Chapter 11: Playing a Double Act

"How did you know that?" Zhong Qinyu blurted out. Realizing his lack of composure, he tried to cover it up, "Where did you hear such hearsay?"

He really couldn't hide his thoughts at all. To think he was being led by the nose by her—the way he acted as Crown Prince really made it easy for others to speculate. If he truly became the future emperor, the future of the Great Xing Dynasty would indeed be worrying.

"This commoner knows that being in such a position, with eyes watching from all sides, it must be difficult for the Crown Prince. His Majesty is a wise ruler; he will surely consider the prosperity of the dynasty for generations to come. To gain one thing, one must surely sacrifice another."

If he didn't know that only Qin Wanyi was behind the gauze curtains, Zhong Qinyu would have almost suspected that she had been swapped. He never expected that in such a short time, she would seem like a completely different person.

Having been guessed correctly, Zhong Qinyu did not bother to deny it.

"That’s right. The Emperor set a condition: after he passes away, I must appoint the Sixth Imperial Uncle as Regent. Otherwise, the throne will be passed to whoever is willing to marry you."

Her value was truly not low; it was actually tied to the throne.

But why was there a "Sixth Imperial Uncle" involved? What did that have to do with him? Could this so-called Sixth Imperial Uncle actually be able to control Fan Jiguang?

Marrying an ugly woman was better than appointing a Regent; the former was simpler and easier. Both were members of the royal family, and with people to handle both overt and covert schemes, being an emperor would naturally be easier. However, royal power could also be easily hollowed out; it all depended on what this Sixth Imperial Uncle was thinking.

But the current Emperor was a wise and shrewd man, so this Sixth Imperial Uncle must not be a simple character. The difficulty of dealing with him was no less than marrying her, or perhaps even greater; otherwise, he wouldn't have been used to challenge Zhong Qinyu’s bottom line.

Such a prominent figure, yet there wasn't a single clue about him in her memory—she didn't even know if he was tall, short, fat, or thin. Qin Wanyi felt annoyed. She really didn't know what was inside her head; whenever she wanted to know about the palace, everything was a blur. It seemed that all of the original Qin Wanyi’s time had been spent tangling with the Zhang mother and daughter.

If she wanted to help Qin Jingshu ascend to the position of Crown Princess, it seemed there was another layer of difficulty. She had to first instill in Zhong Qinyu the knowledge that even uncles and nephews could kill each other; that way, it might discourage him from accepting this condition.

The Crown Prince was arrogant and wouldn't listen to unpleasant truths. She had to be circuitous, or he would feel repulsed, and then there would be no chance at all.

"Since that is the case, this commoner can rest easy. Fortunately, I haven't caused the Crown Prince any trouble; otherwise, my conscience would surely be uneasy."

"You call this not causing trouble? How much more of a stir do you want to cause before you call it trouble?" Zhong Qinyu acted as if his sore spot had been stepped on. Having endured for too long with nowhere to vent, he encountered a trigger and spilled everything, "Do you know that the Sixth Imperial Uncle has been away from the palace for nearly twenty years? He wouldn't return except for the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Do you know how many people the Emperor has sent, both openly and secretly, to try to get him back to the palace, all to no avail? Do you think this is something that can be done easily?"

So, he was a man who cared nothing for fame or wealth. Twenty years—when the Sixth Imperial Uncle left the palace, she hadn't even been born yet. No wonder she had no impression of him.

However, was it possible to let a fickle person govern the country? And could anyone guarantee that this Sixth Imperial Uncle, whom she had never met, had no designs on the throne? Being out there, who knew what he had been doing in the shadows?

What exactly was the Emperor thinking? Was he not afraid that this younger brother of his was harboring hidden motives?

"The Emperor doing all this is nothing more than wanting me to marry you. But don't think you'll have a chance. Even if I have to scour the ends of the earth, I will find the Sixth Imperial Uncle and make him stay." Zhong Qinyu spoke with conviction; he simply didn't want to let Qin Wanyi have her way. To spend his life with an ugly woman—he couldn't do it.

