The Emperor, with more men than women, made me his mistress.

It's true that men have a strong sense of territory.

Despite having visited Chenxi Courtyard several times, and although he had entered the rooms, Shao Qi never stepped into the inner chambers.

Jin Chenyuan had never even been to the courtyard where Shao Qi lived.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Yue Li asked as she and Jin Chenyuan came out. Shao Qi was standing at the door looking at the scenery outside the courtyard.

Upon seeing Yue Li emerge, Shao Qi's face immediately lit up with a bright, sunny smile. He turned to Yue Li's side and said, "I got up early and have already had breakfast."

From as far back as he can remember, his father forced him to practice martial arts for an hour every morning, so he's gotten used to getting up early.

Looking at the food already laid out on the round table, Shao Qi knew at a glance that it was enough for Yue Li alone.

Setting aside his folding fan, Shao Qi deftly served Yue Li a bowl of bird's nest soup and placed it in front of her before asking, "I just heard Tian Dong say that the Emperor wants to summon you and Prince Chen to the palace. Is there something wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Li paused in her drinking of bird's nest soup, exchanged a glance with Jin Chenyuan beside her, and then continued drinking the soup.

Jin Chenyuan replied to Shao Qi, "I'm not quite sure yet. It might be about my marriage to A Li in a few days."

"Oh, I see. I'm relieved then."

It wasn't that the two of them deliberately kept what happened in the palace from Shao Qi; it was simply that neither of them knew what outcome they could get from this trip to the palace.

No one is sure what the emperor is really thinking.

"I'll wait until we have the results before telling Shao Qi," Yue Li thought to herself.

When the two of them got into the prepared carriage, Jin Chenyuan hesitated for a moment, but still decided to tell Yue Li about the Emperor's statement during his conversation with the Emperor in Xuanzheng Hall, so that Yue Li could be mentally prepared in advance.

After hearing Jin Chenyuan's words, Yue Li was so shocked that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time.

"Ah Li, Li Bao?" Jin Chenyuan called out worriedly.

"I'm fine, but this emperor..." Is he crazy?

But seeing Jin Chenyuan looking at her with worry, Yue Li swallowed the rest of her words.

After all, he had watched him grow up, and the child was the son of his most respected elder brother. He certainly couldn't stand hearing others speak ill of him.

This time, Jin Chenyuan misunderstood Yue Li's meaning. After all, he never expected that someone would curse the emperor in their heart. In this feudal society, the emperor, as the supreme ruler, held the lives of millions of people in his hands, and ordinary people could only respect him.

“I know His Majesty’s request is excessive, but Ah Li, if His Majesty insists on this, what do you want to do?” Jin Chenyuan asked tentatively.

Yue Li: ……

What does she want to do?

She doesn't want to do anything!

She's someone who's sworn to give up completely in this life, how could she possibly stand up again because of this?

and,

Listen to what the Emperor said to Jin Chenyuan.

As long as she is willing to give birth to an heir for the country, he is willing to follow her without any official status for the rest of his life.

However, she must also receive all the benefits that her husband enjoys.

Yue Li didn't rush to answer Jin Chenyuan's question, but instead asked in return, "What would A-Yuan do if I didn't want to accept it?"

What methods can we use to contend with the emperor?

Yue Li's words made Jin Chenyuan sit up straight and look at her seriously, saying, "If A-Li doesn't want to accept the Emperor, there is a way. That is to remove the Emperor from the throne, and I will sit on the throne. A-Li will be my Empress."

"After all, the emperor is allowed to have only one empress."

Jin Chenyuan's words completely stunned Yue Li. She had never imagined that things could be done this way. She had truly learned something new!

However, she didn't care about the position of empress. Whether she became empress for the current emperor or for Jin Chenyuan, wouldn't she be trapped in the palace anyway?

And don't forget, there's also Shao Qi in Prince Chen's mansion!

"Hehe, is this the only way, A-Yuan?"

"Well, that's the only solution I can think of right now." After all, they're not married yet, and things haven't come to the public eye. They're afraid of angering the Emperor, who might suddenly issue an imperial decree or something.

"Moreover, if Ah Li wants me to ascend the throne, it's very simple. After all, it was I who issued the decree to pass the throne to my elder brother." Although he really didn't want to be the emperor, he could endure it for Ah Li's sake.

At worst, he could persuade Ah Li to have a son for him sooner, and then raise the son directly.

"No need, I think A Yuan's current position is just fine," Yue Li said seriously.

In reality, my mind was frantically weighing the pros and cons.

But before she could come up with a solution, they arrived at the palace.

After getting off the carriage, the two realized that the person standing at the palace gate was not Fuquan, the emperor's chief eunuch, but Zhuxi, the chief eunuch of the Empress Dowager.

Upon seeing Zhu Xi, Jin Chenyuan and Yue Li simultaneously had the same thought: Could it be that the Empress Dowager already knew about what happened last time?

Before the two could think further, Zhu happy had already come to greet them and bowed, saying, "This servant greets Prince Chen and Princess Chen."

"Get up. Why are you waiting for me here?" Jin Chenyuan said, holding a folding fan in one hand and the other behind his back.

Upon hearing Jin Chenyuan's question, Zhu Xi immediately smiled and said, "It's the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager knew that the Emperor had summoned you and the Princess Consort to the palace today, so she sent someone to tell the Emperor in advance that you and the Princess Consort should go to Shou Kang Palace to finish your conversation before going to see the Emperor."

"Oh, if that's the case, then let's go!" With that, he took Yue Li's hand and started walking towards Shou Kang Palace.

Zhu happy immediately followed behind the two.

Upon arriving at Shou Kang Palace, Zhu happy went in first to announce their arrival. Before the two had been waiting long, Zhu Xi came running out and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has sent me to invite you in."

When the two entered, the Empress Dowager was still sitting in the same spot where they had sat last time, looking at them with a smile.

After the two had paid their respects to the Empress Dowager, she warmly beckoned them to sit down next to her.

"I heard that the Emperor summoned you two to the palace early this morning. I was thinking that I had missed you both after not seeing you for a few days, so I just cut off the Emperor's summons." The Empress Dowager said, laughing.

After laughing, the Empress Dowager continued, "I just don't know why His Majesty summoned you to the palace today?"

Yue Li: ……

I felt a little embarrassed for a moment.

I can't exactly tell you that it's your grandson, who's above everyone else, who's trying every possible way to become someone else's mistress, can I?