Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Back at Shuixuan Residence, the couple helped each other to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Ah Lang, I heard everything you said in Jiang Chong’s room just now.”

Shen Lang was taken aback, then smiled and replied, "I didn't know what he wanted to ask me for, so I didn't inform you in advance."

Jiang Mengxuan shook her head: "Ah Lang, thank you so much. Only you can understand my situation back then. By the way..."

How did you know that the Crown Prince wanted to force me to marry into the Ü-Tsang region in exchange for warhorses and to gain merit?

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang took out a copy of "The History of the Imperial Court" from his storage ring.

"This book was found in Li Yezu's residence. I analyzed the key details from the clues recorded in it regarding the late emperor's daily life."

In particular, it records the late emperor's concern over the request from Wang Zhongsi, a border official in Bingzhou, to allocate fine horses. The crown prince volunteered to solve the problem, starting with earning the late emperor's praise.

However, not long after, it was discovered that the crown prince had an affair with a concubine and had close ties with spies in Tibet. Enraged, he attempted to force the emperor to abdicate but was ultimately deposed. It was clear that there were many suspicious circumstances surrounding this incident.

At that time, Xuan'er had only returned to the palace from the Zixia Sect for half a year. During that time, the Crown Prince and you were getting along too closely, so I guessed that the Crown Prince's deposition was related to you.

The exact reason was not recorded in detail, only that someone in the palace seemed to be getting married at the time, and the ceremony was conducted entirely according to the standards for a princess.

Back then, there was only one princess in the palace, Xuan'er. It's inevitable that you'll be involved in this matter.

Therefore, I conducted a more in-depth investigation, ordering Fa Xiaozhi to find the documents related to the exchanges between Ü-Tsang from that time, and also to verify the situation on the snowy plateau back then.

The fifth prince of Ü-Tsang, Zanzong, undertook a grand renovation of the palace in preparation for his wedding to a concubine. The high level of ceremony and protocol he undertook echoed the account in the book of the marriage of the princess of the Great Chu.

From this, we can deduce how harsh your circumstances were back then. It's highly likely you were forced into marriage in the snowy region in exchange for a horse trade between Ü-Tsang and the Great Chu, is that right?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan nodded: "I really didn't expect that you could find the truth from such a subtle hint."

Indeed, back then, Prince Zanzong of Ü-Tsang, in order to seize the throne, wanted to unite with the forces of the Chu Kingdom, so he sent envoys to the court to request a marriage alliance, and found the Crown Prince, his elder brother.

At that time, the war in Bingzhou was intense, and the army was severely short of horses. The emperor also intended to solve the problem of the shortage of warhorses by trading with the horse market in the snowy region.

The Crown Prince secretly suggested that I marry into the snowy region, since I was the most beloved princess when my father was alive.

After much pleading and cajoling, my father also began to consider this idea, but out of consideration for my feelings, he did not give a clear answer.

Because my father was ill at the time and had already considered abdicating, the Crown Prince, eager to ascend the throne as soon as possible, kept urging me to arrange a marriage alliance with Tibet.

But I didn't want to go, and I certainly didn't want to be married off to a foreign land before I was even twelve years old, so I politely declined the prince's request.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince went mad and tried to drug me and send me to the Kingdom of Weizang. I was terrified at the time, but fortunately, my master, Guo Huaizhi, calmed me down.

After carefully considering how to retaliate, I began collecting evidence of the Crown Prince's crimes, and eventually found evidence that he had had an affair with a concubine.

And I kept sending him secret letters, which crossed the line and secretly contacted the fifth prince of Ü-Tsang, Zanzong. When I told my father about this, he immediately gave up the idea of ​​arranging a marriage between us to exchange horses.

He even gave the crown prince a severe scolding, but unexpectedly, the crown prince held a grudge and actually bribed the imperial guards to force his father to abdicate.

Fortunately, the Emperor had prepared in advance and set a trap, thus thwarting the Crown Prince's plan.

