That final remark was spoken in a rather flippant manner.

The Crown Grandson’s brow creased: “Sixth Imperial Uncle, you are of the honored rank of an imperial prince — you ought to show a measure of propriety in your speech.” What difference was there between this kind of openly flirtatious behavior toward a beautiful young woman and the ways of those dissolute, unrestrained young noblemen?

Prince Yan smiled, entirely unbothered: “Since when have I lacked propriety? Just now I asked the Ninth Young Miss Ling whether she looked down on this prince because I wanted to know if she feared this prince might be unable to help her. There was no other intention. It is you who have an impure mind and are reading too much into it.”

Compared to Prince Yan’s sharp-tongued quickness, the Crown Grandson neither enjoyed speaking much nor liked verbal sparring. He responded with cool detachment: “Since Sixth Imperial Uncle had no other intention, then it is I who overthought it.”

Prince Yan’s attention was entirely fixed on the beauty before him and he had no interest in engaging with the Crown Grandson further, casually waving a hand: “Did you not just say you still had to see officials of the Eastern Palace? Go on ahead — you needn’t concern yourself with me.”

Crown Grandson: “……”

Prince Yan paid no attention whatsoever to the Crown Grandson’s less-than-pleasant expression, and said to Ling Jingshu with spirited enthusiasm: “I heard that your younger brother has an eye ailment and needs Imperial Physician Wei to treat it. You have to lead everyone here to the Crown Prince’s manor once every five days — all this back and forth is really quite troublesome.”

“How about this: you and your brother simply move into Prince Yan’s manor. After Imperial Physician Wei finishes at the Crown Prince’s manor, he can go directly to Prince Yan’s manor. That way, you and your brother will be spared all this running back and forth.”

Crown Grandson: “……”

Ling Jingshu: “……”

Ling Jingshu suppressed the urge to twitch at the corners of her mouth, lowered her head slightly, and replied: “Many thanks for Your Highness’s kind thought. We siblings live in our great-uncle’s household, and making the trip once every five days is not at all burdensome.”

Prince Yan appeared not to have heard Ling Jingshu’s refusal, and continued on in his own direction: “Prince Yan’s manor is not far from here — only about a tea’s time away. And furthermore, this prince lives in the manor alone, and there is plenty of space with many spare courtyards. This prince will give the order and have people prepare the finest, largest courtyard for you, and also select some capable and quick-witted palace maids to attend on you…”

Ling Jingshu’s brow furrowed. She raised her voice to cut through Prince Yan’s self-directed monologue: “Truly, there is no need. We siblings and Your Highness are barely acquainted, with no ties of kinship whatsoever — how could we casually take up residence in Prince Yan’s manor?”

What manner of well-bred young lady would simply move into a prince’s manor without reason!

Even if she were intent on taking revenge, she had no plans to walk straight into the wolf’s den.

What was more, Prince Yan’s enthusiasm was plainly not of a well-intentioned sort.

Prince Yan’s fervent overtures had been thoroughly doused with a bucket of cold water.

Prince Yan’s smile faded slightly, and he put on an expression of genuine puzzlement: “What does it matter that we are barely acquainted with no ties of kinship? Every relationship between people starts with strangers and unfamiliarity — spending time together naturally leads to growing close. Before you came to the capital, did you know A’Yao? And yet you come to the Crown Prince’s manor all the same.”

“That is entirely different!”

Two voices responded simultaneously and without any prior agreement.

Ling Jingshu glanced at the Crown Grandson, then closed her mouth.

Prince Yan’s eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips curled in a smile that was not quite a smile: “Oh? How is it different? Is it because A’Yao saved your life on the waterway once, and you carry that debt of rescue in your heart?”

How did Prince Yan know about this?!

Ling Jingshu felt a jolt of alarm in her heart; all trace of a smile left her face. She looked at Prince Yan with eyes full of wariness and guardedness.

The matter of the bandit attack on the boat that day — though a good number of people had known about it, all of them had received orders to keep silent. After returning to the capital, no one had spoken of it. How in the world had Prince Yan come to know?

So his playful, unrestrained manner was, sure enough, merely a disguise.

