Having many handsome men means no worries; pampering them all keeps me in good spirits.

At this moment, Eunuch Wang's voice rang out from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the envoy from the Xia Kingdom has come to pay his respects."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyan and Lin Zhijie exchanged a glance. This eldest prince of Xia Kingdom was indeed decisive and efficient, sending people so quickly.

Jiang Qingyan straightened her clothes, walked to the dragon throne and sat down, then said in a deep voice to the door, "Let him in."

The door was pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in. Jiang Qingyan raised an eyebrow; it was him...

The man who came was the handsome man who had rescued her in the Xia King's palace that day.

Lin Zhijie glanced at him, bowed to Jiang Qingyan, and strode away from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Eunuch Wang walked to Jiang Qingyan's side and introduced her in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this is Shen Yuan, the envoy of the Xia Kingdom."

Shen Yuan clasped his hands in a fist and nodded slightly, saying, "Your Majesty, I am Shen Yuan from the Xia Kingdom. I have come here on the orders of the King of Xia to discuss the marriage alliance with you."

Jiang Qingyan was already hostile towards the Xia Kingdom, but seeing that the person who came was her savior, her tone softened considerably, "Envoy, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and let's talk slowly."

He then looked at Eunuch Wang and gestured for him to pour Shen Yuan a cup of tea.

Shen Yuan took a sip of tea and savored it carefully, saying, "I've heard that the tea from Da'an Kingdom is of very high quality. After tasting it today, I can confirm that it is indeed fragrant and rich."

Jiang Qingyan smiled slightly, "If the envoy likes to drink, I will have someone pack some for you when you return."

Shen Yuan curled his lips: "Then I shall respectfully comply."

Shen Yuan's smile had a touch of wicked charm, which captivated Jiang Qingyan for a moment, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Seeing this, Eunuch Wang quickly called out in a low voice, "Your Majesty... are you alright...?"

Jiang Qingyan snapped out of her reverie and coughed awkwardly, "I wonder who the King of Xia intends to send for a marriage alliance?"

Shen Yuan put down his teacup and said softly, "His Majesty must have heard about the passing of our old King Xia. The current King Xia is the eldest prince, and the one who wants to come for a marriage alliance is the eldest prince's younger brother, the third prince."

Jiang Qingyan peeled a grape and popped it into her mouth, casually saying, "Does your Third Prince also have homosexual tendencies?"

Shen Yuan smiled faintly: "Yes."

Jiang Qingyan nodded: "Then... was he willing to agree to the marriage alliance?"

Shen Yuan replied, "The Third Prince agreed very readily."

Jiang Qingyan recalled the moments she spent with Yun Yuxuan in Xia Kingdom. She knew that Yun Yuxuan had feelings for her, but hearing that he was willing to come for a political marriage, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed...

Shen Yuan added, "The Third Prince is extremely handsome. Although he is not as stunning as Your Majesty, he is still the most handsome man in our Xia Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyan chuckled lightly, "Oh? I find you quite handsome, could it be that the Third Prince is even more good-looking than you?"

Shen Yuan curled his lips and felt a strange joy when he heard Jiang Qingyan praise his good looks. "The Third Prince's appearance is just as good as mine."

Jiang Qingyan rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at Shen Yuan's face, and teased, "Then wouldn't you two be tied for first place? If that's the case, then you might as well marry into the family too."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's joy intensified. He suppressed the upward curve of his lips and said, "If Your Majesty is pleased, you may ask the Prince of Xia to bring me along as well."

Jiang Qingyan got up and slowly walked to Shen Yuan, plopped down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and asked softly, "Then do you like me?"

Shen Yuan's heart pounded, and he felt a dryness in his throat. He quickly picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea, his large Adam's apple bobbing up and down, looking very sexy.

Jiang Qingyan stared in disbelief, and before she could resist, she lowered her head and took his Adam's apple into her mouth, even licking it gently twice.

This made Shen Yuan's whole body burn. He tightly hugged Jiang Qingyan's waist with one hand and lifted her chin with the other, gently kissing her lips.

Wang Gonggong was stunned by the scene before him and quickly turned his back to them.

I dare not look... This emperor even preys on the envoys of the Xia Kingdom...

Jiang Qingyan was startled by the sudden kiss and froze for a moment. After she came to her senses, she broke free from Shen Yuan's embrace and stood up.

She's always the one initiating the flirting; she's never seen anyone so proactive. This man seems like an experienced veteran.

Then he remembered the wooden carving of his face in the Xia King's palace, and he began to wonder if Shen Yuan was Xia King's male favorite.

She doesn't want a man who's tainted, especially one with a gruesome anus—no matter how handsome he is!

The person in his arms had already stood up, and Shen Yuan felt a lightness on his body. Looking at Jiang Qingyan standing in front of him, who seemed to be thinking about something, a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes: "Was the Emperor just teasing me?"

Jiang Qingyan wiped her lips, which had been kissed by Shen Yuan, with her sleeve, and said with disgust, "I don't want just anyone. I only want someone who is innocent."

Shen Yuan frowned: "Does Your Majesty believe that I am not a virgin?"

Jiang Qingyan pouted: "With your looks, you must have already been taken advantage of by some prince... or... the former King of Xia..."

Shen Yuan was speechless with displeasure at her words: "If Your Majesty feels that my status is too low and I am not worthy of you, you can just say so. There is no need to fabricate my innocence like this."

Jiang Qingyan had long since decided in her heart that Shen Yuan was the former Xia King's male favorite, so even though Shen Yuan said that, she didn't change her mind and replied perfunctorily, "Alright, alright, I misspoke... Let's have some tea..."

After saying that, he returned to his seat on the dragon throne.

Seeing Jiang Qingyan's attitude, Shen Yuan suppressed his anger and said coldly, "If His Majesty has no other requirements regarding the marriage alliance, then I will go back and report."

Jiang Qingyan waved her hand, "Take care, I'll have Eunuch Wang pack a few bags of tea for you later."

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at her and said in a deep voice, "No need. I can't afford the Emperor's tea."

After saying that, he stormed off.

At this moment, Eunuch Wang spoke up: "Your Majesty... should we still wrap the tea leaves for him?"

Jiang Qingyan chuckled lightly: "A bag? Of course, it's a bag. I owe him one."

After all, Shen Yuan was her savior. Although she couldn't repay him with her body, sending him some tea was at least a small way of repaying his kindness...

Upon returning to Chaoyang Palace, Jiang Qingyan saw Mo Ting fiddling with something and asked curiously, "Mo Ting, what are you doing?"

Mo Ting quickly hid what he was holding, then casually took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and said with a light smile, "I didn't do anything, I just thought this handkerchief was ugly and wanted to change it... Where did my husband go just now?"

Jiang Qingyan didn't think much of it. She walked wearily to Mo Ting's side and sat down, resting her head on his shoulder. She said softly, "The Xia Kingdom just sent an envoy here, saying they want to send the Third Prince here for a marriage alliance."

Upon hearing this, Mo Ting's heart trembled. "Did my husband agree?"

Jiang Qingyan closed her eyes and said languidly, "Hmm... I have other plans regarding this Third Prince..."