Beitang You and Zhang Yu showed no signs of surprise as they watched both of them walk away.

Yuan Zheng, however, was astonished.

He had no idea that Minister Lin, who had such a domineering presence about him, was so good-natured in front of his wife, and he even allowed Madam Lin to order him around.

Although…

Long Junzhi?

Minister Lin’s name was Long Junzhi?

His surname was Long?

That name sounded a little familiar.

Yuan Zheng thought hard about this and finally realized where he had heard the name before. He stood where he was, stunned.

“He…he’s actually Long Yang, the Emperor of Great Shang?”

With those words, he turned to look at Beitang You, as if expecting to find out the truth from him.

“Yes, he is the Emperor of Great Shang,” Beitang You replied in a low voice.

Yuan Zheng was shocked.

It was no wonder he had a feeling that Minister Lin was an extraordinary character—he was the ruler of Great Shang.

No wonder!

Yuan Zheng tried to process the information.

He had received intel that Long Yang had left for neighboring Danjue’s frontier to reward the soldiers. Why would he be in the Kingdom of Yan?

Soon, he figured out the answer.

Long Yang must be here for his beauty.

“So, Madam Lin would be…”

“Big Sis is the Empress of Great Shang.” Beitang You made no attempt to hide it.

Beitang You now held absolute power in the kingdom, and even if someone found out about the identity of those two, it would be fine because he could help them leave the Yan Kingdom safely.

Yuan Zheng looked at Beitang You in astonishment. He did not expect the boy to have such a close relationship with the Empress of Great Shang.

Yuan Zheng gave this some thought and said with some relief in his tone, “It’s the great fortune of the Yan Kingdom for Your Majesty to maintain such a close relationship with Great Shang.”

Beitang You might be young, but he understood Yuan Zheng’s words.

“Don’t worry, Prime Minister. Big Sis treats me very well. If it weren’t for that, Great Shang’s Emperor would not have given me a helping hand. The relationship between the Yan Kingdom and Great Shang will surely last for a long time.”

Yuan Zheng nodded with a smile. However, another thought made him concerned again. “Looking at the world right now, Great Shang is quite powerful. As Your Majesty is still young and your wings have not fully grown, it would be highly beneficial for the Yan Kingdom to stay under the protection of Great Shang. There shouldn’t be a problem with this since you are on good terms with the Empress of Great Shang, but as time passes, your relationship might become distant. If we want to continue the good relationship with Great Shang, the best way is through a united marriage.”

Beitang You understood the first half of his speech, but the second half…

He looked at Yuan Zheng with a confused look on his face. “United marriage?”

Beitang You had not caught the meaning of the words, but Zhang Yu understood and knew what Yuan Zheng was planning. Zhang Yu’s lips twitched and he blurted, “His Majesty is still a young boy and the princess of Great Shang is only three months old.”

His words made Beitang You realize what Yuan Zheng had meant. Beitang You’s eyes widened as he looked at Yuan Zheng. “Do you mean for me to marry Princess Yaoyao, Prime Minister?”

Yuan Zheng brushed his beard with a hand and said with a chuckle, “It’s just a thought that crossed my mind, which was why I mentioned this. Pay it no mind, Your Majesty.”

Nevertheless, he sincerely felt that having a united marriage between the two countries would help tighten their relationship.

If the Emperor of Great Shang loved his Empress that much, it was easy to imagine how much they cherished their little princess. If His Majesty could marry Great Shang’s princess, it would cement the relationship between both countries. This would only prove beneficial for the Yan Kingdom.

However, Zhang Yu was right. His Majesty was only ten this year and the princess of Great Shang was only three-months-old.

His suggestion was a little too early at this point. He would need to wait for Great Shang’s princess to be a little older before mentioning this again.

That was why he had hastily smoothened this over with a laugh.

However, he had no idea that Beitang You had already taken his words to heart.