Emperor Changlong didn't care who the Vice Commander of Imperial Guards was, but he understood that Hua Yingting's intentions were good.
Appointing Kang Wang as the vice commander was Hua Yingting's way of expressing loyalty to him. In order to reassure Hua Yingting, Emperor Changlong carefully considered and agreed to his suggestion.
As for why he had to carefully consider, it was not because he had any objections to Hua Yingting, but because of Kang Wang himself... one couldn't find any shortcomings or strengths of this person.
The late emperor didn't have many offsprings before his passing. After the late emperor started indulging in the charms of that demon concubine, he didn't care about his children at all. Kang Wang was a pitiful child whose father didn't love him and whose mother died early. If it weren't for the kindness of the Empress Dowager, who occasionally took care of him, Kang Wang might have died in the palace long ago.
Growing up in an unhappy palace life, Kang Wang developed a submissive personality. For all these years, he had quietly stayed in the capital and avoided troubles. After finally learning to encroach lands like others, he encountered the Crown Prince who was dealing with corrupt officials involved in these dealings. Frightened, he quickly disbanded the lands he claimed and hurriedly went to the Crown Prince to apologize.
What troubled Emperor Changlong the most was that not only was Kang Wang soft in character, but the Wangfei he married was also timid. The two children they had were too honest and simple-minded. As a family, they had no presence in the capital.
With the personalities of Kang Wang and his family, if they encountered an emperor with less tolerance, their days in the capital would not be easy.
The very same day, Emperor Changlong personally issued a dispatch order with his seal and signature and sent it to Kang Wang's estate, causing panic throughout the residence.
"Why would Imperial Brother let Benwang become the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards?" Kang Wang held the dispatch order, his face turning pale with fear, "Benwang can't do it, Benwang can't."
He had never done anything in his life. He didn't seek fame or glory. He just wanted to stay quietly in his estate and do nothing.
"Father, this is a dispatch order personally issued by the Emperor," Anning Junzhu, who had a round face, approached and looked at the dispatch order, "If you don't go, will it not displease the Emperor?"
Kang Wang Shizi1Shizi means heir. Kang Wang Shizi literally means: Heir to Kang Wang. nodded along, "Sister makes sense. Father, if the Emperor wants you to do something, what will be the consequences if you refuse?"
"Benwang doesn't know how to deploy troops or understand military commands. Benwang can't even shoot a bow. What can Benwang do as the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards?" Kang Wang agonized, clutching his head. Just the thought of the possible mockery that would follow from his assumption of the position made him feel suffocated, "Who is the Commander of the Imperial Guards?"
"Great General Hua Yingting."
Kang Wang felt even more despair. How could he, a useless person, have the face to become the Vice Commander under the Great General Hua? It would be a disgrace.
"I've seen General Hua's daughter, she's very beautiful," Anning Junzhu was already accustomed to her father's personality of not wanting to do anything. She enthusiastically said, "On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, Fushou Junzhu stood next to me. When she almost lost her balance, I reached out and helped her."
"It's a pity that Jiamin Junzhu didn't seem to get along well with her. I didn't dare to upset her, so I didn't talk much with Jiamin Junzhu," Anning Junzhu regretted a little, "If I had known that you would work under General Hua, I would have gathered the courage to get closer to her."
"Ah... what a pity," Kang Wang looked at his daughter with some regret, then turned to discuss with his Wangfei on what gifts would be appropriate to send to the Hua family.
He didn't know how to do anything, so it was definitely not wrong to start by sending some gifts to please them.
Even though they were members of the imperial family, they didn't see anything wrong with trying to please an outsider.
When the Hua family received the gifts from Kang Wang's estate, they were at a loss whether to cry or laugh. Looking at the nervous servants from Kang Wang's estate, it seemed as if these servants would faint on the spot if they didn't accept these gifts.
"Please express my sincere thanks to His Highness Kang Wang for his kind gesture. I obtained some exotic wines from the border and would like him to have them as a gift from our humble estate," Hua Yingting didn't expect Kang Wang's courage to be so small, so he prepared a gift in return and sent the servants from the Hua family along with the servants from the Kang Wang's estate to Kang Wang's estate.
