Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Dongfang Wudi's seat was among the top military officers, right next to the three major marquis residences.

Marquis Zhenbei, Wu Lie, had already taken his seat. Seeing Dongfang Wudi approaching, he cupped his hands and said:

"Brother Dongfang, how have you been? It's been half a year since we parted ways in the Northern Frontier, hasn't it?"

"Brother Wu, you're too kind." Dongfang Wudi returned the greeting, and the two sat down nearby. "Has the barbarian tribe made any unusual moves recently?"

"Things have calmed down a bit since winter started, but I'm afraid they'll cause trouble again in the spring." Wu Lie sighed, glancing at the figures of several princes not far away, and lowered his voice, "Let's not talk about that. Today is the annual meeting; it's not time to discuss serious matters yet."

Dongfang Wudi understood immediately and said no more.

After Qin Lanyin and her three children took their seats, several ladies from noble families came to greet them, mostly with their children.

Dongfang Weiwo greeted everyone respectfully, his attitude was respectful but not obsequious, his words were appropriate but not overly boastful, perfectly playing the role of "the second young master of the Marquis's mansion who is of decent but not outstanding talent".

"Is this your second son?" A woman dressed in an official robe sized up Dongfang Weiwo—the woman was in her forties, with a round, plump face, adorned with jewels, and spoke in a high-pitched voice, "I heard he works in the Zhenfu Division? He's become a captain at such a young age, not bad, not bad."

"I am honored by your praise, Madam. It was merely good luck," Dongfang Weiwo said humbly, bowing slightly.

"Luck is also a skill," the woman said with a smile, then looked at Dongfang Lingyun, "Your eldest son is becoming more and more composed. I wonder if he is married?"

Qin Lanyin smiled and brushed off the topic with a few words.

Dongfang Weiwo took the opportunity to step back half a step, his gaze sweeping across the main hall.

Crown Prince Qin Linyuan sat in the first seat to the right of the Emperor's throne, dressed in a bright yellow python robe with a white jade belt around his waist. He had fair skin, handsome and refined features, sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a straight nose, and a gentle smile that always graced his lips, making him appear gentle, approachable, and kind.

But deep within those peach blossom eyes, a sinister light occasionally flashed, sending chills down one's spine, as if it were a bottomless abyss, ready to devour everyone's soul.

At this moment, the Crown Prince was speaking in hushed tones to the Third Prince beside him. His expression was calm and his tone was even, as if he were having a casual chat, but every word he uttered was precisely aimed at the Third Prince's sore spot.

The Third Prince, Qin Linting, bore a resemblance to the Crown Prince, but their temperaments were entirely different. He was taller, with a broad back and thick waist, shoulders as wide as a mountain, eyebrows sharply defined, eyes bright as stars, a square face, a high forehead, and a square jaw. He exuded a domineering and powerful aura. His voice was booming, and his gestures were forceful and powerful. Even in front of the Emperor, he showed no restraint, as if the world would soon be his.

In stark contrast to him was the Fifth Prince, Qin Linzheng.

He sat a little further away, dressed in a dark python robe, his dark hair tied up with only a jade hairpin. His face was cold and stern. He was like a sharp sword with its blade concealed, and there seemed to be an invisible barrier around him, keeping everyone else at bay.

He poured himself a drink, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the hall with an air of aloofness and disdain for all living beings. When someone occasionally came forward to offer him a toast, he would merely nod slightly, saying nothing more. His untamed spirit inspired both respect and awe.

Dongfang Weiwo noticed that each of the three princes was surrounded by a number of court officials.

The Crown Prince was surrounded by civil officials, including several of Prime Minister Wang Chongyuan's protégés, all of whom were meek and respectful. The Third Prince was surrounded by military officers, with Marquis Pingding Zhao Wuji sitting to his left. Several burly generals drank from large bowls, their laughter deafening. The Fifth Prince had fewer people around him, but each of them possessed a deep aura and sharp eyes, clearly not ordinary individuals.

"Second Brother, look at that idiot." Youyu suddenly tugged at his sleeve and whispered.

Dongfang Weiwo followed her gaze and saw a young man dressed in a simple brocade robe sitting alone in a corner.

