TSFLIP Chapter 595

Xia Chao was a cold and detached man, and that same emotional detachment could be seen in Xia Fengxue as well.

But people like them—once they truly fell in love—tended to become more devoted than anyone else.

Xia Chao had never considered Xia Fengxue to be like him. Still, when it came to lacking emotional connection, he had to admit they shared a strange commonality. Yes, Xia Chao did admire this son of his in name only, but that didn’t mean he’d stand by and let an ambitious young man get close to his daughter.

So the emperor with the sharp brows and piercing eyes warned coldly:
“Fengguang is not a bargaining chip you can use against me.”

“I’ve never seen her as a bargaining chip,” Xia Fengxue replied, his eyes softening. “She’s my treasure.”

“Hah, bold words. Fengguang is yours?” Xia Chao sneered, with a mix of disdain and mockery.

“I don’t believe… Father has any real reason to keep Fengguang and me apart?”

“And where does your confidence come from?”

Xia Fengxue lowered his eyes, his gaze deep and impenetrable. “Because I can make Fengguang the most honored woman in the world.”

Xia Chao’s expression froze. He slowly rotated the white jade ring on his right thumb, giving nothing away about what he was thinking.

Even after saying something so close to treason, Xia Fengxue remained calm and collected. His expression didn’t change—he wasn’t worried. He had absolute confidence that, in the end, he would be Xia Chao’s best option.

—

Near sunset, the Crown Prince finally emerged from the imperial study. No one knew what had been discussed between him and the emperor that day—only that the very next morning, in front of the entire court, His Majesty declared Xia Fengxue the Crown Prince of Gengliu.

With that announcement, the court officials could finally breathe easy and choose sides. At the same time, the recent frenzy over selecting a consort for the princess abruptly vanished. The emperor made it clear—he had only one daughter, and he planned to keep her close for a few more years.

This declaration made Fengguang panic. She rushed to Fengyi Palace and found Wang Ci, grabbing her hand anxiously:

“Mother, do you think Father doesn’t want me to marry Sijia?”

“Of course, your father doesn’t want you marrying a musician,” the Empress replied with a composed smile, gently stroking her daughter’s hair. Her beauty seemed even more tender in that moment.

Back in the day, Wang Ci had been the most beautiful woman in Gengliu before entering the palace. Countless nobles had wanted to marry her, but oddly, every one of them met with misfortune—some broke their legs in accidents, others fell ill after boating trips… Eventually, no more suitors came forward, and her father, Chancellor Wang, sent her into the imperial harem.

And with that, the rumors of her being “cursed” to bring misfortune to men faded away.

Fengguang pouted and said, “Mother, does Father just want me to marry some rich young lord I’ve never even met? I want to marry someone I love…”

“Fengguang, life doesn’t always go the way we want it to,” Wang Ci said softly, her gentle gaze hiding more than she revealed.

Fengguang, perceptive as always, picked up on it. She asked quietly,
“Mother… did I bring up something painful for you?”

“It’s not really painful,” Wang Ci replied. “It’s just that life often forces us to accept things we don’t want. Some people choose to surrender, others choose to rebel. Fengguang, I was one of the former. And once you’ve accepted your fate, you can’t blame anyone else.”

“I know… You never wanted to enter the palace.” Fengguang hugged her mother tightly, like she had when she was little, cradled in her arms. “Mother, I can’t help you…”