What could be worse than rejection multiplied by heartlessness?

This was perhaps what the crown princess felt towards Jiang Pengji. She had even gone to the lengths of covering her entire body with a scent that would arouse one sexually. Yet the latter had acted like an old monk. This had caused the crown princess to be tortured by her sexual yearning for more than two hours. Before she left, Jiang Pengji had even knocked her out!

When the crown princess awoke pensively, her eyes were filled with embarrassment. Her alluring figure had stiffened like ice. She somehow couldn’t move at all.

“Help me back to my palace. Then get Xiao Xiazi to come over.”

The inner palace was a lonely place. This, along with a lustful husband who was frivolous and loved new women, caused the crown princess, who had already given birth, to be treated coldly.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t the type who allowed herself to be wronged. There was a eunuch by her side who had been castrated after he came of age. He was competent at waiting on women. The crown princess loved this eunuch very much. Whenever the crown prince did not visit her manor, she had frequent rendezvous with this man.

Shortly after, Xiao Xiazi arrived.

He was tall and sturdy, and he had a beard. Solely based on his external appearance, he looked more manly than the average man.

When she saw Xiao Xiazi, the crown princess’s eyes became tender and gentle like water. There was also no need for her to hide her lustful gaze as she stretched out her hand towards him.

Shortly after, the bedchamber was filled with gasps that would make one’s imagination run wild. It became an atmosphere full of affection.

Liu She saw his daughter return smelling of alcohol. He suddenly smiled.

“Why didn’t you remain in the crown prince’s manor?”

“What would be the point of staying at the crown prince’s manor? That crown princess is already more than thirty years old, and she’s ruthless. Your son is more afraid I cannot tame her.” Jiang Pengji looked at Liu She. Then, she commented with surprise, “Didn’t Father mention you are exhausted? Why don’t you sleep first? Why are you still up at this hour?”

Liu She choked upon hearing her reply. He was speechless.

He could only admit that he loved hearing and seeing his daughter’s deflated look.

“On that topic, your father is rather open-minded.” As expected, Liu She evaded the last couple of questions. He cleverly changed the topic. “If you love that woman, and it doesn’t interfere with having descendants, it is fine. Those on your left and right are just there for your pleasure. Don’t get too addicted to them. Your father heard that in her youth, the crown princess was a ravishing beauty. When Lanting laid eyes on her… Didn’t your heart flutter even one bit?”

Feng Zhen, who was beside her, felt like he had opened the door to a new world. His three senses had already collapsed, and he couldn’t revive them anymore.

Without waiting for her reply, the bullet screen in the live streaming room roared with excitement.

Huan Yu: “Ah, wow! Father Liu She, look at me! This is your daughter-in-law.”

What A Cool Name: “My rivals in love, the viewers above and below, you are such an eyesore! Quickly, unsheathe your swords!”

Dashu Xiaobing: “The streamer’s father isn’t ‘rather open-minded.’ He is obviously too open-minded. Common men like us can’t decipher his thoughts and understandings.”

Jiang Pengji placed a palm on her forehead. It was fine if the viewers in the live streaming room joined in the commotion. Why was it that even Liu She teased her?

“No, I am not interested. If Father is so anxious about having a grandchild, isn’t there still a younger brother in our manor? If I’ve calculated correctly, he should be around thirteen years of age. He is not considered young anymore. He should keep his options open for a suitable wife to marry to prevent outsiders from badmouthing the Liu manor or treating him ill.”

When he heard Jiang Pengji bring up the subject of his illegitimate son, Liu She said, “There is no hurry. Now is not the right time.”

Jiang Pengji responded, “It is enough that Father is prepared in your heart. No matter what, my younger brother’s marriage must not be haphazard. Back then, when my younger sister married into the royal family, her dowry was ten miles long, and even today there are still people who speak of it enthusiastically. If we treat my younger brother’s marriage flippantly, the outsiders will blame me for it.”

The disparity between legitimate and illegitimate children was great. There was also order based on seniority. There was a huge gulf between them that could not be overcome.

