176: Chapter 176 A person whose name reflects their character

Perhaps it was the alcohol getting to his head, or perhaps he was pleased by her sudden concern.

He suddenly let out a low chuckle.

“Beloved Consort, I once memorized a poem.”

“Drink your fill while there is wine today; let not the golden goblet face the moon in vain.”

He recited a line, took another sip, and cast his gaze toward the distant night sky, his tone lingering.

“Beloved Consort, life in this world is like the morning dew; the days gone by are many and full of bitterness.”

“Yesterday is gone and cannot be regretted.”

“Tomorrow has not yet arrived, so why fear it?”

“Why must one always be bound by the past and anxious over an unknown tomorrow?”

He turned his head, speaking each word clearly and slowly.

“Beloved Consort, you must learn to follow your heart. Live for the person you are today.”

“At this moment, with this body and this heart, if you feel this wine should be drunk, then drink it.”

“If you feel this person should be protected, then protect them.”

“As for yesterday's grievances and tomorrow's storms, let them be.”

“Where the heart leads and the body follows—that is the most authentic way to live, a life that should not be squandered.”

Follow your heart, and live for the person you are today.

This was the first time Su Daji had ever heard someone say such words to her.

In her short life,

She had indeed always lived as a tool, living for the sake of hatred.

Yet the man before her, the target she was supposed to kill,

Was telling her:

You are no longer a tool.

But a person, true to your name.

She stared at Su Chen's profile as he drank.

All the words that had reached her lips were now stuck in her throat.

Ultimately, she only silently clutched the warm fox fur robe around her more tightly.

She lowered her head and said no more.

Su Chen didn't speak further either, only taking an occasional sip.

Most of the time, his gaze rested on the vast starry sky, as if enjoying this rare moment of tranquility as a sovereign.

However, his heart was not nearly as calm.

He could clearly see Su Daji's wavering.

Her conflict over her origins and her obsession with hatred were the deepest chasms lying between them.

In the end, whether it was to increase Su Daji's favorability according to the system's prompts or to complete the investment task,

He had to find the reason why Su Daji hated him.

Relying solely on subtle influence and ambiguous warmth might make her hesitate, but it wouldn't necessarily untie this Gordian knot completely.

If the hatred didn't stem from his treatment of her,

Then there could only be an issue with Su Daji's origins.

If she truly were the daughter of Su Hu, the Marquis of Jizhou, she shouldn't harbor such a grudge against him for no apparent reason.

After all, he didn't even know the guy.

By now, he could basically determine that she was definitely a blade chosen by those immortals hiding behind the scenes—those pushing the "Mandate of Heaven"—to be thrust into the heart of the Yin Dynasty.

The Hehuan Sect probably chose her because of the grand promises made by those immortals.

In that case...

This Hehuan Sect was also highly suspicious.

Behind her intent to kill him,

There was likely a deeper, more secret reason hidden.

It was even possible that she herself was being kept in the dark.

It was time to begin an investigation.

The night was as dark as ink, and the galaxy was gradually fading.

Su Chen finished the last drop of wine in his cup and gently set the jade goblet on the table with a soft clink.

His gaze swept over Su Daji, who was still curled up in the fox fur robe, already asleep.

“It seems I not only need to use my own men to investigate her origins,”

“But I must also find an opportunity to visit Zhou Dynasty.”

Su Chen thought to himself.

Not just because it was the only path to completing his investment,

But also because

He was unwilling to let his country fall and his people perish due to the schemes of the gods and Buddhas.

If an established destiny truly could not be changed,

He would still leave a mark before those high-and-mighty deities that belonged solely to him, this "comet."

...

It was time for the Grand Court session again.

For both Su Chen and the officials of the Yin Dynasty,

This was merely a game of going through the motions, yet one that had to be played.

The tassels of his imperial crown hung low, obscuring half of Su Chen's face.

Ever since he had purged the Ji Dynasty spies from the court,

He no longer had any villains among his subordinates.

However, they were all quite foolish and cowardly.

Below the throne, the hundred officials held their breath, and the sound of reports echoed feebly through the vast hall.

They spoke only of trivial matters.

Nothing more than where another "auspicious omen" had appeared, or where "the people's hearts have returned to us."

Or where the "rebellious intent of the Zhou Dynasty is becoming apparent."

Truth and falsehood were intertwined.

Su Chen listened half-heartedly.

His mind was already elsewhere.

“Court is dismissed.”

Without waiting for the Official in Charge of Ceremonies to finish his announcement, Su Chen uttered those three words with a hint of impatience and rose, flicking his sleeves.

He didn't look at anyone, including Su Daji, who was standing to the side and, surprisingly, hadn't spent the day trying to seduce him.

Instead, he turned directly and walked away quickly through the side hall passage.

He left the civil and military officials looking at each other in bewilderment, secretly speculating why this increasingly unpredictable sovereign was displeased again.

He did not return to the Deer Terrace, nor did he go to the Star-Plucking Tower.

Instead, he dismissed all his attendants and crossed through multiple layers of palace gates alone, arriving at an extremely hidden secret room deep within the palace.

This place was originally meant for the royal family to conduct top-secret discussions, and now it was used by Su Chen as a place to speak with his Secret Attendants.

The secret room had no windows; only a single flickering candle in the center of the room faintly illuminated the simple furnishings.

A table, several chairs.

And three men currently kneeling on one knee on the stone floor.

They were all trusted aides Su Chen had cultivated, who had already played a role during the drought in the Zheng Territory.

“Speak. How goes the investigation into Zhou Dynasty?”

The person on the left was the first to speak.

“Reporting to the Great King, the three of us were ordered to infiltrate Zhou Dynasty to conduct open and secret investigations. We focused on investigating the Marquis Su Hu's manor and Beauty Su's hometown.”

“Were there any unusual findings?”

“I instructed you to focus on the Su Hu manor and the records of Su Daji's background. Have you investigated those?”

The person in the middle took over, his tone carrying a hint of confusion.

“The strangeness lies exactly there, Great King.”

“Initially, when we infiltrated the Marquis's manor and reviewed some documents, we were all left feeling perplexed.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with Beauty Su's background.”

“But... it's too clean.”

“Logically speaking, it's impossible for a beauty of her caliber to grow up in a small place like Zhou Dynasty without causing even the slightest stir.”

“Yet in the information we could find on Su Daji, she appears just like an ordinary noble lady.”

“Born, studied reading and writing, came of age, and then was sent here to you, Great King.”

Su Chen nodded.

The Secret Guard meant that someone with the profile of a main character had lived out the plot of an NPC.

That was definitely not right.

“Then, besides the records, did you ask any of the people involved?”

“Great King, we did.”

“However, everyone in the Marquis's manor is extremely tight-lipped about Beauty Su's matters. Marquis Su Hu himself is also quite evasive, only saying that Su Daji was born to a concubine, and that concubine has already passed away.”