The Emperor swept his gaze over the crowd and said, “Ah Ruan has saved my life. She is now recognized as my princess. I intend to choose someone to look after her daily needs for three months, after which there will be no further obligations. Who among you is willing?”

Initially, many consorts were interested, but upon hearing the condition, they hesitated.

Without an official update to the royal lineage records, the child would have no lasting association with the consort. Even if a princess wasn’t expected to care for them in their old age, who wouldn’t want to cultivate a closer relationship with a royal child?

At that moment, Yuan Ruan’s thoughts sounded again:

[Oh no! Brother is officially introducing me? Why didn’t he warn me so I could wash my face and make a good impression?!]

The Emperor froze for a moment.

He was about to reassure Yuan Ruan that these palace women’s opinions didn’t matter and weren’t worth her concern when her next thought struck him.

[System, do I look cute enough right now to charm some red envelopes from the ladies?]

System: [Ah Ruan, you’re perfect! A full-score baby!]

The Emperor’s eye twitched slightly: …

The Empress, Consort Rong, and Consort De: …

[Really? Then why don’t they seem to understand? None of them are even trying. Could it be that the Great Xia Dynasty doesn’t have the red envelope tradition? Well, it makes sense—Brother didn’t give me any red envelopes when he made me a princess either.]

[Now I’m meeting his wives, and they’re just as stingy…]

Suddenly, Wu Yue stepped forward and softly said to Consort Rong, “If not for the little… her help, I would already be dead.”

Consort Rong: !!!

Immediately, Consort Rong stepped forward. “Your Majesty, this child is truly adorable. I’d like to give her a gift, a peace amulet, to bless her with safety.”

The Emperor paused, then heard Yuan Ruan’s delighted thought:

[Wow, this red-dressed sister is so beautiful! Her brows, her figure—she’s like the legendary fox demon Daji, seductive and enchanting. And she’s giving me such a pretty amulet. Amazing.]

The Emperor’s eye twitched again: …

Consort Rong: …

As someone who had always been criticized for being too alluring, Consort Rong was often labeled as unworthy or even a calamity-bringer. Hearing such sincere praise for the first time stunned her.

The Empress also stepped forward, smiling warmly. “The amulet has a wonderful meaning. I’ll add a peace lock, so everything goes smoothly for her.”

Other consorts, who couldn’t hear Yuan Ruan’s thoughts, were puzzled. But since the Empress and Consort Rong had given gifts, they dared not lag behind. One by one, they removed earrings, jade rings, and other trinkets, saying flattering words as they presented them to Yuan Ruan.

When Consort De handed over a bracelet, Yuan Ruan’s chubby face lit up with a crescent-moon smile, and her thoughts bubbled:

[Hahaha! The beauties moved, and the wealth poured in! These gorgeous ladies must be my fortune stars—I need to stick to them more often.]

Consort De hesitated, almost regretting her gift.

Consort Rong chuckled, suddenly finding Yuan Ruan more and more endearing. Thinking of how much her own daughter liked the little princess, Consort Rong said, “I’m willing to care for her. My palace is near the library. The little princess might enjoy the quiet.”

The Emperor hadn’t considered consort Rong at all, but when he heard the word quiet, the emperor hesitated. Should he assign her to a quieter palace instead?

To encourage competition, the Emperor added, “She’s not just my princess but also the youngest National Preceptor of Great Xia. In three months, she’ll move into the National Preceptor’s mansion within the palace.”

Everyone: !!!

Yuan Ruan was utterly confused—when had she been made a National Preceptor?

The consorts were equally shocked: a position as exalted as National Preceptor, entrusted to a mere child?

Their gazes toward Yuan Ruan shifted dramatically.

Consort De stepped forward, offering a small string of prayer beads, saying the princess seemed fated for them.

The Empress gave a faint smile and handed over a jade ring, saying, “How coincidental. I feel a connection with her too.”

Consort Rong, seeing Wu Yue’s fondness for Yuan Ruan, removed all her hairpins and dumped them into the little girl’s hands. “I feel the same connection. My daughter does too.”

Not to be outdone, the other consorts scrambled to offer their own treasures—earrings, bracelets, and various valuables.

Yuan Ruan: …

Her little arms could barely hold all the gifts. Staring at the mountain of jewelry, she couldn’t help but wonder.

The Empress straightened, smiling lightly.

Consort De stopped fiddling with her beads, nodding calmly.

Consort Rong stared intently, like an enchantress waiting to strike.

Even the other consorts, though unsure what was happening, followed suit with practiced politeness.

For the first time, the Emperor felt like a mere background prop, as the consorts vied for Yuan Ruan’s favor.

He found himself curious—who would the little princess prefer?

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Ruan solemnly announced to the system:

[Why choose? I want them all!]

The Empress, Consort De, and Consort Rong: !!!

The Emperor nearly choked on air: All of them? You’re not leaving any of my consorts untouched?!

System: [Sweetheart, let’s not be greedy.]*

Yuan Ruan: [Fine. Consort Rong, then! With Little Yue Yue around, it’ll be less lonely in the palace.]*

The Emperor hesitated. His initial thought was to choose a consort who couldn’t hear Yuan Ruan’s thoughts, to avoid manipulation. But if she wanted company…

The Empress and Consort De sighed internally.

Consort Rong beamed with joy.

The Emperor said, “Very well. We’ll first head to the Clan Office to register the jade records. For now, you’ll reside in Zhaoyang Palace.”

Zhaoyang Palace—Consort Rong’s residence.

Consort Rong’s smile widened as she bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

With the youngest National Preceptor of Great Xia moving into Consort Rong’s palace, she became the center of attention, much to the other consorts’ displeasure.

They wrote letters to their families, urging their brothers to confront the Emperor. Even if they couldn’t take the princess away, they couldn’t allow Consort Rong to monopolize her for three whole months.

Their families were initially confused, then alarmed upon confirming the truth.

A National Preceptor! A position representing the nation itself!

How could they let such a lofty role be handed to a child?!

This wasn’t just unreasonable—it was laughable!

Thus, when the Emperor emerged from the Clan Office with the two princesses, he was met by a group of aged officials bowing in unison.

An elderly censor stepped forward, his voice trembling with outrage: “Your Majesty! Throughout history, no National Preceptor has been younger than twenty! A National Preceptor advises on everything from feng shui to state affairs. How can such a grave role be entrusted to a child?!”

The other officials echoed their discontent, ready to plead with the Emperor to revoke his decree, when Yuan Ruan’s thoughts rang out:

[Wow, so the National Preceptor is this powerful?]

[No wonder this old man is so angry. He have spent a fortune getting his son into that Taoist sect to compete for the role.]

[Still, claiming there’s no record of anyone under twenty when the average age is forty… Haha, he’s so transparent.]

The chorus of protests abruptly died, leaving the officials choking on their words, like old phlegm stuck in their throats.