Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

The second prince's resounding verdict echoed throughout the hall...

Now, the selection of the person to be sent for the marriage alliance has finally been settled!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but many of the women who participated in the selection felt their suspicions grow stronger.

This competition seems different from any other.

Unfortunately, these sentiments were drowned out by the cheers that erupted throughout the hall; the delegation was the happiest of all.

Their mission is complete; they can prepare to return home.

Mo Chen then announced:

"In that case, the woman on the stage represents my Tian Shu Kingdom and will be married to the Second Prince. However, may I ask which noble family you belong to?"

Lu Wanning was about to remove her veil when someone suddenly announced loudly:

"She is a palace maid in the inner palace, without parents. She cannot become a princess consort for a political marriage!"

The speaker was a eunuch, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, pleading with the regent, looking as if he was about to make a grave mistake.

Lu Wanning's face turned pale with anger. Someone actually tried to ruin her plans!

Fearing that the second prince would misunderstand her as a lowly person, Lu Wanning said softly:

"I am honored by Your Highness's kindness. I am not a palace maid. My father holds an important position in the Tian Shu court. Although he is not a king or general, he is a kind father and a filial son."

Upon hearing this, the second prince was relieved, even though he promised to make any woman he fancied a princess.

But he will eventually ascend to the throne. If his brothers find out that the new princess was once a servant, working in the inner palace, and that a former lowly servant has suddenly become a noble princess, wouldn't that make him lose face?

Seeing this, the second prince waved his hand and said in a serious tone, feigning composure:

"I believe you."

Those three simple words rekindled Lu Wanning's hope!

But it was shattered mercilessly in the next moment:

"Your Highness, please reconsider. Although this woman is not a vulgar person, she is destined for misfortune. She has already been engaged twice and then brought into the palace to live for extended periods, both of which ended without a trace..."

Upon hearing this, many people realized that Lu Wanning, who had been hiding behind a veil, had not attended any important occasions for a long time. Now, she had suddenly risen to become a princess, much to the surprise of those present. Some of the bolder ones began to whisper among themselves.

"Ah, it really is her. She used to be engaged to the Regent, then to Young Master Fu, and then she became entangled with the Emperor. Now..."

"More than that, haven't you noticed that people connected to her rarely end up well?"

"Yes, General Mo was on the battlefield and barely escaped with his life. Fu Zeshan's body was never found. And the late emperor, who was perfectly healthy, suddenly passed away from illness..."

The gossip surrounding Lu Wanning tops the gossip list in Tian Shu Kingdom, and its popularity remains high.

Therefore, her becoming the second prince's queen is naturally a topic of much discussion.

The second prince, who had just said "I believe you," now looked rather unwell. An envoy beside him asked:

“The selection of a consort for the second prince is a major event for our country, and the marriage alliance between Tian Shu Kingdom is even more related to the diplomatic relations between the two countries. What the eunuch said about you having two marriage contracts, is that true or false?”

Lu Wanning never expected to be exposed in public today, and said with difficulty:

"I have indeed been engaged to two different people, but there were reasons for both..."

Lu Wanning looked up at everyone and said in a mournful voice:

“Once, my family thought that the other party had died on the battlefield, so they took it upon themselves to find another family for my daughter to seek protection. However, before my daughter could even enter the family, the young master of that family was murdered by the concubine. The late emperor took pity on my lonely fate and allowed me to enter the palace to escape the turmoil of the world.”

As Lu Wanning spoke, she knelt down:

"I never imagined that I would one day catch Your Highness's eye. I am now ashamed to face Your Highness. Please, Your Highness, give up on choosing me as your concubine..."

She knelt in the hall, sobbing and weeping.

They resembled prisoners awaiting execution.

The second prince remained silent, seemingly still reeling from the sheer volume of information.

However, the envoy beside him was quite clear about the selection of a concubine:

"You said you entered the palace to escape the troubles of the world, but if that's the case, why did you participate in today's beauty pageant? There are so many people coming and going; it's hardly peaceful. If you're not chosen, and others recognize you in the palace, won't you still be criticized by others?"