Little did he know that because of his return gift, Kang Wang spent a sleepless night worrying.
General Hua accepted his gift and sent one back. Was that a good sign or a bad sign?
At this moment, Kang Wang was so worried that he couldn't sleep, while his half-sister, Princess Shunan, was so excited that she also couldn't fall asleep.
It was not surprising, considering her impulsive nature, that she had been at a disadvantage in her confrontations with Leyang over the years. Rarely did she gain the upper hand, and now that she did, she wished she could spend three days and three nights gloating to her Fuma.
Shunan's excitement kept Yao Fuma awake, so he sat up helplessly, "Princess, you've been happy for two days."
"Forget two days, I can be happy for two months," Princess Shunan sat up, holding her blanket, "You didn't see Leyang's unpleasant expression when she feigned to leave the capital, thinking that the Crown Prince would want to keep her, but it turns out she only brought trouble upon herself."
"In the past, you used to dislike the Crown Prince, didn't you?" Yao Fuma got up and poured her a glass of warm water, "Why are you praising him now?"
"As long as it embarrasses Leyang, I'll praise anyone," Princess Shunan took a sip of water from the cup in Yao Fuma's hand, "You know, it's strange. Leyang is so obviously trying to win over the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince is becoming more and more distant from her. What's the reason behind this?"
"What other reason could there be? The Crown Prince doesn't want to marry her daughter," Yao Fuma placed the cup back on the table, "Don't dwell on such matters and get some sleep."
With your intellect, you wouldn't be able to figure anything out anyway.
"It can't be that simple; there must be other reasons," Princess Shunan yawned, "Think about it, for years the Crown Prince had a lukewarm attitude toward Leyang, but Leyang had been trying to get closer to him."
"If you had understood this earlier, you wouldn't have had a falling out with the Crown Prince," Yao Fuma said. Since she refused to sleep, he picked up a cloak and draped it over her, "The Emperor and the Empress Dowager will surely come to know about this matter. What will you do if they ask?"
"Whatever we discussed with the Crown Prince, we'll say the same thing to the Emperor," Princess Shunan said, "The Emperor favors the Crown Prince so much, maybe the Crown Prince has already told him about this matter. If our stories don't match, it will only cause trouble."
"You, next time you want to thrash someone, you should bring me along. What if you get taken advantage of?" Yao Fuma said, "Luckily, Fushou Junzhu was here this time, otherwise that despicable Leyang would have plotted against you again."
One of the little ploys to sweeten the marital life was to curse together the person one of them hates the most. Yao Fuma knew this well.
"I knew that Fushou Junzhu was different from her mother. I can be more at ease now that our Jiamin has made such a friend," Princess Shunan glanced outside and said in a low voice, "In my opinion, the Crown Prince's feelings for Fushou Junzhu are extraordinary."
Yao Fuma was somewhat surprised but quickly said, "Don't talk about this outside."
Regardless of the Crown Prince's feelings for Fushou Junzhu, with their positions and statuses, the Emperor would probably not allow them to be together.
If the Crown Prince were to marry Fushou Junzhu, it would be equivalent to having a father-in-law who controlled 30,000 Imperial Guards. In that case, it would be effortless for the Crown Prince to seize the throne if he had any intentions.
The Emperor was an intelligent ruler, he would never allow such a thing to happen.
The next morning, the couple woke up late. Just as Princess Shunan finished dressing up, Yao Fuma hurriedly entered the room and said, "Princess, an official from the Ministry of Rites has come to announce an imperial decree."
"The Emperor actually issued an imperial decree for me?" Countless thoughts flashed through Princess Shunan's mind. Could it be that the Emperor, after learning about her dispute with Leyang and not wanting to punish Leyang, decided to give her something to shut her up?
It's not surprising that Princess Shunan would think that way. Their relationship was so bad that it reached the point where even the Emperor couldn't stand it.
After setting up the incense table, Princess Shunan reluctantly maintained a smile as she received the imperial decree. When the official from the Ministry of Rites finished reading the contents of the decree, she suspected that her ears were playing tricks on her.
Yao Fuma quietly pushed her, "Hurry and express your gratitude."
