Chapter 1261: Chapter 766: Siblings Bound by Fate?! (Second Update)

"Father’s intention is for them to pretend to be married now!" An Youyou made it clear.

Xiao Jinxing nodded.

An Ning also silently contemplated the feasibility of this matter.

"But..." An Youyou was still concerned, "After faking the marriage, how can we restore the original situation?! We can’t just wait for the Cang Kingdom’s emperor to leave and switch people back, right?! Wouldn’t he be so furious he’d bring troops and attack us?!"

The thought alone was terrifying to An Youyou.

This approach was essentially toying with the emperor, wasn’t it?!

Xiao Jinxing didn’t respond to his daughter, but instead glanced at An Ning.

An Ning naturally understood.

She said to An Youyou, "You don’t need to worry about this. Your father and I can handle it. You should go and call Anqi, Xiao Jinyu, and An Ji now."

"Not my brother?" An Youyou asked.

"Not for now. He would complicate things if he comes." An Ning thought for a moment before speaking.

"Okay."

An Youyou had the palace attendant summon the others.

In less than an hour.

Everyone gathered at Fengqi Palace.

Anqi’s eyes were still swollen, even more so.

Even at that moment, she was still sobbing continually.

Xiao Jinyu was also downcast; seeing Anqi so heartbreakingly sad probably made his heart ache.

An Ji was relatively calm.

He stood quietly to the side; his face showed no emotion.

An Ning didn’t waste time, directly saying, "Youyou has already told me about what happened between you all."

Anqi still raised her eyes to glance at her mother.

Lightly biting her lip, she let out a soft sob.

"Had I known earlier about the mutual affection between Jinyu and Anqi, your father and I should have returned earlier to bestow marriage upon you, then things wouldn’t have been like this. But since it has come to this, we can only accept it."

Anqi burst into silent tears upon hearing it was time to accept.

An Youyou worried that at this rate, Anqi would cry herself to death.

"The matter of political marriage is inevitable. We are all royal relatives; we must consider the big picture in everything we do, as it is our duty." An Ning’s voice carried a tone of solemnity.

Anqi listened, only dropping tearful eyes but did not resist.

Since she was young, she was obedient, understanding, and considerate. She genuinely didn’t want to cause any trouble for her parents.

She was even grateful they adopted her, allowing her such a prosperous life.

So she wanted to give more in return for everything.

It was the same towards Luming.

Thinking that while her parents and sister were out of the palace, she should take up the role of a sister to care for her brother.

Looking back, if it weren’t for her indecisiveness, things might not have reached this point, rather worrying them.

"But Anqi is, after all, my daughter, and I won’t stand by seeing her so aggrieved." An Ning shifted the tone.

Anqi’s eyes moved slightly, tearfully blurred as she looked at her mother.

"The political marriage is necessary, but it’s merely a sham. Jinyu will first marry Princess Chaoyang; when the time is ripe, Princess Chaoyang will divorce Jinyu, then An Ji will marry Princess Chaoyang, and Anqi will marry Jinyu." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Anqi, Xiao Jinyu, and An Ji were somewhat shocked.

An Ning continued, "I believe Anqi and Jinyu should have no objections."

The two exchanged glances.

Anqi nodded.

Xiao Jinyu quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I have no objections, but I am worried that Princess Chaoyang is the princess of Cang Kingdom; how could she easily divorce me? Once divorced, it would be disrespectful to Cang Kingdom, potentially causing disputes between the two countries."

"You don’t need to worry about that; your brother and I will handle it."

Xiao Jinyu said no more.

An Ning then focused her gaze on An Ji, "An Ji, it’s mainly up to you."

An Ji remained silent.

As if it were a matter of great importance, he was unchanging in expression.

No one else urged him.

An Youyou looked at him, but then slowly shifted her gaze.

An Ji suddenly knelt down, "This humble servant is grateful for the Empress Dowager’s grace. This humble servant has no objections and is deeply grateful!"

An Youyou found her heart aching once more.

She shifted her gaze, trying not to care.

"Since this is the case, the matter of the political marriage is settled. Only the few of us here know today; once we leave this hall, no word of this should be spoken to any outsiders."

"Yes," everyone responded with utmost respect.

"Everyone else may leave; An Ji, stay behind."