Yan Shi Ning's peach blossom tree in life was pitiful.

She lived past eighteen years and had yet to see her peach blossom even once. she wasn't a bad match, she was sane and beautiful. But she didn't know why she didn't even have one suitor. It was an insane situation.

Her father was the prime minister, Yang Jing. It was a pity she wasn't her father's golden daughter.

Yan Jing was a poor scholar, he struggled to study for ten years. During that trialling period, Yan Shi Ning mother supported him.Yan Jing and Dung Thi had a loving relationship.

Unexpectedly after he entered the palace to take imperial examination, he caught Princess Kang Hua's attention.

Yan Jing faced a difficult dilemma. On one side he loved Dung Thi and on the other side was his high ambition. His final decision was he wanted both and married Princess Kang Hua.

He thought he would love an ideal life but on his wedding night with Princess Kang Hua, Dung Thi packed her belongings and returned to her family's country home.

Dung Thi never returned to the imperial city even though gave birth to Yan Shi Ning in the country.

After Yan Shi Ning's birth, half of Yan jing's heart was in the imperial city and the other half was with Dung Thi.Occasionally he visited his parents and Dung Thi in the country.

He missed Dung Thi and wanted to visit more often but Princess Kang Hua was a powerful force and didn't allow him to visit them often.

More than ten years past by quickly. Dung thi worked hard to earn a living and died of pneumonia. When Yan Jing found out Dung Thi died, he cried continuously.The he bought Yan Shi Ning to the imperial city. That year Yan Shi Ning was only sixteen years old.

usually young ladies at the age of sixteen were the target of matchmakers but Yan Shi ning's family background wasn't ideal. Even though she was the prime minister's daughter, she didn't have high hopes for an ideal husband.

Prominent men wanted to marry someone who was most compatible with them to elevate their status.

In the prime minister manor behind Yan Shi Ning was his golden daughter. The golden daughter's mother was a princess and princess was also the empress's blood sister.

For two years Yan Shi Ning stayed in an endless restless state in the imperial city. No suitor wanted to marry her.When she was free she thought about the two consequences of not having suitors.

One,soon she would past the desirable marriage age to start a family then it was logical that the ground below was forced to look at what was above .

Second, her father stood behind Princess Kang Hua to support the princess, and Yan Shi Ning's marriage state wasn't an exception.

Although Yan Shi Ning aged as day past, she didn't care if she became an old maid. When other people pitied her, she smiled and silently maintained her gentle and docile image.

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End of Chapter One

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She remembered what her mother instructed her before dying, 'the imperial city isn't like Xuan Qing. After you leave Xuan Qing, you can't follow your impulses. Princess Kang Hua isn't someone you should offend. if you offend her. she'll take revenge.

You need to be careful of your words and actions.

Since Yan Shi Ning lived in the imperial city, she listened to her mother's warning and controlled her words and actions.

She quickly became well known in the imperial city for being gentle and docile.

At the beginning she wasn't used to supressing her impulses. The heavens knew she was someone who had a quick temper and restless. It was hard for her to be a well behaved young lady who never showed her teeth while laughing. Luckily the more she acted gentle and docile, it gradually became a habit.

Within two years living in the imperial city when people were free and talked about the prime minister's oldest daughter they would associate Yan Shi Ning with gentle and docile. Of course afterward thy would say that it was a pity someone so gentle and docile couldn't be married off.

Yan Shi Ning didn't feel it was a pity. The heavens knew she didn't care about being unwed and that she had already prepared to live an independent old maid's life.

But quickly it became clear that as she aged, someone else would see her marriage state as an obstacle in their path.

She waved her fan, looked at the sky and inwardly realised it was possible for a person to be an obstacle in relation to marriage.

Yan Shi Ning sat silently opposite her father in the courtyard.

Yan Jing contemplated for a while about how much he owed his oldest daughter and felt guilty discussing his youngest daughter's marriage plight.

'Shi Ning, the crown prince want to marry shi ting, 'Yan Jing said. 'The latest the wedding can be postpone is at the start of next year. '

Yan Shi Ning lowered her head and laughed inwardly. She kee her father's motive for telling her about Yan Shi Ting's good nes wasn't so that she could say to Yan Shi Ting, 'little sister congratulations'.

what her father wanted to say was 'your little sister wants to get married, you should think about your little sister's situation and prepare yourself mentally to quickly find a husband so that you won't interfere with your little sister's auspicious wedding day. '

The culprit behind her father coercing her to find a husband was clearly Princess Kang Hua's powerful influence.

'it isn't right for Shi Ting to be married before her older sister. 'Yan Jing said.

Yan Jing sighed endlessly and felt incredibly guilty.

Yan Shi Ning appeared to look guiltier than her father. 'Father it's my fault for causing you to worry. '

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'Father it's my fault for causing you to worry' Yan Shi Ning said.

Yan Shi Ning thought that it was pointless for her father to start feeling guilty. But everytime the usual guilty expression was visible on her father's face, she loved to respond to it by appearing more humble and apologetic to make his conscience eat up his stomach.

Yan Jing saw that his oldest daughter was incredibly humble and understanding, it made it hard for him to face his oldest daughter.

'Shi Ning do you have someone you admire? 'Yan Jing asked.

The corner of Yan Shi Ning's mouth curved upward slightly and she spoke is gentlest tone.'I have no one in my heart. I leave it up to father to make arrangements for me. '

On the surface she sounded like a filial daughter. But in her heart she didn't believe her father regarded her highly or that his main intention was to find her a good husband. '

She didn't want to waste time opposing her father. It was better for her to act submissive and filial. What alternative did she have? Go find crown prince and tell him her grievances that her father didn't care about her marriage state?

She was a realistic person and knew the outcome would be the same, she would be forced to be married off to a man who supposedly was 'intelligent and strong. '

She wondered about the unlucky 'intelligent and strong'man who would be 'persuaded' to be her husband.

'Tomorrow there'll be a banquet at the palace in honor of the crown prince, 'Yan Jing said.

'Shi Ning you'll be attending the banquet too. if you meet someone you like tell me...Shi Ning , don't worry, I won't let Kang Hua and Shi Ting find you an unsuitable man to marry you off. if you don't approve of the men you meet then I won't approve of them either. '

yan jing looked at his older daughter lowering her head for a while and he didn't want to put more pressure on her. He silently left the courtyard in a state of worries.

She raised her head after her father left the courtyard and she smiled mockingly. If she met a man at the banquet who was high as sky, she doubted her father was capable of putting his pride aside and beg the emperor to command the prominent man to marry her.

Her father valued his pride too much to lower himself. it was laughable that he thought he could make everything flow smoothly by voicing a promise he couldn't keep. To an outsider his empty promises would deeply move them. But her father broke to many promises in the past. Why did he think that she could still believe his words were true.

especially that year he promised her mother, 'In this life I only need you. '

Yet her father chose ambition, status and riches and betrayed her mother by marrying another woman.

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