Chapter 154: Chapter 154

How could Yao Yao possibly not want such an opportunity?

Her mother was no longer there, and the reason she stayed in the palace was to obtain a noble status, so she could find a good family in the future and not be looked down upon like her mother all her life!

Now there was a great opportunity right in front of her, and as long as she nodded, she could have it.

Yao Yao didn’t want to appear too eager and cause disgust, but she was just a child and couldn’t control her inner greed.

She shyly nodded and said in a delicate voice, "That... that... what my sister doesn’t want, I want!"

Hearing this, Jun Ning snorted and immediately pleaded with Emperor Yongning, "Father, please give this marriage you consider good to Yao Yao. I don’t need it; Yao Yao does."

There was a hint of disdain in her voice, as if this marriage was such an insult to her.

Emperor Yongning’s face turned livid upon hearing this. He wanted to say something, but suddenly, a metallic taste surged in his throat that he couldn’t suppress.

He hurriedly took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, coughed twice, and quickly put the handkerchief away.

The series of actions was very smooth and fast, so few people noticed Emperor Yongning’s action.

Emperor Yongning glanced around to ensure no one had noticed before relaxing and looking at Liu Pin.

Noticing his gaze, Liu Pin curtsied and asked, "May I ask if Your Majesty has any instructions for this servant?"

Emperor Yongning spoke, but his tone was so cold it lacked any warmth, enough to show his displeasure about what Yao Yao had just said.

"Liu Pin, take Yao Yao back immediately to be properly educated, and tell her that the things of Princess Anle are not for her to covet."

"Make sure she remains content and does her duty, or the consequences will be beyond her bearing."

Hmph, just an imposter princess, daring to covet his child’s belongings?

It was only because she still had a bit of utility, otherwise, he would have killed her long ago!

Emperor Yongning thought.

Liu Pin was someone who could read people well and was willing to listen to Emperor Yongning. Seeing the situation, she dared not say anything more, and whether Yao Yao was willing or not, she directly took her away.

Emperor Yongning watched the backs of Liu Pin and Yao Yao as they left, his eyes quickly flashing with a barely detectable murderous intent.

Xiao Lizi attempted to persuade Jun Ning who was still kneeling on the ground, "My dear princess, please don’t kneel anymore. Get up, will you?"

Jun Ning refused to rise.

Xiao Lizi shook his head, fetched a not-too-hard cushion, lifted Jun Ning up, and placed the cushion under where her knees would fall, allowing her to kneel upon it.

This way, her knees wouldn’t hurt.

But Jun Ning was very stubborn and refused to kneel on the cushion; the cushion Xiao Lizi brought over was angrily thrown to the side by her without a glance.

Emperor Yongning glanced at Jun Ning and directly said, "Xiao Lizi, carry her back to Weiyang Palace. If she wants to kneel, let her kneel in Weiyang Palace and not stay here to annoy me."

He simply didn’t believe that with Qiong Hua watching over her in Weiyang Palace, she could continue kneeling? Fresh chapters posted on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍

Of course, she couldn’t!

Qiong Hua was not willing to let her precious daughter suffer . Jun Ning wanted to kneel, but Qiong Hua firmly did not allow it.

However, Jun Ning was stubborn and insisted on kneeling. Qiong Hua, not knowing the reason for her stubbornness, could only ask Xiao Lizi.

After Xiao Lizi explained the whole story, Qiong Hua no longer cared about Jun Ning; if she wanted to kneel, she could kneel.

Because she supported Emperor Yongning’s decision!

Xiao Lizi left, and Jun Ning was puzzled, "Mother... why do you support Father? Don’t you care about whether your daughter will live well or not in the future?"

It was because of Qiong Hua’s own experiences that she felt the Emperor’s arrangement was good.

Jun Ning, however, continued to ponder.

Qiong Hua advised, "Yi Yi, get up, will you? Don’t wear a sorrowful face, and don’t go against your father. Follow his arrangement and get engaged. Your father is indeed not doing this to harm you."

If this were said by someone else, Jun Ning would certainly have no interest in listening at all.

Because she knew that people who said such words were somewhat pandering to Emperor Yongning. Even if the price of pandering was her sacrifice!

But her mother was different; she was sure that her mother was the one person who would always stand by her and would never persuade her just to please Emperor Yongning.

The reason her mother would advise her this way certainly had its rationale.

She asked, "Mother, what do you mean by this?"

Qiong Hua sighed, lifted Jun Ning from the ground, and embraced her, reminiscing about the past.

"Mother was originally a princess from the barbaric north, living a very carefree and joyous life."

"Until the moment she was told she was to be sent for a peace marriage, Mother felt as if the sky was falling. But because Mother wasn’t engaged to anyone and wasn’t in love, she had no excuse to refuse and had no choice but to obediently marry to Dongchu."

"Fortunately, Mother gave birth to you and Ah Yu; otherwise, she would never have been able to get past the hurdle of being forced into a peace marriage."

Jun Ning understood Qiong Hua’s meaning.

Father was avoiding the possibility of her being sent for a peace marriage someday by setting a fiancé for her early on, directly eliminating the possibility of her being sent for a peace marriage in the future.

Qiong Hua’s next words confirmed Jun Ning’s speculation.

"Yi Yi, your father certainly doesn’t want you to have the day when you are sent for a peace marriage, that’s why he made this decision." Qiong Hua said earnestly, "You must understand, peace marriages, if not handled carefully, can be deadly. Just like when Mother was sent to the Cold Palace, there wasn’t even anyone to speak on her behalf. Fortunately, Mother survived. But for others, it might not have been the case."

"And by having an engagement set early, the possibility of a peace marriage can be completely avoided."

"As for your concern about whether you will live well after marriage, this is something you needn’t worry about."

"You are the most beloved princess of the Emperor. Under the emperor’s watchful eye, there are people everywhere willing to give you face. No one dares treat you unfairly."

"So, your father’s decision has more advantages than disadvantages; he is doing it for your own good."

Jun Ning had never thought about peace marriages, but hearing her mother speak, it seemed like it wasn’t far away from her, that it could happen at any moment.

Moreover, she was currently the only princess recognized and given a title by the Emperor of Dongchu.

Although Yao Yao was also a princess, by observing everyone’s attitude towards her, it was clear that no one really saw her as a true princess.

Calling her a princess was just a courtesy.

If a peace marriage situation arose, and if the ministers agreed, and the people agreed, and even when the country reached a point where a Peace Princess had to be sent, she wouldn’t be able to escape.

This being the case, her father indeed was considering her very deeply.

Because of Qiong Hua’s words, Jun Ning suddenly understood.

Compared to a peace marriage where one might inadvertently lose their life, it’s better to accept the current situation.

As her mother said, under the emperor’s watchful eye, with many people mindful of her, her yet-to-be-born fiancé would certainly not dare to treat her badly in the future.

Besides, her fiancé hasn’t even been born yet, has he?