The Crown Grandson’s gaze was cold, his tone overbearing: “Wei Yan, all that this prince once promised you was that if you fulfilled what you had pledged, this prince would never compel Ling Jingshu to marry into the Crown Prince’s estate — that she would be free to choose her own match. But that does not mean this prince has given her up.”

“Even granting her free choice, she would never abandon this prince in favor of you!”

The harder his words, the more they betrayed the bluster of a hollow threat!

Wei Yan, the true victor in this matter, carried himself now with considerable grace as a man. Rather than refuting the Crown Grandson’s words head-on, he simply smiled with quiet detachment: “Since Your Highness is so confident, why say any of this to this official? A’Shu is presently within the palace — getting her out will certainly require considerable effort.”

“When the day comes that she regains her freedom, whom she wishes to spend her life with will naturally become clear to all.”

Wei Yan’s composed ease, and the confidence that shone through his eyes, cut once more — even more sharply — into the Crown Grandson’s own eyes.

In this encounter of rivals, he had fallen comprehensively behind.

He was the Crown Grandson — he had his pride, and he scorned using power and status to press another person.

The Crown Grandson drew a deep breath, marshaling his utmost self-command to hold onto his dignity and a man’s pride, and said evenly: “Very well. Then this prince will wait patiently for that day to arrive. And you too remember your own words — let everything be her choice entirely. No calling in of favors as a form of pressure.”

Wei Yan replied with an easy smile: “Your Highness may set your mind at ease. This official would not stoop to conduct so base.”

Poor Crown Grandson — he had no idea yet that he and A’Shu had already bared their hearts to one another and were of one mind and one soul.

But never mind. At a moment like this, there was no need to say things like that and provoke him further.

A true victor had no need to squabble with a defeated rival.

Wei Yan, with considerable magnanimity and good cheer, spent this one occasion being the sort of man with a broad and generous heart.

After returning to the palace, Wei Yan could not contain himself after all, and using the pretext of checking Noble Consort Wei’s pulse, went to see Ling Jingshu once more.

With the new year past, Ling Jingshu was now sixteen years old.

At this age, a young woman was at the most beautiful point in her entire life. Her features had bloomed into their full maturity, all traces of girlish immaturity having fallen away, giving rise to a dazzling, arresting splendor.

The stillness between Ling Jingshu’s brows remained, yet it could no longer conceal the inner radiance she carried. When her beautiful eyes moved, and she smiled the faintest smile, her beauty was enough to make a city forget itself.

Wei Yan’s spirit was captivated, and unable to restrain himself any longer, he stepped forward and gently enfolded Ling Jingshu’s soft, graceful figure in his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She gave a soft, breathless murmur, and in the warmth of his ardor, her thoughts gradually grew hazy.

As their lips met, a wordless tenderness flowed between them, quietly nourishing each other’s hearts.

After a long while, Wei Yan finally lifted his head. His breathing was still unsteady, and his gaze lingered with something almost hungry on her reddened lips — yet he dared not let himself go any further.

If her lips were kissed swollen, she would have no way to face anyone when she went back out.

Ling Jingshu’s cheeks were flushed a vivid red, the warmth at the tips of her ears not yet faded: “What has come over you today? The moment you saw me, not a single word said — just embracing and kissing me like this.” For the restrained and self-controlled Wei Yan, this was something that had almost never happened before.

Wei Yan smiled without speaking, and held her a little tighter.

“Did something happen?” Ling Jingshu leaned against his chest with easy compliance, and asked in a soft voice.

Wei Yan said quietly: “Nothing of any great consequence. Only that the Crown Grandson’s Consort disturbed the fetus this morning, and the Crown Grandson specially requested that I go over to write a fetal-settling prescription.”

Ling Jingshu grasped the heart of the matter almost at once: “Did he give you grief?”

