Ye Chen pressed his lips tightly together, suppressing a smile. Since when had the Crown Prince learned to tell such fibs? He had clearly come back to find the second young miss of the Yan family.

Ye Jian stepped on his foot without a change of expression.

Ye Chen clenched his teeth and shot him a glare.

Ye Jian stared straight ahead, as though he had seen nothing.

“My son, did you bring back a Crown Princess consort for me?” Prince Xuan’s expression grew serious, his tone carrying a note of hope.

Xuan Yanyu’s brow furrowed immediately. “Father has never once explained to me — why must I marry Yan Shiyao?”

Prince Xuan said earnestly, “My son, your father has his reasons. If you truly cannot bring yourself to care for her, you may wed her and simply maintain a courteous and respectful distance. Would that not suffice?”

Had he known from the start that no affection would grow between them, he would never have sent his son to Qilan at all.

“Father — Little Ran went looking for me, and Yan Shiyao hired beggars to spirit her away. If those beggars had had ill intentions, what would have become of Little Ran?” Xuan Yanyu’s handsome face was overcast with displeasure. “With a mind like that, how could she be fit to be my Crown Princess?”

If anything had happened to Yan Yunning or Little Ran, he would have truly killed her.

Prince Xuan’s expression darkened. “My son, everyone makes mistakes.”

“Father.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice was sharp with dissatisfaction. “I will not marry her.”

Prince Xuan’s expression changed abruptly; he roared: “Xuan Yanyu!”

Ye Jian and Ye Chen both flinched.

The eunuchs and maidservants trailing behind Prince Xuan turned white as sheets; with a series of thuds, they all dropped to their knees.

Xuan Yanyu ignored his father’s fury. “Father, whatever you say today, I will not marry Yan Shiyao.”

“My son, she is just a woman after all — what harm is there in bringing her back and keeping her in the Crown Prince’s residence?” Prince Xuan coaxed and persuaded.

Xuan Yanyu’s lashes lowered. He said nothing.

“Xuan Xixi.”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyelid.

“My son,” Prince Xuan coaxed patiently, “from the time you were small, your father has indulged you in everything. Just this once, won’t you yield to your father?”

Xuan Yanyu’s thin lips pressed together slightly. “Secondary consort. Yan Shiyao may be a secondary consort.”

Prince Xuan’s gaze shifted. “My son, do you have a candidate in mind for Crown Princess?”

“No.”

“If there is no one, then why should the young miss of the Yan family only be a secondary consort?”

Xuan Yanyu curved his lips in the faintest smile. “I simply feel that, given her conduct, she would not be fitting as mistress of the central palace in the future.”

Prince Xuan laughed lightly. “In that case, your father believes the Chancellor’s eldest legitimate daughter — learned and refined, dignified and virtuous — would indeed be suitable as a future mistress of the central palace. Why not pick an auspicious day and bring both her and the young miss of the Yan family into the Crown Prince’s residence together?”

The little wretch — he thought the Yan family girl’s conduct was insufficient for the central palace, but which woman in the palace didn’t play her little schemes? As if he didn’t know.

If there truly were no one he had in mind for Crown Princess, he wouldn’t have needed to invent an excuse.

“There is no rush, Father—”

Prince Xuan cut him off with a jovial laugh. “How is there no rush? You may not be in a hurry, but your father is desperate for a royal grandson.”

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

“How does my son feel about it? If you agree, your father will have people begin preparations at once.”

Xuan Yanyu answered perfunctorily: “Father, Yan Shiyao has no wish to marry me at present. Wait until she does, and then you may make preparations. I still have matters to attend to — I’ll take my leave.”

And without waiting for Prince Xuan to respond, he strode forward at a brisk pace.

Prince Xuan bit down hard. That insufferable boy.

“You two, halt.” Prince Xuan’s tone turned ominous.

Ye Chen and Ye Jian froze mid-step and went completely still.

“Your Majesty, what are your instructions?” Ye Jian asked with a bow.

“Ye Chen, Ye Jian — you have remained at Yu’er’s side all this time. Have you ever seen any woman near him?” Prince Xuan’s voice carried a coldness it had never held before.

