“Ah… forget it…” Xiao Yuanwu looked at Xiao Chuo, who was holding the Late Emperor’s edict in her hands, and finally let out a long sigh.
“I… I’ll agree. Return to your residence first. Tomorrow, I will issue the marriage decree for you and Qin Yan.”
In the end, Xiao Yuanwu agreed.
He knew he couldn’t refuse the Late Emperor’s edict. And from Xiao Chuo’s expression, it was clear she had made up her mind to marry Qin Yan. He didn’t know why she would insist on this, even at the cost of defying her own elder brother, but he also understood—if he kept pushing, their sibling bond would truly be severed.
“Thank you, Imperial Brother, for granting my wish.” At those words, a faint smile finally appeared on Xiao Chuo’s face.
She knew that once Xiao Yuanwu opened his mouth, he wouldn’t go back on his word. Besides, she had brought out the Late Emperor’s edict—even if he was Emperor now, he wouldn’t dare deceive her. So she decided not to push further. Since she had already reached her goal, there was no need to demand the decree that day. Tomorrow was fine.
“You should go see the Empress Dowager. She doesn’t know you’ve returned yet. I’m sure she’ll be delighted when she sees you,” Xiao Yuanwu added.
The Empress Dowager was the Late Emperor’s principal wife, though not the birth mother of either Xiao Yuanwu or Xiao Chuo. She had no children of her own but had always treated the Late Emperor’s children with great kindness. As a result, her status remained high.
Both Xiao Yuanwu and Xiao Chuo had been raised by her and deeply respected her. Among all the Late Emperor’s children, the Empress Dowager’s favorite had always been the Late Emperor’s only daughter—Princess Jinyang, Xiao Chuo.
“Yes, your sister will take her leave now.”
“Wait, Imperial Sister. The Empress Dowager has always favored you, and now that you’re going to be married, this matter must be told to her. When you see her, speak with her yourself.”
Just as Xiao Chuo was about to leave, Xiao Yuanwu added.
“I understand, I’ll speak to her personally,” Xiao Chuo replied. She gave Xiao Yuanwu a meaningful glance but didn’t say anything more. Then she turned and left, leaving only Xiao Yuanwu and the Empress behind.
“Your Majesty, how could you agree to the Princess’s request? If you grant her marriage to Qin Yan, then what about our daughter Changning?” The moment Xiao Chuo left, the Empress could no longer sit still and turned to complain. Read the latest chapters at novelping.com.
“You… what else could I do? Jinyang even brought out the Late Emperor’s edict. If I didn’t agree, wouldn’t that be defying the Late Emperor? Once this spreads, what will happen to my imperial dignity?” Xiao Yuanwu looked bitter.
What could he do?
Even as Emperor, he didn’t dare disobey the edict of the Late Emperor. Besides, the Great Phoenix Empire was built on filial piety. If he, the Emperor, didn’t honor the Late Emperor’s final decree, what face would he have to rule?
“But… but once the decree is given and if Changning regrets it one day, she’ll have nowhere to turn! What do we do then?” The Empress grew anxious. She and her husband had thought they had everything under control, only for Princess Jinyang, Xiao Chuo, to suddenly appear and completely disrupt their plans. Now they were filled with worry—what if their precious daughter regretted it one day and had nowhere to go?
“How would I know when Qin Yan and my sister even became close? I had no idea…” Xiao Yuanwu also looked helpless and curious about how Xiao Chuo and Qin Yan had connected.
“And you’re still worrying about that? Your Majesty, you should be thinking of a way to help your daughter right now!” The Empress had no patience for gossip. She didn’t care why Xiao Chuo wanted to marry Qin Yan. She only wanted to stop it—before it was too late for Changning.
“There are still two chances left,” Xiao Yuanwu finally calmed down and looked at the Empress.
“What chances?” The Empress was startled and quickly asked.
“First is the Empress Dowager. Qin Yan was once Changning’s Prince Consort. Even if they were husband and wife in name only, they were still officially married. The Empress Dowager adores Jinyang the most. If she finds out that Jinyang wants to marry a twice-married Prince Consort, she’ll probably disapprove. If the Empress Dowager steps in and persuades Jinyang, then the matter might be resolved.”
“So that’s what it was… Your Majesty makes sense. No wonder you asked the Princess to visit the Empress Dowager—this was your plan all along.” The Empress nodded in realization. Find the original chapter at NovelPing.
“And the second chance?”
“The second is Changning herself. After all, everything started with her. As the saying goes, only the one who tied the bell can untie it. If she learns that Princess Jinyang wants to marry Qin Yan, perhaps she’ll feel the urgency. Maybe that will help her recognize her true feelings. If she tries to win Qin Yan back—after spending three years together—he must have some feelings for her. The two might reconcile.”
“And by then, even if Jinyang has the Late Emperor’s edict, she wouldn’t be in a position to forcefully break apart a reunited couple, right?” Xiao Yuanwu said again.
“Ah…” The Empress sighed. “You’re right. It all comes down to whether Changning realizes it herself. We can worry all we want, but if she doesn’t care, then there’s nothing we can do.”
“Time is short. I’ve already promised Jinyang that I’ll issue the decree tomorrow. If nothing changes by the end of today…”
“An Emperor’s word is not to be taken lightly. I will have no choice but to issue the marriage decree then,” Xiao Yuanwu sighed deeply.
Whether as Emperor or as a father, he had already done everything he could for Princess Changning. If nothing changed, then it would all be left to fate. He would have to follow the will of Heaven.
The Empress nodded thoughtfully, then quickly turned to the palace nursemaid.
“Nursemaid Rong, you’ve heard everything. Return to the residence immediately and tell Changning about Princess Jinyang’s request for marriage. Let her reflect on it herself.”
The Empress looked at the nursemaid who served the Princess closely, instructing her to inform Changning of the matter at once—so that Changning might realize her own feelings and go after Qin Yan.
“I understand. I will speak to the Princess right away.” Nursemaid Rong understood the urgency. In her heart, she also hoped that Qin Yan would remain the Prince Consort of the Princess’s residence. After spending three years with Qin Yan, she knew what kind of man he was. If someone else stole him away now, her princess might really collapse from sorrow.
With that, she quickly withdrew and left the palace to find the Princess. At that moment, it was truly a race against time.