An Eight-year-old Princess

Chapter 145 Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow (Part One)

All the people present turned pale. Emperor Ning seemed surprised. Behind him, half the officials had

lowered their heads. If they could, they would have buried themselves beneath the ground. There was

a hint of happiness in some officials' eyes. Yun Shang made a note of who was happy.

"Grand Councilor Li! Are you here to cause me trouble? You are the leader of the civil officials. I know

you look down upon us military officers. You regard us as illiterate; I still respected you though. Today, I

appreciated your presence at my birthday party, but how could you do such a thing in my mansion?

What a shame! Your Majesty, please make a decision." Prince Jing angrily glared at Grand Councilor Li

and then complained to Emperor Ning.

Grand Councilor Li who was dressed only in his tunic, felt ashamed. Emperor Ning snickered. He then

frowned and said, "Grand Councilor Li, you made a mistake. After all, Lady Cangyang is an honorable

guest from the State of Yelang. Why did you…?" After a pause, Emperor Ning sighed. His eyes were

filled with disappointment.

Yun Shang gazed at Cangjue Qingsu. He frowned but didn't speak. He seemed lost in thought. She

turned and saw that the whole tribe from Grand Councilor's Mansion were scared. The wife of the

Grand Councilor looked pale. She watched the scene in disbelief.

Grand Councilor Li ground his teeth. Then he knelt and spoke, "I apologize. Your Highness, I am sorry.

As for Lady Cangyang, I was intimate with her and have ruined her reputation. So I will take her as my

concubine."

It was not until she heard those words that Cangyang Yu'er got over her shock. The amazement in her

eyes was evident. Yun Shang knew Cangyang Yu'er was aiming for the Emperor. She thought,

'Cangyang Yu'er, your scheme failed again. After you couldn't tempt Prince Jing, you turned to my

father. Maybe it's Cangjue Qingsu that planned all this. There were few servants in Prince Jing's

Mansion. However, there were many hidden guards. How could I get no news of what she and her

maid discussed?'

Cangyang Yu'er looked upset and worried. Yun Shang sneered, and her mouth twitched, 'Qian Yin said

that Cangyang Yu'er was reluctant to seduce Emperor Ning. He has reached middle age. However, he

is still handsome. If her trick had succeeded, she would have enjoyed a higher status like Lady Jin. So

she complied. She didn't expect to have an intimate relationship with an old man at such a declining

age. The Grand Councilor is the leader of all the officials. But he is subordinate to the Emperor. I guess

she is unwilling to accept her failure.'

Cangyang Yu'er gritted her teeth and wanted to explain. However, she had to cover her private parts

because she was lying naked on the ground. If she spoke, she would be a bigger laughing stock. 'Do I

have to marry the old man?'

Cangyang Yu'er thought in annoyance. Her maid had told her that Emperor Ning had entered that

room. 'It was dark. I was so nervous that I didn't confirm the identity of the man on the bed. I never

thought … No, I am a young girl. I shouldn't waste the rest of my life on the aging Grand Councilor.'

Cangyang Yu'er opened her mouth and was about to speak, but Cangjue Qingsu preempted her. He

said, "It is unknown how this happened. Since Grand Councilor Li has promised to take Yu'er, I agree.

But I have to say that she is our honorable Chief Councillor's sworn daughter. If he knew what © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

happened, he would be quite upset."

Grand Councilor Li gnashed his teeth in anger. He was not a fool. He knew Cangjue Qingsu mediated

to have him on board. The Prince had stressed on the identity of Cangyang Yu'er to force the Grand

Councilor to marry her. 'Cangyang Yu'er is a girl from another state. It's not proper to take her as a

concubine, not to mention as my wife.' He thought.

"Your Highness, I know I offended Lady Cangyang, but my wife married me forty years ago. She is

tolerant and generous. She excels in virtue and handling domestic affairs. She also brought up five

children. I can't divorce her and abandon my children…" Grand Councilor Li bowed to Emperor Ning

and begged in a low voice.

Emperor Ning smiled and thought to himself, 'Grand Councilor Li and his wife respect each other and

her status has been stable for so many years. She must be a resourceful woman. Cangyang Yu'er is

young and beautiful, but spoiled. What would happen if they lived under a roof?'

"Don't worry. It's indeed a complex problem. Your wife has always been a good model to the ladies in

the Imperial City. But Lady Cangyang has a high status. Why don't you marry her? She and your wife

will be equal in status. This will be a?win-win solution." Emperor Ning suggested in a low voice.

The onlookers were startled by the solution. They thought, 'Marry her? It's indeed the best way, but

…… Is she fit for the position of wife of the Grand Councilor?' They looked at the still naked Cangyang

Yu'er on the ground.

Grand Councilor Li was absolutely furious, but he knew he had to accept the proposal. He thought, 'If I

refuse, I will suffer more. My reputation might be saved if I take her as my wife.' So he nodded and

replied, "Your Majesty."

Emperor Ning nodded. Now that the situation had been settled, the Emperor seemed to realize that the

couple was not well dressed. He shouted, "Servants, bring some clothes and get the Grand Councilor

and his new wife dressed."

Cangyang Yu'er's and Grand Councilor Li's servants that had been standing by went into the room.

They picked up the clothes and helped them get dressed.

Yun Shang smiled and thought, 'All the members of Li Clan will be laughed at for quite a long time.

As the leader of the civil officials, the Grand Councilor was intimate with a girl in another person's

mansion. It is a big gossip.'

Yun Shang looked up and made eye contact with Prince Jing. His expression hinted that he knew

something. Yun Shang was nervous. Her mouth twitched as she thought, 'I was too ecstatic with joy.'

Since the trouble had been solved, Emperor Ning stopped interfering. He waved his hand and said,

"I've sobered up. Many written reports have piled up on my table. I'll return to the Imperial Palace."

"Make way for His Majesty." All the people bowed or curtsied as the Emperor left.

When Emperor Ning had left, the crowds rose to their feet. Suddenly a loud scream was heard.

Everybody turned and saw Cangyang Yu'er naked again. She had risen so quickly that she slipped out

of her clothes. She had cried in embarrassment. It was an absolutely instinctive reaction. Once she

realized that she was being stared at again, she turned pale and at once rushed behind the screen.