Chapter 3: The Imperial Edict Declares a Marriage to the Princess
Mo Shuihan felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. He hurriedly bowed his head and refused: “Princess, please forgive my boldness. Although I am not betrothed, my heart is already set. Your Highness is beautiful and of noble birth, you will surely find a worthy young man to match you. I beg Your Highness to reconsider.”
Princess Nine’s face darkened. “Do you think you are too good for me?”
She had already humbled herself, yet this newly appointed top scholar was so obtuse. Could it be that she, a princess, wasn’t good enough for him?
Mo Shuihan found Princess Nine exceedingly difficult. He had already made his position clear; any other woman would have given up by now. Why did she insist on pressing the matter?
“It is I who am unworthy of the Princess!”
Princess Nine had tried a gentle approach, but Mo Shuihan remained so stubborn that she could no longer contain her temper. “Mo Shuihan, don’t push your luck! I am giving you the honor of becoming my consort. Do you believe I can’t have you beheaded right now?”
Mo Shuihan lowered his head. Though silent, his stubborn and distant attitude clearly showed his resistance.
Feng Jingchen and Cheng Yang quietly tugged at his sleeves. Princess Nine was always proud. The Emperor had arranged several matches for her, but she had driven them all away. Now, for some unknown reason, she had set her sights on Mo Shuihan. If he refused, given Princess Nine’s past behavior, she might truly have him executed.
Mo Shuihan was filled with regret and anxiety: He should have feigned illness today. Now he was caught in a difficult situation, and whatever he did, it seemed like a death sentence!
Seeing him kneeling there, unyielding in death, Princess Nine stamped her foot in anger: “You are utterly incorrigible!”
Then she ran off. The palace servants and guards glared at Mo Shuihan before rushing after the Princess.
Feng Jingchen slumped to the ground: “It’s over!”
Cheng Yang also pushed Mo Shuihan, who remained kneeling and motionless: “What are you being so stubborn about? Now it’s all over. That spoiled princess is surely furious. They say the Emperor dotes on Princess Nine. Years ago, the son of Prince Rui was beheaded for a few offensive words to her. Aren’t you courting death?”
Mo Shuihan sighed sadly: If he had any choice, he wouldn’t have been so foolish. Now it seemed he would die before achieving anything!
Princess Nine stormed into the Imperial Study. Two eunuchs blocked her way: “Your Highness, His Majesty is discussing state affairs. No one is allowed to enter.”
Princess Nine shoved them aside: “Get out of my way. My business is more urgent than state affairs.”
The Emperor heard the commotion and called out: “What is all the shouting?”
Before the eunuch could answer, Princess Nine pushed open the door and burst in: “Father, I want to marry Mo Shuihan!”
Only then did she notice several ministers in the room, staring at her in shock. The Emperor rebuked her softly: “Xiangxue, don’t be absurd!”
The ministers finally recovered their composure and bowed to the Princess. Song Xiangxue, though somewhat surprised, showed no embarrassment, instead declaring boldly: “I intend to marry Mo Shuihan!”
The Emperor glanced at the ministers, who dared not speak, and walked from behind his desk, pulling Song Xiangxue to the window. He then looked back at the silent ministers before whispering: “Mo Shuihan already has someone he loves, and he publicly refused your proposal. How can you, a princess who protects the nation, allow yourself to be so disrespected?”
Song Xiangxue cried out: “It’s precisely to save face that I must marry him. If news of my rejection gets out, I’ll lose face!”
The Emperor hastily hushed her several times: “Keep your voice down! Do you want everyone to know you were rejected?”
Song Xiangxue scoffed: “You already announced the marriage publicly. Every official in the court knows!”
Then she added angrily: “That hateful Mo Shuihan, he dared to refuse me repeatedly! If I don’t marry him, I’ll change my name!”
The Emperor looked at her askance: “Change your name? What would you change it to?”
Then he realized something was amiss: “You went to see him?”
Song Xiangxue gave a nervous laugh: “I couldn’t swallow my pride.”
The Emperor said: “I was going to send him far away. Don’t worry, he won’t be able to return to the capital. If you still can’t swallow your pride, find a way to strip him of his top scholar title. Why insist on marrying him?”
Song Xiangxue exclaimed: “That won’t do! Grandfather taught me when I was little: if you fall, you get back up in the same place. Mo Shuihan dared to reject me, so I must marry him. Then others will have nothing to say.”
The Emperor tried to persuade her, but Song Xiangxue, for some reason, was determined to marry Mo Shuihan.
