Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

After reviewing all the memorials in his study, Jun Zechen slowly raised his head and looked out the window at the sky, where the rosy clouds were as magnificent as brocade.

Before we knew it, it had come to this point.

He stretched his slightly stiff body, got up and walked towards the sleeping quarters.

His steps were steady yet carried a hint of urgency.

Just as I stepped into the bedchamber, a palace maid from Yude Palace came out of the bedchamber.

"This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The palace maid quickly bowed and greeted her, her voice filled with reverence.

Jun Zechen nodded slightly and walked straight inside without looking to the side.

At first glance, the bed was empty; the beauty was no longer there.

"Where is the concubine?"

Jun Zechen's brows furrowed instantly, his expression darkened, and his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels.

"Your Highness, the concubine just said that she felt weak and had no appetite, and has already returned to Shui Ning Palace."

The palace maid at the door had been waiting at the entrance of the sleeping quarters since His Highness arrived. Upon hearing His Highness's question, she immediately strode in and answered respectfully, keeping her head bowed and not daring to look directly at the Crown Prince.

Jun Zechen sat on the bed, his expression shifting between light and dark, his emotions unpredictable.

Is she throwing a tantrum again?

Because I didn't spend time with her in the afternoon?

But I told her before I left that we would have dinner together that night, so why did I suddenly go back to Shui Ning Palace?

Jun Zechen was filled with doubt.

He looked up at the palace maid, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the depths of her heart.

"The concubine has been resting in her bedchamber this afternoon. Has she done anything unusual?"

"Your Highness, the concubine woke up half an hour ago. She seemed to like the flowers by your bedside and even instructed me to bring her a small basin of water. Then she sat down by the bed and fiddled with the orchid."

The palace maid bowed her head and answered respectfully.

I can still recall the scene at that time.

The concubine was truly stunningly beautiful.

She had just woken up, wearing a light gauze dress, her cloud-like hair casually tied to one side, with a few strands falling beside her cheek.

She lightly dipped her slender fingers in water, the water droplets shimmering on her fingertips like sparkling pearls. Then, the concubine lazily and casually dipped her watery fingers into the orchids in the vase.

Her posture is charming and graceful; the flowers are beautiful, but the woman is even more so.

No wonder His Highness is fond of such a beauty. He even allows his concubine to rest in his bedchamber, a privilege that the Crown Princess has never received before.

After recalling for a moment, the palace maid straightened her expression.

She continued, "The concubine doesn't like other people in her bedchamber. When she was playing with the orchids, all the servants left. A quarter of an hour ago, the concubine suddenly felt unwell and returned to Shui Ning Palace."

She paused, then added, "At that time, the concubine's face was a little pale, and she looked unwell. Her steps were also a little flustered."

After hearing this, Jun Zechen turned his head to look at Huilan by the bedside, his eyes filled with indescribable complex emotions.

She... found out?

"You may all step back."

Jun Zechen's voice was cold, and he didn't say anything more.

After everyone had left, Jun Zechen turned his gaze to Huilan. There were drops of water on the petals, and the long leaves seemed to have traces of water left by fingers.

Water droplets dangled precariously from the leaves, as if they might fall at any moment.

But Jun Zechen's gaze did not linger on the flowers for long. Instead, his eyes moved down to a delicate pattern in the center of the vase.

He reached out and gently touched it.

It's wet.

Jun Zechen's eyes deepened, like a bottomless, icy pool.

He then pressed the mechanism, and the secret letters inside were placed intact. Jun Zechen then took out all the secret letters, without even changing their order.

Was she intentionally reproducing it? Did she not want him to know she had read these secret letters?

Jun Zechen took out several secret letters related to the Su family. When he turned to the last page, he found water stains on it.

Is this... a tear?

Jun Zechen's expression was complicated, and he tightened his grip on the letter.

Cried?

Aren't you pretty bold? Since you saw it, why didn't you confront him directly?

What was she thinking when she saw these letters?

Scared?

Women never stay in Jun Zechen's bedroom, and his Yude Palace is guarded by secret guards every day. He protects his place very tightly.

However, the Crown Prince's study would occasionally summon ministers, and Jun Zechen would place some confidential letters in his bedchamber.

Unexpectedly, the first time I let her in to rest, she was discovered.

That's when they got smart.

Sometimes Jun Zechen thought she was stupid because the palace was a place where pretense was most needed, but she never hid her joys and sorrows, including her vanity and her scheming. She was frank and fearless.

He thinks she's smart because she's a talented woman who can appreciate poetry with him and a chess partner who's just as good as him. Now he's discovered another of her virtues: she's incredibly meticulous.

For Jun Zechen, the more something is right in front of him, the less he cares about it. So, by displaying such a confidential letter so openly, he didn't arouse any suspicion.

But to my surprise, this little girl has a sharp eye.

Jun Zechen also had a lot of headaches regarding the Su family.

Since realizing he could never bear to be with her, Jun Zechen had hinted to the Su family many times, but that old fox Su Hongyu kept negotiating with him without making any clear stance.

Jun Zechen originally thought that if Su Hongyu still hindered his unification of the surrounding countries after he ascended the throne, he would directly strip him of his power, and out of respect for Su Jingyao, he could grant him a title as a sign of favor.

