The Emperor Wants to Marry My Great-Grandmother - Chapter 1

The Emperor brought a beauty back from the battlefield and insisted on marrying her. I furiously overturned the table in protest.

“You don’t love me, and you won’t let me find a substitute, you have no martial virtue!”

Is this about virtue?

He’s marrying my great-grandmother!

Inside Taihe Hall, the Emperor and I were arguing fiercely.

“Little Piaopiao is only a few years older than me. Why wouldn’t we be a good match? She’s kind-hearted, gentle, and dignified, with a ton of good qualities. I’ve decided, I’ll spend the rest of my life with her.”

Only a few years older?

I put my hands on my hips, surprised, and glanced behind the Emperor.

The beauty was as delicate as a swaying willow, with tassels hanging by her ears, phoenix eyes paired with pink lips and an upturned nose, and thick eyelashes. Her skin was dazzlingly white in the light, with a thin layer of makeup on her face.

That b****.

She looked like a viper through and through.

Little Shunzi repeatedly looked between me and her, then declared, “Princess, don’t worry. She must be a substitute the Emperor found. Look, she looks so much like you, like she was carved from the same mold.”

Nonsense.

That’s my great-grandmother!

I waved my long sleeve. “Send her back to wherever she came from. You’ve been on the border for half a year. Remember to submit your inspection report in three days, ten thousand words.”

“You cold-hearted woman!”

The Emperor was so angry he was shaking.

He didn’t even want the beauty anymore and limped away on his injured leg.

As soon as the Emperor left, the beauty stopped pretending. She lay lazily on my chaise lounge, her posture alluring, like a thousand-year-old fox spirit.

“My dear, so this is the little human Emperor you’ve been raising? He’s quite good-looking, just a bit foolish.”

“Great-grandmother, what are you doing here?”

Although I called her great-grandmother, she looked as delicate and tender as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. Calling her even “sister” felt like making her sound old.

Little Piaopiao slithered over like a snake, twisting her slender waist and pressing her cheek against mine. “My dear grandchild, I told you not to call me great-grandmother. Call me Little Piaopiao. I just missed you and came to see you.”

I coldly pushed her away. “No, you don’t come unless there’s trouble. Just say it.”

“I’m here to kill someone.”

“…”

“If a woman of Mount Wu falls in love, the man must die. We cultivate the Path of Emotionlessness. I heard you’ve fallen in love, so I came to see who the f****** man is.”

“Mount Wu doesn’t have such a ridiculous rule!”

“It was just established.”

Under my utterly speechless gaze, Little Piaopiao pulled out three pieces of cloth.

To be precise, they were three bellybands.

Embroidered with peonies, lotuses, and lilies, they also carried a faint fragrance that belonged to me.

It made my old face flush.

“Where did you get these?”

Little Piaopiao listed them off like precious treasures. “Under the bed of the mad Regent, in the wheelchair of the gentle Grand Tutor, and one more, under the God of War’s armor. I heard he always wears it. Oh, right, I heard the enemy monarch has one too. I’ll go get it in a couple of days.”

“My dear, the clan said you were suffering here. I didn’t expect you to be living quite well.”

I feigned drinking a sip of tea. “They probably stole them.”

The Mount Wu clan are also human. They feel pain when injured, die when beheaded, have emotions, and experience joy and sorrow.

However, they are all women, can live for thousands of years, and their appearance never ages.

Little Piaopiao, in front of me, was a person who had lived for several hundred years.

She relentlessly pressed me about who made me fall in love.

I adamantly refused to admit it.

Finally, she slammed her palm on the table. “I won’t believe it. I must get the full scoop on this gossip… No, I must kill a man! Tell me who your true love is!”

At night, Little Piaopiao frantically dragged me out to have fun.

Our first stop was the busiest teahouse in the imperial city.

[When Empress Xuanyuan arrived with her people, the scene was truly spectacular. The princess’s undergarments hung on the Regent’s shoulder, and the Regent’s robe was piled by the table. Outside, it was ice and snow, but inside, it was a raging fire.]

This familiar plot made my old face flush again.

I dragged Little Piaopiao out. “This story isn’t suitable for children. Let’s find another one!”

“No, this is the most popular story in the entire capital.” Little Piaopiao leaned against me. “My dear, the storyteller is telling your story. It’s even written in a book, passed down through the ages.”

My phoenix eyes glanced slightly.

The Princess Above, Why Does the Mad Regent Act This Way and That Way?

“Ban it! It must be banned!”

