Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes darkened. He did not answer Pei Yunyi's question, but instead asked, "And then?"

Pei Yunyi closed his eyes briefly. "There are still many things to do right now, so this is not the time to talk about this. But I will definitely marry Lord Song as my wife."

Emperor Guangqi looked directly at Song Xizhi, his voice becoming more forceful and imposing: "So, Song Xizhi, you are already the wife of a second-rank official, do you still want to become the Crown Princess?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunyi tensed up instantly. His hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, tightened slightly, and then he called out with a taut jawline, "Father!"

Song Xizhi stood still.

She clearly understood the emperor's intention: he wanted to discard her after he had served his purpose.

He acknowledged his own abilities and even needed to rely on them on many occasions. However, once things calmed down, he began to despise his own status, feeling unworthy of the position of Crown Princess.

But this wasn't what Song Xizhi originally wanted.

She smiled and looked in Pei Yunyi's direction, her eyes calm and composed: "Your Majesty, I have never thought of becoming the Crown Princess. I only wish to be Pei Yunyi's wife."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunyi's tense muscles instantly relaxed, and he involuntarily looked in Song Xizhi's direction.

Song Xizhi noticed that his eyes were slightly red, like those of a stray puppy, which made her chuckle.

However, the emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, was not very satisfied with Song Xizhi's answer. He disagreed, saying, "Isn't Pei Yunyi's wife the Crown Princess?"

He raised his hand and pointed at Song Xizhi as if scolding him: "Hahaha, so you, Song Xizhi, are also a person who chases fame and fortune?"

After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair slightly and continued, "However, I was just joking. I will have the Crown Prince take you as a concubine, but the position of principal wife is impossible."

"If you love him, you should know that the Crown Prince's position is not yet secure. If you two love each other and understand each other's hearts, you shouldn't care about these empty titles. Instead, you should support each other and help the Crown Prince fulfill his position."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunyi's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes became unfathomable.

He smiled at Emperor Guangqi and said, "Now I know why you couldn't find my mother for over a decade."

"You always thought it was the Western Rong people stirring up trouble, but now that I think about it, is it possible that she simply didn't want to come back?"

After Pei Yunyi finished speaking decisively, he took Song Xizhi's hand without hesitation, turned around, and left.

"I have lost too many things in the past, and what I know best is how to grasp happiness, instead of waiting until it is too late and then silently shedding tears in my bed at midnight."

After he finished speaking, he seemed to have thought of something, and his voice became slightly amused: "Only if Song Xizhi is the Crown Princess can the Crown Prince of Daqian be Pei Yunyi."

"Of course, Father can give the position of Crown Prince to whoever he wants!"