Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
"Marquis Ling came with Miss Chen? Well, they are already engaged, so it’s not unusual for them to attend the banquet together."
"I always thought Marquis Ling was cold and unapproachable—I never dared to even glance at him before. Who would’ve guessed he’d be so attentive to his fiancée?"
Several noble ladies murmured among themselves, their faces filled with regret. Such a splendid marriage had ultimately fallen into Chen Shiyun’s lap.
"You’ve arrived just in time. I was just speaking of you," said the Crown Prince from his seat at the head of the banquet hall, surrounded by officials discussing matters of state. Seeing Ling Xiao and Chen Shiyun arrive together was indeed a rare sight.
"Your Highness," Ling Xiao greeted with a respectful bow.
"I wondered why you were so late. Did you go out of your way to escort Miss Chen here?" the Crown Prince teased.
Chen Shiyun’s cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head in shyness. "We merely happened to meet at the palace gates and entered together."
In truth, she had waited at the palace gates for a long time. She knew Ling Xiao would attend the Crown Prince’s banquet.
They had been engaged for a month, yet she hadn’t seen him once since then. She had hoped for a chance to speak with him.
Her explanation wasn’t particularly convincing—what were the odds of such a coincidence?
But no one pressed further. After all, they were already engaged—whether he had personally escorted her or not hardly mattered.
Still, standing beside Ling Xiao today, Chen Shiyun’s status was undeniably elevated.
As the banquet was about to begin, the Princess Consort of the Crown Prince emerged from the pavilion, holding the Little Imperial Grandson’s hand, with Yue Yao following closely behind.
"I was just wondering why the Lady of the Ling household had arrived, but Marquis Ling was nowhere to be seen. Turns out he was busy fetching someone," the Princess Consort remarked with a smile.
Ling Xiao didn’t spare Yue Yao a glance, replying indifferently, "I’ve been occupied with official matters and haven’t returned to the estate."
"I haven’t yet congratulated you on your engagement, Marquis Ling. On your wedding day, I shall personally come to offer my blessings."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Ling Xiao replied calmly.
The Crown Prince chuckled. "Let the banquet begin. Consider this a family gathering—no need for formality."
The guests finally took their seats, with the men on one side and the women on the other.
A palace attendant guided Yue Yao to a prominent seat near the Princess Consort.
No sooner had she sat down than Chen Shiyun took the seat beside her.
Yue Yao greeted her politely. "Miss Chen."
Chen Shiyun gave a slight nod, barely curving her lips in response before ignoring her completely.
From what she had observed earlier, Marquis Ling hadn’t even glanced at Jiang Yueyao—proof that he held no regard for this so-called sister-in-law. Just as she had heard, he had only taken her in out of obligation to his late elder brother’s dying wish. In truth, he despised her.
The fact that he had saved her life during the hunting incident was merely to ease his brother’s spirit in the afterlife. A woman like her didn’t even deserve to sit among them.
Since that was the case, Chen Shiyun saw no reason to treat Jiang Yueyao with respect. She had never thought much of her to begin with.
The banquet commenced, and the guests’ attitudes toward Chen Shiyun became noticeably more deferential. With the new emperor on the throne, the political landscape had shifted—many old ministers faced uncertain futures, walking on eggshells.
Ling Xiao, however, stood as the most prominent rising star. Marrying into his family meant the Chen clan would retain its prestige for at least three more generations.
Now that Chen Shiyun had secured Ling Xiao’s favor, who wouldn’t want to curry her goodwill?
In contrast, Yue Yao’s side of the table was much quieter. It seemed everyone had realized who truly held influence in Ling Xiao’s eyes.
Just then, an announcement rang out: "Princess Huaining has arrived!"
Huaining hurried in, her skirts fluttering.
The Princess Consort chided lightly, "Why are you so late? The banquet is about to start."
Huaining immediately clung to her sister-in-law’s arm, pouting. "I lost track of time. Don’t scold me, please!"
The Princess Consort tapped her forehead with a finger, smiling. "This is the last time."
Huaining grinned, then glanced at Yue Yao’s seat and plopped down beside her.
Seeing her lively demeanor, Yue Yao could tell she had mostly recovered.
"I thought you weren’t coming," Yue Yao whispered.
"If I didn’t, wouldn’t it seem like I care too much?"
