Wei Mingxiu's eyes flickered.
He looked up and met Zhou Ye's gaze, recalling what Zhou Ye had said to him in the Southern Spring Courtyard.
Becoming regent was Zhou Ye's true goal.
It was also the best way he could repay Zhou Ye.
Yet for some reason, over the time they had spent together, he had sensed no such ambition in Zhou Ye.
Zhou Ye had been both teacher and friend to him, guiding him forward step by step.
Yet during their sparring match yesterday, he had said, "If one day I'm no longer by your side..."
Was the power that left one lonely at the top truly what this man wanted?
At that thought, Wei Mingxiu could not help wanting to ask, but just then, a cheerful shout came from outside the Imperial Academy.
Then Wei Zeyu came dashing in, Xuexue in his arms.
"Sixth Brother! Junior Preceptor Zhou!"
"I'm here for class!"
Hearing him, Zhou Ye went to greet Wei Zeyu. "Since Your Highness could come today as well, Her Majesty the Empress must have given her permission."
"Mm-hmm! At first, my mother wouldn't agree and said she needed to think about it. But today she told me to come to the Imperial Academy of her own accord, and even asked me to bring Junior Preceptor Zhou a little gift!"
Zhou Ye raised a brow. "What gift?"
Wei Zeyu blinked, his eyes clear. "Junior Preceptor Zhou, hold out your hand!"
Zhou Ye did as he was told and held out his palm. The next moment, Wei Zeyu slapped two sunflower seeds into it.
"My mother said to offer Junior Preceptor Zhou some sunflower seeds!"
Zhou Ye froze for a moment, then smiled.
He understood that these were the two sunflower seeds he had deliberately tucked into the letter yesterday.
The Feng Family had stood firm at court through three reigns; clearly, none of them were easy to deal with.
Empress Feng was clever. Upon receiving Feng Chenyi's letter, she had guessed that the Zhou Family was behind it.
She would surely remember this favor and the debt she owed them.
Wei Mingxiu watched from the side, knowing he had missed another chance to ask.
He pressed his lips together but said nothing more.
After all, he knew that Zhou Ye's daily plans were all for his sake.
He did not want to distract Zhou Ye with his own idle thoughts again.
Noble Consort Shu was currently confined to the Buddhist prayer hall as punishment. Worried that Wei Chengye's fiery temper would cause more trouble, she had told him not to go to the Imperial Academy for the time being.
And so, for the whole morning, the Imperial Academy became Wei Zeyu's paradise.
For once, he put Xuexue down and picked up a wooden sword, following Wei Mingxiu's movements with surprising competence.
His expression was quite serious.
All because Zhou Ye had told him that practicing swordsmanship would let him protect the people important to him.
Wei Zeyu had then said he wanted to protect his mother, Xuexue, Eunuch Qin, and Sixth Brother.
He enthusiastically practiced alongside Wei Mingxiu.
Watching from the side, Zhou Ye asked the little system, [Good Baby, does what I've done count as changing the plot? Will it have any bad effects on the world?]
After all, he remembered that in the original story, Wei Mingxiu had never established a connection with the empress and the second prince, so when he later became a tyrant, he had shown no mercy in dealing with them.
Now, by helping Wei Mingxiu choose this safer path, he had also changed Wei Zeyu and the empress's fates. He did not know whether it would affect his mission.
[It doesn't!] the little system said. [At the start of the original story, Wei Mingxiu was already the emperor of Great Wei. Right now, we're essentially in the background of this world. As long as you bring your character's story to its proper end, the mission will be complete. It won't affect the world's stability, either.]
[That's pretty good, then.] Zhou Ye looked at the utterly innocent Wei Zeyu and said, [A child this pure should never be destroyed in a struggle for imperial power.]
In Kunning Palace, the empress had claimed to be ill yesterday, so she had to keep up the act today.
Thus, she did not summon the other consorts to pay their respects.
She only sent for Zhou Ya in secret.
After dismissing their attendants, the empress shed her sickly appearance, and a sharp gleam filled her eyes in an instant.
She asked Zhou Ya, "Have you heard about the Bai Family?"
"What about the Bai Family?"
"Still pretending?" Empress Feng leaned back against the bed rail and smiled reproachfully. "Wasn't it your own younger brother, Junior Preceptor Zhou, who sent the letter to the Patrol Camp headquarters?"
Zhou Ya's lips curved. She knew that by speaking this way, Empress Feng was taking the initiative to draw her to her side, so there was no need for her to be coy.
"How did Your Majesty know the person who sent the letter was my younger brother?"
"Chenyi said that although the arrow's head and tail had been cut off, it still penetrated two inches into a table leg. There are no more than five experts in the capital today capable of such a feat." Empress Feng smiled faintly. "There was one other thing, and it was the most amusing part."
"Guess what was in the letter besides the paper?"
Zhou Ya blinked and asked, "What else did he put in it?"
"Two sunflower seeds."
"Pfft, hahaha-" Zhou Ya accidentally burst out laughing.
"My younger brother really did take after me."
Zhou Ya still remembered how, when they were children, she and Zhou Ye would grab a handful of sunflower seeds and squat nearby, cracking them as they watched wherever there was excitement.
Now, although he was clearly engaged in such a dangerous scheme, he still had not changed his nature.
It was a little mischievous, but it had even amused the empress herself.
Empress Feng listened to Zhou Ya's hearty laughter and watched the lively expression on her face.
She was moved.
After a moment's silence, she spoke.
"It is precisely because of your personalities that I feel at ease joining forces with you."
Zhou Ya froze, understanding what she meant.
After all these years, Wei Zhao had truly broken the Feng Family's hearts.
By saying this, Empress Feng had made the Feng Family's position clear.
They were willing to become the Zhou Family's allies.
Thinking of the message Zhou Ye had sent him, Zhou Ya's expression turned serious as well.
She asked Empress Feng, "Your Majesty, do you wish to take back the empress's seal?"
"Naturally." Empress Feng said, "The empress's seal is the symbol of my status. Now that it has remained in Noble Consort Shu's hands all this time, I fear that I, the empress, have become a laughingstock to everyone under heaven."
"Then please keep a close eye on Noble Consort Shu for the time being, especially around the Qingming Festival. Do not let anyone with ulterior motives use the confusion to secretly switch a condemned prisoner."
Zhou Ya's warning struck straight at Empress Feng's heart, and her half-lidded eyes flew wide open.
"You mean she will use this time to switch Zhao Hai with a condemned prisoner and send him out of the city during the Qingming sacrificial ceremony?"
After speaking, the empress frowned and asked, "But deceiving the emperor is a grave crime. How would she dare actually do such a thing?"
Zhou Ya chuckled. "Your Majesty, have you heard the saying, 'When surrounding an army, leave an opening'?"