I turned to Little Shunzi and ordered, “It’s simply indecent! A disgrace to scholars! Unreasonable!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

I miserably searched and searched, finally finding a seemingly proper teahouse where a storyteller was narrating Journey to the West.

Feeling relieved, I rented a private room and instructed Little Shunzi to bring me the recent memorials for review.

I had no choice; the Emperor had been inspecting the border for so long, and I had to shoulder the responsibility.

I didn’t expect the storyteller to change his narrative midway.

When I came to my senses, Little Piaopiao was staring at me strangely, holding a book the storyteller was currently reciting.

The Romantic God of War and the Charming Princess

On the way back, Little Piaopiao’s laughter echoed from the street to the alley.

I tried to snatch the book from her hand, but she cunningly dodged, cleared her throat, and read from the book: “A small boat, two people paired, in the calm, windless night, the water rippled with the boat, wave after wave after wave…”

My ears burned, and I snatched the book, quickly glancing at it before hiding it in my arms.

Little Piaopiao crawled over and hooked her arm around my shoulder. “The book says, the next morning, you were carried off the boat by the God of War, walking with a limp. My dear, who’s more powerful, this God of War or the Regent?”

I was speechless, Little Piaopiao started acting crazy, and I ignored her.

Little Shunzi reported that the Emperor had broken his leg practicing archery and wanted me to quickly go see him.

“What, my dear little puppy is injured?!”

Little Piaopiao shoved me aside and rushed into the palace in a hurry. She collided head-on with someone arriving at Taihe Hall. She was about to curse the person but swallowed her words and froze the moment she saw them.

“Grand Tutor Zhao.”

Zhao Jun, in his wheelchair, saluted me. “Greetings, Princess. The imperial physicians have already been here. His Majesty’s body is unharmed, but a hundred days are needed for bone and muscle injuries. His Majesty needs good rest and must avoid strenuous exercise.”

Little Piaopiao bumped my shoulder when she heard “strenuous exercise.” “Wow, you didn’t even spare your little puppy?”

Zhao Jun remained silent, only lowering his head.

“My dear, I think he’s so wronged.”

“No, I am not wronged. Princess, you worry about the country and the people, protecting your younger brother. I believe in your character. It’s just getting late, I will take my leave.”

As soon as Zhao Jun left, Little Piaopiao let out a cackle. “Which book is his story in? Show it to me, show it to me!”

As soon as I arrived, the Emperor began to wail, groaning in pain.

The Emperor had one leg bandaged and propped up straight. Seeing me, he proudly turned his head away. “What are you doing here? I don’t want to see you.”

I picked up the medicine bowl from the palace maid’s hand and offered it to him. “Drink the medicine.”

“I won’t drink it!”

“Two.”

“I want to get married!”

“One.”

“I won’t write the report!”

“Zero!”

Gulp, gulp.

The Emperor quickly grabbed the medicine bowl and tilted his head back, downing it in one gulp. He belatedly felt the bitter taste and tried to throw up but couldn’t.

“You’re inhumane, you’re unreasonable, you extract confessions by torture, you bully the weak.” He choked, snot and tears streaming down his face, pointing at me and accusing, “You didn’t even count to three.”

I leisurely sat down beside him, happily sipping hot tea. “There are many noble ladies in the imperial city, with excellent conduct and appearance. If you wish to marry, the palace can arrange a marriage for you.”

“I don’t want to!”

He glanced at me, then moved his bottom, dragging his broken leg towards Little Piaopiao. “If I’m to marry, I’ll marry Little Piaopiao. I like her. I won’t marry anyone else.”

Little Piaopiao, hearing this, awkwardly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away non-existent tears from her face. “Your Majesty, wuwu, I didn’t expect your feelings to be so deep. How can this humble maiden… wuwu, ever repay you.”

I rubbed my temple. “This won’t do. Pick someone else.”

“No, I won’t. If I can’t marry her, I’ll live out my days alone. I’ll die with regrets. I’ll make you anxious, make you furious.”

Little Piaopiao clutched her chest, feigning drama. “Your Majesty, until the mountains crumble, and the heavens and earth merge, only then will I part from you.”

I pinched my brows. “Do you want to be the eighty-sixth?”

Little Piaopiao corrected me. “It’s eighty-seventh.”

An impressive record.

“What eighty-six, eighty-seven? Nonsense.” The Emperor didn’t understand. “If you won’t let me marry Little Piaopiao, fine, then I’ll marry you. Anyway, that empress’s palace attire has always been…”

“I’m your sister!”

