The other court ministers were gradually losing patience as well, all watching Yun Shang and Ah Du like they were a spectacle. From the beginning, they had never accepted the titles of “Heavenly Maiden” and “Grand Tutor.”
At first, they had thought the emperor was merely indulging a passing fancy. But later, they realized that the Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor truly seemed to have captivated the emperor.
Fortunately, this rain-summoning ritual would surely expose them as frauds. If the rain didn’t come within the next half-hour, the emperor would finally see that he had been deceived—and especially the An Duke.
His own son was close to the Third Prince, who was intelligent and deeply favored by the emperor. If the Third Prince eventually contended for the throne, their family would gain immense influence.
The emperor, no matter how wise and mighty, was still aging and would eventually pass on the throne.
Yet he found something strangely unsettling about Ah Du—a subtle, inexplicable feeling.
But he didn’t want to dwell on it. The most important thing now was to support the Third Prince. Since the Third Prince disliked the Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor, the An Duke’s family would naturally align with him.
Time ticked by, one minute after another. An hour passed, and still the sun blazed overhead. No rain fell. The emperor had completely lost his patience.
“Your Majesty, you once said the Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor truly had extraordinary abilities. Yet now, in front of so many people, they haven’t summoned even a single drop of rain. They have clearly failed to honor Your Majesty’s trust!”
Wei Yao seized the opportunity to fan the flames. At this point, it didn’t matter how much the emperor had trusted the Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor before—now his dignity was at stake.
The ministers nodded in agreement. The Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor might sound impressive, but keeping them in the palace was dangerous. Who knew what chaos they could stir up? If this was an opportunity to remove them, why not take it?
Yun Shang opened her eyes. “Ah Du, are you afraid? If the emperor blames us, will we survive? Will you blame me for bringing you to the palace? Will you blame me for involving you?”
Her tone was gentle, as if discussing something ordinary. The sunlight on that day was warm and pleasant.
Ah Du shook his head casually. He had answered this question countless times, and his answer would never change.
In this lifetime, he recognized only his sister. Life or death, he would follow her without regret, never looking back.
“It seems the Heavenly Maiden and Grand Tutor have indeed failed the emperor’s trust. The hour has passed, and not a single drop of rain has fallen. The Heavenly Maiden is clever and eloquent, yet at this moment she cannot utter a single word!”
The An Duke stepped forward, trying to press Yun Shang further. His gaze swept over Ah Du—he couldn’t explain why, but he felt something different about this boy.
Still, he forced himself to ignore it.
“Why be so hasty, An Duke? Did I ever say I couldn’t summon rain for the people? The emperor himself brought me to the palace and called me a ‘fateful star,’ saying I could bring blessings to the people. Does the An Duke think the emperor spoke wrongly?”
Even facing an experienced minister like the An Duke, Yun Shang showed no fear. Knowing his and Ah Du’s true identities, she had little regard for him.
“Rather than argue over words with the Heavenly Maiden, it would be better for her to think about how to explain this to the emperor. How did she manage to captivate him in the first place?”
The An Duke merely smiled and said nothing more. Arguing over petty points with this woman would achieve nothing. The real goal was to provoke the emperor’s anger.
Indeed, the emperor’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly, clouds blotted out the sun, dimming the light in an instant. Everyone was stunned, unable to recover for a long moment.
“You finally appeared! If you hadn’t, I would have had to explain this myself!” Yun Shang whispered in her heart, slightly complaining.
The system always failed to arrive when needed, keeping them waiting for so long. Just now, she had secretly glanced at the emperor’s face—his expression was terrifying.
It looked as though he would strike her down the next second. Truly, the emperor’s anger was a force to be reckoned with.
“Don’t worry, Host! I’m here—nothing will go wrong!” the system proudly patted its tiny chest. Summoning a rainstorm was nothing difficult at all.
Impossible… this couldn’t be. The sun had been blazing just moments ago—how could clouds suddenly appear out of nowhere?
Wei Yao was shocked, unable to react immediately. When she did, the warmth of the sun vanished. In an instant, the sky darkened, the wind howled, and the first signs of rain appeared.
She instinctively looked at the emperor. Earlier, he had been furious. Now, his eyes were filled with awe and delight.
The emperor extended his hand to feel the gusty wind. His gamble had paid off—the girl was extraordinary. She truly possessed a miraculous ability.
Luckily, he hadn’t ordered their punishment yet. If he had, the consequences would have been catastrophic. He silently thanked himself for his patience.
The An Duke’s face turned pale. What on earth was happening? It had seemed normal moments ago. How could it suddenly look like it was going to rain?
He had never believed in supernatural forces—could this really just be coincidence?
He glanced at Yun Shang and Ah Du standing at the altar. His eyes were drawn to Ah Du, inexplicably.
What was happening? There was something familiar, even endearing, about this boy.
The Third Prince and Wei Heng’s expressions were icy. It was clear they weren’t pleased. They weren’t happy about the Heavenly Maiden summoning rain for the people.
The Third Prince, especially, looked at Yun Shang with cold disdain. Who was this woman? Could it be that the emperor trusted her more than anyone else?
If she was allowed to speak freely in front of the emperor, what would become of his own position?
And if another brother surpassed him in the emperor’s favor… what then?