"By the way, Brother Chen, I just received news that Father will hold a family banquet in the palace tomorrow, and all the princes and princesses will be present. Do you think... could it be related to this rumor?"

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

He greatly admired Chen Yuan's abilities.

There was no doubt about that.

Hearing this, Chen Yuan also frowned. According to his deduction, if the rumor was truly controlled by Jingtai behind the scenes,

perhaps this family banquet would be closely related to it.

"Perhaps. Only time will tell what His Highness will eventually learn."

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Brother Chen, are you really not considering it? If the marriage can be arranged, Father will trust you even more, and you will receive greater support from the court in the future."

Sima Ke was still somewhat unwilling.

He really wanted to further solidify the relationship between them.

Moreover, he thought that if this matter were to come to fruition, Sima Qian and Sima You's expressions would definitely be very interesting. Perhaps they would think that his father agreed with him, so he would make such a decision.

"Let's discuss this matter another day."

Chen Yuan shook his head.

He was no ordinary person, possessing the direct bloodline of the Xiang family, and also being the Asura Dao Master of the Dao Divine Palace. Once this matter was discovered, Jingtai would definitely be furious.

Therefore, he didn't want to have too much contact with this guy.

In addition, the abnormalities of Jingtai that Consort Yang had mentioned before further intensified the apprehension and vigilance in his heart.

The other party's bestowal of marriage must have an ulterior motive.

And he, precisely, did not like being treated as a pawn.

He wanted to become the chess player.

Seeing the impatience on Chen Yuan's face, Sima Ke smiled sheepishly, and then brought up other things to divert the topic. This matter couldn't be rushed. Didn't his mother also resist before?

In the end, she accepted it happily.

As long as the imperial decree was issued, Sima Ke didn't think Chen Yuan would dare to disobey the decree. Moreover, although his relationship with his imperial sister, Princess Pingyang, was a bit strained, her excellence was still evident.

She was definitely worthy of Chen Yuan.

Perhaps, she might really change her mind in the future.

Sima Ke stayed at the Marquis of Wu'an's residence for quite some time before bidding farewell.

After he left, Chen Yuan frowned.

He had been drawn into another storm...

This time it was truly against his will.

Although the two women were good, they were not in line with his interests.

If it wasn't for the fact that he had just been ennobled and the matter of the Celestial Envoy was still dragging on, Chen Yuan really wanted to leave the capital immediately. Staying here, he always felt that something would happen in the future.

Destiny...

Chen Yuan let out a long sigh.

The Transformation Yang cultivation level seemed to be a strong force in the martial world, but his enemies were obviously more powerful. He needed more destiny to improve his cultivation.

It had been a month since the last time, and he was indeed looking forward to the Destiny's Child arriving again.

Then, after staying in the mansion for a while, he decided to hide his tracks and stroll around the capital.

See if he could 'coincidentally' encounter his Destiny's Child.

......

......

The next day.

Imperial City, Qianqing Palace.

This was the palace specifically used to hold royal family banquets.

Since the emperor had this idea, the people below had already started preparing.

One by one, the princes and princesses entered from the palace, led by the eldest prince Sima Qian, followed by the eldest princess Pingyang, and then the second prince Sima You and the fourth prince Sima Ke.

As for the other princes, those who were adults followed behind, and those who were still young were led in by older nannies or palace maids.

Princess Pingyang was wearing a light yellow dress, elegant and aloof, and looked straight ahead.

Several princes were also dressed in royal attire, sitting honestly in their designated seats.

However, Princess Pingyang noticed that the eyes of several princes present were flashing on her body, especially her younger brother Sima Ke.

She couldn't help but frowned slightly.

Of course, she understood what the meaning of these brothers' eyes was!

The rumors that had disappeared before had reappeared.

And there was a growing trend in the capital, and even in order to avoid suspicion, she did not invite Chen Yuan to the banquet, just to show her attitude to the emperor!

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

Otherwise, if those nobles were not stupid, they would not have dared to arbitrarily discuss the princess, especially the unmarried princess, who needed a clean background.

