Why Was It Him?!

The ministers immediately thought it improper. Though the girl looked harmless, she possessed an unknown power. How could she be placed beside the princes?

But Emperor Hongyao had already signaled Eunuch Chen to guide her over.

The princes, on the other hand, were all curious and not at all worried.

Shen Anxin: The emperor is actually this considerate of his subordinates? Oh heavens, I imagined he'd be overflowing with domineering charisma, lofty and unapproachable, so majestic he'd strike fear into people's hearts. But he's so approachable! Oh no, he's a succubus! If I were Shen Anlan, I'd swear allegiance to him for life on the spot! The kind where I'd dash out my brains and spill my blood for him!

Everyone: ...Actually, your earlier guess wasn't wrong either. What came after was dragon-bootlicking, more or less, but isn't calling His Majesty a succubus going a little too far?

The corner of Emperor Hongyao's mouth twitched.

Eunuch Chen hurried over to show Shen Anxin where to stand. Any minister who had attended court before would surely have seen that something was wrong and might well have been scared to death by now.

But Shen Anxin felt nothing but curiosity, especially since she was about to pass the princes.

She had been standing too far back before, and the people in front were either blocked from view or visible only as outlines. If her luck was bad, she might not even see their faces before court ended.

Now that she was passing them, she could sneak a look. How could Shen Anxin resist satisfying her curiosity?

Shen Anxin: The emperor is already so handsome. His sons shouldn't be bad-looking either, right?

Chacha: I don't understand human standards of beauty, but judging by genetics, they definitely aren't bad-looking. After all, the emperor married beauties.

As Shen Anxin drew near, the princes all straightened up, each like a new recruit awaiting inspection by a superior.

Shen Anxin: Wow! A little shota!

Everyone: What was a shota?

The sixth prince, Xiao Yanyu, whom she had just glanced at, stiffened all over with nervousness. He racked his brains to figure out whether that was a compliment. Judging by her tone, it didn't sound like an insult.

Chacha: Host, do you need an electric shock?

Shen Anxin: Why would you shock me?! I'm a good person! Don't you think he's adorable, looking so serious? He's so cute, I really want to pinch his little cheeks. Watching him struggle and resist would be so...

Chacha: Host, you have cute aggression. We've connected you to the State Grid for your convenience.

Shen Anxin: *...*

Xiao Yanyu blushed. How could this big sister be like that?

Everyone: The sixth prince really did look... like the little golden boy attendant at a bodhisattva's side. But pinching him was absolutely out of the question. And she wanted to watch a prince struggle and resist? Did she think her father was Emperor Hongyao too?!!!

Xiao Yanchen raised a hand to cover his mouth, but his brightened eyes betrayed the smile he couldn't suppress.

His other younger brothers looked at this "dangerous" "fake man" with strange expressions.

Shen Anxin: He must be the sixth prince, Xiao Yanyu. He's only twelve, and the emperor has already made him attend early court. That's so tough! If a child doesn't get enough sleep, he won't grow tall!

Xiao Yanyu was startled and instinctively wanted to stand on tiptoe. He would definitely grow tall!

The others had already stopped trying to understand the words they didn't know. They heard only one key point: was a child's height related to sleep?

Emperor Hongyao: Of course not! His other sons were very tall!

Besides, only by introducing the princes to the practical affairs of court early could they grow up quickly. Of his sons, only his youngest, who was still in swaddling clothes, had not come to Fengtian Hall.

The Great Qi of today needed talented people in every field for stable development. As princes of Great Qi, they absolutely could not become royal wastrels who did nothing but eat, drink and have fun while living off the people!

Besides! His outstanding eldest son, the crown prince, had been raised this way!

But... Emperor Hongyao inexplicably felt a little guilty. If they got enough sleep, would they grow even taller?

By then, Shen Anxin had already passed the next prince.

The fifth prince, Xiao Yanjue, was fifteen and already looked like a young man. At that moment, he was openly studying Shen Anxin with curiosity.

But Shen Anxin already felt guilty about sneaking looks, so naturally she didn't dare meet his eyes and only gave him a quick glance.

