"Reporting to the Crown Princess, we've encountered the delegation from Bei Xiang. Leading them is the Seventh Prince of Bei Xiang, who requests an audience with Your Highness."
"Another Seventh Prince?"
Yun Shu had no fondness whatsoever for the Bei Xiang envoys, who stirred up trouble every single year they came.
Just hearing the name was enough to make her want to roll her eyes.
"How many princes does Bei Xiang even have? They seem to swap them out every year. Next time, why not send the Bei Xiang King himself?"
With Bei Xiang embroiled in internal strife and the old king barely hanging on, any contender for the throne should have remained in the capital to fight for his claim. It made no sense to leave the kingdom at such a crucial moment.
According to the intelligence Yun Shu had read earlier, this Seventh Prince was actually among the most formidable of Bei Xiang's royal heirs.
And yet, he had chosen to travel to Tian Sheng now of all times, requesting a meeting with her?
Yun Shu fell silent for a moment. Then she lifted the blanket draped across her lap.
"Send word. We'll pause here for a short rest."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The guard bowed and swiftly ran off to deliver the orders.
Soon after, on a clearing not far from her retinue, Yun Shu met with the so-called Seventh Prince of Bei Xiang.
Just as the reports had described, his appearance lacked the sharp edge one might expect of a schemer. He looked more like a mild scholar, fond of poetry and calligraphy.
But the moment he opened his mouth, that illusion shattered.
"I have long admired Your Highness's name. Now that we finally meet, I see the rumors were not exaggerated in the slightest."
"Rumors?"
Yun Shu was never one to indulge flattery, especially not from people she disliked.
"What rumors?"
The Seventh Prince's smile faltered, but he recovered quickly and offered a stream of praise.
"They say Your Highness is unmatched in wisdom and courage…"
"I see."
Yun Shu frowned slightly.
"But can such traits truly be discerned from a single meeting?"
The Seventh Prince blinked, momentarily speechless.
You don't even enjoy compliments?
Clearly, he had misjudged the mood. After getting shut down twice in rapid succession, he stopped trying to flatter her and got straight to the point.
"Your Highness seems to have reached some sort of agreement with my Ninth Brother, has she not?"
He continued, seeing that Yun Shu only raised her eyes slightly without replying.
"It's said that though he stayed in Tian Sheng under Your Highness's name, the two of you have scarcely met over the past year."
Yun Shu's silence remained.
The prince pressed on, his tone calm.
"Your Highness may not know my Ninth Brother well. He was born of low rank, and for more than ten years, he lived in Bei Xiang barely scraping by, bullied by all. Though he had the ability to change his fate, he endured in silence, lying in wait like a venomous snake.
Then, last year, he seized the chance to approach Your Highness.
A man like him will exploit every available resource to reach his goal. Gratitude, loyalty, and promises mean nothing to him. Once he achieves his aim, he might even turn against you.
But I am not like him."
The Seventh Prince's voice took on a firmer edge.
"If Your Highness is willing, I can offer an entire city at this very moment as a token of sincerity."
Having laid the groundwork, he now presented the bait.
"Since cooperation is on the table, why not choose a more reliable partner? If Tian Sheng is willing to send troops to aid me, then once I seize the throne of Bei Xiang, I shall gift all seven border cities between our two realms to Tian Sheng!
"Joining forces with foreign troops to invade your own homeland?"
Even Yun Chuhuan, listening from afar, would find such logic baffling.
Yun Shu's lips curled faintly, the first flicker of amusement in her expression.
"That doesn't sound like a very wise decision."
The Seventh Prince gave a strained smile.
"But what if I told Your Highness that this is my only chance to survive? If I do not act, I will lose everything. No matter which of my brothers ascends the throne, I will be doomed."
He knew well that his current offer would be hard to stomach. But with the power struggle in Bei Xiang reaching its peak, turning to Tian Sheng was the only path left open to him.
In a bid to earn Yun Shu's trust, he even laid out a broad picture of the current political situation in Tian Sheng.
Then, he added one final blow against Huyan Mingchuan.
"To be frank, I intend to bring the Ninth Prince back with me to Bei Xiang. If he still harbors ambitions for the throne, he will not refuse.
But over the past year, the things he has done in secret have drawn ire from nearly everyone. The moment he returns, he will become a target. He may not even survive the journey back.
Should Your Highness continue your alliance with him, you will gain nothing.
I, on the other hand, offer a far more secure path."
"…Are you finished?"
"…Yes."
Sensing that Yun Shu's response was rather flat, lacking any hint of agreement, the Seventh Prince tried to think of what else he could say to win her over.
But Yun Shu merely nodded, signaling the end of their exchange.
"The Seventh Prince speaks with reason, but This Princess cannot act based on your word alone.
Moreover, this matter concerns national interest. This Princess must consult Father Emperor before making a decision."
"Of course, of course."
The fact that she had not rejected him outright was already a small victory. In any case, he would remain in Tian Sheng for a while longer, so there was no need to rush.
He cupped his hands and offered a shallow bow, mimicking Tian Sheng etiquette with awkward sincerity.
"Then I shall await good news from Your Highness."
…
The return journey to the capital resumed. Only now, the Bei Xiang envoy's delegation followed behind.
Yun Chuhuan kept glancing out the window, glaring at the rear procession with growing irritation.
"There's still quite some time before the Wanshou Festival. No one said the Bei Xiang delegation would arrive this early. Fifth Sister, do you think they planned to bump into us on purpose?"
"Oh? You noticed that?"
Yun Shu raised a brow, clearly impressed.
"Seems your time in the study hall wasn't wasted. You've made some progress."
"Of course!"
Yun Chuhuan puffed out his chest with pride, then leaned closer with curiosity.
"So, what did that Seventh Prince say to you? He's not trying to marry you too, is he?"
"…Do I look like a rubbish bin to you?"
Yun Shu couldn't hold back a snort at that wildly absurd leap in logic.
"Go find something else to do."
"What's a rubbish bin?"
Yun Chuhuan blinked, genuinely confused.
"Is that what it's called when someone marries a lot of people? Does that mean Father Emperor is one?"
===
Damn, this brat is so brave ∑(O_O;)
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Handbook Update!
My third guide, "The Webnovel Handbook: A Guide to Slang, Tropes, and Inside Jokes" has passed vetting and is now available on my profile!
It's your go-to for decoding slang like "tea art" or "golden thigh," understanding popular tropes, and all those fun cultural footnotes. For now, the entries are still few, but I'll keep adding more as I find interesting misc info!
Add it to your library so you don't miss updates! Happy reading! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