Despite her words, the look in Huaining’s eyes as she watched Chen Shiyun being showered with attention betrayed her heartache.
"You’re a princess. What do you have to fear? If you’re unhappy, just stay away. Why torment yourself?" Yue Yao could see she hadn’t let go.
If that was the case, why come and witness this scene firsthand?
"I won’t give anyone the satisfaction of laughing at me."
Did she not know? Those people might flatter her to her face, but behind her back, they were surely mocking her for failing to marry Brother Xiao—especially that Chen Shiyun, who must be gloating!
Huaining had always been proud. She refused to let anyone look down on her.
Yue Yao shook her head slightly but said nothing more.
She would never put herself through such misery. If it were her, she wouldn’t have come. But then again, she wasn’t a princess—she didn’t have the luxury of coming and going as she pleased.
Once the meal concluded, the guests were free to stroll through the palace gardens. The spring scenery was splendid, and the atmosphere became more relaxed compared to the formal banquet earlier.
Huaining immediately dragged Yue Yao off to explore.
"There’s a peach grove over there—it’s breathtaking! Let’s go!"
Ling Xiao, still surrounded by officials, caught a glimpse of Yue Yao’s retreating figure from the corner of his eye. He noted the direction she had taken before refocusing on his conversation.
The peach blossoms were in full bloom, painting the grove in delicate hues. As they walked along the winding path, Huaining remained distracted.
"Yue Yao, do you think Brother Xiao truly likes Miss Chen?"
The question gave Yue Yao pause. She wasn’t sure whether Ling Xiao liked Chen Shiyun, but one thing was clear—to him, affection was irrelevant.
What kind of cold-blooded man could he possibly love?
"He must, I suppose."
Regardless, he was already engaged. There was no point in giving the princess false hope.
Huaining’s mood darkened further. She snapped a peach branch in half, frustrated. "Brother Xiao’s taste is terrible!"
Yue Yao nodded in rare agreement. "And his temper is awful."
Huaining immediately defended him. "Brother Xiao’s temper is just fine!"
Yue Yao: "..."
Even now, the little princess still took his side.
Just then, a young eunuch hurried over. "Princess, Her Majesty the Empress has arrived and requests your presence."
Grumbling, Huaining stood. "Come with me," she urged Yue Yao.
Yue Yao shook her head. "Her Majesty only asked for you. It must be important. You should go alone—I’ll wait here."
Huaining pouted. "What could be so important? She probably just wants to lecture me again."
Everyone knew of Huaining’s infatuation with Ling Xiao. The Empress worried her impulsive daughter might cause a scene. She hadn’t needed to attend the banquet personally, but she had come anyway to ensure everything was under control.
"Princess, please hurry," the eunuch urged.
With a sigh, Huaining left, calling over her shoulder, "Wait for me! I’ll be back soon."
Yue Yao nodded. "Mm."
Huaining left, and Yue Yao wandered around aimlessly, though she found little interest in anything. The palace banquet today had truly exhausted her.
She decided to sit and rest in an octagonal pavilion, preferring the quiet solitude it offered.
Chun'er poured her a cup of light tea, and the brief respite in the pavilion was rather pleasant.
As she idly sipped her tea, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure walking along the opposite corridor—dressed in a pristine white robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown. The usually carefree man now carried an uncharacteristically serious demeanor.
Behind him trailed a group of people, carefully transporting boxes.
"Young Master Mo?"
He turned abruptly, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes when he saw Yue Yao, followed by a smile. "Lady Jiang, what brings you here?"
Yue Yao stepped out of the pavilion, eyeing the endless stream of people carrying boxes with curiosity. "What is all this?"
"Some porcelain and ancient texts. The Mo family has long been a royal merchant, and these are items requested by the Crown Prince. Since the Mo family has the resources, we were entrusted with the procurement. I came to the palace today to deliver them."
Yue Yao paused, though she wasn’t entirely surprised. With an establishment as grand as Xichun Tower, it was only natural that substantial backing existed behind it.
"I hadn’t realized the Mo family’s business ventures were so extensive, even extending to porcelain and ancient texts."
Mo Ziqian chuckled. "And I hadn’t expected Lady Jiang to hold such status, attending the Crown Prince’s banquet."
"I merely benefitted from someone else’s influence," Yue Yao replied modestly. Then, struck by a thought, she asked, "Do you also own a bookshop?"
