The Salted Fish’s Political Marriage - Chapter 1

The fire burned for three full hours, and half of the Imperial Palace had already been reduced to ashes.

The Imperial Guards were either dead or had fled. Beside the four-year-old young Emperor, only one last shadow guard remained.

Inside the Yanhe Palace, Song Mingzhi, dressed in black, wiped the grime from the Emperor’s face with his fingertips.

Amidst the crackling sound of the burning palace, he smiled brightly: “Is Your Majesty afraid?”

The young Emperor shook his head and clenched his small fists: “I am not afraid.”

“Good,” Song Mingzhi sighed softly. “Your Majesty is truly a worthy descendant of Emperor Wen.”

The firelight illuminated his water-blue eyes, and his already striking features appeared even more defiant in that moment.

Even the scar running across his cheek did not seem as ferocious as before.

Emperor Wen of Chu, Mu Yanzhou, had turned the tide and propped up a crumbling empire.

It was he who, through his own efforts, reorganized the world, extended the reign of the Great Chu for a century, and achieved a golden age that would last for generations.

It was just a pity that this time, Great Chu would ultimately not wait for a second Emperor Wen.

The fire grew larger.

Song Mingzhi held the young Emperor, walked slowly toward the dragon throne, and bowed as he placed him upon it.

The flames surged toward the grand hall, and the rafters made of golden nanmu wood finally succumbed to the weight, collapsing with a deafening roar.

The golden dragons carved into the pillars glared with fury, spewing out their final breath of fire.

Boom.

At the very last moment, Song Mingzhi could not help but let out a soft sigh.

It is better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos.

Having been born in an era of turmoil, his greatest regret in this life was never having witnessed the flourishing splendor of the past.

If there were a next life, he would surely want to be born in a time of peace.

If he could be a wealthy, idle person who simply drifted through life without worries, that would be perfect.

In the third year of Guangyou, the Great Chu fell.

The dynasty had lasted one hundred and forty-one years.

The daylight faded, and the sunset glowed like molten gold.

Located south of the Imperial City, the Western Region guesthouse was draped in red silk.

The auspicious time was approaching, and the guesthouse was bustling with noise. The matchmaker was already waiting neatly outside the door.

At the same time, inside the bedroom.

A young man from the Western Region, dressed as a servant, urged with an anxious face: “Young Master Zhi, why have you not lit the incense yet? Did you not say you were going to knock out the matchmaker and escape the wedding?”

Song Mingzhi, who had just been making a wish, never expected his next life to arrive so suddenly.

Not yet having reacted, he subconsciously repeated: “Escape the wedding?”

Who wanted to escape the wedding?

Before he could finish his sentence, the evening breeze blew, rustling Song Mingzhi’s bright red sleeves.

Seeing this, his expression suddenly changed, and he subconsciously looked up.

The twilight passed through the window lattice and landed on the bronze mirror.

It was like a spark of fire, igniting his long, slightly upturned water-blue peach blossom eyes in the mirror, along with the tiny teardrop mole beneath one of them.

Even without makeup, he looked excessively beautiful.

It was the face he knew, except for the absence of the ugly scar on his cheek.

The scar that had been on his face since he was seven years old was gone.

Song Mingzhi’s heart felt suddenly empty.

“Young Master Zhi.” Seeing that time was running out and Song Mingzhi was still guarding the incense burner in hesitation, the servant could not help but grow anxious for him. “The people from the Qi Prince’s mansion are coming to welcome the bride soon!”

Having said that, he stuffed the fire starter into Song Mingzhi’s hand.

The excruciating pain of his body being burned by fire seemed not to have completely faded. Song Mingzhi suddenly frowned and, acting on instinct, threw the object in his hand away.

The flame was instantly extinguished, leaving only curling wisps of smoke.

The incense burner on the table was also knocked to the floor, releasing a faint fragrance. At the same time, a muffled sound rang out, instantly awakening Song Mingzhi’s consciousness.

Young Master Zhi, the Prince of Qi, welcoming the bride?

Several not-so-unfamiliar terms immediately rushed into his mind.

Emperor Wen of Chu, Mu Yanzhou, was the Prince of Qi before he ascended the throne. In the hundred-plus years that followed, no other prince had ever received that title again. He was diligent in state affairs, working from dawn to dusk, and until his death, he kept his harem empty. It was only in his early years as a prince that his foolish father, the Emperor, had granted him a marriage.

The person he married came from the Shulan Kingdom of the Western Regions. If he remembered correctly, was he not referred to as Young Master Zhi?

Song Mingzhi’s breathing faltered.

An absurd speculation suddenly arose in his heart.

No, it cannot be, right?

The welcoming procession arrived at the guesthouse amidst the sound of blowing horns and drums.

Outside the bedroom, the matchmaker was already prepared and turned around to whisper a reminder into the room: “Young Master Zhi, the hour of the Rooster has arrived.”

The servant clenched his fists and turned around, preparing to block the door.

“Wait.” Song Mingzhi spoke on instinct, stopping his actions.

The servant turned back, puzzled: “Young Master?”

Song Mingzhi finally regained his composure and turned his gaze back to the incense burner.

As a shadow guard, he could tell at a glance:

The incense in front of him originated from the Western Regions. It was potent and fast-acting, but on the journey to the Central Plains, it had become damp and degraded.

Song Mingzhi’s heart sank heavily.

