu family looked at each other in dismay. They really couldn't grasp the true meaning behind this imperial edict by Western Xuan's Emperor. So, one by one, their gazes landed on the dumbstruck Chu Qing-Yan.
At this moment, Eunuch Cao's face was full of impatience as he looked at Chu Qing-Yan before him, "Chu family's Ninth Miss, why haven't you quickly accepted the imperial edict?"
Only now was Chu Qing-Yan called back to her senses, she bit her teeth, face full of grief and indignation as she accepted the imperial edict. Why didn't someone tell her,there was a custom for an engagement before marriage, a fiancee still must first move to the husband-to-be's to live? This was clearly something used to cheat people ah!
The bright and shining imperial edict, really stung her eyes until they hurt!