As expected, Sun Shi had long been waiting anxiously in the residence.

When Ling Jingshu and her group walked into the inner hall, Sun Shi came rushing forward impatiently: “What on earth happened with you all today? Why have you only come back now? You didn’t cause any trouble at the Crown Prince’s residence, did you?”

Sun Shi had been waiting at the residence for nearly half the day, growing more and more unsettled and agitated as time went on. She had been on the verge of sending someone over to inquire.

“Great-Aunt, please do not be alarmed.” Ling Jingshu smiled gently, her tone unhurried and calm: “We caused no trouble. We were only asked to stay for lunch, which is why we have returned so late.”

No trouble — that was a relief!

Sun Shi had been on tenterhooks for half the day, and at those words finally let out a breath.

After everyone had sat down, Sun Shi inquired in careful detail about how the visit had gone.

Ling Jingshu had prepared herself in advance. She recounted the matter of His Royal Highness Prince Yan’s appearance in a deliberately understated and offhand way. Her manner of speaking was quite skillful — she guided Sun Shi, subtly and intentionally, to the impression that Prince Yan’s appearance had been coincidental. As for staying for lunch, it too was framed as something the Crown Grandson had mentioned only in passing.

Ling Jingyan listened to every word, quietly filled with admiration and astonishment.

A’Shu was truly remarkable!

Even listening to it herself, she found herself almost convinced that Prince Yan had simply been passing by…

Sun Shi listened with a look that was half persuaded and half uncertain. She instinctively glanced over at Madam Jiang, asking with her eyes: was what A’Shu said all true?

Madam Jiang, her expression perfectly composed, smiled and said: “When you think about it, it really was quite a coincidence. To think we would have the good fortune today of being kept for lunch at the Crown Prince’s residence.”

As expected, it was Madam Jiang who understood her mother-in-law’s mind best. A single sentence was all it took — Sun Shi’s face broke into a broad, pleased smile as she nodded again and again: “Yueniang is right. Whatever the circumstances, it is a happy occasion all the same. Something worth mentioning in good company.”

Ling Jingshu and Madam Jiang exchanged a glance of quiet, mutual understanding.

At the Crown Prince’s residence.

The Crown Grandson had drunk himself into total insensibility and was “carried” back to his room by the guards to lie down. He had barely slept for even a short while before his fair face suddenly went pale, and he screwed up his brows in pain. Then, with a wretched sound, he vomited.

The palace maids and attendants nearby hurried forward at once — helping him rinse his mouth, changing his robes, straightening the bedding — a considerable stretch of bustle before things finally settled down.

When the Crown Princess arrived upon hearing the news, what she saw was the Crown Grandson, fair face ashen and brows drawn tight in pain. Then she caught the smell of wine that had yet to fully dissipate from the room, and her brow snapped together. Her sharp gaze swept to Wang Tong: “Wang Tong. Come here.”

Wang Tong had long anticipated this moment as well. He steeled himself and stepped forward.

“What happened?” The Crown Princess fixed Wang Tong with a stare, as though he were the very culprit who had poured the Crown Grandson drunk. “A’Yao rarely drinks, and even when he does, he is restrained. How did he end up in such a state today?”

Wang Tong cleared his throat and reported: “The matter is as follows. Today, His Royal Highness Prince Yan came. He and the Crown Grandson fell into conversation and grew quite absorbed, and the wine ended up flowing more freely than intended. Toward the end, both Highnesses drank too much. This subordinate has already had someone help His Royal Highness Prince Yan to a guest room to rest.”

Prince Yan?

The Crown Princess’s brow furrowed again: “What reason could Prince Yan have had to come out of nowhere like this?”

This question was even harder to answer.

Wang Tong considered briefly, then replied with considerable circumspection: “The specific reason, this subordinate is not entirely clear on. However, His Royal Highness Prince Yan came today specifically to visit Young Master Ling, and warmly kept the young master for lunch.”

The Crown Princess — sharp-minded and perceptive as she was — had her eyes flash with understanding. A cold smile curved her lips, one after another: “I see — so he also came because of that Ninth Young Lady Ling. Not even two or three months in the capital, and she is already quite skilled at drawing bees and attracting butterflies.”

Her tone was full of contempt and distaste.

