The Crown Prince’s mother had passed away three years ago. On this day, the third anniversary of her death, the Crown Prince personally went to the Imperial Ci’en Temple to preside over the memorial ceremony. In the evening, he returned to the palace to see the Wei Emperor.

The Wei Emperor had caught a cold at the beginning of the year, which triggered an old illness. Although the imperial physicians had done their utmost to treat him, his condition had not improved. Over the year, it had worsened, and by the end of the year, he had not attended court for many days. Only a few days ago, upon receiving news of victory from beyond the frontier, learning that the Marquis of Wei’s army had routed the Hu people and that the year-and-a-half-long war had finally ended with Great Wei’s victory, did the court officials celebrate and the entire nation rejoice, and the Emperor’s spirits improved somewhat. Hearing that the Crown Prince had come to see him, he ordered him to be brought in.

The Crown Prince entered, performed the kneeling ceremony, and reported on the day’s memorial service. The Emperor handed him a memorial that had just arrived that day, saying that the army would return in the spring, then sighed, his tone full of emotion: “In recent years, the Hu people have been training their forces vigorously, intending to seize Hetao, which has been a major concern of mine. Now that the war has finally concluded in victory, with the Hu people hastily retreating north, severely damaged, I expect they will have no power to invade southward for at least ten years. I can say one of my worries has been lifted.”

“Above, relying on the blessing of our ancestors and Father Emperor’s immense fortune, and below, with General Pei and other soldiers exerting their loyal efforts, our Great Wei is victorious in every battle, and peace reigns within the four seas,” the Crown Prince respectfully replied.

The Wei Emperor looked at the Crown Prince: “I have another concern, which is the selection of your Crown Princess. My illness, I fear, is incurable. You are the Crown Prince, yet the Eastern Palace has only consorts but no principal wife, which is inappropriate. The matter of establishing your Princess cannot be delayed any longer…”

“Father Emperor is blessed by heaven and naturally has divine protection. My affairs can wait until Father Emperor’s body recovers!” The Crown Prince fell to his knees with a thud.

The Emperor waved his hand.

“I know your sincerity and filial piety, but this matter cannot be delayed further. Previously, you were in mourning for your mother, but now the mourning period has ended. Once decided, you should have the grand wedding as soon as possible. This way, I will be at ease, and the court officials will also be at ease.”

The Crown Prince kowtowed, choking with emotion: “Your son will follow Father Emperor’s arrangements.”

The Emperor signaled a eunuch to hand a memorial to the Crown Prince.

“These three families, not only have illustrious heritage, but their daughters also possess the virtues befitting an empress.”

The Crown Prince took it, quickly read through it, and did not see the person he had in mind. He remained silent for a moment.

In his mind, the image of another girl appeared.

Her mother, Lady Pei, had been a close friend of his mother. His mother had been fond of Lady Pei’s daughter and often invited Lady Pei to bring her to the palace for conversation.

In this way, the Pei family’s gradually growing daughter had entered his heart, causing him to think of her often.

But at that time, he was already betrothed.

Later, the girl to whom he was engaged died, but by then, she had not yet come of age.

The Crown Prince then found excuses to delay appointing a consort, silently waiting for her to grow up.

Later still, his mother unfortunately passed away. In the blink of an eye, three years passed, and she finally grew up.

His mourning period for his mother was over, and his father’s health was deteriorating day by day. He would certainly establish a Crown Princess for him at this time, which was within his expectations.

But what he had not anticipated was, why wasn’t among the candidates for Crown Princess.

Not to mention her reputation in the inner chambers, just in terms of family background, the Pei family had been loyal for generations. The current Marquis of Wei held prestige at court, knew when to advance and retreat, and had just established great merit in the northern campaign.

Appointing his daughter as Crown Princess would be natural and beneficial to himself.

According to what he originally knew, the Wei Emperor had selected daughters from four ministerial families this time, with her name at the top of the four.

Yet now, she was not among the candidates for Crown Princess, which the Crown Prince found hard to believe.

The Wei Emperor said: “Among these three families, I believe your tutor’s daughter is most suitable. Of course, the other two families are also not inappropriate. You may choose from among them.”

With the Emperor speaking in such a tone, how could the Crown Prince not understand that appointing his tutor’s daughter as Crown Princess was the Emperor’s final intention?

