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

Just then, a carriage stopped not far from them, and a well-dressed middle-aged man stepped out of the carriage.

After the middle-aged man got out of the car, he saw Shao Qi standing not far away leading a horse, and immediately walked over quickly.

However, he first respectfully bowed to Jin Chenyuan, who was standing to the side, and said, "Greetings, Prince Chen."

After Jin Chenyuan woke him up, he said to Shao Qi, "Now that you're back, Young Master, hurry home. The Duke and his wife have been thinking of you these past few days."

Shao Qi wasn't surprised to see the middle-aged man arrive. He figured his servants were always guarding the city gate, otherwise the steward wouldn't have arrived so promptly.

After all, he doesn't often travel far from home. Although he was accompanying Prince Chen on business this time, his parents' concern was inevitable.

"I understand, Uncle Ji. I was just about to go back too."

After replying to Butler Ji, Shao Qi turned to Yue Li, who was standing behind him, and asked, "Yue Li, are you really not going to stay at my residence?"

"No, I'd rather stay at an inn."

She had no intention of staying at someone else's house in the first place, and now that she knew Shao Qi's identity, she was even less likely to move into their residence.

Seeing that Shao Qi was about to say something, Yue Li urged him directly, "You should go back quickly. Your parents are probably worried about you. Once I find an inn to stay in, I will have Brother Chenyuan's people inform you."

Upon hearing this, Shao Qi had no choice but to swallow back the words he was about to say and followed Yue Li's lead, saying, "Alright, I'll have Tian Dong go with you. I'll know which inn you'll be staying at."

For some reason, he was reluctant to have Prince Chen between him and Yue Li, so he subconsciously kept his personal servant Tian Dong behind.

"Ok."

They themselves didn't think much of what they were saying, but it greatly shocked Uncle Ji, the steward of the Duke's mansion, who was standing next to them.

With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that the young master named Yue Li in front of him was a woman disguised as a man.

It wasn't that Yue Li wasn't serious about her appearance; rather, her body had developed too well after undergoing a cleansing and marrow-refining process and cultivating spiritual power.

Even though she tightly bound her chest with a belt, because she was so well-developed, her chest still looked bulging when she wore men's clothing. The men's belt made her figure look even more slender and graceful, so it's no wonder that others could tell that she was a woman disguised as a man.

Hearing the young woman say "Brother Chenyuan," and glancing out of the corner of his eye at Prince Chen standing calmly to the side, the steward, Uncle Ji, was deeply shocked.

Everyone in Kyoto knows Prince Chen, and he is the dream man of countless noble ladies. Although Prince Chen is now 32 years old, this does not diminish the noble ladies' admiration for him.

Moreover, Prince Chen is just Prince Chen, not the Emperor.

According to the laws of the Qian Yuan Dynasty, only the emperor could marry one wife and did not have to share a wife with others.

Even though Prince Chen was the Emperor's uncle and the person the Emperor respected most, he still had to share a wife with someone else.

Therefore, even if noble ladies from Kyoto married Prince Chen, it did not prevent them from forming alliances with other powerful forces.

However, after Prince Chen reached marriageable age, he rejected none of the noble ladies who wanted to marry him, the young ladies from prominent families who offered themselves to him, or the noble ladies chosen for him by the Empress Dowager. At that time, Prince Chen, who still held power, was still in charge of the marriage.

This situation has continued to this day, and it is said that even now, the Empress Dowager has not given up the idea of ​​finding a wife for Prince Chen.

But looking at the little girl next to him calling out "Brother Chenyuan, Prince Chen," the steward Uncle Ji felt that perhaps the Empress Dowager's wish was about to be fulfilled.

After watching Shao Qi and his entourage walk away, Jin Chenyuan said to Yue Li, "Would you like to rest at my residence for a while?"

Seeing that Jin Chenyuan seemed unaffected, Yue Li leaned closer to him and whispered, "Are you really a prince? How close are you to the Emperor? I just heard Shao Qi call you Prince Chen, but the steward called you Prince Chen. So, are you Prince Chen or Prince Chen?"

Jin Chenyuan was caught off guard by Yue Li's sudden approach, which caused his body to tense up for a moment. Then, a sweet fragrance entered his nose, and Jin Chenyuan subconsciously fell in love with the scent.

After Yue Li nudged him with her elbow again, Jin Chenyuan finally snapped out of his thoughts, calmed himself down, and after thinking about Yue Li's question, he replied seriously, "I am the Emperor's uncle. My title is Prince, and my honorary title is Chen. So everyone calls me Prince Chen, but some people also call me Prince Chen for convenience."

Hearing Jin Chenyuan say that, Yue Li looked at him with sparkling eyes, as if they were meeting for the first time. However, in her heart, Yue Li was thinking: This is truly an eye-opener! She actually met a living prince and spent so much time with him.

Moreover, to receive the title "Chen" must mean that one is highly valued by the Emperor.

After all, in the palace intrigue novels I read in modern times, the title "Chen" was usually given to a favored concubine or a highly regarded prince.

Seeing Yue Li staring at him with shining eyes, Jin Chenyuan chuckled and tapped her forehead, saying, "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you recognize me?"

Upon hearing Jin Chenyuan's words, a sly glint flashed in Yue Li's eyes. She deliberately hesitated before nodding and said, "I knew him before, but as for the current Prince Chen, I really don't know if I still recognize him."

Seeing that Yue Li was still so lively and cunning, Jin Chenyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

He was genuinely afraid that Yue Li would distance herself from him after she learned his true identity.

However, looking at Yue Li now, Jin Chenyuan knew that his worries were unnecessary.

With a weight lifted from his heart, Jin Chenyuan affectionately tapped Yue Li's smooth forehead and said, "What do you mean by 'we knew each other before' or 'we don't know each other now'? Even though I've returned to the capital, I'm still the same person I was before when I'm with you."

"That's more like it." Hearing Jin Chenyuan say that, Yue Li stood on tiptoe and patted his shoulder with satisfaction.

Although she had previously thought that Jin Chenyuan's identity was extraordinary, she never expected it to be so extraordinary—he was actually the current emperor's uncle.

However, even if he is the current emperor's uncle, if he acts like a prince in front of her, she will never associate with him again.

After all, although the imperial power is supreme in this world, with her abilities, she can still live a carefree life in other places after leaving the capital.

After explaining his identity, Jin Chenyuan steered the conversation back on track, "How about you rest at my residence for a while before finding an inn to settle in?"

He was really worried about Yue Li walking around outside dressed like that.

After all, the people of Kyoto are all shrewd; anyone could tell from Yue Li's appearance that she was a woman disguised as a man.