Emperor Yan Zhao laughed heartily, clearly delighted, and with a flourish of his pen, bestowed both Lin'an City and the Prince An's residence upon Cen Xi.

Shen Jinchen's eyes flickered, but he didn't say a single word of objection from beginning to end.

"Then this princess thanks Your Majesty."

Cen Xi was overjoyed, then turned to look at Shen Jinchen with the same provocative gaze.

"Very well! Since you're getting married, then, Your Highness, you can live in the palace. There's a vacant Chaoxia Palace there; consider it your official residence."

When Emperor Yan Zhao saw Cen Xi's answer, he couldn't stop smiling. He didn't care about Shen Jinchen's expression and tried to keep Cen Xi there.

“Great! I’ve never stayed in the palace before. This is a good opportunity to stay for a while and learn more about it.”

Upon hearing Emperor Yan Zhao's words, Cen Xi immediately and tactfully accepted them.

She had long since stopped wanting to live in Shen Jinchen's Prime Minister's residence.

She even thought that if she stayed in the palace, she could eventually annul the engagement, but she knew that was absolutely a pipe dream.

Emperor Yan Zhao accepted her so easily, but it was only because he had ulterior motives.

She is now useful to the royal family, which is why Emperor Yan Zhao is so indulgent towards her.

"What does the Prime Minister think?"

Seeing that Cen Xi agreed so readily, he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Shen Jinchen. He remembered that day under the imperial city, when Prime Minister Shen forcefully demanded the person back.

“She is a princess of the royal family, so naturally this procedure is all correct. I have nothing to say. Your Majesty, I plan to get married in a month. Please issue an edict to instruct the Ministry of Rites to make preparations as soon as possible.”

Shen Jinchen glanced at Cen Xi and said matter-of-factly.

"A month later? Isn't that a bit too fast! Your Majesty, I don't think that's appropriate. The wedding of a royal princess involves complicated rituals. It should take at least six months to prepare, and even then, it might not be prepared well."

"Besides, the princess's residence hasn't been repaired yet, so how can the wedding take place? I think it's still possible to postpone it a little longer."

Cen Xi felt it would be a real shame not to use such a good shield; she should postpone the wedding as long as possible.

“Ah Xi, you’re right. The princess’s wedding process is indeed a bit complicated, but the situation is special now. The princes of various fiefdoms and the governors of various places are all eager to make a move. There’s Prince Heng in front and Prince Ning behind. It’s better to keep the wedding simple. We should spend a lot of time dealing with the possible rebellion.”

Shen Jinchen did not object to Cen Xi's previous demands, but he would absolutely not compromise on the timing of the marriage.

Although Cen Xi is sometimes a bit muddle-headed, she is also extremely clever at other times. If this drags on, things might change.

Moreover, he was well aware of her determination not to marry him.

"The Prime Minister is right, Your Majesty. With war raging everywhere, I am in a difficult position. The marriage procedure can be simplified, but the dowry I give you will certainly not be small. The Prince An's residence was only recently repaired. Let the Ministry of Works work harder, and it should be repaired within half a month. Let's set the timeframe for within a month!"

Although Emperor Yan Zhao knew what Shen Jinchen meant, he was now completely controlled and could no longer cause any trouble. His only option was to resort to unconventional tactics, and a marriage alliance was imperative.

He had previously considered marrying the sixth princess to her, but now that there was a more suitable candidate, he had no choice but to accept her.

"Alright then, I'll stay in the palace for a month."

At this moment, Cen Xi instantly understood what Shen Jinchen meant by what he said a few days ago. Sure enough, the royal family only cared about interests.

But she can hide for as long as she can, even a month would be fine, at least she'd have a month of free time.

At least she's married now, even though they won't admit it. But she's managed to gain some benefits, so that's fine.

At one point, Cen Xi felt incredibly stifled. All he wanted was freedom and the simple life of a wealthy person.

And none of these are allowed. It seems that no matter which world you go to, you can't escape the troubles of life!

"Very well, Your Highness, quickly send someone to tidy up Chaoxia Palace, and send some eunuchs and maids to serve you there."

Emperor Yan Zhao said "good" three times in a row, and spoke to Consort Liu with great interest.

"Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly handle this matter well."

Consort Liu was also happy for Emperor Yan Zhao.

In fact, the royal family was already putting up a fight, but as an emperor, how could he easily give up the country? So with Cen Xi as a variable, Emperor Yan Zhao naturally had to hold on tightly.

"Your Majesty, now that the matter concerning the princess has been settled, I would like to speak with her alone. Would you be so kind as to grant me this privilege?"

Seeing that they were all very happy, Shen Jinchen smiled and looked at Cen Xi meaningfully.

"Alright! Your Highness, why don't you stay in the Consort's side palace tonight, and move to Chaoxia Palace tomorrow morning?"

Emperor Yan Zhao glanced at Shen Jinchen with a scrutinizing gaze, responded, and then steered the conversation back to Cen Xi.

"Alright, Your Highness, I'll go and have something to discuss with Prime Minister Shen. Please reserve a room for me."

Cen Xi smiled and nodded, then walked over to Shen Jinchen and pulled him outside.

Reaching a secluded spot in the Imperial Garden, Shen Cai released Shen Jinchen's hand and asked with a smile:

"What does the Prime Minister have to say? Are you perhaps pleased that he knows you are to marry into my princess's household?"

"Marrying or taking a wife is the same thing, I just don't understand why you have to go through all this trouble."

Shen Jinchen's bright eyes held a deep and complex expression.

"Prime Minister Shen knows very well what I mean by doing this. As long as you promise me that you will let me leave, I guarantee that I will not interfere in any royal affairs. But if you do not give up, then even if I marry you, I will still think about the entire royal family."

Cen Xi's eyes were teasing, but her words were extremely unpleasant to hear.

"Just because I forced you to return to the capital, our relationship is going to drift further and further apart? Actually, I can give you absolute freedom, even in the capital. Why can't you understand that?"

Shen Jinchen felt powerless and exhausted, but he couldn't bring himself to sever all ties with the woman in front of him.

For some reason, he felt that Cen Xi was like a part of his body, indispensable. Losing her would make him anxious and unable to concentrate on anything.

"Heh, Prime Minister Shen, you should ask yourself why you can't understand this. I am just an ordinary woman in this world. If Prime Minister Shen succeeds one day, you can have three palaces and six courtyards to choose from. Why are you still clinging to someone who has no feelings for you?"

Cen Xi had wanted to ask this question for a long time and had made it clear many times, but this person just wouldn't let her go. She really had no other choice. Not resisting wasn't in her nature, so this ending was not surprising at all.

“Shut up! We were at Feifeng Mountain. You had feelings for me. You clearly cared about me and were worried about me getting hurt. How could you not have a heart? Cen Xi, the excuse you came up with is too clumsy. Ha, when have I ever cared about the harem? From beginning to end, the only person I care about is you.”

Shen Jinchen always loses in his dealings with Cen Xi and the other woman. This woman is only so obedient when she is captivated by his good looks and in bed with him.

But as soon as she got out of bed, she denied everything.

Shen Jinchen had never felt so defeated before.