I've announced that I'm destined to have many children, and my father has bestowed upon me

Zhao Chen'an looked down at the girl in his arms, her nose reddened and her eyelashes wet.

He cupped Wu Ruoxue's small face in his hands and gently wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips.

"Remember, you are the only mistress of this mansion."

His words were solemn, carrying an undeniable certainty.

Wu Ruoxue nodded vigorously, rubbed her cheek against his warm palm, then stood on tiptoe and offered him her awkward yet passionate kiss.

Zhao Chen'an used a little force to lift her up by the waist!

They headed straight for the newlyweds' room, which hadn't been tidied up yet!

... (As usual, omitted content can be added to bookshelf for further details!)

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, in the imperial study.

A faint scent of ambergris mingled with the aroma of ink filled the air.

What should have been a place of peace and tranquility was instead filled with an barely suppressed anger.

"His Majesty!"

A rough shout shattered the silence.

General Li Qingcang, the valiant general who had just led his army to defeat the Tianlang tribe and become a formidable force in the northern frontier.

At this moment, without even removing his armor, he barged in in a flurry of activity.

His weathered, square face flushed red, and his thick beard trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty, this humble general dares to ask, is that imperial decree bestowing the marriage... is it genuine?"

He stood before the desk, so agitated that even his self-reference was somewhat incoherent.

On the throne, Zhao Daoting, dressed in a dragon robe, slowly put down the vermilion brush in his hand and raised his head.

His face, which exuded an air of authority without anger, remained completely expressionless as he calmly returned the gaze of the general he trusted most.

"It was an imperial decree."

Zhao Daoting's answer was calm and collected, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.

Li Qingcang's chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he was trying his best to suppress something.

"Your Majesty! As you know, my daughter Qingluan... she... she is no ordinary young lady from a prominent family!"

He tried to explain himself urgently, his voice strained.

"She has been learning martial arts from me since childhood, and possesses extraordinary talent. Now, at only twenty years old, she has already successfully opened her Dao Palace and entered the early stage of the Dao Palace Realm!"

"Such talent is enough to rival even the most ordinary geniuses! Yet you...you bestowed her upon the sixteenth prince as...as a concubine?"

As he spoke the last two words, Li Qingcang's teeth clenched so tightly they rattled.

That was Li Qingcang's precious daughter!

She was a renowned and valiant daughter of a military family throughout the entire Great Zhou Dynasty!

Marry that good-for-nothing playboy who has nothing but his looks and become his concubine?

This is even more painful than seeing him die on the battlefield!

Zhao Daoting listened to his complaints, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply picked up the teacup beside him and gently blew away the foam.

Then, he slowly began to speak.

"Are you done talking?"

Li Qingcang was taken aback.

"Now that you've finished speaking, it's my turn to ask you questions."

Zhao Daoting put down his teacup, making a soft "tap" sound.

"In your opinion, General Li, my son is not good enough for your daughter?"

boom!

These words, though seemingly ordinary, sent a jolt through Li Qingcang's body.

The anger and grievances that had just been burning inside were instantly extinguished by a bone-chilling cold.

He froze completely.

A cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.

"No...no! This humble general had absolutely no such intention!"

Li Qingcang knelt down on one knee with a "thud," his tall body prostrate on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty's prince is of true dragon blood, a golden branch and jade leaf."

"My daughter's marriage into the royal family is a blessing she has accumulated over many lifetimes! This humble general... this humble general would never dare to show the slightest disrespect!"

He hurriedly explained, afraid of being even half a word too slow.

Zhao Daoting looked down at him, showing no intention of telling him to get up.

"So what do you mean?"

"This humble general...this humble general is referring to...the sixteenth prince..."

Li Qingcang got stuck.

He simply couldn't bring himself to say what came next.

Is it true that the sixteenth prince is incapable of escaping the sea of ​​suffering and is a useless person on the path of cultivation?

It is said that the Sixteenth Prince is idle all day long and is the number one playboy in the capital.

To criticize someone's son in front of his own father?

Li Qingcang is reckless, not stupid!

He could speak highly of his daughter even in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

But you can't say a single "no" to the sixteenth prince!

Otherwise, you're really courting death!

Seeing his frustrated yet speechless expression, Zhao Daoting chuckled inwardly.

That idiot.

He had intended to say a few words to reassure his beloved general.

But after a second thought, Zhao Daoting changed his mind.

Explanation?

Why do I need to explain?

I am the emperor!

He suddenly changed the subject, his voice becoming deep.

"Li Qingcang".

"Your subordinate is here!"

Li Qingcang shuddered and lowered his head even further.

"Are you still loyal to me?"

The question came out of nowhere, but Li Qingcang answered without hesitation:

"This humble general's life belongs to His Majesty! At His Majesty's command, no matter the dangers, whether it be mountains of knives, seas of fire, or a hundred thousand enemy troops, this humble general will not flinch!"

Zhao Daoting nodded, seemingly quite satisfied.

"very good."

He paused for a moment, then asked again.

"Then do you think I would harm you?"

Li Qingcang suddenly looked up.

He looked at the familiar figure on the throne, and his thoughts instantly returned to decades ago.

At that time, he was just a lowly guard in front of the emperor, while the emperor before him was just one of the ordinary princes.

It was His Majesty who personally promoted him from a guard to a lieutenant general, then to a general, and finally to the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, reaching the pinnacle of his position.

This gratitude for being recognized and appreciated, this bond between ruler and subject, has long transcended the ordinary.

Li Qingcang's tiger-like eyes blazed with heat, and his voice became heavy and resolute.

"Your Majesty's kindness to me is immeasurable, and you know me inside and out. I trust myself, and I trust Your Majesty even more! Your Majesty would never harm me in the slightest!"

"Oh."

Zhao Daoting smiled.

He stood up from his throne, walked to Li Qingcang, and personally helped him up.

"Since you trust me and believe that I will not harm you."

Zhao Daoting patted his strong arm, a playful smile on his face.

"Then what are you still nagging me about here?"

"Go back and wash your neck... no, I mean wash your daughter clean, so she can get married in seven days."

"My arrangements have their own profound meaning."

Li Qingcang was thus helped and pushed out of the Imperial Study by Zhao Daoting.

Even as the palace doors slowly closed behind him, his tall frame remained frozen in place, his mind blank.

A deeper meaning?

What is the deeper meaning?

What profound meaning could there be in marrying a genius daughter at the Dao Palace Realm to a good-for-nothing who can't even open the Sea of ​​Bitterness?

Li Qingcang shook his head, feeling that his brain was completely overwhelmed.

Just as he was feeling lost and about to leave, a hurried figure rushed over from the other end of the corridor.

"General Li! General Li, please wait!"

The person who arrived was none other than the Third Prince, Zhao Chenyu.

His face was haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night. Seeing Li Qingcang now was like seeing a lifeline.

"General Li, my father..."

Zhao Chenyu rushed up to Li Qingcang, about to speak.

However, Li Qingcang merely glanced at him with his large, round eyes and said nothing.

His mind was now filled with His Majesty's "profound meaning," and he had no time to pay attention to this distraught prince.

And so, to Zhao Chenyu's astonishment, the General of Chariots and Cavalry strode past him.

There wasn't even a pause.

The armor clashed, producing a clanging sound, and then faded into the distance.

Zhao Chenyu's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

He was completely stunned.

The wind blew through the empty palace corridors, stirring up a few fallen leaves and also taking away the last trace of color from his face.