them to rest.Even the small villages at the foot of the mountain had increased by over a hundred households in three years, all hoping to survive thanks to the Qingchengguan.People carrying sedan chai...At first, TmU穆 xu agreed with a few words, but then slowly fell silent.

Jia Yin had finished speaking, but all that remained was the howling of the mountain wind.

She turned her head and saw that Mu Xu had already fallen fast asleep.

Jia Yin had her first opportunity to carefully examine his sleeping face.

Her eyebrows were as dark as ink, and her long eyelashes could even cover her entire eye. Her high nose bridge and lips, which were neither too thick nor too thin, no longer held the smile she always wore. Instead, there was a weariness that made one's heart ache.

Before he was twenty, a young man faced a sudden and massive upheaval in his family. Driven by the need to grow up quickly, he relentlessly plotted revenge, honing his skills and enduring hardships that most people couldn't fathom.

He, however, remained optimistic and unfazed. Faced with the world's disasters, he was always so stubborn and bravely confronted them.

It seems like nothing could embarrass him, nothing could make him compromise or back down!

From strangers to familiarity, he gradually built up trust in her heart, finally forming a reliable mountain...

Not speaking, Jia Yin and Mu Xu bathed together in the mountain wind, relaxing their minds.

Only at Kunning Palace, near noon, did the Imperial Convoy arrive again.

The emperor had just finished court and dealt with some state affairs before coming to burn incense for the empress.

The third princess was dressed in plain white mourning clothes and wore filial piety. She knelt before a copper basin, burning paper.

The flames had reddened her cheeks, but she looked haggard no matter how you looked at her.

"Being your own daughter, the Emperor looked at her with heartache and after lighting incense, he comforted, “Don’t be sad. Your mother had been ill for too long, carrying on like this would only cause more suffering. Now she is finally free.”

"You must take care of yourself. If you fall ill, I will be worried, and your mother in heaven will also not rest easy."

The Third Princess fell silent, but after a long while she knelt down and turned her back, bowing three times to the Emperor.

"Father Emperor, your humble son has a request."

The Emperor frowned, glancing subconsciously at the Empress's coffin. He endured with a forced patience and said, "Stop it, your mother cannot be buried immediately. Tomorrow is the day of sealing the Prince, and in three days, the selection of concubines will also end. By then, we will definitely give your mother a grand burial."

To the princess's surprise, the third princess shook her head and said, "No, Father. I don't want my mother to be buried quickly. I want to get married as soon as possible and marry Lord Lu!"

The Emperor, surprised and slightly annoyed, asked, "Why are you in such a rush to get married Did you do something wrong with Lu Zong!"

By the end, his face had turned pale.

Nowadays, both inside and outside the imperial court are full of complexities and troubles. If my daughter adds another scandal, it would be like pouring oil on fire!

"Father, you worry too much. As a princess of this country, how could I possibly do such disgraceful things!"

The third princess frowned, annoyed by her father's misunderstanding. But if she wanted to get her wish, she had to endure it.

"When Mother is still alive, she cares most about my marriage. If we wait until Mother passes away, I will have to observe filial piety for three years. By then, I will already be a woman in her twenties."

And in three years, I fear too many things will happen. I don't want to gamble my lifelong happiness on it.

“Therefore, my son respectfully requests Father Emperor to grant permission for me to marry as soon as possible, ideally around the same time as when the Crown Prince chooses his consort. This way, our royal family will have double happiness, bringing good fortune.”

The Emperor saw that his daughter didn't seem to be lying, and secretly let out a breath of relief. He replied.

"Your princess residence is already built, so you could get married anytime. But Lu Cong may not be as good as you think he is. You should still be cautious about this."

The Third Princess smiled wryly, tossing another handful of paper money into the basin. She replied softly, “Father, there's nothing perfect in this world. Even you and Mother, outsiders say you treat each other with respect. But realistically, Mother is still stuck here, unable to find peace even after death.”

"It doesn't matter who I marry, as long as I remain a princess. No matter how the groom truly is, he must act politely and gently in front of me. That's enough!"

As for the Lu family, they have been dominant in the southwest for many years. Now they are at their peak and bound to fall. The daughter should marry into the Lu family as soon as possible and give birth to an heir as soon as possible.

"Then, we can help the Crown Prince better control the southwest and the Lu family. Who knows, in ten or twenty years, the Crown Prince might be able to effortlessly reclaim the Lu family's military power."

The emperor's heart was moved. The strange illness of Lu Zong before, clearly showed that he was unwilling to marry.

Could it be that the Lu family truly has two hearts, unwilling to marry a royal princess and unwilling to be controlled

An emperor, by nature suspicious, found himself consumed by this distrust and could no longer suppress it.

"I will consider it. You should focus on mourning first."

The Emperor tossed out a sentence and then turned and walked away.

The Third Princess listened to the creak of the door closing, a sneer curling up the corner of her lips, her eyes full of mockery...

Yi Zuoguan did not go to Kunning Palace because he had to attend to matters assigned by the Emperor.

As a result, the emperor walked in with a composed face from outside. His heart skipped a beat.

He quickly poured the emperor's favorite sour plum soup and carefully offered it. Seeing the emperor's face soften, he cautiously inquired.

"Your Majesty, is the Third Princess heartbroken Should we send a imperial physician over"

The emperor shook his head, gestured for everyone else to leave, and then asked Yi the chief steward.

"Every time the Third Princess and Lu Shizi meet, do you..."

He had only asked half the question when a short, sharp sound came from the corner of the room, like someone playing a flute or the wind whistling through the window.

Immediately, Yi Zong retreated behind the curtain, bowing his head and trying to make himself as invisible and silent as possible.

At this moment, a gray-clothed old eunuch quietly appeared in the room. He took a few steps forward and placed a copper pipe on the desk.

The emperor, with three swift movements, tore open the copper tube and pulled out a piece of paper. After just a few glances, he frowned deeply.

"Bring Prince Xuan here!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yi, the head steward, hurried out and personally went to Xilong Pavilion to invite someone.

When the prince arrived, the emperor was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Upon seeing his son, he waved him off dismissively.

Yi Zongguan personally closed the door and stood guard by it.

The Emperor's first words were, "The Lu family is not as honest as they appear on the surface. I have been deceived. Hundreds of Lu family members appeared in Jiangbei and killed my dispatched guards. Their intentions are unclear."

The Crown Prince was taken aback and replied, "Father, please calm down. After all, the Lu family controls military power, so having some clandestine operatives is not surprising. However, at such a crucial moment, the presence of the Lu family's people in Jiangbei must be for some reason. We need to investigate."

Having said that, he pondered for a moment and added, “Young Master Lu is currently feigning illness, and the marriage between him and the princess’s younger sister is uncertain when it will take place. Otherwise, we could take advantage of this opportunity to place some people within the Lu family.”

The Emperor frowned, then sighed.

"Speaking of which, your sister just asked me for a favor. She wants to marry Lu Zong as soon as possible. She even said that she wants to get married at the same time as you choose your bride, making it a double celebration."

The prince raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

He didn't doubt that the Third Princess had heard news about Jiangbei in advance, after all, she was a princess raised deep within the palace and lacked the ability to do so.

However, Lu Zong had previously "injured" the vital point.

Doesn't the Third Princess fear that Lu Cong will be inhumane in the future

Is she so deeply in love with Lu Zong alreadyu family banquet and left early because we were impatient.”She then asked, "Is the meal for Third Brother ready"Jia Huan laughed and said, "There's just one dish missing. In fact, most of it is for t...