Xie Liwei sat to the side, listening to Song Yaozhu's silent battle, and had already understood everything that had happened.

This wasn't the first time he'd met Zhao Ying'e. Since his elder sister's passing, he had turned down many marriage proposals, citing the reason that "an elder sister is like a mother, and one should observe mourning for her." Zhao Ying'e was the only woman he had ever met, because she claimed to be the wife his elder sister had chosen for him.

He knew she was lying after just one meeting. His older sister couldn't possibly choose such a stubborn girl for him, so she rejected her, claiming she knew nothing about marriage.

Unexpectedly, she became convinced that her older sister had chosen her, and has been wasting her time ever since.

Ultimately, it was all her wishful thinking and delusions.

Now that Song Yaozhu has exposed it like this, I wonder what she will think.

“Sister is right. A girl as good as Sister Zhao deserves a good husband.” As she spoke, she looked at Yuwen Wuji, “Your Majesty, if Sister Zhao has a man she likes, please grant her a marriage!”

Yuwen Wuji naturally understood Song Wenyue's thoughts; he would naturally add fuel to the fire by making things difficult for Xie Liwei.

"Very well! She can just tell me who she likes, and I will grant her a marriage!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying'e was startled. Looking at Song Wenyue's eyes, she clearly understood that this was giving her a chance. She immediately lifted her skirt and knelt down.

But before she could even speak, Song Yaozhu's words interrupted all her surging enthusiasm.

"Doesn't the Emperor consult the man's opinion? If the man is unwilling, a forced relationship won't be happy."

Unexpectedly, Yuwen Wuji didn't seem to care much and said, "It's common for men to have three wives and four concubines. Miss Zhao is suitable to be the head of the household. She is virtuous and kind, and we will surely have a respectful relationship."

"That's good then. I just hope that Miss Zhao doesn't like a man like Your Highness. I would like to be virtuous and gentle and help Your Highness take two more concubines, but alas, I am powerless to do so."

As soon as she finished speaking, someone gently pinched the soft flesh on her side, and she gritted her teeth in pain.

She was clearing obstacles for him, and he actually accused her of ruining his reputation!

What's so hard about losing a mere reputation!

Xie Liwei really wanted to snatch her fan to cover his face, and even more so, he wanted to beat Peng Si to death. If it weren't for him...!

Yuwen Wuji was taken aback for a moment, recalling the imperial physician's previous diagnosis that Xie Li was in critical condition and might not be able to recover...

But so what? Zhao Ying'e is no different from being a widow now; she's just living her life in a different place.

"How could that be? The person Sister Zhao likes must be an extraordinary man. Sister Zhao, just tell the Emperor, and he will make the decision for you."

Zhao Ying'e's mind was sluggish and utterly confused. She naturally understood the meaning behind the princess's words, but after so many years of waiting, her only obsession was to marry Xie Liwei, so those warnings were merely obstacles on her path to success!

What does it matter if the late Empress praised her casually? The important thing is that she did it willingly!

"Your Majesty, I am in love with the Prince of Xiaoyao. I beg Your Majesty to grant me justice!"

"Very well!" Yuwen Wuji's voice came as soon as Zhao Ying'e finished speaking, as if he had been waiting for her to speak. Realizing that he had responded too quickly, he symbolically asked Xie Liwei, "This woman is devoted to you. I see that the position of your concubine is still vacant, so I will bestow her upon you as your concubine!"

He wasn't afraid of Xie Liwei's rejection. Before this, both he and the Imperial Concubine had bestowed some women upon him, which he had accepted. Although those women had all died, it also showed that he wasn't a devoted man.

"Your Majesty, I cannot make this decision," Xie Liwei said slowly as he rose, not even glancing at Zhao Ying'e, who was prostrate on the ground. "My harem is currently managed by the Princess Consort, and this matter requires her consent."

Song Yaozhu raised her index finger and poked him hard in the waist, then stood up and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm jealous and won't let her into this house. It's just that it costs a lot of money to support another freeloader. We don't have any money in the manor right now, so we really don't dare to add any more children."

Yuwen Wuji's expression was displeased. After saying all that, he still wouldn't listen to him!

"I wonder how much dowry Miss Zhao has? When I entered the manor, my family didn't prepare much, and we've almost spent it all on the Prince's manor. If Miss Zhao has a large dowry, then the Prince's manor will naturally welcome you and treat you as an honored guest!"

Yuwen Wuji originally intended to stuff Zhao Ying'e into the backyard of the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion to annoy the couple, and also to make Xie Liwei and Song Yaozhu lose their affections.

But after Song Yaozhu reminded him, he realized that if the concubine brought great help to Xie Liwei, wouldn't that just make things difficult for him?

On second thought, Zhao Ying'e's father, Zhao Juemin, was the prefect of Yangzhou, a wealthy region in Jiangnan, and the Zhao family was incredibly rich. Moreover, Zhao Ying'e was stubborn and single-minded, her heart and soul completely devoted to Xie Liwei. If she were truly married into the Prince Xiaoyao's mansion, things would be disastrous!

Then, with a quick glance, he said to Zhao Ying'e, "What the princess says is right. You are not bad in terms of conditions. You can choose a better man."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Zhao Ying'e burst into tears and sobbed, "Your Majesty, I am devoted to only the Prince. If my wish cannot be fulfilled, I wish to spend my life with the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp."

Now it was Yuwen Wuji's turn to be unhappy. If Zhao Ying'e hadn't been so infatuated, he would have agreed to the marriage, bestowing upon her an older woman to cause trouble for the couple. But her behavior showed that she seemed to have her whole heart devoted to Xie Liwei. If he were to grant them a marriage, wouldn't that be equivalent to sending Xie Liwei a mountain of gold and silver?

Song Yaozhu understood Yuwen Wuji's thoughts all too well. She covered her face and looked at Xie Liwei, saying, "Since Miss Zhao is deeply in love with Your Highness, Your Highness should be kind enough to take her into your household. Miss Zhao has remained unmarried for so many years, so her dowry must be quite substantial. With her in the household, I can worry less."

Xie Liwei turned around and gave her a long, reproachful look. His eyes seemed to be blaming her for so generously pushing her husband out to exchange for benefits; she was a complete scumbag.

Song Yaozhu ignored his reproachful gaze; dealing with Yuwen Wuji was the priority right now.

"Your Majesty, Sister Zhao is truly devoted to the Prince. Why don't you grant her wish?"

After Song Wenyue finished speaking, she met Yuwen Wuji's sinister gaze and was immediately too frightened to say anything more. She still didn't understand Yuwen Wuji enough; she was only focused on making Song Yaozhu suffer.

Considering why Song Yaozhu would agree, could a wife truly tolerate her husband taking a concubine? And then, thinking about the Emperor's expression, she suddenly realized that this matter might involve court politics, and was actually in Xie Liwei's favor.

She was determined to be a kind and understanding person, but now that she had put the emperor in a difficult position, he had to clean up the mess himself. So he got up, helped Zhao Ying'e up, and wiped her face with a handkerchief.

"Sister Zhao, there are plenty of good men out there, why do you only see the prince?"

Zhao Ying'e looked at Song Wenyue in disbelief. Just a moment ago, she was speaking up for her, but how could she have changed her tune so quickly!

"I'd rather die than marry someone else!"

Zhao Ying'e pushed her aside and ran out of the cabin. A moment later, shouts were heard outside: "Miss Zhao has drowned herself in the lake!"