"Your Majesty, the King of the Northern Territory requests an audience!" Li Fanghui said in a low voice as she entered.
Xue Zining was slightly taken aback and remained silent for a long time.
Li Fanghui raised her eyes and said, "Your Majesty..."
Xue Zining sighed. Honestly, she could face cruel realities, but when it came to Xue Zixuan, she didn't know how to face him.
"Your Majesty, no matter how difficult it is, you must face it. Whatever the situation, you must have already made up your mind. Since that is the case, why prolong it?" Li Fanghui said softly.
Upon hearing this, Xue Zining looked at Li Fanghui and smiled, "You are right. I have been overthinking. Let him in!"
"Yes." Li Fanghui retreated.
Xue Yan put away the wedding dress but could not help but say, "Your Majesty, no matter what decision you make, someone will support you."
Xue Zining chuckled lowly, "Yes, the current me is no longer isolated and helpless."
"Your Majesty, the King of the Northern Territory has arrived!" Li Fanghui's voice came from outside.
Xue Zining raised her eyes and saw the figure outside the palace gate.
That once small figure had now grown into a handsome young man, shouldering heavy burdens and responsibilities.
At some point, she seemed to have truly placed this young man in her heart, making him her kin.
The young man stood there, motionless for a long time.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon his thin and frail body, evoking a sense of pity.
Xue Zining rose and walked towards the young man, "Why don't you come in? Are we strangers now?"
Just as she was about to approach the palace gate, the thin and frail young man suddenly knelt down, lowering his head and prostrating himself on the ground, "This sinner pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
Xue Zining was slightly taken aback, her lips pursed. She stood there, not taking another step forward, and said indifferently, "You... you know everything?"
The thin and frail body trembled for a moment, and a muffled voice came from below, "This sinner deserves death. I beg Your Majesty to pass sentence!"
Upon hearing this, Xue Zining said in a low voice, "Pass sentence? How can I pass sentence? Is it your fault? At that time, you were just a helpless infant. It was Aunt Yuan by my side who did everything. In a way, I am also responsible for the crime of poor management of subordinates. Should I also pass sentence on myself?"
The young man trembled all over and quickly explained, "This sinner did not mean that, this sinner..."
"Get up..." Xue Zining interrupted the young man.
The young man was stunned. Xue Zining stepped forward and helped him up. The young man's body was so thin that a gust of wind could blow him away. She lifted him up effortlessly.
The young man subconsciously raised his eyes to look at her, then quickly lowered them again, his expression somewhat agitated and flustered.
"Why dare you not look at me?" This time she did not use "朕" (zhen - I, the Emperor), but "我" (wo - I)...
The young man's body stiffened, and he lowered his head deeply, "This sinner is guilty!"
"Zixuan, lift your head..."
The young man was startled, then shook his head, "Your Majesty, my name is Xue Zixuan, not the King of the Northern Territory. All of this is fake..."
Towards the end, the young man's voice was choked with emotion.
"I command you to lift your head..." Xue Zining said in a commanding tone.
After a long time, the young man finally lifted his head, his face covered in tears, "Your Majesty..."
"Call me Sister..."
The young man trembled all over, "Your Majesty..."
"I order you to call me Sister..."
The young man froze, looking at her with disbelief.
Xue Zining helped him up and said slowly, "I will not pursue what happened in the past, as it was not your fault. From now on, you are my imperial younger brother. No one can object."
"Your Majesty, you cannot..." the young man shook his head.
"Why not? Don't you want to acknowledge me as your sister?"
The young man quickly shook his head, "No, this sinner is not worthy..."
"Tomorrow I will proclaim to the world that you are my sworn brother, bestowed with the surname Xue, and given the name Zixuan."
The young man trembled all over. Xue Zining stepped forward and asked gently, "Are you unwilling to become my sworn brother?"
The young man closed his eyes and knelt on the ground again, "Your subject obeys!"
Xue Zining stepped forward, helped him up, and led him into the inner chamber, saying, "Next month is my grand wedding. You will stay until the wedding is over before returning to the Northern Territory."
The young man nodded, smiling through tears, "Okay."
She stepped forward and hugged the young man, "Don't cry..."
At this moment, the young man could not help but cry, crying heartbrokenly.
He thought no one would stop for him anymore, but he was wrong. He still had people who would rejoice with him, people who cared about him.
"Sister..." the young man called out those two words after his stubbornness.
Xue Zining smiled. Sometimes, letting go of oneself and acting according to one's heart was all that mattered.
The next day, the Empress of Arid Marsh issued a decree recognizing the King of the Northern Territory as her sworn brother and bestowing upon him the surname Xue.
Snow Country
Xue Feng looked at Ping An, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and gnashed his teeth angrily as he looked at Xue Song, who was pacing back and forth, "Why do I have to watch the child born to you and your wife?"
He was not yet married and had no children, yet he had to experience being a father in advance?
Xue Song glanced at him, "Aren't you the most idle?"
"You..." Xue Feng was so angry his mouth was askew.
Xue Song continued, "I wonder when the Empress will hold her wedding?"
It seemed that she and the Crown Prince were not in a hurry, but he was. He had a warm bed every night, but now he slept in a cold bed.
"Isn't it scheduled for the beginning of next month?" Xue Feng said.
Xue Song was surprised, "How do you know?"
Xue Feng said, "I saw it on the Crown Prince's desk."
"Then why didn't you tell me?" making him so anxious.
Xue Feng snorted twice. Let you be anxious. Who told you and your wife to abandon the child and throw him to him?
"I'm going to find the Crown Prince..." Xue Song left.
Xue Feng let out two cold laughs. Just as he was about to place the sleeping Ping An on the bed, he felt a wet warmth under his hand. He quickly put him on the bed and opened the swaddle. Ping An had peed...
"Xue Song, Xue Yan, the two of you are my tormentors by nature..."
Xue Song arrived at the Snow Palace, walked in, and saw the Crown Prince working diligently. He couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, when are you going to Arid Marsh?"
Xue Jingyun looked up at Xue Song and said indifferently, "It's a pretense for me to go to Arid Marsh. You miss Xue Yan."
Such straightforward words made Xue Song twitch his lips and say with a grin, "Doesn't Your Highness miss the Empress?"
"Xue Song, if I go to Arid Marsh, will you follow?" Xue Jingyun suddenly asked.
Xue Song nodded, "Naturally. Why does Your Highness ask?"
Xue Jingyun said lightly, "From now on, I will no longer be the Crown Prince of Snow Country."
Xue Song trembled all over, "Your Highness, what do you mean?"
Xue Jingyun stood up, "The world will be unified, and there will be only one ruler, the Empress of Arid Marsh. Snow Country will no longer be Snow Country but a fiefdom."
"Your Highness, you... you are not leaving yourself a way out."
Xue Jingyun smiled faintly, "I don't need a way out."
Xue Song fell silent, "What if the Empress takes a consort?"
He saw his Highness look at him, and after a long time, he said, "That is her right and freedom."