If Line (V) Is it not good to be my woman? Not good...

A few days after her coming-of-age ceremony, Chanzhen was again summoned by Princess Yuzhen to accompany her into the palace.

Chan Zhen was puzzled by this. Princess Yu Zhen had spent years cultivating in the Taoist temple, rarely paying attention to worldly matters. If Chan Zhen hadn't been close to Xuan Yang, he wouldn't have been able to invite Princess Yu Zhen to be the main guest at this coming-of-age ceremony. He had assumed that Princess Yu Zhen would return to the temple to continue her cultivation after the ceremony, but unexpectedly, she had taken up residence in the palace.

Chan Zhen did not refuse Princess Yu Zhen's summons.

"Miss Song, His Highness was delayed by something. Please sit here for a while." The palace maid led Chan Zhen to a luxurious palace, served her tea, and then left.

Zen Zhen was the only one left in the huge palace. While sipping tea, he lowered his head and thought about why the princess summoned him. Not long after, he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Zen Zhen thought that Her Royal Highness the Princess had finally finished packing, so he quickly straightened his appearance, put on a smile, and was about to bow.

"This humble servant greets Her Royal Highness the Princess."

The footsteps stopped in front of her, but there was no response from Her Royal Highness the Princess for a long time. In this empty silence, the corners of Chan Zhen's mouth gradually became a little stiff, and his heart began to beat nervously.

Did she do something wrong and anger Her Royal Highness the Princess?

The man before him seemed to sigh, and after a long pause he said, "Get up."

The voice was gentle and mellow, definitely not that of the eldest princess. It was clearly a man's voice.

Chan Zhen looked up in surprise. The man in front of him was tall and slender. His long black robe was embroidered with solemn golden dragon patterns. He also wore a dragon-shaped jade pendant around his waist. His face was deep and his temperament was calm. His aura was so strong that people were overwhelmed at first sight and did not dare to look closer.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant pays homage." Chan Zhen bowed his head again, his forehead pressed tightly against the back of his hand, his heart filled with fear.

Didn't the princess summon her? Why is His Majesty here?

"Didn't I tell you to get up?" Seeing that she looked extremely frightened, Chen Dingyao shook his head helplessly and leaned over to extend a hand to her.

Chan Zhen raised his eyes and looked cautiously at the hand that His Majesty extended to him, but did not dare to put his hand on it. Instead, he stood up and took a step back, not daring to get too close to him.

Chen Dingyao looked at his empty hand and his eyes darkened. Then he took it back as if nothing had happened and asked her in a slow voice, "Are you afraid of me?"

Who wouldn't be afraid of Your Majesty?

Despite His Majesty's gentle tone, Chan Zhen still bowed her head cautiously and replied, "Your Majesty's majestic countenance naturally makes this subject feel in awe."

"Really?" Chen Dingyao chuckled softly, "I thought you were very brave."

Chan Zhen knew he was referring to the time she had drunkenly contradicted him, so she bit her lip and said, "I was drunken and unconscious before, and spoke rudely to Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

"When did I ever say I was going to blame you?" Chen Dingyao sat down opposite her and said, "Yuzhen had something to do and couldn't come with me today, so I came here instead. Is Chanzhen unhappy?"

He pronounced his own name very softly, with a peculiar meaning that made Zen Zhen feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Your Highness dare not."

"Then sit down." Chen Dingyao picked up the teapot, filled it with the half-drunk tea she had just drunk, and held it up to gesture to her.

"I can do it myself." Chan Zhen sat down opposite him stiffly, took the tea from him, but just held it in his hand without drinking it.

Chen Dingyao carefully examined her attire. Today she was wearing much brighter clothes than when they first met. Her eyes were smudged with rouge and her lips were bright red, making her look even more delicate and beautiful, like a peach blossom.

"Why aren't you wearing the hairpin I gave you today?"

Chan Zhen felt the undisguised burning gaze from the other side, and her scalp suddenly tingled. "The gift from the Emperor must be carefully kept. I dare not wear it lightly."

"Since I gave it to you as a gift, I naturally hope you'll wear it every day." Chen Dingyao exclaimed, "It looks great on you."

Zen Zhen didn't dare to accept his compliment, and took the opportunity to drink tea to avoid his sight.

What did His Majesty mean by this? They were alone in a room, a man and a woman, and His Majesty's gaze was so intense that Chan Zhen couldn't avoid it, let alone think about it.

"Chanzhen has now reached the age of marriage," His Majesty paused and asked her, "I wonder if her marriage has been arranged?"

He changed the subject so suddenly that Zenzhen was caught off guard and choked on his tea, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Your humble servant..." Zen was coughing violently when suddenly a silk scarf was handed to her. When she looked up, she met His Majesty's concerned gaze.

Chan Zhen took the scarf, covered his mouth with it and coughed lightly. It took him a while to recover. When he put down the scarf, the rich sandalwood scent was still lingering at his nose.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zen Zhen calmed down before answering his previous question. "I haven't found a husband yet. Mother wants me to stay at home for a few more years."

"Marriage needs to be planned early. I wonder if Chanzhen has a man in mind?" Chen Dingyao stared at her motionlessly.

Zen Zhen felt the pressure, "I only wanted to be with my mother and never considered the private affairs of men and women."

"Has Chanzhen ever thought about what kind of man she wants to marry?" Chen Dingyao continued to ask.