The Crown Prince finally managed to suppress the boundless disappointment that welled up in his heart, kowtowed, and respectfully said: “Your son will obey Father Emperor’s command.”

The Wei Emperor smiled: “Very good, this matter is thus decided. I will issue an edict tomorrow, select a date for the grand wedding as soon as possible before the new year, and let the entire realm celebrate together.”

The Crown Prince kowtowed again to express gratitude. As he was about to take his leave, he heard the Wei Emperor suddenly say: “Your third brother is currently on his way back to the capital and should arrive in a few days. He has been mischievous since childhood. Last year, he insisted on joining General Pei’s military expedition. I thought he would return after a while, but unexpectedly, he endured the hardships, and not only gained experience but also established military merit. It shows he has grown up, which greatly comforts my heart. When he returns, I will enfeoff him as a prince.”

The Crown Prince was startled, then happily said: “I thought Third Brother would only return with General Pei in the spring. I didn’t expect him to be back so soon. When the time comes, I will go out of the city to welcome him.”

The Emperor’s face showed pleasure as he nodded: “Brothers of one mind, their sharpness can cut metal. After I’m gone, I expect you will treat your brothers well. When you ascend the throne, with your two brothers assisting you, I can rest in peace even after I’m gone.”

The Crown Prince respectfully agreed, and that night, he received a report that finally made him understand why, at the last moment, she was not among the candidates for Crown Princess.

Just yesterday, while he was busy preparing for the memorial service, something happened that he was unaware of.

The Wei Emperor had received a letter from his third brother, Prince Xiao Lie.

That letter was sent to the capital by Xiao Lie’s order, via express courier traveling eight hundred li, with horses galloping day and night without stopping.

He was still on the road, but that letter, arriving before him, had been delivered to the Wei Emperor’s hands.

No one knew what he said in the letter, but it seemed that it was because of receiving that letter that the Emperor removed the Pei family daughter’s name from the list at the last minute.

Upon receiving this news, the Crown Prince couldn’t sleep all night, his feelings extremely complex.

This third brother, favored by their father, had been flamboyant since childhood, like an anomaly in the palace.

Last year, when he volunteered to join the military, in the Crown Prince’s eyes, this third prince was merely unaware of the hardships of military service, seeking novelty in a rash act of impulse. After joining the army, as the Wei Emperor thought, the Crown Prince also believed he would soon return to the capital.

What was unexpected was that not only did he persevere, but in the end, he even established military merit, earning everyone’s newfound respect.

Xiao Lie’s birth mother and Lady Pei were distant relatives, so since childhood, Xiao Lie had frequently visited the Pei residence.

The Crown Prince knew this.

But what the Crown Prince had not expected was that Xiao Lie also had feelings for the Pei family’s daughter. Even more unexpected was that this third brother, who was originally not expected to return until next spring at the earliest, was now returning early.

Looking at his itinerary, it seemed like a sudden decision.

Especially that letter, which was even more suspicious.

Could it be that he knew of his intentions and returned early precisely to ask for her hand before he, the Crown Prince, could express his desire to choose the Pei family’s daughter?

Several days later, Xiao Lie returned to the capital and immediately entered the palace to see the Wei Emperor.

What happened afterward indeed confirmed the Crown Prince’s speculation.

It was because of the letter he sent that the Wei Emperor removed Pei Wenjing’s name from the list.

In the letter, Xiao Lie stated that his birth mother had died early, and he had received Lady Pei’s care since childhood, thus forming the wish to marry none but the Pei family’s daughter. However, knowing his mischievous nature and having no achievements to his name before, he dared not speak up hastily. This time, following the army north, he fortunately established some small merit, and only then did he send a letter back to the capital, earnestly requesting his father to propose to the Pei family on his behalf, to fulfill his long-cherished wish.

……

The setting sun shone through a latticed window, illuminating a pot of orchids placed in the corner of the dressing table. The green leaves were glossy, lush, and vibrant, with a few simple white orchids that had quietly bloomed among the leaves, subtly releasing their fragrance. A young woman in a moon-white robe sat motionless before the mirror, holding a wooden comb, slowly combing a strand of long hair that fell over her chest. A silver bracelet dangling from her jade-like wrist swayed gently with her movements.

The young woman seemed preoccupied. She finally put down the wooden comb in her hand, her gaze falling on a lacquered jewelry box. After a moment of staring blankly, she reached out to open the box and took out a jade pendant from the bottom compartment.

