“Have you investigated everything clearly?”
Faced with the Empress’s cold and aloof question, the gathered advisors all wore solemn expressions.
One of them, a tall, elegant woman, spoke up.
“Your Majesty, based on the current situation, the Duke of National Defense’s faction can be entirely ruled out.”
“The ones with true ambition are…”
Before she could finish, Ying Qingge interrupted with clear displeasure.
“Who wants to hear about that?”
“That bunch of self-righteous fools—before I ascended the throne, crushing them would’ve been child’s play.”
“What matters is that among the candidates for this competition, all three seem to possess Foundation Building strength.”
“With Young Master Su’s current strength…”
Crack!
This time, Ying Qingge’s voice was icy as she snapped,
“Fools! I rarely make time to hear your reports, and this is what you give me?”
“???”
The reporting woman was stunned.
Fortunately, someone behind her tugged at her sleeve, discreetly handing her a freshly compiled document.
After glancing at its contents, the woman’s expression turned odd.
“Your Majesty, this is… the strategy guide we painstakingly put together.”
“Please review it.”
Ying Qingge’s face finally showed a trace of satisfaction.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work. With the finest minds of the nation strategizing for her, how could she fail to win over her little junior brother?
But the advisors were baffled!
As the supreme Empress, did she really need to go to such lengths to win someone over?
A flick of her finger would suffice, wouldn’t it?
If that didn’t work, couldn’t she just… take him by force?
Though confused, the tall woman pressed on, reporting diligently.
“We first listed Your Majesty’s strengths. By showcasing your virtues and tempering your flaws, you’ll surely have Young Master Su in your grasp!”
“Your Majesty is stunningly beautiful and holds unmatched power and status, but this can easily make men feel inferior. When interacting with Young Master Su, you must be mindful of his emotions, proceeding gradually and not too aggressively.”
“Additionally, if Your Majesty has time, you could take Young Master Su on a private outing to explore beyond the palace, letting him feel your thoughtfulness.
The streets are crowded, so for his safety, holding hands would be natural.
At that point, we can assist by creating small ‘accidents,’ making hugs or kisses effortless.
Over time, you’ll win his heart, and a relationship will naturally follow!”
Hearing this, Ying Qingge felt enlightened.
Though a transmigrator herself, years of ruling had constrained her thinking.
Now… a whole new door had opened!
“Not bad. I’ll leave the detailed plan to you all!”
Her little junior brother was indeed a bit shy and reserved.
Could her previous bold approach have been why she hadn’t succeeded?
So that was it.
But every time she saw his bashful expression, she couldn’t help but want to tease him—what to do?
She had to restrain herself!
The painful memories from her past life were still vivid.
She couldn’t fight alone again, or she’d surely lose to those shameless vixens.
In this life, she had the upper hand—how could she lose again?
For her little junior brother, patience now was for a brighter future.
Meanwhile.
Su Chen shivered involuntarily, a chill running through him.
It felt like something big was targeting him.
But the thought didn’t linger long, as his attention was drawn to the books before him.
He was in Great Qin’s library, a repository of the world’s texts.
He wasn’t here for techniques or secrets but to understand this world.
Having transmigrated for days, it was time to learn.
Half a day passed in a flash.
The confusion on Su Chen’s face gradually turned to surprise and understanding.
This world was far larger than he’d imagined, with his senior sister’s dynasty being but a drop in the ocean.
Above dynasties were empires, overlooking the world.
Great Qin’s strength and national power were about mid-tier.
Beyond that was the largest structure: sects!
Hundreds of sects stood, divided between righteous and demonic paths.
The most elite were the supreme holy lands, immortal great sects, and even records of undying immortals.
And that was just the human realm.
There were forbidden zones where no living person could enter, and countless races…
“It’s about what I expected.”
Su Chen skimmed through, not overly shocked by the vast information.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
Absolute fairness, absolute unfairness.
Like his senior sister, who had ascended to the throne, and himself with the soft rice system… though that wasn’t exactly something to brag about?
After finishing, Su Chen stood, returned the books to their places, and left the library.
But the moment he stepped out, a mist suddenly obscured his vision.
“Hm? This is…”
At the same time.
“He’s out? Perfect!”
“Trap him there for a moment. After I bathe, I’ll meet him myself.”
Ying Wuyan gazed at the scene reflected in her mirror, a playful smirk creeping onto her alluring face.
A young man the Empress valued so highly.
As the Imperial Consort, Ying Wuyan was naturally even more intrigued, eager to meet him.
Before, Ying Qingge had guarded him tightly, leaving Ying Wuyan no chance. But that only fueled her curiosity.
If Ying Wuyan wanted to meet someone, no one could stop her!
Su Chen had entered the library while Ying Qingge was absent—a perfect opportunity.
Ying Wuyan set her trap, laying a maze array on his inevitable path.
There was only one road, leading to her chambers.
She’d heard Ying Qingge was fond of him. What expression would she make seeing him in her bed?
The thought alone thrilled Ying Wuyan.
After all their open and covert struggles, this time, she’d win!
As she mused, Ying Wuyan leisurely shed her ornate robe, her stunning figure slipping into the bath.
However.
She had miscalculated one thing.
She overlooked Su Chen himself.
“The path’s wrong!”
Though mist clouded his vision, Su Chen clearly remembered every detail of his route.
Why was there suddenly a fork in the road?
Had there been one when he came?
Su Chen’s observational skills were already remarkable, and after cultivation, they’d been elevated further.
Even unaware of illusion arrays, he didn’t follow the expected path.
Instead…
While Ying Wuyan bathed, Su Chen ignored the two “correct” routes and headed straight into the bushes.
Where there’s no path, enough travelers make one.
And by chance… this path led to Ying Wuyan’s location—the bath!
(These past few days, some issues came up, and I wasn’t satisfied with the earlier chapters, so I revised them, wasting a lot of time.)
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