Chapter 286 Sincerity

But Qi Jun could no longer hear the sounds from inside the house.

His body was already too close; if he got any closer... he would be discovered, and the situation would become even worse.

Qi Jun ultimately failed to get the answer he wanted before being summoned away by Sun Miao, who had rushed over to find him.

Throughout the journey, Sun Miao maintained his ever-smiling demeanor, as if he were proud of it: "Your Highness, Miss Zheng has already reported to the Empress Dowager, and the matter is almost settled!"

Qi Jun ignored him, feeling somewhat annoyed.

He was both flustered and uneasy when he learned that his grandmother and aunt had come up with such a way to test her.

His original intention was to persuade the two elders first, and then gradually cultivate feelings for her. He was afraid of scaring her, and even more afraid that she would think that he was a fool who had lost his mind for a woman and wanted to force her to marry him against her will.

He needs to find an opportunity to make things clear to her, to tell her that she doesn't need to worry at all, and that he will clear away all obstacles and risks.

The Empress Dowager and the Eldest Princess met the Crown Prince.

The Empress Dowager showed no emotion, as if she had expected it all along.

However, the eldest princess's eyes were practically blazing with fire as she stared intently at the crown prince, her chest tight with a breath she couldn't catch or swallow.

It must be the Crown Prince! For the past year or so, she has been intentionally or unintentionally getting close to Yu Xuan. How old is Yu Xuan? She has never been in contact with any young men since she was a child. She probably doesn't even know what marrying into the Eastern Palace means, let alone that she had said before that she was willing to never marry and depend on her for life...

The Crown Prince must have said some nonsense to make Yu Xuan believe it and think that the Crown Prince was a good match.

The Crown Prince had changed his clothes and dried his hair. After tidying himself up, he looked even more like a gentleman, with the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix.

The Empress Dowager glanced at her daughter beside her and coughed twice: "Jun'er, you must know that Chang Le is indeed willing to marry you. I have no objection, but your aunt disagrees, so there's nothing I can do."

That's what they say, but if the Crown Prince was really determined to marry Qi Yuxuan, then the imperial decree could have been written directly, without needing to persuade the Princess.

But clearly, the Crown Prince wouldn't do that.

As Qi Yuxuan's only mother in name, the eldest princess is someone she must get past no matter what.

The Crown Prince braced himself and met the Princess's gaze: "Aunt, I sincerely wish to marry my cousin. I will do everything in my power to protect her for the rest of my life. I hope you will cherish my sincere heart."

The eldest princess scoffed: "Sincerity? Sincerity is the most unreliable thing."

"Let me ask you this: of the girls who went to the island in the middle of the lake today, how many do you plan to take as your concubines?"

Qi Jun: "My heart is only for my cousin. The other girls only came to the banquet in Beiyuan. I have never spoken a word to them."

This was the first time he had ever spoken so bluntly. His ears turned bright red, and his voice was a little tight: "It will be the same from now on. My cousin is the only one in my life. Please rest assured, Aunt. The fact that I have remained chaste for nearly twenty years is a testament to that."

The eldest princess snorted, but before she could speak, the Empress Dowager hurriedly interrupted, "How can that be?!"

"Imperial offspring are of utmost importance. How can a wife alone ensure the continuation of the family line?!"

The Empress Dowager looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief, and for the first time felt a sense of absurdity.

Which emperor of Qi didn't have three palaces and six courtyards, with countless concubines? Now her son is on the throne, and he's getting old, so he's not so obsessed with beauty anymore. He did so many outrageous things when he was young, so how come the crown prince he gave birth to is such a devoted and infatuated man?

I thought only young ladies would do this, how come even the Crown Prince is making such a fuss?

The Empress Dowager turned to look at her daughter: "Mian'er, listen to this! This is outrageous! He is the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, how can he only have one principal wife?!"

The Empress Dowager intended to seek her daughter's approval, but as soon as she finished speaking, her daughter's expression turned strange.

The eldest princess and the empress dowager looked at each other, as if she were seeing her mother for the first time, and hesitantly asked, "Mother, is this not a good thing?"

“If we get married in the future, Yu Xuan’s health is fine, so why do we need other daughters to continue the royal line? Jun’er is the rightful heir, which is why he was named crown prince at birth and is the rightful heir apparent. Does Mother want to see the perilous scene of the emperor’s struggle for the throne repeat itself?”

The eldest princess's words were like a wake-up call, and the empress dowager was momentarily dazed.

She had lived a peaceful life for too long and almost forgot how she had protected her two children and survived to the end in the late emperor's harem, which was full of concubines and children.

The Empress Dowager was formerly the Empress, and her son was the only legitimate son. He should have been made Crown Prince after he began his studies. However, due to the machinations of those treacherous women in the harem, the matter was delayed until the late Emperor was seriously ill and had no choice but to establish a Crown Prince. Only then was the edict that should have been issued long ago finally delivered...

Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent, the eldest princess continued:

"Mother, you faced so many difficulties back then, having to consider the Emperor and your son's appearance. It must have been so hard for you. If you had a choice, I believe you wouldn't have wanted the late Emperor to bring one concubine after another into the palace..."

This is quite disrespectful. To put it bluntly, the late emperor was an emperor and should not be criticized like this. To put it less bluntly, the late emperor was the father of the eldest princess and should be respected and revered even more.

But for a moment, none of the people present cared about such things.

Qi Jun lowered his eyes in silence. What his aunt said was exactly what he was thinking, but as the youngest junior, he absolutely could not say it.

The Empress Dowager remained silent, pondered for a long time, and then sighed: "You all have your own ideas. I am old and can't care about so many things. By the time Jun'er ascends the throne, I don't even know where I will be.

This is a tacit way of admitting defeat.

The Empress Dowager and the Princess were of the same temperament, knowing each other inside and out. How could the Empress Dowager not understand that her daughter spoke those words out of concern for Qi Yuxuan? Her daughter had already lost her husband and biological children. If she had a daughter who would become Empress, her future would probably be easier. At least Jun'er would give her more respect out of consideration for her as both aunt and mother-in-law...

The Empress Dowager was deeply worried about the eldest princess, and the eldest princess was well aware of it.

She took the Empress Dowager's arm, rested her head on her mother's shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Mother will not turn to dust. In the future, if Jun'er has ten or eight little grandsons who come to bother you every day, please don't turn back into a child."

The Empress Dowager patted her hand with a smile and stopped saying such discouraging things: "Alright, you two aunt and niece can talk for a while. I'm tired today and feel very weak."

The eldest princess and the crown prince saw the empress dowager off before returning to the Lotus Garden.

As soon as she sat back down in the armchair, the princess's expression instantly turned cold.

"You, Qi Jun, do you think I don't know what tricks you've used?"

The crown prince lifted his robe and knelt down nimbly.