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"I must say, Nangong Nuo's words carry a lot of weight," Mei Shuang thought, feeling a tremor in her heart as she gazed into Nangong Nuo's solemn eyes. Finally, she nodded, "It's not that I want to refuse you; it's just that times have changed. I am now in disgrace, my reputation tarnished, and everyone sees me as a danger. You have shown me kindness, so I do not wish to drag you down with me... How about this? Let’s take our time to consider things. We can set a deadline: starting today, three years from now. If you still feel the same at that time, I will marry you. What do you think?"
"Three years?"
Nangong Nuo's expression shifted, clearly taken aback that Mei Shuang would propose such a long wait. "You want me to wait another three years?"
Seeing Nangong Nuo's gaze grow colder, Mei Shuang felt a surge of panic and quickly added, "If you don’t believe me, we can put it in writing."
Nangong Nuo fixed his gaze on Mei Shuang, a faint cold smile playing on his lips. You are right under my nose; let’s see how far you can go.
He nodded slowly. "Very well. If I refuse, it would make me seem petty. Bring me ink and paper!"
A moment later, Nangong Nuo casually picked up the paper Mei Shuang had written on, gently blowing on the still-wet ink before glancing at her holding the brush. He then read aloud, "I, along with Zhao Prince, hereby agree to a three-year pact. If after three years Zhao Prince still wishes to marry me, I will willingly accept. Written by: Mei Shuang, the first day of the second month in the first year of Tianwu."
After reading it again, he praised her, "Good writing! Miss Mei Shuang, I never knew someone as clever as you could write an agreement like a contract for selling oneself."
"..." Mei Shuang felt her face flush with anger while inwardly cursing this insufferable man.
Nangong Nuo folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve before continuing, "Miss Mei Shuang, let’s be clear: it’s not that I don’t trust you. Even with this document in hand, I still have my doubts. Consider this agreement as your intention rather than a mere expedient measure. I hope you truly keep your promise this time; otherwise, it would be a pity for all my efforts..."
Mei Shuang's heart raced as she lowered her gaze while returning the brush to its place. "I will certainly keep my promise within these three years, but Zhao Prince must also conduct himself properly. Otherwise, this agreement will be void..."
Nangong Nuo's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Mei Shuang and nodded. "You dare to negotiate terms with me? Hmph, very well."
Turning away, a glint of cunning flashed in Mei Shuang's eyes. With the scent of perfume lingering around him, I wonder if he can truly resist temptation in these three years.
Having completed what needed to be done, Mei Shuang avoided Nangong Nuo's intense gaze. "Excuse me; I need to step out for a moment..."
Behind her, Nangong Nuo watched Mei Shuang's retreating figure with an imperceptible depth in his eyes.
Mei Shuang hurriedly stepped out of the door, and her surroundings suddenly opened up before her.
The crisp air carried a hint of sweetness that was refreshing and cleared her mind. Before her lay an endless sea of plum blossoms, a breathtaking sight that left her in awe.
Just moments ago, she had been in a room on the mountaintop, where the long window offered only a glimpse of a small section of the plum grove. Now, as she looked around, the entire mountain was blanketed with plum trees, their colors spreading like naturally woven ribbons, more beautiful than anything found in the human world. Upon closer inspection, she was astonished to see that the colors of the plum blossoms intertwined to form an enormous character for "Frost" from her vantage point.
Suddenly, she realized and couldn't help but admire the charm of the Mei Manor heiress; it was indeed remarkable.
She sighed inwardly. Compared to this spectacular and unique view, what did it matter to receive a sports car or a house in modern times? It seemed that the Zhao Prince's infatuation was not mere words; such grand gestures were truly those of a second-generation official! With a man willing to wait for the Mei Manor heiress, she stubbornly insisted on marrying the emperor to become some kind of Empress...
It appeared that being unsatisfied had drawn divine retribution upon Mei Shuang.
After lamenting for a while, she finally noticed that beneath her feet was a winding stone staircase leading deeper into the plum grove...
---
In the Purple Dawn Palace, within the Empress Dowager's chambers.
Early in the morning, Queen Meiru led a group of concubines kneeling in silence within Empress Dowager Mingxi's quarters, patiently awaiting her words.
Empress Dowager Mingxi seemed oblivious to their presence, holding a delicate pair of golden scissors in one hand while supporting a pot of lush and precious flowers with the other, examining them closely.
Perhaps due to the palace's suitable temperature, the flowers had grown wildly, taking up a considerable space in the corner.
After scrutinizing for a while, Empress Dowager Mingxi decisively raised her hand and snipped off several main branches with a sharp "snip."
Aunt Yu watched in shock as the branches fell away and exclaimed sorrowfully, "These flowers have been nurtured by the Empress Dowager for many years with great effort to bloom. To cut them all at once is truly regrettable for you."
Empress Dowager Mingxi ignored her and continued to examine the remaining branches before finally expressing satisfaction. "Some things cannot be allowed to grow wildly without pruning; otherwise, they will lose their proper shape sooner or later. Look at these main branches—they haven't grown straight at all! And these side branches are growing chaotically? If I don't prune them soon, this palace will be overrun..."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the group of concubines kneeling before her, their heads bowed and expressions respectful. Her eyes lingered intentionally on Queen Meiru, who knelt at the front, before she lightly complained, "Alas, I am getting old and my eyesight is failing. I was just focused on trimming the flowers and plants. Jin Yu, you didn't remind me, allowing these delicate bodies to kneel for so long. They can all rise now..."
Jin Yu quickly agreed and stepped forward to help Queen Meiru up. The other concubines then gradually rose and stood respectfully to the side.
Empress Dowager Mingxi looked closely; beneath their splendid garments, each one was as beautiful as a flower, with graceful figures adorned with hairpins and jade ornaments, vibrant in colors like blossoms ready to bloom.
Empress Dowager Mingxi sighed inwardly. Here was a group of young women in their prime, yet her son had not taken any of them since his marriage.
As everyone observed Empress Dowager sipping tea, they seemed to ponder something. Although they could not decipher her thoughts, no one was foolish; her words carried significant meaning.
Logically, the concubines should have pleased her by coming together to pay their respects, but instead, it felt like veiled criticism. If Empress Dowager were in a good mood, why would she say such things?
The reason behind this was clear to everyone in their hearts. It seemed that rumors from the inner palace had reached Empress Dowager. Originally, Mei Shuang was favored by her, but with all this gossip circulating, wasn't it a reflection on Empress Dowager herself? Could she possibly be happy about that?
After realizing this, the concubines exchanged cautious glances and stood even more carefully in place, fearing that Empress Dowager might turn her attention towards them.
Sure enough, after Empress Dowager Mingxi sat back on the couch and leisurely finished a bowl of soothing soup, she finally spoke lightly, "My dear Empress, I have noticed you seem a bit frail lately and your complexion isn't good. Is there something troubling you?"
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