A five-year-old goddess, raised to become an emperor for all time through a bronze mirror.

In that instant, it seemed as if a thousand words wanted to be spoken from the depths of his eyes, but in the end, they were all buried deep in his heart.

He spoke slowly, his voice deep and steady, replying, "Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty."

A simple sentence, yet it seems to contain endless profound meaning and complex emotions.

What is meant by persistence?

He smiled bitterly to himself, knowing full well what was going on. But that once burning passion had long since cooled and dissipated with the passage of time.

The name Fu Mingyue may have become a distant memory in his life.

At this moment, the Empress's gentle and melodious voice rang out again:

"Nanxing, I have some important matters to discuss with you. Niannian is quite inconvenient here. I wonder if you could trouble you to take her somewhere else to play for a while?"

As she spoke, the Empress's beautiful and captivating eyes gazed at Pei Nanxing, her gaze as gentle and tender as spring water, captivating all who looked upon her.

Pei Nanxing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, clearly surprised by the Empress's sudden suggestion.

As he pondered, Niannian, who was standing beside him, nodded obediently and said softly:

"Father, I want to go outside and play for a while too! You can talk to the Empress without worry, Niannian won't cause any trouble!"

After saying that, she gave Pei Nanxing a sweet smile, her innocent and lovely appearance making people feel affection for her.

Niannian timidly followed the old nanny out of the room. This nanny was a very senior and experienced elder in the palace!

Back then, she was the Crown Prince's wet nurse, so her high status was self-evident.

The old woman's face was etched with deep lines left by the years, each wrinkle seemingly telling a long-ago story.

Although her eyes had weathered many storms, they still occasionally flashed with a stern light that was hard to detect.

Soon, the nanny led Niannian to the next room.

Although the decoration of this room is rather simple, the noble air it exudes cannot be concealed.

The old woman casually slammed two plates of melon seeds and snacks onto the table, then plopped down on the table with a swagger.

Without saying a word, she started cracking sunflower seeds on her own, acting as if she were the only person in the room.

Niannian blinked her big, watery eyes and stared straight at the old woman in front of her, her heart filled with doubt and confusion.

You know, in all the TV dramas she had watched before, the old nannies in the palace were all kind and friendly, always smiling!

But now this old woman not only looks fierce, but also doesn't match the kind and gentle image I had in mind at all.

Just then, the old woman who was engrossed in eating melon seeds suddenly felt Nian Nian's subtle gaze, as if by telepathy.

Like a startled beast, she abruptly raised her head, which had been lowered, her eyes sharp as knives, glaring fiercely in Niannian's direction, and then raised her voice to shout angrily:

"What are you looking at! You ignorant little brat, stop running around like a headless fly and sit there quietly!"

Don't think you can act with impunity just because you're the son of the Prince of the South! This daughter of yours suddenly appeared, I wonder where she picked up this bastard from…”

The old woman's reprimand was like a thunderclap in the air. Although her tone was extremely stern, it contained an unquestionable authority that chilled people to the bone.

Niannian, who was being scolded like this, involuntarily shrank her neck, but the old woman's words made her feel very uncomfortable.

She retorted loudly, "You're the bastard, your whole family are bastards."

Niannian's little face was full of stubbornness and anger. Although she was young, she had her own pride and dignity and would not allow others to insult her and her family like this.

The old woman had never been so disrespected before, especially in her eyes, how dare a mere princess be so presumptuous.

Her face instantly turned ashen, and she flew into a rage. She slammed the melon seeds in her hand down, stood up, and pointed at Nian Nian, angrily rebuking her:

"How dare you! You little brat, how dare you speak to your elders like that!"

Although Niannian was afraid, she looked up at the old woman with a firm gaze, showing no fear.

Although her voice trembled slightly, she still said firmly, "I am a princess of the Pei Prince's Mansion. I have my own dignity. You cannot insult me ​​like this!"

The old woman was trembling with anger, and just as she was about to continue her outburst, a soft knock came at the door. A gentle voice rang out:

"Granny, what happened? Do you need help?"

This is Emerald, the Empress's trusted maid. She heard the commotion and rushed over to check on the situation.

The old woman took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. Knowing it wasn't appropriate to vent her frustration here, she gave a cold snort and said:

"It's nothing, the child is just being ignorant, I've already disciplined him."

Meanwhile on the other side...

The Queen pondered for a moment, her gaze piercing through the bustling city outside the window, as if she were scrutinizing a momentous decision.

Finally, she spoke slowly, her voice filled with unwavering determination: "Nanxing, I want Huai Ren and Niannian to be betrothed as children..."

Upon hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Pei Nanxing's eyes. His heart felt as if a boulder had been thrown into it, stirring up waves of turmoil.

So that's why the Empress summoned me today.

He took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm, and answered:

"Crown Prince Pei Huai Ren is the master of the Eastern Palace, and his status is naturally noble, but Nian Nian is still too young, and we dare not presume to be of such high status. Your Highness should not arrange a betrothal with Nian Nian."

Pei Huai-ren is completely unworthy; why would he dare to steal this cabbage from his family!

The Empress frowned slightly, seemingly surprised by Pei Nanxing's answer, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled gently and said:

"Nanxing, why are you doing this? Huai Ren is the Crown Prince and will inherit the throne in the future. If Niannian could become the Crown Princess, it would be an unparalleled honor."

Don't you want to see Niannian have a better future?

Although Pei Nanxing's heart was in turmoil, his expression remained calm, and he respectfully replied:

"Your Majesty, Niannian is my daughter, and of course I hope she can be happy."

Marriage should be based on mutual affection, not a transaction of power. Nian Nian is still young; it's too early to talk about such things.

The Empress gave Pei Nanxing a deep look, as if weighing how much of his words were true and how much were false.

After a moment, she sighed softly and said, "Nanxing, you are a smart person, you should know that this is for Nian Nian's good."

I will reconsider this matter, but you should also think it over carefully and not easily reject this kind offer.