At that moment, Zhao Changhe was utterly stunned.0

Didn’t she say that she was willing to be my concubine? Didn’t she say that she wouldn’t compete for my affection? How did dawn break only for all those words to be tossed aside so easily? Isn’t this like swearing to wake up early every night, only to forget the moment morning came?0

Bringing this up openly in court was shocking enough. Worse still, the newly crowned empress desperately needed to solidify First Seat Tang’s loyalty. No matter what reward she requested, Xia Chichi was practically obliged to grant it. Granting a marriage decree? That was a trivial price to pay.0

Putting himself in Xia Chichi’s place, Zhao Changhe searched for a way out of the dilemma and came up blank. What was she supposed to do? Turn the founding ceremony into a public clash between empress and minister?0

He had no solution.0

Vermillion Bird’s mind was aflame with rage. If I were still Huangfu Qing, I’d rip her apart. But I’m Vermillion Bird now… How can I fight this? No—if Huangfu Qing, the former imperial noble consort, spoke up, it would be entirely inappropriate. Vermillion Bird, however, had the freedom to sneer and mock.0

Seizing the moment, while...0