Yun Shu stood shivering in the bitter wind, watching the minuscule sparks sputter from the so-called fireworks.
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Linde, Emperor Xuanwu sat at the head of the chamber. Before him knelt the Empress and the Heir of Prince Lian. Not far off, the Prince of Bei Xiang—already knocked unconscious by the palace guards—lay sprawled on the floor, being treated by the Imperial Physician.
The Emperor's expression was unreadable, his gaze dark as deep water.
Wherever something occurs, traces will remain.
When We resolve to investigate a matter thoroughly, even the Empress cannot escape scrutiny.
The palace maid who had snuck out of the palace some days ago to deliver a message to the Prince of Bei Xiang had already "accidentally" fallen into a well two days prior.
But all of her movements before that were already being examined.
The maid who delivered wine to the prince earlier tonight had also been seized and taken away for interrogation.
It was only a matter of time before final evidence was unearthed.
What Emperor Xuanwu needed to decide now was how to deal with the Empress and the Prince of Bei Xiang.
The Empress's case was more straightforward.
If she could lay a hand on Xiao Wu tonight, then in the future she could easily target the other princes as well.
And to achieve that, she had even gone so far as to collude with a foreign prince.
That was something Emperor Xuanwu absolutely could not tolerate. He would have to strip her of her authority over the inner palace.
Still, considering the position of the Crown Prince, he could not depose her outright. Instead, he would send the Empress to Longhua Temple to pray for the nation for several years.
If, in time, she demonstrated sincere repentance, perhaps he might consider allowing her to return to the palace—albeit in name only, without power.
But if she remained defiant and willful… then having her quietly "pass away from illness" at Longhua Temple would not be difficult to arrange.
The matter that truly gave Emperor Xuanwu a headache, however, was how to deal with the Prince of Bei Xiang.
He still remembered the outcome from the Simulation Life Selection System.
Previously, when Bei Xiang proposed to exchange retired warhorses for Tian Sheng's active cavalry, he had chosen to take a firm stance.
And the result of that simulation was burned into his memory:
[Tian Sheng victorious in war; the common people left destitute.]
Just a hard stance on horses alone could result in such devastation.
If he truly punished the Prince of Bei Xiang now, wouldn't Bei Xiang immediately raise an army against Tian Sheng?
The people left destitute.
Those four words weighed heavily on his heart.
But if he chose to be lenient…
A foreign prince had dared to enter the palace of Tian Sheng and drug a princess. If, as the Emperor and her Father, he dealt with this lightly—
It was not only a question of whether he could face Yun Shu afterward.
From the standpoint of national dignity, wouldn't this be tantamount to trampling the honor of Tian Sheng beneath his own feet?
[Simulation Life Selection System at your service.]
[Please select the course of action you wish to take next.]
Just as Emperor Xuanwu was sinking deeper into worry, that familiar glowing screen and its mechanical voice appeared once again.
He sat up straighter and quickly looked over the options:
[A. Heavily punish the Prince of Bei Xiang and the Heir of Prince Lian.]
[B. Raise high the rod, then bring it down lightly.]
[C. Avoid immediate punishment, but hold the King of Bei Xiang accountable.]
[D. Require the Prince of Bei Xiang and the Heir of Prince Lian to formally apologize to Yun Shu, and let the matter go only if Yun Shu agrees.]
Without hesitation, Emperor Xuanwu chose A first, just to test it.
[You have selected A. War breaks out between the two nations. Tian Sheng wins, but the people are left destitute.]
As expected.
He sighed silently, then tapped B.
[You have selected B. Three nations go to war. Tian Sheng wins, but the people are left destitute.]
Emperor Xuanwu: "...??"
How did this escalate from two countries to three?
Could it be that seeing him let off the Prince of Bei Xiang made other nations assume Tian Sheng had grown weak? Bei Xiang took the chance to strike, and a third country tried to seize the opportunity for gain?
Outrageous.
Thankfully, Tian Sheng was strong enough to withstand a two-front assault—and still win.
However…
Emperor Xuanwu narrowed his eyes at the strange symbols now appearing beside the phrase "the people are left destitute." He sensed that the symbols indicated an even greater degree of suffering than before—clearly, war with three nations led to a more dire outcome.
He pursed his lips and moved on.
[You have selected C. A diplomatic deadlock lasts over three months. War breaks out between the two nations. Tian Sheng wins, but the people are left destitute.]
Emperor Xuanwu: "..."
So this is no different from option A in essence.
He immediately dismissed the third option and turned his attention to the final line:
[You have selected D. Over ninety percent of the population's hardships during winter are resolved by next year.]
Emperor Xuanwu: "!!!"
No war.
And a massive problem solved.
Most of Tian Sheng's territory endured bitterly cold winters.
Those with money fared well enough; fox furs and mink cloaks kept them warm.
Especially now, with Xiao Wu's newly designed "earth dragon" heating system in development—once widely implemented, winters would become far more bearable.
But for the common people, who could not afford such luxuries, the cold season was brutal. They layered garment upon garment, practically burying themselves in cloth just to survive. Movement became clumsy and difficult.
Some families could barely afford a single fur-lined coat. The entire household would take turns wearing it, passing it from one person to another depending on who had to step outside. And even then, they would preserve the garment carefully for decades, to pass it on to future generations.
And that was still considered fortunate.
Each winter, there were always those who never lived to see the spring.
As Emperor, how could he not feel sorrow when his people suffered so?
Of course he grieved.
But there was little he could do.
Warmth and food—these had always been the most basic wishes of all common folk throughout history.
And also the goal of every wise ruler.
Now, that goal finally had a viable solution.
What was there to hesitate over?
Overjoyed, Emperor Xuanwu found that even his fury at the ruined Wanshou Festival had faded significantly.
It was just a banquet, after all.
If wrecking a single banquet could yield such gains, he wouldn't mind having one ruined every day.
He rose to his feet, the movement sudden and full of purpose. Under the anxious gaze of the Empress, he walked to the Imperial Physician attending the Prince of Bei Xiang and asked solemnly:
"How is he?"
"Your Majesty," the physician replied, "the drug the prince was given will wear off within twelve hours. It will leave no lasting effects, and no further treatment is necessary."
"But…"
The physician glanced nervously at Emperor Xuanwu, then at the Heir of Prince Lian nearby, hesitating.
Emperor Xuanwu's brow furrowed.
"But what? Speak plainly."
The physician had no choice but to steel himself.
"Your Majesty… I have discovered what appears to be another kind of toxin in the prince's body. It seems to be—"
"What?!"
The Heir of Prince Lian suddenly cried out, struggling in disbelief and rage.
"How could there be another toxin?
You people of Tian Sheng dare to poison the Prince of Bei Xiang?!"