Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

"The lives of hundreds of people in this entire household, their honor and disgrace, all rest on this. How dare I, your humble servant, act madly and disregard it?"

"this……"

Yong'an wanted to refute, but the facts were clear: there was no solution. No matter how angry or upset she was, regardless of her status, if she cried and begged the emperor to grant her another marriage, she would still be reprimanded and punished by the emperor.

She also executed Haitang and a group of palace servants, not to mention Lin Wantang, whose rank and background were inferior to hers.

The crime of disobeying an imperial edict was enough to warrant the execution of the entire clan.

Looking at Yong'an's radiant face, Lin Wantang sighed softly, "Princess, I broke off the engagement first because I could not bear the humiliation, and I betrayed His Highness the Crown Prince's affection. This is a grave sin, and I am willing to accept the condemnation and slander of the world."

"But no matter how many mistakes I have made, I am still a person, and a woman just like the princess. I only want to find a husband to settle down and make a living. I cannot disobey the imperial decree, nor do I have any intention of offending the princess."

"Nonsense! Shut up!"

Yong'an didn't want to listen anymore. She didn't know what was going on, but Lin Wantang seemed to have a kind of magic power. With just a few words and eloquent tongue, she could slowly bewitch people and make them lose their minds.

Yong'an didn't want to take her anger out on others, nor did she want to cause trouble like a madwoman. In fact, if everything else were disregarded, she actually thought Lin Wantang was a really nice woman.

However, she loved Wei Wujiu, she had loved him since childhood, she fell in love at first sight, and after many years, how could she not want to stay with him forever, and how could she accept watching him marry another woman!

Reality shapes people, and reality also forces people to act. Yong'an, left with no other choice, decided to ignore everything and refused to be swayed by Lin Wantang. He angrily shouted, "Get out! Go kneel outside! Don't get in my way, get out!"

Lin Wantang ignored her and didn't move an inch: "Princess, I apologize for my inconvenience. Tonight, I'd like to have a heart-to-heart talk with you."

She quickened her pace slightly and continued, "Since Your Highness couldn't put yourself in my shoes just now, would Your Highness like to know what you would do if you were in Your Highness's shoes?"

"You..." Yong'an was so angry she was practically spitting fire, and she wanted to drag Lin Wantang out, but upon hearing this, she paused, somewhat puzzled: "What do you want to do? Stop beating around the bush, just say it!"

Lin Wantang gasped, then quickly added, "If I were a princess, I would not dare to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree. I would simply remain a dutiful princess."

"What?"

Yong'an was surprised, feeling that Lin Wantang's words were as good as nothing, and were just pure nonsense.

Before Yong'an could lose her temper again, Lin Wantang quickly added, "What's wrong with being a princess? You can openly like whoever you want, and protect whoever you want, as long as it doesn't violate the laws and regulations. I can show favoritism and protect whoever I want. If I want to see someone more often, I can summon them to the palace to talk and have a meal. Who would dare to disobey me?"

Yong'an's face, which was filled with anger, suddenly stiffened...

Lin Wantang continued, "Isn't this much better than scheming to marry down? Besides, Princess, if I may speak frankly and disrespectfully, Lord Wei is a eunuch. Is he able to have sexual relations? Can he bear children? Since he cannot, why insist on a marriage certificate?"

"Oh, this..."

Yong'an's expression was extremely complicated. Although he was extremely unwilling to admit it, it seemed that what Lin Wantang said... was true.

"Princess, since ancient times, a man may have one wife and multiple concubines. The legally wedded wife may seem incredibly noble and respected, but in the end, isn't she just that man's woman? How is she any different from those concubines?"

"It's just that the title sounds better. So if I were a princess, I would not seek a title that is merely for show. I only wish to be that person's confidante, his soulmate, and his one and only sister for all eternity, as a person of noble birth."

After Lin Wantang finished speaking, and the general meaning was clear, he bowed down and respectfully kowtowed, waiting for punishment.

Although she said these things mainly because she realized that if Yong'an's mindset wasn't changed, he would become a big problem sooner or later, Lin Wantang's impression of Yong'an was never bad, and these words came from the bottom of her heart.

It's a pity that Lin Wantang wasn't a princess. Otherwise, what she wanted was never a husband or a wife and mother, but to enjoy the rest of her life happily and freely. If anyone dared to provoke her, she wouldn't mind using her wisdom to make that person regret it to the core!

Yong'an stared blankly, her eyes deep and heavy. She stood frozen in place for a long time, her mind replaying every word Lin Wantang had said, especially the last one. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

If it were any other man, she would have tried every means to marry him and continue the family line. Even if her husband changed his mind later, she would still have children to rely on. But Wei Wujiu…

No, even if Wei Wujiu is healthy and without any disabilities, Yong'an suffered a terrible ordeal in the northern frontier, and her body is already failing, making it difficult for her to conceive again in this lifetime.

If that's the case, then what's the point of forcibly demanding that empty title of husband and wife?

Yong'an moved her feet and walked to the bronze mirror. Looking at her beautiful face, she raised her hand to touch it. Her face was beautiful, but youth fades with time. One day she would grow old and lose her beauty. She had no children. Would Wei Wujiu still be able to fall in love with her?

The answer was already clear to her. Yong'an sighed helplessly, shaking her head and smiling bitterly. As she smiled, tears welled up in her eyes again. Finally, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes: "Get up. I don't blame you anymore."

Lin Wantang was slightly taken aback, not expecting that her few words could actually persuade Yong'an. She felt it was not quite real, but then she heard Yong'an say, "We have no grudges against each other, and I didn't mean to target you. Now I just want to ask you one question..."

As she spoke, Yong'an walked around to Lin Wantang and asked, "If I stop forcing things, then in the long years to come, can you really allow me to spend time with Wei Wujiu without feeling jealous or resentful?"

Lin Wantang said frankly, "Princess, after the marriage, I will be the wife of the Governor, the mistress of the Jingyuan Mansion, managing the inner chambers and overseeing the household affairs. To put it bluntly, I will already have a stable home and a secure life. Unless something extremely serious happens, no one can shake my position or easily kick me out. So why should I be jealous of the Princess?"

Yong'an frowned, bent down and reached out to pull Lin Wantang up: "So what you want isn't Wei Wujiu himself, but... a home?"

"Yes, a home that belongs to me, a home where I can be in charge."

Lin Wantang's open and honest eyes were sincere and clear, without any concealment.

In the midst of turmoil and hardship, women, whether noble ladies from aristocratic families or daughters from ordinary households, were bound by the traditional Confucian virtues of obedience to their fathers at home, to their husbands after marriage, and to their sons after their husbands' deaths. They could only rely on men for their entire lives. Lin Wantang was no exception, which is why she only wanted to become a legal wife and the matriarch of the family.