An Eight-year-old Princess novel Chapter 196

After returning to Qingxin Palace, Yun Shang, somehow, regretted consenting to the marriage in such a rush. What has become of me? Yun Shang wondered. She even picked an auspicious day, the sixth day of the following month. As today was already the sixth day of this month, the wedding was a month away.

"Your Highness, it is true that you are going to wed soon?" Qian Yin stared at Yun Shang as she could not believe that the Princess would soon marry. Although Prince Jing, who seemed to be a good husband in Qin Yin's opinion, had gotten along well with the Princess recently, their marriage was still beyond her expectation.

Yun Shang nodded slightly before letting out a sigh.

There was a trace of disapproval in Qin Yi's eyes as well. Instead of raising a question, Qin Yi quietly helped Yun Shang take off her robe. Then she took the teacup from a maid, put it in front of Yun Shang, and waited by the Princess's side.

Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi with an expression of helplessness. "Qin Yi, you also think that I should not marry in such a hurry, don't you?" However, she sighed before Qin Yi could respond. "But I have no choice, " the Princess said.

Yun Shang remembered her dying wish. All she wanted was the opportunity to take revenge on those who had wronged her in her previous life. If she didn't marry Prince Jing, most of the plots she had carefully planned would not bear fruit. Not only would her efforts be in vain, people would be suspicious of her. 'How reckless I have been. I had pretended to be ill for a long time, and had deceived everybody into believing in my meekness. But no matter what I have done in the past, I exposed myself in the end.' Yun Shang was so mad at herself that she blamed herself for her stupidity.

A bitter smile broke across Yun Shang's face. Maybe that was the consequence she deserved. Anyway, as a woman, she would eventually have to marry. It was lucky that Jingran was not the man she would wed in this new life. Her struggles would amount to something since she had gotten rid of Jingran.

Even so, she would never forgive Jingran. She could never forget how Jingran had killed Huan'er. He had thrown Huan'er from the window of the turret, which was so high that Huan'er must have felt a tremendous amount of pain.

Yun Shang felt as if her heart was being pricked by many needles whenever she thought of Huan'er's death.

"Your Highness, I have fetched your wedding robe. Lady Jin was so careful that she even prepared the groom's wedding robe in advance. Your wedding robe used to be Lady Jin's. She embroidered it when she was unmarried. She wished that she could have worn it at her wedding, but... it turned out useless afterward. Then Lady Jin made a groom's wedding robe. She said that the groom's wedding robe would be in need one day, no matter if she gave birth to a son or a daughter." Qin Yi was holding a scarlet wedding robe in her hands. She had carefully pulled it out from an antique wooden box. She said with a smile, "Lady Jin preserved the wedding robe well. It looks new even after so many years."

Yun Shang grinned. Her hand ran lightly up the phoenix pattern embroidered on the wedding robe. Then she said, "Mother is very good at embroidering. But I am clumsy. I only seem to entwine the silk threads in a mess well before I pick up a needle." Then she looked at the groom's wedding robe. Although less luxurious than hers, it was elegant. Many clouds had been embroidered with golden threads on the lower hem. It was to Lady Jin's credit that she could make an ordinary wedding robe look so simple yet distinguished.

"This robe... send it to Prince Jing's Mansion. His Majesty will send Lord Zheng to Prince Jing's Mansion to announce the Imperial Edict for our marriage no later than tomorrow. You should accompany Lord Zheng and give this robe to the Prince." Yun Shang let out another sigh before lying on the bench. While looking at her wedding robe, a bitter smile emerged on her lips. Maybe the Prince would grow disgusted with her before their marriage. After all, no one likes to wed against their will. Unhappy about the forced marriage, Prince Jing would, of course, grow resentful of His Majesty, and her, too.

"Yes. I will tell Lord Zheng about this, and ask him to inform me when he leaves so that I can go with him to Prince Jing's Mansion, " Qin Yi said gently.

Yun Shang closed her eyes after Qin Yi left. She fell asleep with the wedding robe in her arms.

Day had already broken when Yun Shang woke. There was only one lamp lit in the room. Its dim yellowish light, somehow, added to the warmth in the room. No sooner had Yun Shang moved than Qian Yin asked softly, "Are you awake, Your Highness?"

Yun Shang uttered a "hum" before closing her eyes again. Then she heard Qian Yin speak again, "Are you hungry, Your Highness? It is almost noon. As Your Highness missed breakfast, will you rise and eat now?"

Yun Shang nodded and opened her eyes. Qian Yin raised the door curtain to signal to the maids waiting outside. Then the maids entered. While some carried washing water and buckets to the bathroom, others put dishes with food on the table. Yun Shang took off the quilt and left the bed. She walked into the bathroom and finished washing. After dressing in the inner chamber, Yun Shang asked Qian Yin to comb her hair into a plain bun.

Although Qian Yin was busy instructing the various maids, she noticed that Yun Shang was looking around as if in search of somebody. Qian Yin guessed and smiled. "His Majesty issued the Imperial Edict for Your Highness's marriage not long ago. Lord Zheng has already left for Prince Jing's Mansion with the Imperial Edict. Qin Yi went to Prince Jing's Mansion as well, of course, with the groom's wedding robe."