Admittedly, she admired Chen Yuan very much, and thought he was a rare talent, the best in every respect, and she had a slight affection for him.

But....

She really didn't like getting married.

She didn't want to be an ordinary woman married into someone else's family. Since Consort Yang didn't like her when she was young, she gradually developed the idea of comparing herself with men.

Who said women are inferior to men?

She practiced hard, and her cultivation was not as weak as it seemed.

She was well-versed in the scriptures and was by no means inferior to the top talents in the academy.

She even single-handedly established a secret force under her control, scattered throughout the capital. She didn't know why, maybe just to make herself feel safer.

She had great ambitions, and all of this was not to marry a man.

Even if this man could be worthy of her, was a world-renowned figure, they could appreciate each other, be friends, but she was very resistant to the matter of being husband and wife.

But after realizing that this was the emperor's intention, she couldn't have too obvious actions, she could only remain silent and gradually guide the situation, but compared to the emperor's power.

She was still too far behind.

Moreover, she couldn't expose all her strength due to a small loss.

"Imperial Sister."

Sima Ke sat near Princess Pingyang and cupped his hands slightly.

"Yes."

Princess Pingyang nodded, neither close nor distant.

In fact, she was somewhat disgusted with this unworthy brother when she discovered that matter before. She felt that he was just a piece of trash who couldn't be helped.

As a result, after a period of silence, he suddenly began to have a huge transformation.

Not only was he courteous to men of virtue, kept the rules of etiquette, and spread a good reputation, but he also gained Chen Yuan's favor and was very close to him, just short of publicly declaring his support for him.

To be honest, she was also a little curious.

What method did Sima Ke use to resolve his grievances with Chen Yuan and make the other party support him? It was simply incredible.

She knew that Chen Yuan's character had always been a bit ruthless, and he had never reconciled with his enemies. Anyone who had a grudge against him would be caught and have his family exterminated.

He would not leave any trouble for himself.

It was also this character that made him maintain a detached position in the capital. Even if someone didn't like him, they wouldn't jump out and have a deadly feud with him.

Because, once they had a feud with Chen Yuan, according to experience, it was basically an endless outcome.

So, she was really puzzled.

What convinced Chen Yuan?

Money?

Power?

Authority?

Or... women?

He didn't seem to lack these, did he?

"Recently, some disturbances have occurred within the capital, has Imperial Sister heard of them?" Sima Ke asked casually.

"No."

Princess Pingyang tapped her teeth lightly and slowly uttered two words.

"Then how about I tell Imperial Sister?"

"No need, you...."

Princess Pingyang was about to say something when her expression suddenly changed, and she immediately turned her head to the side of the hall.

The emperor appeared!

Jingtai strode forward, followed closely by the Empress, and on both sides behind were Consort Yang and Sima Qian's mother, Consort Xu.

These three were the heads of the harem.

"This son greets Father, greets Mother."

"This son greets Father, greets Mother."

"This son greets Father, greets Mother."

As soon as the three of them appeared, the princes and princesses present stood up and saluted.

The Empress was the mother of the world, so she was also their nominal 'mother'.

Jingtai's face lost its usual majesty and was replaced by a faint smile:

"Today is a family banquet, no need to be formal, rise."

"Thank you, Father..."

"Thank you, Father..."

After saluting, the princes and princesses finally sat down again.

The Emperor and Empress sat at the head, while the two imperial consorts sat on the left and right below. Strangely, this time Consort Yang did not fight with Consort Xu for the left seat, but sat silently on the right.

This made Jingtai slightly surprised, but he didn't think much about it.

He just thought that Consort Yang's mind was fading.

The dishes prepared for the royal family banquet were very rich, and the spiritual wine and tea were all top-notch, placed on the tables in front of everyone.

"I said there's no need to be formal, there are no rules..."

Jingtai glanced down, seeing that everyone was still afraid to be too presumptuous, he slowly shook his head and looked at Sima Qian and asked:

"Qian'er, you..."

