“Your Majesty, I believe that a country has its laws and a family has its rules. If a prince breaks the law, he should be punished the same as a commoner.”
"Second brother, what do you think?"
After the Fourth Prince finished speaking, the Emperor looked at the Second Prince and asked him a question.
The Second Prince lowered his eyes slightly and bowed to the Emperor.
"It is difficult to reconcile family ties with the law of the land. I am caught in a dilemma and do not know what to do."
As the crown prince spoke, he knelt on the ground and bowed to the emperor.
His Highness is probably not satisfied with the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince's answers.
He did not immediately decide how to deal with the Third Prince. Instead, the next day in court, he rewarded the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and others for their meritorious service in protecting him, inquired about Feng Yu's situation, and arranged a marriage for Feng Yu on the sixteenth of next month.
"Perhaps His Majesty realized that the Imperial Guards couldn't function without Feng Yu's leadership after what happened to the Third Prince. So he thought of this to show his respect for Feng Yu, which is why he was so eager to arrange the marriage."
Liu Zhiyuan's analysis was not without reason. Feng Yu's health has not yet fully recovered and he is still recuperating at home. There is a reason why the Emperor is so eager to arrange a marriage for Feng Yu and Li Youran under these circumstances.
Li Youran frowned, propped his head up, and leaned against the soft couch, looking helpless. He truly didn't know what to do. If things really came to a head, he would have no choice but to resort to the worst possible option.
"Young Master Liu is mistaken."
Just then, Tang Lei and Hua Ruyu walked in. The two of them walked one after the other with a brisk pace, and the little maid standing to the side couldn't help but take two steps back.
Normally, Li Youran would definitely tease Hua Ruyu and Tang Lei for being too similar, as if they were a match made in heaven.
Then she saw Tang Lei's face turn red with anger, looking like he wanted to explain but didn't know how. But right now, Li Youran was having a headache over what would happen on the sixteenth of next month, so she had no mind to make fun of him.
Tang Lei immediately noticed that Li Youran was different, so he said with a nervous expression.
"I think His Majesty is doing this entirely to test His Highness the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing Tang Lei's words, Li Youran couldn't help but look up at Tang Lei.
She was utterly perplexed; what did Tang Lei mean by those words? It was clearly about her marriage to Feng Yu, so how had it turned into a test of the Crown Prince?
Furthermore, His Highness the Crown Prince performed admirably during this coup and showed concern for his brothers, unlike the Fourth Prince who was so ruthless.
"You Ran, do you know what's being talked about outside right now?"
Seeing that Tang Lei seemed hesitant and unsure how to begin, Hua Ruyu spoke first to Li Youran.
Upon hearing Hua Ruyu's words, Li Youran was slightly taken aback. These past few days, she had been busy with the beverage business, followed by the coup in the palace, and had been completely focused on that matter, without having had time to inquire about the outside world.
“You Ran, right now there are rumors that you took advantage of Feng Yu’s illness and injury to keep male lovers outside, and that you even kept the same male lover as the Sixth Princess.”
Seeing Li Youran's bewildered expression, Hua Ruyu knew she was unaware of the rumors circulating outside. Though the rumors were harsh, she still had to tell Li Youran. Hua Ruyu sighed, frowned, and looked at Li Youran before continuing.
“I know that’s not how things are going on, but nowadays, the rumors are so detailed that some people are even saying that Feng Yu’s injury has damaged his very foundation and that he will be unable to perform sexual acts in the future, which is why you are so arrogant.”
Upon hearing Hua Ruyu's words, Li Youran almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She never expected that such rumors and gossip would be so popular in the capital.
"Although folk tales may not reach the emperor's ears, there are many of his spies among the common people. If he wants to know these things, it is naturally very simple."
Just then, Tang Lei interrupted Hua Ruyu.
To be honest, he didn't want Hua Ruyu to tell Li Youran these things, which would only cause her more trouble. After all, he was heartbroken to hear these words, let alone Li Youran, who was a woman.
It's important to know how important reputation is to a woman. Now, all this gossip and slander is making things out to be like this for Li Youran. If Li Youran knew about this, she probably wouldn't know how to go out in public.
"You are the Crown Princess's sister. If you disagree with this marriage, you will definitely try every means to stop it. The Emperor wants to use this matter to test the Crown Prince's loyalty. If the Crown Prince secretly plots this together, it means that the Crown Prince is not so loyal to the Emperor. Therefore, the Emperor is using this as a test."
Li Youran never imagined that even her marriage was being controlled by the emperor, who was manipulating her completely.
I couldn't help but marvel at the incredible power of imperial rule; how could one person control such a vast and interconnected system?
Thinking of this, Li Youran frowned deeply. Originally, she was thinking of finding a last resort if all else failed, but now it seems that if she disobeys the imperial decree or plays tricks and fails to complete the marriage with Feng Yu, it would mean that the Crown Prince is disloyal to the Emperor, and the Emperor would become suspicious of the Crown Prince.
"You Ran, don't worry. As long as you don't want to get married, I will protect you even if it costs me my life."
Seeing the difficulty and helplessness in Li Youran's eyes, Liu Zhiyuan looked at her with heartache and said...
"I'm afraid even if you risk your life, you still won't be able to keep You Ran."
Tang Lei spoke to Liu Zhiyuan expressionlessly, but Liu Zhiyuan opened his mouth without saying a word.
"Anyway, there's still more than a month left, so we'll just have to take it one step at a time."
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