Chapter 2: Wedding Surprise

Outside, the brilliant sunlight poured into the room like a cascading waterfall, sprinkling the floor with shards of gold.

Ziling, who had been lying in bed for three full days, felt as if her entire skeletal frame had dissolved. She pushed aside the covers and got out of bed, and there, Qianqian approached with a tray of food. "Miss, you're still not well. Why did you get out of bed?"

If she continued to lie down, she would waste away completely. Ziling replied, "I'm fine now."

The maid placed the tray of food on the table. Ziling furrowed her brows slightly and asked, "It has been three days. Why hasn't the Iron Guard withdrawn?"

The maid shook her head. "They haven't. I heard that the young master of the Duke Zhen's Manor has been unconscious for three days. The doctors and physicians have tried everything but to no avail. Miss, do you think he might die?"

Ziling chuckled. She had never even seen the young master of Duke Zhen's Manor, so how could she know if he could be saved or not? Even if he could, her father, Duke Dongling, couldn't leave his place, let alone her.

Feeling a bit hungry, Ziling sat down to eat. It had to be said that the food in Duke Dongling's residence had taken a nosedive. It went from six dishes and one soup, with three meat and three vegetable dishes three days ago, to three vegetable dishes now, not even a pinch of minced meat. Could it be true what her mother, Lady Tang, said, that they would have to go hungry starting tomorrow?

As someone who often couldn't distinguish between north, south, east, and west, would she starve to death directly?

She found it amusing and picked up her bowl, eating with relish.

But just as she had eaten half a bowl of rice, her right eyelid began to twitch. It was said that when the left eye twitched, it indicated wealth, and when the right eye twitched, it indicated misfortune. In such an unlucky situation, it was highly likely that it might come true.

Ziling felt restless and anxious. Her appetite diminished, and the food became tasteless, like chewing wax.

Setting down her chopsticks, a maid hurriedly entered through the beaded curtain, exclaiming, "Miss, something bad has happened! The emperor has bestowed a marriage upon you!"

Ziling's body jolted, and Qianqian asked anxiously, "Who did the emperor marry you to?"

Who else could it be but...

"To the young master of Duke Zhen's Manor."

"But isn't he unconscious?" Qianqian's eyes widened.

The maid sympathetically looked at Ziling and said, "Duke Zhen's Manor begged the emperor and managed to persuade him to let you wed the young master. The emperor agreed."

Qianqian stomped her foot and said, "How could the emperor do this? The girl saved him, and yet he repays her with ingratitude!"

"If going through the wedding ceremony could solve everything, then there wouldn't be any deaths in this world. Isn't it obvious that they want her to marry into that household and be a widow for the rest of her life?!"

Qianqian felt that the emperor had no conscience.

Ziling smirked. Although it was her misfortune to be the one getting married, she couldn't really blame the emperor for this. After all, it was because she had snatched the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's Manor from the streets that he ended up in a state of unconsciousness and fury. The Zhenguo Duke's Manor requested the emperor to grant the marriage for a quick wedding ceremony, and there was no reason for the emperor to refuse.

Qianqian asked, "Has the marquis received the imperial decree?"

The maid shook her head, "Not yet. The marquis is very angry and wants to enter the palace to see the emperor, but the madam is stopping him."

Without delay, Ziling got up, lifted her skirt, and headed out, saying, "Lead the way."

They ran all the way to the main hall. Before they could enter, Ziling saw several guards standing outside the house. The imperial envoy had his back turned towards her, so she couldn't see his face clearly, but she heard him say, "Marquis, don't make things difficult for me. It's a capital offense to disobey the imperial decree. Just quickly bring Miss Zhou out to receive the decree."

The Marquis of Dongling had an angry expression. If the court physicians couldn't cure the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's Manor, how could the wedding ceremony solve anything? Wasn't it just wishful thinking?

Could he really accept this imperial decree that pushed his daughter into a pit of fire?!

Ziling walked over and said, "Father, it's my fault. Let me handle this."

The imperial envoy looked at Ziling, intending to announce the decree.

Ziling bowed to the imperial envoy and said, "Please take the imperial decree back, and also tell the emperor on my behalf that I am willing to marry the young master of the Zhenguo Duke's Manor for the wedding ceremony, but there is no need for the emperor to bestow the marriage."

The imperial envoy frowned in confusion and asked, "Since Miss Zhou is willing, why not accept the decree?"

The Marquis of Dongling and Tang Shi both looked at Ziling, not understanding what she was up to.

Ziling simply smiled and said, "It was my fault that led to the young master Gu's current state of unconsciousness. The Zhenguo Duke's Manor wants me to go through the wedding ceremony. I am obligated to do so. If the emperor bestows the marriage upon me, it would be granting my wish. The entire capital knows that I saved the emperor, and he favors me."