Princess Shunan dazedly accepted the imperial decree and sat down on the chair, looking bewilderedly at Yao Fuma, who was busy seeing off the Ministry of Rites officials.
Could it be that she didn't sleep well last night and was having auditory hallucinations?
Her Imperial Brother actually bestowed upon her the title of Royal Princess?
Ever since the last time she almost became the Royal Princess but failed, Princess Shunan knew that she would never have a chance to be titled Royal Princess in her entire lifetime.
She never expected that this time, without doing anything other than slapping Leyang, she would be promoted?!
"Congratulations, Royal Princess, for achieving your wish," Yao Fuma smiled and bowed to her.
Royal Princess Shunan grabbed Yao Fuma's hand and took a deep breath, "Prepare a generous gift and send it to the Hua Family Estate immediately."
Even if she was foolish, she knew that her becoming the Royal Princess was related to Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince. She had scolded the Crown Prince several times, so she couldn't bring herself to send gifts to him.
Since the Crown Prince had intentions toward Hua Liuli, she would give the gift intended for him to Hua Liuli instead.
Upon hearing that her mother was conferred as the Royal Princess, Yao Jiamin ran excitedly from the courtyard to the main hall. But before she could say "Congratulations, Mother," she saw her mother tearfully looking at her and said, "Jiamin, you've grown up."
"Huh?" Yao Jiamin looked at her mother in confusion, feeling like her mind couldn't catch up with this development.
"You've grown up, become sensible, and know how to share your mother's worries," Royal Princess Shunan took out a thick stack of silver notes from her pocket, "From now on, spend more time with Fushou Junzhu. Whatever she wants to eat, I have it here. Don't let her be inconvenienced. And from here on, control your temper. Just because Fushou Junzhu is gentle and treats you well, you shouldn't vent your anger on her, do you understand?"
"Huh?" Yao Jiamin was completely perplexed.
"Take it," Royal Princess Shunan stuffed the silver notes into Yao Jiamin's hand, "Take good care of Fushou Junzhu from here onwards. Do you understand?"
"Mother, who is your real daughter, me or Hua Liuli?" Yao Jiamin looked at the silver notes in her hand, feeling like the whole world had fallen under Hua Liuli's spell.
"Silly child, don't think too much. If Hua Liuli were my real daughter, I would have brought her home long ago."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
That's just how life is. Helpless and resigned, one eventually gets used to it.
"The Crown Prince actually let the Emperor confer the title of Royal Princess on Shunan!" Royal Princess Leyang sneered, "What a Crown Prince. All the favors I've shown him over the years were wasted on an ungrateful person."
Knowing well that she and Shunan were incompatible, he deliberately made Shunan a Royal Princess, clearly intending to make her contend with Shunan.
"Mother, what should we do now?" Xie Yao asked.
"What should we do?" Royal Princess Leyang slowly suppressed the anger in her heart, "Are there no other imperial princes in the capital?"
Xie Yao's face turned pale, "But Mother, I only like the Crown Prince."
"Like?" Royal Princess Leyang seemed to have heard a joke, "Such useless emotions should be discarded early. Your mission is to become the Empress, it doesn't matter who sits on the throne."
"But..."
"No 'buts'," Royal Princess Leyang narrowed her eyes, "Have you forgotten your father's expectations of you?"
Xie Yao's eyes welled up with tears, "Daughter hasn't forgotten."
"That's good if you haven't forgotten," Royal Princess Leyang nodded in satisfaction, "Go back to your room and think it through. Understand? Don't disappoint me."
Xie Yao silently withdrew. She stood in the courtyard, staring blankly at the blooming trees, her eyes gradually filled with resentment.
If it weren't for Hua Liuli, none of this would have developed to this point.
The Crown Prince wouldn't be so heartless towards her, and she would have had a chance to marry the Crown Prince.
Why did she have to come back from the border? Wasn't she said to be in poor health? Why didn't she die of illness at the border?
"I think the Temple of Wenqu Star is quite effective," Hua Liuli said to the Crown Prince, who was beside her, "Many candidates have already left the capital. There shouldn't be any more queues today."
