Proofread by Men Shunde

"Do you like them?"asks Jun Qianye suddenly.

Nangong Ning nods her head subconsciously.

They are gorgeous things she hasheard of but never seen! Although standing there with a glance at the contents of the boxes, she could recognize ginseng as old as at least five hundred years old. And there are others …

Jun Qianye says casually, "They are yours now."

Nangong Ning gives out a light cry, about rus.h.i.+ng merrily towards the box, only to be pulled back by the hand of Jun Qianye, who still holds her hand in his own. She forgets that her hand is still pulled by the Regent. "Ouch!" screams Nangong Ning due to the pain caused by the casual back-pull of Jun Qianye's hand.

She rushes too fast and the strength of Jun Qianye's pull is too powerful. As a result, she is pulled back directly towards Jun Qianye.

"Bang!" Nangong Ning's head hits hard on the chest of JunQianye.

Both Weichu and Gao Huai freeze when seeing the incident.

Nangong Ning kneads her sore nose, and then lifting her eyes ruefully, she grumbles, "Regent, how does it that you pull me back?"

"You don't bother to get them yourself. They will be moved to your room," says Jun Qianye indifferently.

  Nangong Ning is confused by what he says, as if she were a member of the Regent's family.

Jun Qianye helps Nangong Ning to stand up by tearing her away from his chest, and then he looks at Gao Huai, who is stunned there.

Gao Huai's heart misses a beat when his eyes meet the cold eyes of Jun Qianye.

  "Regent …," says the eunuch.

"Don't you have an imperial edict for me?" asks Jun Qianye coldly.

Gao Huai is shocked, and suddenly remembers why he is here, cold sweat coming down from his forehead.

"Regent, I have an imperial edict for you as well as for Miss Nangong."

"For me?" Nangong Ning is shocked to hear that.

She has never thought that the imperial edict should have something to do with her. But why does it have something to do with her now?

An inexplicable panic attacks her and she looks at Jun Qianye subconsciously.

Nothing changes on the deadpan face of Jun Qianye, who says coldly, "Read it!"

  "Yes, Regent!"

Gao Huai opens the imperial edictand turns to Nanong Ning, who is standing there stunned, saying, "Miss Nangong, kneel down to receive the edict."

Nangong Ning does not move.

It is true that anyone who is receiving an imperial edict should kneel down, which is common sense. She glances at Jun Qianye, who lets go of his hand that holds her wrist. Nangong Ning finally kneels down, though reluctantly.

However, Jun Qianye doesn't kneel down, for which Nangong Ning cannot understand. Gao Huai starts to read the edict:

  "It's the G.o.d's willness and the emperor's command that…" That's the routine of the beginning of an imperial edict. He continues, "Nangong Ning, the eldest daughter of the Nangong family, is intelligentand virtuous, …"

Nangong Ning is totally stunned at this moment. Why is this imperial edict all about her?

Instantly, she feels something terrible may happen, her heart beating fast.

Weichu is looking at Nangong Ning with a surprise and Jun Qianye's eyes fall on Nangong Ning with slight movements.

"… besides she is gentle and generous, who is worthy of good match. Therefore, Nangong Ning is bestowed upon Regent Jun Qianye as his wife, and their wedding ceremony will be held on a lucky day. That's the decision of the Emperor!"

Wow!

When Gao Huai finishes his announcement, all present are shocked as if they were struck by a roaring thunder. It takes quite some time before they realize what the edict means.

As the person who is to be bestowed the marriage to the Regent, Nangong Ning is too shocked to speak.

Last night she managed to get herself free from the engagement to the Crown Prince. But within less than 24 hours she is ordered to get married again by the Emperor.

And this time the man she is going to marry is…. Before she turns her stiffer neck to look at the man beside her, Gao Huai says in his s.h.i.+vering voice, "Why don't you thank the Emperor and receive the edict, Miss Nangong?"

The expression on her face indicates that she dares not.

Now Gao Huai, with his heart beating fast, is looking at Nangong Ning while the latter, with her heart beating fast too, does not dare to make a movement.

At last Weichu breaks out, "What does the Emperor mean, Mr. Gao?"

Nangong Ning just breaks off the engagement with the Crown Prince. In other words, she is dumped by Jun Zixuan. How come that the Emperor orders her to marry my Lord?

Gao Huai does not dare to lift his eyes, for he is scared, too.

Gao Huai has already known what the edict is about before he announced it. He was a little confident at that time for he thought he was here on behalf of the Emperor. But now he has no confidence at all.

In front of him a few steps away stands Jun Qianye.

How dare he have confidence in the face of this man?

Gao huai regrets so much at this moment. If he had known this before, he would not have come here at all.

"General Weichu, I come here only to announce the edict, the meaning of which is beyond my cognition."

With a murderous glimmer in his eyes, Weichu grunted, looking at Nangong Ning.

Nangong Ning's heart skips a beat suddenly.

All at once she catches the murderous look from Weichu.

She is quite sure that Weichu wants to kill her!

She is too scared. Stooping down, she says aloud, "Nangong Ning thanks the Emperor and accepts the edict!"

 "You …!" Weichu didn't expect that Nangong Ning is bold enough to accept the edict before he acts.

Before Weichu returns from his shock, Nangong Ning rises up quickly, stretches out her hand, grabs the edict from Gao Huai, and retreats fast to the side of Jun Qianye.

Seeing all this makes Weichu's face turn blue with anger. Accepting the edict means she admits the marriage to the Regent. In fact, she just wants to protect her own life by taking the advantage of the Regent. d.a.m.n the woman!

No matter how angry he is, he could not draw his sword to kill Nangong Ning in front of his Lord.

How cunning the woman is!