The Empress’ Tianfeng Palace was in a mess.

The Fifth Princess was trying to commit suicide! The news was blocked in the palace, for fear that it would spread to those with evil intentions. And then, the story might go like that: the Princess on the throne did such a thing just out of frustration, which would apparently bring disgrace on the royal family. What if it spread to the Emperor? No one would tell how furious the Emperor would be at the news.

The Empress was in an agony about her daughter with a mixed feeling of love and anger. She trotted into the well-guarded main hall.

“Xueyu, Xueyu, what’s the matter?” The voice came in before the Empress arrived.

Standing on the high stool, the Fifth Princess with her hair disheveled held a loop of white satin strap in her hands while the other end of the strap hung on the beams. Hearing the voice, she winked at Lingyue who was standing beside and thrust her feet to the stool to kicked it off. She shoved her neck into the loop, as she cried and shouted, “I don’t want to live! I don’t want to live any longer.”

“Your Highness, Your Highness, please don’t think things too hard. If you just leave the world in this way, what should Her Excellency, the Empress live without you? Even if you don’t cherish yourself, you should cherish the Empress’ motherliness. You are her only child. She will not tolerate any injustice on you. If you talk to the Empress, she will help you certainly.” Lingyue said and burst into tears. She just held the Fifth Princess’ feet and pushed up hard, unwilling to loosen her hands.

Other palace maids all came up to help Lingyue to lift up the Princess’ feet. Cries and persuasions were jumbled up in the main hall.

The hall door was opened heavily. Pale and worried, the Empress stood at the door. Looking at the mess inside, especially the Fifth Princess hanging on the loop, she felt the sweat on her forehead. Immediately, she rushed over and shouted anxiously, “Hurry up! Hurry up to untie the rope! Xueyu, Xueyu, don’t think things too hard. If you die, what should I do?”

The Empress rushed to hold the Fifth Princess’ feet with an attempt to hold her down, but it was useless as the Empress was too weak.

Some eunuchs had already carried a stool quickly, and one stepped on the stool and cut the rope immediately. Then, the Fifth Princess fell down feebly, and all the palace maids crowded up, caught the Fifth Princess, and put her down. Some rubbed her chest to help her breathe, and some cried for help. How miserable the scene looked like after the wretched mess!

Even a faint smell of blood floated in the air. Slight bloodstains could be seen on the Fifth Princess’ neck, which seemed to have been strained.

Being grounded only for a day, the Fifth Princess seemed to be deprived of her spirit, just looking at the front dully. And she was not her unparalleled distinguished daughter as bright and clever as before. The sight of her daughter’s pale and weak look tugged the Empress’ heartstrings, and the Empress came up and called in a trembling voice. “Xueyu…”

“Queen Mother!” The Fifth Princess looked at the Empress, as if it took a long while to recognize her mother. Then, her eyes reddened and tears started to well up in the Fifth Princess’ eyes. She just looked at the Empress in anguish.

“Xueyu, Yu’er, is there anything you can’t talk to me? Why did you choose to commit suicide? You are the most honorable Princess in the royal family. Is there anything to make you pessimistic and drive you to desperation?” Looking at her daughter’s lifeless face, the Empress asked anxiously. Her daughter, who used to be as pretty as a flower, now turned so embarrassing. The sight of her daughter’s disheveled look, a look without any dignity and calmness, broke the Empress’ heart.

“Queen Mother, Yu’er cannot bear to leave Queen Mother. But, Queen Mother, Yu’er cannot live any longer.” The Fifth Princess shouted hoarsely, as she held the Empress’ hand and trembled. The voice that was wounded by the rope twisted the Empress’ heart harder, because the Fifth Princess was her most precious daughter!

“Yu’er, listen, don’t do that. Except for that, I will give you anything you want.” The Empress comforted her softly.

