Chapter 196 Clearance (Part One)

After returning to Qingxin Palace, Yun Shang, somehow, regretted consenting to the marriage in such a rush. What has become of me? Yun Shang wondered. She even picked an auspicious day, the sixth day of the following month. As today was already the sixth day of this month, the wedding was a month away.

"Your Highness, it is true that you are going to wed soon?" Qian Yin stared at Yun Shang as she could not believe that the Princess would soon marry. Although Prince Jing, who seemed to be a good husband in Qin Yin's opinion, had gotten along well with the Princess recently, their marriage was still beyond her expectation.

Yun Shang nodded slightly before letting out a sigh.

There was a trace of disapproval in Qin Yi's eyes as well. Instead of raising a question, Qin Yi quietly helped Yun Shang take off her robe. Then she took the teacup from a maid, put it in front of Yun Shang, and waited by the Princess's side.

Yun Shang turned to look at Qin Yi with an expression of helplessness. "Qin Yi, you also think that I should not marry in such a hurry, don't you?" However, she sighed before Qin Yi could respond. "But I have no choice, " the Princess said.

Yun Shang remembered her dying wish. All she wanted was the opportunity to take revenge on those who had wronged her in her previous life. If she didn't marry Prince Jing, most of the plots she had carefully planned would not bear fruit. Not only would her efforts be in vain, people would be suspicious of her. 'How reckless I have been. I had pretended to be ill for a long time, and had deceived everybody into believing in my meekness. But no matter what I have done in the past, I exposed myself in the end.' Yun Shang was so mad at herself that she blamed herself for her stupidity.

A bitter smile broke across Yun Shang's face. Maybe that was the consequence she deserved. Anyway, as a woman, she would eventually have to marry. It was lucky that Jingran was not the man she would wed in this new life. Her struggles would amount to something since she had gotten rid of Jingran.

Even so, she would never forgive Jingran. She could never forget how Jingran had killed Huan'er. He had thrown Huan'er from the window of the turret, which was so high that Huan'er must have felt a tremendous amount of pain.

Yun Shang felt as if her heart was being pricked by many needles whenever she thought of Huan'er's death.

"Your Highness, I have fetched your wedding robe. Lady Jin was so careful that she even prepared the groom's wedding robe in advance. Your wedding robe used to be Lady Jin's. She embroidered it when she was unmarried. She wished that she could have worn it at her wedding, but... it turned out useless afterward. Then Lady Jin made a groom's wedding robe. She said that the groom's wedding robe would be in need one day, no matter if she gave birth to a son or a daughter." Qin Yi was holding a scarlet wedding robe in her hands. She had carefully pulled it out from an antique wooden box. She said with a smile, "Lady Jin preserved the wedding robe well. It looks new even after so many years."

Yun Shang grinned. Her hand ran lightly up the phoenix pattern embroidered on the wedding robe. Then she said, "Mother is very good at embroidering. But I am clumsy. I only seem to entwine the silk threads in a mess well before I pick up a needle." Then she looked at the groom's wedding robe. Although less luxuri

o is behind these three groups." Yun Shang ordered with a frown.

Qian Yin nodded, and then continued, "Your Highness, Xia Houjing is said to be sick again. Several physicians were sent to treat him in his dwelling. We detained one of the physicians, and tried to acquire some information from him. But the physician was so scared that he passed out. As the physician has been unconscious since, we decided to send him back home. We were afraid that the physician's absence would arouse suspicion."

"Sick again?" Yun Shang sneered. It seemed that Xia Houjing was quite capable of controlling his physical condition. He could fall ill and recover as he liked. What a good time for him to be sick again!

"Pay attention to Xia Houjing and the people around him. If I'm right, Xia Houjing might sneak out dressed like someone else." Yun Shang ordered softly.

Qian Yin nodded as soon as Yun Shang finished speaking.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the room. Yun Shang listened and identified that the footsteps belonged to Qin Yi. It was indeed Qin Yi who raised the door curtain and stepped in. She said to Yun Shang with a smile as she walked toward the Princess, "Your Highness, I have handed over the wedding robe to Prince Jing in person."

Yun Shang nodded at Qin Yi after hearing her words. She could not help but imagine what would it be like when Prince Jing took the wedding robe from Qin Yi.

"Prince Jing said the wedding will be held on the sixth day of the next month. Although it is too soon, all preparations will be done to perfection. The Prince is planning on holding a wedding that Your Highness deserves. The Prince even decided to hold an Engagement Ceremony on the eighteenth day of this month. Now, Your Highness's Palace outside the Imperial Palace is under construction. The Prince said although Your Highness will spend most of your time with him in his mansion, the Princess's Palace should be decorated luxuriously as well. Prince Jing thanked Your Highness for the wedding robe, and gave a jade pendant as a gift in return. This is the jade pendant that he always carried with him since his birth. The Prince said that it would be the best gift he could present to Your Highness. He hopes that Your Highness will take good care of it."