Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The moment those words were spoken, the inner hall of the Eastern Palace became terrifyingly silent.

Before crossing into the book, he never imagined the original owner had been arranged in a childhood betrothal?

Of course, back then, the original owner was only preoccupied with the [Handsome Guard] by his side, naturally forgetting about the marriage arrangement with the Princess. And in the original book, if the Princess was also feigning madness, with a clear mind, seeing the [Young Marquis] as a good-for-nothing, frivolous wastrel, she would have certainly quietly abandoned any thoughts of marriage.

Was it because this version of the [Young Marquis]... was acting too reliable?

Even altering the original plot, this Princess who never gave him a second glance actually changed her mind and decided to fulfill the marriage?

The [Young Marquis] felt so annoyed he wanted to pound his head against the wall.

If [Lou Xian] hadn't left, leaving no one to take him out for fun and leisure, and if [Wen Yu] weren't watching him so closely, living like a monk these past days, with martial arts training and morning drills never missing a day—

Look, all the bad reputation the original owner painstakingly accumulated is about to be for nothing.

For the [Young Marquis], this was an exceptionally good match.

The Princess, being of royal blood, was stunningly beautiful. Although it wouldn't be marrying beneath her, in terms of family status and honor, the [Young Marquis] was truly marrying above his station.

It was rumored throughout the land that the Princess suffered from madness, making a marriage with the healthy [Young Marquis] seem like a pity. But now the truth was revealed—this sole symptom of madness was actually feigned by Her Highness... This marriage aligned with parental decree and matchmaker's recommendation, both parties were of suitable age and comparable appearance, making it a perfect match.

It seemed there was no reason to refuse.

...

Yet [Luo Qianyu] absolutely could not agree.

Other reasons aside, he was not the original owner, nor was he a genuine ancient.

He was a [book transmigrator], a character slated for a fake death exit, someone bound to leave soon. How could he marry the perfectly fine Princess and waste her life?

[Luo Qianyu] solemnly straightened his robes, offered a formal bow, and spoke in a low voice, "I beg your pardon, but I truly cannot comply with this marriage arrangement."

The Princess did not expect such a decisive refusal. She slightly furrowed her brows, her gaze filled with surprise and disbelief. "[Young Lord Luo]... is unwilling to marry me?"

The [Young Marquis] felt a lump in his throat and remained silent for a moment.

After regaining her composure, the Princess dug her fingernails into her palms. Her sleeves fell, and her expression gradually stiffened. "I am the last princess of [Da Xi]. The Western Desert is eyeing us covetously, intending to use marriage as leverage. My imperial brother has no sisters to marry off and has not yet produced an heir. If [Young Lord Luo] marries me, it would be both a meritorious service to the nation and a step towards climbing the dragon's gate. This marriage has no downside for you."

"Under heaven, no other woman is more suited to you than I." Her neck trembled slightly as she pressed on unwillingly, "What reason could possibly make you reject it so?"

The [Young Marquis] was momentarily taken aback, then lowered his head. "It has nothing to do with willingness. It is truly because my status is too lowly; I dare not aspire so high."

"..."

The Princess turned away, as if silenced or restraining herself, her fingertips trembling.

Without looking back, she said softly, "Even if I beg you, you still won't agree?"

The [Young Marquis] still did not speak.

The Princess's eyes grew redder. As her gaze wandered, it inadvertently fell upon something, and her figure suddenly moved.

[Wen Yu]'s gaze followed to the Crown Prince's sword on its stand, a deep, serene red. He took a step forward, positioning himself before the hanging famed sword.

"[Your servant] dares to overstep his bounds. Your Highness's words are still somewhat unclear."

[Wen Yu] suddenly spoke up. He bowed deeply, his voice steady. "Your Highness wishes to marry the [Young Marquis], insisting he fulfill the old promise. Why choose this particular moment?"

The Princess's expression froze slightly, her attention diverted. She frowned delicately, pondering, "Who are you?... Matters of marriage ultimately rest with my imperial brother. Since when does anyone else have the right to question or comment? I merely recalled my late father upon seeing [Young Lord Luo] frequently entering the palace. Must this be interrogated so thoroughly?"

[Wen Yu]'s voice was cool, neither subservient nor arrogant. "Forgive [your servant]'s offense. Not long ago, Your Highness frantically cried for help, yet now suddenly discuss marriage. What connection is there between the 'saving of life' you mentioned and this 'marriage alliance'?"

"And why did you tarnish your own reputation by feigning madness?"

[Luo Qianyu] was taken aback, his gaze falling on [Wen Yu]'s face, his throat bobbed unconsciously.

Yes, the Princess had come seeking rescue. How did it suddenly turn to marriage?

How could an imperial marriage decree and saving a life be connected?

Put this way, the [Young Marquis] was clearly an outsider from start to finish, yet was inexplicably dragged into this turmoil. Now he was being pressured by the late Emperor's decree. This was what was truly amiss.

Sure enough, the Princess lowered her gaze for a long while before her hand tightened almost imperceptibly and she whispered, "...I cannot say."

[Luo Qianyu]'s heart tightened, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.

So, as [Wen Yu] suspected, the Princess indeed had a secret she couldn't divulge, hence her proposal to marry. As a [book transmigrator], he knew the later plot of the original book even better—the political situation of the previous court was murky, undercurrents had long been turbulent. What followed was the stage for the power struggle between the Emperor and the Prime Minister. Marrying the Princess would mean openly aligning the entire Luo family with the Emperor's side.