“You’re not even my biological sister!”

It infuriated me. I almost smashed a cup at him. Little Piaopiao suddenly turned into a drama queen, waving her handkerchief and beginning to act. “What royal secret is this? What should I do? What should I do? I don’t want to die! Don’t kill me!”

Little Piaopiao and I left the Emperor and happened to run into Zhao Jun returning.

He wasn’t in his wheelchair and walked unsteadily. As he got closer, I noticed he had spit up blood. His face was pale, and he said nothing, suddenly collapsing into my arms.

I took him to the nearest empty hall and had imperial physicians examine him.

“How did you get like this in the palace?”

“Someone tried to assassinate me.”

The late Emperor was also killed by someone, and since then, palace security had been strengthened several times over. The Emperor breaking his leg from a fall in the morning, and the Grand Tutor being poisoned by an assassin at night—it made me feel a chill down my spine just thinking about it.

“The culprit has been caught, don’t worry.” A large hand suddenly covered mine.

“Qianqian.”

I subtly withdrew my hand and returned a smile. “Grand Tutor, please speak.”

His eyes held sadness, but soon he smiled again. “The peach blossoms that year bloomed more profusely than this year, their fragrance overflowing. Several years have passed in a blink, and you’ve grown up, brighter and more cheerful than before. That’s good.”

Zhao Jun and I had a past, but it ended early.

This man was too gentle. Even at that time, he was gentle, always asking me if I was okay.

I broke up with him in a fit of pique.

However, he didn’t admit to the breakup.

An imperial physician came in to deliver medicine, and he cleared his throat.

“These assassins have tattoos on their bodies. If I’m not mistaken, they are elite experts from the Great Yue palace. When I saw them, they were leaving your palace and also stole this.”

A silk handkerchief wrapped a few jade hairpins and two silk ribbons, all items I usually used.

“I just don’t know what they intend to do. It’s possible they disguised a kidnapping to threaten our dynasty.”

After he finished his medicine, the imperial physician left.

He changed his tone again, his gaze sweeping over me. His distinctly jointed fingers lifted his long robe. “That year, peach blossoms fell like rain, and you said you wanted to try a wheelchair.”

“So, you’ve messed up this little Emperor’s court quite thoroughly, huh?”

Little Piaopiao was sleeping on the same bed as me. She just turned over, and a book underneath her was exposed. I quickly snatched it.

In the Depths of Peach Blossoms, Two or Three Things the Princess and Grand Tutor Didn’t Say

“I just picked it up outside the city.”

Little Piaopiao suddenly leaned in. “My dear, how was the wheelchair experience?”

“Go to sleep.”

I gave her a sidelong glance, but she immediately got up, pulled out those few bellybands again, and pondered. “There are three men. Who should I kill?”

I sat up with a start. “Does the Mount Wu clan really have this rule?”

“Nonsense! You can have a man on your body, but you can’t have a man in your heart.”

“I didn’t grow up in Mount Wu. You can’t bind me with their rules. You weren’t there when I suffered, but now that I’m enjoying myself, you come to take me back. I won’t agree.”

Little Piaopiao clicked her tongue a few times. “Suffering? What suffering did you endure? What difficulties did you face?”

She moved her bottom back, revealing a pile of books underneath her. She lightly tapped with her fingertip. “At the late Emperor’s birthday banquet, you and the Regent did this and that in the hall. Was he forcing you? Could you not push him away?”

“Not exactly.”

Her fingertip moved to another book. “On Mid-Autumn night, floating on a small boat, the next morning the God of War carried you off the boat. You were weak and powerless. Did he drug you, and you had no one to help you?”

“He seduced me.”

“In the peach blossom forest, the gentle Grand Tutor’s wheelchair…”

“He was the one who initiated it!”

As I finished speaking, I suddenly felt a chill behind me. I quickly turned around and saw the Emperor, who knows when, standing behind a pillar, like a discarded puppy, looking at me with red eyes:

“Sister, didn’t you say you were just ordinary friends with them?”

“My dear, your little puppy seems like he’s about to cry.”

The Emperor was angry, the kind that couldn’t be appeased.

He ran off, dragging one leg, limping yet running incredibly fast. Just as I was about to chase him, Little Shunzi suddenly reported that the Regent had burst into Zhao Jun’s hall, and the two of them were arguing.

“It looked like they were going to kill each other!”

The Regent had been a true madman since childhood. His entire family was slaughtered when he was young, and he endured humiliation for decades, annihilating every single one of his enemies. On the day he sought revenge with his sword, even the Emperor’s decree couldn’t control him.

