TSWPF -Chapter 298 Disappointment

Seeing the Seventh Princess, Liu Zhimou couldn’t help but frown. What was she doing here?

But since she was a princess, he couldn’t pretend not to see her. He greeted her politely.

Hearing Liu Zhimou’s magnetic voice, the Seventh Princess’s heart skipped two beats. She made sure to show her best smile and asked softly if he was about to leave the palace.

“Yes, Seventh Princess. I take my leave.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhimou turned on his heel to leave without waiting for her response.

Finally seeing Liu Zhimou, how could the Seventh Princess let him leave so easily? She quickly hurried after him and blocked his path.

If Liu Zhimou hadn’t reacted quickly, he would have bumped into her. He frowned and asked, “Seventh Princess, what is it?”

The Seventh Princess opened her mouth to speak, but before a word came out, they heard Gao Song’s voice.

“Seventh Princess, the Emperor is looking for you.”

Gao Song shook his head helplessly. The Seventh Princess was so bold, blocking Liu Zhimou in the middle of the hall without concern for others seeing. She was damaging the royal reputation.

Moreover, she already knew Liu Zhimou was married. Still clinging to him like this made her even more shameless.

No wonder the Emperor was so angry. If he had a daughter like her, he would be furious too.

“Eunuch, go tell the Emperor to wait a moment. I want to speak to Lord Liu first.”

“Seventh Princess, this old servant cannot decide for you. You must speak to the Emperor yourself!”

After a moment’s thought, the Seventh Princess didn’t dare offend the Emperor. She reluctantly cast one lingering glance at Liu Zhimou and asked if he could wait for her for a moment.

“….” Liu Zhimou looked at her speechlessly. She really had no sense. He was a married minister. How could he behave like an unmarried man in front of a princess? If word got out, how could he live?

Gao Song was also a bit speechless. How could the Seventh Princess, with a perfectly fine head on her shoulders, say something so misleading?

“Lord Liu, the Seventh Princess is joking. She won’t stop you from leaving the palace.”

Liu Zhimou nodded at Gao Song and strode away.

The Seventh Princess was unhappy with Gao Song’s presumptuous actions. She glared at him coldly before striding into the imperial study.

As soon as she entered, the Emperor’s expression was as cold as water, sending shivers down her spine.

“Father, what do you need me for?”

After a long pause, the Emperor withdrew his gaze and waved Gao Song away. Once Gao Song left, the Emperor suddenly shouted, and the Seventh Princess instinctively knelt.

“Ah?” The Seventh Princess was startled. What was wrong with Father? Why was he so angry? She hadn’t done anything wrong. “Father… you…”

“Do not make me repeat myself a second time.”

Seeing the Emperor’s grim expression, the Seventh Princess dared not resist. She knelt slowly before him.

From childhood until now, her father had rarely made her kneel. Why this time…?

Her mind raced, trying to figure out what she had done to anger the Emperor.

The Emperor’s lowered eyes glared at the kneeling princess as he asked furiously if she knew her mistake.

The Seventh Princess, utterly confused, asked in return, “What mistake did I make?”

Her mind spun, still unable to understand why Father was displeased.

The Emperor thought she was being argumentative. He slammed the table forcefully, startling her.

“Did I not tell you that Lord Liu is already married?”

Though she knew he was married, she believed Liu Zhimou didn’t truly want to marry that rustic woman. He was forced into it. Now that she had taken a fancy to him, she believed he would see her worth and divorce that woman to marry her.

But she couldn’t say that in front of the Emperor. She asked hesitantly, “When did Lord Liu get married?”

The Emperor scrutinized her, ignoring whether she knew or not, and said firmly, “Lord Liu married a few years ago. His wife is very decent.” He thought her appearance was fine—similar to the Seventh Princess—and quite handsome.

“Father, what are you trying to tell me? I don’t understand.”

The Emperor snorted. “Whether you genuinely don’t understand or are pretending, it doesn’t matter. You cannot pursue Lord Liu any further. Do you hear me?”

Royal princesses didn’t worry about marriage, so how could she disgrace herself chasing after a man? If word got out, how could he save face?

