There was a luxurious stadium within the Chu Villa, and a huge stable that housed famous horses. It was rumored that this was one of Emperor QiLingâs favorite place in this country, and that he would always visit the Chu Villa whenever heâs out of the palace.
âWhose that?â Yan Luan pointed subtly at the man who was riding next to Emperor QiLing. He was a young handsome man and he was dressed in a light green gown.
âThatâs the eldest young master from the prime ministerâs house, his name is Wang NingZhi, but you better stay away from him, I have a feeling that heâs not a good guy because his eyes are dark and somewhat dangerous.â
Prime Minister Wangâs eldest son? But it makes sense, because the court is mostly under Queen Dowagerâs palms, and itâs rumored that Prime Minister Wang is her ally. Furthermore, Wang NingZhi himself was a part of the court, and with his talents and looks, Yan Jing was probably the only rival he had.
âWhy did he come?â
According to the history, Emperor QiLing hated the House Wang with a vengeance, as they had his father when he was just a young boy and turning him into a puppet emperor. He was after all in his rebellious stage now, and after being controlled by House Wang and the Queen Dowager, how could he accept hanging out with a child from House Wang?
âCheh, itâs all because of Chu YunShang! She had refused Chu MiaoZhiâs initial plan of making her queen while claiming that sheâs in love with Wang NingZhi. The old hag mustâve been really fond of her because she agreed to it.â
âI see.â
The weather was extremely hot, and Yan Luan was enjoying her sour plum soup while fanning herself with an exquisite fan as she pondered about the current affairs. The Queen Dowager Chu wanted Chu YunShang to marry the emperor and become queen so that their familyâs position will be stabilized and empowered, so it mustâve been shocking to know that she herself had refused the idea.
âHmph, itâs good that she backed off, I wouldâve found ways to kick her out of the competition if she dared to block my way to glory.â Jiang FuYuan clenched her hands into fists as she made pretense punches in the air.
âYouâre seriously aiming for that position? Did you turn a blind ear to my words from before?â Yan Luan exclaimed in shock, Emperor QiLing is destined to die young, hence it is not a good idea to marry him.
Come to think of it, did Chu YunShang really gave up on being the Emperorâs Queen due to true love? Or was it due to something elseâŚ
âIâm serious, this is the first time in my life that Iâve fallen head over heels with a man. You wonât understand how my heart skipped whenever he smiled at me⌠I must marry him!â
The original Jiang FuYuan had always been an elegant and careful woman, but ever since her body had been taken over by Jiang ShaSha, her calm demeanor had been highlighted by a fiery personality, bringing life to everyone around her.
âYou should reconsider, the history cannot be changed after all, he will reallyâŚâ
Ever since she was bedded by both of her brothers, she had understood the rules clearly⌠Her attempt at changing history has instead, hastened the original timeline. It was likely that sheâll die young, and her brothers likewise, but she did not want to drag her best friend into all of this.
âDonât try to convince me any further, even if thatâs how itâll all end, I will still marry him nonetheless!â Jiang FuYuan giggled cheerfully, âFurthermore, the future king is your elder brother, you should just convince him to allow us to leave the country on a long trip, thatâll actually be really awesome!â
Yan Luan shook her head slightly, speechless at her best friendâs words, but there was nothing she could say since Jiang FuYuan had already made up her mind.
But still, she would still try as many times as possible, âThings arenât as simple as you think it is, I really wish you would think it through carefully.â
Theyâve been best friends for many years, and they had arrived into this unknown word together, and in order to survive together, they had to be careful and cautious with each action they takeâŚ
Even if Yan Jing would be the next emperor, the process would not be as quick and simple as the history books claimed, plus thereâs no saying that he would still be the elder brother she knew now, it could not be helped though, as men who became emperors and kings would always develop a certain personality.
The only thing that calmed her down right now is the fact that Yan Jing didnât seem to have thoughts of rebellingâŚ
When both women arrived at the stadium, they noticed a pair of familiar faces hidden within the huge crowd, one of it was the young master Chu Meng, while the other was the youngest princess from the North.
Jiang FuYuan tugged onto Yan Luanâs sleeves slightly, âSee that woman over there? I heard that the old hag Chu planned to have her married to that infamous Chu Pervert!â
Still in her countryâs gown, Princess Hanna stood right next to Emperor QiLing with an adorable expression on her face, while Chu Meng followed behind her like a bee to a flowwe, only to be ignored completely.
And almost instinctively, Yan Luan turned her gaze onto her dear sister, whose face had dropped gloomily after taking sight of Chu Meng, but narrowed instantly as her gaze landed sharply on Princess Hanna.
Her gaze was so poisonous that even her usual white lotus demeanor could not hide the sudden cruelty within her narrowed eyes, but apparently she had caught onto her rage and hid it professionally before anyone noticed.
Interesting.
âI noticed that the princess isnât really fond of Chu Meng, huh?â Yan Luan muttered nonchalantly, as her impression of this man was dirt low, and if it wasnât for that failed plan that Yan Fei had tried to setup, she wouldnât even had guessed that such a handsome and educated looking man could be so cruel.
âSo what if she doesnât like him? Iâve already reminded father to let the old hag Chu know about this, the next queen must be me, and if that old hag wished to receive Heng Guo Hongâs support, she would tread her steps carefully and remove all of these bugs from my future manâs side.â
Even in their past lives, Jiang ShaSha had been such a woman, even though she had dated plenty of men, she wasnât someone who would accept her men having another woman, but still, this was the first time she had seen her best friend treating a man with such dedication.
Yan Luan shook her head softly while her eyes flashed with pity for Princess Hanna. Heng Guo Gong held one part of the countryâs army, and if Chu MiaoZhi is as smart as they claimed, she would understand which side to take.
Allowing Jiang FuYuan to become the consort queen would bring more benefits to her than having Chu YunShang or Princess Hanna take the position. Furthermore, marrying the princess into House Chu would greatly strengthen their family strength, meanwhile sending Chu YunShang into House Wang would definitely shorten the unfamiliarity between both families.
It would make perfect sense for the Queen Dowager to pick this pathâŚ
âOn a side note, you should really keep note of using âold hag Chuâ as a nickname for her, sheâs a dangerous woman and you might be in danger if she ever found out.â
And as more guests arrived, all of the noble women proceeded to the changing rooms with Chu YunShang in the lead.
Yan Luan picked a green colored riding attire quickly as she instructed the handmaidens to remove the accessories on her hair, before standing outside the room to wait for her best friend.
But to her surprise, she met Yan Fei outside the room.
âHow have you been, little sister?â Yan Fei, who was in a noble attire with her hair tied up in a married womanâs hairstyle, curtsied towards Yan Luan elegantly before grinning at her little sister.
It was unladylike to be rude to a smiling person, but before Yan Luan could answer, something happened unexpectedly.
Translatorâs Note:
Sponsored chapter by Matthew ($3)! â¤ď¸Thanks so much for the support! (´â˝ď˝)