Ye Siheng glanced at Wang Dazhi and said, "It’s not that there are no good people in the world, but good people are often taken advantage of and betrayed."
Though Wang Dazhi might be foolish, his sincerity is undeniable. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to power in order to defend Yu Chunhua. Unfortunately, his actions had severe consequences. Despite being a native of Jiaodong, bad news travels fast, and neither Wang Dazhi nor the Wang family would be able to hold their heads high from now on.
Nanli stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Ye Siheng. "Doing good and helping others requires assessing whether the person is worth it."
She thought for a moment and then asked Wang Dazhi for his birthdate and time. Wang Dazhi was still crying, wiping away tears that seemed endless.
"Ninth Princess, I admit I came here without understanding the situation. I’m here to apologize to you and the prince, but there’s no need to curse me using my birthdate, right?"
As he spoke, he prepared to kneel and bow.
Nanli sighed, clearly exasperated. "How much bad stuff did Yu Chunhua say about me? I just want to read your fortune."
Wang Dazhi’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.
Ever since Yu Chunhua married him, she’d complained about being mistreated in the capital, lamenting how powerless she was against the Ninth Prince and Princess due to their high status. But now that he met Nanli, it was clear she was kind-hearted and even tried to stop him earlier.
His shame deepened, and he said, "I don’t deserve to have the Ninth Princess read my fortune..."
"Just tell me!" Nanli snapped, losing her patience.
Wang Dazhi flinched and quickly recited his birthdate and time.
Nanli made a quick calculation and was surprised by what she saw. "Your destined match has already appeared and is right by your side. How have you not noticed?"
Wang Dazhi was stunned and blurted out, "It can’t be... Yu Chunhua, right?"
"You and she had unresolved issues in your past lives, which is why you’re entangled in this life. But after today, your debts from past and present lives will be settled. She is definitely not your destined match," Nanli explained. "When you return to Jiaodong, pay closer attention to the people around you."
Wang Dazhi shook his head. "I’ve already lost face, and my family is shamed because of me. How can I bring harm to anyone else?"
Nanli responded, "If she is truly your destined match, she won’t care about your past. And if you can be with your destined match, everything in your life will start improving. The opposite is true as well."
Wang Dazhi was struck by her words. Soon, a familiar figure popped into his mind, and he began to cry again.
It was his former personal maid, who was three years younger than him but managed the household impeccably. When he slacked off in his studies, she would urge him to keep going. If he was troubled, she would prepare a feast to lift his spirits. But after Yu Chunhua entered the house, she found an excuse to demote the maid to menial labor.
Wang Dazhi had always gone along with Yu Chunhua’s demands, yet he was still despised. He became anxious, unable to sleep, and eventually, he could no longer focus on his studies. As expected, his tutor scolded him and even wanted to expel him from the academy. It was his maid who had brought food and drink to the tutor, convincing him to allow Wang Dazhi to continue his studies.
"Ninth Princess," Wang Dazhi choked out through his tears, "but she’s already been sold off. I don’t know where she is now."
Yu Chunhua had deemed the maid too meddlesome and had her sold off by a slave trader. Wang Dazhi hated himself for his incompetence and his late realization.
Nanli raised an eyebrow and tossed a copper coin into the air. After catching and examining it, she said, "You still have a connection. Hurry back to Jiaodong. If you miss this chance, you’ll never meet her again in this lifetime."
Wang Dazhi, who had just been despondent, was now filled with determination and dashed off toward the city gate.
"You big fool," came a soft sigh from inside a nearby carriage.
Wang Dazhi was startled--there was someone inside?
Of course, there were armed guards surrounding the carriage.
The chief eunuch had already lifted the curtain and was helping Emperor Muwu down from the carriage. He had changed into ordinary clothes, with only a jade crown in his hair. Since most of the onlookers were officials and their families, Emperor Muwu hadn’t revealed himself earlier.
Xie Beihan, his wife, and the armed guards all lowered their heads.
Ye Siheng and Nanli remained composed but stayed silent.
Emperor Muwu glanced at Wang Dazhi and ordered, "Bring a fine horse for this unfortunate young man."
Wang Dazhi’s mouth twitched slightly.
He indeed felt unfortunate to have been cuckolded, but he didn’t want it mentioned so bluntly.
Emperor Muwu continued, "What’s the matter? Aren’t you in a hurry to find your destined match? How long will it take to get to Jiaodong on foot?"
Realizing what was happening, Wang Dazhi broke into a grin. "Thank you, kind sir!"
A guard led a fine horse over to him, and he quickly mounted and rode off.
He would never know that the man before him was the current Emperor of the Mu Nation.
After Wang Dazhi had left, Emperor Muwu approached Ye Siheng and Nanli, his face stern as he gritted his teeth. "You two... Ninth Brother, follow me inside. I want to hear your explanation!"
He swished his sleeves and stormed into the mansion.
Nanli tilted her head, "Why is the Emperor upset after watching such a good show?"
Ye Siheng smiled wryly. "It’s nothing. I’ll talk to him. You go about your business."
He then followed Emperor Muwu into the mansion.
Nanli turned to Xie Beihan and Fan Yunxi, "It’s almost noon. Want to join me for lunch?"
Ye Siheng would probably be too busy to join her.
"Yes! I’d love to!" Xie Beihan agreed enthusiastically.
Fan Yunxi looked at him deeply, thinking that although Xie Beihan could be a scoundrel, he wasn’t jealous when he saw that the Ninth Princess was still in harmony with her husband. Perhaps, truly caring for someone means wanting to see them happy.
In the study, Emperor Muwu snorted in frustration, his mustache practically curling up in anger. "What’s going on with you two? It’s been ages since the last incident, and you still haven’t consummated the marriage?"
Ye Siheng frowned. "The time isn’t right yet."
"What? Consummating a marriage has to be timed?!" Emperor Muwu exclaimed. "If you keep this up, how am I supposed to answer to the late emperor?"
Ye Siheng hesitated briefly before replying, "A’Li and I are waiting for a specific day. On that day, we’re sure to conceive a child." He paused, feeling that wasn’t convincing enough, so he added, "We might even conceive triplets."
His main goal was to placate his brother. He really didn’t want to explain further.
Emperor Muwu’s eyes widened. "Tri... Triplets? Did Sixth Sister calculate this? You two are aiming high, but honestly, having one child at a time is fine."
He muttered to himself, worried that triplets might exhaust Nanli.
Ye Siheng, however, was eager to end the conversation. "Brother, you’ve been away from the palace for a while. It’s time for you to head back."
Emperor Muwu plopped down into a chair, looking entirely at ease. "No wonder you don’t like staying in the palace. You always rush back home. Your mansion is quite splendid."
Then his expression suddenly darkened. "Ninth Brother, you sent a stand-in on patrol. I didn’t expect there would be secrets between us. Tell me! Are you plotting to seize my throne?!"
If you want it, I’ll write the abdication edict right now!
He had long since grown tired of being emperor!