After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

In the Empress Dowager's palace.

Xie Xing followed behind Emperor Chu and Jun Lanjin into the Empress Dowager's palace.

Inside the palace, Luo Huaichuan stood aside talking to the Empress Dowager. When the group entered, the Empress Dowager and the others still looked somewhat serious.

The atmosphere was broken when the Chu Emperor entered. He laughed heartily and said, "Why do you all look so serious?"

"Why has the Emperor come?" The Empress Dowager raised her eyes, her attitude neither light nor indifferent.

But when her gaze fell on Jun Lanjin, her smile returned, and she said reproachfully, "Zhiheng, it's been a long time since you've come to see me."

Jun Lanjin lowered his eyes and said gently, "I have been feeling unwell lately, and I hope the Empress Dowager will forgive me."

Xie Xing stood behind the group, somewhat puzzled by their attitude.

Just now, the Empress Dowager kept calling him Zhiheng, showing her closeness to Jun Lanjin. Logically speaking, the two should have a good relationship, but judging from Jun Lanjin's indifferent attitude, it seems that this is not the case.

As if oblivious to the Empress Dowager's coldness, the Emperor of Chu strode to her side, sat down, and took her hand with concern, asking, "How has Mother been lately?"

"Thanks to the Emperor, my health is still quite good." The Empress Dowager pulled her hand away and replied irritably.

The Emperor of Chu laughed: "Then I am relieved. What is the Empress Dowager saying to the Sixth Prince? She looks so serious. Let me listen too."

The Empress Dowager said, "They're talking about the sixth prince's marriage. He's not young anymore, and it's time to choose a principal wife this year."

"Does the emperor have a suitable candidate?"

The Empress Dowager's voice sounded somewhat casual, but unexpectedly, her words caused everyone in the hall to change their expressions.

Consort Lin, who was standing to one side, raised her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Luo Huaichuan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Especially for Madam Xie, she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, as if she had thorns in her back, and as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.

At this moment, Madam Xie felt that she was no longer suitable to stay in this place. She couldn't help but stand up, give a slight curtsy, and say, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I shall take my leave now."

The Emperor of Chu waved his hand.

His smile faded slightly as he stood up, placing his hands behind his back, exuding imperial majesty: "Is Mother referring to the sixth prince?"

"Indeed, Lao Liu is so young and he's already guarding the frontier. He should find a wife to warm his bed."

"In my opinion, the Xie family's daughter is quite good."

Emperor Chu suddenly turned his gaze to Xie Xing and Xie Jiaojiao standing behind him, and said with a half-smile, "The Xie family's newly found daughter is of good character and her age is suitable for the sixth prince. Why not marry her to the sixth prince and make her the sixth imperial consort?"

[It's me again?]

Xie Xing was caught in the crossfire.

However, she did not believe that the Chu Emperor was serious. Instead, a murderous intent filled the palace as he spoke.

The sixth prince was highly regarded by the emperor and held military power, while the Xie family was a formidable general. If the two were to marry, their power would directly surpass that of the emperor, which was a major taboo.

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Madam Xie trembled and knelt on the ground with a thud, crying out, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

A large number of people in the palace knelt down in unison.

Xie Jiaojiao had never seen anything like this before, and felt her whole body go limp. If Xie Xing hadn't been supporting her, she probably would have lost her composure in front of the palace.

When big shots fight, small shots suffer.

Xie Xing even slowed his breathing.

Only Jun Lanjin stood in the hall, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression unchanged as he stood beside the emperor.

"Cough cough." In the silent palace, only the Empress Dowager's increasingly severe cough could be heard.

The Chu Emperor did not move, staring coldly at the Empress Dowager.

After a long while, the Empress Dowager stopped coughing. She patted her chest and said slowly, "Your Majesty, why are you so angry?"

"Didn't Xie Xing break off his engagement with Lao San a while ago?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Chu's expression softened, and he smiled, "What the Empress Dowager says is true. I've heard that Xie Xing is not yet of marriageable age?"

The Chu Emperor suddenly called out to her, and several pairs of eyes fell on Xie Xing at the same time.

Xie Xing raised her head slightly, and she first glanced at Jun Lanjin subconsciously.

Jun Lanjin met her gaze, his handsome thin lips curving into a smile: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xie Xing replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Chu Emperor laughed twice: "Then it was I who randomly paired people up last time. You see, they are indeed not a good match for the third prince."

"Last time, the third prince knelt outside my palace for an entire night, insisting on announcing the annulment of the engagement with you."

Xie Xing: "..."

The Chu Emperor looked at Xie Xing with curiosity: "You look like a well-behaved and lovely girl, how did you manage to provoke such dislike from the third prince?"

Xie Xing smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's a matter of personal taste. I did not wish to offend the Third Prince."

"Oh?" Emperor Chu changed the subject: "If you don't please the third prince, then who do you please?"

Xie Xing was stunned for a moment.

Only then did she seem to realize something was wrong; she had fallen into the emperor's trap.

The Empress Dowager, who was lying on the couch, laughed and said, "Haha, she's probably trying her best to please Zhiheng."

In an instant, the surroundings fell silent.

This time, Madam Xie truly regretted her decision and decided to bring Xie Xing to the Empress Dowager's palace.

The Empress Dowager's attitude was really strange.

It's as if Xie Xing and Jun Lanjin are forced to be tied together.

Madam Xie was sweating profusely at this moment.

She could only awkwardly say, "This... Xing'er has just been found and has not been taught for very long. If she has offended Your Highness in any way, please forgive her."

Jun Lanjin said slowly, "I have not felt offended."

"Your daughter is quite interesting."

The Empress Dowager pressed her advantage: "Oh? So, Zhiheng likes the Xie family girl?"

"If that's the case, the marriage of the two families would be a wonderful story."

Madam Xie: "..."

She dared not speak recklessly, and could only say, "It is entirely up to Your Majesty and Your Highness to decide."

"Zhiheng, what do you think?" This time, Emperor Chu was not annoyed as before, but instead asked Jun Lanjin's opinion with a smile.

Xie Xing lowered his head, frowned, and felt uncomfortable all over.

The feeling of having one's life and death in one's own hands, and one's future destiny entirely dependent on the emperor's word, is truly unbearable.

Their conversation and behavior weren't about discussing marriage; it was as if they were saying, "Should we buy this meat? And who should buy it?"

But she had no choice.

The gaze from above lingered, and after a long while, Xie Xing heard Jun Lanjin's lazy, deep voice: "Nothing special, just a little girl."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager looked somewhat disappointed: "I thought Zhiheng liked it, and I originally wanted to arrange the marriage between the two of you. So be it."

The Chu Emperor laughed heartily: "This little girl saved Zhiheng's life during the autumn hunt, which is why Zhiheng took extra care of her."

"It's a case of the falling flowers longing for the flowing water, but the water being heartless."

"That's all."

As they chatted and laughed, the tense atmosphere from before seemed to disappear, and the expressions of Emperor Chu and Empress Dowager became relaxed.

Luo Huaichuan breathed a sigh of relief.