In the Imperial Study Room.
Jiang Yu's hand, which held a vermilion brush, paused. He looked up. "…You're saying she climbed the wall into the Chen Prince Mansion?"
The Shadow Guard seemed to have trouble speaking. "I followed her inside," he said slowly, "and discovered that she entered a young lady's boudoir. After making inquiries, I found out it was the boudoir of the mansion's Commandery Princess…"
'What the hell!'
Jiang Yu frowned slightly. "You didn't see anything else?"
"The Commandery Princess's maid seemed to be dozing in the courtyard." The more the Shadow Guard spoke, the more baffled he sounded.
"And the Commandery Princess herself?" Jiang Yu sensed that something wasn't right.
"…She wasn't there at the time. I don't know where she went."
It all clicked into place for Jiang Yu.
'Well, I'll be damned. It seems I've been fooled more than once.'
'This swindler, with all her talk about her grandmother and supporting her family, had played me for a complete fool.'
'It seems nothing about her is real.'
'…She's not even a man!'
'Well, well, Princess Yu Yin. You're a real piece of work. Nothing like your loyal, upright father at all.'
A small, messy splotch of red ink abruptly marred the densely-written memorial on his desk.
Shen Lang, who was sprawled lazily on a divan recuperating, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine…
She lowered her gaze thoughtfully, her red lips curling into a dazzling arc.
'The fish is on the hook.'
*
*
*
「The next day.」
Prince Chen attended the morning court session as usual.
His hairstyle was normal. His official robes were normal. His colleagues greeted each other as they always did—also normal.
Everything was in order.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that the Emperor wasn't quite himself today.
In the space of a few minutes, the Emperor had glanced his way dozens of times. If it weren't for the cold glint in those eyes, he might have thought His Majesty had taken a fancy to him.
Prince Chen shuddered, his mind instantly conjuring a multitude of conspiracy theories.
'Did one of my colleagues report me for something again?'
'Or perhaps my conduct today was improper and displeased the Emperor?'
After court was dismissed, just as he'd feared, the Emperor's attendant, Eunuch Zhang, stopped him with a wide smile. In that instant, Prince Chen's mind went blank, and he clean forgot the last words he'd just prepared.
"...Y-Your Majesty…" Prince Chen knelt and kowtowed, trembling.
His forehead hit the floor with a solid THUD.
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "My dear minister, why such a grand salute?"
"I am guilty," Prince Chen trembled, deciding it was best to confess first and figure out the crime later.
Jiang Yu found this amusing. "And what crime have you committed, my dear minister?"
Prince Chen buried his head even lower, his forehead meeting the floor with another THUD. "I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me."
Jiang Yu was speechless.
'So that's where that little troublemaker Shen Lang gets it from.'
He knelt for a long time in silence, and Prince Chen couldn't help but grow puzzled.
Soon enough, however, his confusion was resolved.
Only to be replaced by a fury that threatened to erupt.
A low chuckle sounded from above his head.
Jiang Yu said with a smile, "My royal father-in-law, you've misunderstood."
Prince Chen let out a sharp sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness.'
'As long as I haven't done anything wrong…'
'Wait…' Prince Chen's eyes flew open. 'R-Royal father-in-law?!'
He surreptitiously glanced around and saw that besides the Emperor, he was the only one in the Imperial Study Room.
Prince Chen's expression began to crack.
Jiang Yu continued, "There's no need to be alarmed, my royal father-in-law. A day ago, I had a chance encounter with your daughter outside the palace. I was struck by her heavenly beauty and fell for her at first sight. I wish to marry Miss Yu and make her my Empress, with a dowry train stretching for ten li."
Prince Chen's mind raced, frantically trying to parse the implications.
'A day ago.'
'He had grounded Yu Yin, so only his second daughter, Yu Ge, could have left the mansion.'
'Yu Yin is lazy. She has a pretty face, but she never bothers with her appearance. My second daughter, on the other hand, loves making herself beautiful and dressing up. She's the one who would be called a "heavenly beauty."'
Prince Chen was instantly relieved.
'As long as it's not my Yu Yin he's marrying, anything is negotiable.'