"But young master Gu, who is still unconscious, might not be willing to marry me. With the imperial decree forcing the marriage, he would resent me without being able to divorce me. For young master Gu, this might be even more painful than death. How can his body recover if he lives in pain every day?"

The imperial envoy felt convinced and looked at Ziling with a complicated expression. If she had been so understanding earlier, young master Gu might not have remained unconscious until now.

After all, she was the emperor's lifesaver, and he had great affection for her. The imperial envoy didn't dare to offend Ziling and simply looked at the Marquis of Dongling, saying

If there were other options, she wouldn't have let herself be the one to congratulate them.

Resisting the decree is a capital offense, and the Iron Arm Guards of the Duke's residence are still surrounding us. The Dongling Marquis's residence is not like Qingyun Mountain, which occupies a strategic location and is difficult to attack. Moreover, they didn't bring many people with them when they entered the capital. It would be futile to confront them directly.

Getting married doesn't necessarily mean death, but not marrying guarantees certain death. We must choose the lesser of two evils.

The trouble caused by Ziling, she has taken on someone else's body and can only bear the consequences for her. She can't let so many innocent people be buried with her.

Ziling pretended to be lighthearted and said, "Daughters will eventually get married, and it just so happens that he is the one my daughter has set her sights on..."

Qianqian quickly interjected, "Miss is only attracted to his good looks. If there's someone even better-looking, Miss definitely wouldn't want him. And now the young master of the Duke's residence is unconscious, and the marquis himself says he won't live for more than a year or so."

Is it necessary to portray her as shallow and always seeking new things? Ziling forced a smile despite the frustration, "Father is not a doctor, but I believe the young master of the Duke's residence is not destined for misfortune and an early death. Neither am I."

Looking at Ziling's forced smile and her eyes untainted by worldly dust, Tang's nose felt sour. Her daughter seemed to have grown up and become sensible, but this kind of sensibility was heart-wrenching.

Tang held Ziling's hand and said, "You don't need to worry about us, dear. At most, we can move back to Qingyun Mountain. We're used to living in the mountains, and the splendor of the capital doesn't suit us. Mother only hopes that you can live a carefree life."

Although Ziling had only transmigrated three days ago and had been lying in bed nursing her injuries, Tang and the Dongling Marquis treated her not just with affection but with doting. It was clearly indulgence beyond mere favoritism, something that couldn't be achieved without growing up spoiled. Even her elder brother Zhou Ziqian, who stayed in Feihu Stronghold to handle matters before coming to the capital, and her younger brother Zhou Ziyang, who was not even seven years old yet, gave her whatever she wanted as their older sister.

In Qianqian's words, it means that she wants the stars in the sky, and everyone from Dongling Marquis to Zhou Ziyang will find a way to pluck them for her.

Little did they know that their pampered daughter had fallen to her death three days ago at the gate of Dongling Marquis's residence. Ziling couldn't imagine how heartbroken they would be if they found out.

Ziling squeezed Tang Shi's hand and sincerely called her "mother," calmly saying, "Mother, I will first marry the eldest son of the Zhenguogong Mansion for the celebration. He has recovered from his illness, and everyone is happy. If anything were to happen to him, it wouldn't be too late for our daughter to return to Qingyun Mountain."

Returning to Qingyun Mountain to become a bandit would not require worrying about her marital status. Moreover, in the ancient times where having multiple wives and concubines was common, Ziling had no intention of fighting over a man with numerous other women.

This was Ziling's most genuine thought, and it pleased Dongling Marquis. He said, "If the eldest son of the Zhenguogong Mansion is not fortunate enough, I will take you back to Qingyun Mountain. Being a bandit is much more enjoyable than being a marquis."

The matter was settled.

Ziling's willingness to marry the eldest son of the Zhenguogong Mansion for the celebration did not defy the imperial edict; it was simply a request to be free from the constraints of the marriage decree. The emperor was not angry, and the Zhenguogong Mansion did not hold on tightly. After all, without the consent of the Zhenguogong Mansion, it wouldn't be easy for the bride to leave unless she died, and even then, she would still be considered part of the Zhenguogong Mansion.

The Zhenguogong Mansion was eager for the celebration and scheduled the engagement for three days later. Dongling Marquis felt the time was too rushed, and choosing a single day was considered unlucky. They tried to persuade the Zhenguogong Mansion to postpone it, causing heated arguments and almost flipping the table. Eventually, the Zhenguogong Mansion only agreed to postpone it by one day.

When Ziling heard about these matters, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, freezing on the spot.

She randomly drew a divination stick, and it indicated that she must marry within seven days, which coincided with... the seventh day, her wedding day.