The words of the Crown Prince still echoed in the quiet hall.
"I wish to marry Yue Ning."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then—
A loud bang sounded as one of the brothers slammed his hand on the table.
"That will not happen!"
All eyes turned.
It was the third brother, his face filled with anger.
Beside him, the other nine brothers also stepped forward, their expressions dark. Though they respected the Crown Prince, they were still Yue Ning's elder brothers.
And their little sister was the one being asked for.
The ten brothers stood like a wall in front of Yue Ning.
One of them spoke firmly.
"Your Highness, we respect you as the Crown Prince."
"But this matter concerns our sister."
"And we cannot agree so easily."
The hall instantly grew tense.
Xu Chen did not show anger. Instead, he calmly looked at them.
Before the brothers could say more, Second Uncle Yue Qiang raised his hand.
"Enough."
His voice was steady but firm.
The brothers stepped back slightly, though their eyes still watched Xu Chen with hostility.
Second Uncle Yue Qiang turned toward Xu Chen.
"Your Highness," he said slowly, "before anything else, there are questions we must ask."
Xu Chen nodded calmly.
"Please."
Then Third Uncle Yu Wen stepped forward.
His sharp eyes examined Xu Chen carefully.
"You wish to marry Yue Ning."
"That is not a small matter."
He paused.
"You are the Crown Prince of the Xu Empire."
"Someday, you will become the Emperor."
The atmosphere became heavy.
Yu Wen continued.
"When that day comes, you will rule the Six Palaces."
"An emperor does not have only one wife."
"There will be concubines. Noble consorts. Imperial consorts."
His voice grew colder.
"Can Your Highness deny this?"
Xu Chen did not answer immediately.
Because everyone in the hall already knew the truth.
Imperial tradition.
Every emperor had the Six Palace system.
The silence itself became the answer.
Fourth Uncle Yue Feng sighed softly and continued.
"Our Yue family has never sought power."
"We serve the empire with loyalty, but we do not chase the throne's influence."
He looked toward Yue Ning gently.
"Ning'er is the youngest child of this family."
"She grew up surrounded by love."
His voice softened.
"She has ten older brothers protecting her."
"We do not want her to enter a place where every smile hides a knife."
Old Madam Yue slowly nodded.
"The palace is beautiful," she said quietly.
"But it is also dangerous."
She then looked directly at Xu Chen.
"Your Highness, we do not doubt your feelings."
"But feelings alone cannot protect her."
Behind her, all ten brothers nodded fiercely.
One of them spoke angrily.
"The palace is a battlefield without swords!"
Another brother added,
"If our sister becomes Crown Princess today…"
"Tomorrow someone might poison her food!"
"Or plot against her children!"
A third brother crossed his arms.
"And if the emperor must take concubines?"
"Will our sister have to share her husband with dozens of women?"
Their voices grew louder with every word.
"We refuse!"
"We will not allow it!"
"We will never send our sister into the palace!"
Yue Ning stood quietly behind them, stunned by the sudden storm.
Her heart felt warm.
Because she knew—
Every word they spoke was to protect her.
Then Old Master Yue finally spoke.
The room immediately fell silent.
His aged eyes looked calmly at Xu Chen.
"Your Highness."
His voice was steady.
"You are a remarkable young man."
"You defeated the northern kingdom and expanded the empire."
"We all respect you."
He paused before continuing.
"But we are also a family."
"And to us…"
"Yue Ning is more important than power, titles, or imperial favor."
His gaze became firm.
"We do not wish her to live under palace rules."
"We do not wish her to live among concubines."
"And we certainly do not wish her life to be threatened by court politics."
The words were clear.
Then Old Master Yue spoke the conclusion.
"So, Your Highness…"
"The Yue family cannot agree to this marriage."
The hall fell silent.
Even the ten brothers held their breath.
Everyone looked at Xu Chen.
Would the Crown Prince be angry?
Would he force the marriage through imperial authority?
But Xu Chen did not show anger.
He stood quietly.
His expression remained calm, yet his eyes had grown deeper.
The lantern flames flickered softly between them.
Finally, Xu Chen spoke.
His voice was steady.
"I understand your concerns."
He looked toward Yue Ning briefly before turning back to the Yue elders.
"You fear the dangers of the palace."
"You fear the Six Palace system."
"You fear that Yue Ning will suffer."
He nodded slowly.
"All of those fears… are reasonable."
The Yue family was surprised by his calm response.
Then Xu Chen added quietly,
"But…"
He lifted his gaze.
"And if those problems did not exist?"
The room became silent again.
Even the Empress Dowager, who had remained quiet all this time, slowly looked at Xu Chen with interest.
The Yue family stared at him in confusion.
Xu Chen's voice remained calm.
"If Yue Ning never had to bow to anyone."
"If no one in the palace could harm her."
"And if the palace did not become the prison you fear…"
He paused.
Then looked directly at the Yue family elders.
"Would the Yue family still refuse?"
No one answered.
Because what he described…
Was something that had never existed in imperial history.
The lanterns flickered softly.
And the Empress Dowager's faint smile slowly deepened.
Finally, Yue Ning's father, Yue Chen, spoke.
His voice was steady but serious.
"Your Highness… what you say carries great weight."
"You are the Crown Prince of the Xu Kingdom. One day, you will sit on the imperial throne."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"The woman who marries you will not only be a wife… she will become the Empress of the empire."
Beside him, Zhao Lan, Yue Ning's mother, held her daughter's hand tightly.
Her expression was filled with concern.
"Ning'er has lived peacefully all her life," she said softly. "We never raised her for palace politics."