Chapter Thirty-Seven: Far from Officialdom
Fourth Mistress arrived at Shui Lian Yue's room, but saw her wearing a plain white dress, without makeup, and her long hair was only tied up with a wooden pin. Although it was hard to cover up her stunning beauty, this time she was going to the palace to meet Cloud Empress, if she wore this outfit, it would not only lose face for the Shui family, but also might provoke Cloud Empress's anger, and if that happened, it would be said that Master is stingy. If this rumor reached Master's ears, it would be another trouble.
The fourth madam let out a soft sigh and walked slowly to the bedside, where the purple brocade dress that the first madam had sent over was still laid out, not a thread out of place. Even the jewelry box on the dresser hadn't been opened. She walked up to Shui Lian Yue and took her hand, scolding slightly: "Lian Yue, no matter how stubborn you are, you have to change into this dress. The Shui family isn't just any ordinary family. Since the first madam sent someone over with gifts, it means she's made her intentions clear. Moreover, when you go to the palace to meet Princess Yun, you can't wear anything too shabby. After all, in the future, you'll be marrying into the Wang family, and she'll be your mother-in-law too. First impressions are always the most important."
Shui Lian Yue shook her head helplessly, holding her mother's hand and speaking softly: "I know what you mean, but I don't want to marry Prince Yu. My future husband will be chosen by myself, no one can arbitrarily arrange my marriage. Alright, Mother, just go along with them, that purple robe, I won't wear it."
"What? Moon, you can't just say that, Yu Wang is a king and a member of the imperial family, not to mention that Cloud Consort promised you the position of queen. This is a great opportunity that can't be found anywhere else in the world." The fourth madam heard Water Ripple Moon's words and was slightly stunned, her expression becoming even more serious. "You're talking nonsense, even if your mother wouldn't agree, your father probably wouldn't either. This marriage was bestowed by the previous emperor himself, it's a sacred decree that can't be taken back. To go against it would mean the destruction of nine clans."
Shui Lianyue's expression turned serious as the Fourth Madam spoke, her tone growing more severe. In her heart, she thought to herself, "Indeed, I shouldn't mention this to Mother. It seems that we need to think about this carefully in the long run." Exterminate the Ninth Clan? Ha! Who is Shui Lianyue? The Shui family is ruthless, and she doesn't need to worry so much. When the time comes, she'll leave with her mother and fly high, letting the Emperor search for them in vain. These people from the Shui family will eventually take action, even if the Emperor doesn't kill them. Those who bully Shui Lianyue will definitely not have a good ending. For now, she's just playing along with the Fourth Madam; when she gets bored, killing her would be no big deal.
As for that Crown Prince, she had only met him once and was certain he wouldn't be her type. She hated getting entangled with officials, and since heaven gave her a second chance at life, she would do everything in her power to stay far away from those detestable officials.
"Alright, Mother, I won't mention it again. As for that purple robe, why must we make a fuss over nothing? So many years have passed, and I don't believe the Empress doesn't know about your situation. If she's not going to help us, then why should we pretend otherwise? It would only give people something to gossip about and make them think even less of us. Trust me, Mother, it's better this way. Besides, I've always liked simple clothes, those fancy ones are not my style." As soon as she finished speaking, Shui Yunyue pulled the Fourth Mistress out of the room.
The fourth madam pondered her daughter's words, which weren't unreasonable. She glanced at the silver-embroidered dark flower robe on her body and could only let out a soft sigh, allowing her daughter to pull her along.
As she was about to leave, she didn't see the madam, which was just as well, saving her from being a nuisance. Outside the gate, a carriage with a six-sided canopy was waiting, majestic and imposing. In front of it stood two magnificent horses, strong and powerful. Shui Yun couldn't help but sneer inwardly - this was indeed the grandeur of a noble family. However, she thought to herself that Madam must be worried that if they didn't put on a good show at the palace, they would lose face for the Shui family, so she had reluctantly allowed them to ride in the carriage. Since she had relented, then she might as well sit in it too.
Supporting the Fourth Lady, they entered the carriage first. Shui Lian Yue and Hong Ying followed closely behind, and the coachman then whipped up the horses, slowly driving towards the south gate of the Imperial Palace.
