Yue Fei quickly bowed and said, "This humble servant greets Princess Yifu."

When Yue Fei entered the palace, the emperor had already arranged for someone to inform him who he was to see, so Yue Fei knew that the beautiful young woman in front of him was Princess Yifu.

Zhao Yuanzhu showed no shame and praised directly, "I have heard of Commander Yue's reputation, and seeing him today, I can confirm that it is well-deserved."

"Your Highness is too kind. I was just doing my duty."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then sat down. Zhao Huan thought the start was going smoothly, but to his surprise, nothing came of it.

Holy crap! Yue Fei, you're destined to be lonely for life in later generations!

Zhao Huan was anxious inside, but he pretended to be calm on the surface. He drank a cup of wine with Yue Fei, and Yue Fei hurriedly started talking about the situation in the south, but Zhao Huan stopped him: "I called you here not to discuss the situation in the south. With you here, I can rest easy."

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

Zhao Huan couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. Yue Fei was the kind of person who wasn't good at joking; his mind was always on work. He had called him over, and on such a beautiful day, they had only exchanged a few words before the conversation turned to military matters.

On second thought, this kind of person is the one who is truly suitable for getting things done. If such a person encounters a terrible leader, they will be eliminated or ostracized in no time. But if they encounter a wise leader, they will naturally be of great use.

I don't need you to be a flatterer, nor do I need you to be a smooth talker or a social butterfly. I need you to expand my territory. You are a general, a marshal. Your task is to discipline the army and improve its combat effectiveness. You don't need to worry about anything else!

If you're so adept at navigating social situations, I really wouldn't dare entrust my army to you!

Zhao Huan subtly glanced at Yue Fei's face, then pretended to chat and laugh with Zhao Yuanzhu, inwardly sighing: These two clearly have feelings for each other, yet they both hold back. Yue Fei, you are brave and invincible on the battlefield, but who would have thought that in this kind of situation, you would start to back down?

After downing a glass of iced wine, Zhao Huan asked, "Ninth Sister, what do you think of Commander Yue?"

Although Zhao Yuanzhu was a woman, and after exchanging a few pleasantries with Yue Fei, she fell silent, she had lived in the royal family since childhood. Everyone around her revolved around her, and she was favored by the emperor and her brothers. She didn't have to worry about anything, so she could say whatever she wanted since she was young, and no one punished her for what she said.

She spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, I think Commander Yue is a hero among men."

Zhao Huan smiled with a hint of amusement, "Commander Yue is currently without a wife."

Ironically, Yue Fei was from Tangyin County. At the end of last year, the Jin invaders marched south, and Yue Fei joined the army. Before leaving, he instructed his wife to take good care of his elderly mother and children. Unexpectedly, when the family was fleeing, his wife, Liu, was afraid that the elderly and children would implicate him, so she ran away on her own.

Yue Fei only learned of this news after returning from the battle, and he was heartbroken for a long time.

Of course, this was Yue Fei's private matter, and few outsiders knew about it. However, in the emperor's eyes, Yue Fei was the future marshal of the empire, so he naturally knew everything about him.

Damn it, it seems the history books are true. Yue Fei's first wife was actually a scumbag.

Hehe, I wonder if that scumbag woman will regret it now that she knows Yue Fei's current status?

Moreover, Zhao Huan also knew that Yue Fei was a very good person. In such an era, he only married one wife and never took a concubine. Until he was ordered to commit suicide by Zhao Gou, he only had Li Wa as his wife.

With Ninth Sister entrusted to such a man, what is there to worry about?

Although all brothers in the world have a tendency to be fiercely protective of their sisters, Zhao Huan was no exception. He always felt that marrying off his sister would be like letting a pig take advantage of him, but for political purposes, he had to do it.

Still intoxicated by Yue Fei's heroic spirit and infatuated with him, Zhao Yuanzhu was unaware of her emperor brother's despicable and shameless thoughts, and wondered what he would think if he knew.

Zhao Huan continued to look at Zhao Yuanzhu with that knowing look in his eyes. Zhao Yuanzhu blushed slightly, but said shamelessly, "Then why doesn't Your Majesty quickly introduce a virtuous wife to Commander Yue!"

Zhao Huan nodded and said, "I've heard that Xu Churen's granddaughter is quite good. Yue Fei, shall I introduce her to you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanzhu became anxious and was about to speak when Yue Fei said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I only wish to share Your Majesty's burdens and will not think about anything else."

Zhao Yuanzhu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself: You know what's good for you!

Zhao Yuanzhu's every expression could not escape the notice of Zhao Huan, this old but cunning fellow. He continued, "Yue Fei, you have an elderly mother at home, and you are away from home for many years. If you do not marry, who will take good care of the old lady? Are you at ease with those servants? I am not at ease with them!"

Zhao Huan's words moved Yue Fei deeply, but he completely failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind the emperor's final words, "I am worried."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will follow your arrangements."

Seeing that Yue Fei had so quickly submitted to the emperor's tyranny, Zhao Yuanzhu immediately became anxious. Could it be that Yue Fei really wanted to marry Xu Churen's granddaughter?

Zhao Huan nodded with satisfaction, then said with a sly grin, "Ninth Sister, what do you think? How about Commander Yue marrying Master Xu's granddaughter?"

"Of course it's wonderful! In my opinion, Commander Yue must be overjoyed."

Yue Fei was unwilling, though. He had never even met Xu Xiangong's granddaughter, so how could he be overjoyed? But the emperor had already spoken, so how could he, as a subject, argue with the emperor on this matter?

Yue Fei immediately replied, "Your Highness, I will obey Your Majesty's orders in everything!"

Zhao Yuanzhu pouted, getting angry: "Hmph! He told you to die, so you'd go die!"

Zhao Huan's face immediately darkened, and he reprimanded, "Ninth Sister, stop talking nonsense! Yue Fei is my trusted and beloved general. Losing Yue Fei is like losing a trusted confidant; I cannot live without him!"

Yue Fei was immediately moved to tears by the emperor's words.

Feeling wronged after being reprimanded by the emperor, Zhao Yuanzhu's eyes reddened.

Yue Fei immediately stood up, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Majesty treats me with the kindness of the sun and the moon. I am deeply grateful and will repay your kindness with my life."

Zhao Huan quickly went to help her up, saying, "Yue Qing, please don't stand on ceremony. Actually, the reason I summoned you here is because my ninth sister is already seventeen years old but has not yet married. She has very high standards, and there are not many men who can meet her standards. I wanted to choose a hero for her, and that's when I thought of you."

Upon hearing Zhao Huan's words, both young people who had taken a liking to each other upon their first meeting were taken aback, but were also overjoyed. Zhao Yuanzhu, in particular, had been feeling down because of Zhao Huan's words. This young girl was not very shrewd and spoke her mind easily. When she heard that Zhao Huan wanted to marry Xu Churen's granddaughter to Yue Fei, she immediately became unhappy.

But upon hearing Zhao Huan reveal his purpose, she was overjoyed. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, revealing a smile and her pearly white teeth. Even her bright eyes shone with a spring-like luster.

Zhao Huan said, "Yue Fei, I entrust my ninth sister to you. Are you willing?"