Compared to Song Chuyi who has been staying at home recently or going to First Lady Cui's pce to sit and rex, Chen Mingyu has been so busy tely that she has to run to the study room almost every day.

  Lord Chen had many granddaughters, but he always favored Chen Mingyu the most. Since she was a child, ever since she picked the phoenix coronet during a draw-lots game, he had doted on her endlessly. He often allowed her into his study, and in recent years, he had pns to elevate her, wanting her to learn more. Compared to that girl from the Song family, his own granddaughter indeed seemed a bit impulsive, her tactics cking sophistication.

  Once she entered the pace, she would have a long road ahead, facing countless beautiful women with whom she would have to compete. Such basic schemes and tricks wouldn't sustain her. So, after listening to Old Lady Chen's concerns, he had recently started taking her out more often, personally instructing her on important lessons.

  However, Chen Mingyu's thoughts were clearly elsewhere. In her eyes, her biggest enemy and threat was Song Chuyi. As for others, whether it was the Ninth Princess or Han Yueheng, she had always managed to wrap them around her finger. Only Song Chuyi was like a natural adversary, besting her in everything—intelligence, cleverness, and, as they both grew, even beauty. She was like a thorn in Chen Mingyu's side.

  Lord Chen noticed her thoughts and advised her earnestly, "What's there to compare? When has your grandfather ever deceived you? What's yours will remain yours; no one can take it away. But if something isn't meant for you, there's no need to force it. If one path is blocked, another always remains. Now that the prince's title has been approved, and he will soon be invested in the ancestral temple, you should focus on being calm and graceful. Schemes and skills are essential, yes, but they must be deeply hidden. Those who've achieved the highest positions in history all had the patience to wait. Just look at our current Empress. She and Noble Consort Xian both came from the same household, and though Noble Consort Xian has a close retionship with His Majesty, the Empress never concerned herself with momentary wins or losses, nor did she fight or quarrel. Look where she is now. In this world, patience is key. Lose it, and confusion follows; in confusion, rash actions are inevitable."

  Back when the Crown Prince's life hung by a thread, there were many who urged Emperor Jianzhang to appoint another heir. Prince Gong was still young, but Princes Duan and Lu were highly regarded, with many knowing the intrigue behind the scenes. Noble Consort Xian, proud of having two healthy sons, let her ambitions show, while Empress Lu, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, never uttering a word of compint. In the end, she gained His Majesty's sympathy.

  Lord Chen hoped his granddaughter could develop that same unshakeable poise while mastering the art of manipution. He closed his book and looked at her. "Did you understand what I said?"

  Chen Mingyu, with a cinnabar beauty mark on her forehead that enhanced her ethereal appearance, raised her head slowly and asked, "Do you mean, Grandfather, that whoever I marry, I should stand with them?"

  But that couldn't be true. She knew her grandfather would never put all his eggs in one basket.

  Lord Chen smiled, slowly shaking his head. "That depends on whether you and your husband are worth staking the Chen family's entire future on. If you win, the rewards are endless. But if you lose, it will be a complete disaster."

  Chen Mingyu bit her lip, momentarily forgetting about Song Chuyi. She had always believed in her grandfather's power; he had taken down whomever he set his sights on. Reflecting on this, her worry about Song Chuyi lessened, and she even felt reassured. Instead, she began to focus on other matters and boldly shared her thoughts. "I believe that His Highness the Crown Prince's heir is the one who will prevail in the end."

  Theoretically, his title made him the rightful heir, and with Zhang Tianshi as his tutor, he had a certain mystique in the eyes of the people. Many saw him as a heaven-sent ruler. But unlike the soon-to-be-invested Prince of Commandery, Zhou Weiqi, the Crown Prince's heir kept an inexplicably distant attitude toward the Chen family.

  Despite the Chen family's clear signals, neither the Crown Princess nor the Crown Prince's heir had shown any interest.

  So, even if they remained legitimate, what good would it do if the benefits didn't reach the Chen family? Better to take a calcuted risk and bet on another candidate. After all, it was a gamble; there was no telling who would win in the end.

  Of course, all that was for ter consideration. Lord Chen smiled. "We'll see who can offer more to our family, who can cherish you the most."

  Chen Mingyu fell silent, realizing that her grandparents and parents were very different people. They were careful and deliberate, with intentions rarely revealed, and never swayed from their pns.

  This was just like how Old Lady Chen had been taking her frequently to visit Consort Fan in the Eastern Pace recently.

  The door to the study was knocked upon, and Lord Chen looked at her. "Alright, go to your grandmother now. Tell her I'm on duty in the cabinet tonight and won't be home for dinner."

  Chen Mingyu agreed and opened the back door of the study. She then heard Fang Xiaoru's gleeful excmation, "Teacher! Cui Shaoting has really submitted the proposal! Let's see how they get out of this one now!"

  Cui Shaoting had fallen for it. He had truly submitted the proposal for open trade, believing Yang Xuan's words. Chen Mingyu froze, peeking through the door and watching Fang Xiaoru hand something to her grandfather with joy.

  Lord Chen carefully reviewed the document before smiling. "Even tigers doze sometimes. Cui Shaoting, sharp as he is, has fallen right into the trap. Once this proposal reaches the Emperor through the cabinet tomorrow, the entire Cui family will be finished!"

  Chen Mingyu listened for a moment, her ear pressed against the door. Smiling with satisfaction, she turned and headed to Old Lady Chen's quarters. As expected, the old fox was truly formidable—her grandfather's one move would bring ruin not only to the Cui family but also to the Song family.