"Responding to Father..."

"You'er..."

Jingtai opened his mouth and asked them about their recent situation one by one, and also encouraged them with a kind voice. Then, he turned his attention to Sima Ke, frowned, and then disappeared, and asked:

"Ke'er, I heard that you have been diligently reading poetry and books recently, and you are polite to others. Your good reputation is well-known. Is there such a thing?"

Sima Ke quickly saluted and said:

"Responding to Father, this son suddenly woke up not long ago and realized that I cannot waste my studies. I am determined to make up for some of the mistakes I made before. As for the good reputation, I really dare not take it.

Second Imperial Brother's good reputation is well-known in the capital."

"Well, you were indeed lazy a lot before. It is a good thing to be able to find your way back and be determined to correct your mistakes. Remember not to slack off again."

"Yes, this son obeys."

Then, Jingtai asked all the princes and princesses present before stopping.

The atmosphere finally began to warm up.

But only Princess Pingyang felt that this family banquet might not be so peaceful, and there must be something to say later.

Sure enough, after about a quarter of an hour, Jingtai put down his wine cup and made a sound. The princes, who were always paying attention to his movements, also put down everything in their hands and listened carefully.

It was said that there was no need to be formal and to be at ease, but even those young princes and princesses would not take it seriously and knew the majesty of their father.

The atmosphere in the Qianqing Palace fell silent.

Jingtai glanced at the princes below, pondered for a moment, and said:

"This time at the family banquet, I have something else to say."

Everyone pricked up their ears to listen.

"In recent years, ministers in the court have repeatedly petitioned to establish a Crown Prince. Originally, I was in my prime and had no intention to do so, but recently I have felt tired and have had this thought."

"Boom!"

Jingtai's words were like a mountain collapsing and exploding in everyone's hearts.

All the princes, together with the consorts and empress, focused their attention on Jingtai.

This was the first time he had said anything about establishing a Crown Prince. Although there were rumors before, they were not very credible. Now, it seemed that where there's smoke, there's fire, and the Emperor probably had this thought for a long time.

Several eligible princes immediately straightened their backs, while a trace of dimness flashed in Princess Pingyang's eyes.

"Father is at the height of his power, with boundless longevity. Your sons and daughters are all terrified."

Sima Qian, Sima You, and Sima Ke looked at each other and said in unison.

Jingtai ignored them and continued:

"Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural order of things. There is no immortal person in the world. I know this in my heart, but the establishment of a Crown Prince is a major event. For the sake of the country, I will not rashly choose one.

However, Qian'er, You'er, Ke'er, I have decided to choose one of you three to become the Crown Prince and enter the East Palace."

Jingtai's words made the faces of the other princes a little ugly, but the three who were named were overjoyed, but they didn't have time to think too much and became very vigilant when they turned their eyes to others.

Father... who will he choose?

The Empress opened her mouth:

"Your Majesty, is this matter a little too early?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Consort Yang and Consort Xu also spoke.

"It's not too early. While I still have some time, I must establish the foundation of the country. This is the most important thing." Jingtai shook his head.

"Then which of the three princes does Your Majesty think is more suitable?"

The Empress asked softly.

Sima Ke and the other three also felt nervous, fearing that they would be eliminated.

That was the position of the Crown Prince, the future Emperor!

They had worked so hard, wasn't it for this day?

"I can't tell now, but I will give each of them a test. Whoever does well, whoever can satisfy me and make me feel suitable will naturally be the one."

Sima Ke and the other three's eyes narrowed, not understanding what the Emperor meant by the test.

"Then what test will Your Majesty give the three princes?"

"The Great Jin is a country of martial force, with the separation of three powers. Your test will be one of them. Qian'er..." Jingtai called out.

"This son is here."

Sima Qian responded quickly.

"You like the art of military formations. I will let you train in the military camp. Ask the generals in the army for advice, and don't let me down."

"Yes, this son obeys."

Sima Qian's heart sank.

"You'er."

"This son is here."

