Chapter 155: Chapter 155

She is still very moldable.

When he is born, she will certainly guide him well, ensuring he becomes a good husband with ’three obediences and four virtues’.

Jun Ning was easily persuaded to accept. Happily, she went to the Imperial Study Room to see Emperor Yongning, planning to tell him that she must personally teach her future husband.

However, when she arrived at the door of the Imperial Study Room, she was stopped by the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard properly conveyed Xiao Lizi’s earlier message to Jun Ning.

"Princess, His Majesty doesn’t want to see you today. You should go back quickly!"

Jun Ning asked, "Do you know why the Emperor doesn’t want to see me? Is it because I refused the engagement?"

The Imperial Guard shook his head, "I don’t know."

Jun Ning was speechless, "Then what do you know? Tell me everything."

"I know nothing," the Imperial Guard said unabashedly.

After a brief silence, Jun Ning said, "Then can you go tell the Emperor for me that I have agreed to the engagement with that little brat who hasn’t even been born yet. But I want to see the Emperor now."

The Imperial Guard refused, "I am not responsible for conveying messages, I am responsible for guarding."

The Emperor is determined not to see her, which is why he arranged such a blockhead here who won’t even help her pass a message.

Jun Ning said, "You blockhead."

The Imperial Guard was unmoved.

Jun Ning, finding it pointless, looked at the sky, which was slowly darkening.

She thought about waiting. Generally, after dusk, the Emperor would stroll through the Imperial Garden after supper. By then, he would leave the Imperial Study Room. The father and daughter would inevitably meet and naturally clarify these estrangements.

Inside the Imperial Study Room.

Once again, Emperor Yongning coughed up blood; the most palpable feeling these past two days was the increasing heaviness of his body.

He was truly afraid of something happening to himself; he was constantly afraid.

But he dared not let anything happen.

His precious child was still so young. If anything happened to him, what would she do?

Thinking of this, Emperor Yongning picked up his pen and wrote an edict of appointment.

He appointed Yao Yao as Princess An Ding and explicitly stated, prioritizing seniority, that before her sister Princess Anle married, she was not allowed to prematurely engage or marry like her mother.

This seemed to restrain Princess Anle’s behavior, preventing her from going down a wrong path like her mother, but only Emperor Yongning knew it wasn’t that.

Xiao Lizi, looking at the contents of the Imperial Decree, couldn’t understand Emperor Yongning’s intention. He confusedly asked, "Your Majesty, since the Royal Family’s Hidden Guard has already verified Yao Yao’s true identity and confirmed she is not your daughter lost among the people, and her face resembling yours is created by a human skin mask, why don’t you expose and execute her but instead formally appoint her?"

Isn’t this bolstering the impostor’s audacity?

Initially, Emperor Yongning was misled by Yao Yao’s face, genuinely mistaking her for his daughter.

However, it was also Yao Yao’s face that aroused his suspicion later.

How could someone resemble him at his age so closely?

So, he secretly sent someone to reinvestigate Yao Yao’s origins and the details of how the Marquis Zhongyong brought her back to the Imperial City.

Efforts paid off; Yao Yao’s origins were finally clarified. She was not his daughter; she was secretly born to Hong Niang and a wealthy merchant in Jiangnan, known by very few, and that fake face was specially made for her by someone the Marquis Zhongyong found amongst the people.

All of this was orchestrated by the Marquis Zhongyong and the Empress.

Their objective was to create a fake princess to divide his affection so they could target his precious child.

Fortunately, he had no affection towards this fake princess. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Emperor Yongning felt very lucky nothing happened. But beyond that relief, he was also very angry, wanting to execute Yao Yao immediately.

However, upon realizing Yao Yao could be used, his anger dissipated.

He even prepared to give Yao Yao a title, making her officially a princess.

"Because Yi Yi is my only princess, and if there’s ever a chance of diplomatic marriage, she won’t escape it."

"I don’t want her to go for a diplomatic marriage, so I must plan earlier."

"Although I have already chosen a Prince Consort for her, intending to arrange a childhood betrothal during his full moon banquet to prevent her from being sent for a diplomatic marriage in the future."

"But one never knows, and in case the day really comes when even the betrothal doesn’t help, Yi Yi must face the fate of a diplomatic marriage. Then I’ll need another way out for her."

"Raising another princess to bear disasters for Yi Yi is the way out I’ve prepared."

Raising another princess is nothing; Emperor Yongning doesn’t lack the money, nor does he care for it.

As long as he can protect his precious child, he doesn’t mind spending more money.

As long as a problem could be solved with money, it’s not a problem for him.

Since Yao Yao insists on impersonating his princess, she must pay the price.

Though not held accountable now, she might very well be sent off for a diplomatic marriage in the future. That’s... her price.

After hearing it all, Xiao Lizi sighed, "A parent’s love for their child runs deep with foresight."

The Emperor’s efforts are indeed for the betterment!

May the princess understand the Emperor’s intentions.

"Alright, enough talking, quickly go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and watch them draft the edict for the appointment."

Emperor Yongning handed the written content to Xiao Lizi.

Xiao Lizi took the thin sheet of paper to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to oversee the draft.

As soon as he left the Imperial Study Room, he saw Jun Ning, afraid she’d block him to ask questions, or even force him to take her in and plead with the Emperor to cancel the betrothal.

So he hurriedly fled as if he hadn’t seen Jun Ning.

Seeing this, Jun Ning stomped her foot angrily, "You’re good, Xiao Lizi, pretending not to see me."

Xiao Lizi’s betrayal.

He used to help her when things happened, but now he no longer helps.

But this also indirectly proved the Emperor’s thoughts were genuinely for her, planning a way out to avoid her being sent to an arranged marriage.

Xiao Lizi understood the Emperor’s goodwill, so he stopped aiding her rebellion.

Jun Ning could only continue to wait until suppertime finally arrived.

She watched as the palace maids carried one delightful dish after another in, and about two incense sticks’ worth of time later, carried them out unfinished.

The time of dusk had also come.

He should be coming out to walk in the Imperial Garden any moment, and they would meet soon.

Jun Ning thought to herself, sticking out her tongue, muttering, "Hmph, cheap dad, if it weren’t for your wholehearted dedication to me, I wouldn’t keep standing here waiting."

She stood for so long that her calves were sore and uncomfortable.

But why hadn’t her cheap dad come out yet?

Jun Ning stretched her neck, watching the door of the Imperial Study Room, waiting for a familiar figure to come out. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