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After the court session, the Emperor brought Sui Tingheng back to the Imperial Study and laughed heartily. “My son, your strategy worked brilliantly—they all agreed!”
“First, Censor Zhang was caught contradicting himself, and then your memorial struck a chord with the court.” The Emperor patted Sui Tingheng on the shoulder. “My son is truly wise!”
“It is because Father Emperor trusts me.” Sui Tingheng understood clearly that the plan’s success relied on the Emperor being willing to set aside his pride and openly support him. He knew that his father had always been unreserved in his faith in him.
“If I don’t trust you, who else would I trust?” In private, the Emperor rarely referred to himself as ‘Zhen’ in front of his wife and son. He sat at his desk, frowning at the mountain of memorials. “If you’re willing to be Emperor, after the three-year mourning period, I’ll pass the throne to you. Then I can lead the troops to battle while you handle state affairs in the capital.”
Just looking at the memorials gave him a headache, and the civil officials’ habit of verbose writing didn’t help. In just two years, his hair had become much thinner.
“Father Emperor,” Sui Tingheng sighed, “please don’t say such things.”
Realizing his words were inappropriate, the Emperor awkwardly cleared his throat and opened a memorial. “I heard you returned late last night?”
“There were some delays on the way,” Sui Tingheng replied, placing the important memorials on the left. “Please rest assured, Father Emperor. This son won’t leave the palace again before the investiture ceremony.”
“Good. Rest well in the palace over the next few days,” the Emperor said, glancing at the dark circles under Sui Tingheng’s eyes and teasing, “Lack of sleep will ruin your looks. Be careful, or your future crown princess might dislike your appearance.”
Sui Tingheng’s hand paused briefly as he sorted the memorials, but he quickly resumed, his expression unchanged. “Father Emperor, please don’t jest.”
“It’s okay to stay up late occasionally. My son is talented in both civil and military affairs and as handsome as Pan An. There’s no way your future crown princess would dislike you,” the Emperor said, oblivious to his son’s subtle reaction. “If you fancy any girl, just tell your father. I’ll immediately issue you the marriage edict.”
Sui Tingheng flipped open a memorial, his tone remained steady. “Father Emperor, your son has no such interest for now.”
When it came to her, he wouldn’t dare force anything.
…
“You’re already eighteen, and you drank yourself into this state. Feeling the headache now, aren’t you?” Liu Qiongzhi gently massaged her daughter’s temples as Fuyi lay on her lap. “The Liu family visited us this morning. Are you acquainted with Liu Zihe?”
“Liu Zihe?” Fuyi clung to her mother’s waist, pouting. “I barely know him.”
“From the way the Liu family spoke, it seems they’re interested in a marriage proposal.”
“Which girl do they want to marry my brother?” Fuyi perked up slightly.
“Not your brother—they’re seeking to marry you.” Liu Qiongzhi stroked Fuyi’s hair. “Nothing’s started yet; if you have no interest in Liu Zihe, I’ll refuse them.”
“I can’t even remember what the guy looks like. How could I have any feelings for him?” Fuyi murmured, inhaling the faint fragrance of her mother’s clothing. “What’s so great about marriage? I just want to stay with my mother forever.”
“You just want me to worry about you forever, don’t you?” Liu Qiongzhi chuckled softly, her expression gentle. “If you don’t want to marry, then don’t.”
Ever since witnessing her daughter being shot by an arrow and falling off a cliff, Liu Qiongzhi had come to realize that, in the face of life and death, nothing else mattered. Marriage, reputations—none of it was important. As long as her daughter lived well, it was worth more than anything else in the world.
…
“Wangye, the Crown Prince has remained within the palace these days, not stepping outside. The plan to assassinate him should be halted for now,” Ning Wang’s strategist said, seated by the window in a private room of a high-class tea house. With the crown prince’s investiture ceremony approaching, red silk decorations were being hung along the streets, and many shops were using the event as a marketing ploy, drawing customers from other regions.
Originally, the Emperor had set the ceremony two weeks after the decree, but he later moved it to coincide with the Crown Prince’s birthday. While court officials speculated about the delay’s purpose, the strategist finally understood upon seeing the foreign envoys arriving hastily from neighboring countries.
It turned out the Emperor believed the ceremony wasn’t grand enough and insisted on waiting for the foreign envoys to arrive to enhance the Crown Prince’s prestige. While the late Emperor had favored Ning Wang, it paled in comparison to the importance the current Emperor placed on the Crown Prince.
“The Emperor treasures the Crown Prince immensely and loves his Empress deeply,” the strategist remarked, his gaze sweeping over the foreign envoys in their exotic attire on the street. “But how many men in the world aren’t tempted by beauty? Nothing is more fickle than a human heart.”
Ning Wang raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting a honey trap?”
“Who doesn’t love beauty? Even the Emperor and the Crown Prince are also men,” the strategist said, setting down his teacup. “Why not give it a try, Wangye?”
“I see your point. Go ahead and make the arrangements,” Ning Wang replied, lifting his teacup.
The strategist tactfully withdrew. No hero can resist the lure of beauty. Whether the Emperor or the Crown Prince fell into the trap, it would work in their favor. Thinking about the benefits the plan could bring, the strategist couldn’t help but let out a knowing smile.
…
“You there, stop!” Lost in thought, the strategist accidentally bumped into a woman. Before he could get a clear look at her, someone twisted his arm, and in the struggle, a pouch fell from his sleeve.
“Ah, I knew you looked suspicious, skulking around and bumping into us! Turns out you’re a thief!”
Looking down, the strategist saw a finely embroidered pouch on the ground. It was so stuffed with silver coins that two pieces had even spilled out.
“Miss, your pouch!” Xiayu picked up the pouch and handed it to Fuyi. “Thankfully, this servant caught him in time, or this scoundrel would have gotten away with it!”
The strategist, restrained by Qiushuang, looked up and froze when he saw the person taking the pouch. “Yun Fuyi?” he blurted in shock.
“So you do know me,” Fuyi said with a mysterious smile. She glanced up at the tea house and suddenly raised her voice. “You must have known I had silver on me and followed me on purpose, didn’t you?”
Such an incident on the bustling street quickly drew a large crowd.
“That’s a lot of silver. Good thing the young lady noticed, or this thief would have gotten away with it!”
“Look at him, all respectable-looking, but he’s just a thief stalking a pretty young woman.”
“Miss, I’m strong. Want me to give him a beating?”
“Thank you all for your kindness,” Fuyi said, bowing repeatedly to the crowd. “With so many foreign envoys in the capital recently, we shouldn’t cause a scene and embarrass ourselves in front of outsiders.”
“The young lady is right,” said a burly man, lowering the foot he’d raised to kick the strategist. “In that case, shall we escort him to the authorities for you?”
“Thank you, brave gentlemen,” Fuyi said, her face full of gratitude. “Without your help, we three weak women wouldn’t know what to do.”
The strategist stared in disbelief, unable to fathom how things had spiraled out of control.
Him? A thief?
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Author’s Note:
The onlookers: “Such a lovely young lady just called us brave gentlemen! There’s no way we can let this thief off the hook!!
Fuyi: “I don’t understand grand strategy, but I’m very good at causing trouble~”
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So I’m guessing the honey trap plan is ruin 😂