The Lone Official

Hearing this, Luo Zhao’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

She looked at Gu Chengyin’s dead serious face, the corner of her mouth twitching.

If Gu Chengyin truly didn’t want this, he had countless ways to send that imperial decree right back where it came from.

Having dealt with this Red Egg for so long, she knew his methods all too well.

Gu Chengyin was a master at working within the rules.

Refusing an imperial decree would indeed cost him his head, but the problem was, he had plenty of ways to make sure the situation of refusing never even came to be.

For instance, finding flaws in the decree and having the Ministry of Rites send it back for revision on their own.

Or finding someone to impeach him, using the pressure of the court to push the decree aside.

These were solutions that even she, Luo Zhao, could think of—so Gu Chengyin hardly needed mentioning.

Everything he did stayed strictly within the limits of the rules, leaving no fault to be found.

That Red Egg was just too slippery for anyone to pin down.

And now, saying this out loud was clearly deliberate.

Luo Zhao’s gaze swept over Lin Qingyan’s face, taking in that earnest and stubborn expression, and she sighed inwardly.

Lin Qingyan was acting like a fool right now—whatever Gu Chengyin said, she believed.

Gu Chengyin said refusing the decree meant losing his head, and she actually started worrying about his head.

Completely forgetting that this was the man who could treat an imperial decree like a kite to fly.

Was this still the cold, aloof fairy aunt she once knew?

Luo Zhao quietly looked away, not wanting to watch anymore.

After hearing Gu Chengyin’s words, Lin Qingyan’s heart did surge with warmth.

But she still shook her head firmly, speaking with great concern:

“No, Chengcheng, that dog… His Majesty suddenly granting a marriage—he definitely has no good intentions. I really don’t mind.”

Lin Qingyan’s words cut off midway. The words “dog thing” were already at the tip of her tongue, only for two of them to be swallowed back.

Her tongue caught on her teeth, blurring the word “dog” into a vague mumble before she quickly swapped in “His Majesty.”

Her gaze instinctively flickered in Luo Zhao’s direction for a split second, then darted back just as fast.

Luo Zhao blinked.

Did she just hear something just now?

Was her aunt about to call Father Emperor a dog thing?

It was only because she was around that she changed it, right?

She definitely changed it, right?

Gu Chengyin didn’t linger on that topic. Instead, he reached out and wrapped an arm around Lin Qingyan’s waist.

Then he led her to a seat, and she naturally leaned against his side.

Shoulder against shoulder, arm entwined with his arm.

The whole of her was like a cat that had found its nest, quietly nestled beside him.

Seeing this, Gu Xiaoli, sitting across from them, pouted.

But before the grievance could fully rise, she saw Gu Chengyin beckon to her.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and any sense of injustice vanished in a flash.

Then she scurried over in three quick steps to Gu Chengyin’s other side and sat down snugly against him.

After balancing the two bowls of water evenly, Gu Chengyin finally spoke:

“Aunt, you really don’t need to worry that much.”

“This decree came suddenly, but I can roughly guess His Majesty’s intention.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but his tone was certain.

That certainty wasn’t put on—it came from careful deliberation.

It was the composure of a man who had confirmed his judgment was more or less right.

Hearing this, Luo Zhao immediately focused her attention.

Her spine unconsciously straightened a little more, and her hands folded on her knees tightened slightly.

She had been waiting for Gu Chengyin to say this.

And now, he was finally about to reveal what he had figured out.

Clearly, Gu Chengyin was referring to why Emperor Luo wanted him as an imperial son-in-law so badly.

And what exactly this decree was targeting about Gu Chengyin.

This was also what Luo Zhao didn’t quite understand.

At first, summoning an imperial son-in-law was meant to allow her to keep Gu Chengyin in check.

That reason was a bit of a stretch, but at least it made some sense.

Gu Chengyin was the young tutor to the crown prince, with a special status and outstanding talent.

If he became her imperial son-in-law, it would be like firmly tying this most unstable chess piece to the chariot of the crown prince’s faction.

From her father’s perspective, this both added strength to her cause.

And placed Gu Chengyin within controllable bounds—killing two birds with one stone.

But after Gu Chengyin turned it down, even granting the marriage to Lin Qingyan still meant making Gu Chengyin an imperial son-in-law.

That no longer added up. If the purpose was only for Luo Zhao to keep Gu Chengyin in check, then swapping in Lin Qingyan destroyed that very reason.

Lin Qingyan wasn’t the crown prince. Even if she were later designated as a new princess, at most it would make Gu Chengyin an automatic imperial son-in-law—it had nothing to do with her, Luo Zhao.

It couldn’t really be that, as Gu Chengyin said, she would later marry Gu Chengyin as a secondary wife.

Yet her father hadn’t given up—on the contrary, he’d grown even more determined.

This time, he hadn’t even leaked any hint beforehand, simply sending the decree straight out.

Clearly, he wanted to force the matter into fait accompli.

Her father knew Gu Chengyin’s methods. He knew that if word got out in advance, Gu Chengyin would surely find a way to dissolve the marriage before the decree even landed.

So he gave Gu Chengyin no time to react—once the decree was drafted, it was issued immediately.

By the time Gu Chengyin learned of it, the marriage had already become a public, established fact.

That way, Gu Chengyin couldn’t easily push it back.

After all, the decree had already been issued—not honoring it meant defying the imperial order.

And the consequences of defying the order were too heavy for anyone to bear.

Her father had calculated that Gu Chengyin wouldn’t openly defy the decree, which was why he dared to pressure him into submission this way.

But the question was, why?

Why was her father so persistent about making Gu Chengyin an imperial son-in-law?

Luo Zhao’s gaze rested on Gu Chengyin’s face, waiting for his answer.

Gu Chengyin’s eyes swept across the faces of everyone present, one by one.

He looked first at Lin Qingyan.

She was leaning at his side, looking up at him, her eyes full of a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

She clearly wanted to know the answer too—wanted to know what that dog thing Emperor Luo was scheming.

Then he looked at Gu Xiaoli.

Though Gu Xiaoli sat beside him, those big eyes remained fixed on him without blinking, her expression focused and serious.

She might not fully understand all these convoluted affairs, but she knew her brother was saying something important, so she listened carefully.

Finally, his gaze landed on Luo Zhao’s face.

Luo Zhao sat upright, her back straight, hands folded on her knees, her expression solemn and grave.

Her eyes held neither Lin Qingyan’s nervous anticipation nor Gu Xiaoli’s innocent focus.

Only the sharpness and depth of a crown prince reviewing the whole picture.

Gu Chengyin’s eyes met hers for a moment, then he slowly spoke:

“If I’m not mistaken, the reason His Majesty insists on making me an imperial son-in-law…”

“Is to force me into becoming a lone minister.”