Chapter 209: Liking Your Majesty is Troubling, Isn’t It?

It was the victory banquet, and Xiao Yang had drunk quite a bit. She was a little woozy by the time she left.

But once she stepped outside the hall, the cold wind sobered her up considerably.

White specks drifted down from the sky.

"It’s snowing!"

Xiao Yang raised her hand, and a snowflake landed gently in her palm. It melted in an instant. A gust of wind blew, leaving not even a trace of moisture behind.

For some reason, Xiao Yang found herself captivated by the snowflake. In that instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through her mind, but they all dissolved into a profound blankness. ’Perhaps I really am drunk.’

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty!"

Two voices called out to her simultaneously. Xiao Yang looked over. Rong Yin was on her left, and Li Wei was on her right.

Noticing each other, they both halted, awaiting the Emperor’s choice.

Xiao Yang glanced first at Rong Yin, but her gaze ultimately settled on Li Wei. "What is it?"

Li Wei took in Xiao Yang’s reaction. Thinking of the gossip he’d overheard earlier that day, he concealed all emotion in his eyes. "I saw that it started snowing, Your Majesty. I wanted to remind you to take care of your health."

This was clearly not what he’d intended to say, but it was common courtesy not to press the matter.

"I understand."

Li Wei clasped his hands in a salute and turned to re-enter the great hall. Though he resisted the urge to look back, his peripheral vision caught the Regent King adjusting the Emperor’s cloak before taking her hand and leading her away.

Their intimacy was seamless, oblivious to any onlookers. Though their relationship was unofficial, they were no different than husband and wife.

The Regent King and General Li had both gone out after the Emperor, but only General Li came back, looking rather crestfallen.

The seasoned gossips in the crowd immediately sensed that something major was afoot.

’Could General Li also be...?’

’But from the looks of it, he clearly lost.’

Prince Jing watched Li Wei return and immediately down three cups of wine, his expression a mixture of disdain and speechlessness. He could barely stand to look.

But then he thought about Rong Yin, who always looked ready to draw his sword and cut him down; Mu Yunlian, who’d whisked the Emperor away and caused him no end of trouble; and Xu Xingchen, who was constantly digging up dirt on him. He decided it was about time he had his villain arc.

So, on the pretext of sharing a drink, Prince Jing went and sat right next to Li Wei.

"General Li, mind if I join you for a couple of drinks? I trust I’m not unwelcome?"

Li Wei looked at Prince Jing in surprise but shifted over to make room. "You are too kind, Your Highness. The honor is all mine."

Prince Jing scoffed as he sat down. "I hope you mean that."

He poured a cup for himself, then topped off Li Wei’s. "General Li, only twenty-five and already so accomplished. Truly remarkable."

Li Wei couldn’t fathom Prince Jing’s intentions, so he simply drank his wine without replying.

Prince Jing sighed. "A young man has but three worries: his studies, his career, and his love life. General, your martial skill is unparalleled and your career is soaring. I imagine the only thing left to trouble you must be matters of the heart."

Prince Jing leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "In love with Her Majesty, are we? It’s torture, isn’t it?"

For once, Li Wei’s stoic expression wavered. "Your Highness... why must you mock me so?"

Prince Jing was exasperated. "How do you figure I’m mocking you? Aren’t you supposed to be a brilliant strategist on the battlefield? Why can’t you tell friend from foe now?"

Li Wei finally understood. ’Prince Jing... actually wants to help me?’

"Why would you want to help me?"

Prince Jing put on a profound air. "I’m in a good mood from the wine today, so I can read your fortune for you."

’Of course, he wasn’t about to admit this was his idea of revenge for being targeted earlier. That would make him seem so petty.’

Li Wei was speechless. ’Prince Jing must be truly drunk. He’s resorting to telling fortunes now.’

He took a sip of wine. "Then I thank you, Your Highness."

Prince Jing waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t mention it."

He took a moment to compose his thoughts, then cleared his throat. "If you want to catch Her Majesty’s eye, the first thing you need to do... is be shameless."

The hand Li Wei was using to raise his cup froze.

Prince Jing, knowing he would be met with skepticism, quickly said, "Now, don’t rush to deny it. Look at Rong Yin, Mu Yunlian, and that brat Xu Xingchen. Which one of them didn’t get where they are today by being shameless?"

"Of course, first things first, Her Majesty has to have a favorable impression of you. Then you go and seduce... uh... entice her? Ah, whatever you want to call it. The point is, you tell Her Majesty your intentions, plead with her a little. Be proactive."

Prince Jing took a sip of wine, sighing dramatically. "That little scamp looks all prim and proper, but in reality, she’s heartless, unfeeling, and cold. Don’t think you can get her special attention by sitting here getting drunk and moping. The most she’ll do is call an Imperial Physician for you. You have to be the one to actively demand things from her. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know?"

As he spoke, Prince Jing actually started to get worked up. ’I’m an old man, and I still have to teach the younger generation how to court someone. This is really asking too much of me!’

He shot a sideways glance at Li Wei. The general’s military record was impeccable, his skills were top-notch, and he was both handsome and imposing. But when it came to romance, the man was an absolute disaster to watch.

"Go on, drink up. Keep drinking your sorrows away by yourself, and by the time Her Majesty has children with them old enough to run, it still won’t be your turn."

Li Wei had been unmoved by everything else, but that last sentence truly struck a nerve.

Prince Jing’s words were harsh, but they were true.

’He was the one with feelings for Her Majesty, and she already had others by her side. If he didn’t make a move, given her personality, she certainly wouldn’t. They would forever remain merely sovereign and subject.’

’Was he really going to stand by her side for the rest of his life, watching her marry them and have children? Meanwhile, in a few years, he might succumb to his mother’s pressure and marry some noble’s daughter, starting a family of his own.’

’The mere thought of such a future was a lifetime of regret.’

Prince Jing watched Li Wei’s face, and only when he saw the general’s expression finally change did he let out a sigh of relief.

’That’s more like it,’ he thought. ’The man’s a general, for crying out loud. How could he lack this little bit of nerve?’

Prince Jing set down his cup and left the table, his good deed done and his involvement hidden.

Xiao Lv was rendered speechless by his father’s actions. "Her Majesty has shown no interest. Why are you so insistent on playing matchmaker, Father? What if Her Majesty isn’t interested? Li Wei holds significant military power. Whether she accepts or rejects him, aren’t you just putting Her Majesty in a difficult position?"

Prince Jing snorted. "Don’t give me that, you brat."

"Right now, the armies of Da Wei are in Li Wei’s hands. He has military power, status, and prestige. Countless people idolize him, some even clamoring for him to be made a Prince. Now that the four rebel princes are gone, if someone else wanted to stage a rebellion, who do you think they would try to win over first?"

"If Li Wei marries another man’s daughter—whether he likes her or not—once they’re wed and have a son, how loyal do you think he’ll remain to Her Majesty?"

"People’s hearts are fickle. Right now, his loyalty is intertwined with his feelings for Her Majesty. In the future, if his affections are given to another, might his loyalty follow? A person’s emotional attachments have the greatest influence over their thinking. This is no small matter."

"Besides, Her Majesty has already gotten herself involved with those other three, so what’s one more? She’s a cunning one. I’m sure she can keep them all firmly under her thumb."

Xiao Lv was speechless. ’You should really wipe that gloating look off your face. If Her Majesty finds out you meddled in this, you’re definitely going to be in for it.’