The Young Master Zhi in history clearly had not discovered this fact.

He had lit the incense, but not only did he fail to escape successfully, he also angered the Emperor, which led to him being confined to a side courtyard by imperial decree and eventually dying of illness shortly after.

On this same day:

The Prince of Qi’s mentor accidentally offended the foolish Emperor and was subjected to harsh punishment.

Someone had rushed to ask the Prince of Qi for help, but at that time, the Prince’s mansion was in complete chaos because of the original owner. By the time the news reached the Prince of Qi’s ears, his mentor had already died in sorrow.

The imperial court followed suit into chaos.

Reborn into this life, Song Mingzhi did not want to court death: “We cannot escape.”

The servant was utterly bewildered: “No, we are not escaping?”

The Young Master had prepared for so long to escape the wedding, why stop at the very last moment?

Song Mingzhi quickly bent down, picked up the incense burner from the floor, opened the window, and dumped the contents out: “The incense has degraded.”

As the words fell, he had completely destroyed the evidence and casually returned the incense burner to its original spot.

The servant froze for a moment, then hurriedly replied: “Yes.”

He crouched down and put away the fire starter.

He did not know if it was his imagination, but the Young Master seemed to have suddenly become much calmer, and every movement had become exceptionally agile.

There was no time to think further.

The matchmaker’s voice came through the door into the bedroom: “Young Master Zhi, it is time to prepare for the sedan chair.”

The servant stood up and saw that Song Mingzhi was already adjusting his collar in front of the bronze mirror, having completely returned to his usual appearance.

At the same time, he said indifferently: “Come in.”

The servant, who had witnessed everything: “?”

He could not help but rub his eyes hard.

No, it cannot be.

In the blink of an eye, the auspicious time had arrived.

The matchmaker walked into the room and covered Song Mingzhi with the wedding veil.

Before the servant could figure out what was going on, Song Mingzhi had already calmly walked out of the bedroom.

The servant: “Young Master, wait for me!”

He hurriedly followed him.

On the eve of the wedding, the Prince of Qi had a recurrence of an old illness, so he was currently recuperating, and the wedding ceremony was simplified. There were no formal engagement protocols, nor were there ceremonies for the bride’s delivery or the formal bowing.

The sedan chair, covered in red silk, traveled through the long streets.

Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums, they headed toward the Prince of Qi’s mansion.

In the midst of the joy and laughter, no one noticed a man in black following closely behind, sneaking into the guesthouse and hiding a small incense burner in his sleeve. He then rode a fast horse, circumventing the crowd, and delivered it to the Prince of Qi’s mansion:

“Reporting to Your Highness, Young Master Zhi did not light the incense to escape the wedding.”

Multicolored porcelain mandarin ducks rested neck-to-neck under the lamp.

A gold-embroidered flower and bird screen divided the bridal chamber in two.

Song Mingzhi sat on the bed with the wedding veil over his head, the sweet scent still lingering in the air.

Song Mingzhi: “.”

This was the Joyful Incense used in the palace to set the mood.

Under the bright red veil, Song Mingzhi slowly frowned.

The fourteen emperors of the Great Chu were all lustful and greedy, except for the Prince of Qi, who was like a lotus rising from the mud, so untainted that it was rumored he favored men.

This marriage had come about because of that.

Thinking of this, Song Mingzhi’s mood became profoundly solemn.

Just because someone keeps to himself and avoids women, does that mean he is necessarily interested in men?

Judging others by one’s own standards!

The matchmaker finished her duties, bowed, and exited the bridal chamber.

After only a few breaths, Song Mingzhi heard a commotion coming from far away.

It was about time.

Song Mingzhi silently clenched the red silk in his palm.

Then, he calmly ordered his servant: “Go and see what is happening outside.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

The sound of footsteps echoed through the veil to Song Mingzhi’s ears. A moment later, he heard the servant return to the bridal chamber and tell him: “Replying to Young Master, someone has come to the Prince’s mansion to find the Prince of Qi and ask him to go to the palace to plead with the Emperor. It seems to be the Prince’s mentor who has run into trouble.”

Song Mingzhi: “!”

History had unfolded exactly as he expected.

Song Mingzhi let out a long breath.

He gently closed his eyes and said with a sense of relief: “Good, I understand.”

His mentor’s death was the Prince of Qi’s lifelong regret.

Reborn into this life, with no interference from him, the Prince had indeed received the news early. In this life, he could finally sit back and watch, witnessing with his own eyes how the Prince would turn the tide, defeat his enemies, and ultimately change history!

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Song Mingzhi’s heart skipped two heavy beats.

The red silk in his hand seemed to be growing hot as well.

The original owner was not interested in men, which was why he had taken the risk to escape the wedding. However, he did not know that the Prince of Qi was a man of honor who had no interest in the same sex.

This marriage was not something the other party desired either.

As the Consort of the Prince of Qi, he would only need to be an ornament in the back courtyard of the mansion, eat and sleep well, and live in contentment, never causing trouble or creating issues for the Prince. Finally, he would take the initiative to seek a divorce and empty out the harem, just as in history, returning peace to the Prince.

Song Mingzhi abruptly opened his eyes and pinched himself hard.

His neatly trimmed nails dug deep into his flesh.

Pain instantly spread from his palm.

Song Mingzhi: “Hiss.”

So, could pies really fall from the sky?

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