Especially Yuan Bupo, the wine cup in his hand had already been crushed into pieces. The wine spilled all over him, yet he was oblivious. Yun Sheng was also greatly embarrassed, for the moment, wondering what was happening with all this drama. Strange things happen every year, but do these empresses and crown princes all have something wrong with their brains? Her name is Yun Sheng, not Tang Seng, so why has she suddenly become so sought after lately? She even deliberately used Disguise Magic to turn herself into the likeness of a mung bean sprout, and yet, people actually found this look appealing? She’s still a virgin, a young girl, mind you! At her age in the modern world, this would be considered child abduction, understand? However, looking at the expression of Crown Prince Li Cheng, he is a thousand, ten thousand times dissatisfied. Yun Sheng mocked inwardly, you’re not willing, but this Miss couldn’t care less. The fiance of this Miss far surpasses you in every aspect. Fortunately, having spent a considerable time with Ye Beiming, Yun Sheng also learned Ye Huli’s most adept tricks, which is to counter moves as they come. "Thank you for the kind intentions of the Empress, the Crown Prince is filial and humble, many noble maidens in Tangyuan Country must be willing to marry the Crown Prince. Besides, Yun Sheng is already engaged, to none other than the Beiming King of Great Zhou Country," Yun Sheng said with a coy demeanor, thinking to herself that having a fiance as a shield at critical moments was indeed very useful. After fending off the Dark Crown Prince, then Empress Tang Yuanmin, it proves effective time after time. The engagement between Yun Sheng and Ye Beiming was not publicly announced, so not many people were aware of it. Upon hearing this, Yuan Bupo felt a thunderous noise in his head, rendering him unable to hear anything else around him. In his mind, only one sentence echoed, "Thank you for the Empress’s kindness, Yun Sheng is already betrothed, her fiance is the Beiming King of Great Zhou." The Beiming King of Great Zhou, she... is already betrothed. Why has he never heard her mention this? Yuan Bupo felt a dull ache in his heart, but soon, he thought of something else. It’s just an engagement, after all, it doesn’t represent anything. Didn’t his elder sister and Xuan Wuji have an engagement too? Yet, she and Yun Canglang were in love, and in the end, they still came together, didn’t they? Although it is true that his sister’s beauty was completely ruined, her husband’s care for her has not lessened one bit. He, too, does not care if Yun Sheng is engaged. Being a daughter of a prestigious family, she must have been forced into the engagement because of an imperial decree. It’s rumored that the Crown Prince of Great Zhou is a simpleton, so that Beiming King must be useless too. How could he possibly compare to himself, elegant and versed in music? Yes, that’s it, Yun Sheng must have been coerced. As long as I put in a bit more effort, once her heart is moved by me, then the engagement, the Beiming King, everything can be cast aside. If nothing else works, we’ll elope! Yuan Bupo had already devised a series of plans in his mind, he had even thought of the names for the children they would have in the future. Upon hearing this, Empress Min felt a surge of disappointment. What a pity, such a fine woman but she’s already promised to another. However, Empress Min quickly composed herself, and Yun Sheng deliberately steered the conversation towards women’s beauty and skincare. Indeed, Empress Min’s interest was piqued, and she cast aside the thought of meddling in her son’s love life to focus on the discussion as if it was thrown to the Java. While Yun Sheng and the Empress enjoyed their conversation, Yuan Bupo was preoccupied with thoughts of elopement. Crown Prince Li Cheng and Xuan Meimei both breathed a sigh of relief. Li Cheng’s sigh was natural since he did not wish to marry a woman of such plain appearance as his Crown Princess Consort, still harboring fantasies about Xuan Meimei in his heart. Xuan Meimei, having been neglected after her earlier pampered status, was initially displeased. But upon hearing that Empress Min intended to arrange a marriage for Crown Prince Li Cheng with Yun Sheng, she was spirited once again. Yet, Yun Sheng outright refused, explaining that she was already betrothed. With this refusal, Brother Bu Po should surely give up now, right? Xuan Meimei couldn’t help but glance towards Yuan Bupo, only to see him gazing at Yun Sheng, his eyes shining with an unusual glimmer. His expression showed not the slightest hint of dejection or a willingness to concede. Annoyed by what she saw, Xuan Meimei felt an increasing resentment towards Yun Sheng. After the banquet, Crown Prince Li Cheng prepared several carriages to escort Yun Sheng and the others back. "I am truly grateful to you, Divine Doctor Yun. This National Hand Token was entrusted to me by Emperor Father to bestow upon you. With this token on you, Divine Doctor Yun can travel freely within Tangyuan Country without any need for identity checks," said Li Cheng. Although unwilling to marry Yun Sheng, he was still grateful for her life-saving aid to his mother. "There’s no need to be so formal, Your Highness. It was but a small effort. The Crown Prince is kind-hearted, and Empress Min is a paragon to the world; naturally, such virtues are deeply auspicious. I often heard Emperor Beiming of Great Zhou speak highly of you," Yun Sheng said with a smile, then added softly after a moment’s thought, "Your Highness, if possible, you should get closer to Emperor Beiming of Dazhou and tell him that I referred you." Crown Prince Li Cheng was momentarily taken aback, but soon understood. The suggestion from Yun Sheng implied that he should form an alliance with Emperor Beiming of Dazhou. Yet... the Emperor Beiming of Dazhou was nothing more than a dethroned Abolished Crown Prince... Li Cheng murmured to himself, considering that he needed to return to the Imperial Palace and discuss this with the Empress Dowager before making a decision. Without saying more, Yun Sheng acted as if she had never said those words and directly boarded the carriage. The carriage took the three of them back to the inn, and inwardly Yun Sheng said: "Second Prince Li Shao, if I don’t bring you down, my name isn’t Yun Sheng." After receiving the hint from Yun Sheng, Crown Prince Li Cheng hurriedly returned to Chao Lu Palace. Empress Min, having just recovered from a serious illness and after drinking some wine at the banquet, wasn’t feeling very spirited and was having a palace maid massage her temples. Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, Li Cheng complained, "Empress Mother, how could you arbitrarily matchmake your child? I don’t like that Divine Doctor Yun at all." Follow current novels on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥 Empress Min raised her phoenix eyes and waved her hand, signaling the palace maid to step back. Once only mother and son were left in the palace, Empress Min rebuked him with a slight anger, "Cheng, you are becoming increasingly incompetent. How did your mother teach you? One mustn’t judge by appearances alone. Not marrying Divine Doctor Yun is your loss, and it is also a loss for Tangyuan Country. If she weren’t exceptional, why would Yuan Bupo be so incessantly fixated on her?" Seeing that the Empress Dowager was angered, Li Cheng quickly stepped forward to knead her shoulders, speaking carefully, "Empress Mother, I know my mistakes. Ever since Ying Yue passed away, I have not been moved by anyone. I only saw Xuan Meimei once before, and indeed, my heart was moved, hence..." "Moved? Beauty fades to bones in an instant. How many years can the most beautiful woman enjoy favor? An Emperor’s wife should be chosen for virtue, not just beauty. Do you know how Ying Yue died? She was killed by that lowly Empress Su," said Empress Min, with a dark expression, a stark contrast to the benevolence she displayed during the day. The filthy affairs of Tangyuan’s harem were something Empress Min was well aware of. Not only in Tangyuan, but which Imperial Palace on the Wuji Continent isn’t the same?