Seeing her so resistant to the throne, Dan Qing finally relaxed his heart.
Dan Qing carefully chose his words and said, "Before, because I missed you so much, I told Father Empress everything that happened in Mo Kingdom.
At first, he didn't believe me, until he saw your outstanding performance and how well you knew my preferences. He might have suspected you were Empress Qiao Ci, which is why he issued this imperial decree of marriage specifically stating you cannot serve in court..."
Qiao Ci paid no attention to the implied meaning of the imperial decree, nor did she wish to be an official. If she did, she would have taken the imperial examinations or joined the army, wouldn't that be the quickest path to wealth?
Seeing Dan Qing speak to her so cautiously, Qiao Ci smiled. She casually pushed the small black dog in his arms away, then reached out and tugged his sleeve, pulling him closer.
She made sure they were face to face, their gazes meeting, and said word by word, "You must know that I will never do anything that makes things difficult for you. Your family is my family. You don't need to be so cautious. With me, you can always trust."
You may not believe in light, but you can always believe in me.
Dan Qing leaned gently into Qiao Ci's embrace. What merit did he have to receive A'Ci's love? She was so powerful, so wonderful. Therefore, he wanted to treat her even better in his own way.
He raised his exquisitely carved little face, his eyes teary, and vowed, "A'Ci, in this life, I will be the one to have children for you. My body is very good, and having two children every three years won't be a problem. I couldn't give you a child in the previous life, but in this one, I must have them until you are satisfied~"
Qiao Ci's expression was a little... horrified.
She wanted to shake Dan Qing's shoulders and shout:
No need!
But she was a dignified person and could not do something so out of character. She merely said coldly, "Let nature take its course. We cannot force it."
Dan Qing thought she didn't want to pressure him and nodded obediently, "I'll listen to A'Ci."
The small dog, mercilessly swept to the ground, stared blankly at the sweet couple, questioning its very existence.
It finally understood why its form was that of a dog; it was here to be force-fed dog food!
Sensing its redundancy, the little dog felt utterly miserable. It wagged its tail dejectedly and returned to its basket to seek warmth.
Woof... Woof woof...
I'm still a little puppy...
Can you hug me, love me...
If only dog bodies could shed golden tears, then Qiao Ci could have made a fortune~
Dan Qing didn't stay long before returning to the palace with Dan Rong.
After seeing Dan Qing off with his reluctance, Qiao Ci returned to her bedroom. The little dog immediately wagged its head and tail to greet her, its excited little eyes seeming to say: It's just us now, can you spoil me now?
Qiao Ci couldn't help but chuckle, "Do you really think you're a dog?"
Little Spoon wasn't ashamed but rather proud. "I am indeed a chubby, adorable, and incredibly soft and cute little dog~"
Seeing its antics, Qiao Ci picked it up by the scruff of its neck and vigorously ruffled its little head with her other hand.
The small black dog immediately narrowed its eyes in enjoyment.
Remembering what Dan Qing had said about the imperial decree, it felt indignant on Qiao Ci's behalf. "Dan Qing's father is too ungrateful! If you wanted it, why would he fear you having ambitions after becoming an official!
Even alone, you could overthrow his entire dynasty! Hmph, they guard against you like you're a wolf, not realizing you are the most powerful supreme dragon~"
Qiao Ci hugged it to her chest and gently stroked it. Who could refuse a furry creature that was indignant on their behalf?
With the imperial decree of marriage issued, the high-ranking officials of Dan Kingdom all knew. When Qiao Wen heard that the woman who managed to get close to Dan Kingdom's most favored little prince was named Qiao Ci, her face stiffened considerably.
"Which Qiao Ci?" she asked a colleague with a strange expression.
That colleague, being adept at sucking up to superiors and knowing the animosity between Qiao Wen and Qiao Ci, said meaningfully, "Who else could it be but Qiao Ci? Minister Qiao should know best, after all, that Qiao Ci might very well be your own flesh and blood~"
Qiao Wen's old face stiffened, her eyes filled with disbelief.
A woman like Qiao Ci, who had nothing and was so ugly, would the Empress and Emperor Consort really marry their most beloved youngest son to her?
Because Qiao Shan had deliberately concealed it, Qiao Wen did not yet know of Qiao Ci's brilliant achievements in the arena matches. After leaving court, she joined her colleagues in revelry and heard them discussing the little prince's marriage.
"She, what merit does she have to be chosen as the little prince's wife?" Qiao Wen couldn't help but voice her thoughts.
The colleague looked at her in surprise, "Why else? Of course, it's because she is accomplished in both civil and military arts, is as beautiful as a goddess, and defeated all her rivals in the arena matches. Would the little prince marry her instead of your daughter Qiao Shan, who was beaten like a dog?"
"What?" Qiao Wen was shocked.
In the past few days, due to Qiao Ci's disturbance at the Qiao residence, she had been too embarrassed to face her colleagues, so she had been staying indoors and living in a daze, completely unaware of such a major event.
Qiao Shan had even participated in the little prince's martial arts competition for marriage?
She didn't tell me such a big thing!
The colleagues' teasing and gossiping gazes made Qiao Wen feel agitated. She hurriedly said goodbye and rushed home.
Qiao Shan had lost several teeth. After her injuries healed, she didn't dare to show off outside.
She spent all day trying to fix her teeth, otherwise, her speech would be slurred and unsightly, and even eating was tasteless.
"Where is Lin Zi'ang? I haven't seen him for days." Fullness led to lust, Qiao Shan asked Wenren Xue, who she had grown tired of after days of sleeping together.
Since he lost his martial arts skills, his stamina in other aspects had also weakened considerably, making it difficult for her to reach satisfaction.
"He has resigned from his position as a tutor and returned home to get married," Wenren Xue said plainly, clearly not very inclined to converse with her.
"What?" Qiao Shan shot up, her expression filled with angry disbelief. "He is my man, how can he marry another woman?"
Wenren Xue asked her with interest, "Then why have you been so hesitant to marry him? His body has already been given to you, and he is not young anymore. Do you know that people around him are constantly pointing fingers at him?"
"My principal husband must be someone of great importance in Dan Kingdom. He is merely a tutor, and my mother would never agree! His purity has already been given to me, and I'd like to see who dares to marry him!" Qiao Shan's face darkened at the thought of her man marrying someone else.
"If you couldn't give him a proper status, why did you defile his body?" The more she interacted with Qiao Shan, the more she discovered her selfishness and arrogance.
She didn't know which eye of hers was blind to have stooped to her level!
Heh, and her principal husband must be someone of great importance in Dan Kingdom? Who? Little Prince Dan Qing? Qiao Ci is a thousand times better than you!
Anyway, ever since she didn't pay the ransom to redeem herself, Wenren Xue couldn't stand her, and if it weren't for hiding from his enemies, he would have gone out to enjoy himself long ago.
"It is his honor to have had his body taken by me. I am the female lead, and following me, his future glory and wealth are assured! I didn't expect him to be so impatient!" Qiao Shan snorted coldly, already planning a hundred ways to retaliate against the scumbag Lin Zi'ang.