The moment Gu Fangchen's gaze met Xiao Yinghao's, he caught the brief flash of mischief in her eyes.
He twitched at the corner of his mouth and immediately understood.
This woman, she absolutely wanted revenge.
Revenge for him borrowing her identity as Princess Consort on the Autumn Peace Road, doing all sorts of things in her name, and leaving her to clean up the mess afterward.
Now she wanted to turn his false title as consort into a real one.
For Gu Fangchen, such a development had both pros and cons.
The benefit was obvious, once he officially bore Xiao Yinghao's title, the tiger skin he'd been using as a disguise would no longer risk being torn off. The betrothal would be public and binding, a solid backing.
With Xiao Yinghao's status and strength, her rank was, in truth, even higher than Gu Yuye's at this point.
After that, as the imperial son-in-law tied to the Grand Princess, anyone wanting to act against him would have to consider her reaction first.
No one would dare step on him like a discarded pawn again.
And besides, Xiao Yinghao's beauty, among the female characters, ranked at least in the top three.
However... with her power and temperament, whether he could truly "pluck" the most radiant peony of Huangtian City was not something Gu Fangchen could decide.
At that thought, he suddenly realized why the Grand Princess had stared so intently at his face earlier.
She probably wasn't thinking anything deep, she was simply judging his looks.
If she was satisfied, she'd make the title of her "consort" real.
If not... perhaps she'd have used another form of revenge, like stringing his head up like a candied hawthorn skewer.
But the downside of officially bearing her name was significant as well.
First, it meant he could hardly seize any real power, especially military power.
Xiao Yinghao already commanded the Grand Princess's armies. If Gu Fangchen also took over Gu Yuye's military authority, the result would be a Xiao family dominance that the Yong'an Emperor absolutely would not want to see.
From the start, Yong'an had backed Gu Fangchen not to strengthen Xiao Yinghao, but to create a solitary weapon, a knife to wield against all factions, loyal only to him.
Never a son-in-law who would make Xiao Yinghao even stronger.
Gu Fangchen did not believe Yong'an would treat him specially just because he might be the descendant of the Lord of the Dao of Constancy.
After all, the Lord of the Dao of Constancy having a descendant was itself a violation of the "Unchanging Dao."
In theory, the Emperor should want to erase him.
So it was entirely possible that Yong'an had once intended to kill him, that sending him to Gu Yuye's household to suffer might have been precisely for that purpose.
Only later, for some unknown reason, had that plan changed.
If he ever became an obstacle to the Emperor's eternal dynasty, Gu Fangchen had no doubt he'd be eliminated without hesitation.
Secondly, Gu Fangchen had not risked his life in so many dangerous schemes just to become someone's lackey.
Confirming this marriage might buy him temporary safety, but it would cost him something more valuable, the suspicion and hesitation of those Second Grade powerhouses.
Once that uncertainty was gone, they'd stop fearing him. And manipulating them later would become far harder.
Therefore, he could not afford to bow his head.
He could not accept the title of Princess Consort.
Lightning-quick, Gu Fangchen reviewed all known data regarding Xiao Yinghao in his mind.
His existence had already caused butterfly effects, though the overall storyline had yet to deviate too far since the first major turning point wasn't fully solidified.
As a veteran player of Mirror in the Dust, this was familiar ground.
In that game, mastering the interplay of branching routes was the key to reaching the best ending.
Balancing side quests to forge a successful main path, that was second nature to him.
Now, reality was no different.
Today's banquet, once his heir title was confirmed, would inevitably trigger major shifts in the story's trajectory.
He had anticipated that not everything would go according to plan, but he could adapt.
Having made up his mind, Gu Fangchen sat upright, composed and solemn, his expression detached as though nothing concerned him.
However, under the table, his leg shifted slightly, brushing against the hem of Xiao Yinghao's long skirt.
Their seats were right next to each other, and when Xiao Yinghao had stood up earlier, she'd taken a step in his direction.
