Now, let alone Song Wanning and Nan Hongqiu, even Concubine Xian and Princess Xiangyu who were sitting above were shocked and hurriedly stood up to pay their respects.

The virtuous concubine's plan had not yet been completed when it was interrupted by the emperor. Although she was afraid of complications, she had no other way to cover it up.

Song Wanning was already kneeling on the ground, so she only needed to turn around to comply with the rules.

When Concubine Xian saw the emperor coming, her expression immediately changed. She greeted the emperor with the demeanor of a gentle concubine, "Your Majesty, I was really thinking of asking my eunuch to call you over for dinner. I didn't expect that Your Majesty had already come. I guess you are thinking of me and that we have a tacit understanding."

"Is Dehua Palace so bustling today?" The emperor glanced at Song Wanning and Nan Hongqiu, who were kneeling on the ground, and asked, "Whose family is this kneeling girl from?"

"Oh?" Concubine Xian concealed her indifference and said with a smile, "She is the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. I heard that legitimate daughters of the General's Mansion are beautiful and can arrange flowers and appreciate fragrance. I just asked her to come into the palace to chat with me and will send her out in a while."

"The general's daughter?" The emperor's voice was quite majestic. He only smiled after hearing this and said, "Could it be Song Wanning, the eldest daughter of the general's mansion?"

Now the virtuous concubine was startled and looked at the emperor and asked, "Your Majesty actually knew?"

The emperor chuckled softly and patted Concubine Xian's shoulder. "What a coincidence! The Prime Minister just came to the palace this morning and asked for an imperial decree granting him a marriage with the general's daughter."

Now everyone present was shocked again. Song Wanning had never expected that Yin Yichen would actually go to the palace to ask for an imperial decree granting the marriage. If he got the decree now, the rest of the matter would be much smoother, and even the virtuous concubine would be helpless.

The virtuous concubine also looked a little panicked, and asked timidly, "Your Majesty, do you agree?"

"How can I not agree?" the emperor said, walking towards the chair in Dehua Palace. "The Prime Minister really wants to get married. He has come to me and begged me again and again. He said he is already twenty-one and if he doesn't marry, he will be too old. He is already alone and if he doesn't marry, he will have no offspring. How can I not agree?"

"Father..." Princess Xiangyu, who was standing over there, was completely unhappy after hearing this. She looked at the emperor with an aggrieved expression and said coquettishly, "At first, I begged you to let me marry the Prime Minister, but you refused and refused to let your daughter marry the Prime Minister. Now that the Prime Minister has begged you, you have agreed. You are biased."

"The Prime Minister himself doesn't want to marry you, what can I do? I'm afraid you two are just not destined to be together." The emperor smiled, reached out and touched Princess Xiangyu's head, and said softly, "I also punished the Prime Minister before. There are many good men in the capital, not just Yin Yichen. Your father will find a good husband for you another day."

Princess Xiangyu still refused, saying coyly, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Doesn't the Prime Minister have to marry whoever you tell him to? What's the point of being willing or not? Besides, Your Majesty, you don't know that Song Wanning has been married before. How can a second-time bride like her be worthy of the Prime Minister?"

"Xiangyu!" The emperor showed a displeased look when he heard this. "How can you say that?"

Princess Xiangyu knew that the emperor didn't like to hear this, so she stopped talking, but her expression still looked unhappy.

The emperor turned around and waved at Song Wanning, who was kneeling on the ground. "The general's daughter should leave the palace. The prime minister has heard the rumors and is still waiting outside Dehua Palace."

After hearing this, Princess Xiangyu's face turned even uglier. She was so angry that she stomped her feet in the palace but could do nothing.

Song Wanning responded, thanked him, and followed the eunuch from Dehua Palace out of the door.

Outside Dehua Palace, Song Wanning sniffed the air and felt a sense of relief. She hurried to the carriage at the palace gate. Before she could say anything, the curtains were already drawn back. The Prime Minister poked his head out and extended his hand to her.

Nan Hongqiu, who was following behind Song Wanning, was about to go over, but was interrupted by the eunuch beside her, "Madam, the emperor specifically ordered that Miss Ning and the Prime Minister be alone. You should follow me and leave the palace through another door."

Seeing this, Nan Hongqiu had no choice but to agree and followed the eunuch back along the same route.

Song Wanning got into the carriage and sat on the cushions. She looked at Yin Yichen and sighed, "What a grand ceremony in the palace."

"I'm late." Yin Yichen held Song Wanning's hand and whispered comfortingly, "Now that everything is settled, they can no longer do anything."

Song Wanning nodded slightly, but then she thought of something, "My father is still waiting for me at the North Gate. I should go over there and reassure her."

Yin Yichen only smiled faintly after hearing what Song Wanning said. "Your good aunt has already passed away. She will definitely tell the general about our affairs, exaggerating them. Why don't you come with me out of the palace? I will take you back to the general's mansion."

Song Wanning had no choice but to agree and left the palace with Yin Yichen.

Meanwhile, Nan Hongqiu walked to the palace gate alone. Seeing this, Song Jing hurried over to greet her. However, he saw that Nan Hongqiu didn't see Song Wanning, and immediately became anxious. "Where's Wanning? Could she have been detained?"

"Brother, your good daughter is really capable." Nan Hongqiu chuckled and looked at Song Jing and said, "I heard that the Prime Minister went to the palace to ask for an imperial decree to grant the marriage. The emperor personally came to Dehua Palace and asked the Prime Minister to take Wan Ning away."

"What?"

Song Jing stood there in a daze. He didn't expect the Prime Minister to act so quickly. He didn't even go to the emperor's house to propose marriage, but instead went to the emperor to ask for an imperial edict.

Song Jing returned to the general's mansion with a lot on his mind. He called Song Lan and was about to discuss the matter, but he didn't expect the doorman's mother to come in and tell him soon.

"Master, the Prime Minister is standing outside and has something important to say."

Seeing that this matter could not be avoided, Song Jing had no choice but to ask his mother to welcome the Prime Minister in with a sullen face, "Call the Prime Minister in and take him to the main hall."

When Song Lan saw Song Jing's dark face, he knew that this matter was not simple. Sure enough, after a while, he saw Yin Yichen coming in from outside.

He still had a faint smile on his face, and it seemed that he was in a good mood. He looked at Song Jing and bowed, saying, "General, I'm sorry for your sudden visit today. I hope I won't disturb your mood."

"How can I be in a good mood with you here?" Song Jing's face was dark, and his attitude towards Yin Yichen was extremely bad. He said coldly, "I wonder what brings you here today, Prime Minister?"

Yin Yichen stood in the hall, holding out a letter of engagement. "General, I love Song Wanning, the daughter of the General's Mansion. I am writing this letter of engagement for your review. I am only waiting for a reply from the General's Mansion."

Song Jing glanced at the invitation sent by Yin Yichen and sneered, "Haven't you already obtained the imperial decree granting the marriage? Why are you pretending here?"