Hearing that she could personally oversee the selection, Feng Jiu’er’s joy knew no bounds. After asking several more questions about how and where to register for the selection, she seemed entirely at ease at last.

In the end, she smiled and said, “Father Emperor, then I will leave this matter in your hands. May I go now?”

“Such urgency — do you have something to attend to when you return?” Feng Qiongcang asked, unhurried.

Jiu’er immediately replied, “I made a promise with Fourth Imperial Uncle. Fourth Imperial Uncle said he would teach me martial arts!”

Feng Jiang’s heart lurched again. This girl — how could she so casually reveal how close she was with Fourth Imperial Uncle? In the palace, one of the greatest taboos was becoming too close with certain individuals. Was she truly so unaware, or did she simply believe that Father Emperor doted on her so much that no matter what she said, she could act without restraint?

When those first words — Fourth Imperial Uncle — reached Feng Qiongcang’s ears, his expression did, in truth, shift ever so slightly. Feng Jiu’er seemed not to notice — but Feng Jiang had. His heart sank at once. He wanted to speak in Jiu’er’s defense, but Father Emperor was not a man so easily deceived. If he spoke up, it would only make it seem that Jiu’er’s relationship with Fourth Imperial Uncle — and even with himself — was especially deep, and Father Emperor’s displeasure with both of them might only grow.

While he hesitated, Feng Qiongcang’s expression suddenly relaxed, and he smiled. “Since your Fourth Imperial Uncle is so fond of you, then follow him and train well.”

“Know that our Feng Clan’s Night Prince, on the battlefield, is known by all as the Iron-Faced Divine Commander — every enemy who hears the Night Prince’s name is struck with fear and dread at the mere sound of it.”

“I know. Third Imperial Brother said Fourth Imperial Uncle is a peerless warrior — on the battlefield, he is a god!”

Feng Jiu’er’s face was full of pride and conviction. “Father Emperor, I will follow Fourth Imperial Uncle diligently in my martial training, and in the future, I will become a wise and worthy ruler!”

“Ruler?” Feng Qiongcang raised an eyebrow.

Feng Jiang was so frightened he nearly fell to his knees. He hurried to say, “Father Emperor, Jiu’er is young and does not yet understand, please forgive her!”

Father Emperor was still on the throne — when had he ever expressed any intention of abdicating? How could this girl be so brazen as to say such a thing openly? Was she not afraid of Father Emperor having her put to death? This was blatant defiance of the natural order.

But Feng Jiu’er did not understand what she had done wrong. Seeing Feng Jiang so frantic, she herself began to grow uneasy.

“Father Emperor, I… I had no intention of seizing power. I only… I thought…”

“Who told you?” Feng Qiongcang’s face was expressionless, yet with no particular air of reproach.

Feng Jiang immediately dropped to his knees with a thud and confessed, “Father Emperor, it was all this son’s fault. It was this son who told the Imperial Princess about… about the matter of the Feng-born daughters. This has nothing to do with the Imperial Princess.”

Seeing him kneel, Feng Jiu’er hurried to his side and knelt down alongside him.

“No — the matter has nothing to do with Third Imperial Brother. It was I myself… I was the one who let my thoughts run away with me.”

“And what were you thinking?” Feng Qiongcang fixed his gaze on her face, paying no attention whatsoever to Feng Jiang.

Feng Jiang turned to look at Jiu’er from the side, wanting to signal her not to speak carelessly. But Jiu’er was only looking at Feng Jiang, and seemed not to notice his warning at all.

She hesitated briefly, then said, “I heard about the matter of the Feng-born daughters and thought… thought it was the natural and expected course of things. I… truly did not think too deeply about it.”

She lowered her head and waited for Father Emperor’s punishment. Feng Jiang, too, dared say nothing more, kneeling before the hall in restless dread.

The atmosphere of the side hall seemed to grow heavy, and the two young people kneeling below did not dare even draw a breath.

No one knew how much time had passed before Feng Qiongcang suddenly let out a light, quiet laugh: “Ha — what is all this? Rise, quickly.”

Feng Jiang was startled. He and Feng Jiu’er exchanged a glance, neither daring to move.

Feng Qiongcang’s expression grew faintly cool. “You, as her Third Imperial Brother — with that thick skin of yours, you may as well kneel if you like — but you dare drag your Imperial Princess Sister down to kneel with you?”

“She is delicate and precious. How could she kneel like this? Help Jiu’er up at once!”

With these words from Feng Qiongcang, Feng Jiang dared not hesitate a moment longer — he immediately helped Feng Jiu’er to her feet.

Jiu’er looked up with wide, innocent, uncertain eyes — first at Feng Jiang, then at Feng Qiongcang.

She had only been in the palace for a few days and likely did not yet know the rules of the court. Seeing her like this, Feng Jiang found that whatever further impulse to reproach her he had harbored had entirely melted away.

She was a little girl who had grown up sheltered and carefree — what could one expect her to understand?

And yet, in the days to come, this luminous and uncut jade would be carved and shaped into some form by the constraints of the imperial family. The thought gave him an unexpected pang of sorrow.

Jiu’er met Feng Qiongcang’s gaze and pouted softly. “Father Emperor, I did not mean to make you angry.”

“Father Emperor is not angry. What you said was not wrong — in the future, the Feng Clan will be yours.”

“Father Emperor, this son does not dare…”

“Enough — was Father Emperor too severe, and frightened you?”

Feng Qiongcang waved a hand and smiled. “Were you not going to go and train with your Fourth Imperial Uncle? Go, then.”

He thought for a moment — he had originally intended to keep Feng Jiang behind — but then reconsidered. “You go as well.”

“Yes, Father Emperor. This son takes his leave.” Feng Jiang bowed at once.

Jiu’er could only follow suit and bend in a bow as well. “I… this daughter also takes her leave.”

The two of them walked out of the side hall together. Once outside the door, Feng Jiu’er let out a long, hard breath, then turned to Feng Jiang with a resentful stare. “What was that just now? You frightened me half to death.”

Feng Jiang did not dare say a word. They were still within the side hall’s grounds — Father Emperor might well be watching from behind. “We will talk when we are back,” he said quietly.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together but followed him out of the side hall without another word.

The two figures at last disappeared from the doorway of the side hall.

From behind the gilded screen behind the throne, a figure in black stepped out. He gazed at the empty hall door, his expression blank: “Your Majesty, this Princess Jiu’er… truly does seem to be rather guileless and thoughtless.”

Was this truly Feng Li’s daughter? She seemed to possess not even a ten-thousandth of the Night Prince’s bearing. This sort of naive little girl — Han Ying was genuinely reluctant to admit that she was the Night Prince’s blood.

“Though,” Han Ying continued, “being so guileless and thoughtless will make her easier for Your Majesty to manipulate in the future.”

Feng Qiongcang, too, was still looking at the doorway from which they had long since vanished — yet there was not a trace of pleasure in his expression. Instead, a faint furrow had settled between his brows.

“Your Majesty, are you concerned that she may be feigning foolishness?” After all those years at his side, Han Ying could read at least half of Feng Qiongcang’s thoughts.

Feng Qiongcang said nothing. He only continued to gaze at the hall door, his eyes growing deeper and more unfathomable.

Whether it was an act of playing the fool — he had not, after all, watched Feng Jiu’er grow up. That much he could not yet determine. If she were truly this simple and oblivious, it would be to his great advantage. But if she harbored other intentions — if she knew enough to feign foolishness before him — then the schemes behind such a mind were not to be dismissed.

Was this seemingly artless side of Feng Jiu’er, in the end, true or false?