Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 11, Part 1)

156 Your Majesty Is Wise

Duan Ming tried not to wince. It really wasn't easy though. It wasn't like he hadn't known but he really wouldn't have thought the Heavenly Emperor would be this straightforward. Did he really intend to just admit to his machinations?

Rong Su wasn't that direct. He cleared his throat after introducing the topic, glancing at Duan Ming's expression that only held polite reservedness at this moment. He was still a bit puzzled but figured that he should just observe further. "You probably know that it has been some years since he has come of age. Seeing as he will one day follow me onto the throne, he should become more familiar with the matters of the Nine Heavens.

"I have thought about it and feel that he should start with taking charge of some simple matters, work together with the different palaces, get to know the people better, these things. Since the Jiyi Festival is just up ahead and these kinds of things follow strict rules, I believe this is a prime opportunity to get him started without overtaxing him."

Duan Ming inclined his head. If these were really the Heavenly Emperor's intentions, the plan would actually be good. It was a pity this was just a foil to marry off his son to get rid of the dragon king. He didn't dare to think about it too deeply. If he did, he might get worried about the future of the Nine Heavens.

Rong Su saw that Duan Ming still wasn't reacting much so he gave a hum and got to the part that concerned him. "Well, this child of mine has always been rather reclusive and doesn't know many people. Suddenly being thrown into such a task might make him feel self-conscious. As his father, I naturally don't want this to affect him negatively."

Duan Ming felt that he couldn't always just nod so he racked his brains to find something to say. "Your Majesty is wise."

Rong Su gave a hum, satisfied that Duan Ming was able to get his worries. "Either way, after pondering this for a while, I thought of finding somebody who could work with him. This way, he can get acquainted with that person first and work side-by-side. It seems like a good way to make him less troubled by this matter, doesn't it?"

Duan Ming hummed. It also seemed like the kind of thing you'd do to set up a couple.

Rong Su stopped in his steps and turned to Duan Ming, looking at him kindly. "Naturally, the person to accompany my son can't be just anyone. I need to be assured of their character. After thinking about who there is in the younger generation that can be trusted and will make him feel comfortable, you naturally came to mind. So I hope that in the upcoming weeks, you will help my son with organizing the Jiyi Festival."

Duan Ming looked at the Heavenly Emperor, feeling torn. He didn't want to get any closer to the crown prince if it meant that his father would continue to try and set them up. But at the same time, he might be able to help and he didn't think that this was a bad thing. It was clear that the Son of Heaven and Longjun loved each other very much.

Weighing these two parts of the matter against each other, he finally inclined his head. "Of course. If Your Majesty deems me suitable for this task, then I will fulfill it to the best of my ability."

Rong Su nodded, once again satisfied with Duan Ming's behavior. This boy didn't seem too eager so he wasn't just attracted by his precious son's beauty and status. This was good. He could learn to appreciate him as a person while working together. Surely, he wouldn't be able to resist after spending more time together. Jing He was very good, after all.

Rong Su reached out and patted Duan Ming's shoulder before kindly motioning down the rest of the path. They had almost reached the Palace of Magnanimity where Duan Ming's family lived so he didn't have much time to say more. Right now, there was only one matter left on his mind that he wanted to make sure of. "When you were waiting at my palace, you should have already met Jing He. How did the two of you get along?"

Duan Ming thought back to the crown prince's unwilling expression at the beginning and his expression turned subtle. "His Highness' upbringing is without fault. Naturally, he won't give others trouble."

This ... was probably how one could summarize their encounter? He truly hadn't troubled him. He had simply kept as quiet as he could, trying to communicate his stance that way. If he had really been interested, he surely would have been put off but nobody could have faulted the Son of Heaven. After all, he simply hadn't been talkative. There was no shame in that.

Rong Su nodded, feeling good about the way Duan Ming praised his son. He was feeling that this person was better and better. Sure, this didn't change that it would be better to wait at least another millennium before letting Jing He get married but if it had to happen, he'd rather have such a person as his son-in-law.

"Well, it's good if you are comfortable with each other. In the future, I'll rely on you to accompany him. In fact, it'd be best if you started early to work on this. After all, there will be much to learn.

"Why don't you come over to my palace tomorrow? You can just take charge of things there." That way, he could keep an eye on them. He had failed to watch closely enough when it was the dragon king. He naturally wouldn't repeat the same mistake again.

Speaking of which ... "I heard my son handed you something while you were talking today? What was that? In fact, why don't you show me?" With that, he directly held out his hand, looking at Duan Ming with slight suspicion. This part still worried him somewhat. He had to make sure that there hadn't been anything fishy going on. Otherwise, he'd have to change the candidate again.