His Majesty's attitude was clear, and Chan Zhen could no longer feign ignorance. She evaded the question, saying, "When I was young, I saw my parents' love and affection, and I longed to marry a man like my father. His family doesn't need to be high-born, but a clean one. He should have no concubines or illegitimate children, and his age should be similar to mine, not too far apart."

With every condition she mentioned, Chen Dingyao's eyes grew darker.

He was the Son of Heaven, his family background was extremely high, and the royal family was not a spotless place; although he had no concubines, he had quite a few concubines in the harem, and he had several children; in terms of age, he was twenty years older than her, a big difference.

He didn't meet any of the conditions she mentioned.

This was almost a blatant rejection. Chen Dingyao looked at her innocent expression and gritted his teeth, saying, "Zhenzhen, you might as well take a broader view."

Zen Zhen pretended not to understand his hint and said, "I have no great ambitions. I just want to marry into an ordinary family and be an ordinary loving couple."

Chen Dingyao almost wanted to crush the teacup in his hand, "Chanzhen comes from a noble family, how can an ordinary family be worthy of you."

"If it is the person I like, even if he is a peddler, I am willing to follow him wholeheartedly and never leave him." Zen Zhen looked at him firmly.

"I'll be with you forever, forever and ever." Chen Dingyao finally couldn't help himself. He dropped the teacup in his hand and leaned forward to pinch her face. "Am I not worthy of your words?"

Zen Zhen was startled by his sudden action, and his breathing became tighter. He looked at him with a hint of fear, "Your Majesty..."

"Chanzhen, you know what I mean." Chen Dingyao moved closer to her, their breaths almost intertwined.

Chan Zhen was pinched on the face by him and wanted to hide but couldn't, so she could only force herself to say, "Your Majesty, I am not worthy of your kindness."

"You deserve it. No one deserves it more than you." Chen Dingyao slowed down his voice. "Isn't it good to be my woman?"

"Your Majesty, I only have admiration for you, not any romantic feelings." Chan Zhen had thought about what would happen if she rejected him, but she still insisted.

His eyes suddenly turned cold, and he stared at her determined eyes for a long time without saying a word.

Zenzhen couldn't help but shudder under his gaze, and before she could react, an unexpected kiss fell on her.

Feeling the burning temperature on his lips, Zen Zhen opened his eyes wide in surprise and tried to struggle to avoid it, but he held the back of his head firmly with one hand. He could only passively endure it and could not avoid it.

"Your Majesty..." Zen Zhen tried to dissuade him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he was seized by the opportunity and rushed straight in. He was forced to entangle his lips and tongue with his, and his breathing became disordered.

In her entire life, Chan Zhen had never been so intimate with anyone before, and it was so fierce and strong that he would not allow anyone to refuse at all, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

When he finally let her go, he didn't know how much time had passed. Zen Zhen felt that his lips and tongue had become numb, and his cheeks were flushed red, not sure whether from shyness or holding his breath.

"Zenzhen..." Chen Dingyao was stimulated by her and lost control for a while. Now that he came to his senses, he wanted to comfort her, but he saw that her eyes were wet and red, and she was staring at him with resentment on her face.

He felt guilty and coughed lightly, saying, "I have decided to make you a noble concubine. I will choose an auspicious day to bring you into the palace."

Chan Zhen said coldly, "Whoever wants to be the imperial concubine can do so. Anyway, there is no way I can enter the palace."

"The emperor has issued an edict. Can the Marquis of Jing'an still disobey it?" He said gently, ignoring her cold face.

"Your Majesty, are you threatening me?" Chan Zhen said.

He smiled and said, "As long as you are willing to enter the palace, you are not a threat."

Chan Zhen saw his determination and couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, what exactly do you like about me? I don't think I have any other advantages besides my face, and you are not a person who values beauty."

He pondered for a moment and said frankly, "I don't know either, but the first time I saw you, I felt extremely happy."

"You have many concubines and beauties in your harem." Zen Zhen thought gloomily, why did he have to pester her?

"Do you mind this?" His eyes lit up instantly. "As long as you are willing to enter the palace, I will only want you from now on."

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him at the moment, Chan Zhen decided to take a step back for now. "Your Majesty, please allow me to think it over carefully."

"Okay, how long do you want to consider it?" Chen Dingyao saw that her attitude had softened and was not as firm as before, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty has said before that marriage is a serious matter and that I, a humble servant, need time to observe your Majesty's intentions. Of course, there is no need to rush," Chan Zhen said coaxingly. "But before I make up my mind, your Majesty must not issue an imperial decree without authorization, nor force me. Is this feasible?"

Chen Dingyao looked at her with a gloomy gaze: "Is Chan Zhen simply deceiving me?"

Chan Zhen was startled, but forced herself to remain calm and said, "Your Majesty is so wise and powerful. How could this subject possibly escape your clutches?"

At this point, she put on a tearful expression and said aggrievedly, "It's clear that Your Majesty doesn't trust me. If that's the case, I would rather die than enter the palace."

As he spoke, Zenzhen pretended to be sad and wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves, looking at him with half-covered eyes.

Chen Dingyao was indeed moved by her and sighed, "Then I will obey you."

The half of Chan Zhen's face hidden behind his sleeve was secretly delighted, but his voice was still pretending to be pitiful: "Your Majesty, thank you very much."

She needs to calm down first and think of another way. The emperor has always been heartless, and this feeling may not last long. In any case, she does not want to enter the palace and become one of his concubines, and be caught in an endless struggle.

The sky is high and the sea is vast, there is always a way to dissuade him from having such thoughts.