The Warm Pavilion was established in the previous dynasty and improved during the Da'an era; it is now quite well-equipped. When not holding morning court, Emperor Mingyang did not indulge in eating, drinking, or merrymaking; instead, he mostly handled state affairs with his cabinet ministers in the Warm Pavilion.

They would enter the palace before dawn and not leave until sunset, inevitably leading to overwork and illness.

When Yu Shuo was summoned, he saw several ministers supporting each other, their legs seemingly numb from sitting.

He stepped forward and asked with concern, "Are you gentlemen alright?"

Several ministers waved their hands repeatedly, "So it's His Highness Prince Chen. It's nothing serious, just an old ailment."

Yu Shuo was silent for a moment, then said to Chongyang, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask the imperial physicians to examine these officials."

It is indeed an old problem. Emperor Mingyang is still young and can still cause trouble, but the cabinet ministers are almost all quite old. How can they sit in the warm pavilion for a long time without moving around?

Yu Shuo kept this in mind and, after bidding farewell to the officials, entered the warm pavilion.

"You've arrived." Emperor Mingyang had already instructed Chief Steward Deng to tidy up the memorials on his desk, intending to take a break.

From the perspective of considering the well-being of the people, he was actually a qualified emperor.

After bowing to Emperor Mingyang, Yu Shuo sat down next to him.

"Didn't I say that we are brothers in private, so there's no need for formalities?"

Yu Shuo shook his head. "The proper etiquette between ruler and subject comes first, then brotherhood."

He didn't continue on that topic, but instead brought up the situation of the ministers outside, saying, "Your Majesty is diligent in governing the country, but you should also take care of your health. Holding court every three days is already quite frequent. Perhaps you could slightly change the way you handle government affairs in the warm pavilion and have a two-day break."

Emperor Mingyang smiled, "You rarely get involved in such matters."

He knew his younger brother very well; he knew when to advance and when to retreat, and only did what he was supposed to do.

“They are getting old. If they want to work hard for Da’an for a few more years, they should take better care of their health.” After saying that, Yu Shuo lowered his eyes and faced Emperor Mingyang with his handsome and somewhat splendid face. “Your Majesty should also pay attention. Working so hard all year round will harm your health.”

Emperor Mingyang laughed heartily, "Very well, very well, then I'll do as you say, from now on it will be two days off a week."

Yu Shuo remained silent, but his expression softened slightly.

He knew that Emperor Mingyang was merely going along with the flow, and perhaps he had already had this idea. After all, he was not a cruel ruler.

"Your Majesty has summoned my brother here. Is there something important that you wish to discuss?"

Yu Shuo recalled recent events: the Yuehai Kingdom had withdrawn its troops, and the border was temporarily stable; Kang Lin and his cronies had all been executed, and perhaps all that was needed was to investigate his schemes over the years, or perhaps there was something overlooked. But he didn't need to concern himself with every little detail.

Is the upcoming hunting trip in Xishan related to this matter?

Emperor Mingyang responded, his relaxed smile fading. He said, "A lot has happened while you were away. Princess Wei'an, the daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyi, has rendered great service."

Yu Shuo had heard of this, and he felt deeply proud.

She is just that outstanding.

"Her engagement with the heir of the Duke of Cheng has been nullified."

Yu Shuo nodded slightly, indicating that he knew about the matter.

"I intend to bring her into the palace."

As he said this, Emperor Mingyang stared intently at Yu Shuo's expression, and as he had guessed, Yu Shuo's expression changed instantly.

He first frowned, his lips tightened, showing his displeasure.

“She refused to enter the palace,” Yu Shuo stated bluntly.

Emperor Mingyang sized up his younger brother, his tone cold, "She has no choice but to agree to an imperial decree, whether she likes it or not."

“Your Majesty is making things difficult for me.” Yu Shuo’s black eyelashes trembled slightly, and his gaze instantly became sharp as a knife.

Emperor Mingyang still seemed unconcerned, but an unspoken stalemate had formed between the two, with neither willing to back down.

Chief Steward Deng was anxious to see the two of them, but dared not interrupt. He could only take the tea that the palace servants brought and place it in front of Yu Shuo, and then add tea for Emperor Mingyang.

Perhaps it was his action that livened up the atmosphere.

Emperor Mingyang stroked the rim of his cup and said in an ambiguous tone, "You should know that although the White Tiger Army was incorporated into the army, Marquis Zhongyi can still mobilize this army without the Tiger Tally."

Yu Shuo scoffed, "A mere guard of tens of thousands of men is enough to make His Majesty so wary?"

Emperor Mingyang sneered, staring intently at Yu Shuo, "It was these tens of thousands of men who you infiltrated for so long before you finally captured them. Shouldn't you be wary?"

Yu Shuo, holding his breath, raised his voice, "That's not an undercover agent!" His chest heaved slightly, clearly showing his anger. He stared at Emperor Mingyang and said again, "Your Majesty knows perfectly well that I am not an undercover agent in White Tiger Village."

Emperor Mingyang chuckled, quite pleased to see Yu Shuo's emotions so openly displayed.

From childhood to adulthood, his younger brother has always had an air of maturity and aloofness, as if he doesn't care about anyone.

"White Tiger Stronghold has a history of at least a hundred years and has always been a major concern for Da'an. The White Tiger elite troops, numbering tens of thousands, are comparable to an army of hundreds of thousands. How can we not be wary?"

"You know the consequences if you fall into the hands of someone with ulterior motives."

“No, that won’t happen,” Yu Shuo said stubbornly. “Since the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness has chosen to accept the amnesty, he will not do anything to betray His Majesty. His Majesty is overthinking it.”

Emperor Mingyang fell silent, toying with the teacup in his hand, and the atmosphere became tense once again.

After a long while, Yu Shuo calmed down, but his tone was still not soft, "Your Majesty, I will keep an eye on the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness. There will be no problem."

"What if I simply take a liking to Qin Su? After all, she is good-looking and resourceful; she is a rare woman." He probed Yu Shuo again.

Yu Shuo had absolutely no intention of negotiating with Emperor Mingyang on this matter. "She is not suited to enter the palace; the palace is a prison for her."

“My brother is also a good friend of hers. He does not want to see her trapped in the harem.”

"What if I insist on doing it this way?"

Yu Shuo met Emperor Mingyang's eyes without flinching, and spoke each word with utmost seriousness, "Then I, your subject, can only help her resist imperial power."

Emperor Mingyang remained silent, but stared at Yu Shuo, creating a tense atmosphere between them.

After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Mingyang suddenly burst out laughing, "Alright, alright, I was just teasing you. Look how nervous you are."

"You like the Qin family girl, don't you?"

Yu Shuo turned his head away, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

He can't continue to remain silent.

"I knew you'd been avoiding looking at girls ever since you came back from White Tiger Village. Turns out you already have someone you love."

"Shall I bestow a marriage upon you two?"

Yu Shuo looked at his elder brother, but didn't speak for a moment.

"What? You all don't think I won't approve of your relationship, do you?"

That's true.

Almost everyone believed that Emperor Mingyang would not allow the two to be together.

After all, Yu Shuo already wielded considerable power.

“You are my only brother. We were born of the same father and mother. If I can’t even trust you, who else can I trust? I feel more at ease entrusting Qin Su to you than to anyone else.”