"Can you save me?"
Heaven knew how much Yu Huiyan yearned to break free from Liang Yuchuan! That man was a brute who tortured her in every possible way.
Back then, she was at least the daughter of a princess, of a higher birth than Song Wanchu. Now, Song Wanchu had become a princess, shining brightly, while Yu Huiyan had been tortured beyond recognition.
She was well - aware that she could no longer compare with Song Wanchu. All she wanted was to escape from the devil Liang Yuchuan and live out the rest of her life in peace.
Liang Yuzhou was straightforward. "Come with us to a place. There are some old misunderstandings that you need to clarify."
Without hesitation, Yu Huiyan agreed.
...
At the time of Weishi, the prince's wedding procession arrived at the Rong family's old mansion.
Supported by two female officials, Cheng Simian walked out of the house. Normally, the prince should have held her hand and led her to the sedan chair, then carried her into it. But the prince swooped in and picked her up in his arms right away.
Cheng Simian never expected that the always - steady and proper prince would deviate from the rules right from the start of the wedding procession. Losing her balance, she instinctively wrapped her arms around the prince's neck.
The two female officials were startled and wanted to stop him. But the prince, with a gentle smile, was already striding out. They exchanged a look and decided not to restrain the prince on such a minor matter.
All the way to the sedan chair, although Cheng Simian was wearing a veil, she could still feel countless eyes on her. Sensing her nervousness, the prince whispered, "I just want to hold you a bit longer. Don't mind them."
The prince had always attached great importance to rules and etiquette. But on this most etiquette - conscious occasion of his wedding, he chose to break the rules.
Cheng Simian seemed to catch a glimpse of another side of him. Not the prematurely - mature, solemn and imposing prince, but Lu Sihong, a man with delicate emotions, whose joy and sorrow could be affected by her, and who didn't care about the strict royal rules, a more vivid and real Lu Sihong.
She instinctively leaned her head against his shoulder. In her heart, marrying the prince was a mere formality. But marrying Lu Sihong was a sincere union. She was not only marrying the future emperor but also a man who loved her.
The wedding procession was grand, stretching for miles. The eight - bearer sedan chair was made of golden nanmu, carved with patterns of dragons and phoenixes. The sedan - chair carriers were carefully selected and highly skilled. Along the way, the sedan chair moved smoothly.
However, Cheng Simian was extra vigilant about the outside. Her back was rigid, her fingers curled tighter and tighter. There were two wrinkles on the knee of her gorgeous wedding dress.
When passing by the Starry Sky Tower, the prince casually glanced in the direction of the second floor. A window on the second floor was open, and Liang Yuzhou poked his head out, locking eyes with the prince from afar. The prince understood his look. He withdrew his gaze and continued riding forward.
The prince's wedding was a grand occasion. Almost all the people in the capital came out to watch. The two sides of the long street were crowded with people as far as the eye could see. There were over a thousand guards just to maintain order.
Suddenly, a group of people dressed as commoners but wielding sharp blades rushed out of the crowd and lunged at the prince's horse and the sedan chair.
"The prince is unjust! He can't tolerate his own aunt. All the officials related to the princess have been brutally purged by him. How many families have been torn apart? Such a cruel and immoral man should never be the king of the Great Zhou. How could he treat his people well?"
They shouted, their eyes filled with murderous intent. Although they were dressed as ordinary people, their fierce looks betrayed their identities as assassins.
The shouts were continuous, and the real commoners were in a panic. The assassins and the guards fought fiercely.
Amid the chaos, a deep and powerful voice rang out, "The remaining minions of Lu Ningzhen are trying to assassinate the prince, attempting to rebel! The prince has ordered to protect the commoners and ensure no one gets hurt!"
This statement immediately reversed the false impression the assassins had created among the people.
The prince broke through the siege and came to the sedan chair. The sedan chair had stopped, and the carriers had joined the fight. Before he could lift the curtain, a fair and delicate hand reached out. They were in perfect sync.
The prince pulled Cheng Simian onto his horse.
"Mianmian, don't be afraid. Don't panic."
"Lu Sihong, as long as you're here, I'm not afraid of anything!"
In the chaos, they didn't care about the royal rules anymore. Cheng Simian lifted her veil and gave the prince a charming smile.
Her breathtaking beauty caught the prince's eye. He was momentarily dazed and almost let go of the reins.
Cheng Simian sat in front of the prince and tightened the reins for him. Their hands were tightly intertwined.
This dangerous play had to go on.
More and more assassins were coming. At first, there were only a few dozen, but as they kept pouring in, their numbers gradually exceeded that of the guards. They were all dressed as ordinary people, with no special marks, and they attacked brutally.
The guards were afraid of hurting the commoners, so they were on the defensive.
In the East Palace, the emperor and the queen were sitting on the high seats, waiting for the two newlyweds with joy and anxiety.
Suddenly, Xiao Anzi rushed into the main hall as if his feet were on fire.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Queen, something terrible has happened! The prince was attacked on the way. The remaining minions of Lu Ningzhen are trying to kill the prince!"
Everyone was shocked.
Daoist Qiu was the first to stand up. With a solemn look and a strong voice, he said, "Your Majesty, I'm willing to lead the army to rescue the prince!"
The emperor was furious. Hearing the name Lu Ningzhen, his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, and his chest was stuffy.
"Uncle Sanhuang, I'll go with you!"
...
When the emperor's Golden Feather Guards arrived, the battle was still raging, and the situation was grim. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the ground was covered in a shocking amount of blood, overshadowing the red of the wedding procession.
The prince was protecting Cheng Simian and retreating while fighting. A sword flashed in front of his eyes, blinding him for a moment. He stumbled. A sharp blade was about to pierce his chest.
"Lu Sihong!" Cheng Simian picked up a sword from the ground. But the prince grabbed her wrist and whispered in her ear, "Don't move!"
Cheng Simian was stunned. If she didn't move, wasn't it just like courting death?
Just as the sword was about to penetrate his chest, Liang Yuzhou seemed to descend from the sky and blocked the sword for the prince. His shoulder was cut open, and blood was gushing out.
The emperor dismounted and rushed towards the prince. He saw this scene clearly.
"Liang Yuzhou, you've saved Hong'er's life. You've saved my son!"
Only then did Cheng Simian understand that this was a play staged by the prince and Liang Yuzhou. Liang Yuzhou had to perform a great deed of saving the prince in a crisis. And he had to get injured to show how dangerous the situation was and how despicable Lu Ningzhen was.
"Father, if it weren't for Wanchu offering her heart - blood to save Liang Yuzhou back then, I would have died under Lu Ningzhen's blade today!"
The emperor was shocked. "What did you say? Back then, it was Wanchu who offered her heart - blood to Liang Yuzhou? But she clearly told me it was Yu Huiyan..."
"Father, Lu Ningzhen's crime of deceiving the emperor is not just this one. Back then, the poisoned wine that Liang Yuzhou accidentally drank was also intended by Lu Ningzhen to poison Wanchu!"
The emperor felt like he had fallen into an abyss. His vision went black. Lu Ningzhen's face flashed in his mind, becoming more and more repulsive. What had she done back then?
A wedding had turned into a bloody fight.
In the East Palace, the red candles were burning brightly. But in the main hall, there were no newlyweds bowing to heaven, earth, and their parents. Instead, Lu Ningzhen was ordered to be escorted out from the Xisisi.