Nanmeng Ye looked at his daughter, having no idea what she could possibly have figured out.

But Nanmeng Rong’s lips curved with a faint smile, her face actually flushing red: “He… A’Jiu… he wants to be with me properly, in a way that’s recognized and legitimate.”

Silence.

Nothing was more dreadful than the air suddenly going still.

But right now, the atmosphere in the entire room had gone so quiet that one might have heard a needle drop to the floor.

No one knew how much time passed before Nanmeng Rong finally bit her lip and glared at Nanmeng Ye: “Father, I don’t like that look you’re giving me.”

“Rong’er…” Nanmeng Ye felt a wave of helpless frustration, as if he wanted to cry out to the heavens.

After another long, unknown stretch of time, he finally said: “Rong’er, do you… do you even realize your age… you… you… ugh!”

He let out a long sigh, finally unable to bear it any longer, unwilling to let his precious daughter continue down this path of stubborn delusion.

He said in a grave voice: “You’re old enough to be that brat’s mother. Why on earth would you think he’d be fond of you?”

“Father!” Nanmeng Rong’s face instantly flushed crimson. If anyone else had said such a thing, she would have cut them down on the spot — but the person before her now was her own father, and him she could not strike!

How could he say such a thing!

“Father, when he was little he held onto me…”

“That was when that brat had a high fever and, in his confusion, mistook you for his own mother! And besides, what could a child only a few years old possibly know about romantic feelings between men and women?”

“He…”

“My daughter! Wake up and see clearly. How could that boy possibly fall for a woman barely younger than his own mother, the Empress Dowager?”

“All men are the same — they’re all drawn to young girls in the bloom of youth. Just look at the beauties in your father’s own household — which one of them isn’t a young, lovely girl?”

“But Father, you always say I’m still your little girl!” Nanmeng Rong protested, unconvinced. Had she not maintained herself well? In what way did she fall short of those young girls in his household?

Those green, immature little chits, every one of them plain and unremarkable — none of them possessed even a fraction of her beauty!

“That’s because you are your father’s heart and treasure — of course you’ll always be his little girl for life. But him… how could he ever cherish you the way a man cherishes a young girl?”

Seeing his daughter’s face flush a deep purplish red, Nanmeng Ye felt a pang of sympathy too, but if he didn’t scold some sense into her now, what would happen if she kept sinking deeper into this obsession?

“Rong’er, stop placing your hopes in that man. He’s not worth it, and he’ll never truly care for you. Forget him!”

“Father, I’ve loved A’Jiu for so many years. Ever since he came back at sixteen from his training, I’ve loved him without ever stopping. And now you want me to give him up?”

Nanmeng Rong clenched her fists, her face set with determination: “I will not give up. No matter what it takes, I will make him kneel at my feet. I must!”

Nanmeng Ye’s lips moved, wanting to say a few more words of persuasion, but he found he no longer knew how.

His precious daughter had not always been like this. In her youth, she had been so valiant in battle, so resourceful and shrewd.

But ever since that rascal Zhan Qingcheng had returned at sixteen from his training, and his daughter had been struck speechless by his stunning looks at first sight, she seemed to become an entirely different person whenever anything concerning the Ninth Prince came up.

He decided not to pursue the topic any further — there was no way, by any means, that he could ever talk her out of it.

So he changed the subject instead: “Earlier, I heard word in the martial world about the Death Decree — it seems to be connected to someone within the palace.”

“Someone in the palace?” Indeed, as long as the topic wasn’t Zhan Qingcheng, Nanmeng Rong’s mind could settle and grow calm again.

“There are only two imperial princes in the palace — one a fool, the other a cripple. Could it be that these two actually intend to vie with my Heng’er for the throne?”

“Could it be possible that His Majesty has recently taken a new favorite among the consorts or beauties, and that someone now carries a child in her womb?”

From the news Nanmeng Ye had received, the Death Decree was indeed connected to someone within the palace, but exactly who that person was, there was simply no way to determine.

The reason the Death Decree drove people so mad with greed was that once issued, it could not be recalled — the money had already been sent out, kept in the safekeeping of the master of the First Manor.

But the master himself merely held the funds in trust; as for who had provided them, the master never inquired at all.

And the First Manor Under Heaven was no simple mountain estate — it was a vast organization with deep, stable foundations, holding influence in every region. Under ordinary circumstances, even the imperial court was reluctant to lay a hand on anyone from the First Manor.

If one didn’t carry a certain weight of standing, who would dare accept a commission like this?

In the future, whoever took up the task tied to the Death Decree and went to collect payment upon completion would, by the rules, have thirty percent withheld by the First Manor as commission.

But even with only seventy percent remaining, it would still be enough for an ordinary person to live in luxury for the rest of their life.

That was why the Death Decree was so eagerly pursued by people of the martial world — after all, the vast majority of them were genuinely, desperately poor!

Nanmeng Rong’s brow furrowed tightly. After thinking it over for a moment, she shook her head: “Impossible.”

“Whatever spineless consorts or beauties that useless emperor has favored these past days, I have records of every one of them. Anyone he favors has someone sent specially to deliver a bowl of the Sterility Broth…”

“Could it be possible that they didn’t actually drink it?” Nanmeng Ye asked again.

“Impossible. My people watch them drink it and don’t leave until a full incense-stick’s time has passed.” A full incense-stick’s worth of time was meant to guarantee that even if those women tried to make themselves vomit, they could never bring the Sterility Broth back up.

If it wasn’t some new consort or beauty carrying the imperial seed and taking a desperate gamble, then it must be the two princes in the palace — could they truly have harbored thoughts of rebellion?

“It couldn’t possibly be them.”

Nanmeng Rong still refused to believe those two spineless wretches had such nerve. One was completely simple-minded — he had once even dared to put a venomous snake in his mouth, and after being bitten had lain in bed for over a full month before he could even get up, nearly losing his life entirely.

Could a fool like that ever even have a moment of clarity?

The other one’s body was crippled and broken, liable to fall ill and die at any moment. Even if he had the will to compete for the throne, he certainly lacked the strength.

So then, who else within the harem could possibly believe that simply by eliminating the Crown Prince, they themselves might become the next Crown Prince?

“Wait a moment, I think I’ve thought of something.” Nanmeng Rong frowned, and after a long, silent pause, suddenly said: “Father, don’t you find the Seventh Princess rather strange?”

…

It was the first time Zhan Luori had ever put on men’s clothing.

From childhood to now, he had never once worn such clothes — not even alone in his own room, when no one else was around, had he ever tried it.

Because, in truth, there had never been any men’s clothing in his room at all.

After bathing, Feng Jiu’er brought him a set of the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s clothes. At first, Zhan Luori actually didn’t know how to put them on.

It was only after slowly puzzling it out that he managed to get the clothes on properly.

By the time Jiu’er pushed the door open and walked in, she was nearly stunned speechless by the handsome figure standing before her!

She had long imagined that if the Seventh Princess had been born a man, he would surely be devastatingly handsome.

But imagination fell far short of witnessing it with her own eyes — the impact was simply overwhelming!