Where prosperity ends, flowers never end

Chapter 247 The Emperor's Hint

Outside the pavilion, the snow was falling lightly. Sun Long sent the news that Ran Qianxi was ill back to the palace. Before they finished their barbecue, Baili Yong appeared outside the gate.

"Your Majesty is here!"

Hearing the message, Ran Qianxi's hands trembled, and the barbecue disappeared in an instant before she could even reach her mouth. She immediately became anxious, and Hong Fan and the others also became panicked.

Ran Qianxi hurried back to the room. When Baili Yong entered the room, he saw the mess in the pavilion, and the wine in front of the empty seat was still steaming...

"How dare you bully me!"

Wei Zhong, Lu Weien and Hong Fan were stunned for a moment, then dragged their stiff bodies to kneel on the ground.

"I, your humble servant, pay my respects to His Majesty."

Baili Yong paid no attention to the three people kneeling on the ground. He glanced at them and walked straight towards the main room.

Ran Qianxi trembled slightly under the quilt. Listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer, she pretended to cough a few times.

"Ahem... Your Majesty, please stop. I am seriously ill and I am afraid that my illness will be passed on to the emperor."

Baili Yong did not stop, but slowly approached the bed and tentatively stretched out his long, bony fingers and placed them on her forehead.

"Are you caught a cold?"

In just a moment, Ran Qianxi quickly held his hand, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward because her guilty expression was a little too obvious.

"Yes, yes, if I pass my illness on to the emperor, I will be blamed for it."

Hearing her pretending to be weak voice, Baili Yong smiled gently. Even though she was pretending to be sick, her whole body was shrouded in a layer of gentleness.

"I am the emperor, I don't care about a little cold."

"No, Your Majesty, you have to take care of it. Being sick is too uncomfortable. You should go back quickly. I will be well next year."

Baili Yong smiled softly and said, "Oh? My beloved concubine or a miracle doctor?"

"That's not the case. When the weather warms up in the spring, your illness will naturally heal."

The atmosphere continued to be silent, and thinking about next spring, Baili Yong had to ask about the marriage contract that was rumored throughout the capital.

"You will marry him then?"

Hearing the unexpected question, Ran Qianxi quickly turned around and sat up, having forgotten that she was pretending to be sick.

"Who to marry?"

"Li Zhengzhong."

Only then did she remember that she was already officially engaged, but when she mentioned her fiancé, he showed no anticipation or happiness, and he didn't even bother to show any expression.

"I...yeah, it's not bad to marry a poet..."

"So you love him?"

The sharp question pierced her heart and she frowned unconsciously.

"My parents like it."

Baili Yong felt extremely distressed when he saw her forcing a smile.

"I ask you if you love him?"

"I……"

She suddenly became hesitant, and even though she accepted the marriage proposal, she still couldn't say anything against her will.

"Haha, it doesn't matter who you marry, it's just a matter of living together. I have money and he has face, that's all."

Baili Yong stood up excitedly, but he was very scared that his beloved woman would marry someone else.

"How can it be the same? If you marry me, you will be second to none. What's the point of marrying a scholar? What power or treasure can he give you?"

"Well... maybe if I marry him I'll have a chance to make a new choice..."

Hearing her complicated tone, the man in front of her suddenly had red eyes. His nose felt sore and tears fell directly. No matter how many lives he had, he always loved to cry.

"What ending do you want to choose? I can help you. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer and a completely different life."

Hearing such extremely strange words, it was hard for her not to stop suddenly.

"I…"

She didn't know why Baili Yong's words seemed so familiar, like the promise he made to Tan Qianhuan.

Baili Yong: "Believe me, as long as you enter the palace, I will turn a deaf ear to the three thousand beauties. If you are still dissatisfied, I will drive them all out of the palace and never see them again in life or death."

"Also, don't you want to be a concubine? I will make you the Queen of the West Palace. From now on, Xie Jun will be just a subject."

Her rising status almost wavered. If she had not provoked Tan Qianhuan from the beginning, she would have been the happiest woman in the world under his protection.

