Chapter 190: Chapter 190

"This Eldest Prince is really getting worse as he gets older, even bullying a child," Emperor Yongning huffed in annoyance.

The Empress Dowager tenderly looked at Jun Ning’s wound, then immediately called out to Xiao Lizi outside, "Xiao Lizi, quickly summon the Imperial Physician and have them bring the best medicine for injuries."

The Chief of the Imperial Hospital, upon hearing the summons from the Empress Dowager, especially knowing that it was from the Imperial Study Room, hurried over despite being in the midst of leading the imperial physicians in researching a cure for the epidemic.

However, after arriving at the Imperial Study Room, he learned that it was the precious child of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager who had injured their hand.

After examining Jun Ning’s scratch, he looked at his medicine chest and sighed deeply.

Jun Ning’s injury was just a minor one, after all; it could be bandaged well with the golden sore medicine. But the way Xiao Lizi had summoned him, the nervousness in his voice, and the heavy tone when asking him to bring the best medicine... made him think something significant had happened, like an important person being gravely injured. He even brought the Heavenly Snow Lotus and ancient Lingzhi.

And it turns out, it was just to treat a scratch?

The Chief of the Imperial Hospital was speechless.

But despite his speechlessness, he diligently bandaged Jun Ning’s wound.

After the Imperial Physician left, the Imperial Study Room was quiet for a moment but didn’t remain so for long.

A group of ministers, instigated by the Eldest Prince, entered the palace to meet with the Emperor.

They demanded severe punishment for Jun Ning for entering the palace with an epidemic disease, or at least an explanation from Emperor Yongning.

Emperor Yongning would neither severely punish Jun Ning nor meet those ministers; instead, he sent them home. To those who wouldn’t let go and appeared to have too much free time, Emperor Yongning assigned them the task of tackling the epidemic in the Imperial City alongside the imperial physicians.

By keeping them busy, they would have no time to cause trouble.

After decisively dealing with two or three ministers , no one dared to openly pursue the matter further.

But they wouldn’t completely ignore it either, finding other ways to perpetuate it.

They all secretly waited for Jun Ning to spread the epidemic throughout the palace, so they could seize the opportunity to suggest to Emperor Yongning to handle Jun Ning. But they waited from late autumn to early winter, wearing more and more clothing, yet no epidemic broke out in the palace.

The Chief of the Imperial Hospital, visiting the Eighteenth Princess several times to ensure her health, never mentioned her contracting the epidemic.

The Eighteenth Princess seemed not to have contracted the epidemic or, if she did, she recovered.

Whatever the case, as time went on, fewer and fewer people discussed this matter until it faded away completely.

The ease with which it was forgotten was also related to the sudden heavy snow after winter began, which silenced the epidemic.

The imperial physicians had been diligently working on a remedy for the epidemic.

After such a long time, the medicine was almost ready; those affected could take it to ensure survival and slowly recover. However, the medicine was so gentle that it took three months to heal those infected.

Everyone expected that with such slow efficacy, the epidemic would linger until the end of the year. Yet, following the snowfall, no one was infected for an entire month, and those who were already infected rapidly improved.

After another month, the epidemic ended entirely.

This snowfall could truly be called a snow of good omen!

During these months, everyone was busy with their own affairs, Jun Ning included.

Upon first meeting the son of the National Guardian General upon his return, Jun Ning persistently requested Emperor Yongning to call off the engagement. Since Emperor Yongning was well again and could protect her, she saw no need to be betrothed to that little dark ball.

But Emperor Yongning refused to agree.

Whenever Jun Ning brought up the annulment, Emperor Yongning would either dismiss it with "Jun Wu’s word is unwavering" or quickly steer the conversation to something else to gloss over the matter.

Gradually, Jun Ning came to realize that rejecting this marriage was not an option.

Whether it was a little dark ball or a little white ball, her father’s decree of marriage was firm, and she had to accept it.

In Weiyang Palace, Jun Ning continued to sulk over the little dark ball.

"Yi Yi, your father did this to find you a reliable support and completely eliminate the possibility of a diplomatic marriage. What’s wrong with that? Don’t pull a long face; just accept it, okay?" Google seaʀᴄh 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩

"As for disliking his looks, it’s just that he was born a bit ugly; he’ll grow handsome over time, not always ugly."

"Moreover, you were also not the cutest at birth. We’re all a bit in the same boat, so no one should look down on anyone else."

Qiong Hua patiently advised Jun Ning, hoping she would stop being difficult and accept the marriage gracefully.

From the bottom of her heart, she believed that the marriage Emperor Yongning arranged for Yi Yi was extremely advantageous.

"Mother, how could you call Yi Yi ugly?" Jun Ning pouted in Qiong Hua’s arms, "Yi Yi is not ugly."

"I said you were ugly at birth, not now," Qiong Hua chuckled, pinching Jun Ning’s cheek affectionately, "Now Yi Yi is beautiful and charming."

Hearing this, Jun Ning smiled contentedly and added, "But you can’t lie to Yi Yi. People who are born ugly don’t easily become handsome! Especially the little dark ball."

From his side, where he was reading and practicing calligraphy, Jun Yu couldn’t help but interject, "Sis, the books say we shouldn’t judge people by appearances. Just accept it, okay?"

Qiong Hua: "Speaking of which, due to the epidemic, the National Guardian General hasn’t had the chance to throw a banquet for his son’s first month. Now with the epidemic over, he’s planning to make it up with a lively banquet a month from now to ward off the gloomy atmosphere left by the epidemic."

Qiong Hua marveled sincerely, "It’s said he’s planning a three-day and three-night feast with three hundred tables each day, and everyone in the Imperial City who wants to can come and eat. Yi Yi, you must attend."

Jun Ning looked uninterested, "I won’t go."

"Please go? Hmm?" Qiong Hua urged, "When you go, you can see if your future Prince Consort is still ugly. If, after all this time, he’s still not good-looking, I promise to help you request the Emperor to annul the engagement."

Given the remarkable appearance of the National Guardian General and his wife, even if the child were initially darker, he couldn’t be that unattractive.

Qiong Hua was confident that after Jun Ning saw him again, she’d stop clamoring for an annulment and might even grow fond of him.

Jun Ning’s eyes brightened, "So, if at the banquet I see he’s still unattractive, you’ll help me annul the engagement?"

Qiong Hua nodded, "Certainly."

Jun Ning extended her pinky finger uneasily, "A pinky promise for a hundred years, no changes allowed."

Qiong Hua made the pinky promise with Jun Ning, assuring her commitment.

In the following days, with anticipation for her little husband’s delayed first-month banquet, suddenly, an unexpected guest requested to see Jun Ning, also wanting to have a contest with her.