Xie Yanlai stood before the palace in the imperial harem, just about to ask the imperial guards to announce him, when several eunuchs spotted him and hurried over to welcome him enthusiastically.

“Ninth Young Master is here,” they said. “Please come in, please come in.”

Surrounded by the eunuchs, Xie Yanlai was ushered inside. The hall was brightly lit, and at first glance, he saw Chu Zhao sitting at a table having a late-night meal with Xiao Yu.

Seeing Xie Yanlai, Chu Zhao smiled and said, “A-Jiu is here.”

Xiao Yu also looked over and called out, “Uncle!”

Xie Yanlai bowed respectfully, “Your Highness.”

“Have you eaten?” Chu Zhao asked, pointing to the side. “Sit down and join us for a late supper.”

Xiao Yu nodded in agreement, “Uncle, please eat with us.”

Xie Yanlai looked at Chu Zhao and said, “This humble official has been safeguarding the capital’s security outside, and has been eating regular meals. Your Highness need not worry.”

Xiao Yu was still a child. Though he could understand that Xie Yanlai had refused, he didn’t quite understand why, so he looked back at Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao understood—Xie Yanlai was scolding her. Had she called him in just for such a trivial matter as eating and drinking?

“Master Xie,” she said, “I called you here because Xiao Yu and I have something to tell you.”

Xie Yanlai gave a slight “Oh.” “Please instruct me, Your Highness.”

Chu Zhao glanced around, “All of you, withdraw.”

The eunuchs and palace maids acknowledged with a “Yes” and flowed out like water, leaving just the three of them in the hall.

Chu Zhao said, “This matter is to be kept secret for now. Not many people know about it.”

After saying this, she saw the young man across from her raise his phoenix eyes and take a step back, with an expression that clearly said “this can’t be good”—

She couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Xie Yanlai looked at her without speaking. Since entering, he had addressed her as “Your Highness” with every sentence, sounding respectful, but his expression and posture were the same as before when he was in her presence—not the least bit reverent.

Chu Zhao stopped laughing, glanced at Xiao Yu, then looked back at Xie Yanlai, and said solemnly, “His Majesty will bestow a marriage between me and the young prince—”

Xie Yanlai had thought that meeting Chu Zhao at the city gate was already the biggest surprise of his life, but he hadn’t expected that after just one night and one day, he would hear something even more incredible.

“Chu Zhao, you!” he blurted out.

What nonsense was she talking about?

He looked toward Xiao Yu. This child was only six years old!

Xiao Yu stood up, his expression serious, “Uncle, it’s true. Grandfather Emperor wants Sister Chu to marry me.”

“You’re just a child, what do you understand?” Xie Yanlai said irritably, pointing at Chu Zhao. “You, come here.”

He turned and walked a few steps to the side.

Chu Zhao spoke softly to Xiao Yu, “Your uncle is shocked. I’ll go explain it to him slowly.” She placed a bowl of food in front of Xiao Yu, “You eat first.”

Xiao Yu nodded. Although he didn’t fully understand marriage and betrothals, he knew that this meant Sister Chu would be with him forever, and he had nothing to fear anymore.

Xiao Yu lowered his head and began eating large mouthfuls of food.

…

…

Xie Yanlai stood firm behind a pillar, watching the girl who had followed him.

“Chu Zhao,” he said through gritted teeth, “Do you know how absurd this is? He’s only six years old!”

Chu Zhao stretched out her hand and counted, saying, “I’m seven years older than His Highness.” She touched her face, “In ten years, when A-Yu grows up, young and handsome, I’ll be older and fading—”

She looked at Xie Yanlai, her eyes sparkling.

“So, A-Jiu, are you concerned about me?”

Xie Yanlai somewhat regretted not sitting down for a cup of tea earlier. If he had, he could have spat it in this girl’s face.

Now he could only point at Chu Zhao.

“Don’t be glib with me,” he said through clenched teeth, taking a deep breath, not wanting to ramble with this girl. “Is it because of those troops? Is that why His Majesty wants to arrange this marriage?”

The young man’s gaze was profound.

He had spent the night leading these troops to guard the imperial city gates, clearing rebels from the city, and finally stationing them at the four main gates of the capital. He knew that these troops did not belong to the Imperial Guards, nor the Capital Garrison.

Who could have imagined that such a force was hidden in the capital, taking orders from Chu Yi, who was officially in a remote border commandery but had disappeared from the capital.

Had they known earlier, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince would certainly not have dared to act rashly, or rather, the two would have fought to control these troops first.

