The Queen sealed her heart and locked up her love, and the Emperor was trapped in the crematorium

Previous dynasty.

Ever since Xiao Chengxu announced his illness in the court that day, the voices of strong opposition to the disbanding of the harem had almost disappeared.

Of course, this was not just because of the shocking royal secrets revealed by Xiao Chengxu, but more importantly, Xiao Chengxu gave these court officials tangible benefits in other aspects. For example, rewards such as promotions and titles, in the face of tempting interests, it was no longer difficult to change their positions. Instead of pinning their hopes on the unknown heir to the throne, it was better to firmly grasp the benefits in front of them.

As the voices against Xiao Chengxu's dismissal of the harem gradually died down, another voice emerged like mushrooms after rain. More and more ministers began to plead with Xiao Chengxu to adopt a son from the royal family and enthrone him as the crown prince, in order to stabilize the people's hearts and stabilize the government.

Faced with the waves of requests that came one after another, Xiao Chengxu listened with a blank expression. His impatience was gradually deepening, and he became more and more annoyed with the endless proposals of these ministers.

"I am not even dead yet, and you, my dear ministers, want to change the dynasty?"

Xiao Chengxu sat on the dragon throne, his eyes sternly scanning the ministers below, his voice extremely cold.

Upon hearing this, the ministers knelt down in fear and shouted in unison: "We have absolutely no such intention. Please calm down, Your Majesty. Please look into this matter."

Xiao Chengxu snorted coldly and sneered in his heart. These ministers seemed to be loyal to him, and they kept saying that they were doing it for the sake of the country and the people, and they were urging him to appoint a prince as soon as possible. Isn't this trying to change the dynasty?

After the court session, Xiao Chengxu came to the imperial study and summoned Marquis Yongchang.

"If you are here to advise me about the adoption, then you don't have to ask me. I have made my own decision on this matter."

Xiao Chengxu's tone was very stiff, and he was obviously in a bad mood. He thought that the Marquis of Yongchang was also here to persuade him to establish a crown prince, but he didn't expect the other party to shake his head.

"Your Majesty, I believe you have your own arrangements. I came here not for the adoption, but for another important matter." Marquis Yongchang replied respectfully.

Xiao Chengxu frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Oh? What's so important that you would bother the Marquis to come here in person?"

"It's about the Queen." Marquis Yongchang whispered.

When Xiao Chengxu heard the word "empress", his heart was moved and he asked in confusion: "Empress? What happened to her?"

"I dare to ask the emperor to allow the queen to leave the palace. I am willing to retire and return to my hometown."

Marquis Yongchang knew very well that as a subject he should not interfere in the affairs of the king, but when it came to his most beloved daughter, he would rather risk offending the emperor and ask for mercy for his daughter.

Looking at the man kneeling in front of him, Marquis Yongchang, who was not only a subject but also a teacher and father-in-law, Xiao Chengxu personally stood up and supported him.

"Your Majesty, will you agree to this?"

Marquis Yongchang did not stand up and remained kneeling on the ground.

"My Lord, the Queen is my first wife. How can I agree to divorce you?"

Before the Marquis of Yongchang could reply, Xiao Chengxu immediately said, "I know that in recent years, many concubines have entered the palace, causing the Queen to suffer a lot of grievances. This is my fault, but I have come to my senses and only wish to make amends to the Queen and live a good life with her. No one is perfect, so can father-in-law give me another chance? I will not let the Queen down again."

Xiao Chengxu kept a very humble attitude. It would be a lie to say that Marquis Yongchang was not moved at all.

But when he thought about his daughter's life in the palace, which was not going as he wished, and how cautious she had always been, as if she was on the edge of an abyss and treading on thin ice, who could know whether the promise made by the emperor would really be fulfilled? Even if it could really be fulfilled, how long would it last? Rather than waiting until they were tired of each other in the future, it would be better to stop the loss as soon as possible.

Is it true that such a large mansion cannot support one person? It doesn't matter if my daughter stays at home all her life, as long as she is carefree and happy.

Xie Yaoqing did not write a letter to her father and brother, telling them that she was tired of court life and wanted to leave Xiao Chengxu.

Because she didn't want to add burden to her relatives, if her father and brothers knew, they would definitely make plans for her. However, they were facing the emperor, not the son-in-law of an ordinary family. Ordinary families might be able to put pressure on the Yue family to find a good future for their daughters, but this would not work in the royal family, especially in front of the emperor.

Xie Yaoqing didn't want his father and brother to anger the emperor because of him. The emperor's wrath was not easy to bear.

But relatives are relatives after all, connected by blood. Even if Xie Yaoqing didn't say it, Marquis Yongchang knew that his daughter's life was difficult. As a father, out of love for his daughter, Marquis Yongchang would rather give up his official position and status and take a gamble.

On one side was the emperor who had lowered his posture, and on the other side was his beloved daughter. Although Yongchang Hou was somewhat moved by Xiao Chengxu's words, his fatherly heart prevailed in the end, and he kowtowed again and said, "Forgive me for saying so much, but the emperor and the queen are not married to each other, and they only got married because of the marriage granted by the late emperor."