The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old, not yet fully grown, with a delicate and fair face and gentle features, but his eyes were somewhat dull and unfocused, and a trace of drool clung to the corner of his mouth. He was fiddling with the pastries on the table, shaping them into various strange forms, seemingly out of place with the lively atmosphere around him. Occasionally, he would look up, chuckle foolishly at the air, and then look down again to continue fiddling with the pastries.

"That is..." Dongfang Weiwo narrowed his eyes.

"Ding! Selected Child of Destiny detected: Qin Lin'an, Ninth Prince. 3 Destiny Points available for plunder. Plunder?"

Again!

A storm raged within Dongfang Weiwo once more. The Ninth Prince, Qin Lin'an—this seemingly foolish and simple-minded youth—was actually also a chosen one of destiny?!

A fool, yet the system judges him as the chosen one? What does this mean?

Is he pretending to be weak while actually being strong, or is there some unknown destiny at play?

He increasingly felt that this world was unfathomable. In the novels of his previous life, there was only one chosen one of destiny in each era, but here, two had been detected in a short time—no, "yet another"—meaning there were many more!

He suppressed his horror and silently murmured, "Plunder."

"Plunder successful, gained 30,000 energy points."

Thirty thousand energy points, though far less than Wu Zetian's, is still a considerable amount. After all, even a "fool" can be squeezed for thirty thousand points, demonstrating that the threshold for becoming a chosen one is not low.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions. His face remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Dongfang Lingyun walked to his side, followed his gaze to the Ninth Prince, and whispered, "That's the Ninth Prince, known as the 'Foolish Prince.' He's never been very bright since he was little, and no one in the palace takes him seriously. But don't underestimate him; a 'fool' who can survive in the palace until he's fourteen can't really be stupid."

Dongfang Weiwo nodded knowingly. "Brother is right, the waters in this imperial city are unfathomably deep."

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the hall—

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The hall fell silent, and everyone rose and knelt in welcome.

Dongfang Weiwo bowed with the others, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure in bright yellow walking out of the side hall, striding confidently onto the throne. The figure's steps were steady, showing no signs of the unsteadiness of an elderly person.

"Rise."

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an imposing aura, like metal striking stone, its echo lingering long afterward.

Dongfang Weiwo straightened up and looked up.

The current emperor of the Xuantian Dynasty, Qin Muzhi, is said to be over one hundred years old, but he looks no more than forty.

He had a face as handsome as jade. He wore a twelve-tassel crown, a bright yellow dragon robe embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, and a nine-dragon jade belt around his waist. He sat upright on the dragon throne, his posture relaxed yet naturally majestic.

He sat there without deliberately releasing any pressure, but the atmosphere in the entire hall became heavy. Even the Third Prince's domineering aura subsided a bit, and the Fifth Prince's arrogance also softened slightly.

"Today is the grand court assembly for the New Year. I celebrate the New Year with you all. There's no need for formalities," the Emperor said with a smile, his voice gentle. His gaze swept across the hall, lingering on each person's face for only a moment. "Sit down, all of you."

The officials expressed their gratitude and took their seats.

The emperor's gaze swept across the hall, lingering for a moment on Dongfang Wudi and Qin Lanyin, a hint of gentleness flashing in his eyes: "Princess, has your Youyu grown any taller?"

Qin Lanyin stood up and laughed, her voice clear and melodious: "Your Majesty has a discerning eye. This girl has indeed grown taller again. She's always clamoring for meat, and we can hardly afford to feed her anymore."

"Haha, a princess of such high status can't even afford to raise a maid?"

The emperor laughed heartily, his laughter infecting many in the hall. He said to the eunuch beside him, "I bestow upon Dongfang Youyu a pair of jade ruyi scepters and one hundred taels of gold, as my New Year's money for this little girl."

The eunuch was about fifty years old, with a fair complexion and no beard. He was slightly overweight and wore a scarlet python robe. He kept his head down and walked silently.

He took out a pair of jade ruyi scepters and a gold note from his sleeve and presented them to the young fish with both hands.

The baby fish obediently got up, kowtowed in thanks, and said in a childish voice:

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

The childish voice paired with the mature words amused the entire hall, and even the emperor couldn't help but chuckle, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes slightly smoothing out.

Dongfang Weiwo mentally gave his sister a thumbs up—this little girl is a natural genius.