Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Inside the Imperial Study.

Upon hearing the guard's words, the Emperor of Da Ning was slightly taken aback and asked, "Chen Wenyuan's son? Was the character-splitting couplet that Zhao Yue presented last time also his correct answer?"

The guard clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, yes, according to the princess's coachman, the couplet 'Ascending the towering peaks, one can survey a thousand miles of hills and mountains' was also composed by this young master. On that day, he was being chased and, in desperation, boarded the princess's carriage. He overheard the princess and Miss Qing Shuang mentioning this couplet and casually composed the matching line..."

The Emperor of Da Ning looked surprised.

He always believed that Zhao Yue had composed the couplet herself, and even put on a show in front of the Yan envoy to barely salvage the dignity of the court.

Only now do I realize that the couplet wasn't my daughter's clever idea at all, but rather the work of someone else.

He picked up his teacup, a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "Given his talent and the fact that his father is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he should already be famous throughout the capital. Why have I never heard of him?"

Soon, he remembered something else.

Consort Su and Chen Chang'an's mother, Shen Qingyi, were close friends. When Consort Su was still alive, she made a marriage agreement with the Chen family, and the betrothed was Zhaoyue and Chen Chang'an.

Later, Consort Su and Shen Qingyi passed away one after another, and he forgot about this matter until he heard Chen Chang'an's name and suddenly remembered it.

He put down his teacup, stroked his beard, and his expression became strange.

This young man, who turned the tide, saved Da Ning from peril, preserved the dignity of the court and the emperor, and rescued Zhao Yue from dire straits, is none other than Zhao Yue's rightful fiancé.

Such a coincidence is probably only found in plays.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he murmured, "Interesting, interesting..."

Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Princess Zhaoyue walked in slowly, with Qingshuang following closely behind her.

Qing Shuang stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "This humble woman greets Your Majesty."

The Emperor of Da Ning chuckled as he looked at her unusually proper manner in bowing, and reached out to ruffle her hair: "You silly girl, you used to do all sorts of mischievous and unreliable things, but today you've actually been quite dependable..."

Qing Shuang tilted her head slightly as he rubbed it, then stuck out her tongue: "This subject has always been very reliable!"

The Emperor of Da Ning smiled and shook his head, withdrawing his hand. He turned his gaze to Zhao Yue and said, "Zhao Yue, you've come at the right time. I have something interesting to tell you..."

Princess Zhaoyue smiled slightly and said, "Your subject also has something she wishes to tell Father..."

With that young master's literary talent, if he could be put to use by the court, the incident where the entire court of Da Ning was stumped by a few couplets would never happen again.

Just as she was about to speak about this matter, a eunuch suddenly entered and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, Chen Wenyuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyue swallowed back the words she was about to say.

The Emperor of Da Ning nodded slightly and said, "Let him in."

Although Chen Wenyuan's second son had humiliated Da Ning in the palace today, out of respect for his eldest son, the matter would not be pursued further.

Before long, Chen Wenyuan strode into the imperial study. Seeing Princess Zhaoyue there, he was slightly moved, then knelt down and said, "Your subject Chen Wenyuan greets Your Majesty and Princess Zhaoyue."

"Rise."

The Emperor of Da Ning leaned back in his chair, his expression calm, and asked, "What is it, Minister Chen?"

Chen Wenyuan stood up, carefully considered his words, and then bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have come here regarding the marriage agreement between my good-for-nothing son and Princess Zhaoyue..."

Princess Zhaoyue was taken aback upon hearing this.

engagement?

What engagement?

Chen Wenyuan took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, but my eldest son, Chen Chang'an, is of questionable character. A few days ago, he committed an indecent act against my cousin who was visiting the residence. I have already expelled him from the family. Such a despicable son is truly unworthy to marry the princess. I implore Your Majesty to change the betrothal to Princess Zhaoyue to my second son, Chen Changxuan. Changxuan has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and is of upright character, making him a suitable match for the princess..."

After he finished speaking, the imperial study fell silent for a moment.

"engagement?"

Princess Zhaoyue finally came to her senses and turned to look at the Emperor of Da Ning behind the dragon throne, her eyes filled with deep confusion: "Father, what marriage agreement?"

The Emperor of Da Ning coughed, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "Your mother and the wife of Minister Chen were very close friends back then, and they did indeed have an arranged marriage when they were still children. However, it was too long ago, and after your mother passed away, I forgot about it, so I did not tell you..."

Princess Zhaoyue stood still, her fist slowly clenching in her sleeve.

Chen Wenyuan just said that Chen Chang'an had committed indecent acts against his cousin who was staying at the mansion a few days ago and had been expelled from the house.

She had just gotten rid of that beastly third prince of Yan and thought she could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but less than half an hour later, a strange marriage contract appeared.

The man she was betrothed to turned out to be a dissolute young man who had sexually assaulted her cousin.

Is this the fate of being a princess?

She remained silent for a moment, then turned and left without saying a word.

Qing Shuang was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him.

The imperial study fell silent once more.

Emperor Da Ning gazed in the direction Zhao Yue had left, sighed, then turned his gaze to Chen Wenyuan with a meaningful look.

He looked at Chen Wenyuan and said slowly, "The Consort arranged the marriage with Chen Chang'an, not Chen Changxuan. Now that the Consort has passed away, the marriage was her last will and testament. There is no reason to change the choice. Let's not mention this matter again. You may leave."

Chen Wenyuan's expression changed, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he looked up and met the emperor's calm and unwavering gaze, he swallowed his words.

"Your subject... takes his leave."

He bowed and left the imperial study, his mind heavy with worry.

After Chen Wenyuan's figure disappeared outside the palace gate, the guard slowly reported: "Your Majesty, I have investigated the Chen family's treatment of Young Master Chen over the years. Since the death of his birth mother, Madam Shen, he has been moved by Lord Chen to the most remote courtyard in the mansion, where he is treated no differently from a servant..."

"His stepmother, Zhao, has been very harsh on him, but Lord Chen has turned a blind eye. A few days ago, rumors spread in the mansion that the young master had molested his cousin, and there has been much gossip among the neighbors. However, after questioning the servants in the Chen household, I suspect there is more to the story..."

After listening, the Emperor of Da Ning stroked his beard, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "The Chen family has produced a prodigy, yet Chen Wenyuan is completely unaware of it. How laughable, how laughable."

The guard tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, should we tell the princess the true identity of Young Master Chen? The princess seems to have some misunderstanding about him."

"No need."

The Emperor of Da Ning waved his hand: "Young people's affairs should be left to them to resolve themselves. You know Zhao Yue's personality. If I tell her now, that girl will feel that I'm making decisions for her again. Let her find out for herself..."

He paused, then changed the subject, his expression returning to its usual composure. He said in a deep voice, "Although the Yan Kingdom has already submitted its letter ceding Liangzhou City, the Tuoba clan has always been unpredictable, so we must be on guard. Send an order to the Zhenbei Army to closely monitor the movements of the Yan army, and report any unusual activity immediately."

"As you command..."

The guard clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then turned and withdrew.

The imperial study finally quieted down, and the Emperor of Da Ning leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

In any case, this matter is finally over.

That young man single-handedly saved face for Da Ning and the emperor himself. It would be a waste of his talent if he didn't enter the court as an official.

However, there's no need to rush things. Let's wait until Zhaoyue and he clear up the misunderstanding before making any decisions...