Chapter 469: This King Wants To Refuse Marriage

「 In the birdcage in front of the veranda, a gorgeous parrot was jumping on the perch, pecking at the food placed on the side from time to time. Suddenly, it heard a sound, turned its head to listen, and then excitedly flew back and forth in the cage, screaming strangely: “The Prince is here, quick, the Prince is here, dog servant, why aren’t you here to serve the Prince?”

」 At the corner of the veranda, Ao Chenyi, who was handsome but exuded an eerie chill, turned around with several people. Hearing the parrot’s call under the veranda, he stopped his footsteps with his hands behind his back, and turned around leisurely.

『 “Your Highness, Your Highness!” The parrot fawningly turned towards Ao Chenyi, and it wasn’t the least bit afraid of this chilling Prince Yi, screaming again, “Dog servant, why aren’t you coming over to serve Your Highness?”

』 “This parrot is rather bold.” Ao Chenyi showed a wicked smile on his face, the corners of his crimson mouth hooked up, and he reached out and teased it twice. The parrot in the cage became even more excited, flapping its wings and flying in the cage.

【 “Your Highness, this parrot was fed by Your Highness, so it always remembers Your Highness’s kindness!” Eunuch Ling, the chief of the inner courtyard, retreated behind Ao Chenyi and smiled.

】 “Fed it, but it doesn’t necessarily remember this King’s kindness.” Ao Chenyi said with a slight smile, “How is the matter over there progressing?”

】 “Rest assured, Your Highness, that person has been handled.” Yu Jian answered behind him.

（ “The matter of the Ministry of War, don’t worry about it for now, how is the situation in the palace?” Ao Chenyi chuckled, his clear voice sounding extremely gloomy cold.

） “I heard that something happened at Duke’s Mansion, and the Emperor ate another bowl of rice that day, and went to Noble Consort Ya’s palace in the evening.” Eunuch Ling answered euphemistically.

《 “It seems that my Imperial Brother is very satisfied that I’m about to marry such a Concubine.” Ao Chenyi said with a faint tone, the corners of his crimson mouth curved, revealing a slight and sharp smile. He reached out and teased the gorgeous parrot in the cage again, teasing that the parrot was excitedly flying around and kept yelling, “Your Highness, Your Highness.”

《 “Does Your Highness want to go to the palace and talk to the Emperor about this matter?” Eunuch Ling asked with a smile. The matter at Duke’s Mansion was really making people speechless. Of course, this time, the ones who lost face along with Duke’s Mansion were the Xia Mansion, and the one who had the problem this time was Minister Xia’s daughter-in-law, that is, the Eldest Young Lady of Duke’s Mansion.

> She was unexpectedly caught in the temple with someone, and moreover, it was a local ruffian who was nothing. The few ladies who heard this at the time all said that they had never seen such a shameless pair, and moreover, the Second Miss of Duke’s Mansion, and Concubine Xia of Xia Mansion, who had been in scandals before, even coerced her own younger sister to kneel and do a blood test before her legal mother’s spirit.

> Extremely arrogant, extremely shameless, and even aroused public indignation.

> “This King will of course go and express it, so that my Imperial Brother won’t be in too good a mood.” Ao Chenyi raised his eyebrows, and suddenly chuckled meaningfully. That handsome face instantly made people feel an eerie chill.

> “Did Your Highness also mention the matter of the Third Prince?” Eunuch Ling reminded, Your Highness slapped the Third Prince, even though the Third Prince himself was of bad character, but being slapped by Ao Chenyi like that, it’s not quite right, no matter what, that’s also the Emperor’s most beloved son.

> Ao Chenyi flicked his fingers on the birdcage, the birdcage shook, and the parrot inside screamed even more, “Your Highness, Your Highness, come and serve Your Highness!”

> “Say, of course I have to say, this King can’t just marry a Concubine who has been holding this King back.”

