Xiao Lan’s expression darkened. “But does Lord Shen truly believe that without me, you and the woman you love could live happily ever after? What about Prime Minister Cui? Has he agreed to it? You’ve gone to such lengths to make trouble for him precisely because he refuses to marry his daughter to you, haven’t you?”
Xiao Lan stared straight into Shen Xiabai’s dark eyes. “The enmity of having your father and brothers murdered—is Lord Shen truly capable of letting bygones be bygones, without involving Eldest Miss Cui, and continuing to treat her as you always have?”
Shen Xiabai lowered his eyes and met Xiao Lan’s gaze. “I am.”
“If the Princess does not believe me, she may keep her eyes wide open and wait to see for herself. But do not forget what I have warned you of today. Otherwise, I fear the Princess may not live to see that day.”
With that, Shen Xiabai took a step to leave. Xiao Lan suddenly said, “And what of my imperial brother? If he learns that even his trusted aide has taken an interest in the Cui family’s daughter, what does Lord Shen think the consequences will be?”
There was nothing to shield them from the wind outside the palace gates. The icy gusts raged freely, stinging their cheeks.
Xiao Lan’s voice was low and heavy. “Would Lord Shen still not care?”
Shen Xiabai stopped and turned around. The look he cast at Xiao Lan was as cold and piercing as the ice of winter.
Xiao Lan instinctively took a step back.
After a long moment, Shen Xiabai withdrew his gaze and left without saying a word.
Xiao Lan stood at the palace gates, watching in the direction of the Shen family carriage until it disappeared. Her hand inside her sleeve was clenched so tightly that her nails nearly drew blood.
“Princess, why not let it go?” the palace maid beside her ventured in a small voice. “I don’t think Young Lord Shen is a kind man.”
The Princess had not even made a move, yet she had already been outmaneuvered.
Xiao Lan lowered her eyes and turned around. “Go find the Empress Dowager.”
She absolutely could not agree to such an absurd marriage.
*
The Ministry of Personnel had begun its official evaluations. Everyone else was waiting outside, but as Tang Qingwan was the Crown Princess, the ministry officials naturally did not dare neglect her. They had prepared a room where she could rest.
Cui Yunfeng had one as well.
Taking advantage of the two women’s privileges, Cui Yunchu was inside playing finger-guessing games with Cui Yunfeng.
Before long, two or three hairpins had already been pulled from Cui Yunfeng’s hair. If they continued, she would probably leave with her hair completely disheveled.
“I’m not playing anymore,” Cui Yunfeng declared.
Cui Yunchu gathered up the hairpins she had won and stuck them all haphazardly into her own hair. When she turned her head, they clattered noisily. Her head was so weighed down that she looked like a big-headed doll.
Cui Yunfeng teased her, then grabbed her by the collar with both hands and shook her vigorously. Dizzy from the swaying, Cui Yunchu slapped Cui Yunfeng across the head.
The two sisters tumbled into a noisy scuffle in the room. Tang Qingwan, sitting nearby, watched with the corners of her lips curved upward. Cui Yunchu, however, rarely looked at her—in fact, she seemed to deliberately avoid doing so.
“Cousin,” Cui Yunfeng said, “are we really going to wait here the whole time? Whose evaluation brings this many people along, even their entire families? Will Big Brother be laughed at by the others?”
Tang Qingwan shot her a glance. “You’re simply bored and want to go out to play, don’t you?”
Cui Yunfeng did not bother pretending otherwise.
After all, she was no literary prodigy. Whether she passed the evaluation or not had little to do with whether she stayed.
Cui Yunchu thought Cui Yunfeng made perfect sense.
The two of them were just about to leave when a minor clerk suddenly arrived and said to Cui Yunchu, “Eldest Miss Cui, my lord requests your presence up front. He has something important to discuss with you.”
Cui Yunfeng became instantly wary. “Who is your lord?”
“Young Lord Shen.”
Cui Yunfeng raised her brows, glanced at Cui Yunchu, and nudged her with an elbow. In a low voice, she said, “Shen Zilan? You really don’t intend to let either of those uncle-and-nephew pair slip away, do you? It’s a pity you weren’t sent off for a political marriage.”
Cui Yunchu cast her a sidelong look. “That’s right. If you ever lose favor one day, remember to marry me into Prince An’s Residence. Your older sister will help you secure your position.”
