Chapter 32 – Blackening of the sixth princess

In a panic, the servants quickly stopped the sedan chair, leaving Murong Lin no choice but to respond. With the clap of his hands, he signalled to the puppets carrying the sedan chair his intention to stay.

Bai Lao Bo pulled aside the curtains, allowing for Murong Lin to step out from within. On the other side, Murong Liu hopped off the sedan chair, running towards Murong Lin with a dissatisfied expression.

“Sixth sister, did someone irk you?” Murong Lin probed.

“Hmph! Who else can it be, it was that trash Sheng Yi!” Murong Liu couldn’t contain her curses, “Father expressed his wishes for me to marry him a few days back, so I decided to have a chat with him, but who would’ve expected that guy to bring back a woman from the remnants, isn’t he just blatantly insulting me!?”

“A woman?” Murong Lin’s eyebrows furrowed as he thought: A woman at a protagonist’s side could only be a harem member. Sister, you’ve been cucked!

“That’s right! I heard that that woman was a herb-gathering village lass! Murong Lin, you tell me, isn’t Sheng Yi purposefully taunting and humiliating me?” Murong Liu stomped her feet in anger, causing her two pigtails to sway cutely with her movements. 

“That’s right, what is Sheng Yi thinking?” Murong Lin agreed.

“Hmph! I, a princess, haven’t even rejected him yet and he dares to find a trashy girl to come and humiliate me? How could I, a princess, be humiliated like this! Murong Lin, you’re good at scheming, help me think of a way to deal with Sheng Yi!” Murong Liu’s face was completely red as she shouted.

Seeing the surrounding guards and female servants turn pale, Murong Lin quickly circulated his spiritual power to prevent their conversation from leaking.

“Sixth sister, this…it won’t be difficult to deal with that girl, but dealing with Sheng Yi wouldn’t be that easy.” Acting as though he was comforting her, Murong Lin started to subtly hint, “Sheng Guo Gong doted on his son even when he was a useless bookworm, but now that he started cultivating and showing potential, completely disassociated himself from the term, ‘trash’, don’t you think Sheng Guo Gong would dote on him even more?”

“Right, that old man seems friendly on the outside, but I heard my sisters say that he’s actually a cunning snake on the inside, that Sheng Yi guy is definitely cut from the same cloth as his old man!”

Murong Lin laughed coldly: All of your sisters are people from the four great families, do you think they would like Sheng Guo Gong? They’re probably praying for his downfall.

Murong Lin continued, “That’s correct, look, you need to consider Sheng Guo Gong if you want to deal with Sheng Yi. Father will definitely not stand on your side if Sheng Guo Gong remains in the neutral faction, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.”

“Aiya! Then what can I do! I don’t want to marry him, but I can’t beat him, so do I really let that thief, Sheng Yi, step all over me like this?” Murong Liu was frustrated.

The lips of Murong Lin’s mouth curled as he lowered his head to pretend he was deep in thought. After a while, he abruptly clapped his hands and started speaking again, “How about this, you can go talk to your sisters since they’re all around the same age, maybe you can ask for advice from someone that had gone through something similar before or someone that could understand your predicament.”

“Ah? Does that work? What would they know.” Murong Liu pouted as she thought.

“Ah, don’t say that. Think about this,  Sheng Guo Gong is an existence in the same Sky Reaching realm as our father. If he truly wanted you to marry his son, do you think anyone in the palace and our clan would disagree? If you don’t believe me, go and ask grandpa, see what he says.”

Murong Liu and Murong Lin’s grandpa was the previous Yan emperor, a man named Murong Dao. Despite being at the Sky Reaching realm, he had damaged his foundation a few years ago, and even with extensive medicinal treatment, his days were numbered. Of course, the old man naturally approved of the marriage between Murong Liu and Sheng Yi.

After all, using the marriage of a young girl to rope in a Sky Reaching realm expert at his peak was undoubtedly a profit for the Murong clan.

As for Murong Liu’s feelings, they had never considered whether or not she would be upset.

Ultimately, what mattered was the stability of the clan and the throne.

After thinking for a moment, Murong Liu nodded her head with all her strength, “I’ll go ask grandpa now, and see what he says.” And the moment she finished speaking, she quickly scurried back into her sedan chair, changing her destination to the Murong clan.

Watching Murong Liu’s leaving figure, Murong Lin retracted his spiritual power and dispelled the noise barrier he had created as an ambiguous smile appeared on his face.

Bai Lao Bo stood at the side, carefully choosing his words, “Your Highness, what is going on? Why did the sixth princess seem so unhappy?”

Turning away, Murong Lin casually responded, “Nothing much, she just doesn’t want to get married to Sheng Yi and came to ask me something.”

“Let’s go back to the palace, I have a feast to attend tonight.” Murong Lin walked towards his sedan chair.

Bai Lao Bo followed closely behind, and they slowly made their way out of the imperial court together.

As for Murong Liu, the situation played out exactly like Murong Lin predicted.

Everything was smooth at first, Murong Liu arrived at their grandpa’s courtyard and spotted Murong Dao seated on a rocking chair, basking in the sunlight.

His days were numbered and his body was deteriorating, now that he was susceptible to the cold, he could only feel alive when enveloped under the glow and warmth of sunlight. 

Murong Liu cutely went to his back, helping him massage his shoulders and legs.

Murong Dao had a head full of white hair and an aged complexion, the sheer number of wrinkles on his face resembling the rippling of water, and a few locks of beard hair decorating his chin.

Seeing how eager Murong Liu was and the bitter expression on her face, he immediately sensed that something was amiss. With a bitter smile, he asked first, “Liu’er, did you visit your grandpa today to ask for something?”

Murong Liu’s bitter expression instantly vanished as her hands stopped, she quickly knelt down at Murong Diu’s side and spoke, “Grandpa, I don’t want to marry that kid Sheng Yi!”

Hearing what she had to say, Murong Dao was stunned, but he quickly put on a stern expression, “Your willfulness will not change the outcome, your father has already been convinced. You must obediently listen to us this time. Tell me, what’s wrong with marrying Sheng Yi? Ah?”

“No! Grandpa, I don’t like Sheng Yi, why must I marry him!” Murong Liu objected.

“Hmph! Feelings can be nurtured, cough cough, but we must bring Sheng Guo Gong to our side. By accepting this marriage, you will also be able to repay the family’s care for you all these years.”

Murong Liu couldn’t help but ask, “Then, why Sheng Yi?”

“Just because his father is in the Sky Reaching realm! Is that enough? Leave, this matter has been decided, and you will have no choice but to accept it. Your marriage will be arranged in the next few months when the time is right.”

In Yan, the age of maturity was 16, a marriageable age.

“Hmph! Grandpa, I hate you!” Murong Liu stood up abruptly, her eyes red, “I knew you all would be like this!”

And she ran away the moment she finished speaking, her appearance pitiful as tears streaked her face. 

“Liu’er ah, grandpa wants the best for you, you’ll understand when you’re older.” Murong Dao looked at her back as he mumbled, “I hope you won’t do anything rash to affect the reputation of the Murong clan.”

Running out of the courtyard, Murong Liu held her face as viciousness flashed in her eyes, “Just because his father is at the Sky Reaching realm? Sky Reaching realm, Sky Reaching realm, hah! You’re all bullying me, you’re all lying to me! Father refuses to see me, and I, I-I’ll definitely show that Sheng Yi what he’s dealing with!”

“I, the sixth princess, Murong Liu, will never ever marry Sheng Yi!”