Feng Ruqing saw how the man was staring at Nalan Yan. She frowned and asked.

Nalan Yan was stunned. She followed Feng Ruqing"s gaze and saw the man. She was surprised. "Qing Yuan?"

Ten years ago, Qing Yuan was still a young boy. Now, he had grown up and he seemed mature.

"Mother, do you know the person standing beside him?" Feng Ruqing smiled slightly. "Ziyan, she"s the princess of Long Ao Kingdom. She was my cousin"s fiancee. But, the people from Long Ao Kingdom came a year ago and had broken the engagement. They left my cousin behind."

All of the people thought that the empress had died many years ago and Long Ao Kingdom never had the intention to break off the engagement. But, it was rather baffling that they came and broke it off that time.

Feng Ruqing could not understand it but now she understood after seeing the man standing beside Ziyan.

Nalan Yan lowered her eyes. "At first, I know Ziyan"s mother. We met each other in Liu Yun Kingdom. Jing"er was there that day too. I saw how Jing"er cared for her unborn child in her belly. So, we made that engagement for them that day."

She sighed softly and continued speaking.

"But, one cannot force another in the issue of love. I said before that if they could not be together in the future, they could break off the engagement. We made that engagement privately. But, who knew Long Ao Kingdom would do that kind of thing. So, the emperor offered to have an arranged marriage with their princess just to soothe my anger. So, I chose Ziyan."

But, they still did not get together in the end…

"It"s alright. We cannot force anybody to love. I don"t like to force anyone. If Ziyan is good, it"s fine if I grant what she wants."

Nalan Yan raised her eyes and saw that Qing Yuan was walking toward her.

Ziyan had gotten down from the azure snake and was obediently walking next to Qing Yuan.

"Empress Nalan, you"re still alive." Ziyan smiled slightly before Qing Yuan could speak. She frowned slightly soon after. She said weakly and apologetically, "I"m sorry, Empress Nalan. My fiance wanted to help General Nalan just now but he did not do so because he wanted to take care of me. My body is weak. If you"re unhappy about that, I"ll apologize to you. I"m truly sorry." 

She lowered her head. She seemed honest and sincere. She did not seem to notice that all the people present had different facial expressions now.

Nalan Yan turned cold and distant.

At first, she had no bad impression of Ziyan. She believed that one cannot be forced to love.

But…

What Ziyan said made her heart heavy. She smiled coldly.

"Are you trying to show off?" Nalan Yan walked forward slowly. She sneered. "You just want to show off your man, don"t you? He can sacrifice everything for you without bothering about others. You just want to show us how important you are to him, don"t you? Why do I remember that your fiance is my nephew? Where did this man come from?"

There was cold sweat on Qing Yuan"s forehead. He tugged at Ziyan"s hand to indicate to her to stop talking.

Ziyan was jealous.

"Why does Qing Yuan care about her so much if she"s already a married woman?"

"Empress Nalan, I did not mean that. I…"

"Mother." Feng Ruqing smiled slightly. "She broke off the engagement with my cousin long ago. These people looked down on us since you"re no longer here. They disliked my cousin. But, it"s fine that they had broken off the engagement. Otherwise, I would have broken it off for him."