"Explanation?"
"And now, he wanted an explanation?"
Zhan Tianye curled his lips, his voice cold, "Are they the Emperor's secret guards?"
"You don't know they are my secret guards?" The Emperor felt a blockage in his throat, as if he were about to spit blood.
It was so obvious, they had followed from the palace. If it wasn't with his consent, how could those secret guards have tracked them in secret?
Clearly, Zhan Tianye's rhetorical question was not from the heart, but spoken very casually.
"Mhm, I thought they were assassins secretly trailing us," Zhan Tianye lied without batting an eye.
During the time he had lost his memories, even if anyone had told him that the Emperor before him was his father and he was a lost prince, he still harbored a deep-seated premonition to be wary of the Emperor, and even more so of Li De.
As expected.
His intuition had always been accurate.
Did he want to be his father?
Was he worthy?
And to be his son's grandfather? What a pipe dream.
The light deep in Zhan Tianye's eyes was incredibly dark and cold.
But it was hidden so well that the Emperor only saw the habitually indifferent Zhan Tianye.
"Assassins?" The Emperor was so angry he nearly spat blood.
What assassin could compare to his secret guards? His secret guards had been trained since childhood, and there were almost none in the world who could match them.
Yet, Zhan Tianye had directly eliminated three of them.
These three were the top three among his secret guards.
"Do you know they are my secret guards sent to secretly protect you? This time, your actions were too rash," the Emperor said coldly, his brows furrowed.
He was genuinely vexed.
Zhan Tianye lowered his gaze and said lightly, "If they are secret guards meant to protect your son, then these particular secret guards are indeed too incompetent. Keeping them would only be a hazard, so it's better to get rid of them. Father, please find a new batch of secret guards."
A new batch?
Too incompetent?
The Emperor's suppressed fury resurfaced.
He was so angry he wanted to curse him out, but under Zhan Tianye's nonchalant gaze, the Emperor's anger subsided considerably. Indeed, they were just a few secret guards; if they were gone, more could be acquired.
But...
"What is going on between you and the Night Princess Consort?" The Emperor, after all, did not want to lose this son.
Although he was not in control, it was difficult to find a son who satisfied him in all aspects.
When Zhan Tianye heard the words "Night Princess Consort," his aura subtly shifted. Although his tone remained cold, it seemed to gain a touch of gentleness, "I want her to be my woman."
In this life, the next life, for all eternity, his woman.
*Bang!*
The Emperor slammed the table with great force.
The sound was immense.
The palace servants guarding outside the imperial study were startled and aghast.
What was happening again?
The Emperor seemed to be frequently angered these past couple of days.
He was getting angry more and more often.
"Nonsense! You are Prince Jin of the Xi Xia Kingdom. Thousands upon thousands of women want to marry you, yet you covet a woman who is already married! You are not someone who would do such absurd things. Did the Night Princess Consort say something to you?" The Emperor's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Zhan Tianye.
He seemed determined to discern and control all of Zhan Tianye's thoughts.
He had truly underestimated Yun Shu!
Even in Zhan Tianye's state of amnesia, she could still bewitch him!
Zhan Tianye lowered his gaze slightly and said indifferently, "So what if she is already married? I don't mind."
Besides, the Night Prince was him, and the one she married was also him.
It was just a pity he couldn't give her a grand wedding.
He had let her appear before people as the Night Princess Consort so haphazardly.
Ultimately, he was too much of a scoundrel, owing her too much.
"What kind of love potion has she given you? Did she tell you something? Did you believe her words? Jin'er, you are the son I finally found. Among all my sons, only you make me proud. You are not the type to be easily swayed," the Emperor said, narrowing his eyes as he observed Zhan Tianye's expression.
This was a test.
"I am not just Prince Jin, but also the Night Prince of the Dong Ning Kingdom, aren't I?" Zhan Tianye suddenly looked up to meet the Emperor's gaze.
A silent confrontation.
And a silent test.
At this moment, the Emperor did not know the truth that Zhan Tianye was not his son.
And Zhan Tianye intended to spar with the Emperor.
With each having their own agenda, it was a palace servant's report from outside the door that finally eased the atmosphere.
The Emperor had not expected Zhan Tianye to actually ask.
Whether or not he was the Night Prince was a matter that was destined not to remain a secret after Yun Shu arrived in the Xi Xia Kingdom.
However, for some reason, the Emperor felt relieved. If Zhan Tianye, knowing this, had still not asked and kept it to himself, then that would have been what he truly worried about.
"Your Majesty, Ningde County Princess requests an audience."
The palace servant reported from outside the door.
At this moment, Ningde County Princess stood outside the imperial study, her red lips tightly pressed, her gaze fixed on the door of the imperial study.
From what she heard from the palace servants, Zhan Tianye was currently in the imperial study.
Even separated by a door, she seemed to sense the tense standoff within.
"You should go back and think about it. In this world, only I truly consider your well-being and wish to hand over the throne of Xi Xia to you. As for women, they are dispensable. As for whether you are the Night Prince, we will discuss this matter later." The Emperor put away his thoughts and asked Zhan Tianye to leave first.
Zhan Tianye grunted and, without another word, walked out directly.
The moment he stepped out of the imperial study, Ningde County Princess stepped forward.
She looked deeply at Zhan Tianye.
Silence was more eloquent than words.
As if there were a thousand unsaid things.
She wanted Zhan Tianye to truly wake up.
Yun Shu was a stumbling block on his path forward!
These were the words she longed to shout out, to make him hear clearly.
However, Zhan Tianye merely glanced at her, then completely ignored her, leaving without a single word, departing from the side.
Seeing this, Ningde County Princess's red lips tightened, her entire back stiffened. He was still ignoring her like this!
She had secretly gone to see him last night.
He and Yun Shu stood together, both holding children by the hand.
Even though he wore a mask, preventing his expression from being seen, his eyes were all on Yun Shu. When he was with Yun Shu, his demeanor was gentle.
It was as if he was giving all the tenderness in the world to Yun Shu.
A monstrous jealousy surged in her heart.
By the time she entered and met the Emperor, the frost and jealousy in her eyes had not yet receded.
The Emperor glanced up and said coldly, "Jealous?"
Ningde County Princess immediately withdrew her thoughts and said, "This humble subject simply cannot understand what makes the Night Princess Consort better than me. His Highness Prince Jin seems to be too fixated on the Night Princess Consort."
"He must have learned everything from Yun Shu. Do you think he will stay and continue to be Prince Jin?" the Emperor asked coldly.