"Oh, there is no precedent for Dachang having two queens in its one hundred years of existence."

"Just because it didn't happen in the previous dynasty doesn't mean it can't happen during my reign."

Ran Qianxi's eyes froze in an instant, because every word he said came from the bottom of his heart.

After looking at her absent-mindedly and affectionately for a moment, Baili Yong loosened his clenched hands.

"Ran Qing will return to the court in five days. By then, I will have an imperial decree to reward you. Please consider it carefully."

After he finished speaking, he disappeared into the room.

Moon-catching Tower

Ran Qianxi had a worried look on her face, and Qian Jingyang, Shang Zilai, Xiahou Chen, and Bai Wenxiao were also equally listless.

"Master Xi, why do you look like your husband is dead..."

Ran Qianxi looked up at the talkative Qian Jingyang and ignored him, and Shang Zilai also began to worry.

"But what difficulties have you encountered?"

"Ugh!"

She let out a long sigh, and Xiahou Chen uttered an impatient "ouch".

"Oh, come on, you're right. It's not even close to making any sense."

Bai Wenxiao's warning gaze instantly fell on him, and he immediately shut his mouth as he was about to make a fuss.

Bai Wenxiao: "Cousin, you must be worried about your marriage, right?"

"correct."

Bai Wenxiao smiled faintly, rolled up his sleeves and started peeling shrimps for her.

"You have love in your heart but it's not for the Li family?"

"I have no love..."

"How could that be? I think the King of Jibei is the one you hold in your heart."

Ran Qianxi's eyes widened immediately and asked: "What did you say? Are you drunk?"

Bai Wenxiao smiled faintly and peeled the first shrimp.

"Your Majesty and the King of Jibei are more different?"

Ran Qianxi took the shrimp and said with a disdainful smile: "You said I was so fickle, how could my heart hold two people at once?"

She confessed without asking and easily made Bai Wenxiao laugh.

"Really? I didn't say you have two people in your heart..."

Ran Qianxi paused, and the shrimp in her hand suddenly lost its fragrance.

"Then...then...did I say that?"

Bai Wenxiao smiled lightly and started peeling it for Xiahou Chen again.

"Although you didn't say it, it's true. As long as His Majesty summons you, you will go no matter what. Whenever the King of Jibei is mentioned, you are always so excited, no matter what the reason is."

Ran Qianxi raised her head and glanced at Xiahou Chen, asking for information: "Really?"

Xiahou Chen: "Anyway, it's not fake."

"Tsk, that's because they are powerful. I am just a commoner and I certainly can't do anything rash."

Seeing her being stubborn, Bai Wenxiao shook his head impatiently, and Xiahou Chen immediately pointed out the problem.

"You don't like Li Dajia enough because you have too many lovers. So, tomorrow I will drive the three people from Happy Residence away and let him move in. I guarantee you will fall in love with him in the long run."

Qian Jingyang looked at Xiahou Chen and said, "Yes, yes, yes. And that Shu Xiaojunhou, what's his eldest brother's name? Drive them all away."

"Tsk, what does it have to do with my senior brother?"

"Hey! Why not? That night I went to your private room to look for you. Who was lying on the bed?"

Ran Qianxi's true colors were exposed by him, and she was so angry that she threw a pastry at him.

"Didn't I drink too much that day?"

Qian Jingyang covered his lips as if he had heard a joke.

"Wow, can you still drink too much? You always order a few male prostitutes and they get drunk by you? And you're even pretending to be here."

Ran Qianxi covered her forehead with her hands in shame. It had been less than three days since she coaxed the other person into giving herself to her.

Ji Wanzhi's flowing white robe makes him look like an immortal king descended from the nine heavens. Every turn he makes can purify his eyes and soul. His every frown and movement is fashionable, especially when he draws his sword and looks back, which brings warmth amid the flying snow.

Every time he was seen practicing sword, he looked infatuated, which forced Shu Han to ignore him for several days and forced Bai Sang to return to Taihang Mountains in anger.