As the Palace Examination was imminent, Hua Liuli planned to go to the Temple of Wenqu Star to pray for Hua Changkong's success. Unexpectedly, she met the Crown Prince halfway, and the two set out to the Temple of Wenqu Star together.
"Why is Your Royal Highness also going to the Temple of Wenqu Star?"
"To pray for the blessings of Wenqu Star, so that our Great Jin Empire will have more talented individuals," The Crown Prince said seriously, "If the two of us go together to pray, it will be easier for Wenqu Star to hear us, and our wishes will be more likely to be granted."
"That makes sense," Hua Liuli nodded, "Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince. With Wenqu Star considering your face, it will also be more likely to bless my brother."
As the two arrived at the entrance of the Temple of Wenqu Star, Hua Liuli tugged at the Crown Prince's sleeve, "Your Royal Highness, look at the person in front, doesn't she resemble Young Lady Lin from the Lin family?"
She remembered that Young Lady Lin had said she didn't believe in these things, but it turned out she came here secretly.
The Crown Prince glanced briefly and said indifferently, "Benwang doesn't remember."
"Didn't Your Royal Highness meet her before?"
"Most people in this world are like a passing cloud to Benwang," the Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli, "It doesn't matter whether Benwang remembers that person or not."
Curiously, Hua Liuli asked, "Who is important to Your Royal Highness then?"
"Family, friends, and... my most special confidante, you."
Hua Liuli stared at the Crown Prince, feeling that his gaze was like a blazing fire, warm and passionate, making her unable to meet his eyes.
Feeling uneasy, she averted her gaze and was about to say something when she heard chattering voices from behind.
"Eldest Brother, let me tell you, this Temple of Wenqu Star is definitely effective. Last time, Hua Liuli was here..." Yao Wenyin's voice abruptly stopped as she looked at Hua Liuli not far away, her expression extremely awkward.
If she had known that she would be repeatedly embarrassed by the incident, she wouldn't have made those sarcastic remarks at the entrance of the Temple of Wenqu Star last time.
Some chance encounters are beautiful, but encounters like today are unnecessary.
She couldn't afford to lose face in front of this person.
Emperor Changlong didn't care who the Vice Commander of Imperial Guards was, but he understood that Hua Yingting's intentions were good.
Appointing Kang Wang as the vice commander was Hua Yingting's way of expressing loyalty to him. In order to reassure Hua Yingting, Emperor Changlong carefully considered and agreed to his suggestion.
As for why he had to carefully consider, it was not because he had any objections to Hua Yingting, but because of Kang Wang himself... one couldn't find any shortcomings or strengths of this person.
The late emperor didn't have many offsprings before his passing. After the late emperor started indulging in the charms of that demon concubine, he didn't care about his children at all. Kang Wang was a pitiful child whose father didn't love him and whose mother died early. If it weren't for the kindness of the Empress Dowager, who occasionally took care of him, Kang Wang might have died in the palace long ago.
Growing up in an unhappy palace life, Kang Wang developed a submissive personality. For all these years, he had quietly stayed in the capital and avoided troubles. After finally learning to encroach lands like others, he encountered the Crown Prince who was dealing with corrupt officials involved in these dealings. Frightened, he quickly disbanded the lands he claimed and hurriedly went to the Crown Prince to apologize.
What troubled Emperor Changlong the most was that not only was Kang Wang soft in character, but the Wangfei he married was also timid. The two children they had were too honest and simple-minded. As a family, they had no presence in the capital.
With the personalities of Kang Wang and his family, if they encountered an emperor with less tolerance, their days in the capital would not be easy.
The very same day, Emperor Changlong personally issued a dispatch order with his seal and signature and sent it to Kang Wang's estate, causing panic throughout the residence.
"Why would Imperial Brother let Benwang become the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards?" Kang Wang held the dispatch order, his face turning pale with fear, "Benwang can't do it, Benwang can't."
He had never done anything in his life. He didn't seek fame or glory. He just wanted to stay quietly in his estate and do nothing.
"Father, this is a dispatch order personally issued by the Emperor," Anning Junzhu, who had a round face, approached and looked at the dispatch order, "If you don't go, will it not displease the Emperor?"
