Chapter 1260: Chapter 765: Back to Their Rightful Owners (Part 1)

"Rise." An Youyou looked at An Ji, who was kneeling on the ground, "You might not be in a good mood either. Take a moment to calm down. I’ll go find my father and mother to discuss this."

"Yes." An Ji respectfully replied, "Sending off the Princess."

An Youyou left swiftly.

As she left, there was still a slight pain in her heart.

Only someone with a strong moral compass like hers could generously give away a man she somewhat liked.

An Youyou genuinely admired herself.

She walked into Fengqi Palace.

Ever since they left the Imperial Palace, whenever her father and mother returned, they would be in Fengqi Palace. She suspected her father might have forgotten about state affairs altogether, as his world seemed to consist solely of her mother.

"Father, Mother!"

An Youyou entered Fengqi Palace.

In the grand hall, she saw her father and mother playing chess.

Every time her father, the sly old fox, wanted to gain some benefit from her mother, he would resort to playing chess. It worked both inside and outside the palace.

Sometimes she wondered if her mother was intentionally letting him win, knowing she wasn’t as skilled... As a single person, thinking too much only led to self-torture.

"Don’t be in a rush to give me a younger brother yet." An Youyou said bluntly.

An Ning’s face turned slightly red.

Xiao Jinxing smirked smugly.

"There’s a big issue!" An Youyou sat beside them, appearing somewhat excited.

"What’s happened?" Xiao Jinxing leisurely placed a black piece down.

To him, it wasn’t a big deal unless it involved An Ning!

"Today, the Emperor of Cang came and insisted on marrying his daughter to the Imperial Uncle."

"Isn’t that good?" Xiao Jinxing picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip. "Jinyu is already beyond the age for marriage. Just yesterday, Consort Li came to persuade me to encourage Jinyu to get married. I was planning to ask Jinyu for details, and now it’s resolved once and for all."

"Resolved? This is a mismatch!" An Youyou remained agitated, "You don’t know, but the Imperial Uncle has someone he loves!"

Xiao Jinxing frowned slightly.

An Ning also looked at An Youyou in surprise.

An Youyou hadn’t interacted much with Xiao Jinyu since childhood. Why was she so concerned about him?!

"The person the Imperial Uncle loves is Sister Anqi." An Youyou revealed the answer directly.

Xiao Jinxing’s hand holding the teacup visibly trembled.

An Ning also grew excited, "What?! Isn’t Anqi with Luming..."

"I thought so too!" An Youyou exclaimed, "When we left the Imperial Palace years ago, I asked Sister Anqi if she wanted to travel with us. She said she wanted to stay at the palace with my brother to prevent him from feeling lonely. Didn’t we all wrongly assume Sister Anqi liked my brother? Although he is reserved, his eyes can’t hide his feelings. He’s always been different towards Sister Anqi. But who knew, Sister Anqi told me clearly that she loves the Imperial Uncle and feels only sibling affection for my brother."

An Ning was unsettled.

How did everything get so mixed up?

Previously, she was at ease with Luming. He managed court affairs well, and even though he was young, the officials willingly submitted. In relationships, things seemed smooth too. Thinking of having someone unfamiliar assist Luming as Empress, Anqi, who was well-known and a good girl, seemed the perfect fit.

An Ning suddenly reflected, had they cared too little about the children?!

She believed in letting each child develop uniquely, allowing them freedom.

And now, such a major issue went unnoticed...

Feelings are the most complex and challenging to reconcile.

"What do we do now? My brother has already agreed to the Emperor of Cang’s marriage proposal in the main hall. Sister Anqi is crying her heart out in Xiaoxiang Palace, and the Imperial Uncle almost rejected the marriage on the spot, nearly angering the Emperor of Cang!" An Youyou said anxiously, "And..."

"And what?" An Ning looked at An Youyou.

Today’s revelations were like bombs, giving her a headache.

"The Emperor of Cang’s daughter, Princess Chaoyang, who is to marry the Imperial Uncle, is with An Ji." An Youyou disclosed.

An Ning’s pupils shook.

The relationships were too complicated.

There were already so many intertwined romances.

An Ning was baffled.

She turned to Xiao Jinxing, who was leisurely sipping tea, "How can you drink tea at such a chaotic time for the children!"

Xiao Jinxing’s tea was stuck in his mouth, neither swallowing nor spitting it out.

"Does your brother know about Anqi’s feelings for Jinyu now?" An Ning, feeling Xiao Jinxing had given up hope long ago and was beyond expectation, asked An Youyou.

"I’m not sure if he knows." An Youyou shook her head, "But I feel Sister Anqi’s expression is obvious, and my brother might sense something."

"From what I know of Luming, even if he noticed Anqi’s affection for Jinyu, he wouldn’t take it too seriously. He’s overly self-confident." An Ning commented.

An Youyou agreed.

"Is Anqi genuinely fond of Jinyu?" An Ning wanted to confirm.

Compared to Luming, who had superior qualifications in every aspect.

How could Anqi not have feelings for Luming?!

"She genuinely likes him." An Youyou confirmed.

"We can’t break up a loving couple." An Ning was very firm.

An Youyou nodded.

This was something she admired about her mother, fairness without favoritism.

"I have some understanding of Gao Ziyue’s character. He cannot tolerate rejection or betrayal. The Du family’s massacre is proof; he’s ruthless, violent, and arrogant!" An Ning began analyzing calmly.

"Are you suggesting we can’t refuse the Emperor of Cang?"

"Yes, we can’t." An Ning nodded, "But expecting Cang to voluntarily cancel the marriage doesn’t seem realistic either."

An Youyou was equally baffled, "I initially planned to speak with Princess Chaoyang, to tell her the Imperial Uncle has someone he loves, hoping she’d convince her father to cancel the marriage. But An Ji said Cang princesses have no say and can’t defy the emperor, or their families would suffer, so I dared not approach her."

"An Ji’s right. Cang’s rule is too autocratic and brutal. Approaching Chaoyang would be pushing her into a corner."

"But what should we do? Sister Anqi seems to cry her heart out..."

"Since we can’t change the facts, let’s use the simplest, most direct approach." Xiao Jinxing suddenly spoke.

An Ning and An Youyou both looked at him.

He seemed to be an observer of the chaos.

"From a broader perspective, diplomatic relations between nations are the most critical. No issue can take precedence over it, so this marriage must proceed." Xiao Jinxing said gravely.

An Ning and An Youyou did not refute this.

Born into the imperial family, they bore more responsibility than ordinary people.

There was no argument against Xiao Jinxing’s words.

"So if the marriage is inevitable, Jinyu must marry Chaoyang. But once married, adjustments can be made. Jinyu doesn’t like Chaoyang, and she likes An Ji. They both prefer others. So think about how to restore things to their original state!" Xiao Jinxing proposed.

An Ning and An Youyou were left somewhat speechless.

An Youyou suddenly felt her father wasn’t useless at all?!

Indeed, it was all an act in front of her mother!