> “What does Your Highness mean?” Looking at Ao Chenyi’s high and handsome eyebrows, Eunuch Ling felt that it didn’t seem like he was complaining at all, and couldn’t help but ask.

> “This King wants to refuse marriage!” Ao Chenyi suddenly chuckled meaningfully, “Since this marriage is not satisfactory, and Ao Mingyu is involved in it, this King can always refuse marriage, right!”

> Eunuch Ling and Yu Jian were speechless for a moment, Your Highness, you’re too happy about refusing marriage! Those who know understand that you’re going to confront the Emperor, those who don’t would think you’ve had some great joy, no matter how you look at it, you’re triumphant!

> To go to the palace to refuse marriage, and also know that it cannot be successful, what’s there to be proud of? The Emperor’s imperial edict has been issued, and his words are law. The whole world knows about the marriage, how could it be changed? Moreover, the Third Prince is also involved, if the world knows that the Third Prince teased his own sister-in-law who is not yet married, then his reputation will be completely ruined.

> Even if the Emperor is for the Third Prince’s reputation, he cannot agree to this matter, moreover, it is a done deal that the Third Prince will marry that Third Young Lady, if Your Highness doesn’t marry the Fifth Miss, then the troubles of Duke’s Mansion will all fall on the Third Prince, so the Emperor will not agree to this matter under any circumstances.

> “Your Highness, Madam Ming, the birth mother of Fifth Miss Ning, seems to have some relationship with the previous dynasty, Your Highness, don’t you consider it more?” Eunuch Ling had watched Ao Chenyi grow up, and he couldn’t help but remind him. The topic of the previous dynasty is a taboo in this dynasty, and everyone cares about some things, but they are not discussed openly.

> The water inside is always very deep, and Eunuch Ling’s words are also well-intentioned, fearing that Ao Chenyi would accidentally fall into the Emperor’s trap. Thinking of this, Eunuch Ling felt indignant. This King’s identity as the Imperial Younger Brother was originally decided by the former Emperor’s edict, and it was placed together with the Emperor’s decree of succession.

> At that time, so many ministers, under public testimony, everyone knew it was true.

> But now the Emperor has ascended the throne, and this King’s identity as the Imperial Younger Brother has been intentionally or unintentionally blurred by the Emperor, as if Your Highness is only the former Emperor’s Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Yi, and not the Imperial Younger Brother who is to inherit the state, and the first person who will be high above in the future.

> “What about the previous dynasty or not, the person this King has confirmed, even if she is a princess of the previous dynasty, so what!” Ao Chenyi’s exquisite phoenix eyes raised, and his cold and ruthless tone carried an overbearing and arrogant tone that could not be questioned.

> The matter of Ning Ziyan was discovered in Hanshan Temple, because there were many people who saw it, and there was also that scroll of painting as proof. Everyone confirmed that Ning Ziyan and someone were having a secret meeting, and her bad luck was that she was discovered. Then, Ning Yuling’s behavior further showed everyone what it means to be shameless and arrogant.

> Ning Xueyan fainted, and was forcibly taken to Ming Residence to recuperate by Ming Yuanhua. The Old Madam originally did not allow it, but because of the incident of Ning Ziyan, it was chaotic and extremely busy, and she did not keep an eye on Ning Xueyan. When she found out that Ning Xueyan was missing, Ning Xueyan had already arrived at Ming Residence.

> She just coerced Ning Xueyan to do a blood test before Madam Ming’s spirit. Now the Old Madam really didn’t dare to go directly to Ming Residence and ask them to send Ning Xueyan back to Duke’s Mansion. This matter made the Old Madam bear the reputation of being unfilial, and if she continued to coerce like this, it’s really possible that she would make Ning Xueyan angry.