The jade pendant was entirely emerald green with orchid patterns. Although the carving was not exquisite, it had a pleasing simplicity. The young woman had attached a silk cord to it, which matched perfectly. Resting quietly in the palm of the young woman’s hand, the translucent jade light almost permeated her delicate fair hand, reflecting brilliantly against her bracelet, extraordinarily gentle and captivating.

The young woman lowered her head slightly, gazing at the jade pendant in her palm, recalling the scene from that Lantern Festival night when that roguish young man forcefully gave it to her.

After that night, she had originally intended to find an opportunity to return it to him, but either the timing was not right with others nearby, or he simply would not accept it. Days passed one after another, and this jade pendant was ultimately kept, finally becoming a matter that troubled her heart, something she could neither cut off nor unravel.

Last year before he left, he departed in a great hurry. The night before his departure, he had a small eunuch named Li Yuangui deliver a letter to her, saying he would wait for her outside the side door at the southwest corner of her family’s back garden.

He said he wanted to see her once.

Since that Lantern Festival night, this was the first time in these years that he had privately arranged to meet her.

She remembered that night, after dark, her heart pounding like a deer. She had even put on new makeup before the mirror and tried on all her silk dresses.

But in the end, she still did not take the step to meet him.

She only sent her maid to go there in her place, to convey a message, telling him to take care and return soon.

During the year and a half since he left, hearing news of her father and brother from her mother, and then imagining what he might be doing in the military, became her small daily pleasure.

It was also after he left that she deeply felt for the first time that, without realizing when it had happened, this rogue who used to make her feel both embarrassed and annoyed when she thought of him had quietly occupied a place in her heart.

She could no longer forget him.

What she had not expected was that things would turn out this way now.

The Crown Prince’s three-year mourning period had ended, and recently, she had vaguely heard some rumors. The Emperor was selecting a Crown Princess for the Crown Prince, and reportedly, she was one of the candidates, with a very high probability of being chosen.

This supreme honor that so many envied made her anxious day and night, unable to eat or sleep well.

She hoped it was all just rumors. She hoped she would not be selected. She hoped…

She could wait until the day he returned to the capital.

“Ajing! Ajing!”

Along with footsteps, her mother’s voice suddenly called from outside the door.

Pei Wenjing was startled back to reality. She quickly put the jade pendant back in the box, turned her head, and saw that the door had been pushed open. Her mother, surrounded by a group of nannies and maids, entered with a smile on her face, looking at her.

“Congratulations, young mistress. Just now, someone came from the palace with good news!” a nanny beside her mother said with a broad smile, eagerly.

The maids all looked at her, each with a smile.

Pei Wenjing immediately thought of that rumor, the color suddenly draining from her cheeks. She supported herself against the edge of the dressing table with one hand, slowly stood up, and looked at her mother, her eyes slightly vacant.

Lady Pei immediately noticed her daughter’s unusual state and hurried to her side.

“Ajing, what’s wrong? Even your palms are so cold! Is something wrong with your body?”

Lady Pei held her daughter’s hand and helped her sit down.

Pei Wenjing shook her head, saying she was fine. Finally managing to steady herself, she said softly: “Mother, what news came from the palace?”

“Li Yuangui just came by and said the Third Prince returned to the capital today. His Majesty intends to bestow marriage, betrothing you to him.”

Pei Wenjing was stunned, her heart suddenly beating rapidly, hardly able to believe her ears.

She slowly raised her eyes to look at her mother, as if in a dream: “Mother, what did you say?”

“His Majesty intends to bestow marriage between you and the Third Prince. Li Yuangui said His Majesty intends to arrange the Third Prince’s wedding after the Crown Prince’s grand wedding and the imperial edict will be issued in the coming days. The news is somewhat sudden, but Mother thinks, since you and the Third Prince have known each other since childhood…”

“Ajing, mother believes this is a good thing. You should be happy.”

Lady Pei led her daughter to sit by the bed, took her into her arms, looked at her with eyes full of gratification and relief, and said softly.

On Pei Wenjing’s pale cheeks, a blush gradually appeared, as bright as a flower.

“Daughter will follow mother’s arrangement in everything…”

She buried her face in her mother’s embrace, closing her eyes in shyness, speaking in a low, indistinct voice.