I rushed over in a hurry, only to hear Fu Hansheng’s voice, exceedingly chilling:

“Grand Tutor, don’t forget your status. You’re an outside man. What kind of propriety is it for you to live in the palace? Don’t tell me you’ve castrated yourself and given up on having descendants just to take care of His Majesty?”

“Qianqian is someone you can call? Fine, I’ll personally castrate you to fulfill your devotion to your master. Don’t worry, my blade is fast.”

After I entered, I heard the Grand Tutor’s gentle voice. “Don’t scold me anymore. If you scold me, I won’t drink my medicine, and the Princess will be distressed and still have to coax me to drink it.”

I stopped at the doorway. Fu Hansheng had his back to me, holding his sword, looking quite furious.

Sensing my arrival, the man’s back stiffened for a moment, then he turned around and bowed respectfully to me.

I waved my hand and sat down with Little Shunzi’s help. “Why are the two of you arguing so fiercely in the palace?”

Zhao Jun coughed a few times, then sighed softly after catching his breath. “The Regent believes I shouldn’t reside in the palace and wishes to throw me out. I told him it was the Princess’s will, but he didn’t believe me and insisted I move.”

I also knew it wasn’t good for an outside man to live in the palace, but he was poisoned and the imperial physicians said he needed complete rest. Moving out of the palace would inevitably involve bumps, so I let him stay.

I’m the only princess in the palace, and my reputation isn’t great anyway, so I don’t care what people say.

I glanced at Fu Hansheng. “Weren’t you inspecting the south? How did you return?”

Three years ago, there was a severe flood in Jiangnan, and Fu Hansheng volunteered to manage the flood. He never returned even after the flood subsided.

Fu Hansheng’s gaze fell on my face, the candlelight flickering. “There’s someone I can’t leave in the imperial city, so I returned.”

Fu Hansheng expressed his opposition to Zhao Jun residing in the palace.

“I have a plan. Why don’t I also move into the palace until Grand Tutor recovers? This way, outsiders won’t have anything to say. After all, gossip is a powerful thing, and the Princess’s reputation is paramount.”

I disagreed.

Unexpectedly, Fu Hansheng fainted on the spot, even smashing onto a low table, which terrified the Imperial Hospital, keeping them busy all night.

Finally, they diagnosed that he had rushed overnight and accidentally contracted a potent poison, requiring rest.

Fine, everyone stay.

“Although your men are tall and well-built, with eight-pack abs, their bodies are truly delicate.”

Little Piaopiao mused, “They all seem easy to kill.”

I was too tired to speak, but Little Piaopiao insisted on pulling me to tell her stories.

When I refused, she casually picked up The Princess Above, Why Does the Mad Regent Act This Way and That Way and read it with great interest.

“The book says, the Regent fell in love with the Princess at first sight. Hearing that the Princess was to be married off, his mad nature was exposed. On the night of the Emperor’s birthday, he broke into the Princess’s bedchamber and did this and that to the Princess.”

I closed my eyes and turned over. “Fake.”

“Actually, the Princess was drugged with an aphrodisiac, given by Empress Xuanyuan. The Regent realized it was a trap but still chose to help the Princess relieve herself. So, when the Empress burst in with her people, it was a scene of two people intimately entangled.”

I continued to sleep. “Terribly fake.”

“Then what’s real?”

Fu Hansheng was orphaned as a child, growing up in a wolf’s den. He had no feelings for anyone. As soon as he entered court, he slaughtered all his enemies. Finally, after searching, he discovered that the extermination of the Fu family was actually orchestrated by the late Emperor.

On the late Emperor’s birthday that day, he arranged assassins. At that time, he held high power, unmatched by anyone, and stubbornly pointed his sword directly at the Emperor’s chest.

“So the Emperor was actually killed by Fu Hansheng?”

“No.”

I stood in front of my imperial father.

Fu Hansheng forced me to move, but I refused, staring at him intently.

It wasn’t that I was so filial to the late Emperor. In fact, at that time, the Xuanyuan clan was powerful, and the Crown Prince was tyrannical and sharp-tongued towards my imperial brother and me. If I married out, I would be free of worries, but my imperial brother still relied on the late Emperor’s protection.

“So did he sheathe his sword?”

He did.

He truly broke into the bedchamber on the third day. I had been bathing for a long time and didn’t see any palace maids to attend to me. I turned my head and called out, only to see him extend his hand and offer me a silk towel, his gaze unwavering.

