The emperor's face was filled with gossipy curiosity, devoid of the majesty befitting a ruler.
With the serious matters out of the way, Qin Moyuan's demeanor relaxed, and his expression softened at the mention of Li Yue Shu.
The emperor noticed his brother's expression and couldn't help but be surprised.
This brother of his had always been indifferent, not even showing much affection towards himself. When the news of "the Regent King's fondness for men" spread, even he had believed it.
He never imagined that one day he would see such a gentle expression on A Yuan's face.
The emperor became even more excited and, with a stride, walked directly to Qin Moyuan's side. "I only heard that she brought a few children with her, the youngest being no more than three or four years old. Could it be that you..."
Qin Moyuan glanced at his elder brother, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Imperial Brother, she is the girl my brother favors."
He did not explain the children's identities, nor did he mention anything else about Li Yue Shu.
A single sentence, "She is the girl my brother favors," conveyed his complete attitude and determination.
The emperor was somewhat surprised but then his expression carried a hint of hesitation.
"You... I have never seen you mention a woman with such deep affection. Even back then..."
"Imperial Brother!"
Before the emperor could finish speaking, Qin Moyuan directly interrupted him. "A Shu is the only person who has ever stirred my heart, now and in the past. There is only her."
He looked directly at the emperor, his eyes filled with firm sincerity.
The emperor was not foolish and naturally understood the hidden meaning in his words.
He sheepishly rubbed his nose and changed the subject, "Since she is the girl you favor, I am becoming even more curious about her."
The emperor adjusted his dragon robe. "I plan to host a welcome banquet for you in a few days. Bring her along, and I will bestow your marriage upon you."
Upon mentioning this, Qin Moyuan genuinely wanted to agree immediately, but he could only sigh, "Your brother wishes he could, but she has not yet agreed to accept your brother."
At this, the emperor was shocked. "What do you mean? Didn't she already bear you children?"
"Those are not my biological children." Qin Moyuan said helplessly, briefly explaining how he had used the identity of Shen Wei, a guard from the princely mansion.
Hearing this, the emperor's curiosity intensified. "I am indeed becoming more and more curious about her."
Qin Moyuan calmly took a sip of tea and said, "Imperial Brother, please do not startle her. Once she accepts me, I will definitely bring her to seek your imperial decree for marriage."
"Good, good, good!" The emperor patted Qin Moyuan's shoulder with great delight. "Then I shall await your good news!"
Afterward, he suddenly seemed to recall something and said, "Speaking of bestowing marriage, there is something I need to tell you."
The emperor's expression turned serious. "When our father was still on the throne, he arranged a marriage between the Zhenbei General's mansion and the royal family. Do you recall this matter?"
The time was rather long ago, and Qin Moyuan had to think for a moment before nodding.
The Gu family ancestors had fought alongside the founding emperor of Chengnan Kingdom, holding an unshakeable position within the kingdom.
Coincidentally, the Zhenbei General's wife was pregnant. To win over the Gu family, the late emperor had issued a decree: if the child born in the Zhenbei General's mansion was a daughter, she would be made Crown Princess; if a son, he would marry a princess.
Because of this matter, the Zhenbei General's mansion, which had always remained neutral, had its doorstep worn down by visitors.
However, later, when the former Crown Prince Qin Chengjin attempted to usurp the throne, Chongzhou was in turmoil, Chengnan Kingdom had a new emperor, and then news of the Gu family's child's death arrived. The matter naturally fell through.
Qin Moyuan looked at the man beside him in confusion. "After so many years, why does Imperial Brother suddenly bring this up?"
The emperor rubbed his nose, looking somewhat guilty. "This... the Gu family's daughter has suddenly returned, and I have bestowed marriage upon the Crown Prince and her."
The Gu family held a special position in Chengnan Kingdom, not merely as generals.
Qin Moyuan had always been against the late emperor's decree to win over the Gu family. Now that he brought it up again, he feared...
As expected, Qin Moyuan's brows furrowed, and his tone was full of disapproval. "Imperial Brother, the Gu family has never participated in the struggle for imperial power, only loyal to the Emperor. You should not drag them into it."
Currently, the elder princes were all vying for that position, with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince constantly balancing each other out.
Now, with the Crown Prince marrying into the Gu family, the balance would be broken, leading to further chaos in Chongzhou.
The emperor knew he would not agree and sighed. "I never intended to bring up the late emperor's decree, but... but the imperial decree for marriage was personally requested from me by Gu Lianghong."
At these words, even the usually calm Qin Moyuan was stunned.
Had the Zhenbei General gone mad?
The Gu family members he knew, even the most impetuous Gu Hexuan, could not have done something so rash.
Qin Moyuan's brows were tightly knit. He felt that the long-standing peace in Chongzhou might be shattered again.
After a long while, he finally asked, "When is the wedding?"
The emperor replied, "The Ministry of Rites is already making preparations. The wedding will be after the New Year."
Qin Moyuan was surprised. "So soon?" They didn't even have half a year to prepare.
The emperor pouted, his lazy demeanor completely devoid of majesty.
He slowly said, "The Gu family's lost and found daughter was found through the Second Prince. Everyone assumed the Gu family would side with the Second Prince, but then the Crown Prince suddenly stepped forward."
"The Second Prince is not one to suffer in silence. The Crown Prince fears that if the wedding date is not set soon, who knows what tricks might be played."
The emperor spoke very casually, as if the people fighting to the death were not his own sons.
Throughout history, no emperor had ascended the throne without bloodshed. Only those who grew up in struggle had the capacity to become qualified rulers.
Therefore, the emperor was well aware of his sons' conflicts but chose not to expose them.
Qin Moyuan did not offer any comment on this. He was merely thinking that the daughter the Gu family had found was likely Li Xiang Ru, Li Yue Shu's nominal elder sister.
There seemed to be some friction between Li Yue Shu and that Li Xiang Ru, and even the Li parents seemed to be hiding some secrets.
Regarding the engagement with the Crown Prince, he needed to go back and tell Li Yue Shu.
With that thought, Qin Moyuan lost his appetite for lingering any longer. He quickly said a few words to end the conversation and left the imperial study.
The emperor remained seated, watching his retreating figure disappear. He naturally discerned Qin Moyuan's urgency.
After a long moment, he suddenly chuckled, "I never expected A Yuan to look so smitten, like a lovesick young man."
The emperor patted his clothes and stood up. "Before, Rong'er was the only woman who could get close to him, but even when facing Rong'er, he was still indifferent and cold. I thought he would remain this way his entire life!"
Cao Zhuang, who had intended to chime in, immediately fell silent upon hearing this and lowered his head.
But the emperor clearly had no intention of letting him off the hook. He suddenly turned to look at him. "Cao Zhuang, if I hadn't taken Rong'er as a concubine back then, wouldn't her child with A Yuan be as old as Zi Min now?"