It was time for the Emperor to select a suitable husband for the Seventh Princess. With a prince consort in place, her heart would surely settle.

He brought out a large stack of portraits, placing them on the table, and gestured for her to stand and come over.

Hearing she didn’t have to kneel, the Seventh Princess quickly rose and walked over, smiling. “Father, what is this about?”

The Emperor pointed at the portraits. “Look carefully. Which one do you like?”

Hearing this, her face went pale. In a trembling voice, she asked, “F-Father… what do you mean?” Was he really going to find her a husband?

She didn’t like any of them. She only liked Liu Zhimou.

The Emperor didn’t change his tone. “You are grown now, at the age to marry. These are promising young men I have selected for you. Look carefully and tell me who you like. I will decide for you.”

He had resolved to discipline the Seventh Princess properly. He could not let her continue behaving so recklessly; delaying only harmed both her and Liu Zhimou.

The Seventh Princess was his beloved daughter, and Liu Zhimou was his junior brother’s son—a talented man. He could not bear to harm either. The solution was to let his daughter choose her consort.

It was regrettable that Liu Zhimou was already married; otherwise, he would have made him the prince consort himself.

“Here, what do you think of this one?” The Emperor spread out a scroll, pointing to a handsome man while explaining his background and personal qualities. “Do you like him?”

The Seventh Princess clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, though she felt no pain. After a moment, she barely said, “I don’t like him.”

The Emperor introduced all the portraits one by one, yet every answer from the Seventh Princess was always the same: I don’t like him.

The Emperor slammed the table in anger. “Then what kind of man do you like? Tell me!”

The Seventh Princess gritted her teeth and finally said, “Father, I like Lord Liu. Can you make him my prince consort?”

She had finally spoken the words she had been holding in her heart. She liked Liu Zhimou and wanted him as her consort. Would her father agree?

The Emperor fixed his gaze on her. His commanding aura made her shiver. If she hadn’t braced herself, she would have knelt in fear.

After a long pause, the Emperor spoke in a stern voice. “Did you take my words just now as the wind in your ears? Hmm? Liu Zhimou is only a bit more handsome and educated. What’s worth you being so infatuated with him?”

Did she not feel embarrassed saying such things?

His daughter, spoiled by him, had no sense of proportion.

Tears welled in the Seventh Princess’s eyes. Her voice choked. “I know he’s married, but he can divorce her. That woman is coarse—she’s not worthy of him. Only I, the Seventh Princess, am worthy of that almost immortal man.”

The Emperor nearly laughed in exasperation. Yes, royal princesses were precious, but he could not force a minister to divorce his wife and marry a princess. Doing so would not only embarrass the royal family but also break the minister’s heart.

Such a foolish thing—how could he ever do it?

“Little Seven, do you want me to be a foolish Emperor? Hm?”

The Seventh Princess nearly collapsed from fear and knelt, shaking her head desperately. “No, Father! I just like Liu Zhimou too much. I want him as my prince consort. If he won’t divorce his wife, then… then I could be a secondary wife.”

Secondary wife?

The Emperor looked down at her, appalled that she could say something so degrading.

A royal princess becoming a secondary wife—how would that reflect on the imperial family?

She really would risk the family’s honor for her own desires?

He genuinely wanted to slap her to make her see sense.

After a moment of silence, the Seventh Princess looked up at the Emperor and met his dark gaze, shivering.

“Father, I really like him. Can’t you help me?”

The Emperor snorted. “Little Seven, little Seven… you truly disappoint me.”

Hearing his words, the Seventh Princess panicked and instinctively clutched his leg, pleading for him not to be angry.

The Emperor didn’t even look at her and ordered her to step down.

He was deeply disappointed in such a shameless daughter. A royal princess should have the dignity and poise befitting her rank, not cause a scene over a man.

Her behavior was no different from a common scolding woman in the marketplace.

It was time to cool her off, to curb her arrogance. She must not think being a princess meant she could do whatever she pleased.

He would not sacrifice a useful minister for a daughter.

He clearly knew the priority: the empire came first, his daughter second.