Shen Anxin: Wow! A little handsome guy! So lively and full of youthful vigor. His build has really come in, too; you can see he's got broad shoulders and a narrow waist. If it weren't for that face, which still has some childishness, and those little canine teeth that show when he smiles, you'd never guess he's only fifteen.

Xiao Yanjue immediately pressed his lips together, hiding his canine teeth, and put on a stern face to make himself look more mature. He didn't want anyone calling him childish. He had always been determined to follow in his elder brothers' footsteps.

Shen Anxin: The one over here with the gentler air is the fourth prince, Xiao Yanshu. Oh, oh, oh, he has little dimples too! He should be about the same age as the fifth prince. A handsome young man as warm and gentle as jade!

Xiao Yanshu lowered his head shyly, his cheeks flushing slightly: He was half a year older than Fifth Brother.

Even so, the always well-mannered fourth prince couldn't help returning the courtesy in his heart: Thank you for the compliment, Sister Shen.

Shen Anxin: Whoa, why can't I see the top of his head from here?!

Everyone: It was the third prince Xiao Yance's turn!

Xiao Yance raised an eyebrow: He would clear Father Emperor's name. You could still grow tall even if you got up early!

Shen Anxin: I'll pretend to casually turn my neck... Nobody should notice.

Everyone: This was probably what it meant to cover your ears while stealing a bell.

Shen Anxin: Wow... Alas~ we meet~ as strangers~

Chacha: Host, mind your image. He's still a minor.

Everyone: Why was she singing again? What was going on?

Seventeen and still a minor?

Xiao Yance: ??? Judging by the lyrics, it sounded like she regretted not meeting him sooner.

The curve at the corners of Xiao Yanchen's eyes fell away. He looked expressionlessly at his third brother beside him. Shen Anxin should be only a year older than Third Brother.

Shen Anxin: That proud, handsome face is the very picture of a spirited young hero! Looks like he practices martial arts too. His physique is just right. He has to wear a red robe, ride a horse and carry a red-tasseled spear!

It wasn't just Xiao Yance; for some reason, the others also pictured the third prince in a red robe, riding a horse with a red-tasseled spear in hand. It seemed rather...

Emperor Hongyao: It suited him very well. She had a good eye. Could it be that the girl had taken a fancy to his third son?

Shen Anxin: ...Alas~ we meet~ as strangers~

Chacha: Singing again? This one's the same age as the last one.

Everyone: ??? Wait, why was she singing it for the second prince too?!

Emperor Hongyao: ...Just how many of my sons have you taken a fancy to?

Xiao Yanfeng pretended to be calm, but for some reason he felt a cold wind coming from his left.

Eldest Brother was standing beside him. How could there be a cold wind?

Shen Anxin: This second son is a real tough-guy type. He's even more solidly built than the third. I bet he's covered in lean muscle. He'll definitely be a cold-faced god of slaughter someday. I can already picture him on the battlefield. He'd look so mighty and cool in Great Qi's black iron armor!

Xiao Yanfeng was a little surprised. He did indeed aspire to become a martial general and god of war.

The first time he saw soldiers in black iron armor, he dreamed that night of putting it on himself, becoming a great general and guarding a region for his crown prince brother.

Shen Anxin: I'm suddenly starting to see the appeal of early court. If I could see them every day, I'd accept getting up early!

The ministers: What do you take our sacred early court for?!

Chacha: Host, you like their looks so much. Could it be that you want to marry into the imperial family?

Everyone instantly held their breath and pricked up their ears, brimming with curiosity.

Emperor Hongyao looked over too.

Of those she had just inspected, apart from little Xiao Yanyu, the others were all old enough to marry. It was only because the crown prince had yet to be betrothed that they were all still single. Now, they couldn't help growing nervous.

They didn't have any particular thoughts about it; they simply felt nervous, as though they were about to be assessed.

Xiao Yanchen lowered his eyes, his hand unconsciously playing with the jade pendant at his waist. If anyone who served him closely had seen it, they would surely have known that His Highness the crown prince was feeling restless and uneasy.

