When Bai Qinghuan was suddenly asked this question by Huang Yan, she was slightly stunned, then smiled faintly and said softly, “I am already betrothed.”

“…” With these words, the atmosphere of the dinner immediately sank.

Yun Lianqing still had that smile not yet withdrawn from his lips, now frozen there, not knowing how to react.

Betrothed!

She dared to be betrothed!

Didn’t that old monk say she was his destined match?

How dare he deceive him!

Yun Lianqing silently clenched his fist so tightly that he almost snapped the chopsticks in his hand.

Nearby, Mu Yunjin, who had been eating with her head lowered, sensing this low pressure, buried her head even lower…

…

…

This was too awkward. The woman Yun Lianqing had been pining for was already betrothed. Although not yet married, once betrothed, it wasn’t appropriate to pursue her.

Huang Yan had intended to ask the third question, but Bai Qinghuan’s answer stunned him for a moment. He then turned his eyes around and smiled, “Already betrothed? That’s wonderful. Where is he from?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s a marriage arranged by my father, and I haven’t met my fiancé yet,” Bai Qinghuan said.

“This…” Huang Yan paused.

Yun Lianqing now spoke with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Then it seems that person has no sincerity at all. Otherwise, after all this time, he should have come to propose already.”

“Indeed, Miss Bai is already eighteen. The Princess Consort is only seventeen, and her child is already several months old,” Huang Yan added.

“Cough…” Mu Yunjin choked on a sip of water.

Bai Qinghuan’s eyes revealed a smile, and she wasn’t bothered at all by Huang Yan and Yun Lianqing’s words. “I’m not in a hurry about marriage. Everything will happen as it should.”

“However, I received a carrier pigeon letter from my father today. He’ll be visiting Imperial Preceptor in a couple of days. Since we’ve brought up this engagement today, I’ll have to ask him about it carefully when I see him,” Bai Qinghuan said.

Yun Lianqing’s face darkened further, feeling like he had inadvertently shot himself in the foot.

…

Two days later, Bai Qinghuan’s father, Bai Cha, indeed came to South Courtyard Kingdom.

But Imperial Preceptor An’s cold seemed to have worsened. When Bai Cha came to his residence, he didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed to receive him, so he had the servants bring Bai Cha to his room.

“My dear brother An, when you came to Zhangzhou City to see me a few days ago, weren’t you quite robust? How did you become so ill?” After approaching Imperial Preceptor An’s bedside, Bai Cha took hold of his wrist to check his pulse.

Imperial Preceptor An coughed a few times, sniffed, “Brother Bai, listen to yourself. I’m not an immortal; I just fell ill. What’s the big fuss about?”

The two were of similar age, and neither wanted to be the younger one, so when they saw each other, they always called the other “little brother.”

“Hmm, it is indeed cold. Take some medicine, rest for a few days, and you’ll be fine,” Bai Cha said after checking his pulse, then added, “Have you taken any medicine these past two days?”

Imperial Preceptor An shook his head, “It’s just a minor cold. It will heal on its own in a few days. Why take medicine?”

“Do you still think you’re a young man?” Bai Cha raised an eyebrow. After speaking, he stood up and walked to a nearby table, ground some ink, and began to write a prescription.

At this moment, there was another knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Imperial Preceptor An asked.

“It’s me,” Mu Yunjin replied.

“Come in.”

With Imperial Preceptor An’s permission, Mu Yunjin pushed open the door, holding a bowl of hot medicinal soup. Upon entering, she hadn’t noticed Bai Cha yet and headed straight for Imperial Preceptor An.

“Let me tell you, on my way here today, I met that Miss Yuchun again. She knew you didn’t drink the medicine last time, so this time she specially prepared medicine and waited outside your mansion. When she happened to see me, she insisted on giving me the medicine. I couldn’t refuse her kind intentions, so I’ve brought it to you now. Will you drink it or not?” Mu Yunjin finished speaking and held the medicine soup in front of Imperial Preceptor An.

Imperial Preceptor An pouted, “I won’t drink it. I’ve already said not to give me things from random people!”

Mu Yunjin let out a light snort, then turned to see a stranger standing beside her, which startled her.

Bai Cha had approached after smelling the medicine. Coming closer, he didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries with Mu Yunjin but took the medicine bowl from her hands and sniffed it lightly.

“Old An, who prescribed this medicine?” Bai Cha looked at Imperial Preceptor An.

Imperial Preceptor An nodded toward Mu Yunjin, “Ask her.”

Only then did Bai Cha look at Mu Yunjin, nodding slightly in acknowledgment, “How should I address this young lady?”

“This junior is Mu Yunjin.” Mu Yunjin, seeing that this person was a friend of Imperial Preceptor An and older than herself, humbly referred to herself as a junior.

“So you’re Princess Consort Ning,” Bai Cha smiled knowingly. “This humble one has long admired Princess Consort Ning’s reputation.”

This humble one?

Bai Qinghuan’s father?

Realizing this, Mu Yunjin smiled awkwardly, “It is Elder Bai whom this junior has long admired.”

“Hahaha, who gave you this prescription?” Bai Cha laughed a few times, then put aside his smile and returned to the topic.

“It was given to me by a young lady. What’s wrong? Is there a problem with this medicine?” Mu Yunjin, seeing Bai Cha’s expression grow serious, quickly straightened her demeanor.

Bai Cha shook his head, “I just sniffed this prescription and found that while the herbs are all common ones, when mixed, there’s something special about it.”

“When that young lady gave me this medicine, she said it was a folk remedy for coughs. As for its authenticity, I have no way of knowing,” Mu Yunjin said.

