Chapter 291: Chapter 209: My Name Is Lu Mingyuan, Crown Prince of Great Yan; Today I Am Formally Instated to Speak for the Nation

The Court’s decision was scorned by many.

But there was nothing they could do to change the outcome.

「Early in the morning.」

Qi Muxue had already arrived at the palace, her steps hurried. She had clearly been unsettled by the news spreading through the Imperial Capital.

"Husband."

Qi Muxue was dressed in a simple, ink-wash-colored gown, her figure graceful. Her hair draped lightly over her shoulders; she wore no makeup, her features dignified and her vermilion lips naturally lustrous.

Compared to her usual self, the Qi Muxue of today lacked her grand and dignified air. Instead, a shadow of melancholy clouded her brow.

Having not seen her for some time, Lu Mingyuan thought that she looked considerably more haggard.

Her usual radiance was gone, replaced by the frail and pitiable beauty of an ailing maiden.

Yes, ailing.

But it was not a sickness of the body, but of the heart.

That was why her emotions were written so plainly on her face.

"My husband... I heard that you’re to be married to the Great Nether Empress, to join her household?"

Qi Muxue asked, her voice laced with anxiety. Tears welled in her eyes, which were already red-rimmed, as if she had been crying earlier.

It was no wonder she was like this.

Other than the members of the Cabinet and Lu Mingyuan himself,

almost no one knew the secret of the "bait and switch" plan.

Even many high-ranking officials of the Great Yan Court had been taken in.

Seeing her like this, Lu Mingyuan’s heart ached. It pained him to see the woman he loved so distressed. He walked over, wiped away her tears, and said guiltily, "Muxue, you’ve suffered so much lately."

"This matter isn’t as simple as it seems. You can’t trust what the Court has said."

He explained, trying to soothe her.

’So that’s Lu Mingyuan’s principal wife?’

From a short distance away, Yun Qinghe, disguised as the maid Bai He, watched the scene unfold. She turned and asked Zi Yun, who was beside her.

Zi Yun nodded slowly. "Yes, that is the Princess Consort."

"So, Lu Mingyuan likes the frail, delicate type," Yun Qinghe said, pursing her lips. She blinked, her mind clearly making some kind of comparison.

In the moments that followed, Lu Mingyuan gave Qi Muxue a general outline of the Cabinet’s plan to use an imposter.

Qi Muxue threw her arms around Lu Mingyuan, her voice choked with sobs. "It’s only been a day, and so many people are talking..."

"The commoners... they’ve started cursing you."

"The students at the Academy are cursing you too."

"The entire Imperial Capital... is filled with condemnation."

"I was so terrified..."

Lu Mingyuan patted her on the back, comforting her.

"It’s normal for them to be angry. The Court’s hand was forced."

"Once the false prince marries into her family and the war ends, things will calm down after a while."

Lu Mingyuan could understand. After all, the people of Great Yan were proud. This pride wasn’t innate; it had been forged by the Grand Ancestor of Great Yan and Emperor Yong’an themselves.

Rising from humble origins, the Grand Ancestor swept through ten surrounding kingdoms, forging a fearsome reputation, seizing the Celestial Mandate, and establishing the might of Great Yan.

And now, today, who would have thought that Great Yan would see a day where it had to swallow its pride and compromise?

It could only be said that everyone—and every nation—has its moments of weakness and decline.

But for all the condemnation, curses wouldn’t change a thing.

After all, marrying off a Prince to secure twenty years of peace was far better than going to war. If Great Yan were to lose, hundreds of thousands of soldiers would die, and millions of civilians would be slaughtered.

Which of those two outcomes would provoke greater outrage?

"Does Your Highness also believe that Great Yan should agree to this political marriage?"

Just then, a saccharine-sweet, affected voice piped up.

Lu Mingyuan looked over and saw that it was Yun Qinghe who had spoken.

She was clearly being deliberately provocative, her expression one of playful artifice.

"And this is...?" Qi Muxue asked, letting go of Lu Mingyuan and turning to look at the pretty, yet rather aloof, young woman.

"A maid my mother sent over. Her name is Bai He," Lu Mingyuan explained.

He shot her a vicious glare. "Can’t you see that I am speaking with my wife? Do not interrupt."

"I... You..." Yun Qinghe hadn’t expected him to berate her like that.

She was stunned for a moment, but then she remembered she couldn’t reveal her identity. She had no choice but to swallow her indignation.

Yun Qinghe’s interruption, however, piqued Qi Muxue’s curiosity. "I’m also curious about the question Miss Bai He raised. Husband, do you truly believe that Great Yan should agree to this political marriage?"

As soon as she spoke, all the women in the courtyard turned to Lu Mingyuan, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Lu Mingyuan glanced at them, shook his head, and said with gravity, "Of course not."

"Look back at the history of Great Yan’s emperors. No matter how dire the situation, whether under a foolish ruler or a tyrant, even when facing the threat of annihilation, Great Yan has never resorted to a political marriage for peace. This isn’t a matter of face; it’s a matter of principle. The spine of the nation cannot be bent. If you allow it once, it will happen a second time. There can be absolutely no compromise."

"Cede five cities today, ten cities tomorrow, all for a single night’s peaceful sleep. What good is that?"

’How could I ever accept such a dangerous arrangement?’ he thought. ’To become the Great Nether Empress’s plaything and lose everything I have here? I would refuse it with every fiber of my being.’

’It would be more like it if the Great Nether Empress came here to be *my* plaything.’

When he finished, the women all nodded in deep agreement, finding his words profoundly reasonable.

A political marriage might maintain peace for a time,

but once the nation’s spine was bent, it could never stand tall again.

Lu Mingyuan glanced around, noticed someone was missing, and asked, "Why isn’t Huo Hongling here?"

Qi Muxue sighed. "She took her sword and went to the Ministry of Rites to demand answers about the marriage. I couldn’t stop her."

"What?"

Lu Mingyuan was stunned.

’She went to the Ministry of Rites with a sword?’

’That’s bold.’

’Isn’t Huo Hongling someone who always carefully weighs the pros and cons?’

’How does this benefit the Champion Marquis’s Mansion in any way?’ 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

And yet, for some reason, Lu Mingyuan felt a warmth spread through his chest.

"Husband, I feel so useless."