The princess regretted it.

Chapter 381 Reminders and Suspicions

As he spoke, the Emperor leaned slightly closer to Jin An, and gently tapped his smooth forehead with his broad, warm fingers. An indulgent smile unconsciously appeared on his face, and his tone became lighter: "You, do you know that the men of the Yu Kingdom all like to grow thick and dense beards? They feel that such a rough and heroic appearance can show their masculinity."

Upon hearing this, Jin An's lips curled up into a bright and charming smile. She shrank her neck coquettishly, her eyebrows curved, and her eyes sparkled with a lively light. Then, she put away her smile, as if she had thought of something, and looked a little puzzled. Her clear almond-shaped eyes were filled with doubt, and she said slowly, "Father, although I have never met Prince Dun, after hearing what you said, I feel that Prince Dun may not be so simple."

The emperor's expression froze when he heard this. He sat up straight from leaning forward and waved in the direction of Eunuch Fuquan. Eunuch Fuquan bowed in understanding and withdrew.

The emperor sat in his chair, his back straight. He looked at Jin'an with a sharp gaze, mixed with a hint of scrutiny. He asked seriously, "Oh? Really? Then tell me, why is this Prince Dun so unusual? What's wrong with him?"

In fact, the emperor had sensed that Jin'an's sensitivity to certain things had indeed changed over the past few days. So when he heard her say this, thinking about how she had braved the wind and snow to come to him, could it be that Jin'an knew something? Where had she gotten it from?

"Father, I have never been exposed to the ways of the people of Yu, nor have I dealt with Prince Dun. I don't know much about them or him." Jin An didn't care if his father would have second thoughts after he directly expressed his opinion of Prince Dun. But if Prince Dun of Yu wasn't as he usually appeared, it meant he was quite scheming. He had to find a way to get your attention, to prevent him from deceiving them and causing them to suffer losses during the peace talks.

"But I've heard people mention before that the younger brother of the Yu King, while usually indifferent to court affairs, is deeply favored by the Yu Emperor and holds a very high position within the kingdom." She paused, tilted her head slightly, pursed her lips, and continued, "But the Yu Kingdom has come to our court this time to discuss such a serious matter as compensation and peace talks. In my opinion, no country would neglect such a matter. So shouldn't they send someone capable and prestigious to oversee the situation?"

Jin An raised his eyes to look at the Emperor and continued, "Hmm~, in my opinion, even if Prince Dun is favored, if he is really an idle prince who doesn't care about state affairs as the rumors say, then sending him here this time doesn't seem too disrespectful and too frivolous to take the peace talks seriously?"

As he spoke, Jin'an's expression was vivid, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with confusion. The corners of his mouth curled slightly downward, as if he were genuinely baffled by the Yu Kingdom's casual approach to selecting its envoys for peace talks. He seemed completely innocent, without a trace of other thoughts.

Jin'an's words successfully aroused the emperor's suspicion. A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Jin'an beside him. His fingers leaning on the chair gently stroked the armrest.

After a moment's silence, he said in a deep voice: "What you said does make sense. I previously thought that the State of Yu sent him here, firstly because of his status and position, and secondly because he wanted to gain some sympathy by virtue of his status as a relative of the nobles. If it is as you said, the motives of the State of Yu may not be pure, and Prince Dun's mind may not be that simple. Then this peace talk may have hidden secrets." His eyes were solemn, and his expression was full of worry. His fingers rubbed the armrest more and more frequently, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

"However, Father truly did not expect you to grow so quickly, or to possess such insight into these court affairs. I imagine your grandfather and his family have given you a lot of instruction!" The Emperor shifted the subject, his eyes searching at Jin An. While he knew his daughter was intelligent, her keen insight into the affairs of another nation was truly odd.

Jin An was mentally prepared and calm as he replied softly, "Your Majesty, it's not like you don't know my grandfather. He has kept the word 'rules' in his heart all his life and has the utmost respect for the Three Bonds and Six Constant Virtues. When I was a child, my mother told me that what my grandfather talked about most at home was that women should do their duty. In his eyes, court affairs were men's business and women should not get involved. Even if my aunt was worried about my uncle at the border, he wouldn't allow her to ask if asking would touch upon my uncle's official duties." As Jin An spoke, he pouted slightly, with a playful and helpless expression on his face, as if he understood his grandfather's old-fashioned ways but couldn't help but want to complain a little.

The emperor heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Jin'an's words. Hearing Jin'an mention his deceased wife reminded him of her past actions. She had been in the palace for many years, yet she had never interfered in court affairs. Within those four red walls, she had managed the harem with impeccable order through her kindness and generosity. Despite the complexities of the harem, she handled them with ease, never allowing herself to be bothered by the mere presence of the harem.

Whenever he was overwhelmed and frustrated by the disputes at court, she was always the first to notice. She didn't question the disputes, but simply comforted him with kind words. She was always sensitive to the subtle changes in his emotions, and in her own way, she silently cared for him and took good care of him. So when he encountered problems, she was the place he often went to, as if she was a kind of comfort and support.

And then there's the Prime Minister's Office, whose actions over the years have been remarkable. Since his ascension to the throne, he's considered how the Empress's maternal family has maintained a low profile. Amidst the constant court strife and the open and covert struggles between various factions, the Prime Minister's Office has always stood firmly by his side, maintaining neutrality and never getting involved in unwarranted factional fighting. The Prime Minister has dedicated himself to stabilizing the government, each suggestion driven by the public good, dedicated to the well-being of the nation. His wife's brother, after years of dedicated defense of the border, has finally returned home victorious.

Thinking of this, the emperor suddenly felt a pang of shame. He thought to himself that he had wrongly suspected the Prime Minister's Office because of Jin'an's keen insights into political affairs. He was a loyal and valiant family who had devoted themselves to the court for many years, yet he had judged them with his own petty mind.

Thinking of this, the emperor lowered his eyes slightly, suppressing the regret in his heart. After a moment, he raised his eyes to look at Jin An, and his gaze softened instantly; it was filled with a touch of kindness and regret. "Your grandfather was the person my father respected most in his life. After all these years, when I think about it, I feel that I have failed him and the Prime Minister's Mansion."