“Your Highnesses, the medicine sent by Imperial Physician Wen.” Xiaoyue carried in a tray, and Xiao Wan took the medicinal soup and presented it to Yan Yunning. “Crown Princess, drink it while it’s warm.”

Yan Yunning’s eyes lifted slightly. “A contraceptive decoction?”

Every day since the first time they had been together, this had been given to her — she found it very difficult not to have her suspicions.

“Ahem.” Xuan Yanyu was briefly at a loss for words.

“So it really is?” Yan Yunning furrowed her brow. “You don’t want a child?”

“Ningning……”

“Shut up!”

“……” Xuan Yanyu leaned over and drew her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair, and said with a curved smile, “No — it’s a restorative tonic. Your constitution is too fragile. You lose consciousness every time.”

Yan Yunning squeezed her eyes shut and spoke through gritted teeth. “Your Highness the Crown Prince! That certainly makes it quite clear your constitution is anything but fragile!!”

The man’s voice was steady and even. “There’s no need to make it clear — doesn’t Ningning already know?”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Your Highnesses — Young Master Jiang is here.” A guard entered with his head lowered and made his report.

“Who is that?” Yan Yunning quietly put some distance between herself and Xuan Yanyu.

“Jiang Xian. The youngest son of the General’s residence. His father was formerly Vice-General under Grand Commandant Yu. After Grand Commandant Yu passed away, His Majesty promoted him.” Xuan Yanyu moved toward her again.

“Grand Commandant Yu?”

“Yes. When you feel like going to the Grand Commandant’s residence, you can go and meet Grand Commandant Yu’s eldest daughter — Yu Zhi. She is now the lady of the Grand Commandant’s residence.”

“Oh.” Yan Yunning nodded.

In any case, the guards reported A’Niang of the Lu family’s condition every few days — there was no hurry. She would wait until she had rested properly before going.

“Drink your medicine.” Xuan Yanyu raised the porcelain ladle to her lips.

“No.”

Xuan Yanyu lowered his gaze with a smile, his voice low. “Can’t — grow — stronger — so you don’t want to replenish yourself?”

“Xuan Yanyu!” Yan Yunning was becoming genuinely vexed.

The man blew on the medicine in the ladle. “This Crown Prince won’t say it again. Drink.”

Yan Yunning acted as though she hadn’t heard.

“Y—Your Highness, shall we let Young Master Jiang in?” The guard bent at the waist and gathered his courage to ask.

“Yes.”

Receiving his answer, the guard bowed and withdrew.

Xuan Yanyu coaxed Yan Yunning into finishing her medicine, and by then Jiang Xian had walked into the hall.

“Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince, the Crown Pr—incess — Your Highness, you—” Jiang Xian, utterly at a loss for words, turned to Xuan Yanyu and gave him a thumbs-up.

There were rather a lot of marks on the Crown Princess’s neck.

“Do you have business with this Crown Prince? If not, see yourself out.”

Unlike Pei Shunian, Jiang Xian — by virtue of the connection through Xuanzhao Ran — could be counted among those able to actually converse with Xuan Yanyu. Xuanzhao Ran and Jiang Xian had grown up together as childhood companions, their relationship close from a young age, so Jiang Xian had more contact with Xuan Yanyu than most, and over time a familiarity had developed between them.

“I do have business.” Jiang Xian settled naturally into the seat beside Xuan Yanyu. “I heard from the Fifth Princess that the Princess Consort has already begun looking for a husband-in-waiting for her. Your Highness, were you aware?”

“Is that so?” Xuan Yanyu replied in a languid drawl, simultaneously picking up a dish with his chopsticks and feeding it to Yan Yunning.

Jiang Xian rubbed his eyes. Was she really this pampered?

Being fed by His Highness the Crown Prince at a meal?

“Did you come to see this Crown Prince just to tell him this?” Xuan Yanyu tilted his head to glance at him.

“No.” Jiang Xian scratched his head with some awkwardness. “Your Highness, what are the Princess Consort’s criteria for selecting a husband-in-waiting for the Fifth Princess?”

Yan Yunning blinked, pushed Xuan Yanyu aside, and turned her head toward Jiang Xian. She asked directly, “Do you have feelings for Ranran?”

Jiang Xian touched his nose. “Crown Princess, I don’t.”

The Fifth Princess had someone she cared for. He and the Fifth Princess had grown up together, and she had never had any such feelings for him. If the Fifth Princess were to find out, she would stop being friends with him.