> If it were before, the Old Madam would not have cared whether Ning Xueyan was there or not, but now, only Ning Qingshan and Ning Xueyan could be relied on in the Duke’s Mansion, and the Old Madam felt that Prince Yi seemed to value Ning Xueyan more. At this time, of course, she did not dare to coerce Ning Xueyan too much. Although it was not in accordance with etiquette, it was still Ning Xueyan’s maternal family, and it was okay to stay there for a while.

> The Old Madam couldn’t bear to stay in Hanshan Temple anymore, she roughly packed some things and went down the mountain that day, and returned to Duke’s Mansion. As for Ning Ziyan’s sisters, the Old Madam didn’t want to manage them either, so when Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling chased after her and wanted to follow her into Duke’s Mansion, they were rejected by the Old Madam.

> A daughter who is married off is like water poured out. The Old Madam now really wants to choke them both to death. One scandal is not enough, and then another scandal is to be caused. The Old Madam has also understood this time that the reputation of these two granddaughters is truly ruined, and they are no longer of any use. Of course, she will not give them any face. It is said that Ning Huaiyuan secretly let them in, and sent someone to directly drive them out.

> Ning Ziyan and Ning Yuling couldn’t imagine that the Old Madam would be so heartless. They originally wanted to use the face of the Duke’s Mansion to suppress this matter, but now it’s obvious that the Old Madam didn’t want to take care of them. Helplessly, they had to go back to Xia Mansion in a state of shame. As soon as they arrived at Xia Mansion, they were called to Madam Xia’s courtyard by an old woman.

> In front of the servants in the courtyard, they were severely scolded, and they were made to kneel in the courtyard as punishment. They knelt until they fainted. The next day, Madam Xia went to Duke’s Mansion to request to see the Old Madam, and after talking with the Old Madam in Xiangfu Garden for a while, she returned to the mansion and had Ning Ziyan move from her original courtyard to Ning Yuling’s courtyard to live together.

> Wife becomes concubine, it’s actually very simple. It’s just that when they got married, it coincided with the funeral of the current Duke’s Mansion’s legal wife, and it wasn’t considered valid, and moreover, she was a concubine-born daughter, how could she be worthy of the status of a legal wife? No one from the Duke’s Mansion came out to say anything, and this matter was considered to have been agreed upon by both mansions.

> The legal wife’s secret meeting with someone, and the concubine’s secret meeting with someone, are completely two different concepts. Moreover, Xia Mansion did not take Ning Ziyan’s life, and the Old Madam originally didn’t want to take care of the two of them. Whatever Madam Xia said, that was it, she spared Ning Ziyan’s life, so that at least the two mansions could get along on the surface.

> As for whether she is the legal wife, in the Old Madam’s opinion, since Ning Yuling is already a concubine, adding another Ning Ziyan is nothing.

> It’s just that Ning Ziyan herself didn’t know how to cherish herself, and she rolled around with a local ruffian, and moreover, she was discovered, don’t blame others.

> Duke’s Mansion didn’t say anything, and others naturally wouldn’t care. Based on the previous explanation, this matter can be considered to have passed, so Ning Ziyan’s wife’s position was considered to have been vacated.

> Knowing that she had changed from a wife to a concubine, Ning Ziyan fainted again after waking up from the news. After waking up again, she cried and begged Xia Yuhang outside the study, but no matter how she cried and was sad, the door of the study never opened, and Xia Yuhang inside seemed to have not seen the scene of Ning Ziyan crying her heart out at all.

> In the end, it was Concubine Chen, who was enthusiastic, who helped Ning Ziyan tidy up some clothes, and helped her move out of the main courtyard where she had lived for not long.

> Then, she was married in splendor, with a red dowry, a triumphant husband, and a happy marriage. For this, she even killed Ning Ziying. In the end, she found out that it was all an empty dream. She schemed in a thousand ways and planned in ten thousand ways, but in the end, she only got the status of a concubine.

> When the news reached Ming Residence, Ning Xueyan smiled sweetly, as bright as spring flowers, and bent down, getting into a sedan chair.

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