“Indeed, the Second Miss Yan is now our Crown Princess of Xuanzhao,” Ye Chen said quietly. “You have no idea — when the Crown Princess tells His Highness to get lost, His Highness does not even dare utter a peep.”

“Really?” Qiuci covered her mouth, laughing.

Then their Second Young Miss’s position was indeed very high.

“Of course it is true. I am an official now — would I deceive you?” Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. “You came to Xuanzhao because the Crown Princess asked you to, did you not? The moment His Highness heard what the Crown Princess wanted, he immediately dispatched people to bring you here.”

“Official Ye Chen, you really are impressive now — you know so much.”

“Naturally.” Ye Chen laughed. “You have no idea, just now…”

Without leaving out a single word, Ye Chen recounted everything that had just happened to Qiuci. He thought Qiuci had arrived at just the right moment — someone to share a laugh with over the whole business.

Except it was very strange. The things he found so hilarious — the more Qiuci listened, the more rigidly upright she stood in place, her eyes twitching every now and then.

“Do you not find the Crown Princess funny?” Ye Chen could not help asking.

Qiuci shook her head.

Without warning, Ye Chen felt a chill run down his back. He did not dare turn around. He kept his composure and said, “I was only joking. I must be off — go on inside and see the Crown Princess.”

Qiuci scratched her head, not quite understanding what she had just witnessed as she watched Ye Chen disappear into the distance. She turned her gaze back and continued watching as two guards supported Yan Shiyao — who had fallen unconscious — and carried her out.

First Young Miss looked so very badly injured.

Her left arm hung limp and slack, looking for all the world as though it might have been crippled…

——

Inside the main hall, Yan Yuning had just been about to see Xuan Yanyu back to his chamber to rest when she spotted Qiuci. She pushed the man aside without a moment’s hesitation and pulled Qiuci into an embrace, then said to Xuan Yanyu, “Go back by yourself.”

Xuan Yanyu was stunned for a moment; before he could even protest, Yan Yuning had taken Qiuci by the hand and walked out of the main hall. Ye’an, seeing this, immediately followed after Yan Yuning.

Strolling through the pavilion, Qiuci quietly asked, “Young Miss, how did Young Master Xuan become the Crown Prince of Xuanzhao?”

Yan Yuning doubled over with laughter and leaned close to her ear, saying in a hushed voice, “Him? I suspect he snuck into the imperial study on his own, drafted the imperial edict himself, and then proclaimed it throughout all of Xuanzhao — making himself Crown Prince.”

Qiuci’s mouth twitched. “Young Miss, do I look like a simpleton to you?”

Ye’an, walking behind them, raised an eyebrow. Except for the part about sneaking in — everything else the Crown Princess had said was quite accurate. His Highness openly walking into the imperial study and drafting his own edicts was hardly a first or second occurrence.

“Where is Ye Jian, Young Miss? How come I have not seen Ye Jian?” Qiuci asked curiously.

Given that Ye Chen had now been promoted to an official, surely Ye Jian had been promoted as well? The three of them had crouched behind that wall together — could she perhaps bask in a little of their reflected glory?

“Ye Jian is in the Fifth Princess’s palace.” Yan Yuning teased with evident amusement. “Do you want to see him?”

“No, no — no need.” She was merely curious.

“Young Miss…” Just as Qiuci was about to say something more, Ye’an smiled and said, “Miss Qiuci, the Second Young Miss is now the Crown Princess. You will need to adjust how you address her.”

Yan Yuning looked back at him and raised an eyebrow lightly. “You too — go to your chamber and rest. I promise I will not sneak away again.”

“Crown Princess, this servant is not tired,” Ye’an replied, those dark circles under his eyes saying otherwise.

Yan Yuning urged him a couple more times, but Ye’an would not budge, so she let the matter drop.

Over the next several days, Yan Yuning behaved herself and did not set foot outside the residence even once.

It was not that she was afraid to leave — it was that Xuan Yanyu had instructed the guards and maidservants that unless he himself was by her side, they were to follow along whenever she went out, without exception.

Quite the production. Yan Yuning could not be bothered with the fuss, and simply stayed put in the residence to rest and tend to her pregnancy in peace.

——

Qilan Kingdom — the Marquis’s Residence.