The reason he had asked about the Princess Consort’s criteria for selecting a husband-in-waiting was to find out whoever was chosen, then go beat the man to a pulp one night, so he would have to go and meet the Princess Consort with a face covered in bruises.

The Princess Consort would surely be displeased, and if displeased, she wouldn’t marry the Fifth Princess off to him.

Yan Yunning was pensive — the man said he had no feelings for her, but his ear tips had gone noticeably red.

“No feelings, and yet you’re asking this Crown Prince about it?” Xuan Yanyu set down his golden chopsticks and picked up a handkerchief to hand to Yan Yunning.

Jiang Xian gave a light cough. “Your Highness, just curious — aren’t you curious?”

Xuan Yanyu leaned back against the sandalwood chair, head tilted as he stared at him directly. “Not curious.”

Jiang Xian looked away and turned to Yan Yunning. “Crown Princess, aren’t you a little curious?”

Yan Yunning played along with him. “I suppose I’m a little curious.”

Xuan Yanyu glanced down at Yan Yunning and spoke in his unhurried way. “Family background and standing, moral character, appearance, talent, a suitable age, and temperament — all of these must be satisfactory. Royal Mother won’t find a match in a short while.”

Hearing that it wouldn’t be a short while, Jiang Xian exhaled with relief.

Yan Yunning leaned close to Xuan Yanyu’s ear and said quietly, “But Ranran used to have feelings for A’Ci — wouldn’t His Majesty and Royal Mother disapprove?”

“They would. A’Ci’s standing doesn’t match Xiao Ran’s.” Xuan Yanyu answered plainly.

Xiao Ran was born of Royal Mother — she was a legitimate princess. How could she possibly marry below her station to A’Ci?

Yan Yunning was displeased. “Aside from his standing, there’s nothing about our A’Ci that isn’t the best.”

“His character leaves something to be desired.” The man’s calm tone carried a note of displeasure.

Yan Yunning choked slightly, then muttered after a long pause, “There was a reason for it.”

“What reason? One that requires framing someone? Yan Yunning — if this Crown Prince were not Xuanzhao’s Crown Prince, do you know what charge it would carry to be accused of framing the Grand Counselor’s secondary consort? Do you have any idea what the Grand Counselor would have done to this Crown Prince?”

Such methods were reprehensible in and of themselves. Whatever the reluctance or difficulty, why not speak plainly instead of resorting to such underhanded means?

Jiang Xian swallowed audibly and scooted backward, doing his best to minimize his presence.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together, without a word to offer in response.

“And furthermore — do not praise someone else as the best in front of this Crown Prince.” The man’s throat bobbed, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Otherwise this Crown Prince will want to punish you.”

Yan Yunning reached up and grabbed his ear. “Punish who?”

With a thud, Jiang Xian toppled from the sandalwood chair to the floor.

The corner of his forehead struck a chair leg, throbbing painfully.

Yan Yunning turned to look at him. How does one fall off a chair while simply sitting in it?

“Your Highnesses, I still have matters to attend to — I’ll take my leave.” Jiang Xian righted the sandalwood chair, clapped a hand over his forehead, and made a run for the door.

His Highness the Crown Prince had his ear yanked by the Crown Princess — and he had witnessed it. Would he feel humiliated and come looking to make trouble for him?

Xuan Yanyu hooked an arm around Yan Yunning’s waist and pulled her onto his lap, his voice turning soft and ambiguous. “Punish you, of course.”

The man looked down at her. His voice, low and resonant with a rich timbre, matched the striking, finely-sculpted face above her — smiling with a roguish ease.

Yan Yunning shifted her gaze away. “His Majesty isn’t in Xuanzhao right now — couldn’t you go to the Prince’s Palace and look over the imperial memorials? Sleep in the palace tonight, keep watch over the Prince’s Palace for Father!”

Xuan Yanyu’s tone carried a playful undercurrent. “But this Crown Prince can’t neglect you either.”

Yan Yunning patted his shoulder with a magnanimous air. “It’s fine — I won’t hold it against you. Put your mind at ease and go. I’m not an unreasonable person.”

“Not possible. Without this Crown Prince by your side, this Crown Prince worries you won’t rest well.” The man gave a soft sigh. “After all, you’ve needed to sleep in this Crown Prince’s arms to fall asleep these past few nights.”

“Xuan Yanyu, I can’t rest with you beside me.” Yan Yunning reached up and pinched his face. “Was I falling asleep in your arms?”

She had been losing consciousness!