"Cheng Ruoxuan had an extremely close relationship with her father, as she had lost her mother early on, and Cheng Shan never remarried. She was practically raised by him alone. So, before her marriage, her greatest concern was her father."
"Now that her father was gravely ill, she was naturally extremely worried and even considered postponing the wedding. However, Cheng Shan stopped her, believing that the chosen date was the best auspicious day in the near future and not wanting to delay her marriage."
"But I wonder if Cheng Shan refused the delay also because he feared he might suddenly die soon."
"After all, even today, many places have customs forbidding marriage within a year of a parent's death. In their time, the rule was stricter: children had to observe three years of mourning before marrying."
"Cheng Ruoxuan was 19 then, already considered late for marriage in ancient times. If she waited another three years, she would be 21."
Beneath the canopy, in the Cheng family garden.
Cheng Ruoxuan had already guessed that the events Liu Sanqi described might occur four years later. After all, she and Weng Chengjin had been engaged before this year's autumn provincial exam. Weng Chengjin had passed the provincial exam, but since both were only 15, the families had decided to let him skip the next spring's metropolitan exam and study for another four years. Now that Liu Sanqi had mentioned her age, Cheng Ruoxuan was more certain that her father would fall seriously ill in four years.
Thinking of her father working late in his study every day, she resolved to persuade him to change his habits and not ruin his health.
While Cheng Ruoxuan worried about her father, Yin Ning in the palace glanced at Emperor Jingming's dignified figure. Yin Ning had been reborn from the modern world into this ancient one. Although she sometimes complained about her father being a stick-in-the-mud, she had to admit that he was very fond of her and rarely refused her requests. Over the years, she had come to know his character well. Thus, she knew that he would not relinquish power until his last moment.
As for Cheng Ruoxuan's current age, Yin Ning had a rough idea, as she had seen her at a palace banquet. She remembered that even as a child, Cheng Ruoxuan had delicate and cute features, with a spark of intelligence in her eyes.
Combining what she knew of Cheng Ruoxuan's age with the words on the canopy, Yin Ning's heart sank.
"Father, you must take good care of yourself and not overwork your body as if it were made of iron!"
As soon as Yin Ning said this, the princes and officials present looked at her in shock and disbelief. None of them were fools. They could all infer that Emperor Jingming's lifespan was limited, but none dared to state it openly like Yin Ning.
Emperor Jingming was also far from pleased; after all, no one would be happy to learn they only had a few years left. However, seeing the genuine concern in Yin Ning's clear eyes, he felt a touch of warmth. He nodded slightly:
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll have the Imperial Medical Bureau prepare some health-preserving remedies."
Having witnessed his father's obsession with pills and alchemy, Emperor Jingming had always been wary of medicine. But now, after hearing Liu Sanqi's words, he thought perhaps he should take proper care of himself and not avoid medical treatment.
Seeing that the emperor's expression had softened noticeably because of Yin Ning's words, many officials raised their estimation of the Eighth Princess. Regardless of the identity of Emperor Jingli or Emperor Jingwu, the current ruler was Emperor Jingming. So, for the officials, understanding the emperor's likes and dislikes was paramount. But that was the concern of officials seeking advancement. Cheng Shan was more worried about his daughter's future.
On the canopy, Liu Sanqi spoke clearly:
"Due to Cheng Shan's persuasion, Cheng Ruoxuan did not postpone the wedding, but Cheng Shan's condition never improved. Unable to find a cure, she turned to praying and offering incense, hoping the gods would bless her father and help him recover."
"However, on her way to pray at a temple one day, she encountered Emperor Jingli, who was traveling incognito."
"According to historical records, when Emperor Jingli first saw Cheng Ruoxuan, he was struck by her beauty and, ignoring her protests and those of her servants, forcibly abducted her into the palace."
Beneath the canopy, Cheng Shan clenched his fists in fury, glaring at Yin Rui, who was kneeling not far from Emperor Jingming. In the Cheng family garden, Cheng Ruoxuan was pale with fright, her hands trembling in her sleeves. Her elder cousin hugged her and whispered comfort, saying that those events had not yet happened and would never happen, especially now that the canopy had revealed the truth. The current emperor would never pass the throne to a useless waste like Yin Rui.
On the canopy, Liu Sanqi's face showed anger as she continued:
"When Cheng Shan and Weng Chengjin learned that Cheng Ruoxuan had been taken into the palace, they immediately went to plead with Emperor Jingli to release her, as she was already betrothed."
"Unfortunately, no matter how many kowtows they made or how loudly they cried out, Emperor Jingli never appeared. In fact, he found their shouting irritating and ordered the guards to drive them away."
"But Cheng Shan and Weng Chengjin, having dared to come, could not leave easily. So the palace guards, under the emperor's orders, brutally attacked them."
"Cheng Shan, already severely ill, was beaten to death on the spot by the burly guards. Weng Chengjin, a scholar with no physical strength, was beaten half to death and lay in bed for over two months before he could get up."
"What made it even more despairing was that when he recovered, he learned from his parents that the strong-willed Cheng Ruoxuan had, on the very day she was taken into the palace, refused to submit to Emperor Jingli's coercion and had committed suicide by crashing into a pillar."
When Cheng Shan heard of his own death, he could still contain his rage. But when he heard that his daughter was forced to such an end by Yin Rui, he could no longer hold back. He lunged at Yin Rui, raining blows upon him, pinning him down and punching wildly. Though Yin Rui was younger than the middle-aged Cheng Shan, he was physically weak from indulgence in wine and women. Overwhelmed by Cheng Shan's rage, he could not fight back and could only curl up, covering his head. No one present expected Cheng Shan to dare to physically assault the Second Prince in front of the emperor, so for a moment, everyone was stunned.
Seeing Yin Rui quickly become bruised and swollen from the beating, Yin Ning exchanged a glance with Empress Xu. Both of their eyes sparkled with amusement. Since the Crown Prince's sudden death, Empress Xu had harbored a deep hatred toward the other princes, suspecting each of them of being the murderer. She had always loathed Yin Rui, who had bounced around like a flea, and now watched his beating with barely concealed satisfaction, almost applauding Cheng Shan in her heart.
[Notes: 1. From 'Four Joys' by Wang Zhu, Song Dynasty. 2. From 'To Zhang Ji' by Han Yu, Tang Dynasty.]