Set Up

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Tomorrow was the wedding day. The An Family was filled with laughter and joy, and even Steward Su was no longer plagued by worry. A smile as bright as a flower bloomed across his stern old face.

Only An Ziran felt that something was off. Thinking back on their conversation that day, Fu Wutian had indeed agreed to find someone to marry in An Yuzhi's place in order to protect Prince Fu's Manor's reputation. Although he had rejected An Ziran's suggestion of having An Changde's daughter stand in, he had also said that he already had someone in mind. By all rights, An Ziran should have been reassured—until Ge Qian'an arrived...

Under orders, Ge Qian'an delivered the wedding attire, along with two large trunks.

One trunk was filled with clothes in relatively light, vibrant colors, all meant for men. The other contained silk and satin fabrics, soft and smooth to the touch, incredibly expensive. Such materials were usually tribute goods, yet they had appeared here.

"May I ask what this means?" An Ziran looked at Ge Qian'an.

Ge Qian'an's expression did not change. "By the prince's order, I have delivered the wedding attire for the day of the marriage for Young Master An to inspect. His Highness personally ordered it made. If Young Master An finds no issues with it, I will return and report back."

No issues?

There was a huge issue!

When An Ziran saw what the wedding attire looked like, he was immensely glad that he had had all the servants leave beforehand. What followed would probably not be pleasant to watch. He had a very serious question that needed an explanation from Ge Qian'an.

An Ziran asked in as calm a tone as possible, "Why does this wedding attire look like something a man would wear?"

It did not merely look like it. It was exactly that.

Ge Qian'an's lips twitched faintly before his expression returned to its usual impassivity. "His Highness ordered it for Young Master An." He was not the only one who had had that question.

"Forgive my bluntness, but why is it for me?"

"His Highness said that the person marrying in An Yuzhi's place tomorrow is Young Master An. You agreed to it yourself."

Only now did An Ziran realize that Fu Wutian had set him up. The person Fu Wutian had in mind was actually him. No wonder Fu Wutian had refused to tell him who it was, while he had foolishly said that he would cooperate. Fu Wutian had deliberately sent the wedding attire only the day before the wedding. He must have figured that An Ziran no longer had time to find someone else, hadn't he?

"Is there some mistake? I never—"

Ge Qian'an cut him off. "If Young Master An has any questions, you may ask His Highness yourself. I still need to return and report back, so I will take my leave." With that, he turned and left without the slightest bit of courtesy.

Steward Su was already dumbfounded.

An Ziran silently looked at the red wedding attire on the table. It had been exquisitely tailored. Every stitch showed the work of an expert, and the patterns embroidered in gold thread were distinctive—neither gaudy nor overly elaborate. If Fu Wutian had truly given the instructions himself, then he had been very considerate toward the man who would wear it. No one would mistake him for a woman, nor would anyone look down on him.

"Young Master..." Steward Su looked at him as though he were on the verge of collapse, his eyes full of heartache and pity. Unaware of the truth, he assumed that An Ziran had agreed to marry into Prince Fu's Manor in An Yuzhi's place for the sake of the An Family. His heart was instantly filled with guilt. The young master was willing to sacrifice himself for them. How could Steward Su not be devastated?

An Ziran tugged lightly at the corner of his mouth. He had intended to explain, but after reconsidering, he gave up.

Steward Su had been worrying over the An Family all this time. Telling him now would only give him even more troubles.

When An Ziran said nothing, Steward Su took it as confirmation. Tears immediately streamed down his aged face. "What a sin! For the An Family, the young master has sacrificed so much. How will this old servant ever have the face to see the master after I die? This old servant has failed the master."

An Ziran: "..."

Even the "this old servant" had come out.

That afternoon, An Ziran went to Prince Fu's Manor to find Fu Wutian, but Steward Li told him that Fu Wutian had entered the palace and might not return until evening. Though An Ziran suspected that Fu Wutian might be deliberately avoiding him, there was nothing he could do if he had truly gone to the palace. He planned to visit again that evening, but before he could put that plan into action, Fu Wutian came personally...

An Ziran was greatly surprised. What surprised him even more was that Fu Wutian had not entered through the front gate.

In the cool, desolate courtyard, the tall, upright figure of the man was mostly swallowed by darkness. With the moonlight behind him, An Ziran could not see his face clearly. Only those shining eyes were fixed upon him.

"Qian'an said you wished to see me."