Kang Wang Shizi1Shizi means heir. Kang Wang Shizi literally means: Heir to Kang Wang. nodded along, "Sister makes sense. Father, if the Emperor wants you to do something, what will be the consequences if you refuse?"
"Benwang doesn't know how to deploy troops or understand military commands. Benwang can't even shoot a bow. What can Benwang do as the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards?" Kang Wang agonized, clutching his head. Just the thought of the possible mockery that would follow from his assumption of the position made him feel suffocated, "Who is the Commander of the Imperial Guards?"
"Great General Hua Yingting."
Kang Wang felt even more despair. How could he, a useless person, have the face to become the Vice Commander under the Great General Hua? It would be a disgrace.
"I've seen General Hua's daughter, she's very beautiful," Anning Junzhu was already accustomed to her father's personality of not wanting to do anything. She enthusiastically said, "On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, Fushou Junzhu stood next to me. When she almost lost her balance, I reached out and helped her."
"It's a pity that Jiamin Junzhu didn't seem to get along well with her. I didn't dare to upset her, so I didn't talk much with Jiamin Junzhu," Anning Junzhu regretted a little, "If I had known that you would work under General Hua, I would have gathered the courage to get closer to her."
"Ah... what a pity," Kang Wang looked at his daughter with some regret, then turned to discuss with his Wangfei on what gifts would be appropriate to send to the Hua family.
He didn't know how to do anything, so it was definitely not wrong to start by sending some gifts to please them.
Even though they were members of the imperial family, they didn't see anything wrong with trying to please an outsider.
When the Hua family received the gifts from Kang Wang's estate, they were at a loss whether to cry or laugh. Looking at the nervous servants from Kang Wang's estate, it seemed as if these servants would faint on the spot if they didn't accept these gifts.
"Please express my sincere thanks to His Highness Kang Wang for his kind gesture. I obtained some exotic wines from the border and would like him to have them as a gift from our humble estate," Hua Yingting didn't expect Kang Wang's courage to be so small, so he prepared a gift in return and sent the servants from the Hua family along with the servants from the Kang Wang's estate to Kang Wang's estate.
Little did he know that because of his return gift, Kang Wang spent a sleepless night worrying.
General Hua accepted his gift and sent one back. Was that a good sign or a bad sign?
At this moment, Kang Wang was so worried that he couldn't sleep, while his half-sister, Princess Shunan, was so excited that she also couldn't fall asleep.
It was not surprising, considering her impulsive nature, that she had been at a disadvantage in her confrontations with Leyang over the years. Rarely did she gain the upper hand, and now that she did, she wished she could spend three days and three nights gloating to her Fuma.
Shunan's excitement kept Yao Fuma awake, so he sat up helplessly, "Princess, you've been happy for two days."
"Forget two days, I can be happy for two months," Princess Shunan sat up, holding her blanket, "You didn't see Leyang's unpleasant expression when she feigned to leave the capital, thinking that the Crown Prince would want to keep her, but it turns out she only brought trouble upon herself."
"In the past, you used to dislike the Crown Prince, didn't you?" Yao Fuma got up and poured her a glass of warm water, "Why are you praising him now?"
"As long as it embarrasses Leyang, I'll praise anyone," Princess Shunan took a sip of water from the cup in Yao Fuma's hand, "You know, it's strange. Leyang is so obviously trying to win over the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince is becoming more and more distant from her. What's the reason behind this?"
"What other reason could there be? The Crown Prince doesn't want to marry her daughter," Yao Fuma placed the cup back on the table, "Don't dwell on such matters and get some sleep."
With your intellect, you wouldn't be able to figure anything out anyway.
"It can't be that simple; there must be other reasons," Princess Shunan yawned, "Think about it, for years the Crown Prince had a lukewarm attitude toward Leyang, but Leyang had been trying to get closer to him."
"If you had understood this earlier, you wouldn't have had a falling out with the Crown Prince," Yao Fuma said. Since she refused to sleep, he picked up a cloak and draped it over her, "The Emperor and the Empress Dowager will surely come to know about this matter. What will you do if they ask?"