If he really went to the ends of the earth, could he still come back to be the Crown Prince and Emperor?

He looked down on her? Good, she was happy to be free.

"This commoner believes the Crown Prince has the ability. But even if the Sixth Imperial Uncle stays as Regent, isn't the Crown Prince worried that he will issue orders with the authority of an elder? How difficult it must be for the Crown Prince to be caught between the Sixth Imperial Uncle and the officials." She was being tactful; if she really spoke of usurping the throne, she might be the first to lose her head. Inciting discord was not a game to be played.

"Hahaha..." Zhong Qinyu burst into laughter. This was the first time he had laughed unrestrainedly since entering the room. He laughed so much that Qin Wanyi felt bewildered, as if she had said something funny, though she couldn't see what was so amusing.

"I assume you don't have the guts to go around spouting nonsense. I might as well tell you: the Emperor’s throne was seized by force. Do you think he would hand it over to anyone, even his own flesh and blood? He wouldn't. If the Sixth Imperial Uncle truly had no interest in the throne, do you think the Emperor would let him come back?"

Qin Wanyi pondered slightly and asked in return, "Does the Sixth Imperial Uncle possess something that makes General Fan wary?"

Other than this explanation, nothing else made sense.

Zhong Qinyu’s expression turned stern, and he looked at Qin Wanyi squarely.

"That is correct, but don't you dare think you can get anything else out of me." Zhong Qinyu wasn't truly brainless; once secrets were involved, he knew to keep his mouth shut and revealed nothing more.

She didn't ask any further. Who would do such a thankless task? Rather than saying he was given the position of Regent, it was more like he was being given something he held in his hands.

Since he had escaped, would he come back so easily? The Sixth Imperial Uncle must be a smart man, having long ago distanced himself from this place of right and wrong. Fighting for fame and profit—in the end, wouldn't one just become a stepping stone for others?

This was indeed harder than marrying her. Zhong Qinyu didn't even think about it: marrying her was just a formality. Couldn't he just leave her there, ignore her, and endure it for a while? Or find a reason to strip her of her title as Crown Princess? That would be better than being controlled by others. He didn't even have that much foresight.

But it was fortunate that she had met someone like this. If she had met the kind of person she imagined, she would have been crying before she even had a chance to bargain.

"Sigh..." Qin Wanyi let out a long, deep sigh from behind the gauze curtains, mostly out of secret joy.

Zhong Qinyu, who had been in high spirits and finally feeling comfortable, was now unsettled by her: "What are you sighing for?"

She straightened her expression: "The Crown Prince is so confident, this commoner has nothing more to say. I originally wanted to help the Crown Prince think of a win-win solution so that the Crown Prince wouldn't have to compromise himself like this."

"Compromise myself?" Zhong Qinyu felt a slight stir in his heart, but immediately cast it aside, "Ridiculous. Do you take me for a puppet?"

"Does the Crown Prince not have someone he loves or admires?" Qin Wanyi asked.

Zhong Qinyu was startled: "My affairs, what do they have to do with you?"

"It seems you do. No wonder you are so indifferent to your own marriage. It doesn't matter who it is; you wouldn't fight for anyone in particular. As long as she is decent-looking and from a prominent family, that is enough. That is why you don't feel aggrieved."

Zhong Qinyu remained silent; what Qin Wanyi said was not false.

"Aside from the rumors of my disfigurement, don't people talk about the marriage between me and the Crown Prince? Are there not people who say the Crown Prince is heartless for choosing another?" Zhong Qinyu hated derogatory remarks the most. Before he could get angry, Qin Wanyi continued, "This commoner originally wanted to offer the Crown Prince an idea that would allow you to avoid being controlled, marry a beauty, and even gain a good reputation. Sigh, I suppose it's not needed now."

Zhong Qinyu’s curiosity was piqued. If there were such a perfect solution, someone would have come up with it long ago. He couldn't help but show a look of disdain: "What kind of idea could you possibly have?"