Just moments ago, she had been ready to storm off to report everything to Emperor Xuanwu—just to give him a proper bout of anger.
Yet for once, Yun Shu's conscience stirred. She tried to offer a gentle word of reason. "Actually… perhaps Father Emperor really did just accidentally step on your little mud fortress the other day."
"Oh?"
Given how deliberate that footstep had been, how could it possibly have been an accident?
To think even Fifth Sister had betrayed him!
No matter. This was his grudge to bear. He would avenge it himself.
Yun Chuhuan kept his young face taut with determination as he justified his actions. "I never said anything! I only wanted to test how effective the cement is. After all, I did contribute to it too."
"...Very well."
After all, they were still within the palace grounds, and Eunuch Li was always stationed outside Imperial Father's quarters.
Even if this mischievous boy truly built a cement structure at the Emperor's doorstep, it would surely be discovered in time… surely?
Yes. And if it went unnoticed, then that could only be considered Imperial Father's karma.
With no particular guilt, Yun Shu had Ting Xue fetch another small porcelain jar and evenly divided the cement powder, giving half to Yun Chuhuan.
"Thank you, Fifth Sister!"
Clutching the cement he had longed for, Yun Chuhuan glanced at the dimming sky outside. His eyes sparkled with mischief before a smile broke across his face. "Fifth Sister, now that you're involved with both the Merchants' Association and the Ministry of Works, does that mean you're never coming back to the Academy Hall?"
"I may still visit on occasion," Yun Shu replied without giving a definite answer. "These are idle posts, after all. If there's a long lull with nothing pressing to do, Father Emperor might send me back to the Academy Hall to continue my lessons."
"What about Cen Yiyi?"
The question slipped out easily from Yun Chuhuan. "Since you stopped coming, I haven't seen her around either."
"I've already spoken to Father Emperor about her. Given my current duties, having a companion to study with would only hold her back.
Later, Father Emperor consulted with Marquis Wu'an.
And Marquis Wu'an agreed. Yiyi is now entirely focused on becoming a female general. Since she no longer attends the Academy Hall, he plans to personally instruct her in the Cen family spear techniques, as well as military texts and strategy."
"She's really going to become a general?"
Yun Chuhuan was stunned. "I've never even heard of female soldiers in the army, let alone a female general!"
"When she succeeds, you'll have heard of one," Yun Shu said with a smirk.
Thinking of the original plotline—where the two of them were destined to become a pair—she couldn't resist teasing him further. "Do you want her to succeed?"
"Me?"
Yun Chuhuan hesitated, his face twisted in contemplation. "I've never seen a female general before. I guess I would like to. But if she really becomes one, wouldn't she get even fiercer than she is now..."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Yun Shu grinned, full of wicked delight. "Weren't you always saying she was too timid? That you had to bully her just to make her react?"
Yun Chuhuan fell silent.
—
After lingering in Fengyang Palace for dinner and playing with Yun Shu's little cat for a while, Yun Chuhuan finally left with the cement powder cradled in his arms.
By then, the sun had dipped low on the horizon, leaving only a final crimson blaze streaked across the sky.
Marching proudly with Xiao Anzi in tow, Yun Chuhuan arrived at the doors of the Imperial Study.
Right in front of the palace guards, he began mixing the cement with practiced ease.
"...Sixth Highness."
The guards exchanged puzzled glances. After a brief pause, one of them finally stepped forward and spoke cautiously. "His Majesty is not inside the Imperial Study at the moment. If Your Highness seeks His Majesty, then—"
"This prince is not here to see Father Emperor today!"
With a loud splat, Yun Chuhuan slapped the freshly mixed cement onto the ground. He crouched down and began carefully building a small "cement fortress" right at the threshold of the Imperial Study.
As he worked, he spoke with great conviction. "This prince is here today on behalf of Fifth Sister.
Do you know what this is? This is called cement. It is a very powerful kind of mud. Its true power will reveal itself by tomorrow.
This is a surprise from me and Fifth Sister to Father Emperor. You must not breathe a word of it. Is that clear?"
The guards: "…"
These days, were surprises from the princes and princesses always so… rustic?
A particularly powerful lump of mud?
How powerful could mud possibly be?
The guard who had first spoken cast a silent glance at his comrade."What should we do? Should we report this to Eunuch Li?"
"No, better not… Sixth Highness said it's a surprise for His Majesty. Who dares to ruin a surprise meant for the Emperor?"
"But this is really… outlandish. Who builds mud walls in front of the Imperial Study?"
"Didn't he say Princess Sheng An was involved? If that's the case, it should be fine."
"…That's true."
These guards had seen far stranger things from Yun Shu. She used to storm into the Imperial Study, her voice arriving before she did.
And not once had they seen the Emperor get angry.
Now this was just a bit of mud at the doorway—not as if someone barged in and placed it right on the Dragon Desk.
What was there to worry about?
The guards convinced themselves it was harmless, then quietly returned to their posts.
And because it was said to be a "surprise" from Princess Sheng An and Sixth Highness, they did not dare move the thing after Yun Chuhuan left, pleased with his creation.
They even stood guard over it all night.
Come dawn, when the shift changed, the outgoing guards gave a careful reminder. "That thing there is a surprise from Princess Sheng An and Sixth Highness for His Majesty. Make sure nothing happens to it."
"A surprise?"
The new guards looked down at the dull, gray lump with expressions of confusion that mirrored those of their predecessors.
"What is this thing?"
"Sixth Highness said it's mud."
The departing guards shook their heads. "We don't know what's going on, but just leave it be."
The daytime guards: "…"
Very well.
They were stationed here all day anyway. Whatever odd surprise this turned out to be, they would surely find out eventually.
For now, they swallowed their curiosity and resumed their usual vigilant posture outside the Imperial Study.
Roughly half an hour later, morning court ended.
Today, Emperor Xuanwu had successfully resolved a matter that had been long delayed by widespread opposition from his ministers.
In front of those old foxes in court, he managed to keep his composure. He did not laugh out loud.
But from the moment he stepped out of the Xuan Zheng Hall and began walking back toward the Imperial Study, the smile tugging at his lips never once faded.