The Empror's Trap

Kenji had long anticipated that his marriage would not be casually arranged, but would definitely involve interests and political necessities.

So when Pluvia mentioned this, he wasn't surprised, but rather quite composed.

If anything, Pluvia acting this way was what made her a qualified emperor. If she truly didn't take advantage of such an excellent opportunity, she would be quite incompetent as an emperor.

"May Your Majesty tell me who you have selected for me?" he inquired.

For Kenji, this type of political marriage held little meaning, and he truly didn't want to participate in such a political union. However, considering the Emperor's face, it was better to ask a bit—this way, even if he refused, he would have a reasonable excuse.

"A princess from the Sal Kingdom. You know her," Pluvia said in a calm tone.

"..." Kenji was momentarily stunned.

He had anticipated what kind of match Pluvia might arrange for him—possibly a foreign princess, or perhaps the daughter of some central official. Both were possible.

So Kenji had prepared to refuse, as he really disliked these typical arranged marriages, even if it was bestowed by the Emperor herself.

But if it was a princess from the Sal Kingdom whom he knew...

There was a ninety percent chance it was Uheya. Truthfully, it was impossible for him to have romantic feelings for Uheya, but if this marriage alliance was significant enough, he would have to consider the possibility. After all, he would have to enter into a political marriage sooner or later, and finding someone he got along with was better than marrying a stranger.

"Why choose her?" Kenji asked.

"Wasn't it mentioned in the previous agreement with the Sal Kingdom that they would send a student to us? Recently, the Sal Kingdom's ambassador said they've decided on the candidate," Pluvia said, half-reclining on her couch.

"It can't be Uheya herself, right?"

"It is indeed Uheya herself," Pluvia sneered. "Honestly, Uheya's fate is far worse than mine. Although my position is unstable, at least in Camelot, women in power face mere distrust. But in the Sal Kingdom, their attitude toward women is outright discriminatory. I've had Uheya investigated before—if used properly, she could be a great talent. It's a pity that in the eyes of King Tuwa, their men are the true rulers of that country."

"Your Majesty, forgive my frankness, but Uheya being sent here to study means, in a sense, that she has been abandoned by King Tuwa and Ban. In this situation, she seems to have little value for us to exploit."

Kenji expressed his confusion. He naturally understood why Pluvia wanted him to marry Uheya, but Uheya currently had no real power—no territory, no troops, and no connections. What value could she have?

"Kenji, you're seeing Uheya as she is now," Pluvia gently took a medicinal soup from a maid beside her, then frowned as she drank it all at once, and continued, "Regardless, Uheya is still a princess of the Sal Kingdom. She may not have any value for us to exploit now, but that doesn't mean she won't in the future. Kenji, if used properly, Uheya could be a bomb we plant in the Sal Kingdom."

"Haven't you always hoped to resolve the northern border issue? Now, Uheya's arrival might be an opportunity. With her as a breakthrough point, the problems with Sal Kingdom might be completely resolved. And what I want now is an obedient Uheya. Understand?"

She put down her medicine bowl, wiped away the traces of soup from the corner of her mouth, and leisurely took a dried fruit from the porcelain jar in front of her to alleviate the bitter taste.

This was a medicinal prescription specially prepared by a Celestial Master from the Celestial Master's Mansion. Pluvia was busy with government affairs daily, and her body and mind were constantly facing exhaustion. Although the soup was unpleasant to drink, it was extremely effective in relieving fatigue.

"I understand."

"Good. My plan is to propose the marriage to the Sal Kingdom two months after Uheya arrives. The Sal Kingdom, which currently doesn't have the courage to make a move, won't refuse this marriage. In their eyes, this princess is probably just a pawn, and if a pawn can serve some purpose, they'll certainly be pleased."

"Your Majesty is so confident?"

"Barbarians, you know—this is about as much as they can think of. At first, I thought they might have learned something after being beaten so many times, but now it seems their progress has been limited," Pluvia criticized them without mercy.

"Your Majesty, although I am of marriageable age, with the nation not yet settled and Your Majesty not yet married, how could I marry a foreign princess? Besides, I feel that we can still use Uheya without resorting to marriage."

After thinking for a moment, Kenji gave this response.

On one hand, he didn't have a particularly strong desire to get married now. On the other hand...

Mainly, Uheya's situation was too pitiful.

Despite having her own aspirations and the ability to govern her country and people well, what happened? Just because of her birth and her nonconformity, she was abandoned by her own family and beloved homeland, coming to a foreign country as a hostage...

And then, before she could even find her footing, she would be suddenly arranged into a marriage.

Kenji put himself in her shoes and found that he didn't know how Uheya would feel, but he would certainly be furious.

Her fate was already unfortunate, and if there were other methods, he didn't want his friend to be so miserable. This kind of life, like being a puppet made of straw and wood, how was it different from death?

"Oh? Tell me more."

"I have a good relationship with Uheya, and she has long been dissatisfied with the internal affairs of the Sal Kingdom. Therefore, we can bind her to us through cooperation."

After all, Uheya was already dissatisfied with her brother, so he and Uheya could certainly reach a cooperation.

"Hmm, that's fine too. You can try. If it doesn't work, we'll change our approach." Surprisingly, Pluvia didn't seem displeased with his refusal, but calmly agreed to his idea.

"As you command."

"Also," she smiled as she pushed away the documents in front of her, "in a few days, the craftsmen responsible for renovating your residence will be in place, and afterward, you'll need to move out first. For convenience of communication, I've prepared accommodations in the palace for you. You can move all your household staff and belongings there temporarily. Once the mansion is expanded and completed, you can move back."

Faced with such favor from her, Kenji thought for a moment. Considering that the current Pluvia probably wouldn't harm him, and that his residence would indeed be uninhabitable during the actual expansion and renovation, Kenji finally agreed to this excellent solution.