Chapter 82: Resolving Doubts and Dispelling Confusion (Part Three)

Qin Siyu looked at Tao Ming and laughed. “I’ve never seen a woman sit the way you do.”

Tao Ming thought to herself, I’d love to sprawl out on a couch like Ge You, but there isn’t even a sofa here! This wretched chair is so uncomfortable.

Tugging at her dress, she said, “Father, before coming to Weishui, I’d never even worn a skirt! If I were in trousers, I could do a handstand for you right now.”

Qin Siyu burst out laughing. “Now it seems that leaving you in the other world wasn’t entirely a bad thing after all.”

Tao Ming wholeheartedly agreed. “I’m truly grateful I grew up elsewhere. If I’d been here, I’d have suffocated.”

Sensing the conversation drifting, Tao Ming asked, “Father, did the Seventh Prince ever tell you that the Third Prince died right before his eyes?”

Qin Siyu’s smile faded. “He mentioned it once, but I didn’t inquire further.”

A surge of anger rose in Tao Ming’s chest. “Father, if you knew what the Heavenly Emperor was up to in the palace, why didn’t you stop him?”

“What the Emperor does in his harem is hardly the business of outsiders like us.”

At first glance, that seemed reasonable, but Tao Ming couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more beneath the surface.

She pressed on. “I went to the palace today and saw—not a single guard anywhere inside or out. That’s not normal!”

Instead of answering, Qin Siyu asked, “Did you visit Dongchang Tower today?”

Tao Ming thought for a moment. “Is that the building where the Qin and Su families stay? I went into Listening Wind Pavilion and Moon Gazing Pavilion.”

“That’s the one. The top floor is called Star Plucking Pavilion. From its window, you can see every building in the palace laid out before you.”

“The Qin family has a similar tall tower, on the street behind the palace, facing Dongchang Tower from afar.”

“Every movement of the Heavenly Emperor is watched by both the Qin and Su families. Every item brought into the palace, every bit of refuse carried out, is inspected by our people. So whether anyone wants to sneak into the palace, or the Emperor wants to sneak out, it’s impossible.”

Tao Ming was astonished. “That’s nothing short of house arrest!”

Qin Siyu nodded. “It’s a last resort. Over the last thousand years, the Heavenly Emperor has grown increasingly erratic. If we didn’t confine him to the palace, disaster would be inevitable.”

Tao Ming sighed. “So being the Heavenly Emperor isn’t as enviable as it sounds.”

Qin Siyu laughed. “Both our families are waiting to see whether the Sixth or Seventh Prince is more suited to the throne.”

Tao Ming shook her head. “That’s no real solution. The only true way forward is to reshape society itself.”

Thinking of social structure, Tao Ming remembered something else. “Father, tell me about the bureaucracy here. Does the Emperor actually hold court? How are his edicts carried out?”

“There are still some formalities,” Qin Siyu replied, then asked, “Did the Seventh Prince tell you about the Emperor’s massacre of the refugees?”

Tao Ming nodded.

“After that incident, the Qin and Su families joined forces to strip the Emperor of power. Only the Imperial Dragon Guard remains outside our control for now. Nearly every official post in Weishui is appointed by our two families. There are a few exceptions, but they haven’t caused trouble, so we leave them be.”

Tao Ming was even more puzzled. “Then why did the Emperor send people to receive us?”

“Appearances must be maintained. Any information the Emperor receives is what we want him to know.”

“But to be honest, Softie really did break from our plans. We never expected another Sacred Beast to appear, so the restrictions placed by each clan’s sanctum are still in effect.”

Tao Ming’s mind was spinning. “Isn’t the appearance of a Sacred Beast a good thing?”

Qin Siyu shook his head. “Every time a Sacred Beast emerges, Weishui is thrown into upheaval. It’s not entirely a blessing. The previous Holy Child died under suspicious circumstances. I don’t know what the Su family thinks, but the Qin family hasn’t had a new child in ages.”

“Besides, Weishui has only ever heard legends of the four Sacred Beasts. This is the first time we’ve actually seen the White Tiger, one of them. I fear this turmoil will be greater than ever before.”

Seeing Tao Ming’s uneasy expression, he added, “Softie is the Holy Maiden now, which is a good thing. From now on, the Qin family’s younger generation can have children freely.”

After all Qin Siyu had said, Tao Ming felt her mind was even more entangled, threads of confusion she couldn’t unravel. She could only speak honestly, “Father, I feel like you know more than you’re telling me. What else are you hiding?”

Qin Siyu smiled gently. “You’re still young—some things you can’t know yet.”

Tao Ming protested, “You just said you’d tell me everything!”

Qin Siyu reached out as if to ruffle her hair, but stopped halfway, saying, “If you really want to rebel, go and see for yourself, understand with your own eyes. Don’t let me sway your judgment.”

Before Tao Ming could respond, he added, “It’s late—go and rest. There’s plenty of time.”

Tao Ming looked at him pleadingly. “Father, just one more question!”

Qin Siyu sighed. “Go ahead.”

“I heard from Su Nanxing that the Emperor’s power is unfathomable. How did you manage to sideline him so easily? It doesn’t make sense!”

Qin Siyu hesitated a long moment before replying, “This ties back to the previous Emperor—it’s complicated. I’ll tell you another time.”

“Please, Father, tell me. How will I sleep otherwise?” Tao Ming wheedled.

But Qin Siyu was unmoved. “Another time. Go rest for now.”

Tao Ming had no choice but to return to her room.

Sure enough, Su Nanxing was still awake. When he saw Tao Ming come in, his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Tao Ming’s mood was sour, and it showed on her face. Su Nanxing came over. “You look upset.”

Tao Ming nodded.

Su Nanxing scooped her up and kissed her forehead. “Tell me about it.”

Tao Ming forced a smile. “Let me wash up first. If possible, I’d like a bath too—I feel all sticky.”

Su Nanxing lifted her into his arms as he walked. “Let me help you.”

Tao Ming rolled her eyes but let him carry her to the bathroom.

Once inside, Su Nanxing set her down. “I’ll fetch hot water,” he said, and went out.

Tao Ming looked around. The bathroom was small, with a washstand holding a wooden basin and a wooden tub next to it, and nothing else.

She took out her toiletries and conjured a water orb to brush her teeth.

Her mind whirled as she listed out all the information she’d just heard. Yet the more she thought, the more muddled it became. Each matter seemed connected, but when she examined Qin Siyu’s words closely, the links felt tenuous. Surely there were vital clues she still lacked.

Lost in thought, Tao Ming stood motionless with her toothbrush, forgetting even to rinse, until Su Nanxing returned carrying two buckets of hot water.

He saw her staring blankly at the washstand, toothbrush in hand, toothpaste foam at her lips. With a sigh, he set down the buckets, walked over, took the toothbrush from her, and handed her a cup. “Rinse your mouth.”

Mechanically, Tao Ming took the cup, but just swished the water around without spitting. Su Nanxing, seeing this, cupped her cheeks with both hands and gently squeezed, making her spit out the water.

Tao Ming snapped back to herself and laughed. “I used to do that to Softie—it drove her mad. She said she’d complain to you about it.”

Su Nanxing laughed too. “Hurry up and rinse, the toothpaste’s drying.”

Tao Ming gathered her scattered thoughts and focused on rinsing her mouth.