You Rong's expression was indifferent, his tone firm, "Yes, the Crown Princess will only be Lin Qinghe, and she will be crowned Empress when I ascend the throne. The harem will be empty for her!"
The Emperor was furious, "You... you rebellious son! Are you defying my imperial decree? This is a capital offense!"
You Rong raised his eyes to meet the Emperor's gaze and said calmly, "Father, if I do not act according to your wishes, if I do not become the person you expect, will you disregard the blood ties and cease to see me as your child?"
His words stunned the Emperor, his eyes showing a hint of guilt, and he was momentarily speechless, no longer enraged.
You Rong did not seek to probe the Emperor's thoughts. He clasped his hands and said again, "Father, my Crown Princess will be Lin Qinghe and no one else. I will absolutely not have secondary consorts or concubines! If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
As soon as You Rong finished speaking, he did not wait for the Emperor's reaction, turned, and left without looking back.
The Emperor was stunned for a long moment. When he recovered, he flew into a rage, throwing a vase and shouting, "Rebellious son! Does this rebellious son still have any regard for me, his Emperor?! Does he think he has won and no longer cares about me?!"
The chief eunuch, having heard the commotion, hurried into the hall. Seeing the Emperor in a furious rage, he knelt down in fear and tried to placate him, "Your Majesty, please calm down, please calm down... Prince Rong is loyal and righteous. When he had not yet regained his senses, he was genuinely cared for and attended to by the Prince Rong's Consort, and naturally, his affection for her runs deep. Prince Rong has no intention of disrespecting Your Majesty!"
Little did he know, the Emperor's anger did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, he said with disappointment, "A dignified man, the future successor, indulging in such sentimentality, what kind of conduct is this! An emperor should be cold-hearted and detached, always maintaining reason and composure!"
The chief eunuch looked worriedly, "Your Majesty, this..."
The Emperor snorted, his gaze darkening, "Does he really think I have no way to deal with him! As long as I am here, I will never allow the next Emperor to be swayed by sentimentality!"
The chief eunuch was greatly alarmed, "Then what is Your Majesty's intention..."
The Emperor said no more, merely wearing a grim expression and a chilling gaze.
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You Rong returned to the royal manor and went directly to Lin Qinghe. He took her hand, his expression solemn, and said again, "Qinghe, I have made it clear to Father. You will be the only Princess Consort, and I will not take any secondary consorts or concubines. When I ascend the throne, I will make you Empress, and you will be the only one in the harem!"
Lin Qinghe's heart felt as if it had been struck by something. A strange sensation spread from her chest to her entire body.
She looked at You Rong with a slightly complex expression.
You Rong, unaware of her reaction, raised her hand and kissed it, then continued, "The decree of marriage was proposed by Prime Minister Lin and Father. I had intended to let them off the hook since they mistakenly brought you to me. Now that I know they have never treated you well, and even..."
You Rong recalled some of the things he had learned that day. Lin Qinghe had been bullied since childhood, and even servants in their country estate had trampled on her. She had suffered greatly throughout her life.
You Rong felt immense heartache, "Qinghe, rest assured, I will seek justice for you! From now on, with me by your side, no one will ever be able to bully you again!"
Lin Qinghe gazed at You Rong's sincere and handsome face, her heart deeply moved.
Without her saying a word, he had considered everything for her, appearing as if he wanted to offer her his very heart.
As if guided by an unseen force, Lin Qinghe wrapped her arms around You Rong's neck, gently pulled him down, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his soft lips.
You Rong was taken aback for a moment, then quickly reacted. He encircled Lin Qinghe's slender waist with his long arms, cupped the back of her head with one hand, and took the lead in kissing her.
After the kiss, they embraced, their breathing uneven. Lin Qinghe heard the system prompt, "Progress bar increased by ten percent, total progress bar seventy-eight percent."
Lin Qinghe knew You Rong would take action against the Prime Minister's manor, but she hadn't expected it to be so swift. The next day, she heard that Prime Minister Lin had been found to be involved in the former Crown Prince You Jing's rebellion, and his entire family was arrested and thrown into prison, awaiting sentencing.
Lin Qinghe sat in the Misty Rain Pavilion, playing chess with Feng Jing Tian. She watched Ye Qing Yan sorting medicinal herbs in the courtyard and cursing Feng Jing Tian, and suddenly let out a soft laugh.
Feng Jing Tian raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled, and asked, "Girl, why are you laughing? You seem distracted today. I thought you were in a bad mood, but it seems not!"
Lin Qinghe smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing, I just remembered some amusing things. Divine Doctor Feng, let's continue our game."
"Alright! Come on, I won't lose to you this time!"
Ye Qing Yan, in the courtyard, echoed fiercely, "You old scoundrel, how shameless! You never win! And you have the nerve to say that!"
Feng Jing Tian immediately bristled, "You scoundrel! No one would think you were mute if you didn't speak!"
Lin Qinghe watched the master and disciple start bickering again, her smile deepening.
She had just been thinking about You Rong. The You Rong of this world was gentle and considerate, thinking of everything for her. He was ambitious for power and would drive away any other women around her. With every increase in the progress bar, she felt as if she were effortlessly benefiting. Su Dan Novel Network
As she was thinking, a tall figure walked in from outside and stood beside Lin Qinghe. She looked up and saw that it was You Rong.
Lin Qinghe's eyes curved slightly, and she smiled, "Your Highness, why have you come?"
"I finished my business and returned to the manor to find you absent. Steward Fu said you came to the Misty Rain Pavilion to see Divine Doctor Feng, so I've come to escort you back."
Just as their chess game ended, Feng Jing Tian said with a smile, "Alright! Let's stop here for today. Girl, hurry and go back with him. We'll battle again another day."
"Okay, I'll head back first. I'll come back another day to play chess with Divine Doctor Feng."
You Rong was very respectful to Feng Jing Tian, of course, as long as he didn't mention his intention to foist his disciple onto Lin Qinghe. After exchanging greetings with Feng Jing Tian, You Rong led Lin Qinghe back to the manor.
As they passed Ye Qing Yan, Lin Qinghe was about to greet him. Without a word, You Rong pulled her to his side, placed a hand on her head, and buried her face in his chest, walking out like that, not even allowing her to glance at Ye Qing Yan, let alone greet him.
Ye Qing Yan, inexplicably receiving You Rong's cold stare, couldn't help but curse at him, "What's wrong with you..."
Ye Qing Yan was furious. The only reason he didn't rush forward to fight You Rong, given his fiery temper, was that he had already fought him. He couldn't defeat You Rong after he had regained his senses and had been severely dealt with. What's more, You Rong had a way of repeatedly humiliating him, making his face look utterly dreadful for days.
After leaving the Misty Rain Pavilion and getting into the waiting carriage outside, Lin Qinghe looked at You Rong, smiled, and shook her head, "You... you are such a jealous person..."