Right now, I was being escorted to the Imperial Study. To be honest, I didn't even know the way, so I simply instructed the eunuchs to lead the way. They looked at me with confused expressions, clearly finding it strange that I didn't know my way around the palace.
But how could I? The novel didn't mention the layout of the palace in detail. Everything here is completely new to me.
While walking, I carefully memorized every corridor, hall, and turn, forming a mental map so I wouldn't get lost or look out of place later. I had to admit, the palace was architecturally magnificent; it looked so grand and otherworldly that it felt as if it was separated from the rest of the mortal world.
Soon, we arrived at the entrance. The leading eunuch cleared his throat and announced loudly:
"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince—Zhou Tianyi—is here!"
The heavy wooden doors swung open, and I stepped inside. There, seated behind a large sandalwood desk on an Imperial Dragon Chair—intricately carved with cloud and dragon patterns, cushioned with silk—was the Emperor. Or, I should say, my father in this life.
Looking at him up close, I noticed that he had the same warm brown hair as mine and looked much younger than his actual age. I remember reading in the novel that this wasn't due to genetics, I thought. It was because his cultivation of Ling Qi had reached such a high level that it slowed down his aging process significantly.
Standing before him, I could sense an overwhelming, majestic aura radiating from his body, making the air around me feel heavy and pressurized. When I focused my gaze, the familiar translucent interface appeared in my vision, displaying his information clearly:
Zhou Shengming
- Gender: Male
- Age: 53
- Ling Gan: Heaven Apex (- Dragon Breath [All Elements])
- Title: Great Emperor of the Empire
- Position: Emperor
- Skills: Military Strategy (Grandmaster II), Martial Arts (Grandmaster III), Siege Warfare (Master V), Diplomacy (Master IV)
The Emperor stared at me silently for a moment, then abruptly waved his sleeve, sending several memorials and official documents—the bamboo slips and paper scrolls used for official reports in ancient times—flying toward me with great force.
I could feel the intense pressure behind the gesture, and my legs nearly buckled. I quickly steadied myself, bowed deeply, and said:
"Your son is here to admit his mistakes and accept punishment, Father..."
"Mistakes?" He raised his voice, eyes narrowing. "Do you know how hard I've worked to arrange these four marriages to stabilize your position? And now, I see you standing up to help them object to the arrangement. How dare you?"
He slammed his hand onto the desk, the sound echoing through the room.
"Didn't you tell me just a few days ago that you had no objections to my arrangements? You agreed to everything then. Yet today, you act as if you want to cancel the whole thing! What is the meaning of this?"
"This son... knows he was wrong, Father," I answered, keeping my head bowed, not daring to look him in the eye.
The Emperor sighed heavily, but his tone remained firm. "However, despite today's incident, the four marriages will proceed as planned. There will be no changes."
Sigh… I knew it wouldn't be that easy, I thought silently. But I can't give up yet. I need to plan long-term.
As the Emperor continued his lecture, he explained to me that each of these four marriages held great benefits and would serve as strong foundations for my future as the Crown Prince of this empire.
"The first marriage is with Lei Wen," he explained. "He is a discarded Crown Prince from a neighboring kingdom that holds equal power to ours. Their Emperor sent him here as part of a peace treaty to maintain good relations between our nations."
"The second, of course, is Lin Mo," he continued. "He holds the trust and respect of the common people throughout the empire."
"The third is a young general, Yan Chen. He is actually your Eldest Brother's disciple and the son of the Duke of the North. Being the youngest among the four, he commands an army whose strength is second only to that of your Eldest Brother."
"And lastly, there is Bai Yuan," the Emperor said, his tone shifting slightly. "He is famous as the youngest Martial Grandmaster in the world and holds the title of the strongest person alive. He was also the only one who actually wanted to marry you. The novel never mentioned this detail—I only learned it now from what Father told me—but apparently, Bai Yuan was the only one who volunteered for this arrangement."
Before I knew it, the conversation had stretched on, and it was already afternoon. The Emperor suggested that I stay and share a meal with him in the study, but I politely declined. "Thank you, Father, but I shall just return to my own palace to eat," I replied.
After bidding farewell to the Emperor, I stepped out and boarded the carriage for the journey back. My mind was buzzing with so much new information from today. Even though I had only arrived in this world two days ago, it felt like an eternity had passed.
So much has happened, I thought, sinking into the seat. Honestly, it feels like I've been here for a whole week already, but it's barely been two days.