Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"You said before that you wanted to find the best man in the world for Baozhu."

The emperor leaned back in his chair and asked the crown prince, "How's the search going?"

The crown prince's expression froze. "Father, you disagreed, but someone beat us to it."

He had just taken a bath and was about to go to sleep when his father called him over. It turned out that it was about Baozhu's marriage.

"Your subject has looked at it again and again, and still thinks Xiao Huaijin is the most suitable. Looking at the whole world, apart from the Emperor of Nanyao and the Crown Prince, no one has a more noble status than him."

No man is as good-looking as him; Zhuzhu has always liked good-looking men since she was little.

He was still the youngest son in the family, so he didn't have to shoulder any responsibilities. He heard that his older brother and sister-in-law treated him like their own son. With Zhuzhu living with him, he didn't have to worry about her too much, and there were no conflicts with his sisters-in-law. He could just eat, drink, and be happy every day.

What a wonderful marriage.

He muttered, "Now that cheap deal is gone."

If the daughter-in-law is called Zhuzhu'er, then all the honors recorded in the Southern Yao Kingdom's books belong to Zhuzhu'er.

Unfortunately, his father did not agree to him separating Gui Yao and Xiao Huaijin. Where can he find someone like Xiao Huaijin now?

The emperor summoned him to test him, not to listen to his complaints.

"Your sister is so outstanding, aren't you afraid that she'll marry into Nan Yao and become an asset to Nan Yao?"

The Crown Prince was stunned for a moment. "No way? Zhuzhu is a princess of the Great Sheng Dynasty, and we are her blood relatives. Would she help outsiders against us?"

"Zhuzhu is no fool."

The emperor concealed the sharpness in his eyes, "But she has so much leverage over you. Can you honestly say that you didn't let your maternal grandfather know that she went to war in your place?"

The Crown Prince looked away. "I didn't say it intentionally; it was my maternal grandfather who discovered it himself."

Zhu Zhu'er was away on a military expedition for five years, while he was confined to the imperial estate for five years. There were times when he couldn't stand the loneliness and would sneak back to the palace.

The emperor snorted coldly, "Even ordinary families turn against each other over their family fortunes, let alone the imperial family."

Even if you trust your sister, your mother, your maternal grandfather, and those who follow you, they don't fear your sister.

Even if she does nothing at that time, someone will inevitably try to sow discord between you and your siblings.

"Grandpa also dotes on Zhuzhu. Over the years, he has sent things to Nanyao every year. He won't let us siblings fall out..."

However, this statement lacked conviction; when faced with self-interest, kinship is incredibly fragile.

His maternal grandfather doted on him and Zhuzhu, but he loved his own children and grandchildren even more and cared more about the future of the family.

He simply didn't want to think about it too much, so he said, "Perhaps Father is overthinking it. We've been doing just fine all these years."

ok?

The emperor slapped him on the head, "As the crown prince, you should be more thoughtful and deliberate. How can you take chances?"

My official letter has been sent out, and your sister will be returning home soon. As her brother, you should consider her future so that there will be no mortgage.

His pearls have been harmed beyond recognition and left homeless, yet this bastard still says everything is fine.

The crown prince's scalp tingled.

His clean hair was ruined by his father's slap.

"I never said I wouldn't consider my sister's feelings. If all else fails, we can arrange for her to marry into her maternal grandparents' family. That should be fine, right?"

Now that my younger sister has become part of my maternal grandparents' family, they can't possibly worry that she has other intentions.

"Snapped!"

Another slap landed on his head, this time the emperor's large hand also haphazardly rubbing his head.

Only in this way will the crown prince lose his composure.

The emperor rubbed and scolded, "Your maternal grandsons, all of whom are about the same age as Zhuzhu, are married, and those who are not married are much younger than Zhuzhu."

"She's not even as pretty as Zhuzhu, and she's not as capable as Zhuzhu. Is this how you treat your sister?"

He looked like an angry old father.

"Or was this your maternal grandfather's idea?"

The crown prince got goosebumps all over his body; he was going crazy and broke free from the emperor's grasp.

Like a chicken that has fallen into the water, it shook off its feathers, looking extremely aggrieved.

"It was all because of you, Father Emperor, that I spoke without thinking. If I wanted my sister to marry into my maternal grandparents' family, I wouldn't have refused on her behalf three years ago."

My father had previously said that with him around, he didn't need to worry.

The emperor rose as if to give chase, "Did your maternal grandfather mention three years ago that he wanted your sister to marry into that family?"

