The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

Yun Jin subconsciously looked in Xiao Jingyan's direction and saw him staring at her intently, with a hint of barely perceptible tension in his eyes.

She turned to look at Chu Wanqing again and saw that she was also looking at her with a nervous expression, but the nervousness was completely different from that of Xiao Jingyan.

She feared that her daughter would follow in her footsteps, that Prince Yu would be a second Yun Heting, and that her daughter, young and naive, would be blinded by sweet words and end up with the same fate as herself.

Yun Jin had originally planned to wait until after the New Year to announce her marriage to Xiao Jingyan, but now that the Emperor had asked her personally, she could no longer delay.

If this drags on any longer, it would be unfair to Xiao Jingyan, disrespectful to the good intentions of Prince Yi and his wife, and would give the Princess more room to continue her entanglement.

She took a deep breath and said shyly and somewhat awkwardly, "Your Majesty, Ayan is well."

The emperor leaned back on his dragon throne and laughed heartily: "So, you're happy with that?"

Yun Jin lowered her eyes and nodded gently.

Before anyone could speak, Princess Yi laughed heartily, "Your Highness, is there even a need to ask? My sister-in-law is very fond of Princess Ninghai. Marrying her is a blessing for our Ayan! Your Highness, don't you agree?"

Prince Yi stood beside her and said softly, "What A-Lian says is true. Princess Ninghai is intelligent and decisive, and both A-Lian and I are very fond of her."

The emperor smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze to Yun Heting, who stood dumbfounded to the side, and deliberately asked, "Lord Yun, you just said that Ninghai is not a good match for Prince Yu. Are you dissatisfied with this marriage?"

Yun Heting dared not refuse. He hurriedly rose, walked to the center of the hall, and knelt down, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His voice was filled with fear: "Your Majesty, I am terrified. It is a great blessing for my entire family that my daughter has gained the favor of Prince Yu. I am overjoyed and thank Your Majesty for your great kindness on my daughter's behalf!"

The emperor then turned to Chu Wanqing and asked, "Madam Yun, are you willing to agree to this marriage?"

Chu Wanqing rose from her seat, walked to the center of the hall, knelt on the other side of Yun Jin, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I wish to keep my daughter by your side for a few more years. However, since it is my daughter's wish, and His Highness Prince Yu is so sincere towards her, and Prince Yi and Princess Yi value her so highly, I will never be the one to break up this loving couple. I thank Your Majesty for granting my daughter's request."

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, glanced at Xiao Jingyan, and saw that although he pretended to be reserved, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He knew that today's matter had touched on Xiao Jingyan's heart.

He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Since that's the case, I will grant this wish today and bestow a marriage upon Princess Ninghai and Prince Yu, Xiao Jingyan. Tomorrow, I will send Fulai to the Yun residence to deliver the decree, and at the beginning of the year, I will have the Imperial Astronomical Bureau select an auspicious day for the wedding."

Xiao Jingyan immediately stood up, strode to the center of the hall, knelt down beside Yun Jin, and solemnly kowtowed, his voice filled with undisguised joy: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for granting your request."

Yun Jin also kowtowed, her voice clear and sincere: "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for granting your request."

The Emperor waved for the two to rise, then looked at Princess Yi and teased with a smile, "Sister-in-law, are you satisfied now?"

Princess Yi beamed with joy, repeatedly saying, "Satisfied, satisfied! Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

She turned and walked to Yun Jin's side, took off a bracelet from her own wrist, and put it on Yun Jin's glove. Her voice was filled with barely suppressed laughter: "Princess Ninghai, this was a gift from the late emperor when I got married. I'm giving it to you today, hoping that you and Ayan can fly wing to wing and grow old together."

Yun Jin couldn't refuse, so she quickly bowed and thanked them.

Princess Yi whispered to her again, "I'll have Ayan bring you home later. Aunt Lian has prepared a lot of things for you."

Before Yun Jin could say anything, she had already gone over and pulled Chu Wanqing along, saying in a friendly tone, "Madam Yun, we'll be in-laws from now on, so we should have a good chat about the children. Come on, let's sit down and get to know each other better."

After saying that, he ignored Prince Yi and pulled Chu Wanqing to where she was sitting.

A palace servant quickly placed a chair next to Chu Wanqing's seat.

Prince Yi sighed helplessly as he watched his wife leave him behind with great enthusiasm, and walked to his seat to sit down.

After Xiao Jingyan stood up, he did not immediately return to his seat. Instead, he turned to look at the Princess, a slight smile playing on his lips, and slowly said, "I must thank you, Imperial Aunt, for today. If you hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have had the courage to express my feelings in public."

The princess's smile finally vanished. She had intended to embarrass Yun Jin in public, but unexpectedly, the Princess Consort of Yi appeared out of nowhere, the Prince of Yi immediately expressed his support, and the Emperor, going with the flow, actually granted their wish.

She snorted coldly, gritting her teeth, and said, "No need to thank me. Whatever makes you happy."

Xiao Jingyan, however, seemed oblivious to the coldness in her words and continued to smile, "Of course I'm happy. Imperial Aunt, when my nephew and Jin'er get married, you must come and have a drink at our wedding. If it weren't for your help, I don't know when I would have been able to marry Jin'er."

The princess tightened her grip on the teacup, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I will go myself."

After saying this, she rubbed her temples, stood up, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, I am feeling unwell and will take my leave now."

Without waiting for the emperor's reply, he strode out of the hall.

The emperor watched her retreating figure, his eyes darkening, but he ultimately said nothing.

Yun Jin thanked him for his kindness and returned to her seat.

As soon as he sat down, several ladies and noblewomen gathered around him, offering their congratulations all at once.

Some people were genuinely happy for her, while others were just putting on an act out of politeness. Yun Jin responded to each of them with a smile, neither overly enthusiastic nor indifferent, striking the perfect balance.

After everyone had dispersed, Chen Mengyao took her hand and asked in a low voice, "Jin-mei, you actually have feelings for His Highness Prince Yu? Such a big thing, and you didn't tell me a single word? I was worried about you for so long, afraid that you would suffer in front of the Princess."

Yun Jin said helplessly, "Sister Mengyao, it's not that I want to hide it from you, but it's a long story. I didn't originally intend to bring it up in public so soon, but I was forced into this situation today. As you saw, the Princess was pressing me relentlessly, and Ayan was provoked into making a statement on the spot. I couldn't very well embarrass him in front of everyone in the hall."

Chen Mengyao hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question that troubled her: "But Jin-mei, there are so many beautiful women in Prince Yu's harem, are you really sure?"

Yun Jin squeezed her hand, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Don't worry, Sister Mengyao. Ayan told me that the women in the inner quarters are all his mother's former subordinates from the martial arts world. They're just staying in the mansion temporarily, not his concubines. He promised me that he would clean up the mansion before the wedding, and from then on, I would be the only mistress in the inner quarters."

After listening, Chen Mengyao blinked, still not completely reassured: "You believe him? What if he can't do it?"

Yun Jin smiled slightly, her tone becoming more indifferent: "Sister Mengyao, if he treats me well, I will treat him well in return. If he doesn't treat me well, I will use his influence to avenge the wrongs I owe, and then we can get a divorce. I have the title of county princess, an estate and shops, and I have hands and feet; I won't starve even if I leave anyone."

Chen Mengyao stared at her blankly for a long while before letting out a soft sigh of relief: "I'm relieved that you're so clear-headed. Jin-mei, you're better than me."