Shen Anxin: No, no, no, I'm just admiring them. Heaven gave me a pair of eyes to discover beauty. If I didn't use them to look at handsome men and beautiful women, wouldn't that be a waste?

Everyone: ...So after all that, you just like a pretty face!

Chacha: So Host is the type who only dares admire from afar and doesn't dare play with them.

Shen Anxin: What kind of tiger-and-wolf words are you saying? I'm a traditional woman.

The ministers: What part of you is traditional? Your head is full of frivolous thoughts!

Now the ministers couldn't help suspecting that the conservative women who were usually gentle and virtuous, bright and gracious, or dignified and composed also had wild wolves roaming through their minds. They had simply imagined women to be too meek and delicate!

Women everywhere sneezed without thinking. Why did they feel a little creeped out?

Shen Anxin: At most, I'd look at their figures and abs and such. Actually putting my hands on them is absolutely out of the question.

The ministers: Who asked?! May I ask who?!

Shen Anxin: Chacha, think about it. Add those younger ones up front, and once they've all grown a little older, put them together with these two, and they'd be Great Qi's imperial boy group! If they stood in front of the palace gates, they'd definitely charm thousands upon thousands of women.

Chacha: Highly feasible.

The ministers: What on earth do you take our dynasty's princes for?!!!!

Shen Anxin: Red beans grow in the southern lands, Great Qi produces male models. If any country falls out with us in the future, we can send the princes over to seduce their princesses and lure them all back.

The ministers: She even wanted to make our princes serve others with their looks?

Shen Anxin: Chacha, do you know what this is called?

The ministers: It's called having a fat and oversized gall!

Chacha: What?

Shen Anxin: It's called a strategic weapon that wins without bloodshed.

The ministers: ...

...Why did it seem to make a little sense? In ancient times, there had been the handsome-man stratagem...

Emperor Hongyao: ...Great Qi's rule was that princesses were not sent into marriage alliances. Making women sacrifice themselves was a sign of a nation's weakness, but having the princes attract other countries' princesses over probably didn't count.

The princes: ...Why did their backs feel a little cold?

Shen Anxin: Oh, I'm so envious of Emperor Hongyao.

The ministers: ???

Emperor Hongyao: Envious of me???

Chacha: Why?

Shen Anxin: I can already imagine that their mothers must be beauties like a hundred flowers blooming together, each with her own charm. Emperor Hongyao is really blessed in love! Does he have trouble choosing every night?! Three thousand beauties in the imperial harem really is no joke.

The ministers: Was that something she should be thinking about? We won't speak of it, we won't.

Emperor Hongyao's face darkened. He was not a man who indulged in beauty!

The princes were proud. Indeed, their mothers were the most beautiful!

Shen Anxin: The last one, the last one! Time to open the blind box. His Highness the crown prince might be the most handsome!

Everyone puffed out their chests: Of course! Their crown prince, their greatest pride, had such fine looks that even the court historians of the nine kingdoms once destroyed couldn't resist writing a line or two about them. Not to mention his excellence in other respects; he was simply an enhanced version of Emperor Hongyao.

His younger brothers: Of course our crown prince brother is the best. Nobody can compare to Eldest Brother!

Even Emperor Hongyao couldn't help looking forward to what extravagant praise the girl might offer next. That was Great Qi's most perfect heir, whom he had raised himself!

Everyone was ready to hear that song, "Alas, we meet as strangers."

Xiao Yanchen composed himself, lowered his head slightly, and deliberately sought out a certain person's gaze, his eyes shimmering.

Shen Anxin: ...Aaaaaah! I'm going to die! Why is it him?!!!!!

Everyone nearly clapped their hands over their ears at once.

Wait, what? What was with that miserable wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves? That was their crown prince, as pure and noble as the clear moon and gentle breeze, with the bearing of an immortal and bones of jade!

Emperor Hongyao: What objections do you have to my most outstanding son?!

Xiao Yanchen looked at Shen Anxin with a helpless smile, his eyes as gentle as water.

He had frightened her after all.