Because... I don't love enough, and therefore I don't have enough confidence.

However, he found it difficult to say these words to the Emperor, so he changed his words and said, "Has Your Majesty considered that for a marriage to be based on mutual affection, the two people must live together day and night? If the child is separated from the birth mother, it will not only harm the mother and child, but also be of no benefit to the growth of your relationship."

Chu Heng said with some distress, "I know the best way is to bring all three of them into the palace at the same time, but You Ran is unwilling, isn't she?"

Su Youchen reminded him helplessly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has already returned to the palace."

Why don't you find an excuse to let Youran enter the palace to help the Empress Dowager with her health?

This way, she could stay in the palace, both to be with her two children and to spend every day with Chu Heng.

As you spend more time together, won't your feelings naturally grow stronger?

However, Chu Heng interpreted it differently. His brother-in-law meant that the Yun family agreed to the marriage bestowed by the Empress Dowager.

If it was an arranged marriage by his elders, it wouldn't be considered that he forced her into marriage, right?

He hesitated and said, "If You Ran is not willing... I don't want to go against her wishes."

Su Youchen said, "She will agree because the Empress Dowager has gone through all that trouble to find her."

His thought was that if the two could spend every day together, and eventually fall in love, the ending would be perfect. But if, after spending every day together, his sister still didn't want to live in the palace and was unable to develop feelings for the emperor, then he shouldn't force it.

He wanted to push for it, mainly because with his two nephews around, a family reunion of four would be truly complete. But in the end, he would have to respect his sister's wishes.

Chu Heng, however, took his attitude as the attitude of the Yun family and said with great pleasure, "In that case, thank you, Minister Su, for your excellent advice!"

After leaving the palace, Su Youchen thought to herself that if Yueyue's suggestion was true, and Youran could enter the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager and see the Emperor's sincerity, and gradually develop feelings for Chu Heng, her sister might change her mind and willingly enter the palace.

So this is the best possible ending.

Otherwise, over time, rumors and gossip will spread both inside and outside the palace, inevitably ruining my sister's reputation.

The Yun family never wanted to experience another separation, so even if his sister were to change her identity and live separately, he was still reluctant.

...

The next day, Yun Manyan, Yun Manying, and several of her married sisters brought their children to visit You Ran.

The eldest princess was no exception; she simply couldn't find the Grand Preceptor. You Ran knew that her master was feeling guilty, so she snorted inwardly but didn't dare to criticize her master in front of her adoptive mother.

On the third day, You Ran sent a message to the commander of Nan Zhuo in the palace, asking all the Dragon Shadow Guards who had participated in the search for her over the years to come to Room 1, Tianzi, Fuxilou.

So Long Da symbolically led a few brothers to Fuxi Restaurant, saying that the Dragon Shadow Guards could not easily show their faces, and many of them were still on missions and hiding in the shadows, so they could not reveal themselves. He asked the county magistrate for his understanding.

You Ran knew that Long Da was being wary of her, fearing that she might be a threat to them.

He sighed, didn't insist, and took out a large roll of silver notes.

It was the very thing she had taken from her private stash when she ran away five years ago. Unfortunately, she hadn't dared to use a single penny of it while she was away, for fear of leaving any trace and being found out.

Long Da's words that day left a deep impression on her. After returning to the capital, her mother gave her all the profits from Fuxilou over the past five years.

She then came up with a way to compensate the Dragon Shadow Guards.

You Ran spread out the silver notes, took out a box, put it inside, and pushed it in front of Long Da. "There are 180,000 taels of silver here. All of you Dragon Shadow Guards who participated in the search for me will have a share, including the families of those who are missing. As for how to divide it, that's up to you. I hope you won't show favoritism and will be fair and just. Consider this my small compensation."

Long was shocked.

The shadow guards around him were also shocked.

180,000!

Their monthly allowance was no more than fifteen taels of silver!

Seeing that they were silent, You Ran assumed they thought it was too little. "If you are seventy-three people, and if it is fair, each person can get an average of two thousand taels. The remaining thirty thousand taels can be given to those who are missing, injured, or struggling to make ends meet. Even for ordinary households, it is enough for a lifetime. It should not be too little."

Long Da was utterly stunned. Two thousand taels?!

Even as a commander, he couldn't save up a hundred taels of silver a year. When he went out on missions and the public funds were insufficient, he often had to pay out of his own pocket for food and medicine... It would take them... fifty years to save up these two thousand taels of silver!

However, the Dragon Shadow Guards are rigorously trained, and keeping their emotions hidden is a fundamental skill.

He glanced at his brothers on either side and saw shock and madness in each of their eyes.

A moment later, the group suddenly knelt down with a series of thuds, weeping with joy, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Long Da recalled the day he fainted from hunger in the fishing village, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He knelt down with a thud, "Thank you, Princess! No, thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!"

Seeing that the other shadow guards were about to echo her, You Ran quickly shouted sternly, "Don't shout nonsense!"

The group immediately fell silent.

A slightly older-looking shadow guard asked tentatively in a low voice, "Your Majesty... no, Your Highness, do you still need any bodyguards? I am Long Shisan, and I will be retiring next year. I wonder if I could be of service by your side?"

Looking at the young face before him with a puzzled expression, You Ran asked, "How old are you, sir?"

Long Shisan wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'll be thirty next year."

You Ran looked at Long Da, whose face was covered in a full beard, with even more confusion. "And you?"

Long Da's face twitched. "I'm twenty-nine, and I'll be retiring next year."

"Retire at thirty?" You Ran asked in surprise. "Then why don't you want to find a job?"

Long opened his mouth but said nothing.

Two more shadow guards rushed forward, saying, "I am Long Shiqi, and I am twenty-eight this year."

"Little Dragon is twenty-one years old. He will retire in three years, but he can also serve the county magistrate."

Looking at those eager eyes, You Ran asked, puzzled, "Supposedly, you are all Royal Shadow Guards, and you know the most royal secrets. After you retired, the royal family didn't provide you with a life of luxury, but instead allowed you to work elsewhere?"

"Work?" Long Da asked, puzzled.

It means to find another way out.

“Not everyone can find another way out,” Long Da explained. “Retiring at thirty is the rule of the Dragon Shadow Guard. It’s to prevent them from having the stamina to keep up after thirty, which would hinder their duty of protecting their master.”

The Dragon Shadow Guards were also divided into three ranks. Those in Rank C who reached retirement age, if they had previously rendered meritorious service, could be rewarded according to their achievements and placed in military positions in the Six Ministries or local government offices. Those who had not rendered any merit had to find their own way out.

You Ran asked curiously, "What about Grade A and Grade B?"

Long Da licked his lips and blurted it all out at once, "Class A are the ones who protect their master closely, so they naturally know all of their master's secrets. After they retire, they have no freedom. Class B are slightly better off; they can be placed in various places by their master to continue gathering information."