Su Renzhong woke up just as the Vermilion Bird divine beast arrived at the Western Liang Imperial Palace.

Looking at the buildings below, so different from those of Eastern Chu and Northern Wei, Su Renzhong exclaimed in surprise, "This is Western Liang! It's so beautiful!"

Duanmu Junyu teased him, "You woke up just in time. If you hadn't woken up by the time we got to the palace, I would have had to have someone carry you away."

Su Renzhong was startled to find two women sitting behind them, one being the Prime Minister of Xiliang and the other the Grand General of Xiliang. His face immediately turned red, and he leaned close to Duanmu Junyu's ear and said, "I didn't do anything shameful last night, did I?"

He gets very talkative and clingy after drinking...

Duanmu Junyu didn't want him to feel guilty, so she coaxed him, "No, if you make a fuss, I'll knock you out with a stick."

Su Renzhong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, feeling extremely fortunate.

Fortunately, she was wise; otherwise, he would have been utterly humiliated.

Lan Jingxiao and Shao Jingling behind them wanted to laugh but dared not.

I never would have guessed before, but Her Majesty is really good at sweet-talking people. Her Majesty is so patient with this man, it's clear she's truly head over heels in love with him.

Fortunately, this man is also sincere to His Majesty. He even gave up the throne of Northern Wei for His Majesty and came to Western Liang to be the emperor's consort. It must have been difficult for him.

The two of them can be considered a couple in love!

When the Vermilion Bird mythical beast landed in the palace, all the eunuchs in the Western Liang palace rushed over.

"Your Majesty, you've finally returned!"

"Your Majesty, we have finally waited for your return!"

When the eunuchs saw Su Renzhong standing beside Duanmu Junyu, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves, speculating about his identity.

Who is this man?

"He's so tall and handsome!"

"It's a pity, he's a bit too old!"

Su Renzhong has excellent hearing. Upon hearing this, his face darkened instantly, and he almost lost his temper on the spot.

Duanmu Junyu knew he was angry, so she reached out and took his hand to comfort him, then leaned closer and said, "What's with all this talk about being old? I know you're still as brave as ever, and that's enough!"

Duanmu Junyu's whispered words made Su Renzhong feel completely at ease.

This also caused Lan Jingxiao and Shao Jingling behind them to blush.

Your Majesty is truly...

When the eunuchs below saw Duanmu Junyu take Su Renzhong's hand, they understood perfectly well what was going on.

He was originally His Majesty's man!

So His Majesty likes this one!

After the Vermilion Bird divine beast landed, the Black Tortoise divine beast and the Azure Dragon divine beast also landed immediately.

The eunuchs became excited again.

"My God, these are the Black Tortoise and the Azure Dragon!"

"The three mythical beasts have gathered together! This is truly spectacular!"

"It looks like our Crown Princess and the young prince!"

"How could they have come back riding the Black Tortoise and the Azure Dragon divine beasts?!"

The Black Tortoise belongs to Eastern Chu, and the Azure Dragon belongs to Northern Wei. How could the divine beasts of these two countries be carrying the two princesses of Western Liang back?

Duanmu Junyu naturally wouldn't explain anything to them. She just looked at Lan Jingxiao and Shao Jingling and instructed them, "Go and inform all the civil and military officials to come to court. I have something to announce."

"Yes," the two replied and immediately went to carry out the task.

After a stick of incense had burned, all the civil and military officials of Xiliang gathered at the Vermilion Bird Hall.

"I heard Her Majesty the Empress has just returned?"

"Where did she go this time? Why did it take her so long to come back?"

"It seems she went to Dongchu. Didn't she live in Dongchu before?"

"They must have gone to look for the Crown Princess and the young prince's father. I wonder if they've found him yet!"

"I heard that three mythical beasts just returned together. I wonder why the mythical beasts from the Northern Wei Dynasty also came back with them?"

"His Majesty seems to have something to announce, but what is it?"

Just as the officials were discussing the matter, a news report was heard outside.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived! The Crown Prince of Northern Wei has arrived! The Crown Princess has arrived! The Emperor of Eastern Chu has arrived! The Little Prince has arrived!"

This series of announcements instantly bewildered the assembled officials.

We can understand Her Majesty the Empress, the Crown Princess, and the young prince, but what do the Crown Prince of Northern Wei and the Emperor of Eastern Chu mean by this?

Could it be that the Crown Prince of Northern Wei and the Emperor of Eastern Chu visited Western Liang together?

But it's neither a holiday nor anyone's birthday, so what are they doing in Xiliang at this time?

Just as the officials were puzzled, Duanmu Junyu led Su Renzhong into the palace.

Su Xuening, Xuan Yuanzhan, and Su Yun'an followed behind.

The courtiers were all stunned by what they saw.

Wasn't it said to be the crown prince of Northern Wei and the emperor of Eastern Chu?

Why is their empress holding someone else's hand? What does that mean?

Duanmu Junyu led Su Renzhong directly up the jade steps and had him sit with her on her phoenix chair.

This immediately caused an uproar among the court officials.

"Who is this person? Why did His Majesty allow him to sit on the phoenix throne?"

"It seems there was an announcement outside just now, saying he's either the crown prince of Northern Wei or the emperor of Eastern Chu?"

"No one, including him, can sit on the throne!"

"Yes, has His Majesty lost his mind? How could he allow an outsider to sit on his throne!"

Seeing that the courtiers below were about to cause a disturbance, Duanmu Junyu raised her hand to signal them to calm down.

Soon, the courtiers managed to quiet down.

Duanmu Junyu, holding Su Renzhong's hand, addressed the assembled officials below: "Let me formally introduce you all. This is the biological father of the Crown Princess and the young prince, and also my husband in Eastern Chu. He is not only the Grand General of Eastern Chu, but also the Crown Prince of Northern Wei, Helian Ci."

Duanmu Junyu's words caused the crowd to stir again.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!