Now, it worked perfectly for him.
The banquet was lavish, the tables draped in thick brocade cloth, corners weighted with palace bells that trailed elegantly to the floor.
Each table's brocade was unique, the patterns signifying the rank of those seated there.
Ordinarily, such splendid details enhanced the grandeur of the Purple Extremity Hall.
But at this moment, those hanging folds of silk served another purpose, concealing Gu Fangchen's discreet movements.
The cold, proud "God of War" arched a brow slightly, puzzled by his actions.
Then, she distinctly felt him, light as a feather, use the tip of his foot to lift the edge of her crimson skirt, slipping underneath it with practiced grace.
The finesse of a Half-Step Grandmaster shone through.
His movement was delicate, controlled, even the bells at the table's corners didn't chime.
Within the Purple Extremity Hall, everyone had suppressed their auras. No one dared to be unruly.
Even Ding Xingfeng, who had entered later and was now drinking quietly in a corner without waiting for his name to be announced, behaved properly.
Only Gu Fangchen moved as though the hall were his private domain.
Xiao Yinghao: "..."
She truly hadn't expected him to be this audacious!
Before the entire court, under the gaze of all, he dared commit such an act of insolence!
Did he think the imperial palace was his personal residence?
Her expression chilled, fury bubbling beneath the surface. How dare this brat, this mere Sixth Grade cultivator, violate her, a Third Grade martial sovereign?
Borrowing the name of a consort, did he truly think she was his possession, meant to be tamed and toyed with?
Utterly outrageous!
For a fleeting instant, Xiao Yinghao wondered whether she'd misjudged him entirely.
That arrogant, shameless demeanor, perhaps it wasn't an act at all.
Had she been deceived by his façade of composure?
Normally, any man who dared harbor even a hint of such thoughts toward her would be skewered like a candied haw.
But this was the Emperor's banquet.
No matter her authority or cultivation, she couldn't lash out in the Purple Extremity Hall without risking her head.
More so when Gu Fangchen was tonight's guest of honor, hurting him would be tantamount to defying the Emperor himself.
Doing so would be tantamount to rebellion.
Of course Gu Fangchen knew this, and that was precisely why he acted so freely.
At that moment, he smiled faintly, eyes narrowing with mischievous amusement.
To Xiao Yinghao, that grin embodied everything she loathed in a man.
No matter how aloof or fierce she was, she was still a woman, and no woman could remain indifferent when someone made a mockery of her marriage prospects.
In one move, he had wiped away any budding curiosity or goodwill she might have felt.
Most importantly, he had shattered her impulse to acknowledge him as her consort.
It fit perfectly with his original plan, he had simply underestimated how favorable her first impression of him had been.
Her lack of attention to him before had not been a bad thing.
If she had known of him before his transformation, her baseline impression would have been negative, and no amount of later improvement could erase that.
But since she hadn't cared enough to notice him back then, the "new" Gu Fangchen she saw after the crossover stood at a clean slate.
To her, he was the brilliant young hero who had turned the tide at Autumn Peace Road, wielded her White Dragon Army formation, and repeatedly foiled Gu Yuye.
That image had shaped her perception of him, exceptional, reliable, dazzling.
When she later heard reports of his antics, she had merely laughed them off, amused at how far he went to "hide his brilliance."
It hadn't diminished her regard for him in the slightest.
So when she hadn't reacted earlier to his provocations, it was simply because he hadn't crossed the line enough.
Now, he had.
Her patience had reached its limit.
After a brief pause, her jaw tightened, eyes icy as she cast him a cold glance before turning back toward Gu Yuye. Her voice was calm but sharp.
"Originally, that was indeed my intention," she said. "However, since the Northern Garrison Prince has raised the matter of the Autumn Peace Road battlefield..."
"I suddenly recalled something, something that greatly troubles me."
"I wonder, Prince, if you can enlighten me?"