Fearing he might strike again, the Crown Prince took a step back and said, "It was the Empress Dowager who asked for my opinion, and I refused on the spot."

The emperor squinted at him, "At least you still have some conscience."

He sat back down and beckoned to the Crown Prince, "Come here."

"Promise me you won't take action."

"Do you think I'd want to stroke your dog's head?"

The emperor rolled his eyes at him. "If you don't anger me, I won't touch you. Otherwise, I'll make you wear a carpet tonight."

The crown prince shuddered as he recalled his previous experience and carefully sat back down opposite the emperor.

"Your subject knows you are worried about Zhuzhu'er. Your subject promises you that you will search for her carefully."

If you really can't find one, then I won't marry her. I'll raise a whole courtyard of male concubines for her, and I'll gather all the handsome men in the world for her. How about that?

"That's perfect, since I'm destined never to have my own children. My sister's future offspring will be raised by me."

The emperor really wanted to hit someone at this moment. He raised his hand and gave the crown prince a wary look, but then lowered it again.

"If that's the case, your maternal grandfather and his ilk will have even more reason to target your sister."

"Then remove him from his post."

The Crown Prince felt extremely uncomfortable and patiently told Xin, "Now that the external threats have been eliminated, Da Sheng is no longer what it was when Father Emperor ascended the throne."

If a subject tries to manipulate the monarch again, he is courting death. Besides, Zhuzhu is so capable. If my brother and I work together, how can we not deal with them?

"Father, I'm not stupid. I know perfectly well who is closer, my maternal grandfather or my sister."

The emperor slowly leaned back in his chair; he could tell that his son was telling the truth.

"Being a ruler is as easy as he says. If Zhuzhu were to keep a bunch of male concubines and have sons to inherit the throne, the world would probably be in chaos again."

At that time, who knows how badly the historians will portray Zhuzhu'er.

The emperor disagreed with this path. He looked at the crown prince and said, "The crown prince is the foundation of the country. You should also get married and have children."

He probed further, "What are your mother's plans regarding your marriage?"

Fearing that the emperor might suddenly decide to bestow a marriage upon him, the crown prince hurriedly replied, "My mother has already made arrangements. Within two years, she will choose a suitable crown princess for me."

The emperor knew his son's problem best. Previously, the empress had asked a palace maid to help him with his sexual affairs. Let alone touching a woman, the useless thing would faint as soon as a woman touched him.

He tried several more times and it was always the same, so he couldn't force the crown prince to marry, because marrying would only bring trouble to the woman.

What does "appropriate" mean?

The Empress had never mentioned this to the Emperor, who had a gut feeling that something was amiss.

The crown prince didn't hide anything, "It was a sham marriage. I didn't touch her, but I gave her the title of crown prince, and she helped me silence the gossip of the world."

"Who did you contact? Are they reliable?"

The Crown Prince shook his head, already poised to leave at any moment. "I don't know. The Empress Dowager didn't say, only that she assured me I would be married within two years."

He needs to go back to shower and wash his hair.

Having asked all the necessary questions, the emperor grew annoyed with his attitude. "Alright, go back. Do not tell anyone about tonight's events, otherwise..."

Before he could finish speaking, the emperor glanced at the carpet.

The crown prince was so frightened that he immediately stood up, quickly cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your subject dares not. Your subject will return first. Father, please rest early."

After saying that, he ran away quickly.

The emperor's eyes gradually darkened, and he ordered Li Deshun, "Investigate."

He wanted to know who the woman the Empress had chosen was, and if there was someone else, why wait? And why keep it a secret from him?

The Empress, unaware that the Crown Prince had betrayed her, pressed her back against the headboard and asked the green-clad woman before her, "Have you burned paper money yet?"

"Burn it."

The woman said, "Judging from Your Highness's appearance, you do not seem to be possessed by evil spirits. Gui Yao may be deliberately trying to frighten Your Highness."

"This is our first meeting, why did she treat me like this?"

There's always a reason for everything. The Empress couldn't understand it. As the Empress, ordinary people were too busy trying to please her. What good would it do Gui Yao to make an enemy of her?

The woman in green hesitated. "To demonstrate my abilities before His Majesty?"

"There's no need for that."

The empress shook her head.

Gui Yao's ability to restore the people's spirits is the best proof of her competence.

After much thought, the Empress realized that she might indeed be possessed by a ghost.

Thinking of Gui Yao's description of the deceased, a chill ran down her spine again, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

She waved away the palace servants and asked the woman in green in a hoarse voice, "How exactly did you kill her?"