Emperor Wen looked distressed and recounted his hardships.

The officials who had originally planned to weep and plead their case to him looked at each other, suddenly finding themselves at a loss for what to do and standing there awkwardly, unsure of how to react.

"My beloved ministers, Ye'er has indeed gone too far today. I apologize to you on his behalf."

As he spoke, Emperor Wen stood up from his seat and was about to bend down.

An official closest to him immediately jumped up and said, "Your Majesty, this is too much for us. It is only our duty to offer advice, and it is normal that His Highness the Crown Prince does not like to hear it. Why do you have to do this?"

Emperor Wen straightened up with his help, looked around at the ministers, and sighed heavily: "Alas, my dear ministers, today I will speak frankly with you. It is not that I am unable to distinguish right from wrong or that I am indulging the Crown Prince, but rather that the circumstances are special."

Hearing him say this, the ministers also became curious: "What exactly is going on? Your Majesty can tell us. It is our honor to be able to share your worries."

Having built up the atmosphere, Emperor Wen narrowed his eyes slightly and began to recount the events of the palace banquet in a roundabout way.

"It's just a cruel twist of fate. Ye'er meant well and went to help Miss Yun when she was in trouble, but he was betrayed."

Emperor Wen personally released the melon, and the officials who heard it all gaped in astonishment: "So that's how it is! I knew the Crown Prince was definitely not the kind of person who would be tempted by beauty."

"What Minister Zhao says makes sense." Emperor Wen stroked his beard and said slowly, "Ye'er and Lady Yun originally wanted to keep this matter a secret, but alas!"

My ministers: You should finish what you have to say!

Emperor Wen observed their anxious expressions and continued after a while, "Who would have thought that, on that one occasion, Lady Yun would unexpectedly become pregnant? Tell me, what am I supposed to do now?"

The leading minister stepped forward: "This concerns the royal bloodline, so it is indeed appropriate to let Lady Yun enter the palace. However, she is just a woman. How can she be worthy of being the Crown Princess? Why not take her as a concubine? That would not be an insult to the Crown Prince."

Emperor Wen rolled his eyes at him. He made it sound so easy. Hadn't he thought of that before? Wasn't it that rebellious son who insisted on marrying no one but Lady Yun?

Of course, Emperor Wen would not say these things directly; he would only do them indirectly.

“What you say is quite right, but this suggestion is not appropriate now. As you all know, by Ye’er’s generation, the Ling family’s direct line has been without a son for three generations. The child that Yun is carrying now may very well be the only grandson of the emperor. How can he be born out of wedlock? Even if he is made the emperor’s official wife in the future, it will not be legitimate. It would be better to take it one step at a time and avoid many of the twists and turns.”

Emperor Wen's words sound reasonable at first glance, but they don't stand up to scrutiny. Throughout history, countless sons of concubines have become emperors. What need is there for legitimacy?

Furthermore, although the royal family has a single heir for three generations, the Crown Prince and Lady Yun had a child in just one time, which is undoubtedly due to his exceptional talent. How can we conclude that he had no other offspring?

Looking at everyone's faces, Emperor Wen suddenly clutched his chest: "Alas! In the end, it's all this rebellious son's fault. I wish I could beat him to death to avenge all of you ministers."

The ministers said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. There's no need for this."

Emperor Wen was just being polite, but he continued, "Ye'er has clearly been spoiled by me and the Empress. Fortunately, there is still the child in Yun's womb. Rest assured, my dear minister, I will teach him carefully. When the grandson grows up, I will severely punish the Crown Prince to give everyone an explanation."

The grand eunuch beside him couldn't bear to listen to the charade, and he didn't even look at the old ministers below him, whose hair had turned gray. Did they think they could live to see that day?

In short, Yun Qing becoming the Crown Princess is now a done deal.

When Madam Zhao of the Pang family heard the news, she scattered her Buddhist prayer beads all over the ground and quickened her pace in striking the wooden fish.

The outside world's disturbances did not affect Yun Qing. She comfortably rested in the Eastern Palace and would occasionally go out for a stroll.

Half a month later, after Ling Ye's repeated urging, the Ministry of Rites prepared for the wedding as scheduled.

Because Yunqing was pregnant, she couldn't wear heavy objects, so the headdresses on her head were all made with openwork, making a tinkling sound when she walked.

The wedding ceremony was simplified, but it was still very strenuous for the pregnant woman. Fearing that Yun Qing might not be able to hold on, Ling Ye supported her throughout the entire ceremony.

After being led into the bridal chamber, Yun Qing was exhausted and instinctively reached for the veil.

Ling Ye was startled when he saw this scene and rushed over to stop it.

"My wife, let me lift the veil."

No one knows how long Ling Ye had been waiting for this moment.

While attending the ceremony at the Xu family's residence, he imagined how wonderful it would be if Yunqing became his wife one day.

That was the first time he tasted jealousy; his envy of Xu Qingyun corroded his heart like poison.

He thought he could only be a secret lover for the rest of his life, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and he has waited until today. It seems that God has finally been kind to him.

Yun Qing waited for a while, and seeing that Ling Ye did not react, she raised her hand and punched him.

"What are you waiting for? The headdress is making my neck hurt."

Ling Ye snapped out of his daze and quickly used the wedding scale to lift the veil.

In the dim candlelight, Yun Qing's anger had not yet dissipated, yet she was still stunningly beautiful.

Unfortunately, no one else appreciated it this time.

Ling Ye had a notorious reputation and a certain status, so no one would cause trouble on his wedding night. Moreover, he had a proper understanding of Yun Qing's beauty and didn't want to attract any more rivals.

Yun Qing was exhausted. She closed her eyes and opened her arms to Ling Ye: "I don't want to walk anymore. Carry me to wash up."

Ling Ye smiled indulgently, leaned down without any disgust, and kissed her made-up little face: "Yes, ma'am, I'll take you there right away."