Wei Yan raised an eyebrow slightly: “One could not call it receiving grief or feeling wronged. He has not given up on you — he says he will not compel you to marry into the household, but he is firmly convinced that when the day comes you leave the palace and regain your freedom, you will certainly choose him.”

Such a concentrated sour taste!

Ling Jingshu could not hold back a laugh: “My, my — could it be that the broad-hearted Imperial Physician Wei has gone and gotten jealous over one little remark like that?”

Wei Yan resolutely refused to accept the fact that he was being jealous, gave a quiet snort, and said: “Jealous of him? Hardly. I only regret that I could not tell him everything about the two of us, that is all.”

No man, however magnanimous, could endure this kind of direct provocation!

Ling Jingshu so clearly belonged to him. Yet standing in front of the Crown Grandson, he could not openly say so, and had to sit there listening to the Crown Grandson’s goading — it would be strange indeed if he felt anything like contentment.

Ling Jingshu, hearing the contradiction between his words and his feelings, let the corners of her mouth curve even higher: “Yes, yes — he is merely a young man of barely seventeen or eighteen, while you are twenty-six, a mature man of poise and dignity, generous and magnanimous to the utmost. How could someone like you possibly bother with such things?”

The mature, poised Wei Yan began turning vinegary again: “Indeed — the Crown Grandson is young and promising, only eighteen this year, perfectly matched in age with you. I am already a twenty-six-year-old man growing long in the tooth. Being with me is truly an injustice to you.”

He was a full ten years older than she was!

He never spoke of it in the ordinary course of things, yet it did weigh on him somewhere inside. He always worried she might find his age too great.

The sourness of this aged vinegar of his!

Ling Jingshu lifted her head, her lips curved with a smile: “Who said you were old? In my eyes, you are at the full flowering of your years — the most compelling and handsome age a man can be. The palace maids who are quietly pining away in there talk about you in private every single day. When I hear it, I cannot say how vexed and bothered it makes me. And yet I cannot say a word. If anyone here ought to be nursing jealousy, it is me.”

She had grown practiced at coaxing Ling Xiao, and now applied the same method to Wei Yan — and the effect was clearly very much in evidence.

The slight sour edge in Wei Yan’s heart was soothed away very quickly.

He dipped his head and kissed her lightly on the cheek, then murmured close to her ear with quiet intimacy: “All these years, I have never looked at another woman twice. I have kept myself for you entirely to this day — what more could you possibly be uncertain of?”

The warm breath against that sensitive place at the ear brushed softly, again and again, stirring up wave after wave of sweet unease deep in her heart.

Ling Jingshu bit her lip, laughed softly, and made to pull away — only to be caught by Wei Yan. He pressed a kiss to her softly laughing lips, lingering in gentle closeness for a long, long while.

Just as the two of them were lost in each other, unable to bear parting, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Then came an unhurried, measured knock.

Both Ling Jingshu and Wei Yan gave a start, and swiftly separated.

They had met in Lingbo Palace on several occasions before, and Noble Consort Wei had never disturbed them midway. What had happened today?

Ling Jingshu hurriedly smoothed her clothes and tidied her hair, then quickly went to open the door.

Standing outside was indeed Noble Consort Wei.

There was still a lingering flush of color on Ling Jingshu’s cheeks, and she could not bring herself to look Noble Consort Wei directly in the eye. She lowered her head and gave her a respectful bow: “This servant greets Noble Consort Wei.”

Noble Consort Wei’s heart was full of something — she had no mind for lighthearted banter, and gave a distracted sound of acknowledgment before stepping inside.

Wei Yan saw her expression and felt an uneasy premonition: “Your Ladyship — has something happened?”

Noble Consort Wei’s brow knit slightly, and she lowered her voice: “Just now, the Emperor sent a verbal decree. He says he wishes to set out for the imperial retreat west of the capital and stay there for a time to clear his mind and rest. He has selected a number of consorts from the palace to accompany him, and I am among them.”