The unlucky guy was reborn as a lucky girl from a farm

The memorials piled up high, almost drowning the imperial desk, like barriers standing between his and her marriage.

Prince Li glanced at the "hill" and felt a thin layer of sweat instantly seeping out of his palms, which was cold and sticky.

The emperor casually picked up the top volume and slowly opened it. His voice was calm, but every word was as powerful as a hammer: "This is the third son of Minister Gao. He is a Jinshi (Jinshi) graduate and currently works at the Imperial Observatory. He has excellent handwriting."

He picked up another one.

"This is the young master of the Prime Minister's family. Everyone in the capital knows that he is well-behaved, handsome, and especially good at playing the zither and the flute. His family has strict traditions, and men in his family are not allowed to take concubines."

Point your fingertip to the next portion.

"Oh, there's also Li Jianzheng's fourth son, who's about the same age as An Ning. He manages the family business and has revitalized several loss-making shops. He's now making a fortune, so I'm sure he and the princess have a lot in common."

His Majesty seemed completely oblivious to Prince Li's increasingly gloomy expression and furrowed brows, and continued to speak to himself, his tone even tinged with admiration.

"Look at these memorials. Who among those recommended isn't a handsome, talented, young and promising young man? They all look forward to meeting Princess Shang."

Prince Li quietly clenched his fists in his sleeves.

His Adam's apple rolled, and he practically squeezed out a sound through his teeth: "Your Majesty, what do you mean? Do you think I'm too old to be worthy of Princess An Ning?"

The emperor finally raised his eyes from behind the memorial and looked at the tense face below.

We are used to seeing Prince Li being decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, and calm and composed in the court. It is rare and interesting to see him talking with his back teeth gritted, and even his eyes turning red.

Although he was initially instructed by the Queen Mother and the Princess to teach Prince Li a lesson and let him know that it would not be so easy to marry Ni'er.

But at this moment, the emperor found that the evil taste in his heart was quietly growing, and he wanted to see how anxious his usually calm brother could be.

"Although Princess An Ning is young, she is so clever and capable of taking charge. There is no one else like her in the whole capital."

The emperor chuckled, "You are really like an old cow eating young grass, and you only pick the most juicy ones."

He raised his hand and swept across the pile of memorials on his desk, his tone filled with a hint of amusement: "These days, my imperial study has almost become a matchmaking house."

"Eight out of ten books are about proposing a marriage for Princess An Ning. If I grant your request, I don't know how many hearts will be broken."

Prince Li's heart tightened. Could it be that His Majesty had another choice in mind? Or was it the Queen Mother's...

"Your Majesty," he said in a hoarse voice, "An Ning and I treat each other sincerely."

The emperor picked up the teacup and gently blew away the foam. "What's the hurry? The one you want to marry is the Empress Dowager's favorite. The princess specifically told me that she wanted to see how sincere Prince Li is."

He put down the teacup and said, "Then let me see how sincere you are in asking for the hand of Princess An Ning."

Prince Li took a deep breath and said, "I will personally take care of the three letters and six ceremonies, and will not delegate them to anyone else. The betrothal gifts will be of the highest standard, and I will also add three imperial estates and five shops under my name."

"anything else?"

"I am willing to sign this contract and submit it to the Imperial Clan Court for record. If I ever betray An Ning in the future, I will leave it to Your Majesty and the Queen Mother to deal with."

"I will write it now."

The eunuch quickly prepared the four treasures of the study. Prince Li took up his pen and dipped it in ink. His wrist was steady, but his handwriting was filled with urgency:

"First, always prioritize peace and tranquility, and do not criticize her over trivial matters. Second, she will be the sole mistress of the palace, and no concubines or maids will be allowed. Third, if a dispute arises, her wishes will prevail, and no cold treatment will be given. Fourth, you will accompany her to the Princess's residence for three days each month, and you must not interfere with her business operations..."

The emperor took the letter of commitment with the ink still wet, read it carefully, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"What if you hurt her in any way?" the emperor suddenly asked.

Prince Li suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock: "I would rather cut off my own hands than hurt her!"

"Don't be so sure." The emperor tapped the table with his fingertips. "What if it's an emergency?"

"If that day ever comes, I will punish her with a caning at the hands of the clan clan officials and repay her a hundredfold. I will also pay her twenty thousand taels of gold, and the entire palace will belong to her."

The emperor raised his eyebrows and said, "Twenty thousand taels of gold? Can you afford it?"

"I am willing to pledge my entire fortune as a guarantee."

The emperor suddenly chuckled, "Are you going to compensate her as well?"

"I do think so."

There was silence in the imperial study for a moment, only the ticking of the night watchman could be heard.

The emperor stared at his determined expression and finally slowly smiled sincerely.

"Okay." He picked up his pen and was about to write his final words on the marriage certificate. "Then I'll be waiting to drink your cup and give you all the wedding wine."

Prince Li couldn't help but smile.

However, just as the smile spread across his face, he suddenly remembered Ni'er's detailed instructions before leaving.

"Your Majesty," he stepped forward, his voice steady yet with a barely perceptible earnestness, "I...have one more humble request."

When the emperor heard this, the red pen that was about to write paused slightly, and then was gently placed back on the green jade pen holder.

He raised his eyes, with a trace of scrutiny and doubt in his eyes: "Speak."

"I have discussed with An Ning and would like to set the wedding date after the results of the Spring Imperial Examination are announced. I sincerely request Your Majesty's approval."

"After the Spring Examination?"

The emperor's eyes were filled with confusion. "Why is this? You are not young anymore, and it's been so hard for you to find a beautiful woman, but now there are so many families competing for her. You should complete the ceremony quickly to avoid any unnecessary complications."

His Majesty kept mentioning "age" in every sentence, and every word struck Prince Li's heart. He felt choked up inside, but he could only endure it secretly.

He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, leaving only complete sincerity: "Your Majesty, it is because Princess An Ning's younger brother also has to take the exam this time."

"Since the princess was conferred the title, she has been the focus of everyone's attention. If we hold a grand wedding ceremony now, I'm afraid the whole city will be focused on her, and there will be a lot of discussion, which will disturb her brother's concentration on preparing for the exam."

"We only hope that he can be free from external distractions, focus on his work, and strive for a bright future."

He paused, his voice softening with obvious cherishment. "This is An Ning's love as a sister. I... empathize with her and am willing to do my best to fulfill her wish."

The emperor looked at the man in front of him who looked so sincere and wholeheartedly concerned about his future princess, and felt both amused and helpless.

He, the imperial brother who was feared by the enemies on the battlefield, is now so cautious about the family affairs of his beloved.

"Well," the emperor finally relented, but a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes. "I'll grant your permission. It's a good opportunity to see what rank your brother, who caused An Ning so much worry and made you willing to postpone your wedding, will achieve in this spring's imperial examination."

He tapped the imperial desk with his fingertips, his tone filled with anticipation: "If you can make it into the top three, our dynasty will have another pillar of talent. It will be a double blessing, and this marriage will be even more glorious."

Upon hearing this, Prince Li's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and a confident smile spread across his lips. "Although I dare not make any rash judgments about the rankings, I think... there's a high probability that I won't disappoint Your Majesty."

"Okay, then I'll wait and see."