Xie Qi felt slightly uncomfortable being looked at by his mother with such a cold and indifferent gaze.

Xie Qi pleaded in a low voice, "Mother, I have my reasons for doing this. Please help me this once?"

After hearing Xie Qi's words, Madam Xie hesitated.

Seeing Xie Qi's pained expression, which didn't seem like he was joking, Madam Xie finally agreed.

"I'm going to help you find a partner one last time. If it still doesn't work out, I won't care if you end up alone."

Madam Xie was truly forced to comply by Xie Qi's pleas and had no other choice.

But some things need to be said in advance.

Xie Qi deliberately failed twice, and Madam Xie was no longer willing to worry about it.

Once Madam Xie revealed that Xie Qi was going to choose a wife, many people came to inquire about it.

Although everyone had vaguely heard about it before.

There was something ambiguous between Xie Qi and Princess Chang Le.

But Princess Chang Le is dead now, isn't she?

Moreover, Xie Qi is a man, and it's normal for men to be a bit philandering.

Few people would care about these trivial details.

After finishing the morning court session, the Second Prince deliberately slowed his pace a few steps, waiting to walk alongside Xie Qi.

"I heard that Lord Xie is choosing a wife for you at home?"

Xie Qi nodded. "I'm not young anymore. My mother was very worried about what happened before, and now..."

The second prince immediately understood, recalling what the concubine had whispered in his ear the previous night.

Although the Second Prince felt something was amiss, he also believed that this was an opportunity to test whether Xie Qi was completely loyal to him.

"I have a concubine, and her family has a younger sister who is of marriageable age. I wonder if Your Highness would have the honor of acting as matchmaker for Lord Xie?"

The second prince's concubine was from a family that was a county magistrate, but she was very beautiful.

After being presented to the Second Prince by his men, she was greatly favored by him.

The second prince also knew that the other party's status was somewhat low. "He is indeed good-looking. As for men, fame and fortune are earned by themselves. As long as their wives are good-looking, that's enough, right?"

Xie Qi hesitated for a moment, "Since the Second Prince has spoken, I can't very well refuse. Why don't you make the arrangements yourself?"

Seeing that Xie Qi was giving him such face, the Second Prince was very pleased.

"very good."

The Second Prince patted Xie Qi on the shoulder, "If this works out, we'll be brothers-in-law, like blood brothers."

Xie Qi repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting, "Second Prince, you flatter me too much. How could I possibly be worthy of addressing Your Highness as a brother?"

The Second Prince knew that Xie Qi was flattering him.

Why did Xie Qi flatter him? Wasn't it because he was certain that he would ascend to the throne?

The second prince was secretly pleased with himself. Now, he was just waiting for his father's imperial decree to be issued, and he would become the rightful crown prince.

The Second Prince said he wanted to act as a matchmaker for Xie Qi, and immediately made arrangements for Xie Qi.

After the two families met, they began to discuss the betrothal gifts.

Madam Xie glanced at the woman and was so angry that she felt dizzy.

This doesn't seem like the kind of daughter a good family would raise.

She flirted with Xie Qi right in front of her, on their very first meeting.

Surprisingly, Xie Qi agreed.

Madam Xie immediately began to feign illness, and then completely withdrew from all other matters.

Xie Qi didn't trouble Madam Xie; he went out and hired a matchmaker to handle everything.

The marriage was arranged within three days.

According to the Second Prince, a grand engagement banquet should be held.

However, Xie Qi declined the offer.

Xie Qi meant that His Majesty was currently unwell.

If they make such a commotion outside, His Majesty would be very worried if he found out.

The Second Prince thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. He could only regretfully say that when Xie Qi married his sister-in-law in the future, the wedding should be held in a grander venue to make up for it.

Seeing Xie Qi following the Second Prince every day, Yuan Chengyu shook his head helplessly.

Xie Qi really is someone who believes in the saying "nothing ventured, nothing gained." He's quite adaptable and knows how to bend and stretch.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed since the Second Prince rescued Emperor Pei.

Emperor Pei made no move to establish a crown prince, let alone Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu.

Even the Second Prince was getting anxious, as Emperor Pei had been unable to get out of bed for the past few days.

And so, Emperor Pei kept quiet about making him the crown prince. How could the second prince not be anxious?

The affairs of the morning court were all handled by the cabinet ministers, so that the second prince was not allowed to get involved.

The second prince was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but he had no other choice.

Xie Qi and Yuan Chengyu gathered together at the Second Prince's residence.

The concubine sat beside the second prince, and her younger sister sat next to Xie Qi. They got up and poured tea for everyone.

Yuan Chengyu glanced at the person and rolled his eyes.

After serving tea to everyone, the concubine's younger sister personally presented the teacup to Xie Qi, gazing at him with tender affection.

Xie Qi took the cup without looking to the side, without touching the other person's hand.

"Father's days of lucidity are numbered, so why isn't he worried at all?"

The second prince sighed, "If Father doesn't issue a decree, how long must I wait?"

Yuan Chengyu felt disgusted by the women clinging to Xie Qi.

"Your Highness, since we men are discussing matters, let them leave first, lest someone overhear us."

The second prince wanted to say that the concubine was his person, so there was nothing to be wary of.

Xie Qi replied, "We have important matters to discuss, Your Highness should proceed with caution."

The second prince nodded repeatedly; their discussion concerned the throne.

This is naturally a big deal, and we can't let just anyone hear about it.

"You all go out first, we need to discuss something."

The concubine grumbled and complained, but the second prince kissed her on the cheek, and only then did she leave satisfied.

The concubine's younger sister tugged at Xie Qi's sleeve and said shyly, "Then I'll wait for you outside."

Xie Qi snorted, which meant he had heard.

As soon as the two women left, Xie Qi's tense body relaxed slightly.

"Your Highness, I'm worried that His Majesty doesn't have many days left."

Yuan Chengyu hesitated and said, "To put it bluntly, what if His Majesty were to pass away in his sleep? Without an imperial edict and without knowing where the imperial seal is, it would be difficult to gain the respect of the court officials."

The second prince understood this as well. "What you've said is exactly what I'm worried about."

“These past few days, Father has been eating less each day. Tell me, he can’t even eat properly anymore and is only relying on pills to keep going. How long can he last?”

When the second prince got excited, he couldn't help but raise his voice.

"I've already rescued Father Emperor, so does Father Emperor still intend to favor those younger brothers?"