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

Upon hearing someone enter the hall, Yun Yuxuan looked in the direction of the sound, his expression unreadable.

Jiang Qingyan smiled and waved to Yun Yuxuan: "My beloved concubine, you've been waiting for a long time."

Upon seeing that the visitor was the Emperor, Yun Yuxuan quickly stood up and bowed, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

But a hint of amazement flickered in his eyes. He hadn't seen him clearly during the day in court; he hadn't expected the Emperor of Da'an to be so stunningly beautiful...

She was even more beautiful than Yan Qing, the most stunning woman he had ever seen in his life...

Jiang Qingyan strode up to Yun Yuxuan and reached out to help him up, but he dodged her hand.

Jiang Qingyan raised an eyebrow as her hand went empty, but she wasn't angry. She chuckled and said, "My dear consort, please rise. Today is our special day, there's no need for such formalities."

Yun Yuxuan said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After saying that, he straightened up and looked at Jiang Qingyan expressionlessly.

Seeing Yun Yuxuan's coldness, Jiang Qingyan felt a strange mix of emotions. She remembered the Yun Yuxuan she had met in Xia Kingdom—warm and cheerful, a stark contrast to the person before her now...

Jiang Qingyan picked up two cups of wine from the table, handed one to Yun Yuxuan, and casually said, "After drinking this nuptial wine, you will be mine."

Yun Yuxuan lowered his eyes and stared at the wine glass in his hand, but his body remained motionless.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, actually... I already have someone in my heart... so... I cannot serve you..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyan's heart trembled. Yun Yuxuan had someone in his heart? Was it someone he met after she left Xia Kingdom?

But back in Xia Kingdom, the two of them had clearly already...

Although she felt a pang of sadness, Jiang Qingyan forced a smile. "Oh? Since you already have someone you love, why do you still want to marry into a foreign land? Aren't you afraid of hurting your beloved's feelings?"

Yun Yuxuan pursed his lips, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes. "My elder brother can no longer tolerate me and my mother. Agreeing to the marriage alliance was a last resort to save our lives. As for my beloved... he left without saying goodbye long ago... I've been searching for him, but... I can't find him anywhere..."

Jiang Qingyan frowned: "You said these things to me on our wedding night. Aren't you afraid that I won't tolerate you either?"

Yun Yuxuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Although I am not a favored prince of Xia, I am still here representing Xia as a person sent for a marriage alliance. At least you won't kill me. Even if my situation here is bad, it's not any worse than living in fear in Xia..."

Looking at Yun Yuxuan's sorrowful face, Jiang Qingyan couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Although she didn't know what Yun Yuxuan had been through these days, she knew that he must have had a very hard time.

Seeing that Jiang Qingyan did not speak, Yun Yuxuan knelt down in front of her with a thud and said in a deep voice, "I have heard that the Emperor of Da'an is always kind and tolerant, so he will surely not force me to do something I do not want to do. As long as you can keep my chastity, I am willing to do anything, even be the lowest servant."

Hearing Yun Yuxuan's words, Jiang Qingyan felt even more distressed. She sighed softly, bent down to help Yun Yuxuan up, and said gently, "Alright, I won't touch you, nor will I make you a servant. You can stay here without worry. You will have all the treatment that a concubine should have."

Upon hearing this, Yun Yuxuan was filled with surprise. He had heard back in Xia Kingdom that the Emperor of Da'an was extremely fond of men, even choosing men as his empress and imperial concubine, and had also taken away the Xia Kingdom's envoys who had come to negotiate a marriage alliance...

Such an absurd person, faced with her own handsome face, she actually refrained from touching him...

Jiang Qingyan tilted her head back and drank the cup of nuptial wine in one gulp. She walked to the bedside and sat down, then patted the spot next to her and said casually, "Come and sit down. I have a deal I'd like to discuss with you. I wonder if you're interested?"

Yun Yuxuan stared at the empty seat on the couch for a moment, then slowly walked over and sat down. “A trade? I was useless in Xia Kingdom, and now I’m a member of the harem. I wonder what I have that Your Majesty would trade for me?”

Jiang Qingyan gently patted Yun Yuxuan's back and encouraged him, "Don't say that. Everyone has their own talents. You were born into the royal family and are the eldest son. You won at the starting line from birth, so how could you be useless?"

Yun Yuxuan sneered, "The legitimate son... I've heard that even the Emperor isn't the legitimate son, yet he still banished that legitimate son, Prince Yun, from Da'an..."

Hearing this, Jiang Qingyan smiled and said, "That's true... But when I first ascended the throne, I wasn't so comfortable as emperor. If it weren't for the regent assisting me, the court would probably have been in chaos long ago."

Yun Yuxuan lowered his eyes and nodded. He had heard of the regent before, a born emperor...

At that time, he even speculated that the regent would one day seize power and become emperor himself, but he never expected that he would later marry the emperor and become empress...

Jiang Qingyan continued, "It is perfectly right for the legitimate son to inherit the throne. If I am willing to help you ascend the throne of Xia, would you be willing to lead the people of Xia to submit to my Da'an?"

Yun Yuxuan's eyes widened, somewhat unable to believe his ears...

The throne...? He had indeed considered it, and had secretly cultivated a considerable power base. However, his father's sudden death left him no time to plan before his elder brother forced him into a political marriage...

However... while Da'an is strong, it might not be able to defeat the Xia Kingdom by force. If it fails, he will become a sinner for all time, and his mother is still in the Xia royal palace...

Seeing that Yun Yuxuan was very conflicted, Jiang Qingyan did not ask any further questions. She chuckled and said, "There's no need to rush to answer me. You can think about it for a few days. If you are willing to make this deal with me, then go to Chaoyang Palace to find me."

After saying that, he stood up, straightened his sleeves, and said softly to Yun Yuxuan, "You must be tired from your journey. My beloved consort, please rest early. I will be heading back now."

Watching Jiang Qingyan's retreating figure, Yun Yuxuan felt extremely conflicted. He had already imagined a thousand different scenarios of being forced to serve the emperor in bed...

Unexpectedly, the emperor not only didn't force him, but also offered to help him ascend the throne...

If he hadn't met Yan Qing first, he would surely have been attracted to such a gentle and refined emperor...

But where did Yan Qing go? And why did she leave without saying goodbye...?

As soon as Jiang Qingyan stepped out of the bedroom, she saw a figure dressed in a bright red wedding robe standing at the entrance of the side hall, staring straight at her.

A mocking smile played on Shen Yuan's face as he teased, "Why did you come out so quickly? Was it because our Third Prince didn't serve you well?"

Jiang Qingyan rolled her eyes at him, said nothing, and walked straight out, but Shen Yuan blocked her way.

Unable to stop in time, he crashed straight into Shen Yuan's arms.

A wicked smile curled at the corner of Shen Yuan's lips. He bent down, picked Jiang Qingyan up, and strode back to his room.

Jiang Qingyan struggled to get down, but Shen Yuan held her even tighter...