"Of course. The Guangde Bookshop in the southern part of the city belongs to the Mo family. Why do you ask?"
Yue Yao hesitated before speaking. "My late husband left behind some manuscripts. I’ve compiled them and thought of publishing them as a memoir. I was just wondering… if it would be possible."
Ling Chen had been frail and often ill, unable to take the imperial examinations. Yet, he had been a diligent scholar since childhood, leaving behind numerous writings. Yue Yao felt it a shame to let them gather dust in a cabinet.
She wanted her husband to leave something behind—at least to let the world know of this brilliant scholar who had passed away too soon.
Mo Ziqian’s eyes flickered slightly. Her husband had passed away?
By convention, it wouldn’t be feasible. Bookshops needed to turn a profit, and publishing memoirs required movable type printing, which was costly. Unless the author was already renowned or the texts were ancient classics, sales would be poor, making it hardly worthwhile.
But seeing the faint hope in her eyes, he swallowed his initial response and instead said, "Perhaps we could give it a try."
Her eyes lit up instantly. "Really?!"
Meanwhile, in Yuehua Hall…
Ling Xiao was still discussing matters with the Crown Prince when a young eunuch hurried in, whispering, "Your Highness, the princess is throwing a tantrum. Perhaps you should go and calm her?"
The Crown Prince scolded, "She’s always causing trouble! What kind of occasion is this for her to act up?"
"The princess accidentally bumped into Miss Chen earlier, and somehow they ended up in a quarrel. Now the princess is refusing to let it go, harassing Miss Chen relentlessly…"
The Crown Prince frowned. "She’s becoming more unruly by the day. Fine, I’ll go see."
The Crown Prince immediately rose and left. On an occasion like this, there was no room for Huaining’s antics.
Ling Xiao followed, his gaze sweeping over the lakeside pavilion where Princess Huaining was quarreling with Chen Shiyun.
He glanced around but saw no sign of Jiang Yueyao.
Grabbing a passing eunuch, he asked, "Where is Lady Ling, who left earlier with the princess?"
"This servant didn’t see her. The princess returned alone."
A crease formed between his brows. He couldn’t shake his unease—the palace was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface. If she were alone and something happened…
The incident at the hunting grounds still haunted him.
He immediately set off in the direction they had gone.
Back at the lakeside pavilion, Princess Huaining pointed at Chen Shiyun, fuming. "Don’t think you’re so special just because you’re now Ling Xiao’s fiancée! I didn’t even touch you—who are you putting on this act for?!"
Chen Shiyun sat pitifully on a stone bench, her palms scraped and red, as a palace servant knelt to apply ointment. Tears streamed down her face.
Everyone had seen it—Princess Huaining, in a fit of rage, had allegedly pushed Chen Shiyun to the ground.
Chen Shiyun lifted her gaze slightly, spotting the Crown Prince rushing over, with Ling Xiao trailing behind. She lowered her head again, her tears flowing even more pitifully.
She wanted Ling Xiao to see exactly what kind of person this arrogant princess was.
To stir his sympathy, she cried as if her heart were breaking.
A brainless woman like Huaining was no match for her.
"What is going on?!" the Crown Prince barked as he arrived, glaring at Huaining. "You’re becoming more and more outrageous! Do you realize what kind of occasion this is?!"
Huaining’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Even you don’t believe me, Brother?!"
Princess Huaining’s spoiled and willful nature was well-known. Who would believe her innocence?
They would only see her as a tyrant, jealous of Chen Shiyun’s engagement to Ling Xiao, deliberately humiliating her out of spite.
A smug gleam flashed in Chen Shiyun’s eyes as she raised her tear-streaked face. "It’s not the princess’s fault, I—"
But before she could finish, she realized Ling Xiao was no longer in the pavilion.
Her tear-filled eyes darted around frantically until she caught sight of a tall figure in dark robes already walking away.
The scene she had so carefully orchestrated—he hadn’t even spared it a glance.
Ling Xiao followed the path through the peach grove, spotting Chun'er, Yue Yao’s maid, standing guard by the octagonal pavilion.
He exhaled slightly in relief and was about to approach when his gaze landed on the corridor opposite the pavilion.
There, a man and woman stood facing each other.
On her face was a joy he had never seen before—her clear, bright eyes sparkling with radiant light as she gazed at the man.
"Really?"