That day, no one broke in, and I didn’t summon anyone.

Mainly, he was handsome, and his repressed yet explosive demeanor was truly appealing.

Moreover, his power was immense, so finding a sanctuary wasn’t a bad idea either.

He slipped into the bath, entangled with me from dusk until dawn.

However, the Emperor was later killed by someone. The biggest suspect was the neighboring Great Yue, which is why our dynasty and Great Yue have always been at odds, with constant friction at the border.

After the commotion with Fu Hansheng and Zhao Jun, I slept very soundly, until the sun was high in the sky the next day.

I opened my eyes and saw the Emperor’s sulky expression.

“You still say you’re just ordinary friends with them. You’ve invited them into the palace, and you’ve instructed the imperial physicians to take good care of them. You’re a flirtatious woman.”

Then I heard him murmur, “The Regent is fine, the Grand Tutor is fine, why am I the only one who’s not? You’re so biased.”

I kicked him. “Less nonsense, go get me a cup of tea.”

My throat was terribly dry, and I felt like ants were crawling all over me.

Soon after, I spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Little Piaopiao said I would die soon.

If a Mount Wu clan member does not return to Mount Wu for a long time and doesn’t drink the hundred-year-old snow water from there, the toxins inherent in their bloodline will consume their life. For someone like me, who has been
wandering outside since childhood, living until now is a miracle.

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go back to Mount Wu, I’m eager to return!”

Just as we got into the carriage, Little Shunzi came to report.

The neighboring Great Yue was preparing to send a princess to marry, and she was already on her way.

Little Shunzi felt a sense of foreboding. “An unsolicited show of hospitality! The Great Yue monarch must hold a grudge against Your Royal Highness and is using this marriage alliance to assassinate you. Last time he sent people to steal things, and now he’s doing it again, truly cunning!”

I blushed and didn’t answer.

Little Piaopiao immediately sniffed out gossip and turned the carriage around; we weren’t leaving.

“You want to kill me!”

“It’s not like other toxins that slowly attack the heart. Whether you drink it today or a month later, it’s the same, as long as you drink it. Anyway, you still have half a year.”

She was a person who had lived for over three hundred years, and I didn’t know why she thought half a year was a long time.

But if she didn’t go, I had no way. I had never been back and didn’t know where home was.

Weak, pitiful, helpless.

Little Piaopiao bumped my arm. “My dear, that Great Yue monarch secretly keeps your bellyband. His feelings for you are definitely not hatred. Let me guess, that year he kidnapped you…”

“When did he kidnap me?”

“It’s written in the book.”

She pulled out a book from under her bottom: Prince Climbs Bed Every Night, Charming Princess Is All Well

I put my hand to my forehead and coldly chuckled. “They’re really sprinkling pepper on the neighbors.”

Back then, when my imperial father was still alive, he arranged a marriage for me with Prince Wanyan Lu of Great Yue. But on the way to the marriage, I was abducted, and the marriage never happened.

“Who abducted you?”

“Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Yu, the God of War you mentioned.”

“So that means, on the border carriage, you and Xie Yu—ahhhhhh…”

Little Piaopiao suddenly slapped her forehead and pulled out The Romantic God of War and the Charming Princess. “I need to see the intersection of these two storylines!”

Wanyan Lu arrived quickly.

I just didn’t expect Xie Yu to return as well.

Little Piaopiao twisted her waist, her eyes darting between the various men, then she hissed, “How can I get to experience this for a few days?”

I was at the reception for the neighboring monarch, and many ministers were present. Little Piaopiao’s gaze swept over everyone, determined to find out who had made me fall in love.

“Once I’ve killed that f****** man, I’ll take you back.”

After three rounds of drinks, Wanyan Lu finally brought up the main topic. “The two nations have been at war for many years, with constant friction, and the common people have suffered for a long time. After much consideration, I believe that forming a marriage alliance can ease border relations. What does Your Majesty think?”

In front of the court officials, the Emperor showed no childishness. He smoothed his sleeves. “That’s a good suggestion, but I have no intention of taking concubines. I’m afraid the Great Yue Princess will be inconvenienced by this trip.”

Wanyan Lu laughed heartily. “Your Majesty, you jest. My sisters have already married, and there are no unmarried women in my household. I believe that I and your esteemed Princess are a good match.”

The wine cup hit the ground with a smash, shattering into pieces.

“What are you, you dare covet my elder sister!”

The conversation ended without resolution.

Back in my bedchamber, I slammed my palm heavily on the table. “How could you smash a cup in public? You are a monarch. If your emotions are so easily displayed, you will surely suffer losses in the future!”

