Xu Nian was still a little confused when she was taken to the palace to meet the Empress!
She knew Ye Lin was a prince, but she didn't expect him to act so quickly.
In just one day, they had brought their affair to the Queen's attention.
"So you're the wife my good-for-nothing son has taken a fancy to?" The Empress strolled up to Xu Nian, looked her over, but couldn't see anything outstanding about her.
She was more delicate and slender than the average woman, with a porcelain-white complexion. What kind of taste did Lin'er have in choosing such a woman as his wife?
Despite her displeasure, the Queen did not want to upset her most beloved son.
He rarely asked her for such a favor, so as his mother, she had no choice but to grant his request.
She had loved but not been able to have the one she desired, and she did not want her most beloved son to also suffer the same fate.
"Your Majesty, it is indeed I, a humble subject," Xu Nian replied respectfully, bowing.
"Still just a commoner in white robes, if you want to be with my son, you need to have some ability!" The Empress scrutinized Xu Nian.
She wanted to see just how capable she was to make Lin'er fall so deeply in love with her.
"Please speak frankly, Your Majesty." Xu Nian knew that the Empress was testing her.
The Empress narrowed her eyes. Xu Nian's composure surprised her. As expected of the person Lin'er had chosen, he could still remain calm in front of her.
She neither flattered nor fawned, and didn't even rush to express her feelings for Lin'er; her calm and self-restraint was almost excessive.
The Empress suddenly realized that this woman did not like her Lin'er.
This is outrageous! Her Lin'er is so outstanding, what right does she have to dislike her Lin'er?
The Empress felt a surge of anger, her scrutinizing gaze sharpening. "What do you think of my son?"
“Your Highness is an outstanding person, and I have no right to criticize him.” Xu Nian lowered his head and spoke calmly.
"Is it that you dare not or cannot?" The Empress raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with Xu Nian's indifferent response.
This is not the expression and reaction that a subordinate should have towards a superior.
It was not the composure a commoner should have when facing an empress.
No wonder Lin'er took a liking to her; her composure and humility allowed her to stand out from the crowd.
The Empress disliked Xu Nian's attitude, but at the same time admired her fearless spirit.
"Does Your Majesty want me to tell the truth or a lie?" Xu Nian appeared calm, but she knew in her heart that if she didn't answer the Empress's question well, she could be punished.
With Ye Lin around, her life wouldn't be in danger, but if the Empress wanted to punish her, Ye Lin couldn't protect her either.
"Tell me the truth first." The Empress became somewhat interested; this was the first time someone had dared to ask her such a question.
“Your Highness is excellent; it is I, a humble commoner, who am unworthy to stand beside him.” After Xu Nian finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.
The Empress stared intently at her, anger rising in her eyes. "You mean, you don't want to marry my son?"
The Empress finally understood that Ye Lin had come to her for help because, like her, he had fallen in love with someone who didn't love him back.
"I beg Your Majesty's judgment." Xu Nian lowered her head, awaiting the Empress's next reaction.
"Xu Nian, I'm giving you two choices: one is to marry my son, and the other is... you should understand." The Empress chuckled softly, a chilling killing intent filling the entire hall.
"This humble subject has chosen to marry Your Highness, and thanks Your Majesty for granting my request." Xu Nian bowed with a smile, his relieved expression making the Empress momentarily stunned.
Why does she feel like she's been tricked?
"How dare you!" The Empress laughed in anger, her imperial aura pressing down on Xu Nian.
"Your Majesty, I am a coward, I am afraid of death." Xu Nian said he was afraid of death, but his expression said something else entirely.
Her serene and contented demeanor made it seem as if the person standing before her was not an empress wielding the power of life and death, but an ordinary mother.
"If you were afraid of death, you wouldn't have used a retreat as a tactic to advance." The Empress glanced at Xu Nian and found her increasingly irritating. She had even admired Xu Nian's demeanor earlier; she had truly misjudged her.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This humble subject is willing to accept punishment." Xu Nian touched his nose, bracing himself for the beating.
"Hmph! If you are weak and incompetent, I would rather kill you than marry Lin'er to you." The Empress suppressed her outward emotions and returned to her usual calm and collected demeanor.
"Xu Nian, I approve of your marriage to Lin'er. But I have one condition: you must pass the imperial examination this autumn." The Empress had investigated Xu Nian and knew that passing the examination would be quite difficult for her.
"This humble subject will surely not fail in his mission." Xu Nian kowtowed and bowed.
"Hmm! Once you have achieved official rank, I will issue an imperial decree to grant you and Lin'er a marriage. Now, leave!" the Empress said, waving her hand.
After Xu Nian left, Ye Lin, who had been hiding in the shadows, came out.
When the Empress saw him, a motherly smile appeared on her majestic face. "Lin'er, now that you know she's willing to marry you, are you happy?"
"Mother Empress, why do you wait until she passes the imperial examination before you will grant us a marriage?" Ye Lin's brows furrowed with annoyance. He wished he could marry Xu Nian immediately and keep her by his side, so that she could do whatever he wanted with him.
"Lin'er, don't you want to know how much sincerity she has in her feelings for you?" the Empress said earnestly.
"I don't want to know. With my status, even if she doesn't like me, so what? She can never get rid of me in her entire life." A hint of ferocity appeared on Ye Lin's alluring face, and the Empress shook her head.
It was all her fault. She had only focused on his father and forgot to teach him, and everything she did was seen by the little boy.
In addition, her neglect led to him being bullied by the women in the harem, which is why he has become the person he is today.
Now it's too late for her to regret it. She can only try her best to make amends to the child and hope that he can live a happy and healthy life for the rest of his days.
"Lin'er, forcing things won't always lead to good results. If you can win someone's heart, you should try your best to win their heart!"
"I don't want you to become as crazy as I am one day," the Empress said sadly.
Thinking of the man in the deep palace who refused to see her, she felt nothing but resentment and maddening resentment.
She was the ruler of the world, possessing everything, yet she could not win the love of a single man.
Even after she gave birth to their child, he still treated her coldly.
He resented and hated her, and their child was also implicated.
"Mother Empress, do you regret it?" Ye Lin had witnessed firsthand how the Empress and his father were entangled in love and hate.
So many years have passed, those who don't love still don't love, while those who are madly in love are beginning to learn to let go.
"I have no regrets. Rather than watching him fly away with someone else, I would rather break his wings and keep him by my side," the Queen said with a sorrowful smile.
"Really?" Ye Lin didn't believe it; he sensed that the Empress had regretted it.
But she was the empress, so how could she regret it!
Thinking of his father and looking at the Empress before him, Ye Lin felt that perhaps he should give Niannian a chance, and also give himself a chance.
Perhaps their story would have ended differently!
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