The whole family is obsessed with love? The princess woke them up one after another.

The third princess was stunned, then a surge of anger at being deceived welled up inside her: "What do you mean? Was there something else that happened back then?"

Qi Yanhe sighed: "Originally, I didn't want to say it."

"But... Princess Chen'an has been sowing discord."

"We have been husband and wife for many years and have a deep and loving relationship. If this causes any rift between us, our precious daughter will be heartbroken."

When it comes to their daughter, the third princess's heart melts completely.

They have been married for many years and have only one daughter.

Even so, Qi Yanhe did not mention taking a concubine.

Not only that, he also understood the pain of childbirth and let things take their course, not forcing a son.

He doted on their daughter rotten.

In the Qi Kingdom, their daughters were treated no less well than princesses.

Even the Emperor of Qi doted on their daughter.

"What exactly happened back then?" the Third Princess pressed.

She desperately needed an answer.

She didn't believe that all those years of happy life were fake.

She refused to believe that Qi Yanhe's feelings for her were fake!

Qi Yanhe said with a wry smile, "As you know, Qi Kingdom has a rare mineral—cold iron."

The third princess nodded repeatedly: "I know."

"Forging weapons will make them incredibly sharp, and forging armor will make it even stronger."

Having lived in Qi for so many years, she still knows this.

"Back then, other countries all came to Qi Kingdom to purchase cold iron," Qi Yanhe stated the facts.

The cold iron from their Qi Kingdom is a rare commodity.

"The reason we agreed to Da Rui's offer was twofold. Firstly, they conceded some profits, and we did so for the sake of the people of Qi. Secondly, it was because of the bond between you and me as husband and wife."

Qi Yan gazed affectionately at the Third Princess: "Da Rui is your mother country, which is why I persuaded Father to agree that Cold Iron will only be traded with Da Rui."

The third princess was deeply shocked upon hearing this: "So that's how it is...it's actually like that!"

At this moment, her heart was in turmoil, a mixture of emotions colliding and clashing, making her feel like a withered leaf being swept up by a monstrous wave.

It soared up as if to touch the sky, then crashed down as if falling into the underworld.

The Third Princess's face was contorted with extreme disappointment and grief, causing tears to stream down her face: "Father Emperor was clearly doing this for Da Rui, yet he still keeps saying it's for me."

"Father, how could you say such a thing against your conscience?"

"Your Highness, I misunderstood."

She actually doubted her husband's feelings for her!

"I...I never thought my father would lie to me!" The third princess became more and more upset as she spoke, and she couldn't stop crying.

Qi Yanhe pulled her into his arms and gently comforted her, "Your Majesty, you are indeed Your Majesty. It is only right that you put the interests of the country first."

"You are still a prince of Qi Kingdom, and you could have become the crown prince back then!" The Third Princess retorted loudly in disagreement.

Qi Yanhe laughed: "How can they be the same?"

"You are not the only princess of Da Rui. But in my heart, there is only you."

The deep affection in Qi Yan's eyes completely captivated the Third Princess, who nestled in his arms and wept bitterly.

She was wrong!

Her father didn't love her at all.

For Da Rui's benefit, he even tried to sow discord between her and her husband.

Did Father Emperor ever consider how she would live after returning to Qi Kingdom if their relationship with their husbands really soured?

Qi Yan gently stroked the Third Princess's back, his movements incredibly tender. However, the Third Princess, nestled in his arms, couldn't see the deep mockery in his eyes.

The atmosphere in the court has been somewhat tense lately due to the renegotiation with the Qi Kingdom.

The originally neutral subjects became much closer to Prince Rui, not to mention those who were originally Prince Rui's men, who all felt honored.

Their faces clearly showed that they were following the people they admired.

Especially when they encountered colleagues who supported the King of Wu, they were incredibly arrogant and conceited.

The ministers who followed the King of Wu were extremely frustrated.

The more pleased they were at the banquet that day with the negotiations, the more distressed they are now.

Sometimes, comparisons are just not appropriate.

The difference is... well, it's hard to put into words.

Prince Rui and Qi Jingchen did not waste the opportunity that Qi Zhiyu created for them; the father and son made various moves, both openly and secretly, in the court.

They are quite adept at winning people over without offending them.

Anyone can see that Prince Rui and his son are doing things in a real and practical way.

In this case, the King of Wu always tries to win people's hearts with small favors... The difference in their abilities is obvious!

Qi Zhiyu didn't care about matters of the court, but... she felt that the Third Princess's arrival was really annoying.

"When she comes back to visit her family, can't she just stay home and see her mother and have a private chat?" Qi Zhiyu complained to her mother, half-lying on the couch, bored.

"Go to the temple if you have nothing else to do. You should also invite people to come along."

"What's wrong? Is she lost because she's alone?"

"Can't I worship Buddha, or can't I offer incense?"

Princess Rui chuckled: "She's always loved this kind of pomp and circumstance."

"Especially after she married Qi Yanhe, he indulged her in everything."

"She lived a very comfortable life in Qi Kingdom."

Qi Zhiyu scoffed disdainfully, "If it weren't for her imperial grandfather backing her up, would she have been living such a comfortable life?"

"Qi Yan and that old fox, they don't even need to use their brains to fool her."

"After all these years, wouldn't it be better for her to just live a happy life, pretending to be a fool?"

"They insisted on coming back to get involved."

It's obvious without even thinking that the King of Wu was behind this.

"Mother, do you think the King of Wu is out of his mind?" Qi Zhiyu didn't quite understand. "He wants the position of crown prince, not to improve people's livelihoods or to benefit the court. He's always thinking about building up his power base."

"Don't those forces that support him deserve something in return?"

"If he really comes to power, how much autonomy will he have left?"

"To be the emperor, yet be controlled by others... what's the point of being an emperor?"

"The key point is that if someone like this rises to power, those who invested in him will definitely have to recoup their investment in double the amount."

"What will happen to the people then?"

"If the foundation of the nation is weakened, the people will suffer, and uprisings and rebellions will inevitably break out across the country, leading to a change of dynasty."

Princess Rui knew her daughter understood perfectly well, and she sighed, "Those involved are often blinded by their own perspective."

"The King of Wu has always had that intention."

He always liked to compare himself to your dad.

Qi Zhiyu was quite puzzled: "If you like comparing yourself to others, shouldn't you set a more realistic goal?"

"At least the difference should be small. Even if it's large, we can try to catch up if we can."

"He's really overestimating himself."

"You're not reconciled, are you?" Princess Rui understood Prince Wu's thoughts. "Prince Wu always feels that His Majesty is biased."