The Emperor stood before me, as obedient as a quail.

I put my hand to my forehead and closed my eyes. “You’re truly worrying me to death. How can I possibly feel at ease with you like this?”

“Just stay by my side.” The Emperor obediently leaned closer. “Sister, I’ve thought about it. It’s not impossible for you to keep male companions, but I want to be the main one…”

“Stop!”

I opened my eyes and looked at him, extending my hand. “Where’s that ten-thousand-word border inspection report?”

Little Piaopiao burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing at! You dead substitute!”

The Emperor’s nostrils flared, huffing angrily. He glanced at Little Piaopiao, then at me, and suddenly his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he understood something. His face turned livid, and he ran off, leaving behind a declaration of “I won’t let you get away with this.”

Little Piaopiao scratched her head, watching the Emperor’s limping figure. “Is this little guy going to become evil?”

At night, after soaking in the bath for a long time, no palace maids came to attend to me. Just as I was about to call out, someone suddenly covered my mouth and nose. A familiar scent enveloped me.

I had an ominous premonition.

“Qianqian.”

Xie Yu rested his head on my shoulder, one hand reaching into the warm water, fingers intertwining with mine. “Your water is so cold, aren’t you afraid of getting cold bathing alone?”

The steam from the bath wet my exposed skin. I turned my head and saw through the gaps in his fingers that he had taken off his clothes. His skin was wheat-colored, with a hint of crimson.

I pressed against his chest. “It is cold. Would the General like to join me?”

When he entered, he created a large splash. I saw the man’s blossoming smile, like the young general who had galloped and abducted me years ago.

By my reckoning, Xie Yu and I were childhood sweethearts.

That year, Prince Wanyan Lu of Great Yue came to our dynasty as a hostage. The Xie family army was responsible for his escort. At that time, my imperial mother was still alive, and Xie Yu and I were just mischievous and bold children.

When Wanyan Lu went to pee, Xie Yu and I stood on either side, watching him closely.

General Xie had said that if he got lost, we’d all be in big trouble.

When we slept, I wanted to sleep in the middle, but Xie Yu vetoed it. Because Wanyan Lu was cunning, he was afraid he’d run off, so they had to let him sleep in the middle. I thought it made sense, so we both slept on either side, holding Wanyan Lu’s arm.

Initially, our relationship was that simple and unadorned.

Later, we argued because his second aunt was caught cheating. Xie Yu cared for his second uncle and put his sword to the lover’s neck. I saw the woman and her lover crying so pitifully that my sense of justice flared up:

“She just made a mistake that any woman in the world would make. Why are you punishing her?”

“The one who isn’t loved is the mistress!”

After saying that, I and my rock candy gourds were kicked into the river.

From then on, I no longer liked Xie Yu.

Wanyan Lu was raised in the palace, so I would often go to play with him.

Later, when the clan was executed and my imperial mother hanged herself, my imperial brother and I depended on each other. When the imperial marriage decree came down, Xie Yu sought me out and asked if I wanted to leave. He would take me to a place where no one would find us, and he would support me.

I touched my bottom and refused with red eyes.

“Isn’t it just right to marry me off to Wanyan Lu? Anyway, we’ve already slept together, old acquaintances.”

That day, Xie Yu’s face turned green with anger. He swore he would never pay attention to me again, volunteered to guard the northern border, and sent back continuous reports of victories. His achievements grew steadily, and his status rose again and again.

But he never returned.

So much so that when he kidnapped the bride, I felt like I was seeing him again after an eternity.

He got into the carriage. “Murong Qian, I’m giving you one chance. Choose me quickly.”

After a long time, his muscles had become even more solid, and there were a few more scars on his chest, adding a different kind of mystery.

He sat down, fumbled for my leg under the water, and pulled me over. “These past years, have you been well?”

The floating petals on the water were stirred by the ripples. I pinched his hard arm. “With you guarding the northern frontier, no one dares to challenge my imperial brother now. After two years on the throne, he’s grown up and matured a lot.”

He seriously measured. “Hmm, you’ve grown a lot too.”

I lifted my leg and kicked it onto his shoulder. He reached out, grasped it, and kissed it.

“Qianqian, I’m back this time, and I’m not leaving.”

I was in a deep sleep when Little Shunzi suddenly woke me up.

“Princess, the Grand Tutor and the Regent are arguing again!”

I was too sleepy to open my eyes. “What kind of argument can two poisoned people have? They’re disturbing my peace.”

