After transmigrating, I became a stepmother.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, lunch came to an end.

Although there was drinking during the meal, no one dared to behave improperly in such a setting, so everyone remained perfectly sober.

However, everyone was indeed a bit tired in the morning, so Emperor Sheng thoughtfully arranged a place for everyone to rest in the palace.

The Anguo delegation was arranged in one place, while the Shengguo officials were in another. This was partly for their own benefit, and partly to prevent anyone from resorting to underhanded tactics.

Moreover, both places were guarded by special personnel, and no one, not even goods, was allowed to pass without the emperor's decree.

"Your Highness, I have investigated and found that the outside is heavily guarded, and there is no way to get out."

An ordinary-looking man of medium build raised his hands in a fist salute and knelt down to report.

"Useless." Prince Su slammed his hand on the table and hissed in a low voice.

The man lowered his head even further and said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate is incompetent, please punish me, Your Highness."

Prince Su took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, waving his hand: "That's enough. It's Emperor Sheng who was too cunning, and it's not your fault. Go down and get some rest!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

After everyone left, the other person in the room spoke up: "Emperor Sheng couldn't have been unaware of this. He dared to have us stay in this palace and gather in one place, so naturally he wouldn't be without any precautions."

Otherwise, what would they do in this palace garden? Wouldn't that cause great chaos in the Sheng Kingdom?

"Of course I know, but how can I just watch them lose the competition? I thought the Su brothers were so highly praised that winning the competition was a sure thing, but who would have thought they would be so disappointing!"

As he spoke, Prince Su's face grew increasingly grim, and the veins on his hand gripping the teacup became bulging.

"Your Highness, you mustn't."

Seeing that the teacup was about to be lost, the man quickly spoke up to warn him.

Prince Su understood his meaning, released his grip, and preserved the fine item in the palace used to entertain guests, which even wealthy families had never seen before.

Prince Su looked at the teacup that was almost destroyed and said, "Hmph, it's just an ordinary thing."

The man knew that Prince Su was just in a bad mood, so he didn't respond. Instead, he said, "The Su brothers are indeed exceptionally talented, and it's not an exaggeration. Otherwise, how could they have fooled the gossip of my An Kingdom! But that Wen Tingzhu from Sheng Kingdom is not to be underestimated."

"Indeed, why is it that such a talented person was born in that prosperous country?"

If he were in Da'an, he would surely make him shine brightly and be renowned throughout the world.

"I heard he was the top scholar in this imperial examination. He came from a poor family and was raised by a widowed mother. Life was very difficult for him."

He had gone to great lengths to find out all of this, though it was all superficial information; much more, however, was difficult to obtain.

"Oh?"

Prince Su became interested, his angry expression softened slightly, and he stroked his beard as he asked, "In that case, wouldn't it be possible for us to use them?"

"That's exactly what I think. Judging from today's situation, it's probably impossible for them to leave. So, the competition this afternoon will depend on their performance. However, Sheng Guo's victory this morning was entirely due to Wen Tingzhu. The other two are not a threat."

"Although this person performed adequately in the riddle game, he was not at a disadvantage. His chess moves were also very varied, which shows that he is good at planning and scheming and has a deep mind. He was able to win the top prize, so his talent must be outstanding. If this person were to serve the Sheng Kingdom, who knows if he would not become a formidable enemy of our Da'an?"