The imperial countenance shifted in an instant, sending all the ministers crashing to their knees. The entire great hall fell silent at once — even their breathing slowed, each man afraid that the Prince of Xuan would strip him of his rank and title as well.
“Your Majesty, what are we to do? His Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely determined not to take a secondary consort.” Prime Minister Pei kowtowed twice, heavily. “Please give this old minister an explanation.”
The Minister of Revenue followed suit. “Please give us an explanation, Your Majesty — give Xuanzhao an answer.”
The Minister of War and the Minister of Justice exchanged a quiet glance and said nothing.
They would wait and see what His Majesty’s stance was first.
“You want this prince to take a secondary consort — Prime Minister, tell me, who should this prince take? Who would be most suitable?” Xuan Yanyu flicked at his brocade robe, eyes glinting with amusement. “It couldn’t be the Pei young miss, could it?”
Prime Minister Pei pressed his lips together. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, if you were to take my daughter as a consort, it would be her fortune.”
A low laugh drifted from the man’s throat. “Does Xuanzhao need political marriages to consolidate its position now? Prime Minister, Minister of Revenue — does it?”
“This……” The Minister of Revenue deflated. “In reply to Your Highness — it does not.”
Xuanzhao at present had absolutely no such need. Even Qilan, which came closest to being on Xuanzhao’s level among neighboring kingdoms, still fell well short of Xuanzhao — to say nothing of the rest, which were even less than Qilan.
Xuan Yanyu curved his lips in a contemptuous smile. “Does this prince need political marriages to keep you ministers in line? By that logic — would you turn your backs on Xuanzhao if he did not?”
“We would not, Your Highness — we would absolutely never do so.”
The moment Xuan Yanyu spoke those words, every minister kneeling on the floor declared their loyalty in unison.
“Then why should this prince take a secondary consort?” The man lowered his gaze to the ministers kneeling before him.
The assembled ministers were momentarily rendered speechless.
“Oh?” Xuan Yanyu snapped his slender fingers. “This prince understands now — it is about the imperial heir, is it not?”
“That is correct, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Even though Xuanzhao has no need for political marriages to consolidate its position, the matter of the imperial heir……”
Before Prime Minister Pei could finish, Xuan Yanyu let out a click of his tongue. The Prince of Xuan’s brow gave a single twitch — what was this brat about to say??
“This prince already made note of it in the memorials — look to our imperial father……”
“Xuan Yanyu — get out! Get out of Our sight!! We do not want to see you right now.”
With those words, the Prince of Xuan’s expression changed entirely, and he glared furiously at the ministers still kneeling on the ground. “All of you — get out!! And do not ever come to Our Imperial Study to raise this matter again — go to the Crown Prince’s residence and raise it there!”
He, the ruler of all Xuanzhao, had only one son — that failing was his own, and it enraged him every time it was brought up!!
It was fortunate that his Yuyi was in every respect suited to be the heir apparent; otherwise, Xuanzhao would be ruined in his hands.
Having endured it long enough, Xuan Yanyu wasted no time and walked straight out of the Imperial Study.
The Prince of Xuan ground his molars. He had told the boy to leave, and the boy had simply walked out — just like that??
Not even a few more words with him before going??
Ungrateful wretch!!
He changed after he got the Crown Princess!!
……
The Imperial Garden — Octagonal Pavilion.
Watching Xuan Yanyu’s figure draw gradually nearer, Xuan Zhaoyue felt an involuntary wave of nerves. She had only ever seen Crown Prince Brother from afar; she had never been face to face with him, never spoken to him up close.
“Crown Prince Brother.”
“Crown Prince Brother.”
As Xuan Yanyu approached, Xuan Zhaozan and Xuan Zhaoyue rose and curtsied in greeting.
“Mm.” The man nodded and walked to Yan Yunning’s side, taking a seat.
“Are you done with your business? Shall we head back to the residence?” Yan Yunning asked with a smile.
“I’ll accompany Mother Consort for the midday meal in a while. Once that’s done, we’ll go back.” Xuan Yanyu’s well-defined fingers pinched up a piece of pastry and lightly tapped Yan Yunning on the tip of her nose. “You only just finished breakfast — why are you already eating pastries?”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I am not — I was saving them to eat once you arrived.” Yan Yunning took the pastry from the man’s fingertips.
Xuan Yanyu smiled and leaned toward her, his brow arching lightly. “And then you take one bite, decide it does not taste good, and give the rest to this prince.”
