Chapter 868 - 768: None Willing

Chapter 868: Chapter 768: None Willing

The Emperor was very pleased and bestowed the title of Princess He Ye upon Commandery Princess He Ye, appointing Huangfu Yuxuan as the Wedding Envoy, responsible for all matters related to the wedding procession.

Ten days later, Huangfu Yuxuan, together with the envoy from East Tang, escorted Princess He Ye to East Tang.

Inside the carriage, Princess He Ye, her eyes were swollen and red from crying.

She was fond of that peerless man, so gentle and warm like the spring breeze, so handsome and unforgettable at first sight. She didn’t know how many times she dreamt of that moment, in the bridal chamber, when the person lifting her red veil would be the one she dreamt of.

But Huangfu Yuxuan went, he found her father, and who knows what he said to him, but her father and mother, who always doted on her, unexpectedly persuaded her to go through with it.

She resisted, but it was of no use.

Even when leaving the Capital City, she couldn’t catch a glimpse of the person in her dreams.

Her eyes were clearly swollen, her appearance haggard beyond measure, yet her father told the Emperor she was delighted to be fulfilling a responsibility for Nanxia.

Her father no longer loved her, he abandoned her!

None of this mattered; what mattered was that once she left her homeland, she would never see him again.

But no one cared about her feelings, no one cared about her unwillingness. She could only, with tears, with unwillingness, be forced onto the carriage.

She also thought of escaping, but the further they got from the Capital, the slimmer that hope became. Where could she run to? Not only was Huangfu Yuxuan the wedding envoy, even if it were anyone else, she couldn’t escape.

Looking at the cold gaze Huangfu Yuxuan directed at her, she shivered and was reminded of the time, in the changing room, when Huangfu Yuxuan and Zhao Keyan were discovered together, he had the same look then.

She felt wronged, she clearly sent Xia Wenjin. It was someone else who was swapped midway, what did that have to do with her? Why must she bear this consequence?

Who knows what kind of person the Third Prince of East Tang is? Could he have the same elegance as Mr. Xia?

Huangfu Yuxuan had long seen Princess He Ye’s discontent and grievances, and also noticed her thoughts, but he didn’t care.

A girl who had never left the Capital, raised in deep boudoirs, only knowing how to be willful, thinking she was clever, but was actually just using the petty private schemes of women behind closed doors, she was not worth his attention.

He personally escorted the bride, not for Prince Anning’s sake, but because he had his own plans. Plans that would achieve his purpose and gain his Grandfather’s admiration, how nice?

As for in the Capital City, he had already left, whatever happened there was of no concern to him.

After sending off the East Tang envoy, the Emperor was in a great mood, but unfortunately, such a good mood didn’t last long.

Just yesterday, an urgent report was received from Qingzhou, stating that due to drought, the land was dry and wells were dried up, crops withered, and even the river exposed large sections of riverbed. Initially, the local officials paid no mind to the drought, thinking that rain would eventually come.

But who would have thought it would not rain for over two months, and the drought spread, in some severely affected areas, the people even lacked drinking water.

Only then did the local officials panic, reporting the situation while organizing the people to pray for rain at the Dragon King Temple.

Whether it was the prayers that worked or just abnormal weather following a prolonged drought, torrential rains began to pour, lasting for half a month, causing the rivers to flood. The banks, once cracked from the sun, were like rotten wood, easily breached by the floodwaters. A famine following the great drought already weakened the people, and now, following a great flood, it was an utter disaster.

The news came back to the Capital, and the situation was very grave. According to the report, the rain in Qingzhou had not yet ceased, over twenty counties across two prefectures within Qingzhou suffered disasters, countless people were swept away or starved to death.

The officials knew their positions were no longer secure, yet they dared not conceal the truth.

The region where Qingzhou and Ningzhou meet is indeed disaster-prone. A few years ago, there were also drought and flood disasters, the Crown Prince went to provide relief, though he went to Ningzhou, Qingzhou was also involved.

It’s only been three years, and such events happened again.

But this time, the disaster is much more severe, with a larger affected area, requiring urgent attention.

The Emperor’s mind stirred, establishing a Crown Prince was easy, but gaining the people’s support was not, the Crown Prince must be virtuous, only then would the people feel at ease, the courtiers be at peace, and both ruler and subjects be united, enabling the Nanxia Dynasty to last for millennia.

That day, the Emperor summoned several princes and imperial grandsons, excluding Prince Liang and Prince Zhuang. The Heir of King Liang, Huangfu Yuxuan, was on his way to East Tang as part of the wedding procession and was, of course, not present, and Prince Zhuang’s legitimate son was too young and not yet entitled.