“What is it?”

“Her Grace, Consort Xian, petitioned His Majesty for an imperial marriage decree—for you, to wed the legitimate son of Prince Ping.”

Bai Qingqing’s expression changed in an instant. Her fingers clenched tightly. “What did you say? Is this true? The Emperor agreed?”

“To His Majesty, arranging marriages is hardly a matter worth consideration. Consort Xian’s family holds great power—he had no reason to refuse her.”

Bai Qingqing’s lips turned pale, her gaze losing focus. Why would Consort Xian suddenly arrange a marriage between her and Fu Yi? It had to be the doing of Princess Consort Ping!

What was that woman scheming? She even went so far as to ask Consort Xian for help. With the impression the consort had of her, if she were truly married into the Fu family, her good days would be over.

“The edict will be issued after the Summer Calendar Festival. You don’t have much time left.”

Ning Yan’s cool voice snapped Bai Qingqing back to herself. She looked up at him, her thoughts slowly collecting from the chaos. “You mean… I should seek out the Grand Princess?”

It did seem like the only option. In the entire palace, the only one who had both the power to help and the favor to rival Consort Xian in the Emperor’s eyes was the Grand Princess Huaifu.

There was indeed no time to waste. Bai Qingqing didn’t dare delay another moment. She had been to the Grand Princess’s palace once before—after asking for directions, she lifted her skirts and ran.

After only a few steps, she stopped and turned back. Facing Ning Yan, she bowed deeply in earnest gratitude. No words could express the weight of this favor. She would rather die than marry into the Fu family—this kindness, she would remember for life.

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Watching her run off, Ning Yan curled his lip. At least she knew what mattered—smart enough to make this trip worthwhile.

Not that he had any other reason. He simply didn’t want to see certain people manipulating others from their lofty thrones. Ning Yan brushed dust from his sleeve. Hmph, he was a man of justice after all.

…

Though anxious, Bai Qingqing didn’t forget where she was. She quickly composed herself, heart pounding, and made her way to the Grand Princess Huaifu’s palace.

The chief eunuch, Pu Ming, hearing the message from outside, entered the room quietly. "Your Highness, the young lady from the Bai family is outside and wishes to see you."

Huaifu, who had been reading, paused for a moment. "What is she doing here? Today is the Summer Calendar Festival, but it's not yet time... Bring her in."

When Bai Qingqing entered the room, Huaifu noticed the expression on her face. She kindly had someone hand her a wet cloth to wipe her sweat and then instructed everyone else to leave.

As soon as the door was closed, Bai Qingqing knelt in front of Huaifu.

"What’s the matter now?"

"Your Highness, I wish to ask you for a favor."

Huaifu smiled and motioned for her to rise. "There’s no need to kneel to speak. If I can help you, I will. If I can’t, no matter how long you kneel, I still can’t do anything for you. Isn't that right?"

She didn’t use an air of superiority with Bai Qingqing, allowing her to speak freely.

Bai Qingqing gritted her teeth and explained the marriage decree, along with the schemes the Princess Consort Ping had used to try to manipulate her.

"I never had any intentions toward the Fu family, nor did I ever say or do anything that could be misunderstood. But Princess Consort Ping has schemed against me again and again, and I truly don’t understand why. I do not wish to marry into the Prince Ping's residence."

Huaifu’s gaze flickered slightly, and She leisurely picked up a cup of tea, blowing on the leaves before taking a sip.

Bai Qingqing’s heart raced with anxiety. She wasn’t sure if the Grand Princess would help her or if she could even help at all. In fact, she was already thinking of ways to refuse the marriage decree if it was issued, wondering if there was any way to reject it once it arrived.