The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Imperial Palace.

Song Zhiyuan accompanied the imperial presence, playing chess in the warm pavilion. His gaze occasionally drifted to the venison grilling on the rack and the deer blood wine on the side.

”If you’re tempted, feel free to try a cup first.” Emperor Chu gestured to the chessboard, ”Just don’t deliberately go easy on me.”

It made him seem particularly weak, as if needing someone to give way.

”I’m not exactly tempted, just feeling... how come we’re playing chess and suddenly grilling venison too? The snow has melted; if you want to indulge, wait for next year.” Song Zhiyuan didn’t understand the elegant interests of the person before him.

”What do you know? This is about enjoying the moment. This is fresh venison, roasted to eat, accompanied by deer blood wine, one of life’s great pleasures.” Emperor Chu made another move, glanced at him, and said, ”Instead of just watching my sons secretly playing tricks, enjoying their amusement and then feeling frustrated myself.”

Song Zhiyuan said, ”The good day Prince Zhou raised his concubine; has it displeased you?”

Emperor Chu snorted softly.

”Governor Wen seems willing to bet. I heard that the dowry of Concubine Wen consists of 108 trays, plus 100,000 taels of private dowry silver.” Song Zhiyuan added, ”On the surface, Prince Zhou does have a bigger chance of winning, making it tough for the other princes who are eager to seize evidence against his side. Expect several impeachments tomorrow.”

Emperor Chu sneered coldly, ”Why else say having many sons may not be a blessing.”

”That’s just venting anger. A sparse posterity in the Imperial Family is not good; a thriving family is longevity and prosperity.” Song Zhiyuan glanced again at the deer blood wine, smiling, ”You should drink a few more cups of this deer blood wine.”

Emperor Chu: ”...”

Is this traitor subtly criticizing me?

”But on the matter of selecting an heir, you should have made up your mind. If you are determined, appoint him.”

Emperor Chu squinted his eyes: ”Why, trying to gauge my intentions to choose a side?”

With other ministers, they might have knelt down trembling by now, but Song Zhiyuan didn’t shift an inch, instead calmly making a move, ”I am a Royalist Party member. Regardless of who becomes the Crown Prince, I only pledge allegiance to the Emperor, now to you, and in the future to the Emperor.”

”What if the next Emperor doesn’t trust you?”

Song Zhiyuan looked up, smiling faintly, ”Long live the Emperor, long live, live forever. I’ll have a peaceful life; at worst, let me depart earlier? Then the trust issue won’t exist.”

Emperor Chu spat.

He then talked about the incident of Ning Clan’s mortuary being burned with kerosene: ”The investigation is complete. Kerosene was poured, leaving only bones, my decree was to gather and bury them on site, at least it’s a family reunion. But about the burning, do you say it was Prince Min or his old subordinates?”

”Are the numbers matching?”

”They match.”

Song Zhiyuan held a black chess piece between his middle and index fingers, silent for a moment, but his brows furrowed.

”You think there’s something wrong?”

Song Zhiyuan said, ”With everyone dead, burning out of spite seems less like Prince Min’s style—it looks more like covering something up. Though you say the numbers match, whether the persons themselves match, that’s hard to say.”

Before Emperor Chu could speak, he laughed at himself, ”Of course, maybe I’m overthinking it. After all, Cabinet Minister Ning could swap Prince Min’s identity to cover Xia Houzhe’s whereabouts for more than twenty years. The question is whether he had a backup plan.”

By the words of my old mother, I’m going into conspiracy theories.

Emperor Chu was silent for a long time, then laughed dominantly, ”Despite a Xia faction being shattered, I fear no backup plans. If the Chu faction is defeated by such a scheme, then it is fate beyond my control, like the fall of Xia Country back then.”

Song Zhiyuan chuckled, cupped his hands in respect, ”The Emperor is magnanimous, far beyond my reach.”

Just as Emperor Chu was about to speak, Eunuch Zhou came in smiling, ”Emperor, news just came from the harem: Pure Noble Consort has given birth to a Princess.”