TFWYH – Chapter 685 Situation in North Korea

Ling Yue felt as though a pie had fallen from the sky.

She never would have imagined that this miserly iron rooster would actually let her pluck some feathers from him.

Studying Yu Ziqing curiously, she blurted out:

“You haven’t been possessed by someone, have you?”

“Hey!”

Yu Ziqing was so exasperated that he laughed.

“You little brat, why can’t you recognize good intentions? I’m practically delivering myself to your doorstep to be taken advantage of, and you still won’t do it?”

Ling Yue looked genuinely puzzled.

“But… why? This doesn’t seem like something you’d do.”

In the past, hadn’t Yu Ziqing always demanded forty or fifty percent?

Why had he suddenly changed his ways today?

Her sister-in-law had once told her:

“If someone suddenly starts doing favors for you for no reason, they’re either after something or up to no good.”

Sighing, Yu Ziqing replied with unusual sincerity:

“Things are different now. Your Ling family is one of the rising powers in the capital and enjoys considerable imperial favor. Why would I make enemies of you when I can build a good relationship instead?”

Ling Yue: “…”

Was that really all?

Yu Ziqing continued patiently:

“You’re still young. Your brother probably hasn’t explained the political situation at court to you. Right now, your brother is someone every prince wants to win over. All I hope is that if the Wenxuan Marquis’s household ever encounters trouble in the future, you can ask your brother to lend us a helping hand.”

Choosing a political faction was always a gamble.

Wealth and glory came with risks.

And now the Emperor’s intentions had become impossible to read, completely unlike before.

In the past, even if the Emperor had no intention of naming the Second Prince as Crown Prince, he still wouldn’t have moved against him.

Because he needed the Second Prince and the First Prince to compete against each other.

But now?

The Emperor had effectively cut off the Second Prince’s line of descendants.

Anyone with even basic political awareness knew how terrifying that was for someone competing for the throne.

Without heirs, a prince was essentially disqualified from succession.

Yet the most baffling part was that after cutting off the Second Prince’s future, the Emperor hadn’t completely crushed him.

On the contrary, over the past few days he had promoted many officials from the Second Prince’s faction to important positions.

It wasn’t just Yu Ziqing who couldn’t understand these bizarre political maneuvers.

The First Prince and Third Prince probably couldn’t make sense of them either.

What worried Yu Ziqing most was the possibility that the Second Prince would ultimately lose any chance at the throne and drag the Wenxuan Marquis’s household down with him.

That was why he wanted the Wenxuan Marquis’s household to maintain good relations with every important official at court.

He would rather owe people favors than risk losing the family’s prestige and security.

Ling Yue listened in a daze.

Most of it went completely over her head.

She had a talent for business, but politics was another matter entirely.

Still, she understood one thing:

This wasn’t a decision she could make.

So she said:

“Brother Ziqing, I don’t dare make decisions on my brother’s behalf, so I can’t help you with that. But I can take you home to meet him. Why don’t you speak to him personally? If he agrees, then we’ll cooperate. If he doesn’t, then let’s forget about it.”

“That works.”

After thinking it over, Yu Ziqing agreed.

Truthfully, he felt it was time he spoke with Ling Yu anyway.

His father was far too carefree.

All he knew was how to follow behind the Second Prince without hesitation.

And he was dragging the entire family along with him.

Yu Ziqing couldn’t afford to think that way.

He still had his mother and three brothers to worry about.

He couldn’t allow that stubborn old man to charge straight ahead without considering the consequences.

After reaching an agreement, Ling Yue brought Yu Ziqing back to the Minister’s residence.

By then, it was already late in the day.

Ling Yu had finished handling official business and was returning home as well.

The three of them happened to meet at the entrance.

Dressed in his dark crimson official robes, Ling Yu appeared even more handsome and distinguished than before.

When he saw Yu Ziqing, his brows lifted slightly.

His refined and elegant features seemed to shimmer with an almost enchanting brilliance.

Yu Ziqing: “…”

This damned beauty.

Ling Yue, however, had seen her brother often enough to be largely immune.

As soon as she spotted him, she hurried over and explained everything that had happened.

By then, Yu Ziqing had also walked forward.

Politely cupping his hands in greeting, he said:

“Brother Ling, I’ve come without an invitation. I hope you won’t take offense.”