So now, the Emperor’s sudden betrothal of the young prince to Chu Zhao was also for the sake of these troops, right?

A-Jiu was just that perceptive. Chu Zhao looked at him and said with a smile, “Those are His Majesty’s troops.”

Xie Yanlai snorted, raising an eyebrow, “These troops are under your father’s control.”

Chu Zhao nodded, “Indeed, actually I didn’t even know about this.” At this point, her eyes danced, and she moved a step closer to Xie Yanlai, “Last night when Eunuch Qi and Uncle Zhong met, I learned that my father controls a force that only His Majesty and he commands. These troops are stationed in border commanderies and hidden throughout the capital, responding to my father’s orders.”

Although they had first met last night, this was their first chance to talk in detail since then. Chu Zhao told Xie Yanlai everything at once.

“Because of my father’s position, Eunuch Qi brought the young prince to our home. Though the Prince of Zhongshan’s heir didn’t know my father had troops at his disposal, he suspected my father’s status was unusual and had his eye on our family. After discovering the young prince’s whereabouts, he even tried to persuade my uncle to kill His Highness.”

Hearing this, Xie Yanlai instinctively looked around. These words, Chu Zhao certainly hadn’t told anyone else. Chu Lan was her uncle, and he had colluded with the Prince of Zhongshan, even harboring murderous intent. Even though Chu Zhao had saved the young prince, the Chu family could not avoid criticism.

This was a troublesome matter that absolutely could not be known by outsiders.

But immediately after, he frowned again. Don’t tell others, and don’t tell him either! He didn’t want to know! What did it have to do with him?

“All right, say no more,” he raised his hand to stop her, looking at Chu Zhao. “Since you know these are His Majesty’s troops, you should also know that His Majesty’s actions are born of necessity, and necessary things are never good things. You’d better not go looking for trouble.”

He turned slightly, looking past the pillar at the child eating large mouthfuls of food at the table.

“Being a six-year-old Crown Prince’s consort, what will the world think?”

The people would think it ridiculous, while court officials would think it was a power grab.

“Do you think this is some glorious affair?”

This was certainly not a glorious affair. Forget about a child—in this environment where princes slaughtered each other and the dynasty was in turmoil, even being an adult Crown Prince’s consort would not earn her any goodwill from the world. Back then, she had been foolish and didn’t know, nor had anyone warned her like this—she looked at Xie Yanlai and smiled, “Thank you for thinking of me.”

Is this girl deaf? Who’s thinking of her? Xie Yanlai frowned, “I’m thinking of myself.”

Chu Zhao giggled, “So you won’t have to call me aunt?”

Xie Yanlai gave her a cold look.

Chu Zhao wasn’t afraid of his cold face. What was there to fear? She had seen worse—when he had his knife drawn and was ready to kill her. She coughed lightly, “Xie Yanlai, it’s not that His Majesty insisted on betrothing me.”

She raised her eyes to look at the young man before her.

“I forced His Majesty to betroth me.”

Xie Yanlai’s expression froze. Did she really—?

Was it surprising? But also not surprising.

He looked at the girl before him, as if seeing that A-Fu he had met at the post station, a pitiful little girl who was the mastermind behind everything.

“Because of those troops?” he asked.

This was the same question as before, but now it carried a different meaning.

Chu Zhao said softly, “Yes, and no. As I said, these are His Majesty’s troops. If His Majesty is gone, they will cease to exist. To control them, His Majesty must continue to exist, so the young prince must succeed to the throne.”

It wasn’t strange for the Emperor’s eldest grandson to succeed to the throne—it should be expected.

Xie Yanlai looked at Chu Zhao without speaking. He understood her meaning.

Chu Zhao also looked at him, “For the young prince to secure his position, and for my father and me to emerge unscathed, I must become the Crown Prince’s consort.”

Xie Yanlai smiled slightly and stepped back, raising his hand in a salute to her, “Miss Chu has thought this through thoroughly, both brave and resourceful. I admire that. It was I who overthought the matter.”

He was once again annoyed and putting on a polite facade. Chu Zhao pursed her lips in a smile, looking at him, “His Majesty will announce this soon, but I wanted to tell you first, to save you from being shocked.”

Xie Yanlai scoffed, “What does this have to do with me? Why would I be shocked? Miss Chu is overthinking.”

Chu Zhao said, “I’m not overthinking at all. I just wanted to tell you.”

The girl looked at him, her eyes large and bright, her expression sincere.

Xie Yanlai took another step back.

That word “wanted” was strangely frightening.