We have a week left until the nobles and royals of the other empires arrive. The Lekranians’ are arriving for the alliance meeting and will be signing an agreement with the three empires. I wonder if A-Ro will be here too. Everyone is meeting here instead of Naiad because I was crowned Empress and Xian Rong was crowned Emperor three days after my coronation.

The officials and some royals have been probing the children and me about who my husband and their father is but I still haven’t told them under Yu Sheng’s orders. The children also don’t refer to him has papa.

Xian Rong has tried to stop them because it’s his mother’s family that’s causing all of this trouble for us but it’s to no avail. After we both received our titles there were many questions thrown our way but it seems that this brother of mine is thick-headed.

What surprised me most was that he called me one side to discuss Xinxi Yue.

“Your son, the middle one, what’s his name?” he asked while looking at me from across the table with a teacup in his hand.

“My son? His name is Wang Qiang Du, why are you asking?” I asking with a raised brow. I noticed how he looked at Xinxi strangely when my kids introduced themselves at the banquet at my coronation.

He puts his cup down and leans forward while entwining his fingers on the table, “He looks familiar,” he says making my brows knit.

“So you’ve noticed,” I say and he raises a brow at my tone. We stare at each other for a moment and he breaks the silence after taking a sip from his cup.

“The Princes of Naiad will be here soon, won’t it seem suspicious?” he asks knowingly.

I smile at him, “The woman he got pregnant gave their child up when she saw that it was of no use to keep him, I didn’t know who she was until ‘He’ came looking for my son three years after I brought him to Jilei.”

“I see, so what shall we do?” he asks while smirking.

I shake my head, “The eldest prince planted his seeds in the right places, it’s his loss for losing such a handsome son.”

Xian Rong smiled at me, “Is that all?”

“Yes,” I answer and drink the last of my rose tea.

“I was thinking since he is already of noble blood, then why not have him take the place as our crown prince?” My eyes widen at his suggestion. Before I can say anything he cuts me off, “I know it’s not proper but, both you and I are way over the age of having a firstborn and Qiang Du is about the age he should be so crowning him as Crown Prince would be best. He as all the required aspects and I doubt he knows who his father is so he won’t betray us. I’m proposing this idea to you because I’m not interested in waiting any longer after this alliance gathering is over, I’m heading out to the smaller kingdoms and I would prefer if a prince is waiting for my return. A concubine is a minor detail in what’s part of my fate.”

I swirl the cup in my hand looking at the rose petal dancing around. Bringing it to my lips I smile, placing the cup down I look into his eyes, “He’s been trained to be a good son, I’m sure he won’t disappoint either of us. We can have him start his royal duties by welcoming the visitors and studying, what do you say?” I ask him and he nods. He raises his cup in the air and I do the same.

Another step to victory.