This would be a major blow to the power of local magnates, benefiting her efforts to reclaim authority for the crown.

Weakening local forces would also reduce the leverage in Fu Ling Chuan’s hands.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Yun Ya knew she was already tempted, so he pressed his advantage: “If An’an wishes to establish this alliance, Fu Ling Chuan will certainly do everything to obstruct it. At that time, you’ll be outnumbered and outpowered. Why not let me lend you a hand?” The final sentence rose in pitch, showing tremendous temptation.

Feng Miao Jun smiled. “Do you think I’m trapped in a cage?”

“You’re not a weak woman.” Yun Ya’s gaze was intense. “But within this deep palace, you won’t receive much assistance—this has nothing to do with your cultivation.” Worldly power was the key. “Have you sensed that your situation is precarious?”

“Oh? How so?” She truly didn’t feel that way.

“Fu Ling Chuan becoming State Preceptor while controlling the court is extremely awkward.” Feng Miao Jun propped her chin with her hand, her fingers slender and long. Yun Ya found the masculine ring on her index finger particularly jarring and frowned. “You should change that ring.”

She didn’t understand his meaning, her fingertip gently caressing the ring’s face. “Isn’t it nice? It’s quite practical.”

Yun Ya’s lips curled. “A gift from Fu Ling Chuan?”

She made an affirmative sound, then brought the topic back: “You were just saying that my cousin’s position is awkward?”

“A State Preceptor overstepping his authority is something any country would guard against warily. If he wants to avoid criticism, there’s only one way—” Yun Ya stared at that ring a few more times, enunciating each word, “Marry the Queen, and thereafter legitimately govern An Xia.” If the entire country belonged to a married couple, then no one would object to Fu Ling Chuan directing the affairs of the state.

“I don’t know what methods he’ll use to force you to comply, but once these current troubles are resolved, he will make his move!” Fu Ling Chuan was also a man of action, capable of doing whatever he set his mind to; otherwise, he wouldn’t have crossed the ocean to steal from Spiral Float Island.

This man’s talent and ambition were precisely proportional.

Feng Miao Jun suddenly smiled, instantly radiant like a hundred flowers blooming: “Actually, there’s another way to solve these internal troubles, the simplest one.”

Yun Ya raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

“That is to marry Fu Ling Chuan.” She smiled sweetly. “This way, I get the power I want, and he gets the position he wants. Wouldn’t that give us both what we desire?”

Before her words faded, she felt a tightness on her hand—Yun Ya had grabbed her wrist, saying tensely, “You want to marry him?”

His voice exploded with anger.

Feng Miao Jun was startled and struggled. “Let go!”

With so many people watching from all around, he still dared to lay hands on her.

Not only did Yun Ya not release her, but he doubled his strength. Had her tendons and bones not been strong, there would have been a cracking sound of fracture. “He is not a good match!” No wonder she had allowed Fu Ling Chuan to sit so close earlier and wear his gifted ring—was this her underlying intention?

“Then who is?” Feng Miao Jun suddenly smiled. “Is it Zhao Yun, or is it you?” Which man was truly sincere, and which man didn’t have his calculations?

Looking at the mockery in her flower-like smile, Yun Ya had to use all his strength to suppress the impulse to scoop her up in his arms. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, instead releasing her hand: “If you marry Fu Ling Chuan, he’ll get what he wants, and you’ll only become less free!”

Sometimes, marriage is merely a shackle.

Feng Miao Jun blinked. “Then who should I marry?” With her current status and perspective, though seemingly in possession of a country, her range of choices was fewer than that of an ordinary woman. “I don’t want to marry Zhao Yun, so should I marry you instead?”

Hearing those final three words, Yun Ya’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, pounding so hard his chest ached. That long-absent pain was so familiar that he instinctively clutched his heart.

“…” What did that mean—had she frightened him? Feng Miao Jun nearly rolled her eyes. “Calm down! I was only joking. Great State Preceptor Yun, please take care of your precious self!” This was truly infuriating. Setting aside her inner qualities, just looking at her heavenly beauty, who wouldn’t be willing to marry her? This guy putting on an act like he was having a heart attack—how much did he despise her?

Yun Ya, however, stared at her intensely, with countless emotions churning in his eyes.

She thought he might have an attack the next second, but unexpectedly, he suddenly asked in a deep voice, “An’an, do you want to marry me?”

Marry, marry him?

She was a bit dazed, opening and closing her mouth, taking a long time to respond with a single word:

“Huh?”

The most shocking news of the year must be this sentence, right? A second ago, he seemed to be having a heart attack, but now the person who was nearly frightened into cardiac arrest had become her.

The Queen of An Xia and the State Preceptor of Wei Kingdom… how had he come up with this?

Yun Ya’s face suddenly darkened like a sky before a thunderstorm: “You’ve never considered it?”

“Um…” Feng Miao Jun shrank back, somehow feeling guilty under his gaze. “You’re the State Preceptor of an enemy country, with deep-seated hatred between you and the people of An Xia. How could I have considered it?” Joking aside, to marry him would require crossing the chasm called “hatred”—she hadn’t considered such a high-difficulty challenge from the beginning.

His next words seemed to be squeezed through his teeth: “But you’ve considered marrying Fu Ling Chuan!”

Faced with his accusation, she uncomfortably turned her head away, lightly coughing: “He’s not bad either.” Fu Ling Chuan had a long list of merits—whether it was his appearance, talent, or temperament, all were quite good. He also had feelings for her and was willing to endure humiliation and work tirelessly for An Xia. Which mother-in-law wouldn’t be grinning from ear to ear with such a son-in-law? As for the entanglement of interests behind it all, whose romance didn’t involve a little calculation?

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside—imperial guards had come to patrol the garden. Seeing seven or eight guards in bright armor emerge from the flower beds and walk towards them, Feng Miao Jun rolled her eyes, casually removed the barrier, and raised her voice: “Alright, I understand everything. You may withdraw.”

Yun Ya’s hand at his side instantly clenched into a fist, his knuckles making two cracking sounds.

Feng Miao Jun saw and heard this but merely raised an eyebrow at him: “Aren’t you leaving? Remember to release Chen Da Chang back to me later.” The identity he was borrowing was Chen Da Chang, after all.

Yun Ya, with his back to those guards, said loudly: “I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!” He raised his head and gave her a steady look.

He recalled a question: Last year, why had she appeared on Spiral Float Island?

Was it to avoid him, so much so that she crossed the ocean? Or was it…?

The anger in this glance had already dissipated, replaced by complex and strange emotions—there was resentment, dissatisfaction, and surprisingly, keen interest. Feng Miao Jun’s heart sank; this look of his was very similar to his attitude when they played cat-and-mouse games in the past. Surely she hadn’t accidentally provoked the great State Preceptor’s malicious nature?

At that moment, “Chen Da Chang” respectfully bowed to her, retreated three steps, then turned and quickly departed, brushing past the row of guards.