Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 639 - 637

After Xiao’er finished drawing, she started to explain: "This formation is based on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, arranged according to the technique of Qi Men Dun Jia. It contains forty-nine formations in all, with larger formations containing smaller ones, intertwining and superimposing on each other, extremely dangerous. To break this formation would be challenging, but not too difficult..."

Xiao’er explained in detail, and then redesigned another formation based on this one, with a total of one hundred and eight formations. Likewise, it had formations within formations, arranged like stars and chess pieces, changing unpredictably, leaving the Minister of War and Shangguan Xuanhao feeling bewildered.

The Emperor nodded from time to time, repeatedly praising her work.

Shangguan Xuanhao spent much of the explanation feeling lost. When he glanced at the Minister of War, he was relieved to see he looked just as confused. Looking at the Emperor’s expression, it seemed as if he was pretending to understand!

Shangguan Xuanhao couldn’t help asking: "Father, are you just pretending to understand?"

The Emperor was angered by this, responding harshly: "Get out!"

The sun moved westward, and Xiao’er continued to explain. Not until the stars were twinkling in the sky did she put down her pen, her final words falling with it.

The two diagrams were swiftly encrypted and sent away into the night by a grey hawk.

Di Shaowei received them on the third day! As he opened them and looked, the more excited he became, marveling, it was just ingenious!

Time flew like an arrow, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye, with good news continually arriving from the northwest.

Meanwhile, on the border of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

The long bride-escorting team had traveled for over half a month, and they were about to cross into the territory of Minze Country. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Zhuge Meiyu sent someone to look inside the fort. The Third Prince had promised to wait for her in the fort and personally escort her back to the Imperial Capital, to give her the wedding ceremony of her dreams.

Thinking about this, her heart was filled with joy.

The time she had spent in Eastern Jin Dynasty was terribly suffocating. Her elder brother thought she was shameless, disgracing his reputation, and distanced himself from her, treating her differently than before.

Her father, too, was ashamed of her actions, feeling that she had disgraced him in a foreign country. He confined her to the palace, not allowing her out at will.

She had finally endured until her wedding day, only to find her dowry pitifully small. Compared with Shangguan Wanru, her dowry made her seem like she wasn’t even the Emperor’s biological daughter!

She went to her father seeking an explanation, but shockingly, he claimed it was already merciful of him not to cut ties with her, despite still providing her a dowry!

This was utterly intolerable!

She had her pride, too! Upon hearing this, Zhuge Meiyu stopped arguing, waiting for their day of regret!

Once she married into Minze Country, and became the wife of the Third Prince, and even future Empress of Minze Country, there will come a day when they beg her for favors!

At that time, she will pay them back for the humiliation she endured today! Virulent thoughts swirled in Zhuge Meiyu’s mind as she sat in the carriage.

Soon, the person she’d sent to investigate returned.

"What did you say? Say it again!" Dressed in a wedding dress, Zhuge Meiyu drew back the carriage curtain, her face filled with disbelief.

"Princess, I found out, the Third Prince of Minze Country committed suicide by biting his own tongue!" Zhuge Meiyu’s guard knelt on one knee to report.

"Commit suicide by biting his own tongue? How is that possible! How could he, a dignified prince, be so desperate to do such a stupid thing!" Zhuge Meiyu shook her head in disbelief.

That man had great ambitions. He was the one who held her hand and faced the admiration of thousands of people! How could he possibly commit suicide!

If he was dead, what would she do?

Zhuge Meiyu sat back in the carriage: "You’re lying, right? You’re joking with me?"

Seeing her bowed head, Zhuge Meiyu’s guard replied: "Your subordinate wouldn’t dare."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Meiyu grabbed a teacup from the small table and threw it at him: "What wouldn’t you dare! What wouldn’t you dare!"

The guard’s forehead instantly started bleeding.

"Princess, shouldn’t we first ascertain why the Third Prince of Minze Country committed suicide by biting his tongue? Could there be a mistake in this report?" Birou, noticing that Zhuge Meiyu was venting out all her anger on the guard, hurriedly offered this advice.

Ever since the princess returned to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, her temper had grown increasingly unbearable.

Snapping back to reality, Zhuge Meiyu hastily demanded, "Speak! What on earth happened?"

The guard relayed the information he had gathered.

"Forced into the palace?" After quite awhile, Zhuge Meiyu finally found her voice, barely managing to utter these two words.

Forced into the palace she could understand, but how could he fail in doing so!

He failed to seize control and then bit his own tongue in suicide. Now that he is dead, what will happen to her, who is already half-married?

Having married halfway through and then having her husband die, wouldn’t everyone think she’s a husband-killer?

Now that her father and brother are both disgusted with her, what is she to do in the future?

Unable to bear her sorrow, Zhuge Meiyu covered her face and cried, wondering why her life was so full of misery. She had relinquished a prince from Nangong Country to marry a prince from an even wealthier country, but who would have thought things would turn out like this!

Upon hearing this, Birou was also shocked. Was the Third Prince of Minze Country insane? How could he do things that a sane person wouldn’t?

It was clear that among all the sons, he had the least power. Others hadn’t dared to force their way into the palace, so how could he be foolish enough to attempt something so reckless?

Birou expressed her confusion.

Swallowing hard, Birou softly inquired, "Princess, then what should we do? Do we still go ahead with the marriage?"

The bridal procession surely can’t keep waiting halfway down the road! It will block traffic!

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Meiyu lifted her head and snapped, "Marry whom? The man is dead. Am I supposed to marry a chicken?"

Hearing this, Birou quickly lowered her head. The guards and accompanying maids outside also hastily lowered their heads, wanting to laugh but not daring to do so.

After crying for a while, Zhuge Meiyu finally stopped the tears. She realized that the Third Prince’s death was just that. After all, she wasn’t pregnant, and other than her own family, no one in the Eastern Jin Dynasty knew about their relationship. All she had to do was find another wealthy family to marry into. It was undoubtedly better than becoming a widow in Minze Country.

And so, she loudly ordered, "Return to the palace!"

Upon Zhuge Meiyu’s command, the bridal procession immediately turned around.

Watching the impressive procession turn back, Birou felt uneasy. It wasn’t appropriate for the Princess, who hadn’t married, to act so ostentatiously.

Those unaware might think she was incredibly happy about it.

Birou bit her lip, suggesting, "Princess, how about we return quietly first? The rest can catch up at a slower pace."

Naturally, the rest Birou referred to was the procession carrying the dowry.

Hearing this, Zhuge Meiyu quickly nodded in agreement, "Yes, we can’t return like this! We need to pretend as though all our belongings have been robbed!"

Her father and brother already disliked her, so if she were to bring this dowry back, it would surely be taken away from her. They had given her this dowry only because she would be marrying a prince from Minze Country. She didn’t know who she would marry next or the standing of the person. There’s no question that the dowry from her father wouldn’t be as generous as this one!

As long as she hid this dowry, the next time she married, her father would have to give her another dowry. Adding both together, the total would represent a considerable fortune! It would indeed uphold her status as a princess!

Zhuge Meiyu felt that the only silver lining in the Third Prince’s death was this!

Birou: ...