The useless second daughter of the Hua family

Chapter 178 Love Parting

The emperor's birthday was celebrated throughout the country, and there was a scene of joy and peace inside and outside the capital.

However, on this joyous day, an event occurred that shocked the court and the whole country - the eldest prince Li Xu actually disobeyed the imperial edict and refused the emperor's marriage!

The emperor was furious and immediately conferred the title of Shun on him and banished him to a remote fiefdom. Thus, the eldest prince who was favored by the emperor and was expected to inherit the throne left the scene in disgrace and lost the qualification to compete for the throne forever.

In the inner courtyard of the palace, the emperor summoned his eldest son again and questioned him: "You are clearly in love with her, so why don't you marry her? Don't you know that she is destined to become the queen?"

Li Xu smiled slightly and shook his head gently, his eyes shining with clarity, and replied: "Father, what Qingyao pursues is a free life, not the honorable status of the mother of a country. This palace has ruined my aunt's life, and her daughter should not be trapped any longer."

The emperor felt a sharp pain in his heart after hearing his words. The indelible guilt buried deep in his heart made him breathless. He asked in a low voice, "Is it wrong for me to want to give her the best in the world?"

Li Xu did not back down and responded firmly: "Father, I firmly believe that even without the supreme imperial power, I can still live happily with her."

"Ahem..." A light cough was heard from behind the screen, and Qingyao walked out slowly. There was no embarrassment or anger on her face after being rejected.

"Ayao." Li Xu called softly and walked forward to hold her hand.

Qingyao managed to dodge it and said to him calmly, "Since the eldest prince has rejected the marriage proposal, we should avoid suspicion between you and me. After all... there are differences between men and women."

Pain flashed in Li Xu's eyes. He wanted to explain, but he was worried that she didn't want to listen anymore. "Ayao, I'm sorry, I..."

"I'm just teasing you, silly!" Qingyao interrupted him, took Li Xu's hand, stared at him seriously, and said softly: "You understand me, so why don't I understand you?"

At that moment, the heavy weight on Li Xu's heart finally fell to the ground, and he couldn't help but feel how lucky he was to have met such a confidante in this life. He held Qingyao's hand tightly and said solemnly: "Having you in this life is enough for me."

Qingyao's cheeks flushed with shyness when she heard this. She lowered her head slightly and spoke in a soft voice, "Just go ahead and try your luck. I'll be waiting for you in this imperial city. I will only be your Shunqin Prince's Consort in this life."

The emperor stood aside, silently watching the couple in front of him gazing at each other affectionately, and couldn't help but think of his own sister, who was also a perfect match. Perhaps he should respect Qingyao's own choice as his eldest son said.

The emperor said, "You can go with peace of mind. I will give you three years. The six border states will be your betrothal gift to Qingyao." You know, that place is an important frontier area that is often harassed and invaded by barbarians, and it is also the burial place of his royal sister.

On the day Li Xu left, Qingyao did not see him off. Li Luo asked her in confusion, and she just said: No need to say goodbye, just wait for the reunion.

With the departure of the eldest prince, the battle for the crown prince officially began. No one knew who had leaked Qingyao's life story, and the princes competed to win her favor. Qingyao was so annoyed that she simply hid in the cold palace. Although the princes were used to doing whatever they wanted, they did not dare to enter the harem without permission, and the sixth prince was an abandoned child, still young, so naturally no one would care.

But it was this inconspicuous Sixth Prince who, in the following years, accumulated a lot of experience and made great achievements, gradually emerging. When the princes competing for the throne realized the threat, Li Luo had already been assisted by Qingyao and was slowly gaining popularity around the emperor.

Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Li Xu lived up to Qing Yao's expectations. Under Li Xu's governance, the six border states gradually became stable, and the barbarians did not dare to easily invade.

In the letter, Li Xu expressed his eagerness to return home. He hoped to see Qingyao, whom he had been thinking about day and night, and have a grand wedding with her.

"Ayao, you have read this letter over and over again so many times. What's there to read?" Li Luo sat opposite her, looking at her face full of happiness, and felt it was extremely dazzling.

