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Xiao Zai followed Minister Hu into the adjoining study to the reception hall with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The Minister was the kind of man he despised. Avaricious and callous, surrounding himself with beauty and luxury, uncaring of how many starved to ensure he got where he was. The way he paraded his spouses, whose number could rival the royal harem, as if they were personal merit trophies he had collected was nauseating.

He took a seat on a high backed chair in front of a lacquered desk, and gestured for Xiao Zai to do the same.

Xiao Zai sat down reluctantly, doing his best not to let his displeasure show in his face.

"I have to give his Highness, credit," the Minister said, chuckling drily, "all of us ministers, court officials and clerks alike, thought the wedding to the Xin fox would be the final nail on the coffin of His Highness\' aspirations to the throne."

"But now you\'ve changed your mind?"

"Let\'s just say that the way his Highness has successfully made another alpha, one from a foreign nation, easily submit to him has been nothing sort of inspiring to many," he shook his head with a rueful smile. "It gets one thinking...if his Highness has achieved such order in his own household, what couldn\'t he do for the nation?"

It pained Xiao Zai that Chu Yun had so accurately predicted the behaviour of his own countrymen.

If Minister Hu\'s words were to be trusted, a group of people who had written him off more than once, was now willing to support him because they wanted him to do with their enemies the same thing they thought he had done to his husband.

Just this once, Xiao Zai hoped Chu Yun would have been wrong -- even if him being right put Xiao Zai closer to his goal of reaching the throne.

It meant that people like his father were the rule and not the exception.

And Minister Hu was looking at him like he expected him to fall right into that mold. It made Xiao Zai\'s skin crawl.

The Minister steepled his fingers and leaned across the tabletop. "If I might be frank, his Majesty has been very frugal with the royal purse lately," he sighed, "It\'s a very concerning decision, as his Highness knows, the Ministry of Works is responsible for the creation of lifesaving public works all over the nation. The public rely on us to improve the infrastructure in their villages and cities, we cannot simply refuse to do so."

Xiao Zai adopted a serious expression and nodded.

If this little weasel thought he was fooling him with his little show he had another thing coming. His father was probably just tired to funnelling money directly into Minister Hu\'s pockets.

As soon as Xiao Zai became King he was getting rid of Minister Hu and everyone like him.

"If I were King, I would of course invest in public infrastructure," Xiao Zai said, meeting the Minister\'s beady eyes. "The people of Zui come first."

With a booming laugh, the Minister clapped his hands together. "That\'s good, very good, we all want a King who puts the people first," he smiled, revealing rows of large teeth, the gums far retracted up into his skull. "No Ministry serves the people more than the Ministry of Works."

Xiao Zai nodded one last time, "I\'m glad we agree," he said, hoping the conversation was now over and he could leave and forget it had ever happened.

"Of course," Minister Hu said, signalling a "but" in all the previous agreements and concessions, "there\'s the matter of succession."

Xiao Zai should have seen it coming. "Of course, but I believe that\'s something we can worry after I become crown prince, no?"

"On the contrary, having an heir before being named crown prince would only strengthen his Highness\' position," the Minister said, his eyes wide. 

Before Xiao Zai could retort, he lifted one arm. "Of course, I understand the King would not allow an union to an omega, or beta female at this junction. It would defeat his entire reason for marrying his Highness to a foreign alpha," he nodded solemnly. "However, I believe I\'ve come up with an ingenious solution."

Xiao Zai absolutely didn\'t want to hear it. "Let\'s hear it," he said, through gritted teeth.

"Not everyone you saw outside was one of my spouses," he paused, "although all the most beautiful were."

Xiao Zai rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of course."

The Minister cleared his throat. "A few are actually godchildren. Their parents entrusted them to me knowing I would give them a good education, and hopefully broker a good marriage for them."

Whether he sampled the goods first or not, was entirely at his own discretion. The unpleasant feeling at the bottom of his stomach grew even more sour. Xiao Zai wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"As Minister Hu said...another marriage at this time would be inconvenient," he grit out.

Minister Hu laughed. "Of course, of course, but I was thinking of something a little different, actually." He grinned, showing his pale gums.

"One of my godchildren could go to the second prince\'s estate, for a myriad of reasons...education, health concerns. I\'m sure we could come up with a good excuse. If they happened to get with child, in the course of that stay," he shrugged and sucked in a breath, "well, then the proper thing, the righteous thing, would be for his second highness to marry them before a scandal broke out."

He reached across the table to pat Xiao Zai\'s hand. "I\'m sure his Majesty wouldn\'t want to see the royal family\'s honour brought under question. After all, we\'re talking about a young, virgin omega of exceedingly good breeding. It would be the proper thing for his Highness to marry them at once."

The muscle in Xiao Zai\'s jaw jumped with tension. "I see Minister Hu has thought of everything."

The Minister laughed, self-deprecating, clearly mistaking Xiao Zai\'s comment for praise.. "Well, I\'m very serious about wanting to support his second highness\' claim to the throne."