It had been days since Prince Rong Yuan and Princess Moyin's wedding. Prince Rong intentionally remained in Hengling, the home of his bride so that he could attend the wedding of his longtime friend, Prince Lianyi.
Prince Rong Yuan and Prince Lianyi had been close friends for many years. Since Hengling was closer to Xiyue than Yunhai was, Rong Yuan decided it was best to stay and wait until the wedding day arrived.
Now, only two days remained before the ceremony. Emperor Zhaokun, along with Prince Rong Yuan and Princess Moyin, set out for Xiyue accompanied by several royal guards.
The journey was long, but peaceful. Before they reached Xiyue, night had already fallen, the eve of the wedding.
The Decorations of Xiyue Palace was beautiful.
The palace glowed like a jewel beneath the moonlight. Red lanterns hung from swaying gently with the night breeze. Silk banners in gold and crimson fluttered along the palace walls. The wide courtyard was decorated with rows of lanterns shaped like lotus flowers, their warm light reflecting on the polished stones like dancing stars.
The trees had been wrapped with thin strings of tiny lights that shimmered like fireflies. Everywhere, servants were arranging fresh flowers. The air smell good.
Emperor Huojin personally came out to receive them. He welcomed them warmly, and after brief greetings, the guests were escorted to their chambers to rest for the night.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the kingdom…
In another part of Xiyue, a beautiful girl disguised herself as a man. She wrapped a dark cloak around her slim body and slipped out of her mansion quietly.
"I can't continue to live in this kingdom she whispered bitterly, "not when everywhere I go, people point at me."
The incident at Xie Leng's house had become the talk of the entire kingdom. And worst of all, Mimi, the girl she had tried so hard to destroy, was now marrying to the only man her heart had ever loved.
The more Yue Rong thought, the faster the tears rolled down her cheeks.
What broke her most was her father's words.
After the night she was drugged, she had tried desperately to hide it from him. But news has its own wings. Not long after, her father had already heard everything.
His words still echoed sharply in her mind.
He had stormed into her room two days ago:
Shouting, "I warned you to stay away from Mimi and Lianyi, but you would not listen.
I wanted the prince for you. I knew the benefits that marriage could bring our family.
I was ready to support you, until I had a dream.
In the dream, Mimi sat on a seat. She was sitting on it before you came , but you wanted the chair so badly that you began pushing her away.
You pushed her until she fell, but she fell into Prince Lianyi's arms. Then he crowned her. While you fell to the ground, and people were laughing at you.
What you didn't see was that as you were pushing Mimi, a young, handsome man, someone familiar, was also trying to place a crown on you. But you fell before his hands could reach you.
You know me, Yue Rong. When I dream, it comes to pass. That is why I warmed you, to stay away from they, you couldn't listened.
Now you have not only destroyed yourself, you have dragged the family name down as well.
I have resigned as General… you forced me to resign."
The more Yue Rong remembered his voice, the harder she cried.
"If only I had been a little patient… things could have been different," she whispered shakily. "But I truly loved Lianyi. And he chose Mimi. What else could I have done?"
"Mimi, my childhood friend."
She remembered the day Mimi was sent to the palace to learn medicine from the Royal Healer. Mimi had no proper clothes. Yue Rong had share her own clothes into two, giving the better half to Mimi so the palace maids wouldn't mock her.
That was before her father became a general. Back then, Mimi's father was just a poor farmer.
He had been in the fields one day when the village was attacked. Yue Rong's father, the general at the time, was severely wounded. With the little knowledge he had picked up while helping the soldiers and listening during training, Mimi's father was able to guide the soldiers and save them. Because of that, he was made the assistant general. Her father had been proud of him.
They were close friends, until Yue Rong fell in love with Prince Lianyi… and the prince fell in love with Mimi instead.
Jealousy poisoned her heart. She began hating Mimi, spreading falsehoods, and slowly breaking the friendship between the two families. That was how she finally separate the two friends.
Now remembered the handsome man she had been forced to sleep with that night. A bitter smile touched her lips.
"How can a beast be that handsome?" she murmured. "He defiled me without shame," she murmured.
Thinking about everything that have happened made her feel even more foolish. She stayed hidden in the shadows until she found a carriage transporting goods to various villages. With the little money she had managed to gather, she paid the driver.
She climbed aboard.
She didn't know her destination, only that she had to leave Xiyue behind.
The next morning, Madam Yue entered Yue Rong's room, but she wasn't there. She checked the toilet; she wasn't there either.
Where could she be? she thought as she continued to pace around the room.
Then her eyes caught a piece of paper on the table. She picked it up. It had only a few words written on it:
"Mimi, don't forgive me.
Just live well and be happy.
From Yue Rong."
Madam Yue stared at the note, her hands trembling slightly.
For a moment, she didn't even breathe.
"Yue Rong… what have you done?" she whispered, her voice barely steady.
Her heart pounded painfully as she looked around the empty room again, as if her daughter would suddenly appear from the shadows. But the silence only grew heavier.
She dropped into the nearest chair, the note still clutched tightly in her hand.