Empress Xie was startled and hurried over to greet Emperor Muwu. Emperor Muwu’s temples were graying, his complexion average, and his stature slightly stooped. However, his eyes remained sharp, causing Ye Chengyan to shiver involuntarily when they swept over him.
As soon as Emperor Muwu sat down, he asked Ye Siheng, "Ninth Brother, among the royal relatives, there are many outstanding children. Why don’t you pick one suitable candidate to be the Royal Heir?"
Empress Xie’s face turned pale. She quickly glared at Ye Chengyan and said, "Apologize to your father now!"
"I apologize, Father," Ye Chengyan said with his head bowed.
Emperor Muwu’s health was deteriorating further, and he was struggling to support himself, fearing any action from Qi Nation at this critical juncture. But he hadn’t expected his own son to be so disobedient.
Ye Chengyan continued, "Father, I genuinely like Miss Qiao from the Mansion of Marquis Wuyang. I beg you to grant my wish."
Emperor Muwu, feeling increasingly unwell, was worried about the nation’s stability. He coldly refused, "A woman’s favor is insignificant compared to the Royal Heir position. Choosing her jeopardizes your future. I don’t agree."
"Father, I only ask for her. I don’t want anything else," Ye Chengyan pleaded, kneeling on the ground.
"Then tell me, do you want the position of Royal Heir or Qiao Yu?" Emperor Muwu asked sternly.
Ye Chengyan hesitated for a moment but finally gritted his teeth and said, "I truly love Miss Qiao. I cannot live without her."
Emperor Muwu was furious. He wanted to grab something and smash it on Ye Chengyan’s head, but Empress Xie stopped him.
Empress Xie, conceding, pleaded for her son, "Your Majesty, it’s just a woman. Why not grant him this?"
Emperor Muwu sighed and said, "A doting mother spoils her child!"
Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow, finding the name "Mansion of Marquis Wuyang" somewhat familiar. He quickly recalled A’Li mentioning it. Seeing Ye Chengyan’s desperation for Qiao Yu, he couldn’t help but feel curious.
Staring straight at Ye Chengyan, he said, "Imperial Brother, not knowing the importance of being the Royal Heir is indeed disappointing."
"Brother..." Empress Xie’s voice trembled.
No one’s words could compare to Ye Siheng’s.
"What Ninth Brother means..." Emperor Muwu raised an eyebrow.
"Why not follow Imperial Brother’s suggestion? I have a few candidates in mind," Ye Siheng suggested.
Emperor Muwu furrowed his brows slightly. He only had one son, and he intended to pass everything to Ye Chengyan. However, with his declining health, the court needed Ye Siheng’s support. If even Ye Siheng didn’t have confidence in Ye Chengyan and wanted to change the candidate for Royal Heir, what could he do?
After all, this world belonged not only to him but also to the people of Mu Nation.
Seeing Emperor Muwu’s hesitation, Ye Siheng whispered a few words in his ear. Emperor Muwu’s eyes flashed with coldness, and he quickly made a decision. He immediately issued an edict to depose the Royal Heir again. Simultaneously, he arranged for Ye Chengyan and Qiao Yu to marry, with the wedding set for ten days later.
Because Ye Chengyan was deposed once again, he remained confined to his residence as before. Qiao Yu moved in as his bride, and she too was confined.
This news shocked the court once again. No one expected Emperor Muwu to have only one son and still depose him. Many officials tried to intercede for Ye Chengyan, but Emperor Muwu was infuriated and punished those who pleaded on his behalf.
It was said that Ye Chengyan’s defiance stemmed from his infatuation with a woman. No wonder Emperor Muwu was so enraged and considering adopting someone from the royal family. Seeing that Ye Chengyan’s fate was sealed, no one dared to intercede for him anymore.
Ye Chengyan returned to a life of confinement, though he found solace in the thought that Qiao Yu would soon be joining him. Despite his troubles, he felt hopeful about the future.
In the Mansion of Marquis Wuyang, a few marriage-related items were sent from the palace. The eunuchs from the palace even mentioned that when the auspicious time arrived, they would quietly bring the new bride into the mansion without much fanfare. Marquis Wuyang’s expression stiffened, unsure of how to react. He had hoped to climb the social ladder through his daughter’s marriage, not to fall down it!
Because Ye Chengyan insisted on marrying his daughter, Marquis Wuyang had been receiving cold looks from Emperor Muwu during court sessions for the past few days. Others, seeing this, dared not approach him for fear of getting into trouble.
Marquis Wuyang never expected things to backfire ! He immediately sought out Tiancheng, explained the situation, and asked if there was any way to remedy it.
Tiancheng, feeling annoyed by the trouble, replied, "Didn’t you want your daughter to marry the Royal Heir? Now that your wish has been granted, what else are you dissatisfied with?"
Marquis Wuyang angrily retorted, "I wanted my daughter to marry the current Royal Heir, not a deposed one without power or authority!"
Tiancheng coolly replied, "Once this spell is cast, it cannot be undone. The deposed Royal Heir will harbor affection for your daughter for the rest of his life, and it cannot be changed or salvaged."
Marquis Wuyang’s face turned pale. Tiancheng continued, "Now that the decree has been issued, you can only go along with it. If the emperor finds out that you used such methods, your Mansion of Marquis Wuyang may face disaster. Lord Marquis, you better think twice."
Marquis Wuyang closed his eyes. Though he was angry, Tiancheng’s words made sense. He had no choice but to accept it.
However, Qiao Yu didn’t want to accept it. Firstly, she didn’t like Ye Chengyan, and secondly, she didn’t want to spend her future confined. Learning from Tiancheng that the spell couldn’t be broken, she was both shocked and frightened. After some consideration, she seized the opportunity to sneak out and went to the Prince Yu Mansion to seek an audience with the Ninth Princess.
In the Liuli Pavilion, Nanli was reading a book while Ye Siheng brewed tea. It was their daily routine, peaceful and beautiful. After brewing a cup of tea, Ye Siheng pushed it in front of Nanli and muttered, "Why hasn’t she arrived yet?"
"What?" Nanli didn’t hear clearly, so she blinked at Ye Siheng.
Just then, Qing Feng stood at the door and reported, "Your Highness, Qiao Yu from the Mansion of Marquis Wuyang requests an audience with the Ninth Princess."
Ye Siheng immediately smiled and said, "As expected." Nanli, puzzled, asked, "What are you up to?"
"Let her in," Ye Siheng instructed Qing Feng before turning to Nanli with a smile. "You’ll understand when you meet her. I should be right in my guess."
Nanli shrugged and set aside her books. She went to the flower hall to meet Qiao Yu, who was dressed in maid attire, clearly sneaking out. As soon as Qiao Yu saw Nanli, she knelt down and pleaded, "Please, Ninth Princess, save me."
Nanli sat leisurely with her hand under her chin, but soon narrowed her eyes and said, "I was wondering what you were here for. So, you’re under a spell."
Qiao Yu didn’t expect Nanli to see through it so easily. It was lucky that Tiancheng had been reminding her constantly that Nanli was no match for her. Little did she know that Nanli hadn’t seen her with Ye Chengyan and therefore wasn’t inferior to Tiancheng.