“Queen Mother, without him, why should I bother to live in the world any longer? Queen Mother, you just let Yu’er die. In this way, a bone will not be cast between you and my Emperor Father for me. If Yu’er leaves the world, Queen Mother, please take care of yourself, so that I can rest my mind in the nether world.” The Fifth Princess choked with tears, as if she were telling last words. She was exaggerating the atmosphere to the extremes of grief. The Empress was too heart-ached to react to her words, but just subconsciously held the Fifth Princess tightly.

“Yu’er, I can’t promise you. Your Father Emperor is drafting the decree and planning to announce the world tomorrow. If the decree is issued, the matter will be conclusive. Even if Yu’er died, you would still be considered to be one of the members of the royal family of the Yan Kingdom.” The Empress knew well what her daughter wanted, so she hurried to persuade her.

Although she loved her daughter deeply, the Empress did not dare to disobey Emperor Zongwen. Considering Emperor Zongwen’s mighty domination, the Empress knew why she was able to maintain the decency as the Empress was that she was tender and considerate on the surface, never confronting Emperor Zongwen.

Regarding the marriage between the Fifth Princess and the First Prince of the Yan Kingdom, Emperor Zongwen had made up his mind, and no one could change him. When the decree was promulgated the next day, the Fifth Princess had no alternative to marrying as planned.

Although the Empress’ heart ached for her daughter, she did not have a way to help her daughter.

“Queen Mother, Mother, you have to help Yu’er. Yu’er is not asking Queen Mother to enrage Emperor Father, but begging Queen Mother to let Yu’er go out of the palace tonight. Only one night! I will go to ask Cousin to bring up a proposal of marriage in front of Emperor Father. As long as cousin proposes, Emperor Father will surely agree. Queen Mother, it is Yu’er’s last chance. Please help Yu’er!” Tears beaded down the Fifth Princess’ cheeks, and she looked at the Empress helplessly with tearful eyes.

Her grieved look, shaky body, bloodless face, plus the ghastly bloodstain all twirled the Empress’ heart and made her almost fall down. If it weren’t for the palace maids, the Empress’ legs were so weak that she would have hardly stood.

“Why did her Yu’er, the noblest princess of the Qin Kingdom, have to marry the First Prince of the Yan Kingdom? The man was just a prince. And her Yu’er should marry the crown prince, become the Empress in the future, and enjoy the wealth and rank for good.”

“Yu’er, only one night, what can you do? If your cousin really has a crush on you, will he wait till now? Since the thing has come to that, Yu’er, why do you bother to cause so much trouble to upset your Emperor Father?” The Empress suppressed the stinging pain in her heart and waved her hand, and then, all the palace maids and eunuchs retreated out.

When the palace door was closed gently, the Fifth Princess struggled to sit up and said with tears and emotions, “Queen Mother, only for this time. As long as Queen Mother frees me this time, I will promise to return to the palace tomorrow. No matter what the result is, I will give up the idea forever. If Emperor Father still insists on my marrying the First Prince of the Yan Kingdom, Yu’er will follow his order willingly.”

“What if your cousin is still unwilling to marry you?” A hint of viciousness flashed in the Empress’ eyes. She would not just sit by to see that her beloved daughter was overwhelmed with sorrow, as her daughter failed to get the one she longed for.

“Queen Mother, could you tell me what I should do? I have been framed in such a condition by Mo Xuetong, that bitch. I will take revenge certainly.” The Fifth Princess said in tears. But when she turned around to wipe her tears, cruel light shot out of her eyes. “With the Queen Mother’s assistance, it’s not so easy for Cousin to refuse to marry me! Cousin is mine! Whoever dares to have a mind on him must die!”

“Okay, I will prepare things for Yu’er in a moment. You can take them to find your uncle out of the palace to see if he can help you. As for Mo Xuetong, the little bitch, I will avenge you for sure. Does she fancy herself with noble status? I will let her unable to marry anyone else, but just be a concubine, a concubine of your Ling family’s cousin…” The Empress’ sepulchral voice sounded more vicious in the empty main hall. Even in the dark corner where the candles failed to light, there seemed to be a ghost shadow flickering faintly…

“Being Ling Mingfeng’s concubine? So I will torture her as I like.” The possibility cheered up the Fifth Princess, and a hint of cruelty flashed in her eyes.