"Whatever we discussed with the Crown Prince, we'll say the same thing to the Emperor," Princess Shunan said, "The Emperor favors the Crown Prince so much, maybe the Crown Prince has already told him about this matter. If our stories don't match, it will only cause trouble."
"You, next time you want to thrash someone, you should bring me along. What if you get taken advantage of?" Yao Fuma said, "Luckily, Fushou Junzhu was here this time, otherwise that despicable Leyang would have plotted against you again."
One of the little ploys to sweeten the marital life was to curse together the person one of them hates the most. Yao Fuma knew this well.
"I knew that Fushou Junzhu was different from her mother. I can be more at ease now that our Jiamin has made such a friend," Princess Shunan glanced outside and said in a low voice, "In my opinion, the Crown Prince's feelings for Fushou Junzhu are extraordinary."
Yao Fuma was somewhat surprised but quickly said, "Don't talk about this outside."
Regardless of the Crown Prince's feelings for Fushou Junzhu, with their positions and statuses, the Emperor would probably not allow them to be together.
If the Crown Prince were to marry Fushou Junzhu, it would be equivalent to having a father-in-law who controlled 30,000 Imperial Guards. In that case, it would be effortless for the Crown Prince to seize the throne if he had any intentions.
The Emperor was an intelligent ruler, he would never allow such a thing to happen.
The next morning, the couple woke up late. Just as Princess Shunan finished dressing up, Yao Fuma hurriedly entered the room and said, "Princess, an official from the Ministry of Rites has come to announce an imperial decree."
"The Emperor actually issued an imperial decree for me?" Countless thoughts flashed through Princess Shunan's mind. Could it be that the Emperor, after learning about her dispute with Leyang and not wanting to punish Leyang, decided to give her something to shut her up?
It's not surprising that Princess Shunan would think that way. Their relationship was so bad that it reached the point where even the Emperor couldn't stand it.
After setting up the incense table, Princess Shunan reluctantly maintained a smile as she received the imperial decree. When the official from the Ministry of Rites finished reading the contents of the decree, she suspected that her ears were playing tricks on her.
Yao Fuma quietly pushed her, "Hurry and express your gratitude."
Princess Shunan dazedly accepted the imperial decree and sat down on the chair, looking bewilderedly at Yao Fuma, who was busy seeing off the Ministry of Rites officials.
Could it be that she didn't sleep well last night and was having auditory hallucinations?
Her Imperial Brother actually bestowed upon her the title of Royal Princess?
Ever since the last time she almost became the Royal Princess but failed, Princess Shunan knew that she would never have a chance to be titled Royal Princess in her entire lifetime.
She never expected that this time, without doing anything other than slapping Leyang, she would be promoted?!
"Congratulations, Royal Princess, for achieving your wish," Yao Fuma smiled and bowed to her.
Royal Princess Shunan grabbed Yao Fuma's hand and took a deep breath, "Prepare a generous gift and send it to the Hua Family Estate immediately."
Even if she was foolish, she knew that her becoming the Royal Princess was related to Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince. She had scolded the Crown Prince several times, so she couldn't bring herself to send gifts to him.
Since the Crown Prince had intentions toward Hua Liuli, she would give the gift intended for him to Hua Liuli instead.
Upon hearing that her mother was conferred as the Royal Princess, Yao Jiamin ran excitedly from the courtyard to the main hall. But before she could say "Congratulations, Mother," she saw her mother tearfully looking at her and said, "Jiamin, you've grown up."
"Huh?" Yao Jiamin looked at her mother in confusion, feeling like her mind couldn't catch up with this development.
"You've grown up, become sensible, and know how to share your mother's worries," Royal Princess Shunan took out a thick stack of silver notes from her pocket, "From now on, spend more time with Fushou Junzhu. Whatever she wants to eat, I have it here. Don't let her be inconvenienced. And from here on, control your temper. Just because Fushou Junzhu is gentle and treats you well, you shouldn't vent your anger on her, do you understand?"
"Huh?" Yao Jiamin was completely perplexed.
"Take it," Royal Princess Shunan stuffed the silver notes into Yao Jiamin's hand, "Take good care of Fushou Junzhu from here onwards. Do you understand?"