Not long after the crown prince was deposed, news came from the Kingdom of Ü-Tsang that the fifth prince, Zanzong, had been strangled to death in a latrine by a group of serfs while inspecting his estate due to his tyrannical nature.

Upon learning this news, the crown prince seemed to suffer a great blow, becoming depressed and soon passed away.

I initially thought the Crown Prince had lost the will to live because he knew his position as the Eastern Palace had been usurped, but later I learned...

The relationship between Zongzan and the Crown Prince was truly despicable.

At this point, a look of disgust and revulsion appeared on Jiang Mengxuan's face.

Shen Lang immediately understood the meaning behind those words. It seemed that the Crown Prince and Zong Zan had some homosexual relationship and had gotten together.

Indeed, it was true that Zongzan was fond of men, and the Crown Prince also had homosexual tendencies. The two had shared sexual pleasures and developed indescribable feelings for each other.

After Zongzan's death, the crown prince felt that his beloved had disappeared, and thus lost the meaning of living.

The entertainment industry is too chaotic, absolutely too chaotic.

Thinking of this, Shen Lang felt a chill run down his spine and goosebumps rose all over his body.

After a pause, Jiang Mengxuan continued, "After the Crown Prince's death, the position of Crown Prince was vacant. The seven imperial brothers all felt they were capable of entering the Crown Prince's palace, and they began to distrust each other, vying for merit and favor."

The emperor was helpless in this matter. After several unsuccessful attempts to dissuade them, he finally let them be. However, he never expected that things would develop to the point of being almost irreversible.

Seeing that the struggle for the throne was gradually escalating into a military conflict, the Emperor, despite his illness, had no choice but to intervene, thus preventing an even greater catastrophe.

But after the succession struggle was quelled, the emperor's condition worsened. Just as the entire court was speculating about who would be the next crown prince,

My father actually summoned me to his bedside and passed the throne to me directly.

At this point, Jiang Mengxuan took Shen Lang's hand and said, "Ah Lang, since I was a child, I've dreamed of becoming the Empress of Great Chu and leading the Chu Kingdom down a different path."

To say that I didn't want to be emperor, but was forced into the position, is something even I, let alone you, can't convince myself of.

But I swear, throughout the entire struggle for the throne among the seven princes, apart from using methods against the crown prince to protect myself, I truly did not participate in any of their affairs.

"I believe!"

Shen Lang answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"Actually, you can think about it more deeply. Perhaps from the very beginning, when the late emperor did not immediately agree to send you to marry into the royal family, he was already testing whether you could shoulder the heavy responsibility of being an emperor."

Jiang Mengxuan was taken aback: "You mean, from the moment I returned to the palace, Father Emperor already had plans to choose another heir, and he decided on me at first sight?"

Shen Lang: "Whether I recognized you at first sight, I don't know, but if we look at it from the late emperor's perspective, the whole story becomes much clearer."

In short, the late emperor had long been dissatisfied with the crown prince, and he was probably already aware of the evidence of the crown prince's crimes that you had collected.

It was just a matter of someone bringing it up, but you, by actively shattering the Crown Prince's image of gentle refinement, successfully gave the late Emperor a reason to depose him.

Upon closer reflection, if the late emperor truly wanted to protect the crown prince, he could have easily found any excuse. Ultimately, it was a family matter that he could have handled properly himself.

Jiang Mengxuan nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder, Father was so heartless back then. Now that I think about it, he was forcing the Crown Prince to abdicate so that he would have a reason to depose him."

Shen Lang nodded: "As for the later struggle for the throne among the seven princes, it was actually under the control of the late emperor. Although it seemed to be a large-scale event, it was all within a controllable range and would not affect the foundation of the Chu Kingdom."

When signs of a mutiny appeared, the late emperor swiftly brought the situation under control with decisive action. This action, in fact, was also a process of selecting a suitable successor for the Chu throne.

"And you, Xuan'er, by not participating in any factional struggles and not taking sides, are precisely what the late Emperor appreciated most."

Jiang Mengxuan was stunned: "A Lang, I don't understand, why did Father choose me?"