[Your heart lurched, but you dared not let any of it show. You stood where you were with your eyes lowered, pretending you were a block of wood.]
[The Imperial Study fell quiet for a moment. Only the smoke in the incense burner slowly rose.]
[The emperor put down the memorial and leaned back in his chair. "Sixteen years old, Houtian ninth level. Quite impressive."]
[He paused, then suddenly looked at Dingbei Hou and said with a smile, "Where did you find such a genius? She's even better than the one I found."]
[Dingbei Hou seemed to hear something in his words. The smile on his face froze for an instant before returning to normal. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. This girl is the descendant of an old soldier who served under me. She spent many years adrift among the common people, and I discovered her only through a chance encounter. Ultimately, it is because our Great Xia abounds in talent, and Your Majesty is richly blessed."]
[You glanced at Dingbei Hou.]
[This was supposed to be your background, yet Dingbei Hou had not even coordinated his story with you.]
[You had thought Dingbei Hou was loyal to his sovereign and devoted to his country. Now, it seemed he certainly was "devoted to his country," or he would not have so readily given you his family's martial technique. But "loyal to his sovereign"-that was very much open to question.]
["Richly blessed?" The emperor repeated the words, his tone flat, giving no indication whether he meant agreement or mockery. He reached for the teacup on his desk, lifted the lid, and skimmed it over the froth. In no hurry to drink, he looked at you through the curling steam.]
["Raise your head."]
[You raised your head as instructed, keeping your gaze on the inkstone before his desk rather than looking him in the eye.]
[Dingbei Hou had specifically instructed you to do this.]
[The emperor's gaze rested on your face for a moment. "She certainly has a pretty face. Whether she'll be of any use is another matter."]
[You said nothing, merely lowering your eyes a little further.]
[Dingbei Hou, however, seemed stung by those words. His brows stirred, and he was about to speak when the emperor waved a hand first.]
["It was merely a passing remark. No need to be nervous, Marquis." His tone relaxed, as though it really had been nothing more than an idle comment. "Sixteen years old, Houtian ninth level. At that age, with that cultivation, there are scarcely a handful like her in all of Great Xia. I'm very pleased with the person you've found. It's just her background-"]
[The emperor stared at your face, as though trying to pick out some flaw in your features. "If her origins are disputed, rashly sending her to the Five Nations Martial Arts Tournament might-cause further trouble."]
Jiang Mi frowned.
Great Xia had already lost so badly, and he was still worrying about trouble?
Even Dingbei Hou did not mind. What was wrong with this emperor?
A possibility suddenly occurred to her, and she hurriedly read on.
[Having finished speaking, the emperor raised his teacup and took a sip, watching you unhurriedly over its rim.]
[His words were blunt, even somewhat cutting.]
[Dingbei Hou's expression shifted slightly, but he did not speak. The emperor's gaze remained on you, as though waiting for your reaction.]
[You knew what he meant.]
[The emperor did not want you to participate in the Five Nations Martial Arts Tournament, but he did not want to say it himself.]
[What else could you do? You would have to be the one to say it.]
[Without looking at Dingbei Hou, you stepped forward and dropped to one knee, giving the emperor all the face he could ask for. "Your Majesty's concerns are justified. This commoner's origins are unclear. If Great Xia were to suffer disgrace because of me alone-"]
[You drew a deep breath, looking utterly heartbroken, and raised a hand to wipe the corner of your eye before continuing, "The Five Nations Martial Arts Tournament concerns the dignity of the nation. Please select another worthy talent, Your Majesty. This commoner-"]
["Enough."]
[The emperor interrupted you, a trace of impatience in his voice. Turning to Dingbei Hou, he asked, "What do you think, Marquis?"]
Indeed, stopping here was best for everyone.
Saying any more would make things unbecoming.
["Your subject obeys Your Majesty's will!"]
[Dingbei Hou answered crisply and decisively, looking ready to follow wherever the emperor led. It actually surprised you a little.]
[The emperor, however, was pleased with his manner and said with a smile, "You even managed to leave the jade I gave you at your residence. Go collect a few more pieces from the Imperial Preceptor, and be sure to wear them every day from now on. If I find you paying lip service while defying me behind my back again-"]
[There was a touch of intimacy in his tone, but his choice of words was ruthless.]
[Dingbei Hou bowed in assent, his expression unchanged, betraying nothing unusual. He straightened and took his leave. You followed him in saluting, and the two of you withdrew together.]
[Dingbei Hou remained silent the whole time. Having watched a few palace intrigue dramas, you knew not to speak carelessly in the palace, so you stayed quiet too.]
[Only when the sedan chair entered the bustling streets again did Dingbei Hou give a soft sigh.]
[Meeting your gaze, he waved a hand, looked away, then looked back at you and said with a hint of regret, "If you weren't in Great Xia, a sovereign might devote the entire nation's resources to nurturing you. A pity-"]
[You fell silent for a moment, finally realizing what an extraordinary affair you had become entangled in.]
[You had known nothing, but Dingbei Hou-]
[He had clearly known!]
[In fact, his readiness to give you cultivation methods and martial techniques might partly have been because he valued your talent, but it had undoubtedly been more an acknowledgment of your value as a pawn with which to test the emperor.]
Jiang Mi lowered her eyes and reflected.
Her thinking was still far too shallow. She had actually believed Dingbei Hou was selfless, teaching her everything he could for the sake of Great Xia's talent.
Now it seemed being a marquis was hardly that easy. They all had brains.
She sighed, then thought of the Young Marquis she had briefly met in the previous simulation. By comparison, Dingbei Hou's son really was a sweet, naive fool.
[Now you understood.]
[Bole appraised horses not because they were good horses, but because they were useful horses.]
[Although Dingbei Hou had not been sincere toward you, the cultivation methods and martial technique were real. If you had known earlier that accompanying Dingbei Hou to the palace would earn you two Spirit Rank cultivation methods and one Spirit Rank martial technique, you would have planted yourself at the main hall's entrance long ago.]
[So, after the initial shock, you were not upset at all. You were even in the mood to console Dingbei Hou. "Don't take it too much to heart, Marquis. Eight or nine things out of ten in life don't go as we wish. Just take it in stride."]
[You could tell that, after this trip, he seemed to have seen something clearly, and it weighed heavily on his heart.]
[Dingbei Hou did not stop walking. The lanterns beneath the deep corridor lit up one after another, drawing your two shadows from behind you to the front, then dragging them from the front to behind you again.]
[At the entrance to the main hall, Dingbei Hou finally stopped and asked, "You're not disappointed? You can't attend the Five Nations Martial Arts Tournament, can't enter Haoji Palace, can't fight on behalf of Great Xia-these are things countless scions of aristocratic clans yearn for but cannot obtain. You don't care at all?"]
[You offered no opinion, merely patting your waist.]
[The martial technique and cultivation methods Dingbei Hou had given you were all among the items inside. They made a dull sound with your movement, setting your heart thoroughly at ease.]
[Dingbei Hou stared at you for a moment, then could not help laughing. "You won't be able to attend the Five Nations Martial Arts Tournament, but don't worry. I won't take back the cultivation methods or martial technique. Besides-"]
[He forced an ugly smile and urged, "Leave. If you stay in Great Xia, there will be no way forward for you."]
What did that mean? Why could she not even stay in Great Xia in this simulation?
Just as Jiang Mi was puzzling over it, the simulation's text suddenly jumped ahead several lines.
Before you continue