Ye Chen and Ye Jian exchanged a glance and swiftly bowed their heads.

They could not deceive His Majesty — that was a crime punishable by death.

Ye Jian chose his words carefully: “Beside His Highness there is no one save Miss Yan the elder. It is rather Miss Yan the elder who is always accompanied by the second young miss, Yan the younger.”

“The second young miss of the Yan family?”

“Your Majesty, the second young miss was only recently taken back by the Chancellor — she had been living away from the family all this time.” Ye Jian answered uneasily.

“Your Majesty, perhaps you are unaware — the Fifth Princess has just brought a young woman into the palace. Her name is Yan Yunning. The moment His Highness returned to Xuanzhao, he rushed straight to Ranle Palace. He must have gone to find her.” Eunuch Feng spoke in a tone of respectful deference.

Ye Chen swallowed hard. When the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would make sure the Crown Prince did not merely exile Eunuch Feng from the palace — he would have him sent far, far away.

Prince Xuan’s expression turned contemplative. “Yan Yunning — she is the younger sister of the Yan family girl? The second young miss of the Yan family?”

Ye Jian’s heart skipped a beat. “In reply to Your Majesty — yes.”

Prince Xuan fixed him with a cool, penetrating stare. “A daughter of the Qilan Chancellor’s household — how did she enter our Xuanzhao?”

He didn’t want to be told she had come through with proper travel papers — those couldn’t be processed in such a short time.

Ye Jian and Ye Chen exchanged a startled glance. Indeed — how had the second young miss entered?

“Eunuch Feng, bring the Imperial Guards who were on duty that day before Us.” Prince Xuan’s voice dropped lower.

“This servant obeys.” Eunuch Feng complied.

Seeing that His Majesty intended to conduct his inquiry right here, a eunuch quickly brought out a rosewood chair and positioned it behind the Prince.

“Your Majesty, please have some tea.” A maidservant offered a cup of fragrant tea.

Prince Xuan accepted it and took a measured sip.

Ye Jian felt a chill settle over his heart. His Majesty was conducting the inquiry here because he feared Ye Jian and Ye Chen would go and warn the Crown Prince.

Before long, Eunuch Feng returned with the commanding officer who had been on duty that day.

“This subordinate pays respects to Prince Xuan.” The officer dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

“Tell Us — how did Yan Yunning enter our Xuanzhao that day?” Prince Xuan blew lightly on the tea, his tone unhurried.

“In reply to Your Majesty, Miss Yan entered by travel permit.”

His Highness had, on his return, instructed him to go to the magistrate’s office and have Yan Yunning’s travel permit processed and stamped — precisely to avoid any difficulty if His Majesty were to inquire.

Prince Xuan’s composure radiated a chill. “Present it.”

Eunuch Feng took the permit from the officer and presented it respectfully to the Prince.

Prince Xuan accepted it, glanced at it — and hurled his teacup to the ground. The liquid splashed across the hem of his dragon robe, leaving a small dark stain on the magnificent silk.

“Your Majesty, please compose yourself.” Eunuchs and maidservants dropped to their knees in a sweeping row.

The officer pressed his forehead to the ground, racking his brain without understanding. The travel permit should have been perfectly in order — why was His Majesty so furious?

“Tell Us — how did Yu’er comport himself in Qilan around Yan Yunning?” Prince Xuan ground his teeth together.

The wretched boy — he had overlooked the ink marks on the permit. The document had clearly been issued through an expedited process. Under normal circumstances, the fastest processing took about five days — by which point the ink would have dried completely, leaving no such deep, prominent marks. If it were merely a matter of Yu’er being fond of the girl but still intent on taking the Yan family’s eldest daughter as secondary consort, he would not have minded — he didn’t care who his son chose to favour. But if his son was wavering over the position of Crown Princess for the sake of another woman, then he could not be blamed for being harsh.

“Your… Your Majesty, His Highness would, out of consideration for the first young miss of the Yan family, give the second young miss a certain degree of care and attention.” Ye Jian said diplomatically.

“Insolence!” Prince Xuan’s face contorted with fury; he landed a kick squarely on Ye Jian.

Out of consideration for the elder Yan girl — that meant Yu’er regarded the elder Yan girl with great importance.