Although the Wen family and the royal family have always had a good relationship, they are not particularly insistent on marriage alliances. Wen Chengyuan would not stand by and watch his only child suffer.
So what if he goes against the Emperor's will? Wen Chengyuan dares to return to the capital alone, so he has nothing to fear.
"Shuang'er, you are first and foremost your parents' daughter, and only secondly the young emperor's tutor. He is capable of handling things on his own now, and you no longer need to worry about him. Think about it carefully."
Wen Hemian lowered her eyes, the words Wen Chengyuan had just said still echoing in her mind, constantly assaulting her already precarious defenses.
Honestly, did she really have no feelings for Xie Lang?
From their youth, they had been inseparable, their bond even stronger than that of parents and relatives. But at a certain point, Xie Lang changed his mind and wanted to become her partner.
Even after being apart for three years, they silently missed each other.
Upon seeing those things that had been reserved for him, Wen Hemian was undoubtedly moved, hence his hesitation and indecision.
Is this love?
Wen Chengyuan already had his answer. He sighed softly, "Father doesn't want to be the bad guy, but the emperor is still the emperor. If he changes his mind in the future, there will still be the imperial harem waiting for him. It is only natural for the emperor to select concubines and take concubines. Ministers will not condemn the emperor for this. Father is only worried that... you will get hurt."
Which family that truly loves their daughter would be willing to send her into the treacherous and ruthless imperial harem?
The Wen family doesn't need it either.
Not to mention that Wen Hemian has made great achievements in the court. At a young age, he became the Grand Tutor and had the merit of eliminating treacherous officials and purifying the court. Entering the harem would be a waste of his youth.
"Besides, even if you can overcome all of what Father said, will you be his subject and ruler, or his wife and son?"
Wen Hemian had lived in modern times for over twenty years and came to this world with a noble status. She had never suffered much hardship. Although she understood the harshness of the times for women, she had never experienced it firsthand.
Wen Chengyuan saw things more deeply and further than she did, and he was even more unwilling to let her get hurt.
Wen Chengyuan's words resonated deeply with her.
After a long silence, Wen Hemian spoke: "Father, you are right. I do indeed have feelings for His Majesty."
“If I don’t want to, the palace can’t confine me, and he can’t keep me.” Wen Hemian’s voice was slow, but as if he had realized something, he suddenly became relaxed. “I am willing to be kept by him. Perhaps I should have realized three years ago that he is different.”
Like clearing away the clouds and fog, Wen Hemian slowly sorted out her feelings, just as she had been without hesitation when she chose to leave three years ago.
"He is different from the late emperor."
Wen Hemian knew, of course, that this one sentence was not enough to reassure Wen Chengyuan, so she continued speaking.
“What my daughter saw with her own eyes is certainly more truthful than what others say. Besides, he has worked diligently and conscientiously over the years, and apart from his somewhat tarnished reputation, he can indeed be called a wise and virtuous ruler. As for his later change of heart…”
Wen Hemian paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "If that were the case, I would absolutely not hesitate. Father and Mother know my character, don't you believe me?"
Wen Chengyuan laughed loudly: "Of course I believe it!"
"The relationship between ruler and subject, and husband and wife..."
Wen Hemian had discussed this issue before, but he never expected that it would come true for him one day.
She pondered for a long time: "Whether it's a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject or a respectful marriage, if he dares to openly reveal his intentions, he must have made preparations. To me, it makes no difference."
Wen Chengyuan felt a little uneasy: "You praised him quite a bit, but that little emperor just looks like a black sheep. You've probably been fooled by him a lot."
Wen Hemian remained silent.
That's true.
That's why people say those who've been there have been so much experience.
"Your father and mother can't control you anymore."
Wen Chengyuan paused, his expression somewhat wistful.
"But just like your father told you, as long as you don't regret it now, don't be too hard on yourself. Your parents are getting old, but they still have the strength to protect you for a while. If you suffer any grievances, just say so."
"Mmm." Wen Hemian nodded with a smile.
With this matter concluded, Wen Chengyuan said all he had to say.
Wen Hemian asked another question: "Father, where did you get the message from?"
There was no message from the Prince's residence, so someone must be causing trouble in secret.
"It is likely a treacherous prince from the capital, a cowardly and scheming individual with malicious intent."
Wen Chengyuan had only been away from the capital for many years, but he was not unaware of the situation. He had seen many disputes and knew what was going on.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact group; each of those vassal kings has their own agenda, so Wen Hemian guessed it was Prince Jia.
"It just so happens that I wanted to come back and visit, and I'll leave after the Dragon Boat Festival."
Wen Chengyuan returned mainly to convey a message—his daughter has powerful backers, and anyone wanting to take action in secret should think twice about whether they can withstand the Wen family's retaliation.
Wen Hemian's heart skipped a beat. Under her father's ambiguous smile, she replied with a complicated expression, "Okay."
Wen Chengyuan smiled but remained silent: "You should stay in the manor these next few days. It's been almost half a year since we last met, so let's catch up."
The young emperor harbored wolfish ambitions, which is why Wen Chengyuan was unwilling to let his daughter stay in the palace.
It's clear that she's very dissatisfied with Xie Lang.
Wen Hemian held back the words that were about to come out and nodded again: "Okay."
Hopefully Xie Lang can hold back.
...
News of the Prince of Huailing's return to the capital spread like wildfire.
It is said that the Prince of Huailing first entered the palace without stopping, and then took the imperial tutor with him. His actions were very simple, which made some people speculate that he was dissatisfied with the rumors of a few days ago... or perhaps, more deeply, he was not satisfied with the emperor.
Few people still know the secrets of the Wen family and the royal family in their early years. Some are happy, some are worried, and everyone is watching to see if there will be any more waves.
Regardless of what others say, everyone in the Prince's mansion was overjoyed, especially Uncle Lu, who was a little older and was so excited to see Wen Chengyuan return that he almost cried.
They gathered their close friends and family around the table, and everyone happily ate dinner. Wen Chengyuan was busy catching up with Uncle Lu, while Wen Hemian glanced at him and decided to go back to her room to read for a while.
Although Xie Lang seemed to be absent from the room, his traces were everywhere. Wen Hemian's eyes ached from reading, so she rubbed them and prepared to go to sleep.
She knew that her father would definitely not let her into the palace in the next few days.
Just as she finished washing up and put down her handkerchief, she heard rustling sounds coming from the shop. Wen Hemian narrowed her eyes, thinking that the guards shouldn't have let the assassin in.
The next moment, there was a creaking sound, the window swung open, and the person nimbly slipped inside, not forgetting to close the window behind them, and smoothly entered her room.
His Majesty the Emperor had probably never been so careful in his life. He looked over and met Wen Heming's astonished gaze.
Staring at the night clothes, Wen Hemian felt a rare mix of headache and confusion, his expression subtle: "Your Majesty, don't you think you look like you've come here to steal from me..."
Realizing something was wrong, Wen Hemian quickly stopped talking.
Xie Lang heard the whole thing, a smile playing on his lips, his expression enigmatic: "Why didn't Han Shuang continue? Stealing what?... Having an affair?"
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