Lin Lumi’s brain hit a wall and crashed.
Because she wrote a love letter to play a prank on him, he went to report her to the Emperor!?
Lin Lumi whipped her head around to look at Mu Heng, only to see him with the corners of his lips curved upward, his eyes filled with undisguised triumph.
A wave of intense unease seized her heart.
She hurried forward, her voice filled with panic: “Your Majesty, please allow your humble subject to explain—”
The Emperor, however, raised his hand with a smile, interrupting her: “Ah, no need to say more. I understand the flutterings of a young girl’s heart.”
He shook the letter in his hand: “Every word in this letter is filled with genuine affection. I can see your feelings for Mu Heng quite clearly. No wonder you two have been bickering and entangling with each other all these years; it turns out you are a pair of star-crossed lovers.”
Having said that, the Emperor stroked his beard: “Since that is the case, I shall bestow a marriage upon you two. How about that?”
Huh?
Lin Lumi was slow to process this. Was she hearing things?
Bestow a marriage?
Between her and Mu Heng?
What kind of international joke was this!?
However, before she could react, Mu Heng lifted his robes and knelt to accept the decree: “Your subject, thanks Your Majesty for the grace!”
Lin Lumi was stunned, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
Seeing her look of shock, the Emperor’s smile widened: “What? Are you so surprised by my decree that you’ve lost your tongue?”
The eunuch standing by also chirped in with a high-pitched voice: “That’s right, Miss Lin, why are you still standing there? Hurry and accept the decree!”
Lin Lumi hurriedly knelt, but this wasn’t surprise—this was sheer terror!
She spoke in a flurry: “I beg Your Majesty to reconsider! This letter was merely a slip of the tongue by your humble subject and should not be taken seriously. Furthermore, Young Master Mu and I have always been at odds; he surely would not want to take me as his wife. Please, Your Majesty, retract the order!”
“Hahahahaha!” The Emperor laughed out loud. “Rest assured, this marriage is not my own stubborn insistence; Mu Heng himself came to request it. If he didn’t care for you, why would he enter the palace late last night and beg me for this decree? Isn’t that right, Mu Heng?”
Lin Lumi felt her scalp tingle. Unable to believe her ears, she quickly reached out and poked Mu Heng’s arm hard, lowering her voice: “Hurry and explain to the Emperor! I only wrote that letter to disgust you!”
Mu Heng slowly leaned over and whispered: “Disgust me? Then let’s see who can disgust whom more.”
With that, he suddenly straightened his back, cleared his throat, and spoke aloud: “As Your Majesty has said, your subject truly does cherish Miss Lin. My love is such that I lose my appetite and lose sleep, thinking of her day and night. If this engagement cannot be finalized, your subject fears I will be consumed by lovesickness and be unable to focus on my career!”
These words were spoken with resounding clarity, heard by everyone in the hall.
Lin Lumi was completely dumbfounded. She stared blankly at Mu Heng, only now realizing that his words from the night before, “You will regret it,” had referred to this!
This lunatic had actually wagered his own marriage—he must be crazy to win, right??
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, his eyes crinkling with amusement: “Miss Lin, are you at ease now? You two are a perfect match, deeply in love!”
Lin Lumi panicked. It was one thing for him to be crazy, but she couldn’t let him drag her into this mess.
She quickly said: “But marriage has always been a matter of parental command and the matchmaker’s word. My father and mother may not agree!”
As she finished, Lin Lumi looked at the Marquis of Anding, but the Marquis merely bowed to the Emperor and said: “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the bestowed marriage. For my daughter to marry into the Mu family is her good fortune.”
Lin Lumi’s heart sank. Before she could speak, the Prime Minister on the other side stroked his beard, laughing from ear to ear: “What are you saying? For this brat to marry Lumi is his good fortune! We were worried he would delay his marriage, but now that he has found his home, we parents couldn’t be more relieved.”
The two fathers spoke back and forth, their tones filled with joy.
The hall was suddenly filled with an atmosphere of harmony, while Lin Lumi felt as though she had fallen into an ice cave.
The eunuch heard this and urged shrilly: “Third Miss Lin, since this marriage has both the command of your parents and the blessing of His Majesty, why not hurry and accept the decree?”
Lin Lumi felt as though her throat was being tightly constricted; her last shred of hope shattered.
If she didn’t accept the decree now, it would be an act of rebellion. Forget about participating in the Dongling Ling Shu examination; she might face even worse punishments.
Oh, heavens, Mu Heng was truly the greatest catastrophe of her life!
Lin Lumi took a deep breath, finally lowered her head, and bowed heavily in resignation: “Thank you for your grace!”
She looked up and continued: “It is just… your humble subject has had a long-held wish since childhood to participate in the Dongling Ling Shu entrance examination and join the Juling Sect to cultivate. Regarding the marriage, could we wait until I have completed my cultivation and returned to discuss it further?”
“This…” The Emperor hesitated for a moment and looked at Mu Heng: “What is your intention?”
Mu Heng did not respond immediately. Instead, he maintained a leisurely demeanor, slightly lifting his chin, his peripheral vision landing on Lin Lumi without a trace.
Lin Lumi accepted her fate. Biting the bullet, she forced a pitiful expression and looked at him, biting her lip: “Brother Mu Heng, I beg you.”
Once this “Brother” slipped out, the hall fell into absolute silence.
Mu Heng’s heart took a violent jolt, his fingertips subconsciously clenching his sleeves.
He was only one year older than Lin Lumi, and she had always called him by his full name while cursing him; she had never once called him “brother.”
A momentary stiffness crossed the young man’s handsome face, and his earlobes turned an imperceptible shade of red.
He remained silent for a long while before speaking in a low, tight voice: “Then… let it be as Little Sister Lumi wishes. If she yearns for the Great Dao, she should prioritize her cultivation. We shall discuss the marriage once she has completed her studies and returned.”
The Emperor stroked his beard and laughed, nodding in approval: “Good! The youth of our Yue Kingdom are truly ambitious. So be it, we shall follow your wishes. Once you return from your studies, you shall hold the grand wedding—not a moment too soon! As for the list for the Dongling Ling Shu examination, it will be posted tomorrow. Miss Lin, rest assured, your name is on it.”
After speaking, the Emperor waved his hand slightly, a signal in his eyes.
The eunuch immediately understood and chirped: “Bring in the marriage contracts!”
Servants entered the hall immediately, holding two prepared marriage contracts with vermilion covers, stitched with gold thread, shining brilliantly.
Lin Lumi stared at the two contracts, her brow twitching.
It was clear they had been prepared in advance. What exactly had Mu Heng done to make the Emperor so responsive to his every request?
She sighed silently—damn nepotism.
The eunuch said leisurely: “The two of you, the wedding day may be postponed, but these contracts cannot be skipped. Both of you, please sign here to seal the promise.”
Mu Heng did not hesitate, stepping forward first to pick up the brush and write his name on the contract.
Lin Lumi stepped forward as well.
It didn’t matter. It was just a piece of paper. Once she completed the mission and returned to her original world with 100 million, she’d love to see who he would marry then!
After a moment, two clear sets of writing sat upon the red paper. The attendant respectfully placed the contracts into their hands.
“Very well.” The Emperor’s voice was filled with satisfaction: “The engagement is sealed. You two may go; the Prime Minister, the Marquis, and I have matters of importance to discuss.”