The Liu manor’s illegitimate daughter and son were considerably well-treated. If it had been another family, and if the female head of the house were crueler, the status of the illegitimate children would only be slightly higher than that of commoners. For example, when legitimate daughters of aristocratic families got married, they would let their illegitimate daughters accompany them in marriage.

Evidently, there was a great disparity between legitimate and illegitimate children.

Liu She cast his eyes down helplessly. “I don’t care what the people may say, as long as Lanting is not aggrieved in any way.”

Viewers in the live streaming room were shocked. So, the streamer had an illegitimate younger brother?

Truthfully, her long-time audiences had already known of this matter. But the existence of that illegitimate younger brother was so unremarkable that many forgot about him.

As he watched Liu She depart, Feng Zhen was startled. “It’s strange. Why did the Old Master treat his illegitimate son so apathetically?”

He was still a son who could carry on the family line. So what if he was a low-born, an illegitimate son?

Jiang Pengji asked, “Did you feel it was apathetic of him?”

Feng Zhen nodded.

While he spoke of this illegitimate son, Liu She’s expression had never once changed. It was as if he wasn’t his son—he was solely an insignificant display piece.

Nonetheless, Liu She’s attitude reassured Feng Zhen.

“I was initially worried that the lord’s illegitimate brother would be a hurdle to the lord. But seeing the situation now, I think there is nothing to worry about.”

From Feng Zhen’s perspective, regardless of how biased Liu She was, deep in his heart, he wished for his family’s bloodline to carry on.

Although a legitimate daughter was good, she was, after all, a lady. It was different from a man, who could carry on the bloodline.

Now that he had witnessed the exchange of words between father and son, Feng Zhen felt like he had just taken a pill that calmed his fears.

“Don’t. Please continue to worry. My father’s position is his own, but no one knows what that illegitimate brother thinks.”

Like Liu Huan, who had never known her identity, even at death, this illegitimate brother was likewise ignorant.

He secretly shook his head, expressionless.

If the lord’s illegitimate younger brother harbored intentions to vie for power, he was not far from meeting the King of Hades.

Look at those men his lord commanded. Which of them were pushovers?

If they were determined to assassinate someone, it was certain that that person wouldn’t even know how he had died.

“Nonetheless, one must not allow his heart to grow wild.”

If they wished to put an end to the internal disputes between them, they must remove his ambitions from their source.

Otherwise, they should kill him with flattery or cripple him straightaway. In any case, his ambitious heart must not be encouraged.

Jiang Pengji said softly, “I understand this principle, but now is not the time. Moreover, we are still one family.”

When she finished, she sighed inwardly.

She could feel that those around her were unsettled. Her father, Liu She, reacted too optimistically, thinking that few of her subordinates urged her to kill her illegitimate brother.

If this had happened to another person, in the usual scenario, the father shouldn’t be strict. Her subordinates held the lord’s character in high regard and would not urge the lord and her brother to settle their internal disputes. Even if the lord and her brother had any conflicts, they would at least counsel her… But in her hands, she had to ensure every one of them refrained from wreaking havoc in the world.

The imperial city of Chenzhou had experienced a stretch of warfare, while outside the borders stood Prince Changshou’s army, who eyed this territory covetously.

Surrounded by internal and external dangers, regardless of the former emperor’s funeral or the new emperor’s ascension, they had to do the minimum.

The former emperor’s tomb had been built from the first day he ascended the throne. Every year, it expended a large sum of money. But before they had completed the construction, Dongqing’s Shangjing had experienced an earthquake. More than half of the royal tomb had collapsed while the emperor passed away in Chenzhou. His coffin had been transported to Wanzhou’s Shangyang to be buried.

The officials discussed, and they decided to erect a tomb at another site near the imperial city of Chenzhou. Before the construction of the tomb was completed, his coffin would be temporarily placed in the ancestral hall of the imperial family.

Special times called for special measures.

The former emperor had passed on seven days ago. All the officials mourned his death and helped place the coffin inside the temple so that he could continually be worshiped.