Chapter 7: 007 A Warm Home

Duanmu Cheng felt a chill run down his spine; the light in this woman's eyes made him feel a tiny bit... terrified...

"Actually, if you all feel that being forced to marry me as the Empress of the Han Kingdom is very unpleasant, you could just secretly divorce me. I really don't care that much," Xiao Zhiyan said, guiding the conversation persuasively. In this world, having a high status was certainly good, but if that status required fulfilling such a heavy mission or even sacrificing oneself, then it wasn't all that great.

"Since you have come to our Han Kingdom for a political marriage, how could we easily divorce you? Wouldn't that plunge the Han King into injustice?" Duanmu Cheng let out a cold snort toward Xiao Zhiyan.

"That's why I said to do it *secretly*... You can just find some woman the Han King likes and claim it's me. No one will ever expose it," Xiao Zhiyan said with a shrug, acting completely indifferent.

"Cheng? What does 'divorce' mean?" Ye Muqing turned his head toward Duanmu Cheng and asked in confusion.

"It is... something that Your Majesty absolutely must never do..." Duanmu Cheng explained, somewhat speechless.

"Oh." Ye Muqing looked blank, but he didn't dwell on the matter for long. "Cheng, you told me that welcoming the Princess of the Feng Kingdom was a necessary task. Now that I have finished it, I shall go rest first. Xiao Yan, if you want to play with me, just tell Cheng."

"Xiao Yan..." Watching Ye Muqing's departing back, Xiao Zhiyan felt a sense of bewilderment. She wondered if this Han King was like this with everyone. How could someone as naive and guileless as him have managed to survive in such a cruel environment until now?

"His Highness grew up in the deep mountains and only returned to the palace three years ago." Standing to the side, Duanmu Cheng seemed to have read Xiao Zhiyan's confusion, and he spoke coldly, "His Highness was kidnapped by a mysterious person when he was only a month old and has been missing ever since. The only things that could prove his identity were a lotus birthmark on his arm and a priceless jade pendant. His Highness's mother fell ill from grief and has been bedridden ever since. Although the late Emperor had many concubines and princes, he favored only the late Empress, so he never appointed a Crown Prince. Three years ago, the late Emperor fell ill from overwork and lost his strength. Seeing that there was still no news of His Highness, he intended to select a Crown Prince from among the other princes, but then His Highness suddenly appeared."

"Where did he go? And how can you be sure he is the infant who was kidnapped back then and not an impostor?" There were too many mysteries involved; Xiao Zhiyan couldn't help but feel curious.

"His Highness himself cannot clearly explain where he went; he only returned having mastered peerless martial arts. There is indeed a lotus birthmark on his arm, and he wears that unique jade pendant at his waist. More importantly, a mother and child share a spiritual connection; without even seeing the birthmark or the jade, the late Empress lost control and held His Highness while weeping." Duanmu Cheng showed little emotion while recounting these events, maintaining his composure throughout. "Shortly after, the late Emperor and the late Empress passed away one after another, and the throne naturally passed to His Highness. However, for these past decades, His Highness has lived in isolation with no one around and no social activity; every day, aside from reading, he practiced martial arts, so..."

"So he's a bit silly, just like now?" Xiao Zhiyan interrupted Duanmu Cheng. "If that's the case, then His Highness probably hasn't adapted to palace life yet, and there was no one to teach him like parents or elders would, so he learns more slowly." Xiao Zhiyan raised her head, her bright eyes staring straight at Duanmu Cheng. "But why are you telling me these stories? I have no interest in knowing them."

"Because you are very clever, and you are not afraid of the Emperor," Duanmu Cheng replied frankly. "You came here to sacrifice yourself for the political marriage of the Feng Kingdom; a woman like you would not be content, which is why you want His Highness to divorce you. But have you ever thought that while the Feng Kingdom might sacrifice you, the Han Kingdom can give you a warm home?"

A warm home? Could something she had never possessed truly exist?

"Do you call the inner palace a 'warm home'?" Xiao Zhiyan sneered. "I truly cannot afford to enjoy such a 'warm' home."

"His Highness currently has no other wives or concubines." Duanmu Cheng deliberately ignored Xiao Zhiyan's sarcasm. "Therefore, you need not worry about harem struggles. As for the future, as the ruler of a nation, His Highness must eventually fill his harem."

This nonsensical answer left Xiao Zhiyan somewhat bewildered, but she didn't want to learn too much. From the moment she transmigrated until now, she hadn't had a proper rest, so she replied perfunctorily, "Oh, is that so."

"..." He had originally thought Xiao Zhiyan would continue asking questions, but he hadn't expected her to look around aimlessly, completely ignoring him. Although he felt somewhat displeased, Duanmu Cheng still said, "The Empress must be tired from her long journey; please rest first."

"Mm." Xiao Zhiyan nodded and followed the person toward the palace. Duanmu Cheng watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.