“For coughs…” Hearing this, Bai Cha’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Imperial Preceptor An, “Old An, try this medicine.”

Imperial Preceptor An frowned with displeasure, “Didn’t you just write me a prescription?”

“Don’t be stubborn, drink this medicine quickly,” Bai Cha held the medicine to Imperial Preceptor An’s lips. “If you won’t drink it yourself, do you want your big brother to feed you?”

“No, I’m really afraid of you all.” Imperial Preceptor An quickly took the medicine bowl, sniffed the pungent herbal smell with a look of disgust, and took a small sip.

Seeing this, Bai Cha snorted lightly, “I never imagined that the dignified Imperial Preceptor would be afraid of taking medicine.”

“Get lost!” Imperial Preceptor An drank the medicine in one gulp.

Mu Yunjin, seeing that he had finally drunk it, took the empty bowl with a smile, “Then I’ll take my leave and not disturb your reunion.”

Before leaving, with a mischievous look on her face, she turned to Bai Cha, “Please, Elder, pay close attention to Imperial Preceptor’s physical changes, lest that medicine be poisonous, which would make this junior a criminal.”

“Of course, of course,” Bai Cha smiled.

Mu Yunjin hurried out before Imperial Preceptor An could explode in anger.

Outside the room, Chu Li, Huang Yan, Huaying, and Yun Lianqing were waiting for her, along with Yuchun, whom they had brought into the mansion.

“Did he drink it?” Yuchun approached, clutching the corner of her garment, looking at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded, waving the empty bowl in her hand, “He did.”

“That’s good. I hope it helps the master,” Yuchun said softly.

Mu Yunjin patted her shoulder, “Don’t worry.”

After a pause, catching a glimpse of a figure in her peripheral vision, she raised her eyebrows, focusing her gaze on Yun Lianqing, “Crown Prince.”

“What? Don’t look at this prince like that; it gives me the creeps,” Yun Lianqing rubbed the goosebumps on his arm.

Mu Yunjin took a couple of steps forward, smiling lightly, “Miss Bai’s father is inside.”

After speaking, she pointed to Imperial Preceptor An’s room.

“Really?” Yun Lianqing wasn’t too willing to believe Mu Yunjin’s words.

“Would you like me to call him out for you to see?” Mu Yunjin crossed her arms, eyeing Yun Lianqing.

Yun Lianqing frowned, “No, no…”

“Where did Miss Bai go?” Huang Yan looked around.

“She said she was going to walk around the imperial city today, to see if there were any civilians in need of help,” Yun Lianqing said.

Huang Yan stroked his chin, “Such a good opportunity to spend time together, why didn’t you go with her?”

“She’s already betrothed. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to cling to her,” Yun Lianqing said, feeling a gnawing sensation in his heart.

“Alas, what a pity,” Huang Yan sighed, then looked back at the door, pondering, “Why don’t I go ask which family’s young master she’s betrothed to? A woman has passed the marriageable age by two years without him coming to propose. If he’s not interested, perhaps the engagement should be called off.”

Yun Lianqing, who had been feeling rather dejected, immediately perked up when he heard Huang Yan wanted to help him with this matter, “Yes, yes, yes. If that person is not interested, why not let this prince step in? After all, this prince would not mistreat Miss Bai.”

“Huang Yan, you are truly a brother this prince can count on,” Yun Lianqing said while pushing Huang Yan towards the door.

Mu Yunjin tilted her head, leaning against Chu Li, watching this scene with a face full of amusement.

Chu Li, however, couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke calmly, “They are meeting with Imperial Preceptor’s old friend. Barging in now might have the opposite effect.”

“Then what does Your Highness suggest?” Huang Yan looked at Chu Li.

“Since this Elder Bai is a good friend of Imperial Preceptor, it would be best for Imperial Preceptor to act as the mediator in this matter,” Chu Li said.

Upon hearing Chu Li’s words, both Yun Lianqing and Huang Yan found some reason in it.

Indeed, Huang Yan wasn’t acquainted with Bai Cha, and suddenly going to ask such a question would seem rather abrupt.

Truly, haste makes waste.

“Let’s discuss it again in a couple of days, when Imperial Preceptor is feeling better,” Yun Lianqing said.

Everyone nodded.

After leaving the vicinity of Imperial Preceptor An’s bedroom, since Yun Lianqing and Bai Qinghuan’s matter couldn’t be rushed, they turned their attention to Yuchun.

After all, the old monk at Jinghua Temple had predicted that Imperial Preceptor would have such a destined match, and this Miss Yuchun also fit the criteria for the destined match.

“Miss Yuchun is so concerned about Imperial Preceptor. Is it merely out of goodwill?” Huang Yan asked curiously.

Hearing this, Yuchun lowered her eyes and said softly, “Imperial Preceptor saved this commoner’s mother. This commoner is grateful, which is why I’m willing to offer my humble assistance.”

“So that’s how it is. I thought you might have some special feelings for our Imperial Preceptor, and was thinking of playing matchmaker,” Huang Yan said, purposely observing Yuchun’s facial expressions.

Yuchun kept her head lowered, seeming particularly nervous, with beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, “No, no, this commoner wouldn’t dare to have any improper thoughts.”

“Then…” Huang Yan wanted to continue asking, but Huaying suddenly pinched his arm, and he heard Huaying sending a secret message, “Stop asking so many questions, don’t frighten her. Perhaps she doesn’t have any feelings.”

Hearing this, Huang Yan obediently closed his mouth and asked no more.

At this moment, a guard ran over, bowed to Yun Lianqing, and said, “Crown Prince, the Emperor summons you to enter the palace immediately.”