However, when those secret letters were written, the plan to deal with the Su family was not what it is now; it was much harsher.

she......

Jun Zechen put all the secret letters back, slowly got up, and stepped out of Yude Hall.

After meticulously disguising everything in Yude Palace to resemble her desired appearance, Su Jingyao practically fled in panic under the watchful eyes of the palace maids.

She hurried back to the Water Condensation Palace, her skirt fluttering in the wind, looking as if something terrifying was chasing her.

Su Jingyao wouldn't be foolish enough to impulsively point at that pile of secret letters in the Yude Hall and recklessly question a former emperor.

Was she going to ask him, "Was all your affection for me fake?"

"Is all this favoritism just a smokescreen to deceive the Su family?"

Or is it, "Are you really going to deal with the Su family? Are you going to wipe them out?"

......

Different stances lead to different actions, and these "whys" are meaningless.

Moreover, no matter what she asked, it would be a transgression for an emperor who had no love. Furthermore, it was a major taboo for women in the harem to interfere in state affairs. Su Jingyao would not be so foolish as to put herself in such a passive and disadvantageous position.

She simply "accidentally" discovered the secret letter.

If Jun Zechen doesn't care about her and is just using her, then he should either kill her or pretend he doesn't know anything.

If Jun Zechen cared about her, he would definitely come and ask her clearly, "forcing" her to say what was on her mind, instead of her asking on her own initiative.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Sitting on the couch, deep in thought, Su Jingyao's face was serious. Her delicate face, which had been carefully powdered after her return, now appeared pale and bloodless.

Her brows were furrowed, her eyes seemed to hold deep worry and unease, and her lips were tightly pursed.

Let's get into the right mindset first.

Jun Zechen should be here soon.

"My lord, His Highness will be here shortly."

Miaoyun reported that she was unaware of what had happened to her master in Yude Palace.

Su Jingyao chuckled softly, but there was no joy in her laughter.

"Let's go out and greet His Highness."

She rarely waited for Jun Zechen outside the palace, but today she naturally had to follow the rules to show him.

She slowly got up, straightened her clothes and hair, and walked out with her back straight.

Before Jun Zechen even reached the Water Condensation Palace, he could see a graceful young girl standing outside the palace, her head slightly bowed, quietly waiting for him.

His figure appeared somewhat thin and lonely in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Today they've behaved properly.

Jun Zechen's eyes darkened instantly.

He quickened his pace and strode over, stirring up a gentle breeze.

"This concubine greets Your Highness."

Su Jingyao tried her best to keep her voice calm, but the slightly trembling tone at the end seemed unable to completely hide the turmoil in her heart no matter how she pretended.

Jun Zechen helped her up and prepared to take her hand to enter the hall, but Su Jingyao reflexively shrank back. Then, as if realizing something, she took the initiative to put her hand in Jun Zechen's hand.

Jun Zechen glanced at her sideways, but didn't say anything about her unusual behavior.

Inside the hall, the two sat facing each other. Su Jingyao, with her head down, clasped her hands together, very proper, and seemed somewhat uneasy.

After Miaoyun quickly poured the tea, she and everyone else quietly withdrew.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly froze.

Su Jingyao cautiously raised her eyes, her lips curving upwards as she tried to force a smile, but the smile itself seemed forced.

"Your Highness, would you like some tea?"

Jun Zechen watched her quietly as she pretended not to know anything. Did she know that her smile was ugly?

For the first time, a sense of confusion arose in my heart; I wondered what the woman in front of me was thinking.

Upon seeing the secret letter revealing that his family was being targeted and dealt with, shouldn't one question him or even beg him not to do it?

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me to have dinner?"

Jun Zechen's voice was low and emotionless, as if he was testing her.

"I am not feeling well and I am afraid I cannot eat much, so I did not want Your Highness to see me and affect my appetite, which is why I returned to Shui Ning Palace by myself."

Su Jingyao's voice grew softer and softer.

"Your Highness has not yet eaten. I will have the palace servants bring your meal."

Jun Zechen felt inexplicably uncomfortable seeing how completely different she was now compared to her bright and cheerful self in the afternoon.

Her eyes used to sparkle when she spoke, but now they were slightly dim, and the smile at the corners of her eyes had disappeared. In their place, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she deliberately avoided looking at him.

Jun Zechen's thumb ring twirled on his slender fingers.

"No need, I'm not hungry."

His tone was indifferent, then he asked seemingly casually, "Did you water the orchids in the Lonely Palace today?"

Mentioning Huilan, Su Jingyao's body trembled uncontrollably.

"I only touched the orchid with water because I thought it was blooming beautifully." Her voice trembled slightly.

Jun Zechen lowered his eyes, his deep gaze fixed on the top of her head.

"Did you see the letter inside?"

"without......"

Su Jingyao instinctively wanted to deny it, but in an instant she looked up and saw the man's deep, unfathomable eyes, as if they could see through everything.

Everything about her was laid bare before him.

Su Jingyao's voice stopped abruptly.

She lowered her head, gently biting her lower lip, leaving a faint mark on her pink lips with her pearly teeth.

No one spoke, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.