Proofread by by Men Shunde

 "Yes, I come here for Nangong Ning!" Jun Qianye nods his head and looks at Nangong Ning in a way out of charity. He continues, "This girl missed her wedding with the Crown Prince today because she came to save my life. She was afraid that she could not come into the Palace before the gate closes, for she has to beg for the gra.s.s of the nether world in order to detoxify her toxin. I told her that the only way to get into the Palace after the gate closes is to beat the Xuanwu Drum. I said that just off the top of my head. I didn't expect that she would do as I told her to do. She is really a stupid as well as honest girl!   

All the people present are stunned to hear that.

Nangong Ning stares at Jun Qianye, wondering if she is dreaming. How could he take the blame for her?

Looking at Jun Qianye, Jun Zixuan is stunned, too. He remembers seeing Jun Qianye take Nangong Ning out for a while before they left the Regent's Mansion. Is it possible that Jun Qianye talked this over with the girl just at that time?

The Emperor asks suspiciously, "Is it you, my royal brother, who told her to beat the Xuanwu Drum?"

Jun Qianye turns to look at the Emperor, saying, "Yes, it is me. It is thoughtless for me to tell her to beat the Xuanwu Drum. I know that the beating of the Xuanwu Drum means so much that I should take the punishment.

The Emperor looks at Jun Qianye speechless.

Jun Qianye is willing to be the scapegoat.

How can the Emperor punish his brother Jun Qianye?

"My royal brother, is it true that you were poisoned by the hundred-variety-venomous insects? Is it the girl of the Nangong family who saved your life?" asks the Emperor when he remembers the things.

Jun Qianye replies, "Yes, it's true. Thanks to Nangong Ning, who transferred the toxins from my body with her phoenix bracelet and saved my life."  

"Who did that to you?" enquires the Emperor continuously.

Jun Qianye replies in a low voice, "I don't know yet. I haven't found it out."

"d.a.m.n it!" the Emperor slams his hand down on the table, shouting with rage, "Go and investigate! Make a thorough search! Be sure to find out who the h.e.l.l poisoned my royal brother!"

Jun Qianye makes an obeisance by cupping one hand in the other before his chest, saying, "Thanks a lot!"

Just then, Nangong Ning feels too unwell, and she knows why, so she says regardless of all present, "Your Majesty, please give me the gra.s.s of the nether world!"

The Emperor turns his eyes and looks at her coldly.

Nangong Ning's heart sinks, but she begs persistently, "The toxin in my body will break out in no time. Please do me a favor, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor turns his eyes to Jun Qianye, but the latter remains silent.

"Somebody, go and get the gra.s.s of the nether world," orders the Emperor.

  At this, Nangong Ning feels relieved, for her life is safe for the time being.

The attendant soon returns with the gra.s.s of the nether world.

Nangong Ning hastily takes the gra.s.s of the nether world over, and identifies the gra.s.s to be right. With her hands wiping the mud off the gra.s.s casually, she then puts the gra.s.s into her mouth. She swallows the gra.s.s down in a haste without chewing properly.

The people present are all startled to see her swallow the gra.s.s, as if they were seeing a ghost.

She knows clearly that her eating manner is very rude, but she has no choice. She thought she had 4 hours to go before the outbreak of the toxin, but the phoenix bracelet on her wrist shows that there isn't much time left for her. Therefore, she has to take the herb of the gra.s.s of the nether world immediately, and chewing down the gra.s.s is the best method in taking the herb.

Seeing that she has finished eating the gra.s.s, Jun Zixuan, who is on the side, couldn't help asking, "Nangong Ning … "

Nangong Ning is taking a peep at Jun Qianye when Jun Zixuan is speaking. Her heart misses a beat when she sees that there is a cold look in Jun Qianye's eyes. She suddenly remembers what Jun Qianye warned her when they were at the Regent's Mansion. With her mind calming down, she lifts her head to meet the eyes of Jun Zixuan.

"Your Highness, my cousin Nangong Qingyao took my role to marry you, the Crown Prince, today. How would Your Highness punish her?" Nangong Ning asks Jun Zixuan.

Jun Zixuan doesn't expect that she would ask such a question. He is stunned for a while before he replies, "It is you who forced her to play your role to marry me. And I married her in the Eastern Palace without knowing her true ident.i.ty. So …"

In her heart, Nangong Ning sneers when she hears what he explains.

Nangong Qingyao is so bold as to poison Nangong Ning as well as to marry the Crown Prince in the name of Nangong Ning. The only explanation for that is that she knows very well that even if Jun Zixuan finds out the truth, he would be willing to go along. Therefore, it is not difficult to conclude that Nangong Ning's fiancé, the Crown Prince, has had an affair with Nangong Qingyao, her cousin, secretly for a long time.

"They are just adulterer and doxy! d.a.m.n them!" Nangong Ning says in her heart.

"Your Highness, do you want to take the wrong and make the best of it?" asks Nangong Ning.   

 "Certainly not," replies Jun Zixuan, who is annoyed by the tone and the facial expression of Nangong Ning, whom he has been scornful of. But now Jun Zixuan is made uncomfortable by the thought that Nangong Ning has got the favour and shelter from the Regent, his uncle. He continues his reply, saying, "I have only made Nangong Qingyao the prince side imperial concubine."

Nangong Qingyao is made a prince side imperial concubine? Nangong Ning refrains from laughing out when she learns that.

Nangong Qingyao and her parents have done so much only to get her the t.i.tle of a prince side imperial concubine, which is really ridiculous!

"She is the prince side imperial concubine, so the t.i.tle of the Crown Princess is still …" continues Nangong Ning.

"Don't expect that you will have it!" exclaims Jun Zixuan with his teeth clenched, "I will certainly not keep that t.i.tle for you since you dared to escape marriage, breaking the engagement even if your escape is for my uncle, the Regent."

Nangong Ning chuckles to herself secretly and then she turns to pay obeisance to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I admit that my behavior today is a great humiliation to the honor of the Crown Prince. Therefore, I myself ask to break off the engagement with Crown Prince. And from now on, the Crown Prince and I are irrelevant to each other, and therefore free in his or my own marriage."

"Nangong Ning, what are you talking about?" shouts Jun Zixuan angrily. To Jun Zixuan, it is proper for him to say that he doesn't want to marry her, not vise verse! How dare she ask for breaking off the engagement and declare she is free in her own marriage? Does she really think that there will be a man in the world who would like to marry her?

Taking no notice of Jun Zixuan, Nangong Ning kneels down and makes three Kowtows to the Emperor with her head touching the ground, which gives out three loud "Bangs".