Shen Youan turned her head and looked at Dugu Yue, her expression indescribable.

Dugu Yue thought he was sad, and with loving eyes, she held his hands in her own, saying, "Alright, don't covet what belongs to others."

Can't you look at me?

I'm not inferior to Ji Yunyuan in any way, am I?

"And if you marry me, I will plead with my father to spare General Shen from going to the border after the new year, so your family can continue to enjoy family life in the capital."

Hearing this, Shen Youan couldn't help but exclaim, "Dugu Yue, are you out of your mind?"

"What did you say?" Dugu Yue asked in disbelief.

She's been so considerate of him, trying her best to be gentle and considerate, just like her grandmother said. Why should Shen Youan scold her?

Dugu Yue's eyes were blazing with fury, and she looked like she wanted to devour someone.

Use anger to mask the sadness in your heart.

Shen Youan pulled her hand away and shook her head. "That's right, how could I forget that you are the only princess of Huaxu Kingdom, born with a silver spoon in your mouth, pampered and cherished in every way. How could you possibly understand the hardships of the world?"

Dugu Yue's empty hand froze in mid-air, her eyes filled with tears.

Yes, she is willful, arrogant, and disdainful of others, but her feelings for Shen Youan are genuine!

She had tried so hard to see things from his perspective and to change herself, so why did Shen Youan have to say such hurtful things to her?

Does someone who fears neither heaven nor earth have no heart?

Shen Youan felt guilty under Dugu Yue's tearful and heartbroken gaze, so she turned around and continued to stare at the sedan chair that was moving very slowly ahead.

"Princess Fushun, for a general, being idle at home is not a good thing."

Being idle means being unimportant or even feared; the ultimate outcome of being idle is being replaced.

Therefore, You'an doesn't need your pleading.

On the contrary, You'an knows very well that marrying you would only make her father's future path more difficult. So, do you think I should marry you?

There is another reason, which Shen Youan cannot say outright.

That is, he is a descendant of the royal family of Ji Yun Kingdom, how could he possibly genuinely like the princess of Hua Xu Kingdom?

He is different from his aunt.

Moreover, he knew that his aunt's marriage to the crown prince was more of a ploy.

At this moment, the whole city cheered, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic.

In his eyes, it was nothing to be happy about.

However, the common people were unaware of these things; they simply ate their fill and watched the spectacle. Even the civil and military officials and their families, who had been eagerly anticipating this event, couldn't resist leaving their homes to watch from their doorsteps.

Apart from the Xue and Ning families whose daughters were sent back.

The head of the family had warned everyone in the manor beforehand not to watch the spectacle, or they would all be beaten to death!

So it seemed very strange that both families kept their doors tightly closed on such a festive day.

Upon seeing this, the neighbor living next door couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with the Xue family? The Crown Prince is marrying the Crown Princess, and they're unhappy about it?"

"That can't be! The position of Crown Princess has been vacant for so many years. Minister Xue even advised the Crown Prince in the Golden Palace to establish a Crown Princess as soon as possible and to have a grandson. Now that all of that is in place, why wouldn't he be happy?"

Judging from the way this person spoke, it was clear that he was unaware of the inside story.

Another person couldn't help but laugh and said, "You know the facts but not the reasons. The eldest daughter of the Xue family was originally a concubine of the Crown Prince, but now the Crown Prince's heart is entirely on his principal wife, while the two concubines were sent home on the grounds of not having children. How do you think Minister Xue could be happy? If you were in his shoes, would you be happy?"

"Huh?" The man was taken aback and immediately shut up.

His gaze lingered on the Xue family's gate for a moment, thinking to himself, "How unlucky it must be for a married daughter to be sent back home again."

If he were Lord Xue or Lord Ning, he would probably hide away and never see anyone!

Meanwhile, inside the Xue family mansion.

Madam Xue hugged Xue Baozhu, who was crying her eyes out, and said, "Don't cry. The matter is settled. As subjects, we dare not challenge the Emperor."

Fortunately, daughters of the Xue family never have trouble finding husbands. And since you haven't been defiled by the Crown Prince, you can wait for your mother to arrange a suitable marriage for you, and you can marry into the family under the name of one of your sisters.”

Which household doesn't have a bunch of illegitimate children? Changing their names is an incredibly simple matter.

As for the poor illegitimate daughter who was replaced, she might not be able to find a good marriage because of it, but that was not within the scope of consideration for Madam Xue, the head of the household.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Xue Baozhu was sobbing even harder.

A chill ran down his spine. "What's wrong?"

Xue Baozhu just cried, not daring to say a word.

Knowing her daughter well, Madam Xue had a rough idea of ​​what was going on. Her brow twitched violently. "Baozhu, tell me the truth, what happened!"

Xue Baozhu stammered, "It's my cousin... my cousin..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

Madam Xue grabbed her daughter's hand. "You're really making me anxious! Your cousin has already married a wife and taken several concubines. Why are you still thinking about him?"

At this point, Madam Xue suddenly paused, "My God! Baozhu, you wouldn't be...?"

"Waaah..." At this moment, Xue Baozhu could no longer control her aggrieved emotions and burst into tears.

"Mother, what should I do? My cousin and I... He... He's not human! He betrayed me! He has no heart! I... I might as well just die!" Crying and making a scene, Xue Baozhu pretended to hit her head against a pillar, but Madam Xue quickly ordered the servants to stop her. After a long time of persuasion, Xue Baozhu finally stopped crying.

She sobbed softly, "...I originally thought the Crown Prince was incompetent and easy to manipulate, and that it would be fine to just continue living in the Crown Prince's residence. But I never expected that the Crown Prince would actually take a fancy to that woman, Ji Yunyuan!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!