The air fell silent for a moment. Wuyou did not speak, but stared intently at the Queen, as if she were seeing her for the first time, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery.

"Why are you looking at your mother like that?" The Queen smoothed a strand of hair at her temple to conceal her unease, her tone shifting, tinged with reproach. He was Wuyou's biological mother; what did she mean by looking at her like that? Didn't she understand any manners?

"It's nothing. My father and mother are about to arrange for me to marry into the Great Yan Kingdom. I'm afraid I won't be able to see my relatives again, so I just wanted to take a few more glances." Wuyou shook her head, her tone indifferent.

"What do you mean by that? What do you mean by arranging for you to marry into the Great Yan Kingdom? As a princess, having enjoyed the riches and honors of the royal family, you naturally have to fulfill your obligations. This is an inescapable mission for you as a princess."

The queen felt instantly violated. Years of pampered life had made him accustomed to being high above others and not allowing anyone to question him, especially since this was her own flesh and blood whom she had carried for ten months.

"Whatever Mother says goes!" Wuyou lowered her head, looking at her slender, pale fingertips, her tone still indifferent, which was truly infuriating.

"Helan Wuyou, explain yourself clearly. What exactly is your attitude? Do you intend to disobey your parents' wishes?" The Queen was enraged, her tone becoming much sharper. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, looking down at Wuyou, attempting to suppress her with her imposing presence.

"Since Mother wants to explain things clearly to me, then I will tell you the truth." Wuyou picked up the teacup with the broken edge and took a sip. The faint floral fragrance filled her mouth, diluting the bitterness and leaving a pleasant aftertaste.

"As a princess, it is common for me to be married off, and I dare not refuse. But Mother, ask yourself, is my marriage really just because I am older?"

Hearing this, the queen felt a little guilty, blinked her eyes, and then regained her confidence. "Of course, such a good marriage has been given to you, what more could you want? The Great Yan Kingdom is powerful, and it is your blessing to marry the Second Prince."

"Does Mother really think I'm a sheltered young lady who knows nothing? What kind of person is Yan Qi, the second prince of the Great Yan Kingdom? He's a womanizer and a violent man by nature. How could I possibly have a good marriage with him? Besides, Father and Mother know that I'm frail. If I marry him, I'll probably die there."

As he spoke, Wuyou lowered his voice, which suddenly became more sinister and chilling, sending shivers down one's spine.

"What nonsense are you spouting—" The Queen's voice instantly rose several decibels, her eyes filled with panic as she shouted, trying to cover up her blunder.

"Why is Mother so flustered? I was just joking!" Wuyou smiled innocently, her smile sweet and pure, like a simple child.

"My sister is the apple of Father and Mother's eye, so naturally you wouldn't want to part with her. What am I? I'm just the one who's been abandoned." As she spoke, Wuyou smiled lightly, as if she were an outsider, detached from the situation. Her dark pupils shone with a bright light that shone into the depths of people's hearts.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Your mind is so dark, it's nothing like your father and me. I really don't know who you took after. No wonder Yuan'er and the others don't like you. With such a dark mind, how can anyone like you?" The Queen's tone was full of disappointment and accusation.

"Wuxia always speaks well of you and has a deep affection for you. She even tells us to treat you well. But when faced with this kind of situation, you think of pushing the person who treats you best out to take the blame. It's such a waste of Wuxia's good intentions." As she spoke, the Queen couldn't help but feel indignant on behalf of her beloved daughter, her tone indignant as if she herself were the one who had been wronged.

"Why is Mother so angry? I never said I wouldn't marry. Since you don't like me as your daughter and want to marry me off far away, there's nothing I can do but accept my fate. Mother, you don't need to waste your time on me. I'll marry. But I have conditions."

Wuyou shook her head, mentally labeling the Queen as 'impulsive.' She became enraged after just a few words; could one say the children of the grasslands were truly simple-minded? Only Helan Wuyou possessed a sharp mind and was prone to melancholy—a true outlier. As the saying goes, those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts; different personalities also make one an outlier in a certain sense.

"This is what you should be doing, and you still want to negotiate with me?" The Queen's tone was incredulous, her peach blossom eyes widened slightly, and she was very puzzled by Wuyou's idea.

Marrying into the Great Yan Kingdom was a unified decision of the Yong royal family, and her name had already been reported to the Great Yan Kingdom. The matter was settled, and Helan Wuyou could not change anything at all; she was just a caged bird.

“I know that Father and Mother have made their decision, and I cannot change your minds. You have completely decided to abandon me. But would you rather have a living princess marry into the Great Yan Kingdom to maintain diplomatic relations between the two countries, or a cold, indifferent princess marrying into the Great Yan Kingdom and causing war between the two countries?”

Wuyou slowly stood up, meeting the Queen's gaze. The determination and coldness in his eyes were chilling. The Queen was instantly frightened. She saw an unprecedented firmness and persistence in Wuyou's eyes. Subconsciously, she knew that Wuyou was serious. If she didn't agree to Wuyou's request, he really would dare to commit suicide, leaving the Great Yan Kingdom with a cold, lifeless corpse.

The Queen's pupils dilated violently, and her lips trembled involuntarily. Only now did she truly look directly at her daughter, as if she had never known her before. In her memory, this eldest daughter was gentle and obedient, sickly and timid, with an extremely weak presence. She always stood in the corner, observing everything around her with dark eyes, exuding a gloomy aura that made people very uncomfortable.

She has always displayed a submissive and submissive personality, which makes people look down on her. However, as a result, she is increasingly unable to see the other person clearly.

"You..." The Queen had just opened her mouth when she realized that her voice was terribly dry. She cleared her throat and said, "Tell us what you think, and we'll consider it and give you an answer."

This was a disguised compromise. The Queen herself did not realize that she had become much more cautious when facing Wuyou, placing Wuyou on an equal footing instead of issuing orders from a high position and arbitrarily controlling the life and death of others.

"My request is simple: I want three times the dowry. After all, I will be struggling alone in the Great Yan Kingdom and can only rely on myself. In the days before my marriage, no one is allowed to disturb me or the people in the palace. I need to take good care of my health. I'm sure my father and mother wouldn't want me to die on the road!"

Wuyou's eyes held a mocking glint, sharp as cactus thorns, piercing and painful.

"Alright." The Queen's eyes darted away, but she nodded. This wasn't difficult; it just involved providing more dowry, which wasn't a problem. As for not meeting her, she didn't want to see this daughter anyway.