Quick Wear: The first person to love the host

Before Shen Qianlan could answer, the other party suddenly became hesitant.

Su Zi blinked, a sudden guess forming in her mind. Sure enough, a few seconds later, she saw Shen Qianlan's ears turn red, her gaze shifting uncertainly, "Cousin, when do you plan to tell Grandfather about your affair with the Prince?"

Su Ziyu chuckled and asked, "Why is my cousin so concerned about this matter?"

Shen Qianlan coughed a few times, clenching her fist, and pretended to be calm: "I was just asking... After all, my grandfather is getting old, so he should be mentally prepared."

He paused, his eyes darting around.

Su Ziyu wanted to laugh. She never expected that her cousin, who was so decisive in business and could remain unfazed even when facing Hun spies, would have such a shy side.

He deliberately dragged out his words: "But my cousin and the strategist—"

"Cough cough... Cousin, don't talk nonsense." Shen Qianlan coughed even louder, and after a while, he suddenly realized what was happening and his eyes widened. "How did you know, cousin... Was it that obvious?"

He thought he had hidden it very well, only going to see Qin Wujiu under the pretense of helping him every day. Their conversations were mostly about business, and they never revealed any personal feelings.

Su Ziyu feigned profundity: "Cousin, do you know that there are three things in this world that cannot be hidden from people?"

Shen Qianlan asked curiously, "Which three?"

Su Ziyu raised an eyebrow slightly and said, word by word, "Cough, poverty, and love."

Shen Qianlan: "..."

Goodness, there's no way to refute that.

Su Ziyu suppressed his smile and became serious: "Let's get down to business. The great victory in the war and the surrender of the Xiongnu are great news for the people and for the Xuanxi Dynasty. However, for the Prince and the Shen family, it may be the beginning of disaster."

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked out at the snow-covered landscape: "The Shen family has been procuring a huge amount of grain for the frontier soldiers. If someone were to investigate, they would find it impossible to hide. The Second Prince's cronies are everywhere in the court and the country. This setback will surely cause them to take their anger out on the Shen family."

Shen Qianlan's expression also turned serious: "I've already instructed the manager in Jiangnan to proceed with caution, and the accounts have been adjusted..."

“Not enough.” Su Ziyu shook his head. “Cousin, do you know how difficult the Prince’s situation is right now?”

He turned around and lowered his voice: "With the Xiongnu delegation entering the capital, the Second Prince's treason will surely be exposed to the world. But do you think the Emperor will then appoint the Prince as Crown Prince?"

Shen Qianlan frowned: "With the Second Prince gone, the only remaining adult prince is the Prince, and the position of Crown Prince—"

“This is precisely the most dangerous aspect for Your Highness,” Su Zi interrupted him. “The most important aspect of imperial strategy is checks and balances. The Second Prince has many followers, and the Emperor’s indulgence of him is precisely to check the Prince’s military power. Now that the Second Prince has fallen, how could the Emperor allow the Prince to become too powerful?”

He took a few steps closer, his voice barely audible: "The Emperor has long been wary of the Prince. Over the years, the Prince has guarded the northern frontier with outstanding military achievements, and his prestige in the army even surpasses that of the Emperor. If the Emperor takes this opportunity to reduce the Prince's power and seize his troops upon his return to the capital, the Prince will be nothing more than a fish on a chopping board."

Shen Qianlan gasped: "Then why does Your Highness still want to return to the capital?"

“I have no choice but to return.” Su Ziyu smiled bitterly. “If Your Highness does not return, it will be disobeying the imperial decree; if you do return, you will be caught in the trap. That’s why I pretended to be sick to delay, just to buy time to make arrangements. Now that the Xiongnu delegation is about to enter the capital, Your Highness can no longer refuse.”

He took out a black iron token from his sleeve and handed it over: "Cousin, I have discussed with the Prince and will give you a team of elite troops. You will secretly sneak back to Jiangnan. Be sure to protect the Shen family and prevent the Second Prince's henchmen from acting rashly."

Shen Qianlan took the token, feeling its weight in her palm: "I understand. Although the Shen family are merchants, they are not lambs to be slaughtered. I will pack my things now and set off tonight."

"Wait a minute." Su Ziyu called out to him, taking out a thick letter from her bosom. "I've been away for so long, I don't know if my grandfather is well. Please help me deliver this letter to him, cousin."

Shen Qianlan didn't think much of it and nodded in acceptance: "Cousin, don't worry, I will personally deliver it to Grandfather."

Unbeknownst to him, in this letter, Su Ziyu not only greeted his maternal grandfather but also frankly confessed his affair with Qi Jinyu in the northern frontier, earnestly requesting his grandfather's understanding.

When Shen Qianlan returned home and presented the letter, Old Master Shen was furious after reading it. He almost locked him up for interrogation, forcing him to reveal all the details of Su Ziyu's relationship with the Prince.

Shen Qianlan only then realized that she had been "tricked" by her cousin, and she was truly moved to tears—of course, that's another story.

Shen Qianlan turned to leave, then stopped: "Cousin, you and the Prince... must also be careful in everything you do."

Su Ziyu smiled and nodded: "Don't worry."

---

After seeing Shen Qianlan off, Qi Jinyu entered the room with a complicated expression: "Has everything been explained?"

Su Zi was about to turn around when she saw the weariness that couldn't be hidden between his brows. Her heart softened, and she stepped forward to take his hand: "Have you explained it? Your Highness, did you not sleep well again last night?"

Qi Jinyu gripped his hand tightly, her grip slightly firm: "I can't sleep. There are countless things to deal with when we return to the capital. My second brother's faction has deep roots in the capital. Even if his treason is confirmed, those people may not let it go. At that time, the court will likely be rife with bloodshed."

He walked to the table and spread out a map showing the distribution of power in the capital: "Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Personnel... My second brother's people are all over the six ministries. If Father wants to protect him, it's not impossible for him to find a scapegoat and say that he was just deceived."

Su Zi listened quietly, knowing that he was under immense pressure.

This war god of the northern frontier, who always appeared calm and composed in front of outsiders, only revealed such genuine worries when he was with himself.

“What’s even more troublesome,” Qi Jinyu said in a low voice, “is that the emperor has long been wary of the military power I hold. Now that I’m back in the capital, he will definitely take the opportunity to reduce my power. If I hand over the military power, I will be at the mercy of others; if I don’t, I will be accused of holding military power and plotting rebellion.”

Su Ziyu gently hugged him: "Your Highness, things can be done by human effort. We still have time to make arrangements. I have already made arrangements with the Shen family, so it may not be the worst-case scenario."

Qi Jinyu rested her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes briefly: "Ziyu, I'm afraid of implicating you."

“Since I’ve chosen you, I’m not afraid of being implicated,” Su Ziyu said firmly. “It’s still the dead of winter, and there’s still more than a month before we return to the capital. We’ll take it one step at a time; there’ll always be a way.”

The two embraced for a moment, and Qi Jinyu regained her usual composure. However, she held Su Ziyu's hand tightly, never letting go.