Chang Le entered through the side door, surrounded by a retinue of palace attendants, and ascended the hall to bow before the Emperor and Empress.
The doting expressions on the faces of the imperial couple were unmistakable, with the Emperor even laughing as he said, "Our child comes of age today. Whatever request you have, speak it freely."
Chang Le first expressed her gratitude for the ceremony, then thanked her parents for their care and upbringing, before finally murmuring in a low voice, "Your child wishes to ask Your Majesties for a marriage arrangement."
What was bound to come had finally arrived.
Li Shaoling felt a pang of melancholy.
"Do you regret meeting her?" He Jianghe, standing beside him, suddenly asked in a quiet voice.
Did he regret it? Had he not met her, his future would still be bright, his official career still ahead, his prospects still full of possibilities. But meeting her had set everything in stone, leaving him no room to struggle.
Li Shaoling thought perhaps he did regret it, but what could be done now?
Noticing his expression, He Jianghe's eyes held a touch more mockery. "Quite the predicament for a mentor."
To Li Shaoling, Chang Le seemed like an unavoidable burden he had to bear. But to him, Chang Le was an adorable young girl, a diligent and earnest classmate, a remarkably talented rival.
He Jianghe turned his gaze toward the front of the hall.
Chang Le took a deep breath. The ministers behind her couldn't see her face, but Mingyi, seated above, could see her daughter's reddened eyes. "Your child humbly requests Your Majesties to arrange a marriage between me and He Jianghe, the eldest son of the He family. From this day forth, we shall stay together until our hair turns white."
Li Shaoling's heart, which had been suspended in anticipation, suddenly plummeted.
He felt as though he must have misheard. The He family's eldest son? Shouldn't it have been him? Had Chang Le misspoken? How could she have gotten it wrong?
Anxiously, he looked toward the Emperor. Unexpectedly, the Emperor neither glared at him nor paid him any mind, as if Chang Le's choice was someone he had long accepted. The Emperor immediately called out, "Is the He family's eldest son present?"
He Jianghe stepped forward and knelt on one knee, declaring loudly, "Jianghe greets Your Majesty and Her Majesty!"
His voice was so booming that it startled Chang Le's nearly spilled tears back into her eyes. She couldn't help but shoot him a glare.
He only grinned. "If Your Majesty wishes to ask whether I am willing, there's no need. I am willing—a hundred times, a thousand times willing!"
The entire hall of civil and military officials burst into laughter at his words. Chang Le, her face flushed, snapped in annoyance, "Lower your voice."
"Why should I, when I'm marrying such a wonderful girl?" He Jianghe's smile was bright and unrestrained. "You have no idea—during our time in the Academicians' Court, every time we competed, my mind was filled with thoughts of you."
Well, of course. The Academicians' Court's competitions were mixed-gender free-for-alls, and in their year, only she and he possessed the Crimson Meridians. His only rival was her, so naturally, his mind was preoccupied with how to best her.
But saying such things here inevitably invited teasing.
Since it was her birthday banquet, the officials weren't wearing court robes, nor were they bound by strict decorum, so everyone was relaxed. The moment his words fell, the crowd behind them erupted in applause and cheers, leaving her gritting her teeth in embarrassment.
Mingyi studied He Jianghe and her daughter for a moment before saying softly, "I've said before that your marriage is yours to decide. Now that you've found someone you love, I have no reason to stand in your way."
With that, she ordered the drafting of the marriage decree.
Chang Le exhaled in relief and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Father and Mother."
He Jianghe, still grinning, followed suit with a bow of his own.The resounding cheers in the hall made this corner seem exceptionally quiet. Li Shaoling stood stiffly with pursed lips, his initial confusion turning into overwhelming anger.
The person she wanted to marry wasn't him.
If it wasn't him, why toy with him? All that talk of affection and heart-fluttering moments had kept him living in fear and anxiety for over a year.
What kind of joke was this?
Unable to bear staying another moment, Li Shaoling left through the side door without looking back.
Chang Le seemed to sense the disturbance in the corner and began to turn her head, but He Jianghe caught the movement from the corner of his eye and gently pulled her back.
"I made a few dishes for you myself. Why don't you try to find them?"
Chang Le snapped out of her distraction, realizing her impropriety, and forced a smile before moving to the table to look.
He Jianghe glanced in the direction Li Shaoling had left and gave a derisive chuckle.
Li Shaoling went to Flower Full Tower. As soon as he entered, Hua Qing asked, "My lord, are you unhappy?"
"Of course not." He sat down and grabbed the wine jug from the table. "I've kept my official position and gained my freedom. Everything's going well—why wouldn't I be happy?"
Hua Qing frowned and sat beside him. She wanted to ask about Chang Le's birthday banquet that day but hesitated at his expression. Tentatively, she asked, "What do you mean by keeping your position?"
"If I don't become the consort, I keep my position. Isn't that obvious?" He laughed, glancing at the shallow wine cup before tossing it aside in disdain. Instead, he uncorked the jug and drank directly from it.
Startled by his manner, Hua Qing quickly asked, "Didn't you not want to be the consort? This is what you wanted—why are you drinking like this?"
"Yes, exactly what I wanted." He swallowed another mouthful and continued drinking.
Hua Qing thought carefully, her eyes brightening. "Since you won't be the consort, my lord's future is bright. You can redeem me, and we can live together in harmony—"
"What are you thinking?" He finished the wine and looked at her, his mockery undisguised. "Choosing you? I might as well have chosen Chang Le."
Hua Qing paled. "What do you mean by that?"
"You have other patrons besides me. You've asked others to redeem you too. How dare you act like I've wronged you?" He scoffed. "Just drink. Don't overthink it."
Her face turned from pale to green to purple. Hua Qing snorted and leaned back, dropping all pretense. "Choosing Chang Le over me? As if you had the choice. Coming here to drink so miserably today—most likely the princess didn't ask for you in her marriage petition. Of course, how could someone of your humble background ever be worthy of a princess?"
Li Shaoling slammed the empty jug onto the floor and said coldly, "Get out. Bring more wine."
Hua Qing pursed her lips and reluctantly stood, muttering as she left, "The princess was being kind, giving you the career you wanted. Still not satisfied—so hard to please."
"Get out!"
The door closed, leaving silence. Li Shaoling sat dazed, finally realizing what He Jianghe had meant by "doing him a favor."
Chang Le had once asked him what he would choose between his career and her.
At the time, he'd been furious because he'd had no choice at all, even snapping at her in frustration. He hadn't realized then that she had truly placed the power of choice in his hands.
This had been his own decision.The alcohol was getting to him, leaving a bitter taste in his chest. Gripping the edge of the table, Li Shaoling thought, She'll regret it. Marrying someone she doesn't love and forcing herself to live like that won't bring her happiness. Sooner or later, she'll come back to me, begging me to return to her side!
OpenNovel