Who put the yellow robe on me?

After hearing this, the sixteenth prince Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel happy and a smug smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, He Xiaowei's eyes suddenly turned, like a cold star flashing in the summer night. She rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen and said with a hint of ridicule in her tone: "However, the rumored hero seems to have an unclear relationship with the Third Princess of Northern Qiang..."

He Xiaowei's words were like a thunderbolt, gentle yet revealing an edge that could not be ignored. They flowed through Jiang Chen's ears, making his heart beat faster involuntarily.

The voice was lightly teasing, yet it also aroused endless reverie, like a gurgling stream flowing into a dense forest at night, gentle yet full of temptation.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen's cheeks suddenly became hot, and a blush gradually spread along his cheekbones. He was unable to cope with this sudden change for a moment, and hurriedly explained: "This... that... these are all rumors, hehe, just rumors! In fact, I and that Northern Qiang Third Princess..."

Before she finished her words, He Xiaowei suddenly waved her hands and shouted, "Stop! Stop! Stop!" She deliberately lowered her voice, her tone full of teasing and decisiveness: "I'm not the Sixteenth Princess. I don't want to hear about your romantic affairs!"

These words were like a stream of cold water, suddenly extinguishing the flame of pride in Jiang Chen's heart.

Jiang Chen felt embarrassed, his eyes flickered, he lowered his head, revealing an awkward and helpless smile. That smile seemed to contain thousands of words, but they were all stuck in his throat and could not be said.

The boat swayed slowly on the Lianghuai River, and the night breeze blew gently. The silhouettes of the two people were reflected on the river surface, gradually interweaving with the lights to form a hazy and moving picture.

Only the low hum of the river water lapping against the side of the boat, interwoven with the hustle and bustle of the distant city, formed a long and lingering melody.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Chen took a deep breath and thought to himself: Based on He Xiaowei's personality, she will never give in so easily.

As expected, the wind on the boat was still blowing. He Xiaowei suddenly spoke in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of frankness: "In the beginning, I absolutely disagreed with this marriage. For me, this is no joke. It's not a lifelong event that can be decided by just a casual chat, but..."

Her eyes flashed with complex emotions, as if she was reminiscing, or sighing, full of helplessness and hidden unwillingness.

After hearing this, Jiang Chen's heart trembled slightly, his brows furrowed, and he asked impatiently: "But what?" His voice was full of eagerness, as if he had been eager to find out the truth of this past.

He Xiaowei looked at Jiang Chen with a gentle yet firm gaze, and slowly said, "But my grandfather seemed to know everything. He asked me if I had added anything to the two bowls of water when I accompanied the Thirteenth Princess to the Imperial Hospital to get medicine."

Jiang Chen's heart suddenly tightened, and his mind raced. He thought to himself: Sure enough, Prime Minister He's cold eyes and meticulous analysis never missed a single clue.

Then he asked in a low voice, "Do you admit it?" Although his voice was soft, it was filled with unconcealable expectation and uneasiness.

He Xiaowei shook her head, sighed softly, and continued, "No, how could I? But Grandpa was extremely certain about this matter. Even when he talked about the scene when Concubine De was banished to the cold palace, there was a hint of warning in his tone, as if everything was far more complicated than what we saw on the surface."

He Xiaowei's gaze gradually drifted off into the distance, gazing at the occasional sounds of children's laughter drifting from the riverbank, and the occasional clatter of fireworks from the shore. She whispered softly, "Grandfather said that the Sixteenth Prince was licentious and lascivious, his words and deeds wanton. But now you—a Sixteenth Prince who can lead a general to reconquer the Western Regions and quell the invasion of the Northern Qiang Princess—is truly unbelievable. Grandfather said that it wasn't until the appearance of that dissolute Sixteenth Prince that everything was explained."

Jiang Chen looked at He Xiaowei's handsome profile, and a surge of tenderness and admiration surged in his heart. He couldn't help but blurt out, "Xiao Wei'er..." Before he finished speaking, he felt his heart stop again, as if all the chaotic thoughts in his mind condensed into a moment of silence.

He Xiaowei seemed to ignore his call and continued, "Grandpa also said that Mu Shenru put pressure on you, saying that the royal blood cannot be adulterated in the slightest. You must be positioned as an ordinary royal relative. As long as you don't fight for the throne of the emperor, he won't be your enemy."

When she said this, her voice suddenly became hoarse, and a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.

"But you and I both know that there is no way that the dignified Sixteenth Prince would be willing to lower himself to a lower position." Her tone was full of determination, like the waves on the river crashing against the embankment, which neither allowed rejection nor compromise.

He Xiaowei paused and sighed softly, "Later, Mu Shenru came to propose marriage in order to consolidate the Mu family's status, forcing grandpa into a dilemma. Although grandpa was extremely reluctant, he had to agree in order to repay the kindness of the old hero Mu to the He family." Her voice became slow and long, and every word seemed to fall heavily on Jiang Chen's heart.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen's heart suddenly shook, and an indescribable anger and sorrow rolled in his chest.

He clenched his fists, as if trying to grasp the fleeting time, and shouted, "This...this won't do! I can't let this arrangement sacrifice you. I can't let you trade that empty reputation and profit for a high position in the court!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Chen became emotional, with a glimmer of determination in his eyes. His voice revealed the anxiety and unwillingness to escape, which almost overflowed from his chest.

He Xiaowei shook her head gently and refused softly, "Silly! What will happen to Sister Rou and the others if we leave? How will my grandfather explain to the Mu family?" Her voice was helpless and full of tenderness, as if she was looking for a way out of this heavy responsibility.

Jiang Chen quickly retorted: "That doesn't mean you can be sacrificed! You don't like Mu Zhengyi at all!" His words were full of anxiety, anger and deep helplessness, as if all this was a joke played by fate.

A cold glint flashed in He Xiaowei's eyes, and she said calmly, "What does it matter whether you like it or not? This is all just a conspiracy by the Mu family to consolidate their position in the court. They want to use this to control the fate of the family."

After she finished speaking, her words suddenly became gentle, with a sly glint in her eyes. "But, I've already secured this for you—if you really want to get married, you have to wait a year. Within a year, I must go on a diplomatic mission to Dongqi, and you can get married only after I return."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen's expression suddenly became complicated, with mixed feelings in his heart: on the one hand, he ignited his determination to share the joys and sorrows and overcome the crisis with He Xiaowei; on the other hand, he felt a surge of resentment in his heart about the fate of having to sacrifice her in exchange for his position in the court.