Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Consider the Overall Situation Ye Yiheng rested his chin on the top of her hair and tightened his embrace around her body. “Yanyan, if you dare to flee, this lonely one will probably kill you.” His voice, clear and cold as jade, betrayed no joy or anger, yet the words he spoke sent a shiver through her heart. “Scared?” He paused for a moment before continuing, “So don’t think about running away from me.” Leng Yu Yan clenched her hands. His words were the same as those she had heard in her dreams. This was no coincidence; the man in her dreams and the man before her were one and the same! Get full chapters from 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩 Her heart was filled with an unprecedented confusion. What should she do from now on, and how should she interact with him? The next day, a banquet was held in the palace. There were two banquets, one at noon and the other in the evening. When the eunuch came to the Eastern Palace to deliver the message, he did not mention the reason for the banquet; therefore, Leng Yu Yan accompanied Ye Yiheng to the palace to attend the feast. At the banquet, Leng Yu Yan noticed that only princes were in attendance; as for princesses, not one was present. At that moment, the Emperor, assisted by Eunuch Ma, came walking slowly, accompanied by Baili Wenyi. It turned out it wasn’t that princesses were absent, but that Princess Tiancheng was not participating. Looking at the princes present, from the eldest, Ye Zhenxian, down to Ye Yongwang, none younger than Ye Yongwang appeared, which made it clear that today’s banquet was centered around Princess Wen Yi. Leng Yu Yan’s lips twitched slightly. Could it be that Baili Wenyi could no longer wait and sought to choose a husband from among the princes of Tiancheng? The Emperor took his seat at the head of the table and raised his hand to signal everyone to take their places. Ye Yiheng took the seat of honor on the right, and Leng Yu Yan, as his Crown Prince Consort, sat beside him. Baili Wenyi occupied the seat of honor on the left, as the recognized Imperial Princess of Nandian, this honor was granted due to her status as a guest. The other princes sat on both sides, those with consorts were accompanied by them, and those without sat alone. The noon banquet soon began. While Leng Yu Yan was guessing that the Emperor would ask Princess Wen Yi to choose a prince from those present, the Emperor simply said, “Princess Wen Yi, don’t be restrained. Just act as if you were at home.” Until the end of the noon banquet, the Emperor said nothing more. This puzzled Leng Yu Yan. After the meal, the princes gathered to discuss matters of state and border trade between Tiancheng and Nandian, while several Princess Consorts surrounded Baili Wenyi and inquired about the pearls of Nandian. Leng Yu Yan didn’t get along with Princess Wen Yi and, since she already owned many Nandian pearls, she did not join the commotion. She planned to visit Ninth Princess’s Xingning Palace alone and thus left the grand hall. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Ye Yiheng and his brothers pointing at a topographic map, strategizing intensely, and she let out a long breath. It was undeniable that the princes of the Ye Family were each a paragon. Except, of course, for Ye Zhenxian. However, what surprised Leng Yu Yan was that before she had even left Xiande Hall, Eunuch Ma came to summon her. “Crown Prince Consort, the Emperor requests your presence!” Leng Yu Yan stopped and looked at him: “May I ask Eunuch Ma, what does Father Emperor want?” “An important matter.” Eunuch Ma stood aside, raising his hand in invitation, “Crown Princess Consort, please!” Leng Yu Yan quickened her pace, following Eunuch Ma to the Imperial Study. Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor smiled as he saw her approach, “Beilan, do you know why I have summoned you?” Leng Yu Yan bowed her head in reverence, “Father Emperor, your humble daughter does not know.” “Princess Wenyi is the recognized Imperial Princess of Nandian, and she has quite the ambition. If such a person were to inherit the Nandian throne, it would be very unfavorable for Tiancheng. There will inevitably be conflict between Nandian and Tiancheng in the future.” Leng Yu Yan asked directly, “What does Father Emperor wish to discuss with your daughter?” “I’ll be straightforward with you,” the Emperor’s smile faded, “If we could retain Princess Wenyi in Tiancheng, it would be a most favorable situation for us. I have already inquired with her, and out of my eligible sons, she has candidly told me that she favors Sixth.” “Crown Prince and I are already husband and wife; Princess Wenyi is fond of Crown Prince. What would you have me do according to your intentions, Father Emperor?” Leng Yu Yan’s voice was calm and steady. Once, before the pleasure boat at night, she had encountered Baili Wenyi, who wanted to get close to someone but only received a packet of green tea. At that time, she had suspected there would be further maneuvers. Yet, she did not expect that Baili Wenyi’s next move would be to involve the Emperor. And so swiftly at that. Ye Yuan’s expression grew stern, his imperial dignity was formidable and forceful, “Beilan, you are Princess Zhenbei, and now also the Crown Prince Consort. With such status, you should prioritize the well-being of Tiancheng above all else.” Leng Yu Yan laughed coldly, the Emperor intended for her to not oppose Baili Wenyi’s closeness to Ye Yiheng. She needed to consider the bigger picture. How could she consider the bigger picture? With that thought, she bluntly asked, “Does Father Emperor intend for your daughter to relinquish her position as Crown Prince Consort to Princess Wenyi?” Ye Yuan’s murky eyes narrowed, his tone turning cold, “I did not suggest you give up your position as Crown Prince Consort. You are to agree to Princess Wenyi marrying into the Eastern Palace, and as for the ranking between you two within the palace, it will naturally be equal.” “Father Emperor, setting aside whether I agree,” Leng Yu Yan asked submissively, “have you asked Crown Prince if he agrees? What if the Crown Prince does not consent?” The Emperor frowned deeply, “Beilan, if you do not agree to Princess Wenyi marrying into the Eastern Palace, I can only strip you of your title as Crown Prince Consort.” Leng Yu Yan smiled faintly, “You, as the Lord of Tiancheng, can easily strip your daughter of the title of Crown Prince Consort. Similarly, you can marry Baili Wenyi into the Eastern Palace without seeking your daughter’s consent.” Seeking her consent now was merely because she was Princess Zhenbei. Even Emperor Ye Yuan had to take the face of Prince Zhenbei Mansion into account. Once the Prince Mansion inquires, the Emperor could put the entire blame on her. The Emperor suddenly softened his tone, “Beilan, you are now the daughter-in-law of the Heavenly Family, and you should understand the significance of expanding the lineage of Tian Family princes. So far, Ah Heng has only you, but in a few years, there will inevitably be other concubines in the Eastern Palace. We’re merely bringing that day forward.” “Father Emperor, your daughter has a question, though I am unsure if it is proper to ask.” Leng Yu Yan lifted her gaze, her spine straight as a rod. The Emperor gestured, “Ask.” Leng Yu Yan inquired, “If Princess Wenyi marries into the Eastern Palace, and one day she needs to return to Nandian, does that mean the Crown Prince will have to accompany her to Nandian?” The Emperor, hearing this, laughed awkwardly. His intention was that Sixth’s life would not be long, and whether he would live to see the day Baili Wenyi must return to Nandian was another matter. Allowing Sixth to marry Baili Wenyi would ensure to the greatest extent that she remained in Tiancheng, since Baili Wenyi did indeed like Sixth. However, owing to her status as the default Imperial Princess, she would one day need to return to Nandian. Even if Sixth were to survive until the day Baili Wenyi must return to Nandian, allowing a Crown Prince who would not inherit the throne to go to Nandian wouldn’t be a bad thing. If a prince was needed to stabilize the relationship between Nandian and Tiancheng, the sickly Ye Yiheng was the obvious choice. After a long pause, the Emperor feigned a pained expression, “The Crown Prince is frail, and his future fate remains uncertain.” “Father Emperor implies that if a prince must marry into Nandian and go there, then it could only be Crown Prince because he is frail and likely won’t ascend to the throne.” Leng Yu Yan stated directly, “What an excellent strategy, Father Emperor!”