CHAPTER 167: THE MARRIAGE
"Master… are you certain you do not wish to bring the Princess back?"
Lie Ying, the fierced guard—usually silent, always composed—could not hide the unease in his voice. His master knew the truth of the girl's identity. He knew that both she and the Third Prince had entered this marriage with motives far removed from affection. Why, then, did he not intervene?
"Yes."
The Northern Emperor's reply was quiet, solemn, and final.
It was not that he did not wish to take his daughter away.
It was that he dared not.
If he took Xin'er away now, Mu Wanging would lose the only reason she had endured all these years. If he removed their daughter from her side, she might very well collapse—perhaps even choose death.
He had seen her that day—broken, desperate, on the verge of doing something irrevocable. She had wanted him to take Xin'er and leave her behind to die. He could not allow that.
So he had remained still.
Silent.
Watching.
He knew the Emperor had arranged this marriage for his own purposes.
He knew Xin'er had agreed for hers.
Yet he made no move.
If Xin'er married Ye Lanjue, she would remain close to Mu Wanging. She would continue to be the reason Mu Wanging lived.
"Master… are you truly going to let the Princess marry the Third Prince Ye Lanjue?" Lie Ying pressed, unable to contain himself.
Ye Lanjue was clearly scheming. The misunderstanding from that day had been left deliberately unresolved. The Third Prince had not explained himself. He had allowed Xin'er to believe what she wished.
To plot against the Princess—no matter who it was—was unforgivable.
And once they married… would she be bullied?
The Northern Emperor cast him a single, sharp glance—one that pierced straight through him.
"Will my daughter be bullied so easily?"
The fierced guard faltered.
"His Highness clearly does not… truly like men," he muttered. "If they marry, he will certainly… touch the Princess."
He exhaled, though his worry remained. His master was far too calm. Xin'er was a girl—girls suffered losses in such matters. Why was the Northern Emperor not anxious?
"If Ye Lanjue truly dares to do that," the Northern Emperor said mildly, "his future days will not be pleasant."
He was not worried.
Firstly, this was Xin'er's choice. He would respect it, even if the situation was a tangled mess.
Secondly, though he had only been in the capital a short while and had barely met her, he believed in his daughter's strength. If she did not wish something, no one—not even Ye Lanjue—could force her.
Thirdly, if Ye Lanjue truly crossed that line, Xin'er's retaliation would make his life a misery. The Northern Emperor almost looked forward to the spectacle.
And lastly—though he would never admit it aloud—Ye Lanjue was, at the very least, barely qualified to be his son‑in‑law.
"But even if the Third Prince suffers," Lie Ying insisted, "will the Princess not suffer as well? That is what matters."
"Lie Ying," the Northern Emperor said dryly, "you should find a woman."
"Huh?"
The man blinked, utterly bewildered.
How had the conversation shifted from Xin'er's safety to him finding a woman?
He fell silent. His master had clearly decided not to interfere. No matter what he said, it would change nothing. He could only swallow his worry.
He did not understand.
The Princess harboured doubts about her own lineage—should she not be desperate to uncover the truth? Why was there no urgency, no spark of paternal instinct?
---
The Bride in Scarlet
In the Prime Minister's Estate, Tang Kexin had already donned the wedding dress sent by the Empress.
It was exquisite—embroidered with painstaking care, each thread shimmering like life itself. The Empress must have prepared it long ago. The thought warmed Tang Kexin's heart.
She was already beautiful.
But now, dressed as a bride, she was breathtaking.
"Miss… you are so beautiful," Dong'er whispered, eyes wide. "When the Third Prince sees you, he will be utterly enchanted…"
Her voice dimmed.
"It is a pity His Highness does not like women…"
Tang Kexin smiled faintly. Dong'er's worry was understandable.
"Miss," Dong'er said, her face falling, "you know… you know what he likes. Why did you still agree to marry him?"
If the young miss married like this, would she not become a widow in all but name? What a lonely fate for a woman.
Tang Kexin only smiled gently.
"Do not worry, Miss," Dong'er said firmly. "Dong'er will always stay by your side. I will never let anyone bully you."
Tang Kexin hesitated, then spoke softly.
"Dong'er… after I marry, you should enter the palace. Stay by the Empress's side."
Dong'er froze.
"Miss? Are you… sending Dong'er away? Why?"
Her eyes widened.
"Miss… do you have other plans?"
Tang Kexin nearly laughed.
This girl's imagination was too wild.
"No," she said patiently. "I simply do not trust the Empress's surroundings. I trust you. I want you to protect her. As for me—once I enter the Prince's Manor, even if His Highness and I are not truly husband and wife, he will not allow anyone to harm me."
Dong'er exhaled, relieved—but her reluctance remained.
"I understand," she said quietly.
---
The Groom Arrives
"Young Miss! Young Miss! The Third Prince has come to escort the bride—he is already at the gates!"
Tang Kexin smiled.
"He is early."
Even for a false marriage, appearances had to be maintained. And Ye Lanjue had always excelled at appearances.
"Xin'er, are you ready?"
The Prime Minister's wife entered, her eyes red from crying.
Tang Kexin's heart softened.
"Mother, I am ready."
"Come, let me send you out," the Prime Minister's wife said, forcing a smile.
But before they could step outside—
"Your Highness, why have you come in?!"
A maid's startled cry rang through the courtyard.
The groom was supposed to wait outside.
Why had the Third Prince entered the bride's private quarters?
Tang Kexin blinked, startled, and hurried out.
And there he was.