The envoy was unaware of the reason why Lu Wanning was engaged to two fiancés, and only assumed that she had appeared in the palace because she was heartbroken.

Little did she know that upon hearing this, everyone in the main hall of the Tian Shu Kingdom looked at her with disdain and turned to look at Lu Wanning.

Lu Wanning burst into tears:

"Wan Ning has loved dancing since childhood, so she couldn't help herself..."

The envoy's words were quite sharp, forcing this innocent-looking person to reveal their true colors.

The whispers on the sidelines had turned into an uproar. Lu Wanning could deceive the envoys and princes of other countries, but she could not deceive the people present.

Ye Li also raised her wine glass, watching the scene unfold with a smile:

She had planned everything perfectly. First, she secretly met with the second prince, making him yearn for her. Then, she openly participated in the selection. If she won first place, she could rise to the top. At that time, Tian Shu Kingdom would not expose her identity for the sake of marriage alliance. They would even give her a generous gift so that she could leave with dignity.

Once she went to other countries, she took advantage of her status as a princess and managed things well. In the end, she was able to make up stories about the past herself.

Lu Wanning was very clever, thinking she had been hiding behind the scenes and had planned everything.

But no one expected that someone would expose her so bluntly.

All the conspiracies in the world only work indirectly. As long as Lu Wanning can persuade the Second Prince, there is still a chance for everything to turn around.

However, the most powerful schemes are those that are openly exposed and laid bare.

The second prince wasn't stupid; given how things had developed, what was there that he didn't understand?

No matter how eloquent and persuasive Lu Wanning was, she had two marriage contracts and lived in the palace, yet she still managed to meet the Second Prince outside the palace, and more than once...

At this moment, the second prince also realized that this woman was clearly playing hard to get and was toying with him!

But he had already announced in front of everyone that he had chosen her as his concubine. If he went back on his word, the entire delegation would have traveled a long way and worked hard until now, only to end up with nothing and lose face!

He might even be ridiculed for being the crown prince, unable to see through such a low-level trick.

At this moment, the second prince's face was extremely ugly. The envoy naturally realized that this woman had probably been having an affair with the second prince for some time, and now it seemed that he would have to step forward.

"Ahem, I'm getting old, and I'd like to ask the Regent for a favor, perhaps... to hold the election again?"

The envoy stammered, and then blushed as he finished speaking.

"Oh, another chance?" Mo Chen asked ambiguously.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but since the Second Prince came to Tian Shu Kingdom, there have been no fewer than ten palace banquets, and the performances by the noble ladies from various families have been quite extensive. If the Second Prince is always so careless, I'm afraid I cannot accompany him."

Mo Chen's voice grew colder and colder as it went on, causing the envoy to lower his head even further in irritation..."

“Priceless treasures are easy to find, but true love is hard to come by. If two people are in love with each other, that is the most precious thing in the world. I see that the Second Prince is particularly fond of this woman. Could it be that some small details have caused this affection to vanish?”

This question immediately triggered the second prince's pride, and he retorted sharply:

"I am certainly not a heartless and cruel person!"

Ye Li quietly gave Mo Chen a thumbs up, not giving the Second Prince a chance to speak, and continued along with Mo Chen's words:

"Yes, I think the Second Prince is handsome and considerate. The Lu family girl has a difficult life, and it is a blessing from heaven that she has met you. I think she should be chosen as the person for the marriage alliance. Is the Second Prince satisfied with this marriage?"

The second prince was caught in a dilemma and finally compromised:

"A word spoken by the king is as good as his bond. The choice of the queen consort..."

"constant……"

Mo Chen then announced that everyone should immediately arrange a marriage ceremony, which must be held solemnly to show the sincerity of the two countries' diplomatic relations.

However, Lu Wanning was not happy. She glanced at the Second Prince's eyes, and her heart turned cold.

The second prince must think I'm the kind of scheming, calculating person who approached him with ulterior motives. Even if I had genuine feelings for him before, nothing will remain after this day...

He and she could only be bargaining chips in a marriage alliance between two countries...

Lu Wanning let her hands fall limply to her sides; this time, all her efforts had been in vain…