You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

"Wanwan has given up on Shen Nian'an, that's why she lured us into this trap!"

The Empress wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"When she entered the palace last time, she probably already knew that her father and brothers were in the northern border, and she had no mother to love her. I also neglected her, and she had to make her own plans after being wronged. I have let her mother down!"

As the Empress spoke, she became somewhat agitated. She stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, her heart filled with guilt and heartache for Xie Wanru.

"Caiyun, go and invite the Emperor immediately. Tell him that I have important matters to discuss with him."

The Empress instructed that she had no say in this matter; the Emperor's approval was required for a divorce.

Aunt Caiyun immediately accepted the order and left, and soon brought the Emperor over.

The Emperor was greatly shocked when he heard about this. He never expected that his bestowed marriage would put Xie Wanru in such a predicament.

But he did not immediately agree to a divorce.

"Wanru, that child, has really suffered."

The Emperor sighed, his tone full of pity.

The Empress told the Emperor about Xie Wanru's ordeal in detail and asked him to allow Xie Wanru to divorce Shen Nian'an.

An innocent child was married into the Shen family, and Shen Nian'an deceived her into adopting her concubine's son. Then, at the flower festival, Shen Nian'an and her concubine committed illicit acts in her boudoir, causing her to lose face. What a humiliation this was!

The Emperor remained silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He had been worried that Shen Nian'an would inherit the title, and if the Marquis of Yong'an supported another prince, the position of Crown Prince would be in jeopardy.

Just as Shen Cong'an was waking up and feeling relieved, Xie Wanru wanted a divorce.

With this divorce, he won't be able to interfere with Xie Wanru's remarriage. If she marries an ordinary person, that's fine, but if she still has feelings for the third son... then it will be troublesome.

"This Shen Nian'an has truly disappointed me. I will issue an edict to reprimand the Marquis of Yong'an and order him to discipline his son properly. However, a divorce is out of the question."

The emperor spoke with a hint of anger, but did not agree to a divorce.

The Empress knew he wouldn't easily agree to a divorce, but to her surprise, the Emperor didn't hesitate at all.

"Your Majesty, Wanru is also your adopted daughter. You watched her grow up. How can you bear to let her suffer such injustice and continue to stay in the Shen family to be bullied by them? Her father and brothers are not in Xuancheng. You are her father. You must stand up for her!"

The Empress spoke earnestly, tears welling in her eyes. In her heart, Xie Wanru was kind-hearted and had been a clever and obedient child since childhood. However, she had a tragic fate and was now facing even greater difficulties in the Shen family.

She felt so sorry for him!

The emperor frowned, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He was well aware of Xie Wanru's suffering, but the court situation was complex, and every step required caution. He did not want his sons to kill each other, so he established a crown prince early on and made plans for him.

He sighed softly, “The Empress is absolutely right. Wanru is indeed my adopted daughter, and I feel sorry for her. But this matter concerns the stability of the court, and I am doing this for Long’er’s sake. The Xie family is very powerful, and you know that Wanru is fond of the Third Prince.”

The Emperor felt somewhat guilty, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't allow his third son to have the opportunity to marry Xie Wanru; he absolutely couldn't.

"The third son is not married yet. What if he turns around and gets together with Xie Wanru behind our backs? What will happen to Long'er then?"

His words calmed the Empress down a bit; everyone is selfish.

"In short, my mind is made up. Shen Nian'an will be confined to her home to reflect on her mistakes, while Wanru will remain in the Xie family for the time being. We will not divorce her until... she marries Long'er."

"emperor!……"

The empress was startled.

Putting aside the fact that Xie Wanru is still a daughter-in-law of the Shen family, her son and Wanru have no feelings for each other. Otherwise, wouldn't she have held onto the Xie family as a powerful family for her son?

Emperor Xiaolong and his concubine were deeply in love, and the couple were sweet and romantic. The emperor's idea was simply shocking.

The Empress was shocked, but she tried her best to persuade people with reason.