Cui Yunfeng was no longer the same as before. She could no longer take a joke lightly, but instead, she cheerfully replied, “Are you suggesting we imitate Ehuang and Nüying?”
Cui Yunchu nodded. “I’m only afraid your prince won’t be able to handle us.”
Their unrestrained conversation, as though no one else were around, made the several figures about to enter the courtyard come to a halt. Their faces turned dark.
Prince An stared at Cui Yunfeng as she pulled Cui Yunchu along after the clerk and was briefly rendered speechless.
A step behind him, Shen Xiabai gave him a heavy bump on the shoulder. When he looked back at Xiao Yi, his gaze seemed to be steeped in ice and snow.
“…”
The Crown Prince smiled pleasantly. “Do the two cousins always speak so freely in private?”
Shen Xiabai said, “I’m afraid I’ve embarrassed Your Highness. A-Chu has always had that sort of temperament. She can be rather irreverent with her words.”
“Speaking of Prince An…” Shen Xiabai gave him a cold sidelong glance. “Were the young ladies you met recently not to Your Highness’s liking? You’ve recovered from your wounds and forgotten the pain awfully quickly.”
Xiao Yi: Was he not the victim here?
Those two sisters were the ones making ridiculous remarks. What did that have to do with him?
“Lord Shen needn’t worry. I truly have no fortune to enjoy your little madwoman.”
“Likewise,” Shen Xiabai sneered. “My A-Chu is exceptionally clever. If she were anyone else, I wouldn’t want her even if she were offered to me for free.”
“…”
“Can you say something else?” Prince An asked, his brows tightly drawn.
Was there really nothing else he could say besides mocking his Yunfeng for being stupid?
The Crown Prince was still smiling amiably. He patted Shen Xiabai on the shoulder. “Brother-in-law, I believe what you ought to be concerned about now isn’t my imperial brother, but…”
He pointed in the direction where Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng had just left. “Unless I heard incorrectly, Young Lord Shen summoned her away. Be careful—there may already be a fire burning in your own backyard.”
Yu Feng thought to himself that the fire in his master’s backyard had not started just today or yesterday.
If his master had not ordered the young lord to wash dishes and bowls to cool his head, the flames would probably have spread into a wildfire by now.
With a cold expression, Shen Xiabai strode after the two women.
The Crown Prince and Prince An remained where they were.
“Imperial brother, who do you think will take first place today?”
Prince An replied, “At any rate, it won’t be Imperial Brother.”
The Crown Prince smiled faintly. “At least my Qingwan is sensible.”
Clever, and never troublesome.
Xiao Yi’s brows drew together. He gave the Crown Prince a sidelong look. “I heard Crown Sister-in-law has been taking medicinal decoctions. Has she conceived yet? If not, Imperial Brother should hurry and have an imperial physician examine her. The daughters of the Cui family are capable of anything. Imperial Brother had better be careful—don’t end up unknowingly raising someone else’s child.”
The Crown Prince’s smile immediately turned cold.
Prince An departed with leisurely steps.
The Crown Prince turned around and went back inside, where he stayed by Tang Qingwan’s side, fussing over her and asking after her comfort.
*
Cui Yunchu followed the clerk to a room. It was not very large and appeared to have been prepared as a resting chamber for officials exhausted from their work.
“Eldest Miss Cui, Young Lord Shen is inside. Please go in,” the clerk urged.
Cui Yunchu glanced at the closed door, then at Cui Yunfeng.
Cui Yunfeng said, “Why are you looking at me? He didn’t summon me.”
Cui Yunchu frowned.
This girl’s persistence was truly something else. After what had happened at the Moonview Pavilion last time, she still had not given up?
Cui Yunfeng urged her, “Go on in. I’ll wait outside.”
The thought of an uncle and his aunt entangled in a romance was enough to make Cui Yunfeng’s blood race with excitement.
Cui Yunchu ignored her, pushed open the door, and walked inside.
Shen Zilan stood in the middle of the room in a moon-white brocade robe. He looked slightly nervous and awkward as he watched Cui Yunchu enter.
“Peach Blossom Sister, you’re here.”
Cui Yunchu folded her arms and looked at him. “What is it?”
Shen Zilan said, “What have you decided about what I said to you at Moonview Pavilion last time?”
The hairpin in Cui Yunchu’s hair was rather heavy. Letting its weight pull her head to one side, she tilted it slightly, then quickly used her hand to straighten it again.