At that moment, no one noticed that a person in black hanging upside down out of the palace. But the person disappeared instantly from the dark.

It was at night in Bai Yihao’s mansion.

Suddenly a flame burst into flames, and rose into the sky to light up the whole night.

Bai Yihao’s mansion was presented by Emperor Zongwen. Although only Bai Yihao lived there, there were a number of servants there. Compared to those of the King Yan’s, the King Chu’s, and the King Xuan’s, Bai Yihao’s was not inferior in any respect. Obviously, it could reveal that Emperor Zongwen did have a very high opinion of his nephew. Or in other words, Emperor Zongwen’s favor demonstrated his attitude.

If there was no accident, Bai Yihao would be the future Emperor Yan. Although the ties of kin mattered, nothing could compare to the territory dominion. Therefore, courting Bai Yihao meant courting the future Emperor Yan. As for such an economical thing that could yield long-term interests, Zongwen was really good at it.

All the articles in the Bai Yihao’s mansion were precious: some were presented by Emperor Zongwen, some by the Empress, and some by the Empress Dowager. Of course, he himself also added some. According to Bai Yihao’s refined taste, the things he replenished were all valuable.

For example, the blue and white flat bottle with farming pictures on it, the yellow and pink two-ear vase colored blossoms of four seasons, the brush pot made by rosewood, the censer carved with a green dragon, and so forth… At that moment, the guards did not know which one should be rescued firstly. The scene in the fire was chaotic where occasionally the guards would collide each other and picked up the broken utensils together.

“Master, it is the white jade box as you said.” A guard rushed out hurriedly. Bai Yihao strode up to take the jade-carved casket from the guard. Bai Yihao pressed his finger on the dark button. Then, the box opened abruptly, and there was only a scrap of paper folded into a square inside, which looked a bit dated.

“Well, let them fight the fire here. I will stay with my big brother tonight.” In the flames, Bai Yihao smiled. Although he smiled as gently as usual, this time his smile revealed some more genuine warmth, as if he had returned from heaven to the ground. He was no longer the inaccessible beautiful boy.

His smile was so indolent and comfortable!

The guards did not understand what his master meant, as the mansion had been burnt so heavily. How could the master still be so idle? The guard watched open-mouthed as his master walked out leisurely, and then, the guard suddenly collected himself and followed up hastily. Some of the other guards put down the things in the hands and followed as well. Based on Bai Yihao’s current status, it was worrying to let him go to Bai Yichen’s mansion alone.

Therefore, some more people followed him secretly.

In the Bai Yichen’s mansion. He had just received a letter and hurried out. Someone had hidden in the corner and seen him leave, then, the person returned to the mansion beside in a hurry.

In the courtyard sat the Fifth Princess, Feng Xueyu!

“The fire broke out there. Will my cousin come here?” The Fifth Princess asked complacently. The flame ascended to the sky and lit up the whole night. How could the Fifth Princess not notice it? She knew well that since the cousin’s mansion was burned, he would go to find Bai Yichen for sure. In such an awful situation, if the blood brothers did not unite together, they would be thought ill of. The Fifth Princess believed her cousin was so clever that he could not do such a stupid thing.

“His Highness is coming here, and the First Prince has gone out of his mansion.” The scout replied, as he witnessed Bai Yichen left the mansion.

“Okay, then it’s time for me to go there.” The Fifth Princess smiled triumphantly. She held the palace maid’s hands and stood up slowly. Her pink dress made her look tenderer and lovelier. The makeup on her crystal face was just perfect. Her white neck was immaculate without any bloodstain. Her delicate appearance did catch one’s eyes.