Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Emperor issued an imperial decree for a marriage, specifically naming a daughter of the Zhao family to wed Prince Li.

Prince Li was the Emperor’s fifth son, naturally possessing a noble status, but he was said to be cursed-a wife-killer. Of his two previous Princess Consorts, one died suddenly before the wedding, and the other perished on the very night of their marriage.

Furthermore, he had gone to the borderlands in his teens. Over the years, he had achieved many military feats, but his hands were also stained with much blood. He had earned a reputation fearsome enough to make a crying child fall silent.

Such a man could hardly be considered a good match.

The reason the Emperor had singled out a daughter of the Zhao family was that I had originally been the only unmarried daughter in Ningguo Mansion. But that was no longer the case; I was merely an impostor.

Yet, even so, this presented a difficult dilemma.

After all, in the eyes of outsiders, the person the Emperor had chosen was me. Mu He had only recently returned and her presence hadn’t been publicly announced, so others naturally didn’t know about her. If we spoke up now, it would look like a scheme we had intentionally devised to dodge the decree.

For a moment, no one knew what to do.

This marriage would fall to either me or Mu He.

Thus, when Mu He and I went to pay our respects, we heard our parents discussing the matter before we even entered. In a sense, I was actually happy.

Prince Li was not a good match, and the reason my parents were arguing was out of heartache for both me and Mu He, rather than simply pushing me forward as a sacrifice. For me, that was enough.

So, I pulled Mu He inside and told my parents, “I will marry him.”

Everyone was stunned. Father was the first to react, asking me, “Ah Rou, what are you saying?”

“Ah Rou, Mother can’t bear to let you go. That man… he isn’t exactly a…” Mother’s voice trailed off.

“Sister?” Mu He was still naive, not yet understanding the gravity of this marriage.

“After all, when His Majesty issued the decree, the intended candidate must have been me.”

I had enjoyed sixteen years of Mu He’s wealth and comfort; now, this marriage could be considered my way of repaying her with a peaceful future for the rest of her life.

Besides, it could be seen as me marrying above my station. My two older cousins hadn’t even been able to marry into the imperial family. For a commoner like me to marry royalty now was nothing short of ascending to the heavens in a single bound.

No matter how much my parents couldn’t bear it, someone had to step forward.

The wedding date was set quite soon. Ever since I agreed to the marriage, the family’s attention seemed to shift back to me. Mother spent every day rushing to prepare my dowry. I saw the inventory list; it spanned several pages and was even more substantial than what my cousins received when they married.

“Leave some for Ah He,” I said, looking at Mu He beside me.

“There’s no rush for hers. Your father and I want to keep her home for a few more years,” Mother said, patting my hand.

“But…” I hesitated. She was the same age as me; wouldn’t she be considered old if she stayed for several more years?

Mother saw through my thoughts and said, “She is different from you. We only hope she marries into an ordinary family where the household can support her and she can live happily.”

Mu He nodded from the side. “Yes, Mother says the rules in great noble families are too strict. I’m not as clever as Sister, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to learn them.”

“Ah Rou, if it weren’t for the Emperor’s decree, your father and I would have wished for you to live a safe and peaceful life as well.”

I felt my eyes grow moist. It turned out I had been oversensitive; even though Mu He had returned, my parents still treated me well. It was just a pity that fate was so unpredictable.