“That’s very good. Let her realize just how miserable life becomes without Qin Yan. I believe in time, she’ll understand how good he was to her.”
Upon hearing that her daughter wasn’t doing well, the Empress was not worried, but pleased.
She knew that the more Xiao Wanyu failed to adjust, the sooner she’d recognize who was truly right for her. When her life descended into chaos, she would eventually think of the man who had stood by her for three years with unwavering devotion.
“Exactly. It’s only been a few days and she already can’t cope. She’ll only become more and more uneasy. Sooner or later, she’ll come to her senses.”
Xiao Yuanwu also smiled, certain that his daughter would soon wake up to the truth.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Princess Jinyang has returned. She’s waiting outside and requests an audience with the Emperor and the Empress.”
Just then, a eunuch quickly entered to announce that Princess Jinyang, Xiao Chuo, had come back.
“What? My imperial sister is back? Quickly, invite her in at once!”
Xiao Yuanwu’s face instantly lit up with joy.
Among all his many siblings, Xiao Yuanwu had only one younger sister. She was the treasured darling of the imperial clan, spoiled by the Late Emperor and all her brothers. To him, she was not just a sister, but a daughter he had watched grow up—being over twenty years her senior, his affection for her was different from the rest.
So, upon hearing she had returned, Xiao Yuanwu was overjoyed and eager to meet her.
“Your humble sister, Jinyang, greets Royal Brother and Royal Sister-in-law.”
Soon after, Princess Jinyang, Xiao Chuo, gracefully stepped into the hall. When she saw Xiao Yuanwu and the Empress, she immediately bowed in greeting.
“No need for formalities, Royal Sister. Quickly, rise. Let me have a proper look at you.”
Xiao Yuanwu waved her up warmly.
“Yes, Sister, you haven’t been back in nearly a year, have you? You usually only return during the Lantern Festival and only stay for a few days. What brings you back so suddenly this time?”
The Empress also spoke kindly to Xiao Chuo.
Although her fief was in Jinyang, and it wasn’t customary for princesses to reside in their territories, she preferred living there. Even though there was a Princess’s Residence in the Capital, she rarely stayed there. Except for the annual Lantern Festival, she seldom returned. Her sudden appearance today truly surprised both the Emperor and the Empress.
“Royal Brother, Royal Sister-in-law, I returned this time to ask Royal Brother for a favor—to make a decision on something for me.”
Xiao Chuo didn’t rise immediately. Instead, she looked directly at Xiao Yuanwu.
“Oh? You want me to make a decision for you? What happened? Did someone wrong you? Just say the word. If anyone dares offend you, I will not let them off lightly.”
If the other imperial princes heard that someone had dared to mistreat her, they’d surely rush back to the Capital with blades in hand to defend her.
“Royal Brother, you misunderstood. No one has wronged me.”
“It’s something else.”
Xiao Chuo smiled and shook her head. As the favored one of the imperial family, who would dare bully her? Even if the Emperor did nothing, the other princes would be sharpening their blades in outrage.
“Oh? Then what is it? Just tell me directly.”
“It’s actually not a big matter. I’d like to ask Royal Brother to grant me an imperial marriage.”
At this point, Xiao Chuo stopped holding back and plainly stated her purpose—to ask the Emperor to bestow her a marriage.
“What? An imperial marriage?”
Xiao Yuanwu and the Empress both jumped up in shock, staring at her in disbelief.
They wondered if they had heard wrong. Xiao Chuo was actually requesting a marriage herself? Was this a joke?
“That’s right. An imperial marriage.”
“Royal Brother, I’ve fallen for someone. In this life, I’ll marry no one but him. So I hope Royal Brother will grant the marriage for us.”
Xiao Chuo nodded seriously. This time, her words were even more dramatic—she used the phrase ‘marry no one but him.’
“Heavens above! Who is this man that could win the heart of the number one beauty in the Great Phoenix Empire, Princess Jinyang herself? Could he be an immortal descended from the heavens?”
The Empress was completely stunned as she looked at Xiao Chuo.
As a woman herself, she couldn’t help but admit that Xiao Chuo’s beauty was so overwhelming it made others incapable of jealousy—it simply exceeded mortal standards.
In her mind, no man in the world was worthy of Xiao Chuo.
And indeed, Xiao Chuo was already twenty-three and had countless suitors over the years, but none had ever caught her eye.
“Royal Sister, who is this man? What’s his name?”
Finally recovering from the shock, Xiao Yuanwu asked. He still couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He would’ve believed it more if she had said she planned never to marry.
But for her to fall for someone and even ask to marry him? Just what kind of man could achieve that?
Seeing both the Emperor and Empress staring at her intently, Xiao Chuo raised her head and calmly looked back at them.
“Royal Brother, Royal Sister-in-law, you both know him as well.”
“We know him?”
“Who is it?”
This made them even more astonished. If they knew him, he must be from a noble or scholarly family.
Their minds raced through every possible candidate they knew, but none seemed worthy of Xiao Chuo.
Their curiosity only deepened.
“Qin Yan.”
At last, Xiao Chuo softly said the name.
The moment it reached Xiao Yuanwu and the Empress’s ears, both of them were stunned. They stared at her in disbelief.
“Who did you say?”
Xiao Yuanwu almost doubted his own hearing. Had he been thinking about Qin Yan too much lately and started hallucinating? Otherwise, why would Xiao Chuo say that name?
“Royal Sister, who did you say?”
The Empress was also in shock, her eyes fixed on Xiao Chuo.
“Royal Brother, Royal Sister-in-law, I said… that man is Qin Yan.”
Clearly, Xiao Chuo had anticipated their reaction, so she wasn’t surprised at all. She calmly repeated the name again.
“Qin Yan? Are you talking about Princess Changning’s former Prince Consort, Qin Yan?”
“Royal Sister, are you out of your mind?”