Chapter 411: Chapter 324: 2 The Woman Becomes a Wife (Vote for Monthly Ticket)_2
The Prince Jing’s words sounded even more like those of a Taoist than the Taoists themselves.
However, Yin Weiyin walked forward without stopping.
Chen Yi raised his eyes, gazing at the female crown approaching slowly, his gaze carrying a hint of surprise.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Yin Weiyin advanced gracefully and spoke:
"Wei Ying has long harbored the idea of choosing a companion on the Daoist path. Now, the request from a thousand households aligns perfectly; this is not human destiny but heavenly will. If this does not count as fate having arrived, how else shall fate be defined as having arrived?"
Under the sound of these words, devoted to the Dao, the gathered guests could not help but sigh in admiration. The Taichua Goddess was truly worthy of the title—choosing a partner disregarding worldly opinions but acting upon heavenly will.
It was at this moment that the Taichua Goddess suddenly said, "But..."
At this turning point, the Prince Jing, previously slumped, instantly sat up straight.
In a split second, his mind was flooded with all sorts of thoughts. Even at this point, he still harbored a faint glimmer of hope.
That perhaps his eldest daughter’s betrothal this time might be merely a maneuver to rescue her father from a predicament.
A filial daughter... Such a good and dutiful daughter of this king...
This single word, "but," unsettled not only the Prince Jing but also puzzled Chen Yi.
He was somewhat bewildered, unable to figure out what this restless female crown intended to do this time.
"But Chen Qianhu is strikingly handsome, an extraordinary talent, not necessarily able to endure my long devotion to Daoist practice and disregard for household matters.
Great Yin slightly turned, pointing to Little Yin, who was dressed as a servant girl nearby:
"Thus, there is another legitimate younger daughter in my family, my sister, to accompany me in marriage to the Chen household as a secondary wife, emulating the virtuous example of Ehuang and Nuying—how does that sound?"
Princess: "?"
Prince Jing: "?"
Yin Tingxue: "?"
All three were utterly baffled. The Princess wondered when she had ever given birth to another daughter, while Prince Jing was so shocked by these words that his mind nearly stopped functioning.
As for Yin Tingxue, she never expected Sister Weiyang to pull her into this as well.
Was Sister Weiyang... offering her filial piety too?
Yin Weiyin’s words reached their ears, and Chen Yi visibly froze for a moment. He looked at Great Yin, then at Little Yin, finally returning his gaze to Great Yin, as if asking, "What is this stunt you’re pulling now?"
But Yin Weiyin’s thoughts were simple.
From beginning to end, they were very simple.
She had gambled!
She was betting this time that by marrying alongside Yin Tingxue, Chen Yi might relent a bit—even if he wouldn’t openly promise her immortality, he might at least stop exploiting her Daoist cultivation so excessively.
Yin Weiyin’s eyes lowered slightly, avoiding his gaze. The sunlight fell upon her profile, illuminating it with an extraordinary charm.
She remembered that night, after finishing the silver ear soup, she’d regretted it. She had said that she would call him "husband" in the future—proof of her regret.
The remorse that permeated her heart had not dissipated even after she returned to the Prince Mansion. It had instead deepened, seeping into her very soul.
Looking into the mirror, she suddenly noticed the corner of her lips still carried traces of the silver ear soup’s sugar.
Yin Weiyin gently wiped it away, catching it on her fingertips before reflexively sucking on them.
The sweetness touched her tongue, as if the sweetness of last night still lingered.
At that moment, her eyes stung, and the tension in her heart suddenly broke. Tears poured down uncontrollably.
"I feel so wronged, so terribly wronged!
I’ve said all the soft words I could, worked tirelessly to please you—why do you still treat me like this?
I don’t care anymore, never again! Play as you will, do whatever you want—after all, I am just your cauldron-furnace, a concubine. I can’t make you love me, you simply don’t love me. Being by your side like this, tormented for a lifetime—what is the point?
I just wish to ascend to immortality. I’ve lived for so long, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. If you say no, then no—what am I supposed to do? Be trapped in this tiny courtyard forever, like a dog, birthing children? I refuse; I refuse!"
Yin Weiyin sobbed, her reflection in the mirror weeping as if venting grievances to someone—only to find herself staring back.
"Shall we start over? Shall we start over? I won’t harm you anymore; I won’t oppose you. Let us return to those days at Baihua Building—I’ll throw myself into your arms; you shall be my golden boy, and I your jade girl—even defying the master’s orders, I’ll be only with you, not like this now...
I don’t want this anymore... No more..."
Yin Weiyin collapsed powerlessly before the mirror, her shoulders trembling with sobs endlessly, then gradually fading into muffled cries, and finally falling into silence.
In the boudoir, it was as quiet as the late hours of the night.
............
Ever since meeting Chen Yi, Yin Weiyin had gambled and lost many times.
Whether it was the attempt to seize the golden boy, the betrayal during her aspiration for immortality, or later seeking methods to harvest spiritual energy—every time she opposed him, she lost the gamble, suffering untold hardships. So this time, she bet on not opposing him.
And this time, she won her gamble.
Chen Yi looked at her for a long while, then smiled and said:
"Alright."
Yin Weiyin raised her eyes, her bright gaze trembling before she slowly lowered it again, softly replying, "Mm."
As for the little fox Yin Tingxue, she’d been confused all along—whether it was Great Yin calling her the legitimate younger daughter or Great Yin suggesting they marry Chen Yi together.
She dazedly wiped her delicate nose.
Am I... engaged to my husband?
This feeling was utterly strange. Yin Tingxue was almost in a trance. Had it been before, she might have had complaints, but now that she was to accompany him for ten lifetimes, what difference did it make whether she became his wife?
Moreover, in this moment... she could please him, couldn’t she?
Besides, refusing would likely make things difficult for Sister Weiyang.
So the little fox said nothing, only silently moving to stand beside Great Yin.
Seeing Chen Yi’s relaxed brows after prolonged acquaintance, Yin Tingxue could tell he was happy. She smiled at him briefly, then lowered her head shyly under the crowd’s gazes.
She wasn’t entirely without worries... but those concerns were small, trivial things.
Beneath the Fenggu Hall plaque, the Prince Jing was already pale as a sheet, his entire being dizzy, his legs trembling so weakly that his consciousness was barely holding on. He struggled to stand, propped up shakily by his chair.
The Princess hurried to support him.
The Prince Jing weakly raised his hand, his throat tight, unable to voice his pain, his fingertip trembling incessantly.
"Call Huang Bao, call Huang Bao—he always brings joy to the prince,"
The Princess exclaimed upon seeing the pallor on the Prince Jing’s face.
"Here he comes, Huang Bao is coming!"
At that moment, the servant sent earlier to fetch Huang Bao returned, and the previously bribed Huang Bao, having drunk a few glasses, staggered toward them.
The aged, clouded eyes of the Prince Jing stared straight at Chen Yi, his pale expression unmoving.
His daughter was to be married into the hands of his enemy.
How humiliating, how utterly humiliating...
No private attachment, yet damned into having the appearance of it!
The Prince Jing could not even bring himself to scream. His throat rattled with stifled anguish.
The drunken Huang Bao spotted the Prince Jing and enthusiastically called out, "As boundless as the East Sea, as enduring as the South Mountain! I wish the prince lasting joy and endless prosperity!"
The Prince Jing let out a despairing wail, crying out in a rage:
"I shall go and end my life this very moment!"