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

He arranged for someone to send Hua Meiya back to the Grand Tutor's residence, and before he could even return to the Crown Prince's residence, he took Leng Leyu straight to the palace.

Upon arriving at the palace gate and alighting from the carriage, Leng Leyu couldn't help but complain, "Why did you rush so much, Your Majesty? You didn't even let us rest along the way; it's exhausting!"

They spent almost four months traveling there, but only two months returning. How could she, who was always delicate and pampered, possibly endure that?

But Leng Xuanling had no time to pay attention to his sister's complaints. He went straight to the study where the King of the Southern Kingdom was.

"Hey! Hey! Royal brother, why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!" Seeing that her royal brother had already walked far away, Leng Leyu stomped her feet angrily behind him.

"Your Highness, are you serious?" King Leng Chengjue of the Southern Kingdom sat behind his desk in the imperial study, looking at the kneeling prince with a stern expression, confirming his words once again.

Leng Xuanling was not afraid of such gazes at all. He looked directly at his father, who was sitting at the head of the table. The two men had similar features and were serious at this moment. His usually gentle temperament was more determined than before. "I ask Father to grant my request and dissolve my marriage with the Grand Tutor's family."

"Nonsense! You were the one who agreed to the engagement, and now you're the one who wants to break it off. As the Crown Prince, how can you go back on your word like this? What will the people say about you?"

The Emperor's brows furrowed with displeasure. He recalled what the Empress had told him before: the Crown Prince might have taken a fancy to a woman who had been married before. If Leng Xuanling were an ordinary prince, he could simply marry a woman who had been married before. But Leng Xuanling was the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the Southern Kingdom.

How could the ruler of the Southern Kingdom share a wife with another man? This is not allowed in any country.

Looking at the Crown Prince kneeling below, his eyes filled with determination and unwillingness to yield, he tentatively asked, "Do you want to break off your engagement with the Grand Tutor's daughter because you've taken a fancy to someone else?"

Hearing his father's words, Leng Xuanling wasn't too surprised. His father would find out about this sooner or later. He kowtowed heavily again before saying, "To be honest, Father, when I went to celebrate the birthday of the Emperor of Qian Yuan Kingdom two years ago, I fell in love at first sight with the Princess Consort of Qian Yuan Kingdom."

He paused here, thinking of that bright and beautiful woman with a free spirit in her eyes, and a sweet smile unconsciously appeared on his face. He continued, "Your subject originally intended to keep her in his heart and not touch her, but on this trip, your subject found that he simply could not do it. Your subject only wants to stay by her side and does not want any other Crown Princess."

When the Emperor saw the smile on the Crown Prince's face, he knew that his son was completely infatuated. However, the Emperor said, "Do you know the basic requirements for being the ruler of a country? If you marry her, even if you are my only son, the ministers in the court will not allow you to ascend the throne."

"Your subject understands, but please grant me two years. If I do not gain her approval within two years, I will follow your and my mother's arrangements, return to the Southern Kingdom to remarry the Crown Princess, and properly cultivate the next heir." Leng Xuanling spoke with a firm expression, his heart filled with a determination to do whatever it takes.

He had already made up his mind. In the next two years, no matter what means he used—whether it was coaxing, deceiving, or seducing—he would stay by her side. He didn't want the two of them to be separated forever in the future. He wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side, even if it meant giving up his status above all others, even if it meant sharing the service of another man with her. He would be willing to do it.

Hearing the Crown Prince say this, the Emperor finally understood the status of the Princess Consort Chen in the Crown Prince's heart. After all, in order to become a qualified Crown Prince, Leng Xuanling had started learning the art of being an emperor from a young age. While his peers were still playing and running around, he had already picked up various books and started learning with his teachers.

He had originally planned to hold a wedding ceremony for the Crown Prince after he and his entourage returned from the border. After the Crown Princess gave birth to the imperial grandson, he could abdicate and become a leisurely retired emperor. But now, seeing the Crown Prince's current state, it seemed he was destined to be a busy man, sitting on the throne until old age.

But the Crown Prince was not only the Crown Prince of the Southern Kingdom, but also the son he had doted on since childhood. Although he didn't usually show it, his love for the Crown Prince was no less than that for the Empress.

"Very well, since that's the case, then I'll give you two years. If your wish is fulfilled within these two years, then give me a grandson as soon as possible. I'm still waiting for an heir to take over this dragon throne from under my buttocks."

"But you'd better think this through. If you marry the Princess Consort of the Qian Yuan Kingdom, you will only ever be a prince for the rest of your life," Leng Chengjue warned earnestly, without letting the prince rise.

"Thank you for your kindness, Father Emperor." Leng Xuanling kowtowed heavily to the Emperor at the head of the table again, this time the sound of his forehead hitting the ground was clearly audible.

Before, he still cared about his status as crown prince and the throne, but after meeting her again, he felt that all of that could be given up. It was just that he didn't have a brother, otherwise he could have shirked the responsibility of producing an heir.

When the Emperor saw that Leng Xuanling's forehead was red and swollen from kowtowing, he immediately stood up from his seat, personally helped Leng Xuanling up, patted his shoulder and said with satisfaction, "I didn't expect my son to have come to his senses. Go, go and tell your mother about your decision, and the compensation to the Grand Tutor's family. You can't just call off the engagement without a reason, can you?"

"Your subject understands. Your subject will not make things difficult for Father Emperor. I will handle it well. Thank you, Father Emperor." Leng Xuanling had never been so grateful to have such a reasonable father Emperor. Otherwise, he might have been able to achieve this in the end, but he was afraid that he would have developed a rift with his father and mother.

The Empress did not object to the agreement reached between the father and son, but simply instructed Leng Xuanling to make amends to Hua Meiya.

Leng Xuanling took 200,000 taels of silver and several boxes of jewelry from his private treasury and went to the Grand Tutor's residence to apologize.

Although Hua Meiya had a good impression of Leng Xuanling, it was based on his kindness towards her. Although she didn't know what had happened to make Leng Xuanling, who had just returned, make such a decision, Hua Meiya immediately agreed to annul the engagement when she saw the silver and jewelry offered as an apology.

As I said before, there are plenty of good men in this world. Even without Leng Xuanling, she can find many more.

The Grand Tutor only had this one child, who was pampered and spoiled as he grew up, so naturally, whatever Hua Meiya said went.

Although Leng Xuanling didn't know what Hua Meiya was thinking, he was extremely happy to get such a result.

Thinking back to the messages he had received before, all of which indicated that Princess Consort Chen and her entourage had returned to the capital of Qian Yuan Kingdom, he had no time to rest after returning to the Crown Prince's residence. He sent someone to the palace to deliver the message to his father and mother, and then led his men on horseback directly out of the capital, speeding all the way to the capital of Qian Yuan Kingdom.