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

Jin Chenyuan, however, remained unfazed and repeated what he had said to Shao Qi at the Prince Chen's residence to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager didn't say whether she believed it or not, but simply nodded casually. Then, she inquired about the lively atmosphere they had witnessed at the Lantern Festival over the past few days.

When this was mentioned, Yue Li became interested and told the Empress Dowager about all the excitement she had seen, the delicious food she had eaten, and the fun she had had.

The Empress Dowager listened with great interest. Afterwards, she sighed, "I'm getting old. It's been so many years since I've been to the Lantern Festival. When I was young, I used to go to the Lantern Festival every year."

Just then, Zhu happy came in to report, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Emperor has sent Fu Quan to urge us."

"Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry?"

After complaining, the Empress Dowager smiled and said to Yue Li and Jin Chenyuan, "Since the Emperor is in a hurry to send you over, then go ahead. After you've been to the Emperor, don't forget to come back to me. I have something to say to A-Li."

Yue Li felt that the Empress Dowager's last words were somewhat meaningful.

Even after leaving Shou Kang Palace, Yue Li was still thinking about the Empress Dowager's last words.

"Ah Yuan, what do you think the Empress Dowager will say to me later?" Yue Li asked, looking at Jin Chenyuan walking beside her.

Jin Chenyuan chuckled. After leaving Shou Kang Palace, he noticed that Yue Li had been frowning, as if she was thinking about something. He never expected it was because of his mother.

The Empress Dowager must have discovered something if she said that.

After all, the Empress Dowager has lived in this palace for decades. She certainly has more people in the palace than I do, so it would be easy for her to investigate anything.

After all, on the day of the Hundred Flowers Banquet, the three of them seemed to disappear together, and in the end, it was the Empress Dowager who presided over the banquet alone.

It would be strange if the Empress Dowager didn't investigate the cause.

Thinking this through, Jin Chenyuan told Yue Li the truth.

He would never assume he was doing Yue Li a favor and keep the truth from her.

After all, Yue Li now knows the whole situation, so she can deal with it better when she sees her mother!

"Ah! What happened to the Empress Dowager just now...?"

Jin Chenyuan finished her sentence for her: "How come he didn't make things difficult for you, and was even kind and gentle to you?"

“Yes, yes, yes!” Yue Li clapped her hands in agreement.

Based on the patterns she had seen before, it shouldn't be that the Empress Dowager would humiliate her and force her to leave her son and stop seducing her grandson.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Seeing Yue Li's expression of agreement yet hesitant expression, Jin Chenyuan found it extremely amusing.

Even the pent-up frustration that had been building up inside them since receiving the Emperor's decree to see them this morning dissipated with those few bursts of laughter.

Jin Chenyuan's loud laughter drew a surprised look from Fuquan, who was leading the way. This was the first time Fuquan had ever seen Prince Chen like this.

Qingyun and Haoyun, who followed behind, were used to their master always being in a good mood when he was by the princess's side.

"What are you laughing at? Is what I said so funny?" Yue Li felt she was being ridiculed, so she looked at Jin Chenyuan with displeasure.

"Ah Li, don't be angry, I wasn't laughing at you."

Seeing Yue Li's disbelieving look.

Jin Chenyuan said with a smile, "Ah Li still doesn't understand the Empress Dowager at all. The Empress Dowager is a very unconventional person."

"Even if she finds out about the affair between the Emperor and you, she won't care. The Empress Dowager doesn't really care which noble family's daughter the Emperor marries as Empress. What the Empress Dowager cares about is whether the Emperor is happy or not, and what the Empress Dowager cares about is the continuation of the royal family's lineage."

"The fact that the Emperor has no children and has not given birth to an heir for the country is what worries the Empress Dowager the most."

As for who gave birth to this heir?

That depends on the emperor's wishes.

Even though the Empress Dowager is old now and has no one by her side,

Back when he was young, his mother kept many talented young men around her.

It was only after the Empress Dowager grew older that she gave each of the young talents she had raised a considerable sum of money and dismissed them.

"But I am your queen!"

Isn't that just messing around?

"What's the big deal? Just do what you think is right, don't feel guilty. Besides, it wasn't you who deliberately provoked the Emperor, it was the Emperor who plotted against us."

Although it is rare for uncles and nephews to share a wife, let alone royalty, isn't the current situation special?

Moreover, the Emperor has now yielded to the point of not even wanting a title, just to stay by Yue Li's side.

Speaking of the Emperor, Jin Chenyuan's anger flared up.

He never expected that the Emperor would stage this threatening drama just as he was about to get married.

"All right!"

It seems she is still too conservative compared to people of this era.

Seeing that Fuquan had led them to the Zichen Palace, Jin Chenyuan tentatively asked, "What is A-Li thinking? Can you give me a heads-up beforehand? So I can be mentally prepared later, right?"

Yue Li: ……

What else can she possibly think now?

Jin Chenyuan has even gone so far as to oust the emperor from the throne, and has spoken words that imply that there is absolutely no room for maneuver in this matter.

Yue Li rubbed her fingers together and said, "Let's wait until we see the Emperor and see how he reacts. What if he suddenly changes his mind?"

"You agree, right, A-Yuan?"

Without interrupting Yue Li's daydream, Jin Chenyuan nodded and said "Mm".

If the Emperor had changed his mind, there would have been no audience today.

On the contrary, the Emperor's summons to them at this crucial juncture before the wedding speaks volumes.

At this moment, Fu Quan, who had rushed into the Zi Chen Palace to report, had already walked quickly to the two of them and bowed, saying, "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, His Majesty has instructed this servant to invite you both in."

"Okay, let's go then." After saying that, Jin Chenyuan led Yue Li into the Zichen Palace.

This time, Fuquan did not follow into the Zichen Palace. Instead, he had one of his disciples serve a pot of tea inside and then had the doors of the Zichen Palace closed.

Qingyun and Haoyun, who hadn't gone in, asked with puzzled expressions, "Eunuch Fuquan, what's this?"

“You two guards, please don’t look at me like that. I don’t have the guts to close the gate of Zichen Palace. It was His Majesty who ordered me to do this,” Fuquan said immediately.

Upon hearing this, Qingyun and Haoyun exchanged a glance, then stood silently to one side of the Zichen Palace gate.

Fuquan stood on the other side of the gate.

In the Purple Star Palace

As Yue Li and Jin Chenyuan entered the main hall, they saw the Emperor sitting on a soft couch, playing chess alone.

At this time, because the emperor was in his own residence, he was not dressed as formally as he had been on the previous two occasions.

Instead, she wore only a bright yellow brocade robe embroidered with dragon patterns that looked very comfortable, and a bright yellow brocade belt loosely tied around her waist.

She looked comfortable and relaxed, which was very pleasant to look at.