“But Miss Piaopiao said she wants to kill them!”

I sat up from my deathly dream.

Last night, my imperial brother suddenly went crazy. Little Piaopiao was summoned to dine, intending to annoy me.

But how could he outwit a three-hundred-year-old fox? Little Piaopiao got a lot of information out of him. This morning, she grabbed her sword and went to the side hall.

Fu Hansheng and Zhao Jun were sitting on the floor to prevent each other from climbing onto my bed, when Little Piaopiao kicked open the door, intending to kill someone.

When I arrived, several people were arguing, and all the palace maids had been sent outside.

“Miss Piaopiao asked the noble gentlemen who among them seduced the Princess into falling in love. Every man said it was himself. Hearing the news here, the Great Yue monarch also rushed over to join the fun.”

When I arrived, the three men were recounting their pasts to Little Piaopiao.

“You’re finally here.” Little Piaopiao saw her savior. “This treasured sword can only taste blood once. Grandmother truly didn’t expect you to play so wildly. Quick, tell me, who do you love the most?”

Suddenly, several pairs of eyes were fixed on me.

I wiped away non-existent tears. “Each of you is my beloved subject. Please don’t say such things; I’ll be heartbroken.”

“The Princess only loves me.”

A voice suddenly broke the silence. Everyone looked on in surprise to see Grand Tutor Zhao Jun covering his chest with a handkerchief, coughing a few times. “Miss Piaopiao, if you must kill, kill me. Don’t trouble the others.”

“Did I tell you to speak!” Fu Hansheng kicked his wheelchair. “You dare covet my woman, Zhao Jun? I think you’re tired of living.”

He pointed. “You tell her, who does your Highness like the most?”

Little Shunzi, who was pointed at, immediately stood at attention. “Your… Your Royal Highness, of course, it’s you.”

Fu Hansheng heard the satisfactory answer and was about to say something to Little Piaopiao when Wanyan Lu suddenly laughed.

“Fu Hansheng, you’ve been a madman your whole life. People talk about your madness, but in the end, you deceive yourself like this.”

He unfolded his folding fan and gently fanned himself. “Qianqian and I grew up in the palace together, childhood sweethearts. At that time, you were still struggling to survive somewhere. We promised each other at the age of five that we would support each other throughout our lives, one life, one lifetime, one pair.”

I was too lazy to refute him. He and I had broken up a long time ago.

But he was the one who dumped me.

Hmph!

Little Piaopiao elbowed me. “This doesn’t sound like a lie. Let’s just kill him.”

“No!”

I took a deep breath and pointed to the Emperor who had just entered the doorway. “That’s the one I love the most.”

The Emperor slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. “Sister… this… isn’t a dream, is it?”

I patted his shoulder. “Brother, you’ve grown up. It’s time to shoulder responsibilities.”

A pig-like shriek echoed through the imperial palace.

I returned to the hall, just about to rest, when someone suddenly wrapped their arms around my waist. I smelled a familiar scent, and reaching back, I felt Xie Yu was shirtless.

“You’re such a hottie.”

I couldn’t resist pinching him a few times.

“You’re poisoned, is it real or fake?”

“Real.”

I wondered when Little Piaopiao would take me back. Otherwise, I’d die young, and I’d be very upset.

Xie Yu stared at me for a long time, then suddenly smiled. “Fine, it doesn’t matter. This young master has had enough fun. Death is pretty much like sleeping, only longer and more comfortable, with no one to disturb you.”

“What nonsense.”

My gaze fell upon the pile of books behind him, and my heart pounded. “You’ve been reading all this this morning!”

No wonder he didn’t go to Taihe Hall to join the fun. He was here reading banned books.

Little Piaopiao had intentionally left them out without revealing the names. Xie Yu looked at me in surprise, reaching out for the books. “I overslept. Can’t I read these?”

I sighed in relief and kissed him on the cheek.

The dry kindling didn’t catch fire.

Little Piaopiao said the Emperor had fainted from excessive blood loss.

“I didn’t mean to. I was just teasing him. Who knew he’d run into my sword? He just happened to fall in. By the time we pulled him out, he was almost dead.”

Inside Taihe Hall, there was widespread weeping.

Little Piaopiao looked at me apologetically. “The little puppy was like an idiot. He was running, and when I said I was going to kill your beloved, he pounced on me. Luckily, I withdrew my sword quickly, but this sword is a powerful weapon of the Mount Wu clan. The best possible outcome is this…”

The Emperor lay on the dragon couch, his face ashen.

