How could a person not feel angry upon discovering being played?

Especially when that person is the Emperor. Every Emperor is innately blindly confident. Even Emperor Chu, despite being a wise ruler, has bad habits typical of Emperors: believing only in oneself.

But unexpectedly, this self-assured person was made a fool by a young rascal for a year and a half.

Indeed, in Emperor Chu’s eyes, the thirty-year-old Xia Houzhe is just a young rascal, while he himself was played like a monkey.

Whenever Emperor Chu imagined Xia Houzhe in a place he couldn’t see, sneering at his futile efforts, he felt murderous.

No one wants to be a clown, especially someone like him, the Emperor.

Emperor Chu glared at Xia Houzhe, eyes slicing sharply.

"You’ve played quite a large game. If you kept posing as Prince Min, hiding in your fiefdom until a revolt, I might have been caught off guard. You wouldn’t have been found so quickly. But you returned to the capital. Returning would be fine if it ended there. Yet, you orchestrated so many small acts, first gifting Prime Minister Song’s Madam a bracelet, then gifting a screen. Tch, calling you a born actor is fitting—I almost believed you."

Xia Houzhe said nothing.

"What a pity. You’ve done much, and erred much as well. You were ultimately defeated by that bracelet and screen. Without them, I wouldn’t have suspected the Prince Mansion and linked you all together. Prime Minister Song, what’s that saying?"

Song Zhiyuan bowed: "The net of heaven is vast but not without a mesh." After a pause, added: "Evil cannot prevail over righteousness."

Emperor Chu shook his finger: "I find the story Madam Song told about a nail destroying a nation more fitting—details determine success or failure. Look, a prayer bead led to all of this."

To recount, it is somewhat dramatic. For twenty years, never have I given up the desire to eliminate the remaining Xia family, constantly searching their strongholds and bases to expose them.

Yet these years, despite extracting some information, have yielded little. I didn’t expect this elusive descendant to fall into my net in such a dramatic fashion, unexpectedly linking Ning Cabinet Minister as well.

A bit of the sensation of manna from heaven, yet it indeed happened.

Madam Song is truly their fortunate star, there’s no doubt.

Song Zhiyuan paused upon hearing, recalling the little anecdote, falling silent.

Indeed, quite dramatic.

Xia Houzhe’s expression changed repeatedly, finally settling into a cold demeanor.

"At this point, do you still refuse to admit it? Have you considered your current plight? Do you expect Ning Hongde to send someone to rescue you? No, you’ve become a discarded pawn. Even those conveying messages to you—Eunuch Zhuo, that runner Xiao Zhao, and hanger-on Big Head—all have fallen." Emperor Chu stepped closer, smirked: "You, are utterly alone now. Believe it, once Ning Hongde appears before me, his first exchange will be selling you out to save the Ning family."

Xia Houzhe: "How did you suspect me? Even Princess Consort Ji was convinced I was Chu Ze and never doubted."

Admitted.

Emperor Chu glanced at him: "Emperors are inherently suspicious, did you not know this?"

He wouldn’t tell how the analysis was done, better to let him remain defeated in bafflement, lest the clownish anger remains unplacated.

Yes, just that petty.

"Also, when my seventh brother and I played hide and seek as children, he indeed fell asleep behind the fake mountain. Yet with you, it was the pavilion. So, were you colluding with my seventh brother since young? Did he tell you?" Emperor Chu squinted.

Xia Houzhe’s pupils shook, no, he insisted, no, else did he deliberately set him up?