Wang Tong dared not say a word more and kept his head bowed, thinking privately to himself:

The Crown Princess’s prejudice against Ninth Young Lady Ling ran very deep indeed. It was clearly His Royal Highness Prince Yan who had come to pursue the matter of his own accord. How had it become Ninth Young Lady Ling “drawing bees and attracting butterflies”?

It was fortunate that the Crown Grandson was presently drunk and unconscious. Otherwise, hearing such a cutting remark, he would have been displeased all over again.

The Crown Princess said nothing more. She simply instructed everyone to take good care of the Crown Grandson, then made her way to the guest room where Prince Yan was resting.

At this moment, Prince Yan was not in much better shape than the Crown Grandson either. After vomiting once, his head was swimming with dizziness, and he had no choice but to lie down and rest.

When word reached him that the Crown Princess had come to check on him, Prince Yan forced himself to the edge of the bed, insisting on rising to receive her properly. Then the moment his feet touched the ground, the room seemed to tip and spin beneath him and his footing gave way entirely.

Had the attendant beside him not reacted with quick hands and steadied him, it might have been quite an embarrassing scene.

“Sixth Imperial Brother-in-law, you are in such a state of intoxication — why on earth are you getting out of bed? Lie back down and rest properly!” The look of concern on the Crown Princess’s face appeared entirely genuine — her skill in presentation had long since reached the level where true and false were indistinguishable.

Prince Yan blinked hard and rapidly, and finally made out who had come. He grinned broadly: “Oh — so it is Imperial Sister-in-Law who has come…… Imperial Sister-in-Law need not worry, I have not gotten drunk — I am perfectly clearheaded right now.”

The smell of wine hit her full in the face.

He could not even stand steadily, yet he still had the nerve to claim he was clearheaded.

As elder sister-in-law, the hierarchy placed her above him in a motherly sense; Prince Yan was in fact several months younger than the Crown Grandson, so the Crown Princess had never been particularly gentle with Prince Yan, and gave him a flat look: “Yes, yes — very clearheaded indeed. Why don’t you run a lap outside and show me, then?”

Prince Yan shook his head, blustering with great swagger: “Fine, I’ll go run a lap right now for Imperial Sister-in-Law to see——urgh!”

His stomach lurched again — the urge to vomit!

The Crown Princess suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and quickly stepped back.

“Imperial Sister-in-Law, I truly am not drunk…… urgh…… why are you leaving……”

The Crown Princess listened to the half-coherent babbling mixed with sounds of retching drifting out from inside the room, and her mouth gave a small twitch. She instructed: “Have the kitchen prepare more sobering soup.”

“Prince Yan’s nature is unruly and fond of eating and drinking pleasures. Getting drunk is nothing out of the ordinary for him. But it is beyond me what madness seized A’Yao today to go along with Prince Yan in that sort of nonsense.”

The Crown Princess had a stomach full of pent-up frustration, and when she arrived before the Crown Prince, she gave vent to it in a thorough grumble: “A’Yao used to be so well-behaved and composed — he never did anything like this before. But ever since that Ninth Young Lady Ling appeared, A’Yao has changed a great deal.”

The Crown Prince cast a look of disapproval at the Crown Princess: “What you just said is really not appropriate.”

“Firstly, A’Yao is still only fifteen — still a young man of hot blood and high spirits. Getting drunk once in a while is really nothing to speak of. As the saying goes, a man who never indulges in his youth has wasted his young days.”

“And furthermore — A’Yao drinking wine with Sixth Imperial Brother, what does that have to do with Ninth Young Lady Ling? This habit of yours — blaming others unfairly — is not a good one.”

The Crown Princess had come intending to complain, but found herself on the receiving end of an unsparing scolding from the Crown Prince instead. Displeased and irritated, she gave a light sniff: “Regardless, I feel A’Yao’s marriage should be settled sooner rather than later.”

The Crown Prince did not object, but only said: “The eldest before the youngest — we would have to wait for Sixth Imperial Brother’s match to be settled before it is A’Yao’s turn.”

The Crown Princess’s expression finally improved somewhat: “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has been busy of late making arrangements for choosing a consort for Sixth Imperial Brother — news should come soon. As for who should be A’Yao’s principal consort, I already have two suitable candidates in mind. Since there is time today, this is just the right occasion to discuss the matter with Your Highness.”