Ye Lanjue stood in the courtyard, walking toward her.
He lifted his gaze—
and the moment he saw her—
He stopped.
Breath caught.
Eyes widening ever so slightly.
For the first time, the Third Prince of the realm looked utterly, completely stunned.
————————————————————
CHAPTER 168: THE WEDDING CEREMONY
He had always known she was beautiful.
He had known it from the first moment he saw her.
But nothing—absolutely nothing—had prepared him for this.
As she stepped into view, adorned in the wedding robes the Empress had so painstakingly prepared, she seemed almost unreal. A vision descended from the heavens, untouched by dust, radiant in a way that stole breath and reason alike.
For a heartbeat, Ye Lanjue forgot how to breathe.
A fierce, primal urge surged through him—
to seize her, to kiss her senseless,
to claim her in every way a man could claim a woman.
His body tightened, his throat went dry, and heat coiled low in his chest.
Tang Kexin, meanwhile, felt distinctly uncomfortable beneath his gaze.
Why was he looking at her like that?
His eyes were far too intense, far too hungry—almost as though he wished to devour her whole.
If she did not know he liked men, she would have misunderstood entirely.
Even if the Third Prince wished to "eat" someone, it certainly would not be her. It would be Nangong Yi—or perhaps he was merely acting for appearances. After all, today was their wedding day. Perhaps he was simply playing his part.
Dong'er, watching from the side, blinked rapidly.
What was this?
Didn't His Highness like men?
Why was he staring at the young miss as though bewitched?
The Prime Minister's wife, however, felt a quiet surge of relief.
So the rumours were false.
The Third Prince did care for her Xin'er.
He had never looked at any woman before—yet now, he could not look away.
"Why did you come in?" Tang Kexin asked, her tone edged with suspicion. Even if he wished to act, barging into the bride's courtyard was excessive.
"To receive my bride," Ye Lanjue replied smoothly.
He stepped forward—and without warning, bent down and swept her into his arms.
Tang Kexin gasped.
"What are you doing? Put me down!"
But instinct made her arms loop around his shoulders, clinging to him so she would not fall.
"This king may carry his own bride to the bridal sedan," he murmured, looking down at her with a smile that was far too pleased.
Everyone around them froze.
Who said the Third Prince was cold and unromantic?
Who said he did not know how to treat a woman tenderly?
Dong'er stared, utterly bewildered.
What was happening?
"Actually," Tang Kexin muttered, "you don't need to act so much. As long as we marry, no one will doubt the matter between you and Mayor Nangong."
Ye Lanjue's eyes gleamed with amusement.
Let her misunderstand.
Let her believe whatever she wished.
Once the ceremony was over, he would show her—clearly, thoroughly—what kind of man he truly was.
"Since we are acting," he said lightly, "and since I have already carried you, should you not cooperate a little?"
Tang Kexin narrowed her eyes.
"How do we cooperate?"
"Hold my neck tightly," he said, voice dropping into a teasing drawl. "Or kiss me."
Tang Kexin stared at him.
"Is the Third Prince not averse to women?"
If he liked men, should he not recoil from her touch?
He had always ignored Feng Qingyan's attempts to seduce him.
Yet now he wanted her to hold him—and kiss him?
Ye Lanjue's brow twitched.
"Are we not acting?"
Tang Kexin sighed.
He was truly dedicated to this performance.
He must really like Nangong Yi if he was willing to endure this much for the sake of appearances.
She tightened her arms around his neck.
Ye Lanjue's smile deepened, satisfaction warming his eyes.
If only she were this obedient every day.
As for the kiss—
that could wait until the wedding night.
---
The Groom Who Would Not Wait Outside
When Ye Lanjue strode out of the courtyard with Tang Kexin in his arms, the entire Prime Minister's Estate fell into stunned silence.
The Third Prince did not merely escort his bride—
he claimed her.
He carried her straight to the bridal sedan, placing her inside with a care that made onlookers whisper in awe.
"His Highness is so gentle with Miss Tang…"
"So considerate… so romantic…"
"Miss Tang is blessed for three lifetimes to marry him."
Inside the sedan, Tang Kexin nearly choked.
Blessed?
If she had not been forced, she would never have married him.
Still—she reminded herself—this was a false marriage.
After the ceremony, Ye Lanjue would surely slip away to find Nangong Yi.
The thought made her lips curl faintly.
The Great Yuan Empire did not require brides to wear veils, so she could see clearly through the sedan's curtains. Crowds lined the streets, cheering loudly enough to shake the air.
Through the fluttering silk, she saw Ye Lanjue riding beside her sedan, tall and striking atop his horse. Even from a distance, she could see the smile on his face.
He looked… happy.
Of course he was.
From today onwards, he could be with the person he truly liked.
Tang Kexin studied him quietly.
He was handsome—absurdly so.
A man favoured by the heavens, flawless in every way.
It was a pity he liked men.
Then again, Nangong Yi was beautiful enough to rival any woman.
Her mind drifted—
to that scene she had witnessed.
From the looks of it, the Third Prince was the one attacking, and Nangong Yi was the one enduring.
She coughed lightly, cheeks warming.
She was about to marry the Third Prince.
Was it appropriate to be thinking about who was the attacker and who was the receiver?
Probably not.
But it had nothing to do with her.
---
Arrival at the Prince's Mansion
"We're here! The wedding procession has arrived! Fire the firecrackers!"
The cheers grew louder.
Tang Kexin peered through the curtain and saw the grand gates of the Third Prince's Mansion.
So soon.
She was truly about to marry Ye Lanjue.