"Are you so sure?" Ge Zian looked at Wei Shuxuan suspiciously.
"Didn't he say he'd never seen his father? Then he surely won't go looking for his father's relatives. But," Wei Shuxuan paused, "I don't know if he really doesn't know."
"I thought you'd trusted him unconditionally."
"It's impossible to trust someone completely. After all, I'm not very familiar with him. I only trust you, Xin Zizhao, and Wei Wei completely. As for others, I'm not that..." Wei Shuxuan said very straightforwardly.
"So you want him to go out with us?"
"I don't really care. I don't know what he himself thinks. Unless he wants to stay in the capital of his own free will. This time he just came back with me because I was coming back. I respect your young people's opinions, but I still have to ask Xin Zizhao. If he doesn't agree, there's nothing I can do."
Seeing Wei Shuxuan looking so indifferent, Ge Zian smiled. "Do you think the emperor will agree?"
"Hmm..." Wei Shuxuan thought seriously for a while. "Actually, I think there's about a 50% chance he'll agree."
"Is this... just your intuition?"
"Just intuition."
When Wei Shuxuan returned to Fenghe Hall, as soon as she walked through the main gate, she saw Steward Li standing there. "Steward Li, I'm back."
"Welcome back, Empress. The emperor is waiting for you in the main hall."
"Why did he come back so early today? Steward Li, did you do as I told you?" Wei Shuxuan quickly lowered her voice and asked him.
"Yes. The emperor said he'd finished all his business and came back early to have lunch with the empress. Don't worry, empress. I did everything you told me to do."
"Well done, Steward Li!" Wei Shuxuan happily patted Steward Li on the shoulder. Although excited, she still lowered her voice to praise him.
"It's my duty. You'd better go in and find the emperor quickly."
Steward Li smiled and urged Wei Shuxuan to go into the main hall to find Xin Zizhao.
"Okay."
As soon as Wei Shuxuan walked into the main hall, she heard the crisp sound of porcelain colliding when Xin Zizhao put down his teacup. Then came Xin Zizhao's magnetic voice. "Where did you go?"
"I just went out to visit godfather and Zian."
"Why did you come back so soon?" Wei Shuxuan saw that Xin Zizhao's somewhat gloomy face brightened after hearing her words.
"I missed you, so I came back early to have lunch with you!" Wei Shuxuan could tell at a glance that Xin Zizhao must be a bit unhappy now. Of course, she quickly said some nice words to please him. Otherwise, how could she bring up the matter with Xin Zizhao later?
"Really? Your mouth is quite sweet. Did you just say nice things to me because you saw me angry?" Since Wei Shuxuan could tell that Xin Zizhao was angry, he could surely tell that Wei Shuxuan was trying to cheer him up.
"Why are you angry? I just went out for a while!" Seeing that the flattering strategy didn't work, Wei Shuxuan had to change her approach.
"Are you sure you didn't go to see that kid, Sima Yongheng?" Xin Zizhao looked at her.
As long as she didn't admit it, Xin Zizhao couldn't do anything to her. "No. Why do you think so? Don't you trust me?"
"I don't distrust you. I just don't want you to see that young man anymore."
"Humph. You just don't trust me!" Now it was her turn to be angry.
Seeing Wei Shuxuan's expression, Xin Zizhao surrendered. "Okay, okay. I won't argue with you about this. We'll set off for Kele Town in three days."
"Kele Town? Where is it?"
"It's a small town on the border."
Just as Ge Zian said, Xin Zizhao was really going to the border. Was he going to investigate the strange case Ge Zian mentioned?
"Are you going to investigate the strange case that happened on the border?"
"Yes. How did you know about this?" Xin Zizhao looked at her suspiciously. But then he thought she must have heard it from Ge Zian, so he asked, "Did Zian tell you?"
"He just guessed. I didn't expect him to be right. Speaking of this, have you decided who to take with you?" Wei Shuxuan looked up at Xin Zizhao.
"Of course I've decided. Xin Shang, Wei Wei, Zian, and a group of secret guards. General Long An came to see me today and said he must go with us. Didn't you say Zian disagreed? I told him that if Zian agreed, he could go with us."
"As long as godfather throws a tantrum, Zian will agree soon. By the way, I have something else to tell you. Yongheng said he also wants to go with us. Do you agree?"
"...What's the reason?" As soon as Xin Zizhao heard the name Sima Yongheng, his eyes instantly turned cold.
"He said he wants to look for his mother's relatives."
At this moment, Xin Zizhao fell silent. Seeing him not saying a word, Wei Shuxuan called out to him. "Hey, Xin Zizhao. Do you agree or not?"
"Then let him go with us."
Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Zizhao and smiled. "Are you up to some tricks in your mind?"
"I want him to clearly know that you're mine."
"Ah, you're so annoying! I've already made it very clear to him, and he understands it too! Stop being jealous for no reason, okay?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
The two kept arguing about this in the main hall. Steward Li was standing outside with the dishes in his hands, not knowing whether to go in or just not disturb them.
After lunch, Wei Shuxuan said to Xin Zizhao, "I want to go to General Long An's mansion."
"What do you want to do there?"
"I want to see how godfather persuades Zian to go with us."
Xin Zizhao smiled. "Sure. Then let's go."
When Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao arrived at General Long An's mansion by carriage, there was a heated argument going on in the main hall. They could hear the quarreling between Ge Long'an and Ge Zian even before they reached the door.
"Wow, it's so intense!" Wei Shuxuan whispered.
"What are you two arguing about?" Xin Zizhao walked into the main hall of the general's mansion and asked seriously.
"Your Majesty, I'm trying to persuade father not to go to the border with us. Please help me persuade him too."