Chapter 1

After I was betrothed by imperial decree to a foolish prince, I became the laughingstock of the entire capital.

That fool was kind and guileless, and people could bully him with ease.

I did my duty as his princess consort, staying by his side and protecting him.

Until the day we encountered assassins…

The figure beside me moved. An assassin’s blood sprayed everywhere.

While I was still stunned, he came over to me, aggrieved. “That was so scary… This prince is frightened…”

The corner of my eye twitched. “You’re still pretending?”

1

After the imperial decree announcing my marriage was read, my father flew into a rage in the front hall.

I held the decree and rose in a daze.

The characters on it were perfectly clear—

【The gentle and virtuous young lady of the Nguyen family, Nguyen Ninh, is hereby betrothed to the Ninth Prince, Ta Chi Tu. A date for the wedding shall be selected.】

“Call him Ta Chi Tu a prince if you like, but everyone knows he’s an idiot!” My father’s face flushed red with anger. “The Emperor is clearly warning me!”

Ta Chi Tu was the foolish prince famous throughout the capital. After an accident had left him mentally impaired, he lost the position of Crown Prince. Now he didn’t even have a princely title of his own; people could only call him the Ninth Prince.

My father was the Grand Tutor. He had always advised the Emperor faithfully, and the current ruler had never liked him.

So marrying me off to a fool was a warning to my father.

Seeing how furious he was, I tugged at his sleeve. “Father, it’s all right. I’ll marry him.”

My mother’s eyes immediately reddened. “Ningning…”

I gently set down the decree. “When Sai Weng loses his horse, how can we know it isn’t a blessing in disguise? His Majesty dislikes the Nguyen family. If he makes things difficult for Father in the future, I’ll do my best to use the Ninth Prince’s household to protect our family.”

So what if I was marrying a fool?

I, Nguyen Ninh, was no fool.

2

The imperial decree could not be defied.

That Emperor seemed to think he wouldn’t live to see spring. Though it was only the middle of a snowy winter, he hurriedly arranged the wedding date.

Afraid I’d be mistreated, Father had chest after chest of my dowry sent to the Ninth Prince’s residence. I was carried into the bridal chamber in a deep-red wedding gown.

It was a little cold.

I lifted my veil and crouched beside the brazier to warm myself.

The door creaked open.

Without turning around, I assumed it was a maid. “Bring me something to eat.”

A plate of pastries was held up to my lips, and a low, pleasant voice said, “These are delicious.”

I froze and looked up, meeting a pair of calm eyes.

He had handsome brows, and an air of nobility that was hard to hide.

I stared at him in surprise. “Your Highness—”

“Hehe, are you this prince’s consort?” He grinned, showing his teeth.

Me: “…”

Ah. My foolish husband.

After I took the pastry, Ta Chi Tu crouched beside me and leaned close to the brazier. “This prince sneaked back here. It’s so cold outside, and those idiots are still standing out there in the cold, hahaha!”

The corner of my mouth twitched. Which one of us was the idiot, exactly?

After eating a few pastries, my body warmed up, and I caught the smell of alcohol on him.

I frowned and poured him a cup of tea. “Did they make you drink?”

Ta Chi Tu nodded. “They tricked me and said it tasted good… It was awful…”

Those people had definitely been making fun of him.

Ta Chi Tu really was a pitiful fool…

I patted his head and said gently, “From now on, if there’s anything you don’t want to do, come find me. I’ll stand up for you.”

He nodded vaguely.

Looking at the red bed scattered with peanuts and dried fruit, I remembered the erotic paintings the palace matron had brought a few days earlier. Suddenly, I felt awkward.

After all, I couldn’t possibly do that with a fool…

Ta Chi Tu yawned and climbed onto the bed by himself. “This prince is sleepy.”

Then he rolled over and fell asleep, sprawled out with his arms and legs everywhere.

Me: “…”

Well, perhaps marrying a fool did have its advantages.

3

Ta Chi Tu was quite different from what I’d imagined.

He was greedy, playful, and very obedient.

Whenever I sent guards along to protect him, I stayed in the residence to manage household affairs.

After Ta Chi Tu had unexpectedly become a fool, the late Emperor had felt sorry for him and compensated him generously with money.

I stared wide-eyed at the account books. The Ninth Prince’s residence was… truly very rich.

“Your Highness.” The maid Qiu Ju entered and bowed. “A message has arrived from the palace. Her Majesty the Empress is holding a snow-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden.”

A snow-viewing banquet…

I put on a white cloak. This was more likely a Hongmen banquet—a trap—than a pleasant gathering.

By the time I reached the Imperial Garden, the light snow had turned into a proper snowfall. Plum blossoms were in full bloom, and a group of noble young ladies were chatting in a pavilion.

As soon as I arrived, they all looked over, each wearing a different expression.

Li Yao, the Chancellor’s daughter, smiled and came over to take my hand.

“Nguyen Ninh, how does married life feel?”

A noblewoman beside her laughed scornfully. “Who doesn’t know the Ninth Prince is an idiot?”

“Oh, don’t say that. She is the Ninth Prince’s consort, after all. We should be envious~”

A burst of delicate laughter followed.

I sneered inwardly. They were quite practiced at mocking people and kicking them when they were down.

I calmly sat in the seat of honor.

“If you already know that, why haven’t you paid your respects to this princess consort?”

The air instantly stiffened. Li Yao’s smile froze on her face.

I accepted the hand warmer Qiu Ju offered and coolly glanced at the noblewomen who had just taunted me.

“This princess consort may not be able to touch the Chancellor’s daughter, given her family’s influence…”

What I meant was: as for the rest of you nobodies, I could crush you whenever I pleased.

The other young ladies’ expressions changed at once, and they hurried to their knees.

“Please forgive us, Ninth Princess Consort!”

Li Yao looked even more upset. She was stuck between kneeling and refusing to kneel.

“Hmph!”

A cold laugh came from not far away. A brilliant red phoenix coronet caught the eye.

“So the Ninth Princess Consort is trying to put me in my place!”