Xiao Chengci closed his eyes and pondered. The only variable now lay with Pei Zhi.

Pei Zhi seemed to be quite different from what he had expected.

He wanted to see what kind of tricks Pei Zhi was playing behind his back.

After seeing Pei Zhi off onto the carriage, Shang Huai escorted her for a while.

Once he had confirmed that he had arrived at the street in front of the Duke's mansion, Shang Huai turned and headed towards the palace.

The Empress was arranging flowers when she heard a palace maid report, "Is Ah Huai coming to see me at this hour?"

"Yes, I'll wait in the outer hall."

"Hurry up and let them in." The Empress put down the scissors in her hand.

The servants beside her immediately handed her a hot towel to wipe her hands.

Shang Huai rushed in excitedly and then bowed.

The Queen said softly, "Get up."

"Normally, seeing you is as difficult as climbing to heaven, so why did you come here on your own today?"

Shang Huai bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have come to see you on an important matter."

"Say it, as long as you ask, I will definitely grant your wish."

The Empress looked at Shang Huai with eyes full of affection.

There was nothing she could do; this was her sister's only child, and her sister had passed away.

The Empress and Shang Huai's mother are sisters.

When the Empress married the Emperor, he was still an insignificant prince.

Later, in order to seize power, the family married the Empress's younger sister to the General of the North.

Since her younger sister married and moved to the north, the Empress had hardly seen her.

Over the years, things have been quite unsettled in the north, and the Shang family has been unable to return.

Later, Shang Huai's mother fell seriously ill and passed away before the imperial physician sent by the Empress could arrive.

The Empress felt guilty towards her younger sister, because the family had sent her to marry far away in the north in order to support the current emperor.

As a result, my younger sister died in the north.

The Empress also doted on this nephew. When Shang Huai was a child, she wanted to bring him into the palace and raise him by her side.

In the end, the matter was left unresolved.

Firstly, at that time, Shang Huai's grandparents were also getting old and hoped that their only grandson would be by their side to fulfill his filial duties.

Secondly, bringing Shang Huai into the palace might be perceived by outsiders as a threat to the General of the Northern Garrison.

Finally, the mantle of the General Who Guards the North needed to be inherited, and after a long talk with the Emperor, the Empress gave up on the idea.

I feel even more guilty towards this nephew.

Shang Huai disliked the rules of the palace and rarely stayed in the capital, so it was extremely difficult for the Empress to see him.

Shang Huai hesitated for a long time, unsure of how to begin.

The Empress, being an experienced woman herself, guessed what was going on when she saw Shang Huai's expression.

The Empress asked, "Is it because of, young lady?"

Shang Huai looked embarrassed, as if his secret had been exposed, and scratched his head. "Your Majesty, how did you know?"

"Is it really true?" The Empress was also somewhat surprised. She had just guessed, but she didn't expect to be right.

My nephew actually has a girl he likes?

The Empress heard that the Zhenbei Prefecture also wanted to arrange a marriage for Shang Huai as soon as possible.

Shang Huai followed the general to the battlefield. Even if something unfortunate happened to him, at least his bloodline would be preserved.

Who knew that Shang Huai would look down on any of the several women he had arranged for his family to marry?

He finds it annoying that girls are too delicate and speak too softly, and that he can't hear them.

They arranged for him to marry the daughter of a military officer, but he complained that she was dark-skinned and not as handsome as him.

The Empress was also very worried, but dared not interfere.

The Empress was overjoyed. "Whose daughter is she? How old is she? How did you two meet? I will arrange a marriage for you right away."

Shang Huai smiled and said, "I haven't decided yet whether or not I want to marry her."

The Empress's heart was constantly in turmoil, sometimes tight and sometimes loose.

"What's wrong? Is something not right?"

Shang Huai scratched his head. "I don't know if I like her. I'm afraid that if I marry her, I'll hold her back."

The Empress found it somewhat amusing; given Shang Huai's status, marrying whom wouldn't be considered a delay.

Marrying Shang Huai guarantees a life of wealth and luxury for the rest of her life.

The Empress spoke calmly, "Then tell me, and I'll analyze it for you."

The Empress was also very curious about how her nephew had gotten to know the girl.

I'm also worried that my nephew, who has never lived in the capital, is naive and might be deceived.

Shang Huai didn't mention Pei Zhi's name; he simply referred to her as "she" throughout the conversation.

"When you first met, the girl's carriage had spooked its horse, and you wanted to help, but the girl herself pulled the horse back?"

Shang Huai nodded, "Yes, she is the first brave girl I have ever seen in the capital."

Shang Huai had just returned to the capital and had nothing to do all day.

Seeing that Pei Zhi was quite skilled, he decided to talk to her.

After that, they often went horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and picnicking together.

When the Empress heard her nephew talk about the girl, her face was full of smiles and her eyes were full of joy.

The Empress felt a pang of sadness for no apparent reason; her nephew had finally found his place in life.

"And then what?"

“I had a lot of fun playing with her. She said that she can’t go out to play anymore because her family has to find her a husband.”

Shang Huai pursed his thin lips. "I don't want her to get married. I want to be able to hang out with her forever. So she asked me to marry her."

Upon hearing this, the Empress frowned slightly. "You're saying this girl doesn't know your identity? Are you sure?"

The Empress was worried that the girl already knew Shang Huai's identity but was just pretending not to.

Shang Huai raised his hand: "She really didn't know, I swear."

“She always thought I was just a bodyguard.” Shang Huai paused and continued, “Even if she tried to find out about me, there weren’t many people in the capital who knew me.”

Shang Huai had lived in the north since childhood and rarely returned to the capital.

Many people may know that there is a young general in the Zhenbei General's Mansion, but few know his name.

Unless, of course, they are from families that are very close to Zhenbei Prefecture.

The Empress lowered her suspicions slightly. "So what do you think? Do you want to marry her?"

"I don't know either," Shang Huai said somewhat awkwardly.

The Empress found it somewhat amusing; if Shang Huai didn't want to marry her, he wouldn't have come looking for her.

Normally, Shang Huai is closer to his aunt, and when he returns to the capital, he prefers to stay at Mr. Yuan's residence.

In the past, Shang Huai always liked to discuss things with his aunt.

I've come to see her today, presumably hoping she can help me out.

"Then think of it this way: if you don't marry her, someone else will."

Seeing Shang Huai's expression change slightly, the Empress continued, "After she gets married, she will definitely not be able to have any contact with you."

"You'll never see her again, never speak to her again, you'll lose her, can you accept that?"

Without even thinking, Shang Huai refused: "I don't want it."

He didn't want to lose Pei Zhi; he wanted to keep playing with Pei Zhi like this forever.

"If you don't want to lose her, then marry her, and you can be together forever."

Shang Huai lowered his head and fell silent, looking utterly dejected.