"You won't understand even if I tell you." Qingyao didn't even raise her head and responded casually. Suddenly, she remembered something, so she gently tapped Li Luo's forehead and said, "How many times have I told you not to call me by my name. If you don't call me cousin, you should at least call me 'sir'."

Li Luo muttered in a low voice: "If he can do it, why can't I?"

Although the sound was not loud, Qingyao still heard it. However, she did not take it seriously, but picked up the scroll next to Li Luo. When she unfolded it, she found that it was the homework assigned by the emperor to the princes.

Since the emperor has been in poor health recently, he intends to examine the talents and character of the princes. After all, Li Luo was raised by him, so it is impossible to say that he is completely unbiased.

Qingyao held her chin with one hand and asked thoughtfully: "Li Luo, do you want to be the emperor?"

"Ayao, do you want me to become the emperor?" Li Luo did not answer her question directly, but asked a question in return.

"As the legitimate son, you should be extremely noble. Of course I hope you can ascend to the supreme throne." Qingyao frankly expressed her true thoughts.

Li Luo nodded after hearing this, indicating his agreement: "In that case, I will take this seat."

Qingyao looked at him with a smile on her face. What did he think the throne was? Could he have it just by wanting it? She tapped the scroll on his head and couldn't help but complain, "Look at what you wrote here. You're still far from it!"

Ever since Qingyao knew that Li Luo wanted to seize the throne, she began to plan for him. The power of the former queen's family has always been there, but in recent years, seeing that the Sixth Prince was out of favor, they kept a low profile and lay dormant.

The emperor personally told Li Xu this secret, hoping that he would be careful of the lineage of the late queen in the future. However, just before Li Xu was about to leave the capital, he revealed this to Qing Yao. If Qing Yao was determined to help Li Luo ascend the throne, then this hidden force might become a powerful helper.

Therefore, Qingyao secretly got in touch with the other party, and with the tacit cooperation between them, Li Luo was able to sail smoothly and everything went smoothly. In addition, after the emperor entered his old age, he felt guilty about his deceased wife and young son, which made Li Luo's status rise steadily, and his prestige and power were almost comparable to that of the former eldest prince.

Everything seemed to be moving steadily in a good direction. As the three-year agreement was approaching, Qingyao was looking forward to Li Xu's return. Who would have thought that something unexpected would happen? Bad news came from the border - Prince Shun was assassinated and unfortunately died of poison!

The news was like a bolt from the blue, and the emperor was devastated and died suddenly. However, Li Luo, relying on the will left by the previous emperor, successfully ascended the throne, ruled the country, and canonized Qingyao as the queen, ruling the country.

All this happened so fast that it caught people off guard. Qingyao was dressed in a pure white mourning dress, staring blankly at the gorgeous phoenix robe sent from the palace, with endless sadness and irony in her heart.

Li Luo, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, was quietly waiting outside the Qingyao Gate. He seemed like a child who was afraid of being abandoned, without any of the dignity that an emperor should have.

"Ayao, if you don't want to see me, I will stay here with you, okay?" Li Luo said softly, with a hint of pleading in his voice.

"Your Majesty, it's cold at night, please take care of your health." The attendant beside him reminded with concern.

"It's none of your business! Go away!" Li Luo waved his hand impatiently, his eyes never leaving the closed door.

Finally, the door slowly opened and Qingyao appeared at the door. She quietly looked at Li Luo who was sitting by the door, and couldn't help but sighed and said earnestly: "Your Majesty, you are now the king of a country, how can you be so willful and reckless?"

"I have no attachment to this throne, and I know nothing about the engagement. If Ayao feels reluctant, I will go back and destroy the handwritten edict. I will take you away from this palace, and whoever wants the throne can take it. Ayao, you are my only relative now, please don't be angry with me anymore, okay?" Li Luo grabbed Qingyao's skirt tightly, wagging his tail and begging like a wounded puppy.

Qingyao sighed and stroked his head gently, "You, stop talking nonsense. Don't be afraid, I will accompany you."