After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 3: What's Wrong?

Seeing the Empress Dowager's icy expression, Lin Rusi was already prepared. She quickly took two steps back and knelt down obediently. She understood that the Empress Dowager's so-called affection for her had never been genuine.

Lin Rusi's father was a powerful prime minister in the court. As the eldest daughter of the Lin family, she could frequently enter and leave the palace from a young age, using her clever tongue to please the Empress Dowager. However, she knew in her heart that her favor was far less than the Empress Dowager's affection for her grandson.

A hush fell over the hall, the atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe. Lin Rusi was nervous, knowing that refusing the marriage without a reason was extremely disrespectful, but right now, if she didn't want to suffer the same tragic end as in her previous life, she could only find an excuse to get by.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, I..." Lin Rusi paused, hesitated for a moment, and finally made up her mind, "I already have someone else in my heart, so I am unwilling to marry the Third Prince."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's eyes flashed with a hint of displeasure and coldness. She narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "You have someone else in your heart? Isn't the person you love Zeyan?"

Lin Rusi met the Empress Dowager's gaze and said firmly, "The person I admire probably doesn't value my status, so..."

The Empress Dowager gave a cold laugh, her tone laced with sarcasm: "You don't value me? Then tell me, who is that person?"

Lin Rusi was startled, her mind racing. This person had to have a higher status than the Third Prince, yet she had to be able to ensure he wouldn't actually marry her or hold anything against her.

After much thought, only one person was most suitable—King Jinglie.

"The man I admire is King Jinglie."

Prince Jinglie, Li Jingyang, is the current emperor's younger brother. He holds a prominent position and is known for his aloof and cold nature. Rumors circulate that he is indifferent to women and even has homosexual tendencies. It is perfectly reasonable for him to refuse her marriage proposal, and it would also allow him to easily avoid entanglement with Li Zeyan. At this moment, this choice is the most appropriate.

However, before Lin Rusi could even breathe a sigh of relief, a loud shout came from outside the hall: "The Emperor has arrived! Prince Jinglie has arrived! The Third Prince has arrived!"

Lin Rusi's face turned deathly pale instantly, and her heart pounded wildly. She quickly lowered her head, pressing her forehead against the cold floor tiles, not daring to look up at all.

Li Jingyang's ruthlessness and cruelty are well-known. If he finds out that she used his name to refuse the marriage without her consent, her fate will probably be even more tragic than if she had refused the marriage!

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became incredibly oppressive, and everyone fell silent. Lin Rusi quietly raised her head and saw Li Jingyang's mocking gaze, Li Zeyan's angry eyes, and the hesitation on the faces of the Emperor and Empress Dowager. She immediately felt dizzy and all color drain from her face.

She was filled with regret. In her previous life, when she went to the palace to express her gratitude, she hadn't paid any attention to whether Li Jingyang had appeared or not.

Now that things have come to this, how should she end this?

"You mean, you have feelings for me?" A chilling voice echoed in the silent hall, filled with sarcasm.

"Please forgive me, Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, Your Highness!" Lin Rusi's mother, Si Yu, was in a panic and hurriedly knelt down to beg for mercy. Her only thought was to get Lin Rusi away as soon as possible to avoid a greater disaster.

"And the Third Prince, please forgive me as well!" Si Yu kowtowed repeatedly, speaking rapidly, "My daughter has had a high fever for days. The doctor diagnosed it as an evil spirit invading her. I thought it was nothing serious, but I never expected her to become so delirious and incoherent. I only beg Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, the Prince, and the Third Prince to consider the loyalty of my family and allow me to take her to see a doctor and seek medicine, and to temporarily waive the charges..."

Before she could finish speaking, the emperor impatiently raised his hand to interrupt her. Si Yu quickly stopped talking, lowered her head, and dared not utter another word.

The emperor's sharp gaze swept over Lin Rusi, and he said coldly, "I see that she is sharp of hearing and sight, and her words are well-founded. How could she be mentally unstable?"

"Your Majesty..." Si Yu tried to speak again, but was interrupted by the emperor's stern voice: "Enough!"

Lin Rusi felt the emperor's piercing gaze and her body trembled involuntarily. Although the emperor's voice did not contain much anger, it still made her feel an irresistible majesty.

"Lin Rusi, raise your head." The emperor's deep voice echoed in the hall.

Lin Rusi took a deep breath, slowly raised her head, and tried her best to appear calm and composed. She knew that there was no turning back now, and she could only grit her teeth and move forward.

The emperor's gaze was sharp, and he gave a low, cold laugh: "Do you know your mistake?"

Lin Rusi bit her lower lip, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. There was only one way to go: to persevere to the end and never back down.

"This subject knows her mistake!" She kowtowed forcefully, her tone firm.

The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone revealing no trace of joy or anger: "Then what wrong have you done?"

Lin Rusi's heart sank. She knew that the die was cast, and she had no choice but to proceed. She recalled her past life, in which she had never heard of Li Jingyang getting married until her death. Perhaps if she acted sincerely enough, she would at most be rejected, but Li Jingyang wouldn't hold a grudge against her.