She was Princess Anning.
She had disguised herself to find Mo Lingxi, bringing only a few hidden guards. No one in Prince Rui's manor, except Prince Rui himself, knew she had gone out.
"Greetings, Prince Ming Rui." Her eyes held a look of worry, and she appeared somewhat gaunt as she curtsied. She seemed a little flustered, "I have come today with a matter I wish to ask Prince Ming Rui's help with."
Mo Lingxi indifferently invited her to sit, his voice flat, "May I ask what assistance Princess Anning requires?"
Princess Anning knew how difficult this man was to deal with, and also knew he was no simple figure. However, she was at her wit's end and had no choice but to seek his help.
She pursed her lips, glancing at Li Yijun, with hesitation and timidity, "I wish to ask Prince Ming Rui to marry me in a sham marriage."
As she said this, she quickly waved her hand, "I have no improper intentions. I do not wish to be schemed against by His Majesty again, so I thought of this plan. Prince Ming Rui, please rest assured, after our sham marriage, there will be no improper actions, nor will I prevent you from taking concubines."
Mo Lingxi coldly refused. He did not mention that he was already married, as this could not be revealed for the time being, as it would easily bring danger to Tao Lengshuang and Xiao Feng.
Princess Anning sat up straighter and said somewhat urgently, "Prince Ming Rui, I know you have concerns, and I am not worthy of you, but please help me. I truly do not want my marriage to be manipulated by His Majesty again."
Her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears, "Think of these past years... including my brothers and sisters, none of our marriages have gone smoothly. All have been delayed by His Majesty until now. If this continues, I don't know if I can endure it."
When the late Emperor was alive, how favored their family was, and now how miserable their family was.
Mo Lingxi still refused, without even a hint of emotional fluctuation, "I will resolve the matter of the imperial decree for marriage."
Princess Anning's worry was not about the imperial decree itself, but about being arbitrarily betrothed to someone by His Majesty, which would lead to her suffering greatly.
"Prince Ming Rui, please help me, truly... I know the imperial decree can be resolved, but even if this one is resolved, there will be another, and another... What am I to do?"
Thinking back over the years, their family usually did not attend any banquets, and rarely left their homes, yet His Majesty still refused to let them go.
When His Majesty had not yet ascended the throne, their family had not made things difficult for him, nor had they schemed against him. She didn't know why His Majesty treated their family this way.
Mo Lingxi would never agree to Princess Anning's request, stating clearly that the matter was not up for discussion.
Princess Anning bit her lip and asked persistently, "What if it's just a simple ceremony?"
Mo Lingxi still refused. Let alone a ceremony, even with this betrothal decree, Tao Lengshuang would not give him a pleasant look.
Princess Anning finally couldn't hold back and started crying, covering her face.
Mo Lingxi frowned impatiently and ordered a servant to escort Princess Anning out. It was good that Tao Lengshuang was different; she wouldn't cry and fuss over every little thing, and even if she did cry, it wouldn't be this embarrassing.
Princess Anning was escorted out by the servants, crying even more sorrowfully. This made Zicheng, who had come to find Mo Lingxi, unsure whether to enter or retreat.
This was awkward.
If he had known, he would have come to find his uncle a little later.
"What's wrong with Princess Anning? Did my uncle scare her into crying?" he asked.
Seeing the Crown Prince arrive, Princess Anning quickly stopped crying and curtsied, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. It is not Prince Ming Rui's fault; I cried on my own."
She clutched her embroidered handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "I originally wanted to ask Prince Ming Rui for a sham marriage, but he refused to agree."
Zicheng thought it would be strange if his uncle agreed, as the doctor was waiting for his uncle at home.
"Princess Anning, to put it bluntly, even if you had a sham marriage with my uncle, there would still be endless trouble."
Princess Anning knew this and sighed, "It's still better than being married off to an old man who is about to die."
Zicheng knew that the current emperor was capable of such actions and felt some sympathy for her, "You should stop thinking about a sham marriage with my uncle."
"If you don't want to be betrothed by His Majesty again, I suggest you secretly choose a husband and get married quietly."
Princess Anning's face was filled with bitterness, "Even if I did that, given His Majesty's character, he could issue an edict for me to divorce and marry someone else."
Zicheng fell silent, clenching his hands until they made cracking sounds. Given His Majesty's character, he was indeed capable of such actions.
Since His Majesty had become decadent and indulged in pleasure, he had become this way, only considering his own thoughts and amusement.
If this continued, the dynasty would eventually perish.
"Zicheng, why are you standing at the door?" Mo Lingxi came out, not looking at Princess Anning.
Zicheng scratched his head, "I just had a few words with Princess Anning. Uncle, the matter of the imperial decree for marriage should be resolved as soon as possible."
Whether it was for his uncle or Princess Anning, resolving the betrothal matter sooner would be better.
Mo Lingxi gave a faint "hmm" and ordered a servant to escort Princess Anning out of the manor, unwilling to listen to her requests any longer.
Princess Anning knew that staying any longer would be futile. After repeatedly asking Mo Lingxi to think carefully, she left.
"Uncle, how do you plan to handle this matter?"
Zicheng covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "No one knows about your marriage. If you make it public, the doctor and Xiao Feng will face endless trouble. If you keep it secret, I'm afraid you'll face many more imperial decrees for marriage in the future."
If the imperial decrees for marriage increased, it was hard to guarantee that the doctor wouldn't truly divorce him.
Mo Lingxi's eyes showed a dangerous glint, and his words were filled with menace, "But His Majesty must have the time for that."
Zicheng understood immediately and felt somewhat relieved, "It seems Uncle has a way. However, regarding Princess Anning, I suspect she will come looking for you again."
"Uncle, you are also aware of Princess Anning's thoughts. Compared to others, Uncle is more suitable. If she could spend her life with Uncle, that would be even better."
Mo Lingxi gave him a cold glance, "I think you and Princess Anning are quite suitable. Why don't you marry her?"
As soon as he said this, his dark eyes brightened, and he patted Zicheng's shoulder, "Zicheng, it just so happens that you need a principal wife. Marry Princess Anning, and this way, all three of us will have solved a problem."
Zicheng was utterly bewildered and very speechless, "Uncle, can you stop harming me like this? If I truly married Princess Anning, who knows how much His Majesty would be wary and scheme against me."
Just him being the Crown Prince was enough for His Majesty to wish he could kill him. If he were to marry Princess Anning, His Majesty would definitely depose him and eliminate him in the shortest possible time.
Mo Lingxi, however, thought this idea was quite good, but he needed to ponder how to implement it. Moreover, he had to investigate Princess Anning's character, as the position of Crown Princess was very important.
"Zicheng, keep a close eye on the sweet potato matter. This is extremely important."