"Young Master Liang, if you don't believe what I said, you can ask the Ninth Princess. I believe Her Highness the Ninth Princess will tell you the truth."
Upon hearing this, Liang Yixing looked at the Ninth Princess. "Ninth Princess, is that so?"
The Ninth Princess frowned. She hadn't expected this Liang Yixing to not know the identity of the butcher's daughter. However, this didn't matter. She nodded. "It is indeed so."
Liang Yixing shook his head, muttering to himself. He simply couldn't believe that the woman he fell in love with at first sight was the Prime Minister's betrothed.
Seeing this, the Ninth Princess stepped forward and whispered, "However, Young Master Liang, in my Great Yin Kingdom, we always respect mutual affection. Although she is Brother Xiuyuan's fiancée, she is not yet married. So, you still have a chance."
Liang Yixing trembled all over and looked up at the Ninth Princess. The Ninth Princess smiled and said, "That's precisely what I mean." "Ninth Princess, I can agree with what you said. I am already in the Song mansion. How can you say I am not yet married? I am already married and have moved into the Song mansion," Xue Xingyue said to the Ninth Princess, word by word.
"Miss Xue, you are not considered married until you have consummated your marriage with the Prime Minister. I, Liang Yixing, will not care about these matters. As long as you agree to me, I will definitely..."
"Young Master Liang, who exactly gives you the confidence?"
Liang Yixing was stunned and looked at Xue Xingyue with a lost expression.
Xue Xingyue sneered and said, "Who exactly gives you the confidence to think you can compare to the Prime Minister, and that I would abandon such an excellent husband as the Prime Minister to turn to your Liang family? I don't look like a fool, do I?"
"Miss Xue, you..."
"Originally, I didn't want to be so direct, but I feel that if I'm not direct, you will harbor unrealistic hopes and be conceited. I am the Prime Minister Song Xiuyuan's fiancée, I am now, and I will be in the future. So, Young Master Liang, you can give up."
Liang Yixing trembled all over, his body stiffening, and he stood frozen in place. It seemed he had never heard such devastating words before, and he couldn't accept it for a moment.
He had just passed his coming-of-age ceremony this year. His parents were worried about his marriage, but he knew that he must find a woman who was in love with him as his wife, just like his parents. His father had only his mother in his life, and he wanted to be the same. Today, he had finally found someone he believed he could spend his life with, but unexpectedly, she already had a fiancé, and he was the highly honored Prime Minister.
He couldn't compare in terms of background. The Prime Minister's mother was the legitimate second daughter of the Zhao family, the foremost noble family in Great Yin. His maternal aunt was the current Empress. Moreover, he was the Prime Minister, and the Song family was one of the Four Great Families in the world.
He couldn't compare at all, yet the woman he finally fancied was being handed over so easily. He felt unwilling.
"Even so, as Brother Xiuyuan's fiancée, you still go out and flirt around. Such unvirtuous behavior, Brother Xiuyuan should divorce you," the Ninth Princess said.
"Ninth Princess, it seems you've forgotten that I am not yet the Prime Minister's wife. Therefore, talk of virtue doesn't apply to me, nor does the talk of divorce."
"You..." The Ninth Princess was momentarily at a loss for words to refute.
"Since there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave!" With that, Xue Xingyue was about to leave.
"Are you not afraid that this princess will tell Brother Xiuyuan about this matter?" the Ninth Princess said from behind her.
"It's fine. I'm afraid he already knows," Xue Xingyue waved her hand and left.
The Ninth Princess stamped her feet in anger. Damn it. She looked at Liang Yixing and snorted, "You can't even move the woman you like, it serves you right that you're still unmarried."
Liang Yixing's gaze dimmed. He bowed slightly and said, "Your servant takes his leave!"
After speaking, Liang Yixing left the Song mansion.
This incident did not cause much of a stir. After all, everyone only saw the back of Xue Xingyue and thought it was a likeness. There was no solid evidence. Moreover, the handkerchiefs in Liang Yixing's hand were something that all the young ladies in the Song mansion had. Therefore, it was impossible to tell whose it was.
Only Xue Xingyue felt a sense of unease. Who was impersonating her, and for what purpose? She always felt a sense of unease.
The arrival of envoys from the three countries made Song Xiuyuan busy. He had not been seen for two consecutive days. However, every day, Song Xiuyuan still sent Feng Qing to deliver messages back and forth.
The day of the Crown Prince's wedding finally arrived. As the Prime Minister's future wife, she was also summoned to the palace. On this day, she and Song Minghui took a carriage early. Originally, Song Minghui could not enter the palace, but for some reason, Song Er Laoye and Song Xiuyuan said something, and Song Xiuyuan actually let her bring Song Minghui to attend the Crown Prince's wedding.
Since Song Xiuyuan had given such instructions, she complied. Song Minghui was very excited along the way. The Crown Prince's wedding was not something ordinary people could witness.
Upon arriving at the palace gates, they presented their palace passes and entered the imperial palace, she and Song Minghui.
Because the Crown Prince's wedding was a major event, the Empress, who lived a secluded life, also came out of Wutong Palace. However, all the matters related to the wedding were handled by Concubine Shu, who was currently in charge of the six palaces.
As the Crown Prince's biological mother, Concubine Shu considered it the highest honor to be able to arrange her imperial son's wedding. Even if the Empress was in a high position, without a son, she was nothing. Watching her host her imperial son's wedding, she must have mixed feelings and be consumed by jealousy.
Back then, when she was still Noble Consort Shu, the Fifth Prince was still alive, and the Emperor favored the Fifth Prince the most. Her imperial son, despite being born first, never received the Emperor's favor. Back then, whenever she attended banquets and saw the Emperor, the Empress, and the Fifth Prince, her heart was filled with anger.
But who would have thought that the exceptionally talented Fifth Prince would be murdered in his own sleeping quarters? Upon hearing the tragic news of the Fifth Prince's death, she was truly overjoyed and wept with joy, because she knew her chance to rise had come.
Traditionally, a mother's status is elevated by her son's. Without the Empress's son, the Empress was merely a spent force. Therefore, for these years, she had let the Empress take the lead, because she knew that with the Empress as a target in front of her, her actions would be much easier.
And now, to be able to arrange the wedding for her imperial son, the Crown Prince, she was truly very excited.
Therefore, she had done her utmost in every aspect. She wanted to show the world that her imperial son, the current Crown Prince, would be the new Emperor in the future.
The families of all the ministers were arranged in Ming Tai Yuan, located closest to the Eastern Palace, and near Ming Tai Yuan was Tai An Palace.
From Ming Tai Yuan, one could see the Eastern Palace where the Crown Prince resided, ablaze in crimson, a scene of joy and festivity.