"Mother, who is your real daughter, me or Hua Liuli?" Yao Jiamin looked at the silver notes in her hand, feeling like the whole world had fallen under Hua Liuli's spell.
"Silly child, don't think too much. If Hua Liuli were my real daughter, I would have brought her home long ago."
Yao Jiamin: "..."
That's just how life is. Helpless and resigned, one eventually gets used to it.
"The Crown Prince actually let the Emperor confer the title of Royal Princess on Shunan!" Royal Princess Leyang sneered, "What a Crown Prince. All the favors I've shown him over the years were wasted on an ungrateful person."
Knowing well that she and Shunan were incompatible, he deliberately made Shunan a Royal Princess, clearly intending to make her contend with Shunan.
"Mother, what should we do now?" Xie Yao asked.
"What should we do?" Royal Princess Leyang slowly suppressed the anger in her heart, "Are there no other imperial princes in the capital?"
Xie Yao's face turned pale, "But Mother, I only like the Crown Prince."
"Like?" Royal Princess Leyang seemed to have heard a joke, "Such useless emotions should be discarded early. Your mission is to become the Empress, it doesn't matter who sits on the throne."
"But..."
"No 'buts'," Royal Princess Leyang narrowed her eyes, "Have you forgotten your father's expectations of you?"
Xie Yao's eyes welled up with tears, "Daughter hasn't forgotten."
"That's good if you haven't forgotten," Royal Princess Leyang nodded in satisfaction, "Go back to your room and think it through. Understand? Don't disappoint me."
Xie Yao silently withdrew. She stood in the courtyard, staring blankly at the blooming trees, her eyes gradually filled with resentment.
If it weren't for Hua Liuli, none of this would have developed to this point.
The Crown Prince wouldn't be so heartless towards her, and she would have had a chance to marry the Crown Prince.
Why did she have to come back from the border? Wasn't she said to be in poor health? Why didn't she die of illness at the border?
"I think the Temple of Wenqu Star is quite effective," Hua Liuli said to the Crown Prince, who was beside her, "Many candidates have already left the capital. There shouldn't be any more queues today."
As the Palace Examination was imminent, Hua Liuli planned to go to the Temple of Wenqu Star to pray for Hua Changkong's success. Unexpectedly, she met the Crown Prince halfway, and the two set out to the Temple of Wenqu Star together.
"Why is Your Royal Highness also going to the Temple of Wenqu Star?"
"To pray for the blessings of Wenqu Star, so that our Great Jin Empire will have more talented individuals," The Crown Prince said seriously, "If the two of us go together to pray, it will be easier for Wenqu Star to hear us, and our wishes will be more likely to be granted."
"That makes sense," Hua Liuli nodded, "Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince. With Wenqu Star considering your face, it will also be more likely to bless my brother."
As the two arrived at the entrance of the Temple of Wenqu Star, Hua Liuli tugged at the Crown Prince's sleeve, "Your Royal Highness, look at the person in front, doesn't she resemble Young Lady Lin from the Lin family?"
She remembered that Young Lady Lin had said she didn't believe in these things, but it turned out she came here secretly.
The Crown Prince glanced briefly and said indifferently, "Benwang doesn't remember."
"Didn't Your Royal Highness meet her before?"
"Most people in this world are like a passing cloud to Benwang," the Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli, "It doesn't matter whether Benwang remembers that person or not."
Curiously, Hua Liuli asked, "Who is important to Your Royal Highness then?"
"Family, friends, and... my most special confidante, you."
Hua Liuli stared at the Crown Prince, feeling that his gaze was like a blazing fire, warm and passionate, making her unable to meet his eyes.
Feeling uneasy, she averted her gaze and was about to say something when she heard chattering voices from behind.
"Eldest Brother, let me tell you, this Temple of Wenqu Star is definitely effective. Last time, Hua Liuli was here..." Yao Wenyin's voice abruptly stopped as she looked at Hua Liuli not far away, her expression extremely awkward.
If she had known that she would be repeatedly embarrassed by the incident, she wouldn't have made those sarcastic remarks at the entrance of the Temple of Wenqu Star last time.
Some chance encounters are beautiful, but encounters like today are unnecessary.
She couldn't afford to lose face in front of this person.
