Prince Jin raised an eyebrow.
"I don't like Shen Xiangjun, but Imperial Father thinks she's good, so marrying her into the princely manor and letting her be isn't out of the question, is it?"
"How could that be?" The Emperor immediately spoke earnestly, acting like a good elder brother. "I also hope you marry a girl you truly like."
"But I don't have a girl I like. Who I marry makes no difference, does it?" Prince Jin countered.
The Emperor's heart skipped a beat.
Was Prince Jin determined to marry Shen Xiangjun because he heard the last half of the Retired Emperor's dying words?
The more he wanted to marry her, the more the Emperor suspected something amiss, and the less he wanted to agree.
"Didn't you come before to request an imperial edict for marriage? Didn't you have a girl in mind then?"
"It was just a little country girl I took a fancy to along the way, she seemed fresh. I was thinking Imperial Father wasn't well, so I wanted to quickly marry a princess consort to make him happy. I didn't truly take a fancy to her."
Prince Jin's expression held a hint of mockery, as if scoffing at the idea of the Emperor thinking he would fall for any girl.
His tone when speaking of the girl wasn't serious at all, sounding quite frivolous.
However, the reason Prince Jin gave instantly made the Emperor believe him.
Knowing that the Retired Emperor wasn't well, and thus wanting to quickly marry to make the Retired Emperor happy – this was indeed possible!
The Emperor believed him immediately.
And hearing him say that the little girl was from the countryside, merely seeming fresh, the Emperor's heart stirred wildly.
He was so afraid that Prince Jin would marry a princess consort with powerful family connections!
He was worried he would have no choice but to bestow a wife of suitable status upon him, but now Prince Jin had chosen a little country girl himself?
That truly couldn't be better!
At this moment, the Emperor didn't even care about the Retired Emperor lying there, and immediately asked excitedly, "Which family's girl is it?"
Prince Jin frowned, a hint of reluctance surfacing on his handsome face.
"Forget it. Now that Imperial Father has passed away, I don't want to get married anymore."
"How can that be?" The Emperor said urgently, "Imperial Father was just worrying about your marriage. If we bestow a marriage upon you now, during his mourning period, it can also let Imperial Father depart in peace."
Yes, yes, that's right.
Prince Jin was unwilling to marry before, but now that he's returned to the capital, who knew if he might truly choose a powerful wife later?
Then Prince Jin's manor would become a major threat to him again.
It would be better to seize this opportunity during the Retired Emperor's mourning period, quickly arrange a marriage for him, and even use the Retired Emperor's last wish to pressure Prince Jin.
Thinking this, the Emperor became anxious.
He had previously been unwilling to bestow a marriage upon Prince Jin, but now he wished he could immediately issue the imperial edict.
"Imperial Father has passed. I'll choose a Princess Consort candidate more carefully," Prince Jin sighed.
"Imperial Father will return for the seventh day. When he knows you have a fiancée, he can depart in peace," the Emperor earnestly persuaded. "Otherwise, you'll be all alone returning to the capital this time, how can the old man rest assured?"
Prince Jin seemed to be swayed by his words.
But then he frowned, showing extreme disdain. "That girl before, she truly was just someone I casually saved on the street."
The Emperor's small eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed, "Which family's girl is it?"
"She's not a commoner, apparently, but the second daughter of Lord Lu Ming, raised in the countryside for ten years."
"Lu Ming?"
The Emperor was very familiar with this person. "Lord Lu? He has a daughter raised in the countryside for ten years? And she's the second child?"
The threshold of the Lu family, compared to Prince Jin, was truly low!
The Emperor almost laughed out loud. But his peripheral vision caught the Retired Emperor, and a chill ran down his spine, quickly suppressing his smile.
Lu Ming's daughter, and the second one at that, meaning she wasn't even the legitimate eldest daughter.
With such a status, wanting to be Prince Jin's consort was originally wishful thinking!
But now the Emperor felt that this was truly excellent!
If Prince Jin married such a princess consort, where would he get support from his maternal family? Good, good, he was very satisfied!
"Well, since you just now wanted to request an imperial marriage edict, it means you had thoughts of marrying that girl."
Prince Jin frowned. "At the time, I was thinking of bringing her to Imperial Father quickly, so I did tell her I would marry her."
"We of the Imperial Family, our word is gold, our promise is weighty. Once spoken, it cannot be retracted, or it would not be good for the young lady!"
The Emperor grew anxious. "Truly, A Yue, Imperial Father's spirit must still be in the palace. The old man can surely still see. You have always been filial, for Imperial Father's sake, shouldn't you get engaged quickly?"
The Emperor urged, "What is the name of Lord Lu's second daughter?"
"I think it was Lu Zhaoling?"
"I remember the Lu family's legitimate eldest daughter is called Lu Zhaoyun, so this 'Ling'?"
"The 'Ling' from 'water chestnut'."
"Good, good, good, I shall go draft the imperial edict for marriage now!" The Emperor was so anxious he almost rushed out, and fearing Prince Jin might change his mind, he solemnly added, "A Yue, for Imperial Father!"
Prince Jin watched his hurried departure to draft the edict, his eyes deep.
Turning back, he knelt once more before the Retired Emperor's spirit tablet.
Imperial Father, perhaps, someone truly can save your son now.
Before long.
The imperial edict for marriage was sent out of the palace by the inner attendant.
Prince Jin stopped him outside the palace gate, glanced at the edict, and seeing the name was correct, handed the edict back to the edict announcer.
"Go."
Go, go announce the edict at the Lu manor.
And he, clutching the Retired Emperor's spirit tablet, was heading to the ancestral temple.
Lu Zhaoling woke up again, finding herself back in the Ting Nuan Tower.
She remembered the words she heard before fainting.
Actually, when the Emperor entered Ningshou Palace, she had fallen into Prince Jin's arms, but hadn't completely lost consciousness; she had heard everything!
Prince Jin called her a thief.
And said she was dead.
And told Qingfeng to carry her out and throw her away.
She had heard all of this and was carried over Qingfeng's shoulder before truly fainting.
Hmph, Prince Jin is really something, doesn't that deduct ten points?
If it weren't for his purple aura, she would have sent his life back to King Yama's Palace right then!
She had already been called a dead little thief, so was Prince Jin not planning to get engaged to her?
"Miss."
A maid's voice came from outside. Lu Zhaoling had good hearing; it seemed to be Qing Yin.
She remembered, these were the two maids Prince Jin had sent her.
"Come in."
Qing Yin entered, carrying a tray. Seeing her awake, she quickly placed the tray on the table and came over to help her.
"The princely manor sent nourishing soup. Would you like to drink it while it's warm?"
Lu Zhaoling nodded. "Drink."
Putting other things aside, she needed to recuperate now, and recuperate well.
Her body needed to recover.
Saving Prince Jin's life had greatly depleted her.
Qing Yin brought the soup over. Lu Zhaoling didn't even have the strength to hold a spoon herself, so she could only let Qing Yin feed her.
The soup indeed had the taste of several precious medicinal herbs.
Lu Zhaoling drank the soup, watching Qing Yin.
Her eyes flickered, but she didn't rush to speak, finishing the soup first, not wanting to waste it.
Once the bowl of soup was drained to the last drop, she slowly opened her mouth.
"Have you killed someone recently?"
Qing Yin's hand trembled, almost dropping the porcelain bowl.
"Miss?" Why ask such a thing?
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