Chapter 11
"Third royal sister, why were you so careless…" His clear and cold voice carried a trace of ridicule. Duan Xingyi's thin lips slightly curled up, and he seemed to be smiling yet not smiling!
Initially, Duan Muyan was a little calm, but as she raised her gaze and saw Duan Xingyi, her face turned deathly pale, and her delicate body trembled even more from fear. Her hands pushed fiercely, but to no avail!
"What do you want? Let me go!" Duan Mu Yan was extremely embarrassed and furious. Her cold gaze turned flustered, and she was unable to hide the fear and dread in her heart!
There was no response. That handsome face that was almost devilish turned towards the girl in his embrace, as his jet-black eyes that carried a slightly slanted tone had locked onto Duan Mu Yan's clear eyes!
"You… This is the palace! Don't be too presumptuous!" Duan Mu Yan tried her best to calm the fear in her heart, and spoke in a warning tone!
"Third royal sister means that if this wasn't the palace… then I can act as I please…?" Duan Xingyi recklessly displayed his charm and unruliness; his gaze that was bordering on fanaticism seemed to want to devour Duan Mu Yan!
"You… Don't forget your status, Second Prince! " Duan Mu Yan looked at the greed in Duan Xingyi's eyes with disbelief. The fear in her heart had already surfaced on her face!
Duan Mu Yan's reminder caused Duan Xingyi to suddenly wake up. Even though he was unwilling, he still let go of the woman in his embrace!
"Did I not just see the Third royal sister crying in sorrow? Couldn't Xinghan help? As long as third sister is willing to beg me, Xinghan won't mind speaking a few words in front of royal father… " Duan Xingyi circled around Duan Mu Yan as his gaze followed the carp in the pond.
Embarrassed and indignant, her eyes shot towards Duan Xingyi like a star in the dark. Duan Mu Yan frowned slightly and subconsciously retreated a few steps.
"Please have some self-respect, Second Prince!"
Hearing the sounds of her small footsteps as they became further and further away, Duan Xingyi slowly turned around and looked at this beautiful figure swaying away. A strange light flashed in his eyes.
General Xiao Manor
"Foolish! To disobey the imperial edict was a capital offense! The Emperor would want this family to turned into ashes! Do you really not care about the lives of Xiao Clan's people that you are so determined to push us away to the underworld!" Xiao Yin's sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards as he glared angrily at Xiao Jin Feng, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Shi Rou can't be provoked, I can't marry the princess!… Father... I beg you to grant me this wish!" Xiao Jin Feng half-lowered his eyes and abruptly kowtowed on the ground!
"Jin Feng… Right now, it is not that father does not want to help you, but it is you who need to help the entire Xiao family! You know better than anyone the punishment of disobeying an imperial edict! If the Emperor really finds you at fault, you and Shi Rou won't be able to escape death! Shi Rou is a good daughter-in-law, and as her father-in-law, I don't want to hurt her either, but we've done our best for her illness! How dare you believe the words of those warlocks… Son, your marriage to the third princess has already set in motion. No one can change it beside the Emperor himself…" Xiao Yin's hand tightly held onto Xiao Jin Feng's shoulder, a tear could be seen at the corner of his aged eyes. He knew that Xiao Jin Feng had been wronged, but he was truly powerless!
"No! I won't marry the Third Princess! I will not do anything to upset Shi Rou! " Xiao Jin Feng suddenly stood up, his deep black eyes exuding a bone-piercing coldness. He ruthlessly pushed aside Xiao Yin and rushed out of the hall in a berserk manner.
Looking at his son's disappearing figure, Xiao Yin couldn't help but deeply sigh. At this time, a woman shakily walked into the front hall.
"Shi Rou...? Why did you get out of bed?!" Xiao Yin looked at Chu Shirou in astonishment. His originally pale face looked even more haggard!
"Jin Xiu... You can leave first…" Chu Shirou walked into the front hall with some effort and lightly waved her hand, signaling Su Jinxiu to withdraw. Seeing this, Xiao Yin hurriedly went forward to help Chu Shirou to the table and sat down!
"Shi Rou... Just now …" Xiao Yin looked at Chu Shirou with a bit of guilt. She had probably heard the words just now.
"Father... I heard the conversations you had with Jin Feng just now… Please be at ease. I will advise him accordingly. I will definitely not let the Xiao Clan fall into a situation where they will never be able to recover…" Her chapped cherry lips trembled as she opened her mouth, but there was no emotion in her calm voice.
Facing Chu Shirou's tolerance and magnanimity, Xiao Yin was at a loss of words. If not for the emperor's decree, how could he bear to harm such a kind woman!
"Shi Rou… Take good care of yourself, don't think too much... No matter who Jin Feng marries, you have an irreplaceable place in his heart. You have an irreplaceable place in this General Xiao Manor… You are a good daughter-in-law of our Xiao family… I, Xiao Yin, represent the Xiao family to thank you…" Xiao Yin's words must have caused a warm feeling to surge from the bottom of Chu Shirou's heart. But right now, the one Chu Shirou was most worried about, was her husband.
Within three days, the Third Princess of the Mo Dynasty was going to marry the Prince Qi of General Xiao Manor as his concubine. Such shocking news had already become a hot topic in the capital!
Tinker Pavilion
"Jingyang, there are still three days left. Mu Yan…" Xiao Yuxuan's brows were tightly knitted together. The day of the grand wedding was drawing closer and closer, but Mu Yan still hadn't changed her mind!
"Mu Yan is still stubborn! If begging won't work, then there's no other way, we'll use the harsh way! Yu Xuan... Are you sure you want to elope with Mu Yan? No matter what happens in the future, there will be no regrets!" Duan Jingyang stared fixedly at Xiao Yuxuan as a trace of suspicion flashed through his eyes!
"I, Xiao Yuxuan, swear to the heavens! As long as I am with Mu Yan, I would have no regrets even if I have to run away!" Xiao Yuxuan vowed!
"Good! Since Mu Yan is unwilling to leave, I will think of a way to deceive her! When the time comes, bring her out of the palace. No matter where you two go, don't come back! Do you hear?" Duan Jingyang had already thought of this. No matter what, he would not let his sister suffer for the rest of her life!
"At the right time!" Xiao Yuxuan clenched his fists as he replied to Duan Jingyang's question with a resolute expression!
"A day before the wedding, royal father will be sending people to watch over Mu Yan the whole say. But at night the guards will be slacking... Yuxuan, do you remember when you were young, I sent you a carriage outside the Academy and you escaped without a scratch or a problem from your pursuers? We will use that same plan for your escape..." Duan Jingyang recounted the events of that day in detail, and Xiao Yuxuan listened attentively. The two of them had already decided to bring Duan Mu Yan out of the palace on the night before her wedding.
"Yuxuan, it's getting late. You should return home first. Don't enter the palace for the next two days. Don't let anyone see anything amiss!" Duan Jingyang reminded!
"This is all good JingYang... Thank you…" Before turning around, Xiao Yuxuan tightly held Duan Jingyang's hand, his eyes full of gratitude.
"I should be the one thanking you… I only have one sister, and Mother has only one daughter… I promised myself and mother to at least make her happy…" Duan Jingyang pursed his lips as a trace of reluctance appeared in his heart.
The moment he finished listening to Duan Jingyang's plan, the blood in Xiao Yuxuan's entire body felt like it was boiling. The excitement in his heart was hard to describe, but at this moment, a trace of worry flashed through his heart. Would Mu Yan agree to this? He could unconscious Duan Mu Yan for a moment, but he could not hide what they'd done forever! When Mu Yan found out the truth, would she forgive herself, and him?