"Oh, right. We're still in the middle of the poetry gathering."
With that casual remark, Yun Shu brought everyone's attention back to the present. The crowd stirred as realization dawned, and one by one, they turned to glance at Ji Yongxing and his two companions with varying expressions.
When had Princess Sheng An arrived?
If she had been here from the beginning...
The same suspicion crossed Ji Yongxing's mind. He quietly took a few steps back, attempting to slip into the crowd and avoid Yun Shu's notice.
But—
"Young Master Ji, Young Master Wang, Young Master Li. Why are the three of you retreating?"
Yun Shu's voice rang out cheerfully, yet her words were precise as a blade. She tilted her head with curiosity.
"Did you not make a wager with this gentleman just now?"
Her gaze swept over them with amusement.
"As it happens, This Princess is quite curious to see who shall emerge victorious."
She even knew their identities.
Ji Yongxing and the others turned pale. No matter how desperately they wished to escape, they had no choice now but to step forward and offer a formal apology.
"Your Highness, please forgive our offense. We were ignorant and lacked foresight. Until today, we had no notion that the gate could be opened by mechanical means. In our haste and frustration at the lack of progress, we exchanged harsh words with this gentleman. We never meant any disrespect toward Your Highness…"
"It matters not."
Yun Shu waved her hand graciously, adopting a posture of lenient magnanimity.
"This Princess is not so petty as to bear a grudge. Your wager shall continue as agreed."
She smiled, eyes gleaming.
"Rest assured. Even if you were to win in the end, This Princess will not show the slightest favoritism."
Her final words were spoken slowly and with clear emphasis. Anyone listening could hear the barbed meaning behind them.
But what could they do? Her status was absolute.
No matter what thoughts Ji Yongxing harbored, in Yun Shu's presence, he had no choice but to bow and submit.
"This brother—why do you still hesitate?"
Even a child of three knew which persimmon to squeeze—the soft one.
Ji Yongxing, fuming inwardly with no outlet for his frustration, answered Yun Shu respectfully before turning to Emperor Xuanwu, speaking with mock courtesy laced with sarcasm.
"Or perhaps, Your Excellency intends to concede?"
Emperor Xuanwu remained silent.
Excellent. He had become the soft persimmon.
Never in his life had he encountered such an absurd situation. He gave a dry chuckle, more amused than angry.
There was no need to quarrel with the likes of Ji Yongxing, a man whose arrogance would not last much longer. Turning away, Emperor Xuanwu cast a cold glance over his shoulder, his eyes landing on Yun Shu.
Though he said nothing, the meaning behind that look was unmistakable.
"You unfilial daughter. So you've come to enjoy Our misfortune?"
Yun Shu tucked her hands behind her back and looked up at him with innocent eyes.
"It was Father Emperor who concealed his identity and entered into this wager. Your daughter had no say in the matter."
Their gazes locked. Emperor Xuanwu gave a cold snort and turned away, continuing his unhurried search for clues in the inner courtyard.
The brief exchange passed unnoticed by most, save for Ji Yongtian. After holding his breath in nervous silence for some time, a dreadful thought suddenly struck him.
Who was this middle-aged man wagering against his elder brother?
The Eldest Prince, his brother, was only twenty-one this year. He most certainly could not be the man standing there now.
Could he have stumbled upon some imperial secret?
It was over. He was dead. Truly doomed.
Tears welled in Ji Yongtian's eyes as he clapped a hand over his mouth, cursing himself for the hundred and eighth time. Why had he come to witness this nonsense?
If he had known it would lead to this, he would have stayed home obediently. No force on earth could have dragged him out.
Now it was too late. He would die here, alongside the brother he hated most.
…
Unaware that his half-brother was tearfully cursing his very existence, Ji Yongxing had fixed his full attention on Emperor Xuanwu.
Each time the emperor found nothing, he felt a flicker of joy. But whenever it seemed the emperor had discovered something, rage and panic surged in him. His heart fluttered like a bird in a storm.
Before his eyes, Emperor Xuanwu steadily uncovered several seals engraved with tiny animals, navigating the complex mechanisms of the courtyard with practiced ease.
After pausing for a moment in thought, he suddenly turned to return to the front courtyard, as if to retrieve something.
Ji Yongxing could endure no longer.
Taking advantage of the moment when the emperor had turned away and Yun Shu remained seated, waiting for the result, Ji Yongxing swiftly stepped forward and blocked the emperor's path.
"Hold!"
He lacked martial skill and had no sense of danger. At the very instant he raised his hand to obstruct the emperor, several killing intents surged around him, so tangible they seemed to solidify in the air.
Had his hand moved even half a foot closer, or had Emperor Xuanwu not signaled his hidden guards to stand down, Ji Yongxing would already be queuing on the road to reincarnation.
"You have business?"
Emperor Xuanwu raised his gaze indifferently.
"You are in my way. Do you truly believe that Princess Sheng An is your backing now?"
The contempt in the emperor's eyes stung like a slap. Ji Yongxing nearly lost control of his temper, but after uttering that barb, he remembered his own precarious situation and forced himself to calm.
"Think carefully. No matter her station, Princess Sheng An is still merely a princess. Even if she holds a minor official post, she is but a Fifth-Rank officer. A post no one wanted, one she only received because of circumstance—as Head of the Merchants' Association."
He leaned in, voice lowered.
"What can she offer you?"
"If a princess cannot, then can you?"
To his surprise, Ji Yongxing still imagined he could buy him off.
Emperor Xuanwu's gaze grew colder, the mockery in his eyes deepening.
"Do you believe your influence exceeds that of a princess?"
"Perhaps not I," Ji Yongxing murmured. "But what of the Crown Prince?"
"Are you of the Crown Prince's faction?"
Emperor Xuanwu narrowed his eyes.
"Curious. We have heard the Marquis of Xuanping's household never meddles in such affairs."
"That was in the past."
It was no secret in court that the Xuanping Marquisate remained neutral. For this so-called scholar from humble origins to know this was not strange—especially with his impending entry into officialdom.
But Ji Yongxing had no time to dwell on that. His entire focus was on winning this wager at all costs.
"Recently, the Right Prime Minister has been in private talks with my father. My father remains undecided. But if I speak, he will surely agree to support the Crown Prince."
His voice grew lower, urgent.
"Once we align ourselves with the Crown Prince, a single word from us in his ear is all it would take. With his authority, would you not gain the splendid future you seek?"