"By the way, Brother Chen, I just received news that Father will hold a family banquet in the palace tomorrow. All princes and princesses must attend. Do you think it might have something to do with the rumors?"

Sima Ke frowned slightly, wanting to see Chen Yuan's opinion.

He greatly admired Chen Yuan's abilities.

This was beyond doubt.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan also furrowed his brows. Based on his deductions, if the rumor was indeed controlled by Jingtai behind the scenes,

then this family banquet might be closely related to it.

"Perhaps. Whatever the case, Your Highness will find out in due time."

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"Brother Chen, have you really not considered it? If the marriage succeeds, Father will trust you more, and you'll receive greater support from the court in the future."

Sima Ke was still a bit unwilling.

He truly wished to strengthen the bond between them.

Furthermore, if this matter succeeded, the expression on Sima Qian and Sima You's faces would definitely be interesting, perhaps thinking it was because Father acknowledged him that he made such a decision.

"Let's discuss this another day."

Chen Yuan shook his head.

He was not an ordinary man, bearing the direct bloodline of the Xiang Family and being the Asura Daoist of the Taoist Divine Palace. If this matter was discovered, Jingtai would certainly be furious.

Therefore, he didn't really want to have much contact with this fellow.

Moreover, the abnormality of Jingtai mentioned by Noble Consort Yang earlier heightened his fear and vigilance to the extreme.

If the other side offered marriage, there must be a scheme.

And he precisely disliked being made into a pawn.

He wanted to be the player.

Seeing Chen Yuan's somewhat impatient expression, Sima Ke chuckled embarrassingly, then brought up other matters to change the topic. This matter could not be rushed; didn't Mother Consort also resist before?

But later, she accepted it gladly.

Once the Imperial Decree was issued, Sima Ke didn't think Chen Yuan dared to defy it. Besides, although his relationship with the Royal Sister Pingyang was somewhat discordant, her excellence was evident to all.

She would definitely be a match for Chen Yuan.

Perhaps, in time, his perspective could truly change.

Sima Ke lingered at the Duke Wu'an Mansion for a considerable time before taking his leave.

After he left, Chen Yuan frowned once more.

He found himself caught up in another storm....

This time, it was truly against his will.

The mother and daughter were fine, but they did not align with his interests.

If not for his recent ennoblement and the matter concerning the Heavenly Divine Envoy, Chen Yuan truly wished to leave the Capital immediately, feeling that staying here would surely bring trouble in the future.

Qi Fortune...

Chen Yuan exhaled a long sigh.

Although his Yang Transformation cultivation seemed to make him a strong figure in the Jianghu, his enemies were evidently stronger, and more Qi Fortune was needed to enhance his cultivation.

It had been more than a month since the last occurrence, and he indeed anticipated the return of the Qi Fortune's child.

Then he lingered in the mansion for a while, deciding to conceal his presence and wander around the Capital to see if he could 'coincidentally' encounter his Qi Fortune child.

...

...

The next day.

In the Imperial City, within the Qianqing Palace.

This was the hall specifically used for hosting royal family banquets.

Once the Emperor conceived the idea, the people below began preparing.

One by one, the princes and princesses entered the hall, the first being the Eldest Prince Sima Qian, followed by Princess Pingyang, and then the Second Prince Sima You and Fourth Prince Sima Ke.

As for the other princes, the adults followed behind, while the younger ones were led by elderly maids or palace maids.

Princess Pingyang wore a light yellow long dress, elegant and aloof, staring straight ahead.

The princes also dressed in princely attire, sitting obediently in their designated seats.

However, Princess Pingyang noticed that the gaze of several princes present intermittently flickered towards her, particularly her brother, Sima Ke.

Her brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.

She certainly understood the meaning behind her brothers' glances!

The previously silenced rumors had resurfaced.

And with an increasingly intense momentum, they were causing a stir in the Capital. To avoid suspicion, she hadn't even invited Chen Yuan to the banquet, intending to show her attitude to Father!

Yes, she could also see that the hand behind this had Father's approval.

Otherwise, the Nobles wouldn't dare to recklessly discuss the Princess, especially one who had not yet married, prizing a reputation of purity.

Indeed, she greatly appreciated Chen Yuan, considering him an extraordinarily talented individual, a top choice in every regard, which even made her harbor a slight affection.

But....

When it came to marriage, she truly wasn't fond of it.

She didn't want to become an ordinary woman married off to someone. From a young age, when Noble Consort Yang disliked her, she gradually began to entertain thoughts of competing with men.

Who says women are inferior to men?

She practiced diligently, and her cultivation wasn't as weak as it appeared externally.

She thoroughly studied the scriptures, excelling alongside the top scholars of the Academy.

She even established her own secret force, spreading across the Capital; she wasn't sure why — perhaps it simply made her feel more secure.

Her ambitions were grand. All her efforts weren't to marry a man.

Even if that man matched her, was a figure of renown, they might admire each other and be friends, but the concept of being a couple, she resisted.

However, upon realizing it was Father's intention, she couldn't act too conspicuously but could only remain silent, trying to subtly guide public opinion. Unfortunately, compared to the power of Father.

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