Chapter 214 -

Chapter 214: Chapter

"Nine, what on earth are Wenzhe and the Crown Prince talking about?" Yueqing asked, pacing back and forth across the floor of her room.

Nine was lying lazily on the bed beside her, looking completely unbothered. He was busy spinning a tiny wooden pocket knife between his fingers, tossing it up in the air and catching it with one hand.

"Host, I don’t know," Nine replied nonchalantly without even looking up. "Why don’t you just read the novel text in your system menu to find out? Or do I have to do everything for you?"

Yueqing rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. [Some system you are. Useless cat.]

[I heard that,] Nine grumbled, finally sitting up and folding his arms. [Just open the system panel if you’re so curious!]

Yueqing swiped her hand through the air, summoning the glowing blue system screen that only she could see. Her fingers quickly flicked through the digital pages of the original web novel text, searching for the Chapter covering the post-race banquet.

Her eyes scanned the glowing words until she found the exact scene. As she read through the text, her eyebrows pulled together, and her face grew serious.

[Oh boy...] Yueqing thought, her chest tightening slightly.

The Crown Prince hadn’t called Wenzhe away for a fun chat or a drink. According to the original plot, the Crown Prince was secretly testing Wenzhe’s loyalty. The Emperor was getting older, and the fight for the throne between the Crown Prince and Xiao Chen was getting dangerous. The Crown Prince wanted Wenzhe to bring the entire Xi family army to his side.

[The Crown Prince is pushing Wenzhe to take a side,] Yueqing realized, her eyes skimming the text. [He’s subtle about it, but it’s a trap. If Wenzhe agrees, Xiao Chen will view the Xi family as absolute enemies. If Wenzhe refuses, the Crown Prince will start secretly targeting Wenzhe for being disloyal.]

Nine leaned over her shoulder, looking at the glowing screen. "See? Told you it was important palace politics. So, what are you going to do, Host?"

Yueqing closed the system panel with a flick of her wrist. "Wenzhe is trying to stay neutral to protect his family, but neither prince is going to let him sit on the fence for long."

[I need to make sure Wenzhe doesn’t make a reckless move right now,] Yueqing thought to herself. [He just recovered from a severe fever, and the last thing he needs is the Crown Prince putting a target on his back before he even gets his strength fully back.]

She turned toward the door, smoothing down the front of her fine silk dress.

"Where are you going?" Nine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To the party," Yueqing said smoothly, a clever glint in her eyes. "If those royal brothers are going to start pulling Wenzhe into their political traps, I need to be there to break it up before things go completely sideways."

Nine stopped playing with his pocket knife and sat straight up on the bed. He raised an eyebrow, staring at her with a look of pure confusion.

"Wait a second, Host," Nine asked, pointing the dull wooden blade toward her. "Whose side are you actually on? Didn’t you say you wanted to help Xiao Chen? Isn’t he the one you’re supposed to be paving the way for?"

Yueqing stopped right by the door, her hand resting on the wooden frame. She let out a small, tired sigh.

"Yes, I do want to help him," Yueqing replied, her voice soft and surprisingly serious. "I do want him to inherit the throne, but—"

"But what?" Nine cut her off sharply, jumping down from the bed. "Host, you are overcomplicating things! Xiao Chen is the one who needs to become Emperor to fix this kingdom. If Wenzhe joins the Crown Prince, Xiao Chen loses his biggest chance at power. Why do you care so much about keeping Wenzhe out of trouble? He’s supposed to be your target, not your project!"

Yueqing turned back to look at Nine, her sharp gaze completely serious.

"Xiao Chen deserves the throne, but he is driven by pure bitterness right now," Yueqing said quietly, her tone firm. "He hates Wenzhe because of what happened in the past, and Wenzhe is taking all the blame to protect his family. If Wenzhe gets dragged into the Crown Prince’s dirty games, Xiao Chen will attack him without knowing the full truth. They will destroy each other before Xiao Chen even gets close to the crown."

She straightened her silk sleeves, a determined look flashing in her eyes.

"I am going to help Xiao Chen get the throne," Yueqing added, her voice absolute. "But I am not going to let Wenzhe become collateral damage just so Xiao Chen can win. I am fixing this whole mess, Nine. Both of them."

Without waiting for Nine to reply, Yueqing pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped out into the quiet, lantern-lit hallway, heading straight toward the party.

Yueqing walked into the bright outdoor party. Colorful lanterns hung from the tall trees. Soft music played in the night air. Servants carried silver trays of sweet wine through the laughing crowd.

She stood on her toes, looking everywhere. She needed to find Wenzhe and the Crown Prince before they made a deadly political deal.

But before she could spot them, three brightly dressed women blocked her path.

"Lady Su!" called Lady Chen. She had a high, annoying voice.

Lady Han and Lady Lin stepped closer. They waved expensive silk fans and smiled completely fake smiles.

"We saw you win all that gold," Lady Han said, her eyes full of nosy curiosity. "The General is a great rider. But a strong man needs a healthy home. When will you finally have a child for the General?"

Yueqing froze. Her polite smile dropped instantly.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"A baby!" Lady Lin laughed coldly. "Your main duty is to give him strong sons. If your stomach stays flat, the General will definitely find concubines to do the job for you."

Inside her head, Yueqing’s brain exploded.

[A child?! Are the ladies crazy.. what stupid question are they asking me in a gathering like this!]

Before Yueqing could speak, someone pushed firmly past her.

"Lady Lin, mind your own business," Lanyin snapped. Her normally gentle face was completely fierce. "My brother’s private life is none of your concern."

Qianqian marched up right beside Lanyin. She crossed her arms and glared at the three nosy ladies.

"Exactly," Qianqian said loudly. The music could not drown out her strict voice. "If my sister-in-law wants a baby tomorrow, that is her choice. Our family is very happy with her. Take your cheap gossip somewhere else."

Lady Chen, Lady Han, and Lady Lin turned bright red. Flustered and embarrassed, they quickly lowered their heads and hurried away into the crowd.

Yueqing breathed a huge sigh of relief. She turned and smiled brightly at the two girls.

"Thanks guys," Yueqing said. "I almost threw a tea cup at their heads."

Qianqian rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Ignore them. They are just jealous because you won all the gold tonight."

Lanyin nodded in agreement, a soft smile returning to her face.

[Thank goodness for protective family,] Yueqing thought happily.

But her relief only lasted a second. She remembered her mission. She looked past them, staring out into the dark palace gardens.

[Now, back to business,] she thought, her eyes narrowing. [I have to find that block of wood before he falls right into the Crown Prince’s trap and ruins everything.]