A Dilemma

That evening, Xiao Lingyan went to the palace to meet Noble Consort Cen and told her that Zhao Ruxi had turned sixteen and that if she was not married soon, the court officials would probably impeach her, and that he could not delay any longer.

Finally, he said, "Mother, if I marry Zhao Zhiwei, it means that Mister Kumu and Wu Huaisi, among others, will side with our faction. This is something Father doesn't want to see, and the other factions don't want to see it either. At that time, Zhiwei will be in danger."

He sighed, "Zhiwei her ambitions, and to do something for the people, so I don't want to bring her into the public eye so soon. I want to give her the freedom to do things her own way. But now, we're forced to get engaged. This dilemma is really hard to resolve."

"Actually..." Noble Consort Cen looked at her increasingly mature son, and hesitated to speak the next words.

Xiao Lingyan raised his head and looked at Noble Consort Cen.

Noble Consort Cen forced herself to finish her sentence: "Your engagement to Zhiwei isn't entirely without its advantages. She's currently in Nanyang, making her a particularly obvious target. If the Crown Prince, Prince of Ming, or Prince of Qian want to deal with her, they'll have to send people to Nanyang..."

Seeing her son's eyes grow dangerous and his expression turn cold, she quickly said, "Don't worry about Zhiwei. I'll ask your father to send some of the palace's best guards to protect Zhiwei. We'll send people too; we'll make sure she's safe."

Seeing that the coldness in Xiao Lingyan's eyes had not increased, she continued, "In this way, your father will be able to see the actions of the Crown Prince, Prince of Ming, and the others. Given your father's deep affection and respect for Mister Kumu and his fondness for Zhao Zhiwei's talent, he will surely be furious and his feelings will lean towards our side."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Lingyan objected, "No, I can't put Zhiwei in danger."

"Let me explain," Noble Consort Cen said urgently. "Unless you break off the engagement, she will always be in danger. Even if we don't let her stay in Nanyang and transfer her back to the capital, she will still be in danger, or even more. After all, there are too many opportunities to take advantage of the chaos in the capital, and it's impossible to tell who sent whom. Even if she stays at home every day, she will still be in great danger. Nanyang is a small place, and we will notice strangers entering Nanyang, making it easier to guard against them..."

Xiao Lingyan remained silent.

He couldn't refute Noble Consort Cen's words.

That is indeed the case.

He could use Zhao Ruxi as bait to lure the enemy into hunting her down, but all he would gain was Xiao Ge's dislike for the Crown Prince and others, thus increasing Xiao Lingpu's chances of ascending the throne. He would absolutely not agree to that.

Zhao Ruxi was the sole meaning of his existence in this world. After he had poured out all his love for Zhao Ruxi, he might still have a little affection left for the woman before him, Xiao Lingpu, and Xiao Ge, but nothing more.

People say there is no warmth in the royal family, Noble Consort Cen still loved him and Xiao Lingpu. However, she valued her eldest son more, as well as the throne and the Cen Family.

If one day someone asked her to sacrifice her youngest son's life so that her eldest son could successfully ascend the throne, Xiao Lingyan was unsure which option she would choose.

The same applies to Xiao Lingpu.

Now they want him to exchange something more important than his own life for a little bit of leverage to increase Xiao Lingpu's chances of ascending the throne? It's ridiculous.

Seeing that he remained silent, Noble Consort Cen asked, "Do you have a better idea? Your marriage can't be delayed any longer."

Xiao Lingyan stood up irritably. "I'll think about it some more."

With that, he bowed and prepared to leave, but after taking two steps, he stopped and turned to Noble Consort Cen, saying, "Mother, Zhao Zhiwei is more important to me than my own life. I will never allow anyone to put her in danger."

With that, he strode outside.

He knew that saying these words would hurt Noble Consort Cen's feelings and would certainly make Noble Consort Cen have a bad impression of Zhao Ruxi.

In Noble Consort Cen's heart, he was her son, the son she risked her life to give birth to and raised with great difficulty. Yet this son valued a woman more than his own life—where did that leave his mother?

Normally, he wouldn't say such hurtful and low-EQ things, but Noble Consort Cen's instruction to use Zhao Ruxi as bait aroused his anger, and he spoke without restraint.

Back at his residence, Concealed Splendor Palace, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Taking advantage of the palace gates still being open, he left the palace and returned to the Prince of Qi's Residence.

He ordered the kitchen to prepare some dishes, and drank two glasses of wine alone in his sorrow. However, he felt that his irritability had not subsided but rather increased, so he simply summoned Xu Zhou to drink with him.

Xu Zhou was his retainer, managing the auction house for him and also serving as his strategist.

"Is something troubling Your Highness?" Xu Zhou asked.

Xiao Lingyan is usually a very self-disciplined person. He knows that alcohol can lead to trouble and rarely drinks, but today he kept raising his glass, and anyone could tell that he was agitated.

Xu Zhou is now thirty years old. She was someone Xiao Lingyan accidentally saved when he went to Jiangnan after time-traveling.

He was originally a talented young man from a small family in Jiangnan. He passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen or eighteen. However, his family had a feud with someone due to some disputes and was framed and kidnapped by bandits. On his way back to the capital from Jiangnan, Xiao Lingyan rescued Xu Zhou and his six-year-old son who had escaped from the bandits.

After entrusting his son to Xiao Lingyan, Xu Zhou returned home to take revenge himself, and then came to seek refuge with Xiao Lingyan.

After investigating the man, Xiao Lingyan found that he was of good character, quick-witted, and eloquent. Since the auction house was short-staffed, he kept him on.

As they spent more time together, he felt an increasing affinity with Xu Zhou. Xu Zhou was insightful in both politics and business, gave him many good suggestions, and was very trustworthy. After he built the Prince of Qi's Residence Prince's Prince of Qi's Residence, he kept Xu Zhou there.

Xu Zhou was aware of Zhao Ruxi's situation because of the need to send guards, maintain communications, and conduct business cooperation.

Now that Xu Zhou had asked, Xiao Lingyan told Xu Zhou what had happened.

Xu Zhou frowned upon hearing this.

"Your Highness is nearly eighteen, and Miss Zhao is sixteen. Delaying this any longer will be inappropriate for both of you. Therefore, an engagement is unacceptable," Xu Zhou said bluntly. "The Imperial Concubine's words may be harsh, but they are the truth. After your engagement, you'll need six months to a year to prepare for the wedding. During this time, no matter where Miss Zhao is, she will still encounter the troubles that come with it; this is unavoidable."

"Therefore, it's better for her to get engaged in Nanyang than after she returns to the capital."

Xiao Lingyan frowned even more. Seeing that Xiao Liuzi had filled his wine cup, he tilted his head back and poured the wine into his mouth.

Seeing this, Xu Zhou smiled slightly, gaining a clearer understanding of Zhao Ruxi's position in Xiao Lingyan's heart.