Chapter 430: Chapter 430: In 3 Days, This King Will Marry Her

In a pavilion on the mountain behind Dao Yuan Temple, Song Lianhe slowly stepped inside.

Zhou Junlin stood with his hands folded before him, a faint, gentle smile playing on his lips as he quietly watched her approach.

"Zhou Junlin, I need to ask you for something."

Song Lianhe didn’t bother with pleasantries. She had to find her third great-uncle next and couldn’t afford to waste any time.

When Zhou Junlin heard her familiar, informal tone—no longer as polite as before—the smile on his face deepened. "Go on."

"Could you... take Cao Ying as a concubine?"

The smile on Zhou Junlin’s face instantly froze.

Across the lake, Gu Ha was munching on an apple he had swiped from some hall or another, having given it only a few cursory wipes on his clothes.

"My Prince doesn’t look very happy!"

He stared at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, remarking with an experienced air, "I’d say he’s very unhappy."

Usually, in a situation like this, the other person would be praying for their life.

But since he was with Princess Qing, he would hold it in, no matter how furious he was.

Tsk, tsk. When had his Prince ever been so wronged!

"It’s just a request for him to take a concubine."

Xuan Mei’s sudden comment made Gu Ha jump out of his skin.

"What did you say? A concubine?"

Xuan Mei shot him a glance and said calmly, "Don’t all men enjoy having multiple wives and concubines? She’s just catering to his preferences."

"You’re wrong! You’re talking about ordinary men. That doesn’t include our Prince!" As far as Gu Ha was concerned, Zhou Junlin was perfect in every way.

"Then what are his intentions toward our Princess Consort?"

"Er, well..."

"He’s already married the woman he supposedly loves, yet he’s still not satisfied and has his eyes on someone else. I really don’t see what’s so special about him."

"You..."

Gu Ha couldn’t win the argument, so he just shot her an angry glare. "In any case, I’m afraid Princess Qing is going to be disappointed. My Prince will never agree to this!"

Just as Gu Ha was saying this, he saw Song Lianhe and Zhou Junlin walking toward them.

Zhou Junlin still had a dark expression, but Song Lianhe, by contrast, was beaming. "Wow, you really are the author’s favorite! Such an enlightened way of thinking! Don’t you worry. Now that you’ve solved the Cao Family’s urgent crisis, they will be sure to remember it. If you ever need anything in the future, the Cao Family will give you their full support—so long as it doesn’t break the law or violate their conscience!"

"Heh. You’re quite the smooth talker."

Zhou Junlin walked beside her, his former refined elegance completely gone. In its place was the simmering frustration of someone who was furious but couldn’t show it.

"I see now," he said. "The Cao Family means more to you than I do."

"How could you say that!" Song Lianhe was in a good mood and immediately tried to placate him. "Think about it, who is Prince Hang to you? He’s your arch-rival! If he forces Sister Cao to marry him and gains the Cao Family’s backing, who’s the first person he’ll come after? You!"

Then, a realization dawned on her. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait a second. You should be the one worried about this. You should have been the one to come up with a plan! How did it turn into us begging you?"

Zhou Junlin was silent for a moment before lifting his gaze. "Whoever wants the throne can have it. I don’t care about it, so I won’t fight for it."

"You..."

’How could he do it? He’d been so persistent about so many things. How could he just give it all up overnight?’

Zhou Junlin lowered his gaze, his voice soft. "I’m only doing this to help you. Nothing else."

"Er..."

His sudden sincerity left her momentarily speechless.

’Somehow, it felt like she had bullied him.’

"Within three days, I will bring Miss Cao into the Prince Mansion."

"Er, okay..."

Zhou Junlin turned and walked away.

Gu Ha made his feelings clear. As he followed the Prince away, he shot Song Lianhe a resentful glare.

It was the kind of look one gives a heartless woman.

Song Lianhe: "..."

’Oh, well. This was all for Cao Ying’s sake. If they wanted to resent her, so be it.’

Leaving the mountain behind, she went to the main hall, where a young Daoist was already waiting for her.

"You must be the Second Miss of the Song Family. Please, follow me."

"Thank you."

