Shen Xiabai cast a dark, heavy glance at Shen Zilan, who was clutching his head, and left without a word.
"..."
"What do we do, what do we do," Chen Miaohe was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. "Your uncle isn't going to go tattle to my family again, is he?"
Shen Zilan was about to be shaken sick by her. "Let go of me, will you?"
"Weren't you cursing up a storm just now? Why are you scared now?"
Chen Miaohe's eyes were red. "Was I wrong to curse you? Sister Cui is so beautiful—she was supposed to be my sister-in-law. But your uncle butted in, and even after that, he's gone and fallen for someone else now. Is there any woman in the whole capital lovelier than Sister Cui?"
"And you—you're my betrothed, and you actually fell for someone who nearly became my sister-in-law. When did you start liking her? Was it when my brother was courting Sister Cui? A brother-in-law falling for the sister-in-law-to-be of his wife's family—what kind of man does that make you?"
"..."
Shen Zilan rubbed his nose, knowing he was in the wrong, and didn't dare utter a word.
The two sat there, staring at each other, not noticing in the slightest the shadow that flickered past the door.
"So what are you going to do now?" Chen Miaohe asked. "Sister Cui is so beautiful—she can't be let down and deceived by a heartless man like your uncle."
Two dim-witted schemers, as if the sky were falling, racked their brains for a way to save the world.
"Are you truly fond of Sister Cui?"
Shen Zilan hesitated for just a brief moment, then nodded.
Chen Miaohe said, "Then go propose to her. I'll help you."
Upstairs in the private room, Yu Feng pushed open the door, strode quickly to Shen Xiabai's side, bent down, and whispered something in his ear.
Prince An glanced at him lightly and continued pouring wine for the both of them.
After Yu Feng left, Shen Xiabai's expression turned extremely sour.
Prince An tried to persuade him, "Everyone has their own way of getting along. Maybe their way of flirting is precisely by cursing you, their bastard of an uncle. For the sake of your juniors, don't take it to heart."
Shen Xiabai shot Prince An a cold glare.
Easy for him to say, sitting pretty without a care.
Those juniors of his weren't just cursing him—they were plotting to steal the family legacy.
"Your Highness summoned your subject here—if it's only for admonition, you'd be better off saving your breath and trying to persuade Prime Minister Cui instead."
Prince An smiled faintly. "Since Shen daren has already yielded this far for Cui Yunchu, what's one more step back?"
He poured a cup of wine and offered it to Shen Xiabai. Shen Xiabai stared at the wine, long unmoving.
After a long while, he finally said, "If Your Highness were in your subject's place, could you still say such a thing?"
He had been teased and tormented by her until he was bruised all over, torn between the death of his father and brother and her—that feeling was like conscience and affection being roasted together over an open flame, spewing thick black smoke that choked him almost to death.
In the end, it was affection that triumphed over his conscience. He yielded for her, step after step.
Even without receiving any response from her whatsoever.
Prince An was briefly silent, then curled his lips. "What can be done? Who else can those three words, Cui Yunchu, hold in their grip except you?"
Who else in this world cares about her but you?
"Shen daren, in your contest with Prime Minister Cui, you alone are at a disadvantage. The one dragged and pulled by the strings is Cui Yunchu."
He could never use those three words, Cui Yunchu, to grip Cui Qingyuan. He would never, ever have a chance of winning.
"So in the end, the one who must yield can only be you."
"Or—you could make her like my Yunfeng, utterly devoted to no one but you," Prince An said with a mild smile.
Shen Xiabai's seated posture stiffened slightly. He pressed his lips together tightly and said nothing.
There was nothing to say in response.
In the end, it was merely his one-sided infatuation. He could not get a single "I like you" from her, nor did he have the courage or the possibility to ask her to abandon her family and stand by his side.
Whether it was Prince An or the Crown Prince, both were far superior to him. He was truly in the most disadvantageous position, and trying to turn the tide with his own strength alone was as difficult as scaling the heavens.
Prime Minister Cui, A'chu, the political situation at court...
Shen Xiabai suddenly gave a bitter smile, leaned back, and rested against the chair.
He was like a lone boat adrift on a storm-tossed river, utterly without support.
"So, Your Highness, what is the purpose of summoning your subject here?"
Prince An said, "I believe that since things have come to this, why must Shen daren cling stubbornly to conditions? For the one you love, take one more step back. Use the marriage bond to dissolve the estrangement between the three families, turn swords into plowshares, be harmonious with your father-in-law, and have your beauty by your side—is that not good?"
Without that condition, Prime Minister Cui might not refuse the marriage between Cui Yunchu and Shen Xiabai.
Prince An poured another cup of wine and offered it to Shen Xiabai. The liquor was clear enough to reflect a person's brows and eyes. Shen Xiabai looked down at it, long not accepting.
The private room fell into a deep silence. His hand resting on his knee tightened slightly, his jaw set, the lines sharp.
After a moment, he spoke, "Does Your Highness mean to have your subject extinguish the last shred of his conscience?"
Harmony between father-in-law and son-in-law, grievances and grudges dissolved—how would he be any different from a beast?
He feared that if he agreed to all this, he would lose the very ability to love her.
Cui Yunchu was like a heavy stone pressing down on his pride and his bottom line, sinking lower and lower, grinding his dignity into the dust.
"But aside from you, no one in the Cui family truly cares about her. Or—do you intend to abandon her too?"
Yu Feng was waiting in the carriage by the tavern's entrance. Seeing Shen Xiabai come out, he immediately asked, "Master, shall we go teach the young master a lesson now?"
"To Huangshan."
Yu Feng froze. Huangshan—that was where the late master and the eldest master were buried. It wasn't yet the season for offering sacrifices.
But he didn't dare ask further, because every time they went to Huangshan, it meant his master was in an extremely foul mood.
Prince An stood by the window, watching the carriage below drive away, then turned and went to another private room.
Tang Qingwan was speaking with Cui Yunfeng. Hearing the sound, she looked up and glanced over. "He's gone?"
Prince An said nothing, walking straight to Cui Yunfeng's side and taking her hand. "Come, let's go home."
"I'm not leaving," Cui Yunfeng frowned. "I finally get to see my cousin, what's your hurry?"
"..."
See her a few more times, and she might be talked out of her last pair of undergarments.
Perhaps Cui Yunfeng still had a bit of conscience. She shook off Prince An's hand and quietly reassured him, "Thank you for your help today, husband. It was all for my eldest sister's sake. You've gone through the trouble."
Prince An rubbed her head, not wanting to speak.
Tang Qingwan watched the two of them, a genuine delight rising within her, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Cui Yunfeng held a teacup, looking at Tang Qingwan. "Cousin, do you truly think Shen daren and eldest sister are a good match?"
She had once been very opposed because of the grudges between the two families.
Tang Qingwan nodded. "If Shen daren can go this far for Yunchu, then no one under heaven is more suitable than him."
She could not persuade her uncle, and she found it hard to choose between the sisters. She also wanted the power in Shen Xiabai's hands.
Weighing both options, only Shen Xiabai had to be wronged, and she did not feel the least bit sorry for him.
Prince An shot a glance at Tang Qingwan.
A figure like hers as the Crown Princess was indeed a great asset to the Crown Prince—her schemes and tactics were formidable.
The final line she had taught him to say was, to Shen Xiabai, the true dagger to the heart.
Cui Yunchu, cared for by no one—would he truly be willing to abandon her?
