He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Inside the imperial study, the emperor's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne.

one more time.

After a long while, the emperor's voice rang out again.

"If that's the case..."

He dragged out the tone.

"Let's keep Jiang Yuerong at the palace banquet."

"To show our sincerity, Beidi."

Ji Ling felt a chill run down his spine; His Majesty was about to turn the tables on him.

Leaving behind a seemingly foolish piece would actually make the Zhou state more relaxed and vigilant.

The emperor abruptly changed the subject.

"As for Jiang Bingning..."

"Then she was released to return to Zhou."

Ji Ling suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The emperor seemed to see right through his thoughts.

"A wolf that can't be tamed will only bring trouble if you keep it by your side."

"Put her back. I want to see how much trouble she can stir up in that murky water."

"Yes." Ji Ling bowed and accepted the order.

His father's thoughts were more profound than he had imagined.

---

The moonlight was as white as frost.

The lights in the Imperial Study were still on.

When the eunuchs announced the news, their voices trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty, Prince Xin, Ji Yunhan, requests an audience."

The emperor paused slightly, somewhat surprised.

"Let him in."

Ji Yunhan, covered in dust, stepped into the imperial study, his dark robes seemingly still carrying the chill of the night.

He did not bow, but knelt upright on the gold bricks.

"Your Majesty, I, Ji Yunhan, humbly request that Your Majesty grant me this marriage!"

The emperor's brows furrowed instantly.

"A marriage decree?"

He put down his vermilion pen and leaned forward slightly.

"Who are you going to marry?"

Ji Yunhan raised his head.

"Your subject, with utmost boldness, requests to marry Lady Liu Jingyi."

"presumptuous!"

The emperor's voice suddenly turned cold, and he slammed the wolf-hair brush in his hand onto the table, splashing ink everywhere.

"Yun Han, do you even know what you're saying?!"

"What is Liu's status?"

"She was once the wife of a general in the Zhou Kingdom! Now she is a prisoner of my Northern Di!"

The emperor stood up and walked over to him.

"She was married before, and she has a daughter! A daughter whose thoughts run even deeper than her mother's!"

"How can you expect me to issue this decree? How can you expect the officials in court to criticize it? How can you expect the imperial family to maintain its dignity!"

A barrage of questions rained down like hailstones.

Ji Yunhan remained kneeling upright.

"I understand."

His voice was hoarse, but every word was clear.

"I know everything."

He kowtowed again, his voice pleading.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to exchange all my past merits for a marriage certificate."

The emperor's figure suddenly froze.

He looked at his younger brother, who was kneeling on the ground and had grown up with him since childhood.

I never imagined that the person who gave up on himself sixteen years ago would go so crazy!

After a long while, the emperor finally let out a long sigh.

There was helplessness and disappointment in that sigh.

"That's enough."

The emperor turned away and refused to look at him again.

"I will consider this matter after the palace banquet."

"Get out of here."

Ji Yunhan said nothing more, knowing that this was already the emperor's biggest concession.

He kowtowed heavily.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

As the cold wind blew in from outside, he realized that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

---

The Liu family ancestral home is located in a quiet alley in the south of the capital city.

The carriage stopped at the alley entrance, and Jiang Bingning, escorted by Chang Fu, walked there.

The sight before her made her heart sink.

The house has long been abandoned; no one has lived here for a long time.

To Jiang Bingning's surprise, two squads of armored soldiers stood prominently at the entrance of this dilapidated house.

What alarmed her even more was that there were two huge seals crossed on the door.

The seal had turned yellow, but the cinnabar stamp on it remained bright red and glaring.

That's a seal from the palace.

Chang Fu was also stunned, clearly not expecting this to be the case.

"What...what's going on?"

Jiang Bingning suppressed her surprise and doubt and took a step forward.

"Greetings, sir."

The captain guarding the gate glanced at her, his eyes cold.

"What is it?"

"I am Jiang Bingning, a descendant of the Liu family. I have come here on the orders of the Dowager Empress to sort out my mother's old belongings."

As she spoke, she took out the Dowager Empress's warrant from her sleeve.

The captain didn't even glance at it.

"No one may enter without an imperial decree."

Jiang Bingning frowned deeply.

"Why? This is my ancestral home, why has it been sealed off?"

The captain's face remained expressionless.

"We are only following orders."

"Please leave, young lady."

After saying that, he ignored him.

Jiang Bingning was not giving up and wanted to say something more.

Chang Fu grabbed her sleeve and shook his head at her.

"Miss Jiang, they are Imperial Guards. Let's go back first and discuss it with the Dowager Princess."

Jiang Bingning stared at the cold seal and clenched her fists.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her doubts.

"Let's go."

---

Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Jiang Bingning immediately recounted the events at the Liu residence to the Dowager Consort.

After hearing this, the Dowager Consort's face showed the same puzzled expression as Jiang Bingning's.

She hesitated for a moment.

"Oh? Is that so?"

She raised her eyes and looked at Jiang Bingning.

"I haven't been back to the capital for many years, and I'm not very clear about many things in the court."

Jiang Bingning's heart jumped.

"Your Highness, that..."

The Dowager Empress waved her hand, looking somewhat weary.

"Don't be anxious. The palace banquet is just around the corner, so it's best not to cause any trouble."

"After the palace banquet, I will personally go to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager what exactly happened."

Jiang Bingning's heart sank little by little.

It's another palace banquet.

Everything had to wait until after the palace banquet.

But she couldn't wait!

The palace banquet in her past life was her nightmare. In this life, she must obtain all her trump cards before that happens!

But she also understood that the Dowager Princess had already made the biggest concession.

She could only suppress her anxiety.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your trouble, Dowager Princess."

---

Meanwhile, in Consort Lin's courtyard.

"Snapped!"

A fine white jade teacup was smashed hard on the ground.

Lin's face was contorted with jealousy and anger.

"Ji Yunhan... he demanded to marry that bitch Liu Jingyi?"

Her voice was shrill.

"Why should I?!"

"That woman is already a spent flower! Why should she still receive the prince's favor!"

She was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder.

She rushed to the desk, grabbed the pen, and dripped ink onto the letter paper.

"Liu Jingyi, do you want to be the mistress of the Prince's mansion?"

"I'll make sure you don't get your way!"

"I'll make you watch with your own eyes how your precious daughter will be utterly disgraced and despised by everyone!"

She spread out a new sheet of paper.

"To my elder brother: Jiang Bingning must be destroyed at the palace banquet! At all costs! If she is disgraced, that bitch Liu Jingyi will have no face to remain in the Prince's mansion!"

After writing it, she blew the letter dry, carefully folded it, and handed it to her confidante.

"Send it out immediately!"

Watching the messenger leave, Consort Lin revealed a vicious smile. Although she couldn't win Ji Yunhan's heart, no one else could!