I remembered when I was a child, I was also on the verge of death like this. My imperial mother saved me. In a ruined temple, she asked me if I wanted to be her daughter. My imperial mother was kind and pure; she never let me suffer injustice in the human world.

I was indeed drugged by Empress Xuanyuan and caught red-handed by her. Because the man was Wanyan Lu, I was accused of treason. It was my imperial mother who knelt on thousands of steps, pleading for my life.

After her death, I had a responsibility to take care of her only child.

“Is there any way to save him?”

“Unless someone from Mount Wu can sacrifice their life for him.”

Mount Wu was very, very far away. We traveled by water, climbed cliffs, crossed deserts, and finally reached the depths of the forest, where it was spring all year round, with beautiful mountains and clear waters.

The water of Mount Wu was delicious.

Wanyan Lu refused to return to Great Yue.

“Qianqian, I did it. I ascended to the throne of Great Yue. No official dares to overstep me. My imperial harem has remained empty, waiting only for one person to return.”

“That year, things happened so suddenly. I was knocked out and taken away by my clan. It wasn’t that I left without a word. I also thought about writing to you…”

The young man had changed a lot, but his eyes were still so beautiful, and his words were sincere.

I smiled at him. “Your journey has not been easy. Congratulations, truly.”

“Come with me. If you don’t want to be confined to the deep palace, I’ll accompany you to travel the world, and we can be a pair…”

“You’re truly a persistent ghost!”

Fu Hansheng sneered, “I received all the letters you wrote; I tore them all up. How about that? If it were me, even if the sky fell that year, I would have taken her with me! After it happened, you just left. Do you know…”

Perhaps remembering something, he stopped speaking, quietly looking at me.

After years of patrolling the south, Fu Hansheng never returned. In his heart, I was the daughter of his enemy. Hundreds of lives stood between us.

He tried to take my hand. “The court was in turmoil, you had no backing, living a hard life with your young brother. You’ve suffered, it’s my fault, if only I had known earlier…”

I shrugged, pretending to be lighthearted. “It’s fine. I was planning to marry the Grand Tutor anyway. The throne was within reach.”

Being born into royalty is like this; you don’t get to choose whether you want to fight or not. If you don’t fight, you only die.

Zhao Jun was born with a leg disability and was the only child in his family. He was both virtuous and talented, with immense power, making him the best backing for my imperial brother and me.

My original intention was to bear him a child, and then with a cup of wine, send him to his death, and I would take over his power for my young child.

However, after seducing him a few times, I discovered that this man was not only of noble character but also completely innocent in matters of men and women. His mother treated me well too, crying before she died, saying she felt sorry for me, fearing that marrying Zhao Jun would be a hardship for me.

So I didn’t have the heart to do it.

“Later, I realized that I could still pave a path for the Emperor even without marrying someone. What other imperial children could do, I could do too.”

The Xuanyuan clan fell, the Crown Prince was deposed, the Emperor was assassinated, and the dynasty was in turmoil. I, with my young brother, having nothing to lose, fought our way through dozens of imperial children.

To this day, I am still very grateful for my own single-minded courage back then.

The Mount Wu clan lives far from the mundane world; hardly anyone resides there.

The clan members all drink the water, extend their lives, and then return to the human world to live.

After I sacrificed myself for the Emperor, my body no longer allowed me to leave Mount Wu for long periods. I had to drink the water daily to survive.

Little Piaopiao sympathetically patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Great-Grandmother will sleep with multiple men on your behalf. Just sleeping with one gets boring.”

I asked her if the Mount Wu clan changed its rules because of my mother.

“Yes, what a good woman. Few men in the human world are truly sincere. If she hadn’t fallen in love with your father, she wouldn’t have given birth to you in the dead of winter…”

I hugged her.

In my life, I’ve fought for power and profit, my hands stained with blood. People have cursed me for a long time, many ministers have had opinions about me, and scholars have written me off as a demoness who brought disaster to the nation.

After staying in Mount Wu for a few days, I surprisingly felt incredibly relaxed.

Xie Yu adapted quickly. He held me in his arms, a piece of straw in his mouth, lying on his back on the mountaintop. “Who said these days are hard? These days are fantastic.”

But then, unexpectedly, a few men suddenly arrived from outside the mountain.

The clan members who came for water twisted their waists and laughed at me:

“Sister Qianqian, those men say they’re looking for you. They say they’ve already sorted themselves out by size. You’re truly capable.”

I heard the man next to me curse.

(End of Volume)