Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

The moment the palace doors shattered, Consort Xiao stormed in with a group of palace servants. The head guard's sword gleamed coldly at his waist, clearly ready to strike at any moment. She immediately spotted Su Mu standing in the hall, his demeanor now completely different. Then, glancing at Li Qingge on the couch, her clothes half-covered and radiant, she was instantly enraged.

"Li Qingge! How dare you openly steal my person!" Consort Xiao's eyebrows furrowed, her voice sharp as a knife. "Su Mu is my cousin whom I specially invited into the palace. You are disrespecting palace rules and defiling the palace!"

Li Qingge slowly rose, the brocade quilt slipping down to reveal fine red marks on her shoulders, but she didn't care at all. Her phoenix eyes slightly raised, carrying a hint of lazy arrogance: "Why is Consort Xiao in such a hurry? Su Mu voluntarily stayed in Weiyang Palace, so how can there be any talk of robbery? Besides, in this palace, there is nothing I can't get if I want it."

Su Mu stepped forward, blocking Li Qingge's path. Golden true energy flowed subtly within him, and the pressure of a Grandmaster-level expert emanated from him. He looked at Consort Xiao, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with the Eldest Princess. I stayed willingly. Besides, the Eldest Princess is now pregnant with my child; I am now a member of Weiyang Palace. I urge Your Highness to show some self-respect."

"What?!" Consort Xiao took a step back in shock, staring incredulously at Li Qingge's lower abdomen. "You...you..."

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the palace, and a young eunuch scrambled in, his face pale: "Your Highness! Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine! Something terrible has happened! An envoy from the Northern Barbarians has suddenly entered the palace, requesting His Majesty to grant Your Highness a marriage alliance with the Northern Barbarian Khan!"

Li Qingge's face instantly darkened, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. The Northern Barbarian forces were rampant, and the Khan, nearing sixty and tyrannical by nature, would undoubtedly push her into a fire pit by sending her to a marriage alliance. Behind this, the Empress's faction must be secretly manipulating things, trying to weaken her power.

"Hmph, they certainly know how to pick their timing." Li Qingge sneered, grasping Su Mu's hand. "Su Mu, do you dare accompany me to meet the Emperor?"

Su Mu's heart skipped a beat, and the system notification sounded at just the right moment: [Ding! Main quest triggered: Prevent the marriage alliance and solidify the princess's position! Quest rewards: Lifespan +10 years, Inner Strength +50 years, Heaven-level movement technique "Free and Easy Steps", unlock system shop!]

"Why wouldn't I dare?" A resolute glint flashed in Su Mu's eyes. "Wherever Your Highness goes, I will go."

The two walked out of Weiyang Palace side by side. Along the way, palace maids and eunuchs all bowed and gave way. Su Mu's aura of a grandmaster intertwined with Li Qingge's imperial majesty, creating an aura that no one dared to oppose. Passing through the Imperial Garden, they happened to encounter Lin Chen, who was strolling with a young eunuch. He was dressed in eunuch's robes, yet his posture was upright, and a sharpness in his brows seemed incongruous with his status.

Lin Chen caught a glimpse of Su Mu and Li Qingge's clasped hands, and the barely concealed pregnancy in Li Qingge's eyes. A knowing glint flashed in his eyes. Having just broken through to the Innate Realm, his senses were sharp, and he could detect the surging true energy within Su Mu's body. He was secretly astonished: This fake eunuch actually possessed such cultivation? It seems another storm is about to be stirred up in the harem.

Su Mu also noticed Lin Chen. Seeing that although he was a eunuch, he possessed the cultivation of the Innate Realm, Su Mu couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. The system automatically displayed Lin Chen's information: [Name: Lin Chen] [Identity: Eunuch of the Great Qian Imperial Palace Library, Host of the "Many Children, Many Blessings" System] [Cultivation: Early Innate Realm] [Status: Raising an adopted son, accumulating strength, avoiding palace intrigue]

Su Mu's heart stirred slightly; he hadn't expected there to be another "oddball" in the palace. He nodded slightly to Lin Chen as a greeting, then followed Li Qingge straight to the Golden Palace.

In the Golden Palace, the Northern Barbarian envoy was arrogant, stating bluntly that if the Great Xia did not agree to the marriage alliance, they would march on the city walls. The emperor's face turned ashen, but he was too weak to refute him. The empress sat to the side, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

"Your Majesty, I do not wish to be sent on a marriage alliance!" Li Qingge entered the hall, her voice clear and resonant. "The Northern Barbarian Khan is cruel and inhumane. If I were to go, it would be a disgrace to Great Xia! Moreover, I am already pregnant, and the child in my womb is the offspring of the Great Xia. How can I allow him to wander abroad?"

These words caused an uproar in the hall. The emperor was first taken aback, then his face lit up with ecstatic joy: "Qingge, are you telling the truth?"

"Absolutely true!" Su Mu stepped forward and declared loudly, "Your subject, Su Mu, is willing to protect Your Highness and the child in your womb. If the Northern barbarians dare to invade, I am willing to lead troops into battle and ensure they never return!"

He suddenly unleashed the aura of a Grandmaster, shocking all the officials in the hall. The Northern Barbarian envoy's expression changed, staring incredulously at this seemingly frail young man who possessed such terrifying power.

The Empress's face instantly darkened: "You audacious scoundrel! How dare you, a mere eunuch, presume to discuss matters of state? And how dare you tarnish the reputation of the Eldest Princess? You deserve to die!"

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken," Li Qingge said coldly. "Su Mu is not a eunuch, but the husband I have chosen. He possesses unparalleled martial arts skills and is utterly devoted to me. Why can't he serve the country?"

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, an urgent report suddenly came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty! A victory has arrived from the northern frontier! General Lin Chen, leading the Xuanjia Army, has decisively defeated the Northern Barbarian vanguard and is now at the gates of the Northern Barbarian royal court!"

Everyone was startled again. Lin Chen? Why does that name sound so familiar?

Su Mu immediately understood; it must be Lin Chen, the eunuch from the library. He hadn't expected Lin Chen to be secretly cultivating his own power and even able to mobilize the Xuanjia Army. This man was clearly no ordinary person.

The Emperor was overjoyed and slapped his throne: "Excellent! Excellent! With Su Mu protecting the interior and Lin Chen securing the exterior, what does our Great Xia have to fear from the Northern Barbarians! Issue my decree: appoint Su Mu as General Who Guards the Nation, and bestow marriage upon Princess Li Qingge. The wedding will take place on a chosen date! The matter of the marriage alliance with the Northern Barbarians must not be mentioned again!"

The Empress's face turned deathly pale, but there was nothing she could do. Consort Xiao stood outside the palace, watching Su Mu and Li Qingge stand side by side, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but she could only leave dejectedly.

On their wedding night, Weiyang Palace was brightly lit. Li Qingge nestled in Su Mu's arms and whispered, "I never imagined you had such strength, and I never expected that the eunuch Lin Chen from the library was actually a hidden master."

Su Mu gently stroked her long hair, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He could sense that the palace was teeming with powerful figures, and Lin Chen's existence would undoubtedly become a major variable in the future. His family's path to prosperity had only just begun.

[Ding! Main quest completed! Rewards issued!] [Ding! Detected that the host and S-rank target Li Qingge have officially become husband and wife, unlocking the family inheritance side quest!] [Ding! Detected special character Lin Chen, triggering hidden plot: Two Heroes Standing Side by Side!]

A smile crept onto Su Mu's lips. It seemed that life in the Great Xia Imperial Palace would only become more and more exciting. And between him and Lin Chen, a silent contest had already begun.