The Imperial Edict for marriage? Yun Shang was taken by surprise before she recalled the events of the previous day. She nodded at Qian Yin and walked out of the inner chamber. The dishes had already been placed on the table. Yun Shang took her bowl and ate some food. Then she returned to the inner chamber.

"Your Highness, Ruyu is back..." Qian Yin walked nearer to Yun Shang, and whispered in front of her.

"Oh?" Yun Shang squinted as she tried to imagine what had become of Ruyu. From what she remembered, Ruyu had impersonated her and had been kidnapped as a result. Yun Shang's face darkened as soon as she thought of that vile girl. Although still a young girl, Ruyu was malicious as well as desperate.

Catching the Princess's unconcerned expression, Qian Yin continued murmuring, "Do you know, Your Highness, the circumstances of her return?"

"Oh? No. Tell me." Yun Shang asked peacefully, showing no sign of emotion on her face.

"My informant told me that Ruyu was thrown at the gates of Wen Mansion this morning. She was disheveled, and her clothes were torn apart. Many people saw how terrible she looked. Besides, a word was written on her forehead. You know what it was? Bitch." Although Qian Yin didn't see the scene with her own eyes, she could imagine Ruyu's embarrassing moment in her mind clearly. Qian Yin even burst into laughter at Ruyu's horrible experience. That bitch deserved all this because of what she had done to the Princess.

Yun Shang nodded. But she felt no delight in her heart, as she knew that Ruyu had returned alive only because she was not Princess Yun Shang. Had she been kidnapped by those evildoers, they would not have returned Yun Shang alive.

"Who brought her to Wen Mansion?" Yun Shang inquired softly.

Qian Yin checked her laughter and replied in a serious tone. "Wen Mansion is under our watch. The informant said it was a wagoner who seemed to be in his fifties. No one else. Ning Qian sent our guards to follow the wagoner, and then seized him. The wagoner said that he had been hired by a man who dressed like a servant. The man had paid him fifty taels of silver for this errand. The wagoner could not remember the appearance of the man. But he said that the man seemed to not be a local. Though the man spoke in an accent common to the Imperial City, it sounded very strange. The man must have learned the local accent to hide his true identity."

Yun Shang thought over all the details reported by Qian Yin. Then she asked again, "What about the Mount Kirin investigation? I ordered you to do it yesterday."

Qian Yin shook her head, "It was reported that our scouts had arrived at the village at the foot of Mount Kirin. Mount Kirin is shrouded in heavy fog. And in recent days, it has rained heavily around the mountain. Our people have to wait. But the letter from them says there are three other groups of people in the vicinity of Mount Kirin. They arrived recently, although at different times. It seems they came to Mount Kirin for the same purpose."

Three groups of people? Yun Shang pondered for a little while. She guessed that two of the groups might have been sent by Prince Jing and Emperor Ning respectively, as they were also curious about the matter of Mount Kirin. But who was it that sent the third group?

"Investigate who is behind these three groups." Yun Shang ordered with a frown.

Qian Yin nodded, and then continued, "Your Highness, Xia Houjing is said to be sick again. Several physicians were sent to treat him in his dwelling. We detained one of the physicians, and tried to acquire some information from him. But the physician was so scared that he passed out. As the physician has been unconscious since, we decided to send him back home. We were afraid that the physician's absence would arouse suspicion."

"Sick again?" Yun Shang sneered. It seemed that Xia Houjing was quite capable of controlling his physical condition. He could fall ill and recover as he liked. What a good time for him to be sick again!

"Pay attention to Xia Houjing and the people around him. If I'm right, Xia Houjing might sneak out dressed like someone else." Yun Shang ordered softly.

Qian Yin nodded as soon as Yun Shang finished speaking.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the room. Yun Shang listened and identified that the footsteps belonged to Qin Yi. It was indeed Qin Yi who raised the door curtain and stepped in. She said to Yun Shang with a smile as she walked toward the Princess, "Your Highness, I have handed over the wedding robe to Prince Jing in person."

Yun Shang nodded at Qin Yi after hearing her words. She could not help but imagine what would it be like when Prince Jing took the wedding robe from Qin Yi.

"Prince Jing said the wedding will be held on the sixth day of the next month. Although it is too soon, all preparations will be done to perfection. The Prince is planning on holding a wedding that Your Highness deserves. The Prince even decided to hold an Engagement Ceremony on the eighteenth day of this month. Now, Your Highness's Palace outside the Imperial Palace is under construction. The Prince said although Your Highness will spend most of your time with him in his mansion, the Princess's Palace should be decorated luxuriously as well. Prince Jing thanked Your Highness for the wedding robe, and gave a jade pendant as a gift in return. This is the jade pendant that he always carried with him since his birth. The Prince said that it would be the best gift he could present to Your Highness. He hopes that Your Highness will take good care of it."