"Your Majesty, Long'er and Wanru have no romantic feelings for each other. Forcing them into marriage will only harm the two children and damage the harmony between the Xie family and the royal family. Furthermore, Long'er already has a true love in his heart. Forcibly separating them will likely draw criticism from the court and the public, and will also greatly damage Long'er's reputation."

The Crown Prince's concubine is the second daughter of the Prime Minister's family. If she were the legitimate daughter, she would have been made Crown Princess long ago. However, once Xiao Long ascends the throne, this woman will likely be his empress.

This was the only thing the Crown Prince asked for, and it was something that the entire court and the public tacitly approved.

The Emperor's expression was solemn, his gaze deep, as if he were weighing a more complex game of chess. He knew all too well that Long'er was a devoted child and would not easily fall for another woman.

"I am well aware of the stakes involved, but the current situation allows no room for error. The Xie family are important officials in the court, and their influence should not be underestimated. If Wanru marries into the Crown Prince's palace, it will not only stabilize the Xie family's hearts but also strengthen Long'er's power to fight against those restless forces. However, if she marries into any uncertain noble family, she will be a threat to Long'er."

"But..." The Empress wanted to argue, but the Emperor gently raised his hand to interrupt her. Wanwan had already sacrificed herself once, and she couldn't bear to let Wanwan suffer like this again.

"Empress, I know that because of Wanwan's mother, you treat Wanwan like your own daughter, but you should also think more about Long'er. I will put pressure on the Shen family for her, so that she doesn't have to go back to the Shen residence and can live in the Princess's residence from now on. As for Wanru's emotions, you need to comfort her and make her understand my good intentions. Divorce is not a trivial matter and is absolutely unacceptable."

The Empress knew that the Emperor's decision was difficult to change, so she could only reluctantly agree, but she secretly sighed for Xie Wanru's fate.

She understood that in this vortex of power and interests, personal feelings and happiness were often the most insignificant victims.

"Your Majesty obeys the decree. I only hope that Your Majesty can consider Wanru's feelings more. After all, she is still a child and has borne too many burdens that should not belong to her."

The Empress spoke with a pleading tone, her eyes filled with affection for Xie Wanru.

The Emperor nodded slightly, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes: "I know, Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best to be considerate."

Even so, the Empress understood that the Emperor's "comprehensiveness" often meant more compromises and sacrifices.

She said nothing more, but in her heart she was silently calculating how to get the best result for Xie Wanru without disobeying the emperor's orders.

Living in the princess's mansion would mean not seeing or worrying about her, but what about Wanru's life? Should she be forced to live a life of widowhood?

Shen Zhan sent Shen Nian'an to the Xie residence to apologize, and he also took Old Madam Shen to the palace to apologize. He thought they would have to do things separately, with him going to see the Emperor and Old Madam Shen going to see the Empress, but unexpectedly the Emperor and Empress were together and talking about this matter.

As the head of the Yong'an Marquis's family, Shen Zhan felt ashamed for having a son like Shen Nian'an, but he had no choice but to beg for the Emperor and Empress's forgiveness for the sake of the entire Shen family.

Shen Zhan entered the main hall, his steps heavy and his face pale.

He first performed a deep bow respectfully, then spoke in a trembling voice: "Your humble servant Shen Zhan has come with my mother to apologize to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress for the actions of my rebellious son, Shen Nian'an."

The Emperor's gaze was sharp as he scrutinized Shen Zhan, his voice steady and authoritative: "Minister Shen, do you know what crime your son has committed? He has not only tarnished the royal family's reputation, but has also caused great harm to my adopted daughter, Wanru."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Shen Zhan's forehead. He lowered his head and said in a low, remorseful voice, "Your Majesty, I know that Nian'an has committed grave sins. I am willing to take the blame for him. I only ask that Your Majesty and the Empress grant him a chance to reform."

The Empress remained silent. An opportunity? Did Wanwan not give them an opportunity?

Shen Nian'an had two children with that mistress, and even schemed against Wanwan, getting the children adopted into Wanwan's name. After all this trouble, can a simple "forgiveness" really make it all go away?

But with the Emperor present, she didn't want to embarrass him, so she kept quiet to avoid swearing and losing her dignity as Empress.