Jie teaches the Immortal Sweeping Heaven’s Cultivation of All Heavens

Song Xuelan and Song Xuemei also attended the wedding with the Song family.

Madam Song smiled and said to Liu Tong, "Madam Li and I were once close friends. Since her daughter is getting married, I naturally have to help. I'll leave these two girls in your care, Fourth Prince."

Liu Tong smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Aunt."

The two women then followed Liu Dong.

However, not long after, they each made an excuse to leave.

Liu Dong found a quiet spot to sit down and took out a storybook from her sleeve to pass the time.

He used to not read storybooks.

When I was a child, I secretly read a few storybooks. They were all boring stories about poor scholars kidnapping rich girls or poor scholars being chosen by princesses. I found them uninteresting and never read storybooks again.

But ever since she learned that the Fifth Prince was a time traveler and that he ran a bookstore, Liu Tong sent someone to buy some storybooks.

Sure enough, although the author wasn't the Fifth Prince, the core of the story was indeed formulated by him. The content of the stories became diverse, with captivating and engaging plots—attracting the ancients with content that amazed them. For Liu Dong, these were indeed familiar tropes. But these stories were the best way to pass the time.

Liu Tong had someone buy a copy of all the storybooks from the Fifth Prince's bookstore, and he would read them to pass the time when he had nothing to do.

The fifth prince has published dozens of novels, and he has made a lot of money from them.

The Crown Prince knew that the Fifth Prince was making money by writing novels. Instead of being jealous that the Fifth Prince had such a way to make money, he was happy that the Fifth Prince was putting his mind to these trivial matters.

Liu Tong was reading a fantasy novel with a leveling-up system. This novel was very popular and had the highest sales volume.

At this moment, Xiao Luzi came to Liu Dong's side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Liu Tong raised an eyebrow, closed the storybook, stood up and said, "Let's go take a look."

The two arrived at a corner of a garden, where there were already four people.

Two people stood at a distance on either side, keeping watch for the two people in the middle.

Liu Dong and Xiao Luzi did not disturb the two outside. They used their superb lightness skills to jump up the tree and land on top of the two people in the middle, hiding in the canopy.

Those two were the Fifth Prince and Song Xuelan.

Liu Qiu didn't know how the two of them got together, but from their conversation, it was clear that Song Xuelan was deeply in love with the Fifth Prince.

No wonder Song Xuelan was indifferent to me; it turns out her beloved was the Fifth Prince.

Liu Tong raised her hand and touched her nose, plotting in her mind how to expose their affair.

In the end, he thought of the Crown Prince.

If the Crown Prince discovers that the Fifth Prince and Song Xuelan are having an affair, he will definitely try every means to bring the two together, thereby establishing a connection between the Fifth Prince and the Duke of Song's mansion.

He then used the Fifth Prince to win over the Duke of Song's mansion.

After all, Liu Dong, the grandson of the Duke of Song, had no blood relation to the Song family, while the Fifth Prince was the son-in-law of the Song family.

Will the Song family continue to help Liu Dong?

Liu Dong gave Xiao Luzi a word of advice.

Although Xiao Luzi was surprised by Liu Tong's decision, he would never disobey Liu Tong's orders.

It instantly transformed into a blur and flew out of the area.

Soon after, the crown prince, having received the news, arrived with a group of people.

The eunuch beside the Fifth Prince noticed them and was about to loudly remind the Fifth Prince.

Suddenly, he couldn't make a sound. Not only him, but Song Xuelan's trusted maid also couldn't speak.

The two looked at each other, utterly horrified.

They thought they had encountered a ghost, but little did they know that Liu Dong had magically struck their pressure points.

Without being alerted, the Fifth Prince and Song Xuelan were unaware that someone was approaching and were still exchanging intimate words.

The fifth prince was spouting cheesy pick-up lines that would be scorned by girls in modern times, but in this ancient world, they made girls swoon and couldn't help but want to throw themselves into his arms.

Just as Song Xuelan was throwing herself into the Fifth Prince's arms, the Crown Prince and his entourage arrived at the scene and witnessed the whole thing.

With so many people, the noise level becomes quite high.

Upon hearing the sound, the Fifth Prince hurriedly pushed Song Xuelan aside and turned around, only to be met with the surprised faces of the crowd.

Fifth Prince: "..."

The Crown Prince laughed: "Fifth Brother, you're in high spirits. We've disturbed your rendezvous with your beloved. We'll be leaving now."

Someone spoke up at an inopportune moment: "Hey, isn't this the second young lady of the Duke of Song's mansion?"

Aren't the Song family enemies of the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince's lineage?

How come their young lady is with the Fifth Prince...?

The Crown Prince came this time to confirm the affair between the Fifth Prince and Song Xuelan, so he brought not only his own people, but also some people from neutral factions.

With these people as witnesses, the fact that the Fifth Prince and Song Xuelan had an affair cannot be denied by the Song State Duke's Mansion.

The Fifth Prince's expression was rather unpleasant. Although he had a secret rendezvous with Song Xuelan, he had never considered marrying her.

Song Xuelan was the princess consort that the Song family had prepared for the fourth prince, and the fifth prince never thought that Song Xuelan would marry him.

Therefore, although he liked Song Xuelan, he didn't invest much of his true feelings in her.

He just felt that stealing the fourth prince's fiancée was very exciting.

As for the power of the Duke of Song's mansion...

The Fifth Prince was not as "naive" as the Crown Prince, who thought that marrying off a daughter would make the Duke of Song's mansion side with the Crown Prince.

Sometimes, for the sake of profit, even one's daughter can be abandoned.

The Fourth Prince Liu Dong and the Duke of Song's mansion have long been bound together, and it is impossible for them to break free from this bond just because of a woman like Song Xuelan.

Moreover, Song Xuelan only held the title of the Duke's daughter; in reality, she was merely a member of a collateral branch of the Song family.

Even if Song Xuemei weren't part of the Song family, the Song family could still adopt other girls from collateral branches.

If the Fifth Prince marries Song Xuelan, it won't really be of much help to him.

The Fifth Prince already had a chosen one for his princess consort, but now...

The Fifth Prince was disgusted with the Crown Prince, but dared not show it, and could only offer a helpless, bitter smile.

The Crown Prince laughed heartily and patted the Fifth Prince on the shoulder, saying, "A beautiful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections. Fifth Brother and Miss Song are of similar age, truly a perfect match. Fifth Brother, rest assured, your second brother will definitely help you. After returning to the palace, your second brother will go to Father Emperor and ask him to bestow a marriage upon you."

“Crown Prince…” the Fifth Prince sighed, knowing that nothing he said would make a difference.

Even if he persuades the Crown Prince, with so many people watching, his relationship with Song Xuelan will be confirmed.

If he doesn't marry Song Xuelan, the Song family won't let him off the hook.

Of course, even if the Song family marries Song Xuelan to the Fifth Prince, they will not side with him.

Unless, of course, he offers more benefits than the Song family can obtain from the Fourth Prince.

The crown prince entered the palace in a great hurry.

Emperor Qianming raised an eyebrow at the Crown Prince's suggestion.

"I will consider this matter."

In reality, the emperor approved of the marriage.

The Song family is too tightly bound to the fourth son; they need to loosen their ties a bit.

The whetstone should not be too hard. (End of Chapter)