Gu Yuye frowned, unsure why she had changed her stance so abruptly.
Moments ago, she had clearly been about to take Gu Fangchen under her wing, something that would have strengthened her house further.
And Gu Fangchen's growth, though impressive, was still limited. A mere Sixth Grade posed no long-term threat.
From Gu Yuye's view, accepting him as her consort would have been entirely advantageous for her.
So what had caused this sudden reversal?
He could never have imagined that Gu Fangchen had just used his foot to lift the "War Goddess's" skirt.
If such a thing were told aloud, no one would believe it.
It was not only reckless, it was suicidal.
The cunning, dangerous Gu Fangchen he knew would never make such a foolish mistake.
Suppressing his unease, Gu Yuye replied calmly, "The Autumn Peace Road battlefield lies within the White Dragon Army's jurisdiction, not under Xuanhuang Army command. I am unfamiliar with its internal matters. May I ask what puzzles Your Highness?"
Xiao Yinghao dropped her next words like thunder.
"After the Autumn Peace Road battle," she said coldly, "one of my personal guards intercepted a message sent by the Qingman Tiansa to the Golden Horde."
"In that message, Northern Garrison Prince Gu Yuye's name appeared. Tell me, does that not strike everyone as strange?"
"Prince, that area is beyond your army's reach. Why, then, would the barbarians mention you? What do you make of it?"
The entire hall erupted.
"What?"
"How could that be?"
"Why would the Qingman even mention the Northern Garrison Prince?"
"I heard the Princess's defeat was due to a traitor's betrayal!"
Rumors had already been swirling about Xiao Yinghao's earlier setback. Her words now connected the dots for everyone.
Gu Yuye's face darkened. Still, he glared and barked, "If Your Highness has something to say, speak plainly!"
"My loyalty to the court and to His Majesty is beyond reproach! Shadows may slant, but I remain upright! I fear no slander or rumor!"
"If vile tongues seek to sow discord, let us confront them here and now!"
"But to use vague insinuations to frame me, what is Your Highness's true intent?"
His heart, however, was pounding.
Because it was true, he had secretly cooperated with the Qingman, directing their moves himself.
He had sworn nothing would go wrong.
Then Gu Fangchen had ruined everything.
Since then, the Qingman had gone silent. If their losses had enraged them enough to expose him, it would explain much.
Still, Gu Yuye was not afraid.
There was no evidence. No witnesses, no proof.
Anything from the Qingman could be dismissed as enemy lies. Who would believe them?
Xiao Yinghao's reluctance to speak openly proved she had no hard evidence, only conjecture meant to steer attention away from the previous topic.
Above, the Yong'an Emperor sighed, rubbing his temples as if weary.
"Enough, enough," he said. "Yinghao, have the report brought forth. I'll take a look."
Xiao Yinghao motioned to her attendants.
As she stood waiting, she suddenly sensed movement beside her.
Gu Fangchen.
He had been perfectly still after slipping his foot beneath her skirt, but now, he moved again, brushing against the smooth curve of her calf.
His toe nudged the side of her shoe.
Her eyes went glacial. If he dared go further, she would snap his leg like a twig, Emperor or no Emperor.
But then, something rolled softly beneath her gown.
A fiery-red gem.
A top-grade Fire Essence Ore.
It was the core stone from the destroyed Fire Crystal Mine array, the one Gu Fangchen had secretly taken.
Xiao Yinghao: "..."
Expressionless, she stared down. Inside, she was stunned, and begrudgingly amused.
So that was it. The little brat was returning her property.
Gu Fangchen blinked innocently, as if entirely unaware why the Grand Princess might be angry about such a simple gesture.
Xiao Yinghao gazed at the young man before her, lips pressed together, torn between exasperation and reluctant laughter.
Then, she raised her foot and lightly kicked his leg under the table.
The touch was soft.
Playful. Almost flirtatious.
Like two people teasing each other in secret beneath the royal banquet table.