“But I am not willing!” Gu Jing hurriedly stepped forward and kneeled down, holding Qin Xin’s delicate body. “Father has already agreed to the marriage and issued a holy decree. The word of the Son of Heaven is worth more than gold.”
“Your Highness.” Qin Xin looked at Gu Jing with her teary eyes, leaning softly on him.
Empress Dowager Liu’s brows furrowed even tighter and a deep frown surfaced on her forehead.
Empress Wei was watching this scene calmly, picking up her teacup and taking a sip with a shallow smile on her face.
After the Yunguang incident, Empress Dowager Liu began to have doubts about the fortune Yunguang told about Qin Xin. If she really did not have a fortune of “prosperous husband and child”, then how could her lowly servant bloodline match up to a prince?!
When Empress Dowager Liu learned that it was Qin Xin who bought the telling from Yunguang, she was so furious that she called straight for the marriage to be canceled.
But their marriage was set by the emperor and Empress Dowager Liu did not want her son to break his promise. So, she came to discuss with Queen Wei and thought why not change the candidate instead. They could marry Qin Gui to Gu Jing.
Empress Dowager Liu said that the emperor had decreed the marriage to be between the first daughter of the Qin family who now happens to be Qin Gui. So, if they replaced her with Qin Gui, that would be the best way to set things right.
However, in Empress Wei’s opinion, this was a bad idea!
Gu Jing is a prince and has the blood of the Liu family running in his veins. Empress Dowager Liu had always been partial to him and sees Gu Jing as good in every way. Now, she also thinks that Qin Gui was not bad and wanted to bring them together.
However, Empress Wei did not think so. How could Gu Jing be worthy of Qin Gui!
Her Xiao Gui deserved a much better husband.
Qin Gui was sitting behavingly on a chair at the side, smiling at Empress Wei and revealing her light dimples.
Empress Wei felt soothed when she saw her niece, heart warming up at once and eyes turning sharp.
With a man like Gu Jing, it would be better to just leave him to Qin Xin!
Qin Gui could read the look in Empress Wei’s eyes.
She got up and bowed before saying righteously, “Empress Dowager, naturally, this great sin that Second Sister has committed makes her not fit to become a princess consort. So, why don’t I go back and convince Grandmother to have Second Uncle ask the emperor to break off this marriage?”
The emperor’s reputation can only be preserved by having the Qin family take the initiative to break off the marriage contract on the grounds that Qin Xin’s status was not worthy.
Qin Gui may be raised in the countryside, but in the end, the bloodline of the Wei and Qin families flowed in her veins, so her noble temperament was still worthy to match up to Jing’er.
Empress Dowager Liu looked between Qin Gui and Gu Jing. The more she looked at the two, the more they seemed to match. She thought to herself. If it was this way, then naturally nobody would privately discuss about the emperor going back on his word.
Empress Dowager Liu felt that her thinking was correct and nodded her head.
Qin Xin’s fists which were hidden beneath her sleeves clenched tightly and her gaze deepened.
She knew it, Qin Gui was jealous of her!
Qin Gui wanted to replace her!!
“Your Highness.” Qin Gui lifted up her small face and tears began to flow down her fair cheeks once again. Sobbing, she said, “I…”
Gu Jing’s heart felt like it was being grabbed hard by an invisible hand. The pain of it was unbearable.
He raised his eyes to glance at Qin Gui to the right, strong disgust laced deep underneath his eyes.
“I only wish to marry Qin Xin! Begging Grandmother to allow this!” Gu Jing said with a firm expression to Empress Dowager Liu. Imperial Grandmother should not be deceived!”
Gu Jing did not beg Empress Wei since he felt that she was the one who planned all this. Empress Wei was trying to break them up on purpose and shove Qin Gui onto him!
And so he chose to plead with Empress Dowager Liu instead.
Gu Jing was trying to tell Empress Dowager Liu not to listen to Empress Wei, but in Empress Dowager Liu’s ears, it sounded as if he was blaming her.
“Jing’er, think over this clearly! Not only did Qin Xin collude with Yunguang to spread her name in the capital, she even let Yunguang boast in front of me about her good fortune, that she would bring good luck to her husband and child. Such an ambitious woman has no right to marry into the royal family!”
Empress Dowager Liu looked at Gu Jing with a disappointed face.
She thought that she spoiled her grandson the most and treated her even better than Zhen’er, but instead, he disobeyed her for a woman covered in lies!
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