It Was A Fake Marriage, But Jiu Qian Sui Took It Seriously - Chapter 48

Jun Mo Ran looked furious. He understood what Yun Sheng meant. The Emperor had always wanted to get rid of him but lacked the means to do so. If the Emperor found out he cared about Shen Qing Li, he would probably order her to marry Chen Dabao right away.

The Emperor liked seeing him unhappy.

“Hurry and eat. Thereafter, we’re heading back to the capital.”

The two rode quickly and reached Shengjing by nightfall.

Jun Mo Ran didn’t even enter his mansion. He ordered Yun Sheng to find Shen Qing Li and went straight to Prince An’s mansion.

Prince An was the son of Jun Mo Ran’s royal uncle, so he was his cousin. He was careful and never offended anyone. He had excellent relationships in the royal family and worked in the Clan Office, managing royal family matters.

Prince An was with a new concubine when a servant ran in to report.

“Your Highness, His Excellency, the Ninth Prince, is here. He wants to see you.”

Prince An quickly pushed the concubine away. He felt nervous because he didn’t usually talk to the Ninth Prince. Why would this dangerous man come at night?

He thought carefully—he had been behaving well lately. He couldn’t have done anything to offend him.

He calmed down and quickly dressed. Then he ran to the front hall.

“Your Excellency… May I ask why you have come so suddenly?  ” Prince An asked carefully, bowing.

Jun Mo Ran actually smiled a little. He reached out and helped Prince An up slightly. “Brother, please rise. I came to ask a favor, so I came without notice.”

He’s not here to punish me?

Prince An quietly sighed in relief. His smile became more natural.

“Whatever you needed, you could’ve just sent a message. There’s no need to come here in person.”

Jun Mo Ran hesitated for a moment, then smiled. “To tell you the truth, Brother, I met a woman while visiting Mount Shu.” We are already married. She asked me to return early and register her name in the Jade Butterfly to make it official.”

“You really agreed? Prince An was stunned”. This Ninth Prince was truly unusual. In the royal family, you couldn’t just marry anyone freely. The Jade Butterfly wasn’t something to use casually. The Emperor had to approve first.

“The Jade Butterfly is under my care, yes, but the Emperor must agree. I can’t add a name on my own. If you like her, just take her as a concubine.”

Jun Mo Ran’s face turned cold. He knew Prince An was trying to avoid responsibility and using the Emperor as an excuse. He said calmly, “Brother… I heard you recently took in a lady from a brothel. The Emperor doesn’t know yet, does he?”

A threat. A direct threat!

There was a ban on royal family members taking women from brothels. It was shameful. But as long as no one reported it, many royals did it secretly.

Jun Mo Ran was using this against him.

He was the Ninth Prince—how could his marriage be a joke? The princess of Jin State was still in Shengjing, waiting for the Emperor to arrange her marriage.

Prince An looked troubled. “It’s not that I don’t want to help… but your marriage, I really don’t dare get involved.”

“You just need to add her name to the Jade Butterfly. I’ll deal with the Emperor. If you offend him, you might have a few hard days. But if you offend me… think about how many lives you’ve got.”

Cold sweat dripped down Prince An’s face. The Ninth Prince was even more frightening than the Emperor. He had the power to back it up.

A servant brought the Jade Butterfly. Prince An opened it with shaking hands and asked carefully, “Whose name would you like me to add?”

“The only daughter of General Shen—Shen Qing Li.”

Prince An was so shocked upon hearing what Ninth Prince had said that he fell to his knees.

*****

Jun Mo Ran returned from Prince An’s mansion. As soon as he entered his room, a servant reported that Prince An had suddenly fallen ill and was bedridden. Prince An quietly sent the concubine away.

Jun Mo Ran just gave a light “Mm” and sat under the lamp, looking closely at a golden hairpin.

*****

Yong’an County:

Shen Qing Li and her mother travelled for three days and three nights before reaching Yong’an County. It was already quite far from Shengjing.

Her mother was exhausted, so she decided to rent a small house and rest for a few days.

Shen Qing Li had learned to disguise herself while in the military camp. Along the way, both she and Chunhua dressed as plain servant girls beside her mother.

After they settled in and tidied up, Tian Xing helped Madam Shen (her mother) to bed.

Shen Qing Li and Chunhua went out to buy things. As they walked through the streets, Shen Qing Li felt more and more uneasy.

She kept feeling like someone was watching her, but no matter how much she looked around, she couldn’t find anything unusual.

They shopped the whole morning. Finally, they entered a pastry shop and planned to head back afterward.

“Oh? I thought your figure looked familiar—it really is you, Qing Li?” a mocking voice said from the side.

Shen Qing Li turned her head by instinct.

It was Jiang Zhi Li.

What was he doing here?

Jiang Zhi Li stood in the shadows; his face was difficult to read.

“Look at your clothes… Planning to run away from your marriage? ”

Shen Qing Li turned away, pretending not to know him. She bought a few things quickly and got ready to leave.

But Jiang Zhi Li blocked their way and sneered, “You tried so hard to break off the engagement with me. I thought you’d marry someone better. Why did you marry Chen Dabao?”

His eyes were full of mixed feelings—anger and a little bit of satisfaction. The marquis’s household could still survive without Shen Qing Li and her mother, but he had lost his spending money. That’s why he was here in Yong’an County, helping his grandmother sell their land.

Shen Qing Li stepped back two steps and said coldly, “You’ve got the wrong person, sir.”

Then she turned to leave. Jiang Zhi Li laughed behind her. “I heard Chen Dabao has been looking for you for a long time now. You better hope he doesn’t find you.”

His voice followed like a curse, making it hard for Shen Qing Li to breathe.

So, he knew. Did that mean the imperial decree had been issued already?

It had been days. Jiang Chen still hadn’t replied. Had something happened?

“Miss…” Chunhua asked nervously, “Will Young Master Jiang tell Chen Dabao we’re here?”

Of course he will!

He would love to see her fall into misery.

“Chunhua, listen to me,” Shen Qing Li said as they walked into a small alley. “You go back and tell my mother what happened. Please request that she remain here and take a few days to rest. I’ll ride ahead to Datong County.”

Chunhua quickly shook her head. “No, Miss! I can’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone. After you pass on the message, come after me right away. We’ll be close to each other. I can’t stay here. Do you understand? ”

Chunhua knew it was urgent. She nodded slowly.

They agreed on a route and rushed off.

Shen Qing Li rode toward Datong County. Along the way, she left marks for Chunhua to follow.

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared, night came.

By the mountain road, there was an inn. Shen Qing Li watched it for a while. There weren’t many guests. She worried it might be a trap, so she tied her horse to a nearby tree.

They had travelled all day. Even if she wasn’t tired, the horse needed to rest. By midday tomorrow, they should reach Datong County.

She jumped onto a tree branch. She planned to spend the night there.

It was late autumn. The night air was cold, but it was better than staying in a dangerous inn.

Her horse shifted nervously nearby. She noticed a sudden movement and realized someone was approaching quietly.

It was not Chunhua.

But a lot of people.