697 The Yan Family

Emperor Yang Zhou looked at Long Qian Xing and snorted. He had already waited here for some time and watched the two of them walking around. In fact, he began to wonder when did Long Qian Xing learned to be that considerate.

When they were studying, Long Qian Xing would never hold back just because he's the prince <or emperor after he was selected as the heir>.

"No need for formalities, Nan Hua." Emperor Yang Zhou waved his hand at Nan Hua then looked at Long Qian Xing. "I thought that you're the one who asked me to come here?"

"I did, but it's for you too." Long Qian Xing shrugged. "Anyone you would like to pick among those women? If you don't want to pick by yourself, I'm sure Her Highness Empress Dowager Yan would be more than happy to pick your future bride by herself."

"I don't care either way."

Long Qian Xing was speechless.

Fine, whatever. The one who got married was this man anyway. He shouldn't have stick his nose where he doesn't belong.

And he had long known that Emperor Yang Zhou didn't care about these women because in his eyes, they were all the same. These women just wanted him because of the honorable position that could be offered to them. Their families were pushing them forward because they wanted more power.

He, as the Emperor, was just a tool for them.

Emperor Yang Zhou didn't really like it, but at the very least, he could still control their ranks within his harem to prevent them from destroying the delicate balance in the political world.

As for who he spent the night with?

That would depend on that card….

The eunuch would prepare several cards in which the Emperor could flip. Each of them would write different names of women and whoever was picked would be the one who will spend the night with him.

That was the custom.

And Emperor Yang Zhou simply followed it because he didn't care.

Long Qian Xing also knew about this matter and it was also because of this that he had strong opposition when someone joked that he should be the Emperor. He didn't want to be restrained by such rules and had to entertain so many women.

For him, it would be better to be free.

One person is enough.

In any case, he was not a person of this era, so Long Qian Xing could only restrain his thoughts in front of others and didn't dare to be so obvious.

Emperor Yang Zhou is a person of this era, so he had different way of thinking from Long Qian Xing.

Anyway, he had no interest in meddling with his friend's interest and household problems.

It was Emperor Yang Zhou's private matter.

Long Qian Xing would not try to dip his hand in it aside from helping to set up this Empress selection because Emperor Yang Zhou did need it to find someone who would be able to handle the seat as the Empress.

Nan Hua was listening to the two of them while thinking how she should react. Naturally, she knew that the two of them forgo formalities when it was only the two of them around. With Long Qian Xing had beaten Emperor Yang Zhou on the field countless times, how could he bother to stay polite?

The two of them were more like brothers compared to master and his subject. Even their method of speaking when there were only the two of them was coarser compared to the time when there were others around.

"I thought that you want to use the Garden Palace for some important matter." Emperor Yang Zhou noticed the flower on Nan Hua's ear and shook his head. In the end, all he could see was Long Qian Xing walking around with his fiancée, showing the place around as if he owned this place.

Long Qian Xing shrugged. "Garden Palace is known for its variety of flowers that I can see. I hope you don't mind me taking one of them, Your Majesty."

"I don't care about flower."

Emperor Yang Zhou felt that whatever Long Qian Xing cared for was something he would not pay attention to. He turned around and walked towards the other entrance of Garden Palace. It was different from the entrance that Long Qian Xing and Nan Hua used to enter the Garden Palace just now.

"Come with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Nan Hua followed Long Qian Xing and Emperor Yang Zhou. She didn't expect that these two would show how they actually interacted most of the time in front of her without bothering to cover up anything. It was a bit unusual considering their cautious manner.

She didn't know why, but she felt that Long Qian Xing trusted her greatly with this information given to her.

"There are some women who are working for others." Emperor Yang Zhou sighed. "Have you eliminated them all?"

"Most of them are eliminated. There are a few left. I'm sure that Empress Dowager Yan will not select them to be your future Empress." Long Qian Xing knew how sharp Empress Dowager Yan was, so he was not that worried.

"The Yan Family come to the palace."

"They did?"

"See for yourself."

Emperor Yang Zhou stopped and Long Qian Xing also followed suit along with Nan Hua. The three of them could see the Yan Family members approaching Empress Dowager Yan, who walked unhurriedly with a servant guiding her. From her aloof expression, one could definitely see her as part of the Imperial Family.

But that was not all. Nan Hua could sense that Empress Dowager Yan was colder than when she used to be.

"Empress Dowager Yan." The two women greeted Empress Dowager Yan politely. One of them was already in her middle age while the other one was around the same age as Nan Hua or probably a year or two older.

Empress Dowager Yan nodded. "Second Aunt, Cousin Di."

The woman called Second Aunt was the sister of Empress Dowager Yan's father. She could be said to be part of the Yan Family and naturally enjoyed the benefit of being the aunt of the Empress Dowager.