The Princess refused to tell him the truth, yet wanted him to stake his life to save her?

"Your Highness, please understand. The current situation is unpredictable. Even Your Highness must feign madness for self-preservation. If the [Young Marquis] rashly agrees to this marriage, it would be no different from hanging his life and family on the edge of a perilous cliff." [Wen Yu] stood in front of the [Young Marquis], speaking softly. "Since Your Highness has condescended to visit, pleading for assistance, yet refuses to disclose the details, how then can my young master wade into this trouble and risk himself for you?"

The Princess gritted her teeth slightly, her voice trembling. "But our marriage... it was real, personally decreed by my father back then."

"Three years ago, the palace underwent sudden changes. As Your Highness said, you are now the last princess of [Da Xi], bearing the weight of the state, a matter of grave importance." [Wen Yu] said solemnly. "Since the late Emperor has passed, times have changed. A marriage arranged in the past should no longer hold."

"You..." The Princess retreated two steps, biting her lower lip tightly, a slender finger pointing from afar. "Fine, very well... [Young Lord Luo] certainly has good taste, finding such an eloquent guard."

At that moment, a palace maid hurried into the outer hall of the Eastern Palace. Seeing the scene inside and recognizing the figures, her face turned pale. She exclaimed, "Your Highness! How did you get here? This is the Eastern Palace. Let this servant help you back..."

The Princess's face turned ashen. Without a word, she swallowed all the words in her throat, falling completely silent.

Only a deathly stillness remained in the room.

The Princess took a deep look at the youth, then turned her back, allowing the little maid to support her out of the Eastern Palace.

"..."

[Luo Qianyu] was inwardly amazed.

[Wen Yu] was incredible.

Did he just help him completely sever a marriage arrangement?

That speech was clear and logical, analyzing pros and cons, each word sharp as a blade, striking right at the heart of the matter. Truly worthy of being the former top scholar.

After the person had completely left, the [Young Marquis] felt as if a weight had been lifted. His tense nerves finally relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

There was still proper business to attend to, so he continued searching for the calligraphy copies stored in the Eastern Palace. After some effort, he found some scrolls, all covered in dust. He dusted them off, rolled them up, and instead of handing them all to [Wen Yu], he carried them on his own back.

At some point, the [Little Bird] had also flown into the inner hall, somehow finding its way here. It pecked at its feathers, landing on a corner of the desk, tilting its head slightly.

Gazing through the window lattice at the distant garden and solitary pavilion outside the hall, the youth stretched lazily, leaning on the windowsill, murmuring, "The Eastern Palace is over a li and a hundred zhang from Yueqing Palace. For the Princess to sneak out was no easy feat—breaching palace gates, evading guards, overcoming obstacles... Seems she was dead set on marrying me..."

"[Young Marquis] regretting it now?"

Wen Yu's voice suddenly rang out, inexplicably icy.

Luo Qianyu started and joked, "Of course I regret it. Missing out on such a great beauty, I'm afraid any wife I get in the future won't hold a candle to Her Highness."

Unexpectedly, the male lead, who had been so eloquent just moments ago, now fell silent.

If it was chilly before, now it felt as if the air had frozen three feet thick.

Luo Qianyu stole a glance at his expression, thinking Wen Yu was just now feeling the fear that followed his bold defense against the princess. He comforted him, "Wen Yu, thank you for speaking up for me. Don't worry. If Her Highness really holds a grudge in the future, I'll shoulder it alone. I won't let her trouble you."

After a moment's thought, worried the male lead might feel guilty for no reason, the young man added softly, "Besides, she won't actually punish me. At worst, she might force me into marriage, but she definitely won't have my head."

Wen Yu's expression finally shifted.

The beautiful man stood still, his thin lips pressed together, his voice cold as shattered jade. "Does the Young Master treat his own lifelong matter as if it were a child's game?"

"..." Why did it feel like he hadn't been comforted at all?

"It's hardly a joke," the Young Marquis lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and said softly, "It's just that since ancient times, in matters of marriage, women often have little choice, while men still have the world to explore. Even if they regret it, withdrawing isn't difficult. The one who ends up losing out is always the woman."

"Her Highness has no feelings for me, yet she insists on marrying me. She has her own hardships. If I take advantage of her predicament, how is that any different from exploiting someone's weakness?"

Wen Yu's expression froze, his gaze lingering on the young man's profile, and did not look away for a long time.

The chubby little bird suddenly descended, fluttering its wings before landing leisurely on Wen Yu's shoulder.

After a long while, the male lead finally spoke. "What about the Young Marquis?"

Luo Qianyu was startled, not understanding. "Me?"

"Her Highness has no feelings for the Young Master. What about the Young Master?"

Wen Yu lowered his eyes, his voice so soft it almost scattered in the wind. He whispered, "Does the Young Marquis have someone he favors in his heart?"

...

Outside the window, green leaves rustled on the branches as a cool breeze swept through the corridor, lifting strands of dark hair. In the distance, the garden pavilion stood silent. Palace servants gradually lit lanterns, sparse and orderly, twinkling like stars.

Their gazes met, locking eyes, and suddenly, neither could remember to look away.