Before Eloping

Qiao'er and Xing'er hurried back to their young lady's bedchamber after leaving.

An Yuzhi, who had been sitting in a chair, immediately rose to her feet and anxiously asked, "What did Brother want to talk to you about?"

"Young Lady, don't worry. Xing'er and I didn't say much about you. The eldest young master still doesn't know," Qiao'er reassured her, her smiling face carrying a faint air of seeking credit.

An Yuzhi finally let out a sigh of relief.

Xing'er's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she could not help saying, "Young Lady, is it really all right to hide this from the eldest young master? If he finds out, he'll definitely be very angry." When answering the eldest young master just now, she had not dared to speak too plainly, so she had only told part of the truth. That way, if he did find out, the responsibility she had to bear would be a little lighter.

An Yuzhi was somewhat displeased by her words. "Brother cannot find out."

She simply instinctively wanted to hide it from An Ziran. Especially after hearing that he had settled the marriage with the prince of Prince Fu's Manor, that thought had only grown stronger.

"Xing'er, you're worrying too much. Even if the eldest young master finds out afterward, could he really punish Young Lady? Once Young Lady marries into Prince Fu's Manor, she'll be the future princess consort. Who would dare bully her then?" Qiao'er said with a proud expression.

Seeing this, Xing'er helplessly shook her head.

Neither of them noticed the troubled expression on An Yuzhi's face.

Three days later, the wedding date was finally set for the seventeenth day of the fourth month. It was an auspicious day, favorable for marriage, promising wealth and great fortune. Since the manor's only elder was a little touched in the head, Fu Wutian handled the marriage arrangements himself. On the fourth day, Prince Fu's Manor's betrothal gifts were sent to the An Family in a grand procession.

The residence they lived in was no longer rented. An Ziran had later spent several thousand taels to purchase it, turning it into one of the An Family's properties. That way, the An Family's legitimate daughter would not have to marry from a rented residence; if those with ulterior motives learned of it, they would surely make an issue of it.

The marriage between the An Family and Prince Fu's Manor had already spread throughout Gentlemen City, causing an enormous stir.

The God of War's reputation was illustrious. Ever since Fu Wutian had led his generals back to the capital in triumph, many people had wanted to see the God of War's true face and heroic bearing with their own eyes. Yet Fu Wutian rarely appeared in public. Even when he returned to court over a month ago, he had worn a mask while riding on horseback. Thus, aside from a small number of people, almost no one knew what he looked like.

As a result, countless rumors sprang up in Gentlemen City, most of them speculating about his appearance, along with tales of his achievements and battles at the border. Now that word had spread that he was getting married, the commotion was even greater than when the emperor selected consorts.

Fu Chong, the emperor of Da Ya, was also alerted. Da Ya's God of War, his own nephew, was getting married, yet he, the emperor, had not even known. That very evening, he summoned Fu Wutian into the palace.

The daughters-in-law of imperial descendants had to have their names entered into the ancestral shrine records; only then would they be recognized. Moreover, they required the emperor's approval. In other words, the emperor held their marriages in his hands. He alone could assign them; otherwise, they could not take wives as they pleased.

In the emperor's eyes, Fu Wutian's marriage was of greater value than those of his own sons.

Although Fu Wutian had only returned to court for a month, the emperor had mentioned his marriage more than once. He had once considered marrying a minister's daughter to him, but later abandoned the idea because of certain matters. That did not mean he had given up entirely.

If Fu Wutian were taking a concubine, he would not say anything. But the position of princess consort was another matter. A mere landowner's daughter wanted to climb the imperial ladder? Absolutely impossible!

The emperor's anger quickly subsided.

Although Fu Wutian was his nephew, he commanded heavy troops and had fought for more than a decade. His prestige in the army was even greater than the emperor's. What the emperor feared most was that if Fu Wutian did not want to do something, not even an imperial command could make him do it. Not to mention that he had an old grandfather who behaved without the dignity of his years and whose temperament changed as quickly as the wind.

Old Prince Fu was the emperor's own uncle. He possessed the Dragon-Whipping Rod bestowed by the late emperor and had the authority to supervise the emperor. Though illness had kept him from court for a long time, his authority remained. Whenever he flew into a rage, even the emperor himself had to retreat three paces.

Fu Wutian took his grandfather for a stroll through the imperial palace, and the emperor no longer had any ideas. He could only acknowledge the marriage contract Old Prince Fu had made in those earlier years.

Only seven short days remained until the seventeenth day of the fourth month.

Just as everyone in Gentlemen City was discussing this marriage, An Yuzhi began to panic.

Tomorrow, she would elope...