AUBTN -Chapter 54 The Little Emperor Watching the Show

But the jade pendant was missing half of its piece, and the broken edge had long since been worn smooth and polished, clearly from being worn close to the body for years and treated as a treasured possession.

The chief eunuch, Eunuch Li, took it with trembling hands and presented it before Shen Jue.

Shen Jue lowered his eyes.

With just one glance, the usually casually smiling corners of his mouth suddenly stiffened.

That was… something from the Shen family.

It was the dowry of his mother, lost in the chaos the night his family was destroyed!

【Completely over… judging by Shen Jue’s expression, this jade pendant is definitely authentic!】

Su Hewan felt a buzzing in her head, her mind racing as she tried to retrieve every historical detail she knew about Shen Jue.

【But I remember, Shen Jue lived a lonely life. Apart from that cat, he didn’t even have a mosquito around. Where on earth did Jiang Ruyi come from? Could it be that because Yu Qing and I altered the course of history, the butterfly effect brought out this original wife?】

【Then what am I? Even though I don’t have a formal status… does that make me the third party interfering in someone else’s marriage? Or the cannon-fodder female supporting character blocking the male lead from returning to the right path?】

Shen Jue had been staring at the half-pendant, his eyes swirling with dark, unfathomable killing intent.

Suddenly, hearing Su Hewan’s rapid-fire self-denying thoughts, his brows twitched sharply.

A lonely life? Was he really that miserable?

He clenched the half-pendant tightly, his knuckles whitening from the force, and looked up at Su Hewan.

That glance alone stirred an inexplicable agitation in Shen Jue’s heart.

Before he could speak, on the other side, Song Zhaoyuan blinked her big eyes, took a few steps toward Lu Yan, and unfastened a slightly worn red-knotted charm from her waist. Pouting in grievance, she said, “Brother Lu Yan, don’t you remember me? I’m Yuan Yuan! When we were kids, you even practiced spear drills at my house! This is the double-heart knot you tied yourself when you were ten. Inside, it even has our birthdates and times. It’s… it’s supposed to mean that when we grow up, you’ll marry me as your wife!”

Lu Yan looked at the double-heart knot—worn but well-preserved—and his expression changed drastically!

Looking back at Song Zhaoyuan, the long-dead memories suddenly surged back.

It was her?

When his mother was alive, she had forced him to tie it to appease the crying little girl from the Song family.

At the time, he was young and clueless, not understanding the meaning of “two hearts as one,” and saw it only as a toy to soothe a child.

But now, with this woman presenting it in public, its significance… had completely changed!

“You’ve had quite the luck with beauties, Lu Yan,” Yu Qing said, shrinking into her chair, her tone faintly chilling.

【Hmph! That Lu Yan, what a dog of a man! Childhood friends, innocent playmates? Normally he looks like a restrained highland flower, and yet… behind my back—no, wait, I’m not anyone to him anyway. Tsk! Why am I even angry?】

【Wuwuwu… but he’s my long-term meal ticket, my golden thigh, my rich-dream prince! It’s all over now! Song Zhaoyuan obviously has the proper first-wife aura. A mysterious, flashy, lowly-status woman like me is definitely going to be swept out the door!】

【Maybe I should slip away now? I heard prices are low down in Jiangnan, and there are plenty of handsome young men…】

“Try taking a single step!”

Lu Yan suddenly roared, scaring everyone present into stunned silence!

Who was he talking about?!

He glared at Yu Qing with furious eyes.

This woman, usually so brazen, was thinking of running away now?

And going to Jiangnan to find a young man?

The scene instantly fell into an eerie stillness.

Two breathtaking beauties, two high-ranking officials, two utterly flustered time-traveling palace maids.

And one little emperor, watching the spectacle with keen interest.

“This… this really is…”

The little emperor sat on his high seat, his big, glossy black eyes scanning the people below him.

His expression looked exactly like someone in a teahouse listening to a storyteller had reached the most thrilling part of the tale.

Though he was young, he had grown up in the inner palace and understood all the twists and turns better than anyone.

The timing of the appearance of these two women was too perfect.

So perfect, it seemed as if someone had meticulously plotted it—right at this victory banquet, when the imperial power had just stabilized and both Lu and Shen were at the height of their influence, a trap had been laid for them.

If they acknowledged it, Lu Yan and Shen Jue would gain a vulnerability, perhaps even come under the control of the forces behind these two women.

If they didn’t acknowledge it, the token was irrefutable. Breaking their promise in public would not only ruin their reputation but would also be unbecoming of gentlemen.

Especially the jade pendant in Jiang Ruyi’s hand—that was a relic of the Shen family, representing their purity and legacy.

The little emperor’s gaze swept over the ashen-faced Su Hewan and the utterly dejected Yu Qing, and he let out a quiet chuckle in his heart.

These two elder sisters were usually clever as foxes, yet when faced with this situation, they were as foolish as silly geese.

“Since there is a token, then it cannot be faked.”

The little emperor suddenly spoke.

Su Hewan and Yu Qing’s hearts dropped immediately.

【It’s over! It’s over! The little emperor has spoken!】

Yu Qing wailed inwardly, then turned and pouted at Su Hewan.

【Looks like Wanwan and I should start preparing to register for the Cold Palace!】

Shen Jue narrowed his eyes, fingers playing with the jade pendant, cold energy radiating from him, ready to retort.

But the little emperor winked at him.

“However…” the little emperor shifted his tone, a trace of seriousness appearing on his youthful face.

“Now that the court has just stabilized, and the two ministers occupy important posts with busy duties, matters of marriage—uniting two families—cannot be rushed. Moreover, since these two young ladies are descendants of old acquaintances, their identities must be verified to prevent those with ill intentions from exploiting any loopholes.”

As he spoke, he waved his small hand:

“Let it be known by my decree: Jiang Ruyi and Song Zhaoyuan shall be taken by the two ministers to reside temporarily in their mansions. They will stay in Chuxiu Palace under the proper care of the Imperial Household Department. Once the Ministry of Rites and the Clan Office have verified their backgrounds, a decision will be made.”

This delaying tactic was executed perfectly.

It neither publicly embarrassed Lu Yan and Shen Jue nor directly acknowledged the two proposed marriages.

Instead, it placed these two hot potatoes firmly within the palace, right under their noses.

Officially, it was for investigation; in reality, it was house arrest.

Jiang Ruyi and Song Zhaoyuan exchanged a glance. Though somewhat unwilling, they knew this was the best outcome for now, and both bowed slightly to show their gratitude.

“As decreed.”

The banquet ended, and the ministers withdrew.

In the Imperial Study, the candlelight burned brightly.

Su Hewan and Yu Qing stood at the imperial desk like two schoolgirls caught misbehaving, heads bowed, hardly daring to breathe.

The little emperor dismissed the attendants, leaving only the two of them.

He jumped down from the dragon throne, hands behind his back, and walked up to them. Tilting his head up, he let out a sigh far beyond his years.

“Elder sisters, where has your usual cleverness gone?”

Su Hewan pressed her lips together, forcing down the sourness in her heart, and spoke softly:

“Your Majesty, that is a token of the Shen family… and Miss Jiang appears to be a proper young lady of good family…”

“A proper young lady of good family? And that means she can steal someone else’s husband?” The little emperor rolled his eyes, not an ounce of the majesty he had displayed earlier in the hall remaining.