"Chaoyang, you are my only princess. Now, the Yin Kingdom and the Meng Kingdom are frequently at war. If this continues, both sides will only suffer losses. We need to make peace with the Meng Kingdom. Only through a marriage alliance can we achieve a short-term peace between the two countries. Are you willing?" the old emperor said softly. This was his only daughter, who had been well-behaved and lovely since childhood. Compared to his sons, he favored this only daughter more. However, now he had no choice but to send her to a marriage alliance.

Chaoyang raised her head steadily, her face full of determination, and said, "Your Majesty, I obey your decree, I am willing." In fact, ever since she learned that the Meng and Yin kingdoms were at war again, she had already made the worst-case scenario plan in her mind. She did not expect this day to come so soon.

The old emperor took a deep look at his daughter, whose face was full of determination, and felt a little uneasy. If Chaoyang had cried and made a fuss, he might not have felt guilty. However, Chaoyang did not cry or make a fuss and readily agreed. He felt a little guilty. It was his fault for being incompetent!

The old emperor moved his lips, but didn't know what to say. In the end, he only said, "Chaoyang, being my little princess has been hard on you."

Seeing her father's guilty expression, Chaoyang smiled through her red eyes and said, "Father, I am your daughter, and I feel very lucky. You don't need to feel guilty. This is my responsibility, and I must bear it."

The old emperor, as if he had no strength left, stood up, turned around, and gently waved his hand outwards.

With red eyes and choked sobs, Chaoyang said, "Father, I am unfilial. I will not be able to be by your side to fulfill my filial duties in the future. I can only wish you good health and a long life." After saying this, Chaoyang left.

The old emperor was stunned for a long time. He still remembered when Chaoyang was born. This child was born to Consort Li and was his only princess. When she was born, he already had two princes. The imperial physician had said early on that Consort Li was carrying a princess. He still had some expectations for this child.

He remembered that he had already gone to bed when a eunuch came to report that Consort Li's water had broken and she was about to give birth. Filled with anticipation for the little princess, he got up and went to Consort Li's palace to wait. But the child was mischievous and refused to come out all night. He fell asleep, feeling exhausted. When he woke up again, he heard the baby's loud cries. He looked up and saw the sun rising. He then named the child Chaoyang (Rising Sun).

The original intention behind choosing this name was to hope that the child would be as bright and cheerful as the rising sun, bringing joy and happiness to others.

Just as he had imagined, Chaoyang brought him happiness and joy. When Chaoyang was little, she was extremely naughty and would cry incessantly no matter who held her. But as soon as he gently picked her up, she would stop crying immediately, blinking her little eyes and curiously looking at him. He was somewhat surprised and began to feel a bit of affection for this child.

He thought his affection for Chaoyang was just a passing fancy, and that he would probably stop once the novelty wore off. But in the blink of an eye, Chaoyang had grown up so much.

Princess Chaoyang is mischievous and full of tricks. She plays pranks on the tutors and steals food from the imperial kitchen. Whenever something bad happens in the palace, the palace servants will suspect Princess Chaoyang, which makes him both amused and exasperated. Every time he wants to punish her, she always has a bunch of reasons to defend herself. She even keeps some food for herself after stealing food from the imperial kitchen, so he can't bear to be harsh with her.

It was just some food, just a silly prank on the teacher. She was still young; she wouldn't do it when she grew up. He always deceived himself like this, indulging Chaoyang's little tricks.

Later, Chaoyang grew up. She was well-mannered, sensible, and obedient. She liked to tease him. His heart was biased from the very beginning, and it has been biased for so many years without ever changing.

Everyone said that his favorite child was the Crown Prince, but he knew that his favorite and most beloved child was Chaoyang. For a time, he even wished he could give Chaoyang the best things in the world.

He used to hate that his father favored his younger brother, An Di. Even his mother would be happy when she mentioned An Di. It seemed that An Di had easily won all the love of his father and mother, while he could only win their lukewarm praise by studying hard and practicing martial arts. Meanwhile, An Di could get his mother's praise and his father's admiring gaze simply by eating well.

He clearly hated people who showed favoritism, yet he himself became the person he hated the most.

After Chaoyang was born, he suddenly understood his father and mother. He realized that it was impossible to treat everyone equally, and that love could only be given to one person or a few scattered individuals.

He disliked Ji Mohan, his eldest son. Seeing him was like seeing himself as a child—suppressing his emotions, working hard, but never asking for anything.

Whenever he saw that child, he would think of how he had tried his best but still failed to win the favor of his father and mother. Whenever he saw that child, he felt like he was looking in a mirror, and his resentment and darkness would rise from the bottom of his heart.

The old emperor sat weakly in his chair, gently closing his eyes. His life had been a complete failure.

——

"Chaoyang, what did your father say to you? Did he say when he would come to see your mother?" Consort Li excitedly stepped forward and pulled Chaoyang along.

His Majesty dotes on Chaoyang, so he treats her better as well, and Consort Li is well aware of this.

Chaoyang waved away Consort Li's hand and said, "I'm going to marry a foreign ruler."

"What? Your Majesty, has His Majesty gone mad? How could he send you to a political marriage? If you leave, will His Majesty still remember me?" Consort Li said excitedly. Everyone in the palace had sons to rely on, but she only had a daughter. However, the Emperor doted on this daughter, which gave her some comfort. Now that Chaoyang was gone, His Majesty would definitely not come to her palace again. Consort Li thought with some fear, "No, no, I absolutely cannot allow this to happen."

Consort Li said anxiously, "Chaoyang, don't be afraid. I will go and beg your father to rescind his decree."

Chaoyang smiled sarcastically and said, "Mother, are you saying you can't bear to see me go on this political marriage, or are you afraid that Father won't come to see you again after I leave?"

Consort Li glared at Chaoyang. "You brat, so sharp-tongued, but you're not as considerate and filial as my son."

Chaoyang continued, "Mother, give up. I've already agreed."

A loud slap echoed through the hall. Chaoyang's head tilted to one side, her face quickly swelling up. She laughed and said, "Mother, what are you going to do? Are you going to use the same trick as back then to force my eldest brother to the border? I should have been sent there back then. It was my eldest brother who shouldered everything and let me grow up safely. But he was only a teenager then. Mother, are you really willing to use any means to win favor? Or is it Xue..."

*Slap!* Another loud slap rang out…