Yan Yunning: “……”
How had he guessed that?
When they ate at the Crown Prince’s residence, every time she tasted something she didn’t like and passed it to him, hadn’t she always accompanied it with, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is quite good — you really must try it”?
“The midday meal will be soon. Leave the pastries for now — once we return to the residence, you can have the kitchen make whatever you like.” Xuan Yanyu tilted his head slightly, gesturing for her to put the pastry down.
“Oh, alright.” Yan Yunning grinned cheerfully. “Xuan Xixi, after we get back, could you have the kitchen make plenty of pastries and send some into the palace for Yueyue? Would you?”
She had just been watching Yueyue eat with evident enjoyment — and the girl seemed to have no hidden schemes or calculating intentions, which made her easy to like.
Xuan Yanyu frowned and asked in puzzlement, “Who is Yueyue?”
Yan Yunning: “……”
Xuan Zhaozan pressed her lips together. She had said Crown Prince Brother probably truly did not know, hadn’t she.
“Crown Prince Brother — it’s me.” Xuan Zhaoyue said in a small voice.
Yan Yunning leaned close to Xuan Yanyu’s ear and murmured, “Your ninth younger sister. Ninth Princess — Xuan Zhaoyue.”
Xuan Yanyu raised his eyes toward the girl standing so properly still, a hint of unease crossing his face. The younger sister their imperial father had entrusted to Noble Consort Pei to raise?
“Is your mother Noble Consort Pei?” Xuan Yanyu asked.
Xuan Zhaoyue answered haltingly, “Yes — C-Crown Prince……Crown Prince Brother.”
“How did you come to be in the imperial garden?” Xuan Yanyu felt something was off.
He had heard their mother consort mention a few times that, apart from palace banquets, this younger sister of his rarely left her chambers. How had she ended up chatting with Lingning and little Zan in the imperial garden today?
“In reply to Crown Prince Brother — I brought pastries and wanted to let Fifth Elder Sister try them. I heard Fifth Elder Sister was in the imperial garden, so I came here to find her.” Xuan Zhaoyue answered, visibly trembling.
Her mother had said the pastries were specially made by the small kitchen just for her, and told her to eat them together with Fifth Elder Sister.
Her mother had said that Fifth Elder Sister was a legitimate princess, and that spending more time with her in the future would be to her benefit — and since Fifth Elder Sister happened to be in the imperial garden today, she had sent her over.
Her mother had also warned her not to let Fifth Elder Sister find out that it was at her mother’s instigation that she had sought her out deliberately; otherwise, it would displease Fifth Elder Sister.
“You brought pastries for little Zan?” Xuan Yanyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone level but carrying a trace of cold.
Was little Zan lacking for pastries?
Deliberately tracking little Zan down just to give her something to eat??
“C-Crown Prince Brother — yes.” Tears gathered on Xuan Zhaoyue’s lashes.
Xuan Yanyu: “……”
With a timid soul like that, what could she possibly do to little Zan?
Most likely she had come to befriend little Zan — she didn’t have the nerve to actually do anything to her.
“This subordinate has come to report to His Highness the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, Fifth Princess, and Ninth Princess.” A guard hurried up. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Crown Princess — His Majesty requests that you join him for the midday meal in the Taiyi Palace.”
The man stretched lazily, eyes half-lidded. “This prince understands.”
Xiao Yue and Xiao Wan stepped forward and tidied the shawl Yan Yunning had set aside earlier.
Xuan Yanyu opened his hand. Yan Yunning, understanding at once, took hold of it and said with a bright smile, “Let us go, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Very well, Crown Princess.” The man gave a light laugh and, taking her hand, rose. The two of them walked at an unhurried pace toward the Taiyi Palace.
Yan Yunning deliberately swung their joined hands back and forth; the other indulgently played along with her antics. The sound of their laughter as they exchanged smiles drifted back to where Xuan Zhaozan and Xuan Zhaoyue stood.
Xuan Zhaoyue sniffled, the tip of her nose reddening, her lashes fluttering faintly — what a world of difference from the Crown Prince Brother who had just been questioning her so pointedly.
Xuan Zhaozan rested her chin in her hand and watched the retreating figures of Xuan Yanyu and Yan Yunning grow smaller in the distance. Quite unexpectedly, she found she no longer felt quite so opposed to the idea of their mother consort choosing a prince consort for her.