The Crown Grandson’s slightly cool voice broke through: “It is a trivial matter, and I have never publicized it. I wonder how Sixth Imperial Uncle came to know of it?” Within the Crown Prince’s manor — it appeared, after all, that Prince Yan had eyes and ears.

Prince Yan let out a laugh: “I also only heard someone mention it in passing. Rest assured — it concerns the Ninth Young Miss Ling’s reputation as a young woman, and such things I would naturally not go around speaking of carelessly.”

The Crown Grandson looked at Prince Yan and gave a slight curl of his lips: “Sixth Imperial Uncle’s words carry the weight of a solemn vow. Since he has said as much, what reason would I have not to believe him?”

“However, I must also offer Imperial Uncle a word of advice. Speaking without restraint and without regard for decorum in ordinary times is one thing — but recently the Empress Grandmother has been in the process of selecting a consort for you, and Imperial Uncle would do well to exercise a degree of restraint. Lest word reach the Empress Grandmother’s ears.”

Though Empress Xu doted on and indulged Prince Yan, her expectations of him were also exceedingly high. To hear of Prince Yan behaving scandalously would inevitably displease her.

“The Empress Mother is busy managing the inner palace every day — she has no energy to spare for such minor things of mine.” Prince Yan replied with easy nonchalance. “Speaking of selecting a consort — you are actually a few months older than I am, your Imperial Uncle. Surely it is the Empress Grandmother who should be busy selecting a principal consort for the Crown Grandson.”

The Crown Grandson clearly did not care for this topic. His gaze sank slightly, and he replied with cool indifference: “Seniority and sequence must be observed. There must first be a wedding for Imperial Uncle before it can be my turn.”

One “Imperial Uncle” after another — on the surface deferential, yet in fact keeping distance.

It appeared her earlier guesses had not been wrong.

Empress Jiang had died early, and the inner palace was now entirely in Empress Xu’s hands. Prince Yan, born of Empress Xu, was not on good terms with the Crown Prince and his son, who had been born of Empress Jiang.

At this moment the tension had not yet come to a head, and a surface-level peace could still be maintained. But in a few more years, the hidden edges would begin to show themselves.

Ling Jingshu listened to the Crown Grandson and Prince Yan exchange verbal thrusts while quietly mulling things over in her mind.

The Crown Grandson’s gaze swept across Ling Jingshu’s pensive and contemplative face, and then his brow knotted.

He and Prince Yan had been sparring back and forth with words — and much of it had started on her account. Yet she wore the look of someone watching an entertaining spectacle… It was truly infuriating and exasperating.

Hm? They were in the middle of their quarrel — how had they come to a mid-match pause?

Prince Yan followed the Crown Grandson’s gaze toward Ling Jingshu’s calm and tranquil face, and then broke into a grin.

Not for nothing was she the young woman he had singled out!

Just look at that composed, unruffled bearing; just look at that expression of serene indifference to both honor and humiliation. And that naturally beautiful face, not a trace of powder or rouge, growing lovelier the more one looked at it.

His earlier invitation for her and her brother to come and stay in Prince Yan’s manor — that had been no offhand remark; he had been completely serious.

What a pity that young ladies were always so reserved and restrained, and simply could not understand the genuine feeling concealed beneath his uninhibited playfulness!

Ling Jingshu, facing two pairs of pressing, intent gazes, remained unruffled, curtsied slightly, and said: “Imperial Physician Wei is currently treating A’Xiao with acupuncture and cannot be disturbed by even the slightest sound. When I heard the footsteps and voices outside, it was only then that I dared come out to intercept the two Highnesses.”

“I humbly beseech both Highnesses to speak more quietly, or to find another place to converse. This young woman would be most grateful.”

So they had both been turned away?

Prince Yan appeared to find the situation utterly delightful, and grinned at the Crown Grandson: “A’Yao, since Ninth Young Miss Ling has made it plain she doesn’t want the two of us here disturbing Imperial Physician Wei’s treatment, shall we both withdraw for now — and come back once the physician is finished.”

Come back?

Come back for what?

Ling Jingshu felt a quiet headache beginning to take hold. This Prince Yan, who never played by the usual rules and was of such lofty station, was a far more difficult figure to manage than the Crown Grandson.