Chapter 125: They Are Not Interested in You

"Stop trying to act spoiled with me; it won't work. And don't you dare go around acting unreasonably and inviting gossip again. You must attend this selection."

Liu Shijie placed great importance on this selection, pinning all his hopes on Fu Yan. She was beautiful, and her family background was even more impressive, though he was well aware that having been pampered since childhood, she was inevitably stubborn.

However, she had to go. It was not just for her own sake, but for the family's official career. If she could become the Empress, their rise to power would be imminent—a glory far surpassing that of the Right Chancellor.

"I want to marry Prince Rui. Yan-yan only loves Brother Rui."

Fu Yan remained unwilling. She had long set her heart on Li Rui, and the thought of being sent into the palace to serve the Emperor as a concubine was entirely unappealing to her.

"Give up that delusion. A daughter's marriage is determined by her parents. I will not have you speak such shameful words again. Besides, when has Prince Rui ever looked at you with anything but indifference? It is only you, shameless, constantly fawning over someone who couldn't care less."

Seeing that Fu Yan was still so headstrong, ignoring his words and fixated on marrying Prince Rui, Liu Shijie flew into a rage and poured cold water on her dreams.

"Father! Is that any way for a parent to speak to their daughter?" Fu Yan was stunned by his harshness. She shouted her protest, feeling deeply stung by his words.

"I am trying to wake you up. Had I known it would come to this, I never would have allowed you to meet Prince Rui. Who knew you would lose your heart to him so suddenly? If Prince Rui had even once looked your way, I might have gritted my teeth and let you marry him."

Though his words were blunt, his observations confirmed that this was merely Fu Yan's unrequited affection. He had even sounded Li Rui out before, and his words and actions had clearly indicated a lack of interest in Fu Yan.

Furthermore, Liu Shijie and Li Rui were not on good terms; their political views were constantly at odds. Years ago, when the palace had suspended the selection process, Liu Shijie had considered testing the waters since his daughter was of age, only to be rebuffed.

Now that he had been transferred to the Ministry of Rites, he was privy to the inner workings of these affairs. His hopes were rekindled, and he was determined to send Fu Yan into the palace. He had laid much of the groundwork and believed the plan would succeed; once inside, it would all depend on Fu Yan's own "capabilities."

"Are you serious? If Brother Rui marries me, you'll let me be his wife?" Fu Yan misinterpreted his words, thinking he had relented, and was delighted for a moment.

"Dream on. He has no interest in you. Go back to your room and practice your studies. If you fail the selection, I will marry you off to the first person I find. You can't even stay out of trouble at home."

Liu Shijie realized he had misled her, but he was so exasperated by his daughter that he had spoken without care. Now, nothing mattered more than the selection; he could not afford a single mistake. He began to employ both soft and hard tactics.

"Then just marry me to Brother Rui!"

Fu Yan thought that if she sabotaged the selection, she would be free to marry her beloved Brother Rui upon returning home. However, her calculations were no match for her father’s shrewdness.

"In your dreams. If you aren't chosen, I will marry you off to the feudal lord, Xue Feng. See for yourself: do you want to be the one above all others, or would you rather be married off to some distant, desolate land? You should be able to figure that out!"

Liu Shijie put on a stern face. If he didn't show her some resolve, she would continue to be dismissive and headstrong. He had indulged her too much in the past, which was why she had become so difficult to manage.

"Why can't you just let me marry Brother Rui?"

Fu Yan pouted, still trying to act cute to win him over. The only person she loved was Li Rui, her Brother Rui.