Upon hearing this, Rong Ning's eyes flickered slightly, and she pondered to herself.
Political marriages have always been a quick way to consolidate power. Chu Xinghuan rose to the position of Vice Chancellor, had many protégés, and held a very important position in the court.
The fact that the Emperor and his elder brother have won over the Chu family is undoubtedly of great significance for consolidating imperial power, and will make the path of future reforms easier.
At this critical juncture, the Chu family's willingness to let their direct descendants take over the northern lands further demonstrates their loyalty and support for the royal family.
In this way, other families will follow suit.
Thinking of this, Rong Ning couldn't help but smile slightly, "With the Chu family as the Crown Princess, even more people will come to pledge their allegiance. Brother, your Eastern Palace is about to become quite lively."
Maybe...
The prince took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily.
But before he had finished vomiting, Rong Ning added, "Since that's the case... then I'll remind you one more time, don't provoke You Jiang again, do you hear me?"
The crown prince sighed helplessly and replied, "Understood!"
He continued, "From now on, I'll avoid her whenever I see her, okay?"
Rong Ning nodded in satisfaction, indicating her approval.
As the saying goes, life is always a trade-off; if he wants to pursue power and rule the world, he must lose something.
You'll get used to it.
The crown prince's expression was complex, and his eyes revealed an indescribable emotion, as if he had a thousand worries and ten thousand helplessness in his heart.
He frowned slightly, his tone tinged with sorrow and grievance, "Ah Ning... don't you feel any pity for me?"
These words flowed through my heart like a clear spring, yet they also carried a touch of bitterness.
Rong Ning looked bewildered, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. She blinked, asking in puzzlement, "Feeling sorry for you? Feeling sorry for what?"
She pondered carefully, her gaze fixed on the Crown Prince, as if trying to find the answer in his expression.
After a moment, she spoke again, her tone tinged with uncertainty, "Do you feel sorry for you not being able to marry the woman you love? Or do you feel sorry for you marrying a bunch of women you don't love, enjoying the best of the world?"
Her face was full of confusion, as if she found the question very perplexing.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's expression darkened slightly, his lips tightened, and he remained silent.
A hint of hurt flashed in his eyes, as if Rong Ning's words had pierced the softest corner of his heart.
Rong Ning looked helpless and was very puzzled by the Crown Prince's reaction.
She shook her head and sighed softly, "Brother, forgive me for being blunt, but I think you're being very pretentious..."
Her expression was somewhat speechless, and she said irritably, "Big brother, have you ever thought about whether you can really guarantee that you will love You Jiang for a lifetime if you really marry her?"
How can you guarantee that no other woman will ever appear in your life?
If you dare to swear to heaven that from now on you will only have Youjiang by your side, I dare to help you and Youjiang clear away all obstacles.
Anyway, I'm willing to go all out. My sister has already suffered enough by going to a political marriage. If you can really give up everything and only want Youjiang, I will do everything in my power to make your wish come true.
But do you dare?
Rong Ning gazed at him intently, her eyes seeming to pierce through everything and peel away the crown prince's heart.
The crown prince didn't dare to look at her for too long and turned his head away. "I really can't guarantee that."
"Hmm...that settles it!"
It's a good quality to admit that you can't guarantee something; at least many people don't have this self-awareness.
When his mother passed away, his father was so grief-stricken that he wished he could go with her, but not long after, he still lived a fulfilling life.
You're the same way. Don't act like some kind of Casanova; nobody believes you.
Even if you trace your family back eighteen generations, you might not find a true Casanova.
I don't believe you're an exception.
If it is indeed an exception, that would be good, as future historical records will still vividly describe the deep affection between the emperor and empress.
I fear that in the end, our love will end in heartbreak and we will grow tired of each other.
By then, will you even remember this woman, the woman you once risked everything to marry?
"Stop talking... If you keep going, I'll start to doubt that there's any true love in this world!"
The crown prince rubbed his forehead, getting a little impatient.
I don't know why this girl has such a clear understanding of relationships between men and women.
She talked all his occasional little mood swings away.
The crown prince looked up and sighed, then added, "I don't need to feel sorry for you anymore, so shut up."
Shut up?
Why did you shut her up?
She hadn't finished speaking yet.
Rong Ning scoffed, ignoring him completely, and began to mock him from every angle, "You don't need to feel sorry for me in the first place!"
If we women could be like you men, marrying a husband from a respectable and noble family to guard the inner quarters, and then taking in several handsome young men as companions, spending our nights here and there, and visiting the wife on the first and fifteenth of the month, showering her with affections equally, and not repeating the same man for ten days or half a month, wouldn't we be criticized by the world for not being virtuous?
"I'd be overjoyed, why would I need to feel sorry for myself?"
"Enough! Enough!" The Crown Prince's face darkened. "You're getting more and more absurd. You probably really want to keep a dozen young men in the Princess's residence!"
“It’s not that it’s impossible!” Rong Ning rolled her eyes at him, feeling that she needed to have a serious talk with him about this issue today, instead of him being so dramatic all the time. “It’s not like we can’t afford to raise him.”
"Alright, alright..."
"You can afford to raise them!"
The Crown Prince knew she was overly rebellious; if she continued like this, who knew what else she might say later.
He didn't want to get entangled with her on this issue; he couldn't argue with her, not even a little bit.
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