Fu Wutian spoke slowly. There seemed to be a faint smile in his eyes. This was already the second time he had smiled at An Ziran. If his subordinates had known, they would surely have been shocked. He had always had few expressions, yet unexpectedly, he was not a man of few words. He was a contradictory person.

An Ziran stared steadily at him. "Your Highness is certainly in the mood to visit by climbing over walls in the middle of the night."

Fu Wutian replied calmly, "I did not climb over a wall. I walked in openly through the front gate." After a pause, he added, "The gatekeeper was dozing off."

An Ziran: "..."

He would dismiss the gatekeeper tomorrow.

"Are you planning to talk here?" Fu Wutian said, looking thoroughly unconcerned.

An Ziran hesitated for a moment before inviting him into the study. The main hall was a bit farther away, and besides, even if someone saw two men alone together, they would not say anything. As he turned around, he did not see the glint that flashed through Fu Wutian's eyes.

The study had no particularly eye-catching decorations. It was filled mostly with books, clean and elegant like its owner, yet it had a certain charm. Like a cup of tea, its fragrance could only be savored after one had tasted it.

"Your Highness, please."

An Ziran poured him a steaming cup of water. There was no tea.

Fu Wutian did not disdain the bland, tasteless water at all. He picked it up, tilted back his head, and drained it in one gulp. The gesture was bold and unrestrained, carrying the vigor and charm unique to a man. If An Ziran had been a woman, he might have been drawn to him.

"Your Highness, to avoid wasting either of our time, I will be direct." An Ziran went straight to the point. He had no desire to beat around the bush. "Although I previously agreed to cooperate with you, I never agreed to marry in another's place. Please withdraw this arrangement and choose someone else."

Fu Wutian set the cup gently on the table and uttered two words. "Too late."

An Ziran's gaze sharpened slightly. "What is too late?"

Fu Wutian said with composure, "This morning, I entered the palace and reported the situation to His Majesty. I told him that the person I was marrying was not An Yuzhi, but the An Family's eldest young master, An Ziran. His Majesty has already agreed."

Though he made it sound simple, convincing that somewhat stubborn emperor to let him marry a man as his wife had not been easy. There had never been such a precedent in this dynasty, but that did not mean Fu Wutian had no means. In the end, the emperor had no choice but to agree.

"You did this on purpose."

The youth's cool voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of anger.

Fu Wutian raised his eyes and watched the person before him, as though this was the first time he had realized that An Ziran was only a sixteen-year-old youth. Every time they met, An Ziran behaved like a mature adult, without a trace of a young man's immaturity. Fu Wutian had investigated him before. The An Ziran in those reports was entirely different from the one he had met, as though they were two different people.

The old An Ziran had been complete trash. The current An Ziran seemed as though he had been infused with an adult's soul. Perhaps his parents' deaths had dealt him a blow, but that composure and steadiness felt as though it had been tempered over many years. His presence was fresher and more distant, like tea whose fragrance could only be discerned through slow savoring.

"This is the best solution, isn't it?" Fu Wutian said.

Anger showed on An Ziran's face. "Making me, a grown man, marry you is what you call the best solution?" In his eyes, it was simply an utterly terrible idea.

Fu Wutian watched the youth's angry expression and said without concern, "Did you think I would marry a concubine-born young lady from the An Family? The royal family's dignity must still be considered. After thinking it over, I decided that only you would do."

"I am a man," An Ziran said coldly.

Fu Wutian nodded. "That is obvious. The An Family's legitimate children only have you and your younger brother left. You would not have me marry that brother of yours who is only four months old, would you?"

An Ziran fell silent. He had once had that absurd thought, but he absolutely could not say it aloud. Still, he remained determined not to marry. A grown man wearing a bright red wedding robe to get married—even the twenty-first century had never done anything like that. In the end, Fu Wutian took a step back.

"You cannot deny that the An Family caused this mess, so you must bear a certain degree of responsibility." Fu Wutian spoke seriously. "However, for the sake of the friendship between your grandfather and mine, I can promise you this: if it truly does not work out, I will let you leave. I will help you assume a new identity and begin a new life. What do you say?"

It was the classic carrot-and-stick approach.

An Ziran understood that perfectly well, but Fu Wutian did have a point. Men and women were different. Once a woman lost her reputation, it could ruin her for life. Men, after all, were treated far more leniently.

"I agree. Remember your promise."

"Of course."

Fu Wutian agreed far too readily. In the future, he would teach An Ziran a vivid lesson titled How People Get Screwed Over by Scoundrels. Only then would An Ziran truly understand what kind of person Fu Wutian was. He was absolutely not human!