The prime minister manor

The prime minister's daughter Bai Zhi Rou is in her room with her maid and they were discussing who among the emperor's three princes was more capable. When her father came in she was excited and went to hug him.

" Rou Rou you know you are no longer young you can't keep behaving immaturely you are a lady," he said.

Pouting slightly " okay father," she said as she tried to signal to her maid Ying Yue to pack up the paintings of the princes. But it was too late as her father saw the paintings.

" Rou Rou what are you doing with these paintings. Don't tell me you finally have a crush" he said excitedly. " nooo father it is not like that. I just wanted to....." she began to explain but before she could complete her statement she was interrupted.

"Rou Rou you are already at the suitable age to make you don't need to get shy about stuff like this" he chuckled as he said this. " you must have a huge crush on the crown prince," he said.

" What.... what do you mean I don't have any crush on anyone," she said defensively.

"Rou Rou don't worry about anything when I go to the morning assembly tomorrow I will ask the emperor to grant you both marriage as he has been pressuring me, you know when your mother died I promised her that I would do anything to make you happy," he said tearing up a little.

" okay father don't cry I will get married," she said panicking a little as her father rarely cried. " Okay you made the right choice, you are a grown-up lady. it is normal to have someone you like" he said secretly smiling inside.

Almost as her father finished his sentence his attendant soon came in " My lord the left minister is here to see you," the attendant said. " Rou Rou I will take my leave now rest up okay," the prime minister said before leaving.

" Okay father," she said as he left. After he left Zhi Rou started pacing around restlessly " ying yue it is all your fault how could you leave the painting there, now I have to get married to the crown prince whom I dont even know his name" Zhi Rou said as she fake cried and pointed accusing fingers at Ying Yue.

" I am sorry young miss I tried to take it away but it was too late and beside the crown prince's name is Zhou Huiqing," Ying Yue said as she tried to hide the smile threatening to break out on her face.

"Hmph I dont care about that, all I know is that I have to do something to ensure I don't get married to the so-called crown prince" Zhi Rou muttered to herself.

"but my lady we all know that the crown prince will be that next king which will directly make you our future Empress," Ying Yue said cheerfully to tease Zhi Rou but got no reaction as her lady was deep in thought.

The next day

Zhi Rou is pleading with Ying Yue to let her go out. " My lady please don't put me in a difficult position, you know you are a noble lady you can be walking around the market, what if something happens to you? I will get beheaded by the prime minister, moreover, the guards won't let you go out" Ying Yue said.

" Ying Yue we don't need to go through the front door we can jump over the fence," Zhi Rou said with a smile on her face. Whispering to Zhi Rou" but what if we get caught I will get punished " Ying Yue said looking terrified.

Smirking smugly Zhi Rou kept her hand on ying yue shoulder " don't worry Ying Yue you won't get caught beside we are putting on a disguise so no one can recognize us. come on let's go" she said pulling Ying Yue by her right hand. Ying Yue knowing she has lost the battle had no choice but to follow her lady.

Zhi rou leaves her room quietly with Ying Yue trailing behind her and goes to the backyard and tries to jump over the fence. Finally, on the fifth try, she succeeded and waits for Ying Yue to Join her on the other side of the fence. Ying Yue soon joined her and they stepped into the busy market. They started touring around the market place and soon heard a loud scream ''thief''.

She turned back and saw a man being chased by an old woman who soon slipped and fell down. She suspected that he was the thief and started chasing him.

" Young miss what are you doing" Ying Yue called out to her. " Don't worry I will meet you at this same spot" and she left. She pursued the man until she had him backed up at the corner of a closed road and she said to him "how could you steal from an elderly woman like that".

The man soon brought out a dagger and tried to stab her but was stopped by a force hitting him and he fell back and was knocked out.

She turned to look at what could have caused that and she saw and strange man dresses in noble clothing and had a mask on who soon instructed the men around him to arrest the man and put him in the bureau of punishment and the handsome man picked up the bag and gave it to the woman who had caught up with them and the woman thanked her and the handsome man profusely.

He soon started to walk away and Zhi Rou wanted to go after him before she heard Ying Yue yelling her name and she stopped "what is wrong Ying Yue why are you shouting" Zhi Rou asked. Ying Yue soon got to where Zhi Rou was standing and tried to catch her breath "young miss I just saw the royal eunuch with an edict on his way to the manor. if it is discovered that we are not at home we would get into trouble" Ying Yue said breathing heavily

" What..... let's hurry up and run," zhi rou said very surprised as she began to run with ying Yue following her. They soon got to the manor and jumped over the fence after continuous trials which were unsuccessful and were in time to see the head attendant of the Bai manor knocking on the door. Hurriedly adjusting her clothes she walked closer to the attendant, " Why are you here" she said calmly with her heart beating rapidly.

The head attendant was surprised to see her out and quickly told her to head toward the manor hall. When she got there she saw the royal eunuch there with a scroll and she immediately knelt down to receive the edict after getting the eye twitching signal from her father which meant that the edict was for her.

Eunuch began to read what was on the edict "Bai Zhi Rou His majesty has bestowed you marriage with the crown prince Huiqinq"