”Call him.”

”Yes, Your Highness.”

”Your Highness, I…” Shangguan Mi quickly stood up, trying to explain herself. However, she felt a pain on her knee and fell down once more. Her eyes turned watery as she tried to make her look pitiful to gain sympathy.

Most of the noble girls who were close to them were already bribed by Shangguan Die covertly. She didn’t even give them anything that could be identified as hers, so no one would be able to know that she was the one behind it.

”If you really do like the young commander so much, you should have told your parents about it.”

”Ah Die!” Second Madam Shangguan rushed over and hugged her daughter. The way she looked at Shangguan Mi was as if she was willing to destroy Shangguan Mi at this very moment.

”What did you do, you unfilial daughter!” Second Madam Shangguan was very angry. “There are already so many proposals but you kept on rejecting them! Are you trying to latch onto Young Commander Long even though he already has a fiancée?”

Shangguan Die arched her eyebrows when she heard her mother’s lashing. She knew very well that her mother didn’t know her plan. However, her mother still chose to side with her and even pushed Shangguan Mi deeper into the pit.

Hmm, she was truly her mother’s daughter.

”Mother, I didn’t…” Shangguan Mi wanted to explain but found no words. It was true that there were already a lot of proposals but she hadn’t accepted because she wanted to take the gamble with Long Qian Xing.

To think that her plan would put her in this predicament.

Should she just pick from one of them? But neither one of them was good enough for her to pick. She had worked so hard only to settle for a small official? She was unwilling.

If she only wanted a small official, she wouldn’t have tried so hard to cause Shangguan Die’s downfall.

”Your Highness, Young Commander Long is here.”

Empress Dowager Mei turned her head and saw Long Qian Xing stood firmly at the side, maintaining his distance from the girls. He didn’t even spare any glance to the two girls who were on the ground but fixed his eyes straight to Empress Dowager Mei. His dark eyes looked deeply, seemingly able to capture everything within that very moment.

”Long Qian Xing from Long Family greets Empress Dowager Mei,” Long Qian Xing cupped his fist and gave his greetings formally.

”There’s no need for you to be so formal. Aijia* calls you here because there’s a girl who took a fancy on you and seems to be unwilling to get engaged to anyone else.”

Long Qian Xing really wanted to say: how is that my business?

However, he knew that his position was lower than Empress Dowager Mei. Lashing out like that would make him be subjected to the crime of disrespecting the Imperial Family, eventually putting him in a more difficult position. Thus, he definitely couldn’t do that and had to be patient.

He put on a gentlemanly smile. “Your Highness must be joking. This subject already had a fiancée and naturally will not try to seek other woman out there.”

In other words: he would not care for anyone but his fiancée.

Empress Dowager Mei let out a faint laugh. “Wouldn’t your words caused so many girls who are willing to cling on to you be sad?”

”I’m only one person, how can I possibly satisfy so many people’s wish?” Long Qian Xing was still as calm as ever. The polite smile on his face never disappeared and caused many other girls to sigh.

They seemed to understand the reason why Shangguan Mi was willing to try so hard to get him. He was handsome and had a bright future. Many other girls also want a piece of him, but they knew very well that it would be highly impossible for them to even stand a chance.

Their opponents were from the Nan Family and Shangguan Family.

Yikes.

It would already be good enough if they can stay as one piece if they tried to covet him when facing against those two families.

”Is that so?” Empress Dowager Mei pointed at Shangguan Mi. “What do you think about her?”

Long Qian Xing was unwilling to even look at the other party, but he swept his gaze towards Shangguan Mi for a very brief moment before looking towards Empress Dowager Mei once more.

”This is my first time seeing her, Your Highness.”

Shangguan Mi felt as if she had been doused in cold water when she heard Long Qian Xing’s answer. She had already tried to get close to him each time he appeared in the Capital City. How come he didn’t even remember her?

This caused her expression to turn ugly.

At the side, Nan Hua was watching Shangguan Mi’s expression after she had heard Long Qian Xing’s answer. For some reason, she felt strange feelings of happiness brew within her heart when she heard what Long Qian Xing said.

It was strange.

How come her feelings kept on being stirred whenever she was interacting with Long Qian Xing? It was faint, but Nan Hua was quite sensitive to the changes in her emotion due to the long period of controlling her emotion.

”Is the engagement formal?” Empress Dowager Mei asked once more.

Long Qian Xing knew that Empress Dowager Mei was trying to push that woman onto him. The corner of his lips curled up even more, yet his eyes grew a shade colder. Those who were close to him knew that the wider his smile was, the crueler he would be.

”His Majesty Emperor Huan personally inscribed the Imperial Edict, Your Highness. How can someone like me possibly try to change it?”

Emperor Huan.

It was the name of Emperor Yang Zhou’s grandfather and also one of the most respected emperor in Fei Yang Kingdom’s history. Whenever this name was mentioned, they would remember how Emperor Huan had expanded Fei Yang Kingdom’s territory and also established many things that allowed their lives to be better.

Everyone respected him greatly.

By mentioning his name, Long Qian Xing had personally blocked whatever Empress Dowager Mei wanted to say. If Emperor Huan had said that Nan Hua was the best partner for Long Qian Xing, could she try to change it?

She would be the one condemned by others.

Even if Emperor Huan had passed away, no one would dare to slight him in the slightest bit.

That was just how high his name was in the heart of everyone in Fei Yang Kingdom.

As expected, Empress Dowager Mei’s eyes turned cold when she heard that. How could she possibly try to break an engagement that was set by Emperor Huan? It would be the same as trying to dig her own early grave.

”I see.” Empress Dowager Mei forced herself to calm down. “Have you ever thought of taking a concubine, Young Commander Long?”