My Sexy CEO Wife

Taiji Hall.

Seated on the dragon throne, Dugu Jingtian held a cup of hot tea in his hand, savoring it slowly.

A guard stood below the hall, respectfully saying, "The Tenth Princess has been frequently contacting Grand Steward Liu these days, either inviting him to meals or sending valuable gifts. Prince Consort Dongfang Jian also visited Grand Steward Liu."

"Hehe..." Dugu Jingtian smiled and shook his head, "Xiu'er and Dongfang Jian are getting anxious, aren't they?"

"Yes," the guard nodded, "The Tenth Princess and the Prince Consort have offended the Crown Prince, and they're afraid of being punished by him. That's why they are trying to win over Grand Steward Liu. If Grand Steward Liu could protect them, the Crown Prince would find it difficult to take action against the Tenth Princess and the Prince Consort."

"Exactly, that's what Xiu'er and Dongfang Jian are thinking," Dugu Jingtian, a very astute man, saw right through Dugu Xiu and Dongfang Jian's intentions. "Is there any movement on the Crown Prince's side?"

The guard shook his head, "These past days, the Crown Prince has been very well-behaved, going out to have fun with Duke Gao Fei during the day, and returning to the palace to rest at night, not stirring up any trouble."

"Oh? He can hold his temper?" Dugu Jingtian expressed his surprise, "Even Xiu'er and Dongfang Jian know to curry favor with Liu Yifei. Doesn't He Hentian have any thoughts on this? Doesn't he want to establish a good relationship with Liu Yifei?"

"Probably... the Crown Prince has his own plans," the guard said gravely.

"This kid, having grown up among the commoners and lacking discipline from a young age, tends to have a somewhat perverse character, and his actions are often unpredictable," Dugu Jingtian spoke, "Take this instance, for example, I thought he would go out of his way to please Liu Yifei, but to my surprise, He Hentian looks down on Liu Yifei with disdain? What is he trying to do? What does he think he's doing? Does he feel that now he's the Crown Prince, he can afford to disregard Liu Yifei? If that's what he really thinks, then he's being foolish! I'll be leaving soon. Liu Yifei will ascend the throne and become the new Sovereign; if Liu Yifei intentionally targets He Hentian, He Hentian will be in deep trouble, and might even lose his position as Crown Prince." Dugu Jingtian grew angrier as he spoke, "It's just so worrying."

"Your Majesty, please calm down," the guard advised, "Maybe in a couple of days, the Crown Prince will pay a visit to Grand Steward Liu."

"Enough, don't make excuses for him," Dugu Jingtian waved his hand impatiently, "I bet that He Hentian doesn't even think about visiting Liu Yifei."

The guard hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I think... Your Majesty might be overthinking it..."

"Overthinking?"

"Yes, you are worried that Grand Steward Liu might target the Crown Prince in the future, which I believe is unlikely to happen. Grand Steward Liu is utterly loyal to you, and the Crown Prince was personally appointed by you. Grand Steward Liu will certainly take good care of the Crown Prince and will absolutely not harm him."

"The human heart can change," Dugu Jingtian sighed, "I can't guarantee... that Liu Yifei will always maintain his original intentions..."

"Since Your Majesty is concerned, why not directly let the Crown Prince succeed to the throne?" the guard said, "That would save a lot of trouble."

"I'd like to," Dugu Jingtian said with a bitter smile, "The key issue is that the boy He Hentian doesn't have enough cultivation, nor does he have adequate experience. Making him emperor now, he definitely won't be able to hold his own."

"Can't Grand Steward Liu assist by his side?" the guard suggested.

"It's not that simple," Dugu Jingtian shook his head. "Liu Yifei's temperament is also quite eccentric. Under the heavens, only I can restrain him. Expecting him to assist He Hentian and follow his orders? Do you think that's possible? Liu Yifei is a proud and arrogant man; he will never listen to He Hentian's commands."

"If this won't do, and that won't do, what would be the perfect solution?" the guard asked in distress.

"There is no such thing as perfection in this world; one can only strive for something that nearly reaches it," Dugu Jingtian said, voicing a philosophical sentiment. The longer one lives, the deeper the understanding of life: "If only I had enough time to groom He Hentian. Just a little more time..."

"How about... calling Grand Steward Liu over and giving him a few words of instruction in person?" the guard tentatively said.

Dugu Jingtian pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Let's not. If Liu Yifei cares about our past, even without my word, he will take good care of He Hentian. If he does not care about our history, no matter what I say, it will be pointless." With that, Dugu Jingtian slowly exhaled a breath of stuffy air: "Forget it, I shouldn't dwell on this. Descendants have their own luck. I can look after them for a while but not for a lifetime. As for the road ahead, they must walk it themselves. If they are capable, they can reach higher and travel farther. If not... they will only become stepping stones for others."

Seeing Dugu Jingtian come to terms with it, the guard breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Dugu Jingtian would be unable to let go and do something rash. In fact, the guard had his own selfish reasons; with Dugu Jingtian leaving soon and unlikely to return in this lifetime, the guard needed to find another patron. He had two people in mind: Grand Steward Liu Yifei and Crown Prince He Hentian. Before making a decision, he didn't want to offend either.

Just as Dugu Jingtian said, human nature is the hardest to comprehend. Some people appear loyal and honest on the outside but harbor darkness and schemes inside. Others may seem carefree and unreliable but possess truly kind hearts and are, without doubt, good people. This is why you cannot judge someone solely by their appearance; understanding them inside and out, thoroughly, before making any judgment is crucial.

There are countless examples of betrayal by friends. What is the reason for this? The root cause is a failure to judge character correctly from the beginning!

Throughout one's life, it's incredibly difficult to make even one true friend.

Most friendships are based on mutual benefits; people are nice to you as long as you're useful to them. But the day you fall on hard times and cannot help them, they begin to drift away.

Some say that it is easier for poor people to find true friends, while it is difficult for the wealthy to make genuine friendships.

Others remark that the poor have a hundred worries: wanting to live in a nice house, to eat good food, to wear quality clothing... But when you sum it up, ninety percent of these worries can be attributed to one thing—money. With money, ninety percent of these troubles can be resolved.

Though it's frustrating to admit, one must concede: having money indeed brings comfort!

Dugu Jingtian, having held high positions, has spent years studying human nature; the more he delved into it, the more exhausted he became! He found that human nature is greedy, despicable, selfish... Human nature is the most challenging to control!

Although Dugu Jingtian said he won't interfere in He Hentian's affairs anymore, he still made preparations. He handed over the hidden protection forces around him to He Hentian's command, bestowed numerous treasures on He Hentian, and in the end, even gave him the keys to the treasury. The treasury held many rare items, which Dugu Jingtian, now about to leave, found useless, so he gave them all to He Hentian.

"Hentian, my expectations for you are very high. Do not let me down," Dugu Jingtian said, patting He Hentian on the shoulder.