He seemed to want to kiss her, but was hesitant, neither wanting to retreat nor to advance.
Yuan Zhao tilted his head slightly, circling his chest with his fingers.
"First of all... he has to be handsome..."
Huo Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on her face which was so close to him, "Secondly?"
Yuan Zhao raised his eyebrows and smiled, his eyes moving, and whispered,
"Secondly...you have to be young..."
Her unfinished words shattered.
…
After a long while, Yuan Zhao came to his senses and almost cried.
"Just listen to me!"
Huo Yan was in complete control of the situation and now he asked her condescendingly,
"Anything else you want?"
Yuan Zhao took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
"The most important thing... is good health..."
But after saying this, Huo Yan still seemed dissatisfied, staring at her with a deep gaze.
"The most important thing?"
He said "hmm" softly, and Yuan Zhao couldn't react to what he meant.
Isn’t this important?
Doesn't he also meet this requirement?
But obviously, Huo Yan told her with his actions that he was not satisfied with this answer.
It was not until dawn that Yuan Zhao finally knew the correct answer.
"The most important thing..." She almost held her waist, "The most important thing is... the prince consort can only be A Yan..."
…
Before Yuan Zhao entered the palace to meet Emperor Xuan, Emperor Xuan sent someone to summon her into the palace.
But she was not taken to the Qinzheng Palace, but was taken to the Changchun Palace by Zheng Lu.
Zheng Lu took her to the inner room of the main hall and said to her,
"Your Highness, His Majesty asked you to wait here."
After Zheng Lu finished speaking, he withdrew, leaving Yuan Zhao waiting there alone.
She was a little confused and didn't know what Emperor Xuan intended to do.
About a quarter of an hour later, someone came.
Yuan Zhao looked out through the screen and saw that the person coming in was Emperor Xuan.
Just as she was about to take a step forward, she saw someone following behind Emperor Xuan. It was Huo Yan.
Her steps suddenly stopped.
Father...why did you bring Huo Yan to Changchun Palace?
There was no one else in the hall. Yuan Zhao did not go out. She stood there and saw Emperor Xuan light three incense sticks in front of his mother's tablet.
Huo Yan followed closely behind and also knelt down to burn incense for him.
After a while, Emperor Xuan asked,
"Huo Yan, do you know why I brought you here?"
Huo Yan stared at the late queen's tablet for a moment before answering,
"Your Majesty... wishes to inquire about my feelings."
Yuan Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what Emperor Xuan was asking.
Emperor Xuan nodded and said in a deep voice,
"Showa is the daughter of me and the Empress. She is the most like the Empress, and I love her the most."
"In the past, before the Queen passed away, I promised her that I would never allow Zhaohe to marry and that I would choose a good marriage for her."
Hearing this, Yuan Zhao slowly tightened his hand hanging by his side.
My mother, the Queen, actually made such a promise with my father...
He looked at the kneeling Huo Yan and said after a while,
"You were my favorite candidate for a son-in-law."
Huo Yan lowered his eyes and said nothing.
"You followed your father into battle and achieved three major victories, as well as numerous minor ones. I once asked what reward you would like..."
When talking about the past, Emperor Xuan's voice also slowed down.
Yuan Zhao thought carefully about what happened at that time as he spoke.
Huo Yan was born with the talent to be a general. He had made outstanding military achievements since he went on the expedition.
But she remembered that whenever Huo Yan returned to Beijing with his father, the rewards seemed to be given to the Huo family, but he himself... had never received any title or gift.
Emperor Xuan paused, then said slowly and calmly,
"Huo Yan, you have been in the Qinzheng Palace asking for my permission to marry you for your three military achievements."
Yuan Zhao's breathing stopped at this moment.
There was a sudden buzzing sound in my mind, as if something exploded.
Her eyes widened and her body swayed slightly.
He...actually...
Emperor Xuan put his hands behind his back, glanced at where Yuan Zhao was standing, and sighed.
He always remembered that Huo Yan at that time was a young general full of vigor and ambition, with a bright future.
I knelt before him several times and asked for his permission.
"Your Majesty, I do not seek wealth and glory in this life. I only wish to marry the princess and be with her for the rest of my life."
What a pity...
Emperor Xuan stared at the tablet of the late empress, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes.
"You exchanged three military merits for a marriage, and Showa knelt in the snow for you for three days..."
"It's just... the Huo family was at its peak at that time, I really didn't dare..."
When he was young, Huo Yan might not understand why Emperor Xuan was reluctant to grant the marriage, but now Huo Yan already understood.
Yuan Zhao also understood.
At that time, the Huo family had three generals, and they were almost invincible in the court.
Yuan Cheng had not yet appointed a crown prince. If he had granted a marriage between Huo Yan and the eldest princess Yuan Zhao at that time, no one knew what the consequences would be.
Even Emperor Xuan did not dare to take this risk.
"It's me...who delayed you..."
Emperor Xuan said solemnly.
After the Battle of Gale Valley, he really did not trust the Huo family and was angry that Yuan Zhao had gone to such lengths for Huo Yan.
He thought he had chosen an easy-to-control top scholar for Yuan Zhao, and that he had fulfilled his promise to the late queen.
Emperor Xuan knew that Yuan Zhao must be blaming him.
Even when she later fled to Yangzhou, Emperor Xuan still thought that his daughter was still angry with him.
But as the king of a country, he couldn't bring himself to ask about her recent situation. He just added a lot of the things Yuan Zhao liked to the rewards he gave to Yuan Cheng every year.
But who could have predicted that it would turn out like that?
One wrong step and you almost lose everything.
…
"I don't blame Your Majesty. Your Majesty doesn't know what will happen next."
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