Of course, Helian Yan wasn't really fooled.
After she agreed, she hesitated, "But, Your Majesty, my mother absolutely does not agree to me marrying Mu Lang."
"And my brother, he... he also seems to dislike Mulang very much!"
As for her biological father, the Prince of Guangling, Helian Yan did not mention him.
For her, her only close relatives were her mother and brother.
Unfortunately, these two closest people don't support her relationship!
Xie Yuan: ...It would be a miracle if they could support it!
Even I, an outsider, think it's unreliable, let alone your family who care about you the most and feel the most heartache for you!
This is why Helian Chen wasn't in the capital. If he were, he could have taken a sword and gone to kill Mu Shao.
Mu Shao probably only dared to secretly cause trouble while Helian Chen was away.
Such a person is truly despicable.
If you truly like a girl, it's not about making secret advances, nor is it about encouraging her to elope or ruining your reputation by having sex with her. Instead, it's about finding ways to gain the consent of her family.
Mu Shao didn't even send a matchmaker to the Jingbei Marquis's residence to propose marriage, nor did he make any effort according to etiquette.
He was single-mindedly trying to deceive a naive girl, making her charge into battle and fight for love!
...So, based on this alone, Xie Yuan didn't even need to ask Mu Shao whether he liked Helian Yan or not before labeling him as a "scumbag"!
"Don't worry, I will help you!"
Xie Yuan was not lying; she would indeed help Helian Yan.
However, the two may have different understandings of "help".
Helian Yan wanted her love to be fulfilling, while Xie Yuan hoped that Helian Yan could undergo a transformation and grow!
As expected, Helian Yan misunderstood, thinking that the Empress would bestow a marriage upon her, and her heart was about to soar.
Helian Yan felt genuine gratitude and respect for the Empress.
Therefore, when Helian Yan saw Xie Yuan say with some difficulty, "Aqing's marriage is settled, so I can't devote myself to work for a while,"
"I already lacked trustworthy female officials by my side, and now I've lost one of them, A-Qing. Alas—"
Xie Yuan sighed deeply and deliberately rubbed his temples with his fingers.
Helian Yan might be a bit love-struck, but she's not truly stupid. (Reading Notes)
Being able to listen carefully and read between the lines is an essential skill for a concubine's daughter in a prince's mansion like her.
In addition, Helian Yan was grateful to the Empress and was eager to repay her (by making a contribution), so she quickly said, "Your Majesty, I am not as capable as Princess Nanling, but I have studied for a few years."
"Back in Lingnan, I also heard my brother talk about some political and military affairs."
“Your Majesty, if you do not mind, Ayan is willing to serve you.”
Xie Yuan laughed, "How could I dislike it? General Helian is exceptionally brave and skilled, and Ayan, as his younger sister born of the same mother, is naturally no less capable!"
"If Ayan is willing, I will issue you a betrothal letter and appoint you as a lady-in-waiting!"
Helian Yan didn't think much of it, only hoping to perform well, and nodded repeatedly, "This subject is willing!"
"Now that you have become my lady-in-waiting, you are no longer a 'subject' but a 'subject'."
Xie Yuan resorted to his old tricks, starting by boosting people's confidence through his self-proclaimed title.
Love-struck?
That's because your world consists only of love, and because you're too naive, and your living environment is too monotonous and narrow.
Xie Yuan will provide her with a platform to see a wider world.
Moreover, by getting to know more of the true talents and brilliant minds in the court, Helian Yan would realize how shallow and foolish she had been.
"...Yes! Your Majesty, Your Majesty is willing!"
Helian Yan readily complied and obediently changed her self-reference.
But when she uttered the word "臣" (chen, meaning subject/minister), a strange feeling arose.
This feeling isn't like the bittersweet experience of being in love; rather, it's incredibly powerful.
However, Helian Yan didn't pay too much attention to it.
After all, she was still preoccupied with her "lover" and didn't care much about anything else.
After seeing Helian Yan off, Xie Yuan stared at her slender figure in deep thought.
She couldn't help but sigh, realizing that even in ancient times, there were people with romantic fantasies.
Immediately afterwards, Xie Yuan realized that Helian Yan was probably not an isolated case.
In every era, there are probably people who would risk everything for love.
If it's a mutual journey, then it's a classic love story that can be sung for thousands of years.
If it's just one-sided, foolish giving, well, calling it being love-struck is an understatement.
The worst way to put it is "licking a bootlegging dog"! It's self-pity and pathetic behavior!
"Peiyu, go and check if there are any other 'Helian Yan' in the capital."
Xie Yuan suddenly spoke, addressing Luo Peiyu, who was hidden in the shadows.
Luo Peiyu was originally an embroidered envoy, and after her "double agent" relationship with Empress Dowager Ashina, she became an increasingly trusted confidante of Xie Yuan.
Now, if Xie Yuan wants to gather any intelligence, the first person he will ask is Luo Peiyu.
"I will obey!"
Luo Peiyu agreed and then left.
A few days later, Xie Yuan received a detailed report.
You wouldn't believe it until you look it up; there are quite a few people in Beijing obsessed with romance.
Moreover, it's not limited to women; there are also young men who are coaxed into willingly becoming "lapdogs."
"Princess Xinping, the ninth daughter of the late emperor, married a man from a fallen noble family two years ago..."
Luo Peiyu replied respectfully.
The number one love-obsessed person is actually a royal noblewoman.
Princess Xinping, Helian Jue's half-sister, was born to a concubine of the late emperor. She was of low birth and rank.
Princess Xinping was also not favored in the palace.
But no matter how unfavored she was, she was still the emperor's daughter.
According to custom, Princess Xinping's husband would either come from a prominent family or be a nobleman.
Princess Xinping rejected powerful and well-connected nobles and instead set her sights on a fallen aristocratic man.
There was a reason she chose him—
This person is a relative of Xinping.
Xinping's birth mother, Zhao, was the daughter of a minor official in the capital. She was once chosen as a companion to a princess because of her talent and beauty.
She was then favored by the late emperor and became a concubine in the palace.
Although the Zhao family was not of high social standing, she had a relative she was always very proud of—the Yang family of Hongnong.
In order to elevate her own status, Zhao always showed off Yang.
The concubines and eunuchs in the palace didn't take Zhao's boasting seriously, but Xinping, as a daughter, had heard it since she was a child and took it seriously.
In Xinping's mind, the Yang family was probably the most noble family in the world.
The husband she chose was Yang's eldest son.
However, Yang Fuma was not from the direct line of the Yang family; his branch had long since declined.
The Yang family, while not exactly destitute, was so poor that all that remained was their surname.
But they insist on calling themselves a distinguished family and are extremely arrogant.
Even when a princess was to marry him, Prince Consort Yang always held his head high.
What's even more infuriating is Xinping, who, despite being a noblewoman of the royal family, acts like a lowly little woman.
Yang, the imperial son-in-law, lived in the princess's mansion, and his food, drink, and daily necessities were all provided by the princess's dowry. Yet, he still kept concubines and fathered illegitimate children...
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