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The Empress Dowager could not bring up the matter directly, so she spoke very tactfully, "Emperor, Yuyu has not yet taken a wife, has he? He’s already eighteen, it’s time for him to marry. Other princes of his age are already fathers, the Emperor should also remind him."

The Emperor found these words very familiar because Yuyu had just reminded him of this yesterday.

"Mother is right, I have already been considering this matter," he said.

The Empress Dowager looked up at Wanxin, took her hand, and while looking toward the Emperor, with a kind smile on her face said, "Wanxin is gentle and virtuous, and also understanding of others. I would like to betroth Wanxin to Yuyu, what does the Emperor think of this?"

Wanxin lowered her eyelids, appearing shy and bashful.

The Emperor knew that a personal visit from the Empress Dowager wouldn’t be for a trivial matter—it turned out she wanted to find a husband for Wanxin. Yuyu was unmarried and innocent, free from scheming; a woman like Wanxin was indeed suitable for him.

Only, Yuyu had just requested to marry Miss Han.

If he were to marry both, it wouldn’t be impossible.

"Mother, Yuyu is already eighteen years old, and many decisions require his own will. Miss Wanxin is indeed impeccable, but we also have to see if Yuyu agrees," said the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager laughed joyfully, "Yuyu will definitely agree. Just yesterday, he personally escorted Wanxin back to the Cining Palace, both of them laughing and chatting along. With a maiden like Wanxin, what man wouldn’t love her?"

Seeing the Empress Dowager so happy, the Emperor felt it necessary to bring up the matter of his son seeking to marry Miss Han today.

"Mother, Yuyu has already asked me to grant Miss Han as his principal wife."

The smile froze on the Empress Dowager’s face as she asked with confusion, "Who is Miss Han?"

Upon hearing this, Wanxin also raised her head to look at the Emperor, surprise flickering in her eyes.

The Emperor smiled and said, "Miss Han was brought into the palace from outside two years ago by Yuyu. The two developed feelings over time, leading to today’s marriage proposal."

"How could Yuyu just bring anyone into the palace?" the Empress Dowager worriedly said. "Yuyu is so naive, who knows what measures that Miss Han may have taken."

"I too have such concerns," said the Emperor. "However, Miss Han has been by Yuyu’s side for more than two years, always behaving appropriately."

The Empress Dowager pressed on, "Has the Emperor agreed to Yuyu’s marriage proposal with that Miss Han?"

"Mother, Yuyu has been pampered since he was a child, and I respect his choices. He likes Miss Han, so I will not interfere too much," replied the Emperor.

"Regardless, he must marry a woman whose background we are certain of as the principal wife, and no one is more suitable than Wanxin," the Empress Dowager said earnestly.

"Mother makes sense," said the Emperor, unable to refuse the Empress Dowager’s proposal. After a moment’s reflection, he said, "Then I will ask Yuyu what he thinks."

At this point, the Empress Dowager agreed to the Emperor’s suggestion with a nod, "Then ask him, Wanxin is indeed a rare good maiden."

After seeing off the Empress Dowager, the Emperor had Eunuch Li call Prince Yuyu over.

When Xiao Jinyu arrived, the Emperor was drinking tea to stay alert, as he had been having trouble sleeping well these days, making him extremely tired during the day.

"Father, did you call for me because there’s something you need?"

The Emperor set down his teacup and slowly began, "It’s nothing major. The Empress Dowager wants to betroth Miss Wanxin to you, and I wanted to know what you think."

Xiao Jinyu immediately became unhappy upon hearing this, "Is there even a need to ask? Today I just requested a marriage decree from you and Mother, and you both agreed. How could I possibly marry someone else as a concubine now?"

The Emperor looked at his son’s agitated demeanor, who was so much like the Empress, getting ruffled over the smallest things.

"My intention is that Miss Wanxin is gentle and virtuous, understanding of others, a good maiden. You could marry both Miss Han and Miss Wanxin," the Emperor suggested.

Xiao Jinyu also made his position clear, "No matter how good Miss Wanxin is, I only wish to marry Miss Han."

The Emperor, upon hearing this, looked up at his son, staring intently for quite some time until Xiao Jinyu felt uneasy under his gaze.

"Father, why does the Empress Dowager want to betroth Wanxin to me? Doesn’t she adore Wanxin? With Wanxin being so gentle and understanding, wouldn’t keeping her by her side to attend to her be better? How could she bear to push Wanxin away?"

The Emperor: "..." The girl also has to marry someone!

Xiao Jinyu began to speak well of Miss Han, "Father, don’t judge Miss Han for her Ice Mountain Snow Lotus-like facade; that’s just the surface. She’s actually a very nice person, and pretty gentle too."

Only sometimes not so gentle～

The Emperor thought to himself, what does it matter to me whether Miss Han is gentle or not? If you marry a shrew, you are the one to suffer, not me!

"Alright, we’ll discuss this matter after the autumn hunt, I have important matters to attend to, you may go now," the Emperor said.

"Then, I shall take my leave," said Xiao Jinyu.

Xiao Jinyu didn’t stay long as he still had to go back and make preparations for the autumn hunt.

The Empress Dowager had been waiting for news. As night fell, she went to find the Emperor to inquire about the result.