Hong Shiyuan, the Right Minister, cautiously interjected: “Your Majesty, I believe the Princess is right. If Mo Shuihan is dismissed because of the rejection, people might think the royal family is petty, and it will damage the Princess’s reputation. If we follow the Princess’s suggestion, it would be a good way to silence the officials!”
Hong Shiyuan’s intention was actually to help Mo Shuihan. He had overheard the Emperor and Princess Nine’s conversation and felt sorry for Mo Shuihan’s talent and didn’t want his career ruined, so he made this suggestion.
Because the Emperor and Song Xiangxue had spoken loudly, others had inevitably heard, so the Emperor simply waved his hand: “You don’t understand.”
Song Xiangxue proudly looked at the Emperor: “I think the Right Minister is right, Father, just agree!”
The Emperor threw his sleeve down: “No!”
Song Xiangxue rolled her eyes, covered her face, and began to feign crying: “Then I’ll starve myself! I won’t eat from today!”
The Emperor angrily pointed at her: “You…”
Song Xiangxue cried even louder: “I won’t eat tomorrow either. If you don’t agree, I’ll starve myself until I die!”
The Emperor paced around, seeing she was still crying, and waved his hand: “Fine, fine, I agree!”
Song Xiangxue immediately lowered her hands, giggling as she shook the Emperor’s arm, acting cute: “Thank you, Father. I knew you loved me best.”
The Emperor helplessly tapped her nose: “You’re such a spoiled child.”
Mo Shuihan listlessly returned to the inn. Yu Guan and Yu Qi rushed forward to support him: “Sir, didn’t you go to the palace banquet? Why are you in such a state?”
Mo Shuihan hung his head dejectedly: “I’ve made a mess of things. Not only can I not take revenge, I’m afraid I won’t even be able to keep my life.”
The two were startled and quickly asked: “What happened?”
Mo Shuihan closed his eyes and sighed: “I refused the Emperor’s marriage proposal.”
A marriage proposal? The two exchanged glances and exclaimed: “Sir, how could you get married?”
Mo Shuihan took a deep breath, cheered himself up, and stood: “You two, before the palace demands an explanation, quickly pack your things and leave.”
Yu Guan shouted: “No, we’ll leave together. I can’t leave you, sir.”
Mo Shuihan frowned: “This isn’t a discussion, it’s an order.”
Yu Guan grabbed the curtain nearby: “Then I won’t leave either.”
Mo Shuihan turned to Yu Qi: “Take him away.”
Yu Qi lowered his head: “Sir, you are our master, more important than our lives. We cannot leave.”
Mo Shuihan sat down calmly and persuaded: “I can’t leave. If I leave, I’ll be a fugitive, and none of us will escape. Don’t forget, we still have revenge to take. If you don’t leave, who will take revenge? Uncle Qi? Or Master Huilai?”
Yu Guan and Yu Qi knelt down: “Sir, in our hearts, you are more important than revenge. Our mission is to protect you, even if it means death, we cannot leave.”
Mo Shuihan angrily glared at them: “You…”
At that moment, a voice came from outside: “Mo Shuihan, the new top scholar, come out to receive the imperial edict!”
The door was then pounded loudly, and the innkeeper shouted from outside: “Mr. Top Scholar, quickly come out to receive the edict!”
Mo Shuihan closed his eyes and sighed: “Now I can’t leave even if I want to.”
After tidying his clothes, Mo Shuihan calmly opened the door and saw several guards surrounding a eunuch in the lobby. He hurriedly knelt down: “This minister, Mo Shuihan, receives the edict.”
The eunuch glanced at him before opening the scroll: “Thus speaks the Emperor: By the Mandate of Heaven, it is decreed: The new top scholar, Mo Shuihan, is outstanding in talent and noble in character, which greatly pleases this Emperor. Now, Princess Nine, Song Xiangxue, is sixteen years old, beautiful and well-mannered. Therefore, this Emperor decrees that Mo Shuihan shall be the consort, and the wedding date shall be chosen soon. So ordered!”
Mo Shuihan was stunned, frozen in place. Yu Guan and Yu Qi were also dumbfounded. After the eunuch finished reading the edict, seeing Mo Shuihan motionless, he smiled and bent over to remind him: “Top Scholar, receive the edict!”
Mo Shuihan recovered his senses, looked at the eunuch, took a deep breath, and raised his hands: “This minister, Mo Shuihan, receives the edict.”
Now that the imperial edict had been issued, if he refused again, it would be considered treason, punishable by the execution of his entire family, although he no longer had one.