I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Cangqiong looked at Lu Yuan but didn't say anything.

The hall was completely silent, with only the sound of burning candles.

After a long pause, Lu Cangqiong rubbed his head. "Is the second brother really that stupid?"

"Whether it's stupid or not, how would I know?"

"But he did do it, otherwise..."

As Lu Yuan spoke, his eyes began to dart around.

"What mischievous idea are you up to now?"

"Father, why don't you try a blood test with your second son to prove your kinship?"

"Huh?" Lu Cangqiong frowned.

Lu Yuan smirked, "How could someone as brilliant and capable as you possibly have such a stupid son like your second son?"

Lu Cangqiong's eyebrows were furrowed together.

"nonsense."

"No matter what, the second son is still your elder brother. What kind of behavior is this?"

"What does it look like?"

Lu Yuan sneered, "Father, if I don't go, Shen Hanqiu's reputation will be ruined. What will outsiders say when the Han family marries her?"

"They called me a good-for-nothing, unable to even protect my own woman."

Lu Cangqiong glared at him.

"You dare talk back?"

"Your subject is not talking back."

Lu Yuan raised his head and stared into Lu Cangqiong's eyes, "Your subject would like to ask Father a question."

Lu Cangqiong did not respond.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath.

"Father, do you want an obedient but useless son, or do you want the Great Yong Dynasty to last forever?"

The hall became even quieter.

Zhou Fu's face turned pale, and he knelt down with a thud.

"Your Highness, you cannot speak to His Majesty like that..."

Lu Cangqiong raised his hand to stop him.

He looked at Lu Yuan and spoke after a long while.

What do you mean?

"Shen Hanqiu is also a woman chosen by the old immortal."

Lu Yuan said calmly, "That's right. After my son sleeps with her, the old immortal will give him something else."

Lu Cangqiong's gaze shifted slightly.

Are you sure?

"Sure."

Lu Yuan nodded.

Lu Cangqiong paced back and forth on the dragon throne.

"So what are you going to do?"

Lu Yuan stated it bluntly: "My son wants to marry Shen Hanqiu as a concubine."

Lu Cangqiong stopped.

"You haven't even married Su Yuling yet, and you're already thinking about taking a concubine?"

"Isn't this all for the sake of the Great Yong Dynasty?"

Lu Yuan spread his hands and said, "Father, think about it. If your son marries a few more wives, the old immortal will bestow more treasures upon Dayong. It will be easy for the country's strength to increase several times over."

Lu Cangqiong looked at him.

"I think you just want to marry a lot of wives!"

"Oh dear, Father, what are you saying?"

Lu Yuan spread his hands and said, "I did this for the sake of the Great Yong Dynasty. You can't think of me like that."

Lu Cangqiong snorted coldly.

He didn't say anything more.

Think about it.

If the Ninth Prince hadn't lied, wouldn't the Great Yong Dynasty have become increasingly powerful if he had married more women and fathered more imperial grandsons?

Lu Cangqiong looked at Lu Yuan for a while before speaking.

"I approve of Shen Hanqiu's matter."

Just as Lu Yuan was about to express his gratitude, Lu Cangqiong continued, "But you must grant me one request."

"Father, please speak."

"Have more sons."

Lu Cangqiong looked at him and said, "I want you to give me ten imperial grandsons within three years."

Lu Yuan was taken aback.

Ten?

three years?

Is this treating him like livestock?

"Father, this...this doesn't seem realistic, does it?"

Lu Yuan coughed lightly and said, "A son isn't a stud!"

"How is it unrealistic?"

Lu Cangqiong interrupted him, saying, "If you marry several women, and each of them has two children, wouldn't that make ten?"

Lu Yuan's mouth dropped open.

That makes some sense.

He forced a smile.

"Father, I will do my best."

"It's not about trying your best, it's about having to."

Lu Cangqiong's tone became very firm, "If you don't give birth to ten children within three years, I will deduct your entire salary."

Lu Yuan's expression was very unpleasant.

"Father, aren't you forcing your son to join the Liangshan bandits?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Lu Cangqiong waved his hand and said, "I will have the Imperial Clan Court investigate the matter of the second son. You should go back first. The wedding can be done casually, just don't make it public knowledge. And hurry up and give me a grandson."

After sighing, Lu Yuan pretended to be unwilling and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked out, but when he reached the entrance of the hall, he looked back one last time.

"Father, what about the second son...?"

"I will handle it." Lu Cangqiong sat back on the dragon throne. "You don't need to worry about it."

Lu Yuan nodded.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he left the Qian Yuan Hall.

in spite of?

That doesn't exist!

However, ten imperial grandsons in three years...

Lu Yuan rubbed his forehead.

This is a huge project.

But then again, marrying several wives doesn't seem like a bad deal, does it?

Lu Yuan grinned and mounted his horse.

……

The Imperial Clan Court's prison.

Lu Cheng was thrown into a prison cell.

He sat in the corner, the bandages on his body had come loose in several layers, revealing his bluish-purple face.

Just now, he was beaten up again.

However, he wasn't angry; his mind was a complete mess at the moment.

How will Father deal with him?

Will that brat Lu Yuan try to kill us all?

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the cell.

An official from the Imperial Clan Court walked in, followed by two jailers.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has issued a decree."

Lu Cheng raised his head and asked weakly, "What did Father Emperor say?"

The official unfolded the imperial edict and began to read it aloud.

"The Second Prince, Lu Cheng, has ordered Han Gou to kidnap the Princess Consort, disgracing the royal family. He is hereby fined three years' salary, confined to his quarters for six months, and suspended from all duties immediately. So be it."

Lu Cheng's face turned deathly pale.

Six months of confinement?

Stop all operations?

Is this a move to completely exclude him from the succession struggle?

"Father..."

Lu Cheng opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

The official put away the imperial edict, turned around, and left.

The cell fell silent again.

Lu Cheng leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the spider web on the cell ceiling.

Lu Yuan, you deserve to die.

……

Ninth Prince's Mansion.

Lu Yuan returned to the mansion and went straight to the backyard.

Su Yuling and Shen Hanqiu were sitting in the courtyard, talking to each other.

Upon seeing Lu Yuan return, Su Yuling stood up.

"How is it?"

"nailed it."

Lu Yuan walked over and sat down next to her. "To protect her, my father ordered me to take her as a concubine."

Shen Hanqiu's face turned bright red instantly.

"Your Highness, I..."

"Don't say 'me, me, me'."

Lu Yuan waved his hand, "It's settled then. Your Fifth Brother sacrificed himself for the country, and I, Lu Yuan, will marry you to give him an explanation."

Shen Hanqiu lowered her head, her eyes a little wet.

"Your Highness, I am unworthy of such an honor..."

"Alright, stop talking about this."

After getting up and tidying his clothes, Lu Yuan went to see Su Bo'an.

Only Su Yuling and Shen Hanqiu remained in the courtyard.

Shen Hanqiu wiped away her tears.

"Yu Ling, I..."

"Don't think about it too much."

Su Yuling pulled Shen Hanqiu aside to sit down and said, "Since he has spoken up, he won't treat you unfairly."

After Shen Hanqiu agreed, he lowered his voice and asked again after a while.

"Yu Ling, do you think His Highness truly loves me?"

Su Yuling was taken aback. "Why are you asking about this?"

Shen Hanqiu's face turned red again.

"I...I just want to know."

Su Yuling looked at Shen Hanqiu, then suddenly laughed and teased him.

"Then why don't you just go ask him?"

Shen Hanqiu shook his head and said, "I dare not."

Su Yuling sighed, "Then you'll just have to wait and see when he tells you."