Seeing the Empress Dowager take such an interest, the Emperor was somewhat surprised—it was evident how much the Empress Dowager favored Wanxin, otherwise why would she care so much for a maiden from the common folk?

"Emperor, what did Yuyu say?" she asked.

The Emperor started carefully, "Mother, Yuyu said that Miss Wanxin is indeed gentle and virtuous, understanding of others, but, he has already promised to marry Miss Han, so he does not wish to wrong Miss Wanxin."

The Empress Dowager became anxious as she had promised Wanxin in her presence, and it couldn’t end in not doing as she had said.

"If you don’t want to wrong Miss Wanxin, then marry her as the primary wife. As for that Han girl, being a Concubine is fine too."

The Emperor nodded, "Mother, with the autumn hunting excursion approaching, let’s discuss this matter after it ends, shall we?"

The Empress Dowager paused upon hearing this, "Is Yuyu also going on the autumn hunting excursion?"

The Emperor replied, "Yes, Yuyu will take Han girl with him."

The Empress Dowager thought for a while and then suddenly proposed, "Then let Wanxin accompany them as well, it would be a good opportunity to foster some affection. Perhaps Yuyu might find Wanxin better than that Han girl and change his mind."

The Emperor looked up at Wanxin and couldn’t easily dismiss the Empress Dowager’s kind intention, so he nodded in agreement.

Not two days passed before the autumn hunting excursion. Lady Chang learned that both Concubine Xu and Lady Tao were going, while she had not been informed that she could go.

Why could Concubine Xu and Lady Tao go, but not her?

As the day approached, Lady Chang could not sit still and made her way to Fengyi Palace.

When she arrived, she happened to see Shen Chuwei playing with the child.

She had not realized how capable Shen Chuwei was, not only securing Xiao Jinyan’s sole favor but also ingratiating herself with the Empress and moving into Fengyi Palace?

She came forward and greeted Shen Chuwei with a bow, "Crown Princess."

Shen Chuwei gave Lady Chang a faint glance and did not engage in conversation.

Lady Chang snorted in her heart. What’s the big deal about being the Crown Princess? Why the air of superiority?

"I am here to see my aunt, so please excuse me," said Lady Chang and then went to find the Empress.

The Empress was watering plants in the garden and saw Lady Chang coming. "What brings you here?" she asked indifferently.

Lady Chang stepped forward and bowed, "Aunt, I heard you are going on the autumn hunting excursion, and Lanlan wishes to accompany you to care for you."

The Empress replied indifferently, "Your filial piety is enough. I have Qing Ying taking care of me."

Lady Chang persisted unwillingly, "Aunt, Lanlan can also keep you company and chat to relieve your boredom on the journey."

The Empress felt some gratification seeing how beautifully the flowers had blossomed.

She lifted her head to look at Lady Chang, "With the Crown Princess and the others, I won’t be bored on the journey."

Lady Chang felt that the Empress was increasingly cold towards her, surely a result of Shen Chuwei’s scheming.

She approached and took the Empress’s arm, "Aunt, Lanlan wishes to go with you."

The Empress said, "You have been unwell, and the journey is tiring. It’s best for you to rest well in the palace."

Lady Chang, feeling unsatisfied with the Empress’s immovability, thought about the affectionate aunt of the past who now was so kind to outsiders.

"The children, Susu and Huahua, should be awake now. I will go and hold my grandchildren," said the Empress as she put down the watering can to pick them up.

Lady Chang stomped her foot in frustration, not ready to give up. She turned and headed for the Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager had just woken from her afternoon nap and smiled upon seeing Lady Chang, "Lanlan, I know you are filial, you don’t have to come every day. I understand it in my heart."

"Empress Granny, you are Lanlan’s own grandmother.

I come every day because I like to," Lady Chang said with a smile, yet her mind was on the autumn hunting excursion as she casually mentioned, "Your Highness will go on the hunting excursion in a few days, and Lanlan will miss seeing you for a while. "

The Empress Dowager didn’t catch the implied meaning in Lady Chang’s words and comforted her, "The round trip of the autumn hunting excursion is just half a month. It will pass quickly."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager had not understood, Lady Chang persisted, "That may be true, but Lanlan will miss His Highness. It would be perfect if we could be together every day."

The Empress Dowager, seeing Wanxin busy back and forth, quickly reminded her, "Wanxin, have you finished packing?"

Wanxin smiled lightly, "Empress Dowager, I’ll get it done in just a moment."

Lady Chang overheard and thought Wanxin might be leaving the palace, feeling a secret joy that without Wanxin, the Empress Dowager’s attention would be all on her.

"Empress Granny, is Miss Wanxin leaving the palace? Lanlan has grown quite fond of Wanxin and will miss her," said Lady Chang.

The Empress Dowager laughed heartily, "She’s not leaving; she’s going with us to the autumn hunting excursion. She’ll be back in about half a month. No need to miss her."

Lady Chang was dumbfounded, feeling an extreme imbalance.

If Concubine Xu and Lady Tao could go on the hunting excursion, so be it, but why could Wanxin go as well, while she couldn’t?

She asked, feigning indifference, "Empress Granny, did the Emperor ask Wanxin to accompany you?"

PS: Third release

Many readers have asked whether Han girl is male or female.

Why has Wanxin taken a liking to Xiao Jinyu?

All will be explained later; feel free to guess, my dears.