"You have been studying literature since childhood and are proficient in Confucianism. I will let you train in the Hanlin Academy, next to the scholars and important officials of the court. You must know to be humble and eager to learn."

Sima You breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said:

"This son obeys."

"Ke'er."

"This son is here."

"You are proficient in both literary and martial arts, but your elder brother is in the army, and your second brother is in the Hanlin Academy. Where do you want to go?" Jingtai looked at him calmly and asked.

"This son will let Father decide."

Sima Ke lowered his eyes and echoed.

Jingtai narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Consort Yang and Sima Ke held their breath, listening intently to the Emperor's next words.

"The Patrol Envoy Division is also an important department of the court, with great responsibilities. You might as well go to the headquarters of the Patrol Envoy Division for a period of time and learn more from the Celestial Envoys."

Jingtai said in a deep voice.

When it seemed like a dead end, a new vista opened. Sima Ke was instantly overjoyed. He had no foundation in the army or the academy, but the Patrol Envoy Division was different.

With Chen Yuan taking care of him and helping him, he would definitely be able to achieve something.

Heaven helps me!

At this moment, Sima Ke only wanted to say that.

At the same time, Sima Qian and Sima You's faces sank and looked a little ugly.

Chen Yuan's power in the Patrol Envoy Division was too great, and his reputation was too high. Who would dare not give him face?

Did Father favor the fourth child?

"What do you think?"

Jingtai's majestic voice slowly sounded.

"Yes, this son will definitely live up to Father's command and achieve some results in the Patrol Envoy Division."

"Well, that's good."

Consort Yang also looked much more relaxed.

She and Chen Yuan were considered 'fellow Daoists', so she thought he would try his best to help Ke'er. It was really good luck. Could it be that Chen Yuan had instilled it in her?

Consort Yang couldn't help thinking like that.

"Oh, by the way, speaking of the Patrol Envoy Division, I remember that you, Ke'er, have a good relationship with Marquis Wu'an. Well... he is a rare talent, learn from him, I value him very much."

"Yes, this son obeys, and will definitely ask Marquis Wu'an for advice."

"Well... I also heard that there are a lot of rumors about Chen Yuan in the capital recently. Have you heard of them?" Jingtai said casually.

"There are indeed a lot of rumors about Marquis Wu'an recently. I have heard a lot about them in the palace."

The Empress said.

"What are they saying?"

"Well... it seems that this Marquis Wu'an is not yet married. In addition, His Majesty's enfeoffment has made many noble women in the capital feel very moved and infatuated."

"Now that the Empress says so, I really remember. Speaking of which, Marquis Wu'an, Chen Yuan, is indeed not young anymore, and it's time for him to get married. However, he is a dragon among men, and ordinary daughters of nobles and officials are probably not suitable."

Jingtai said with a faint smile.

Princess Pingyang's face gradually became a little ugly, and she had already thought of something.

"Father is right, Marquis Wu'an is a ten-thousand-household marquis, with great achievements, and at the prime of his life. The daughters of nobles are naturally a little unsuitable. This son believes that only a heavenly daughter who is extremely noble is suitable."

Sima Ke wanted to further his relationship with Chen Yuan, so he couldn't help but speak.

Consort Yang frowned and glared at Sima Ke fiercely.

Princess Pingyang also frowned, but did not look at Sima Ke. She knew very well that since her father had said so, then whether anyone responded or not, it would be guided towards her.

"Ke'er is right, I also think so. For this person, I also want him to calm down and cultivate him well in the future. Well..." Jingtai's eyes lingered on Princess Pingyang for a moment, and he said:

"Among my unmarried daughters who can match Wu'an Hou, there is only Pingyang now. You are not too young, and it is not appropriate to not marry all the time.

Pingyang, what do you think, is Wu'an Hou Chen Yuan still pleasing to your eyes?"

Before Princess Pingyang could say anything, Consort Yang, who was on the side, suddenly said:

"Your Majesty, this concubine privately thinks it is not very suitable."

————

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