As Song Lianhe followed the young Daoist, she continued to debrief with Xuan Mei. "I originally thought him agreeing to this would be a win-win situation. But now he says he doesn’t want to fight for the throne anymore! If he doesn’t compete, Prince Hang will be unopposed. Once he becomes Emperor, he won’t just come for Zhou Junlin—he won’t spare your master either!"

Xuan Mei, walking beside her, said coolly, "That’s because he knows he has no chance of winning." She paused, then added, "Not when compared to my master."

"That’s true."

Zhou Cangyan had eighty thousand of his maternal grandfather’s Mystic Armor Masters at his command, not to mention the help of all their hidden agents. Add his current male-lead halo to the mix, and he could probably fulfill his life’s ambition just by thinking about it!

She imagined Zhou Cangyan donning the imperial yellow robe and ascending the dragon throne...

For some reason, the image seemed deeply unsettling.

By now, the young Daoist had led them to a quiet chamber. There, Song Lianhe finally saw him: Old Master Song, also known as Venerable Ling Xi, who went by the Daoist name Wuwei Wanderer.

"Third Great-Uncle!"

Song Lianhe greeted him with great affection.

Wuwei Wanderer was over seventy, with the white hair of an elder but the ruddy complexion of a young man. He looked even more vigorous now than when he had helped her separate her branch of the family from the main Song Residence.

"Hehe, Wenxin, you’re here."

Wuwei Wanderer put down his book and looked at her with a gentle smile. "What brings you to see this humble Daoist?"

"Third Great-Uncle, I just came to ask you about a few things."

Xuan Mei slid the door shut for them, then stood guard outside, her arms folded around her sword.

"SCREE—"

A cry echoed from the sky. She looked up and saw Chun Hua.

Song Lianhe learned from her third great-uncle that he had indeed seen Zhou Yang when he entered the palace the day before yesterday.

When she asked if he’d noticed anything suspicious, Wuwei Wanderer thought for a moment and recalled one incident.

During the ritual, Zhou Yang had knocked over a teacup. Wuwei Wanderer had glanced back at him, and Zhou Yang’s eyes were wide, his mouth opening urgently as if he wanted to say something.

Just then, however, Consort Zhao Hui stepped forward, blocking his line of sight. She spoke softly to Zhou Yang, "Holy Emperor, your robes are wet. Allow me to take you inside to change."

And just like that, she had her attendants usher Zhou Yang into the bedchamber.

As for Wuwei Wanderer, he was only responsible for the blessing ritual; everything else was none of his concern.

Naturally, he didn’t think much of it and simply left with his entourage once the ritual was complete.

Song Lianhe was lost in thought. From what her third great-uncle was saying, it was highly likely Zhou Yang had knocked over the teacup on purpose. He had probably been trying to signal something, but Consort Zhao Hui had interrupted him.

"Third Great-Uncle, you said just now that you brought a number of people with you?"

"Yes. A ritual to pray for blessings and dispel misfortune requires a formation to concentrate good fortune, and that naturally requires many people."

"Did you happen to notice the numbers? For instance, were there a few extra people when you left?"

Old Master Song shook his head. "I wouldn’t have paid any mind to such things."

’If I were Consort Zhao Hui,’ she thought, ’I would have used the Daoists’ departure from the palace as an opportunity to pull something.’

A bold idea formed in her mind.

’If Zhou Yang isn’t in the palace, maybe he’s right here in Dao Yuan Temple!’

’Hiding him here would be the best way to escape notice.’

"Third Great-Uncle, it’s been a while since I last saw you. Would it be all right if I stayed here for a couple of days?"

Wuwei Wanderer naturally agreed.

To be frank, he found he had a much greater affinity for Song Xingfeng’s daughter than for the man himself.

When Song Lianhe came out, Xuan Mei said, "Chun Hua must have found something."

Song Lianhe looked up. Chun Hua was still circling overhead.

’Could it be Zhou Yang?’

She said quickly, "Follow it. Let’s go see."

And so, the two of them followed Chun Hua all the way to the mountain gate, to the very spot where Song Lianhe and Zhou Cangyan had parted ways. And standing there at that very moment was Song Xilan.