After returning to Qilan, Yan Shiyao had been staying in the Marquis’s residence. Yan Shiyu had arranged for her to be well looked after, and her injuries had mostly healed — only her left arm flared up in excruciating pain from time to time.

“Elder Sister, how are you feeling today?” With Louao supporting her by the arm, Yan Shiyu came to Yan Shiyao’s side chamber, as she did every day after the noon meal, following her short walk.

“Better.” Yan Shiyao said, looking worn and haggard.

She raised her eyes to look at Louao. Long ago, neither she nor Ningning had agreed to marry him, and so the match had fallen to Shiyu.

And yet the Louao of today — for Shiyu’s sake — had dismissed all his concubines and secondary wives. At present, the Marquis’s residence had only Shiyu as its sole mistress.

A daughter born of a concubine was now the lady of the Marquis’s residence.

While Ningning, who had likewise been unwilling to marry the young Marquis, was now the Crown Princess of Xuanzhao. And as for herself?

Not only had she lost her standing as the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, but her left arm was crippled, her mother remained in the imperial prison to this day, and her brother had gone to who knew where…

“Elder Sister, I am glad to hear it,” Yan Shiyu said, having nothing further to say to her. She moved to turn and leave.

She was now more than five months along with child, and she was lazy about going out every day. If her husband had not insisted she take a walk after every meal, she would not have left her chamber at all.

“Shiyu — regarding Mother’s situation, do you and the young Marquis have any means of helping?” Yan Shiyao called after her.

“Elder Sister, the young Marquis does not yet manage household affairs — what means could we possibly have?” Yan Shiyu smiled. “Even Second Sister, who is Crown Princess, could not find a way. How could we manage it?”

“Elder Sister, please rest well. Shiyu is heading back to her chamber.” Taking Louao’s hand, Yan Shiyu walked out slowly with him.

Yan Shiyao collapsed face-down on the bed, deflated and miserable, and cried a while, all bottled up inside.

Then, suddenly thinking of Qi Qingchen, she wiped her tears away, had a maidservant bring over a washbasin, and carefully washed her face. She seated herself before the bronze mirror, picked up her rouge, and painted herself a beautiful set of brows and eyes.

Gazing at the striking, lovely woman reflected back at her in the mirror, Yan Shiyao forced herself to smile. It was all right. If no one would help her, she would rescue her mother herself, and then she and her mother and father would live well together.

On her way to the Third Prince’s residence, Yan Shiyao’s mind kept circling back to one thought: if her mother had treated Ningning a little more kindly, would things have turned out differently for all of them?

What a pity…

When she caught sight of the plaque above the Third Prince’s residence gate, Yan Shiyao curved her lips into a graceful smile. The guards at the gate did not stop her, and she entered the residence with surprising ease.

Inside the study, Wu’an had already come to report that Yan Shiyao had entered the residence. Qi Qingchen, listening, curved his lips in a languid smile and made his unhurried way to the dining hall.

After waiting more than two hours — until the sky had gradually grown dark — Yan Shiyao finally saw Qi Qingchen saunter leisurely into the main hall.

“First Miss Yan, what brings you here?” Qi Qingchen said with a look of surprise.

“Shiyao pays her respects to His Highness the Third Prince.” Yan Shiyao smiled sweetly.

Not the slightest sign of anger.

“Look at this Crown Prince — how forgetful of me. Miss Yan is a commandery princess, is she not?” Qi Qingchen took a grape from the maidservant who offered it, peeled it, and with a lazy raise of his eyebrow said, “Tsk — it seems First Miss Yan is no longer a commandery princess.”

Yan Shiyao tightened her grip into a fist, yet her voice came out soft and coquettish. “Third Highness, the Shiyao of today is simply Shiyao — not a commandery princess of Xuanzhao, and no longer the legitimate daughter of Qilan’s Prime Minister’s household.”

She had no standing left at all now…

As her words fell, Yan Shiyao slowly walked toward Qi Qingchen. Her slender fingers peeled a grape and, under his gaze, placed it into her own mouth.

“?” Qi Qingchen’s eyebrow arched upward — and in the next instant, the young woman lowered her head, and her lips pressed against his.

After a long moment, Yan Shiyao gently pushed him away and smiled seductively. “Third Highness, from this moment on, your Shiyao is yours.”