Amid the sound of hurried footsteps came the shopkeeper’s voice, low and pleading:

“Eunuch Xi, please calm your anger. This humble one truly never expected His Highness would come again today — that’s the only reason I dared let guests into the Bamboo Listening Room…”

An imperious, furious voice cut off the shopkeeper’s terrified explanation. “Even if His Highness doesn’t come for a whole year, no one is allowed into the Bamboo Listening Room! You didn’t take His Highness’s words to heart — does that mean Dingxiang Tower no longer wishes to stay in business?”

This shrill, effeminate voice was utterly unlike that of an ordinary man.

It was a eunuch from the palace!

The “His Highness” the eunuch spoke of was, without question, Prince Yan.

Jiang Shi and Ling Jingshu exchanged a glance, and each saw the shock and gravity reflected in the other’s eyes.

Who could have guessed it would be such a coincidence — that they would actually run into Prince Yan after all. Judging by this Eunuch Xi’s tone, there was more than a hint of trouble brewing. It seemed they were in for some difficulty today…

Unlike the two of them, Ling Jingyan was filled with delight, her bright eyes shining as she fixed her gaze intently on the door.

The shopkeeper’s legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees with a thud. “Eunuch Xi, please, for the sake of our past dealings, spare me this once…”

The eunuch’s sharp, cold laugh was unsettling to hear. “I’ll give you one chance. Get the people inside to clear out at once, and don’t ruin His Highness’s appetite for his meal. Otherwise, once His Highness’s temper flares up, even I won’t be able to help you.”

Kneeling on the ground, the shopkeeper trembled all over. Despite the sweltering weather, a cold sweat broke out across his body as he hastily agreed again and again. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll arrange it right away. Please, Eunuch Xi, do put in a good word for me before His Highness.”

The door creaked open.

The shopkeeper, sweat covering his head and a bitter smile on his face, stood pitifully at the door, bowing again and again in apology. “Esteemed guests, I am truly sorry about today. His Highness Prince Yan has already arrived — please come out quickly. I am willing to refund double the money you paid.”

Beside the shopkeeper stood a eunuch of about seventeen or eighteen, clearly the Eunuch Xi in question.

He had red lips and white teeth, fairly handsome in appearance, but the arrogance and overbearing air in his brow made him unpleasant to look at.

Naturally unwilling to come face to face with Prince Yan, Jiang Shi answered at once, “We’ll leave right away,” and stood up as she spoke. Ling Jingshu and Ling Xiao rose along with her.

Seeing that the group understood their place, a flash of smugness crossed Eunuch Xi’s eyes.

The Emperor had six sons in all. Two had died young, leaving four who had grown to adulthood.

The eldest, born of the principal wife, was Yang Li, son of the late Empress Jiang, and he was the current Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

The third prince, Yang Yuan, whose mother was Consort Shu, Li, had been made Prince An. The fourth prince, Yang Jin, born of Consort De, Zhao, had been made Prince Kang.

The youngest, Prince Yan, Yang Qi, was fifteen this year, the legitimate son of Empress Xu.

Everyone knew the Emperor doted on his youngest son, Prince Yan, more than any other. As the eunuch attending him, Eunuch Xi had naturally grown arrogant and insufferable as well.

Yet today, of all days, someone had dared to provoke him.

“I’m not leaving!” The lovely, charming young woman sat unmoving at the round table, her face set with stubbornness. “We clearly came in first — why should we have to leave?”

The others: “…”

Eunuch Xi froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. “Who do you think you are? How dare you snatch His Highness Prince Yan’s private room — do you not wish to live?”

Ling Jingyan’s whole body trembled faintly — whether from fear, from the excitement of soon meeting Prince Yan, or both, was hard to say. “There’s an order to everything — first come, first served. We’ve already sat down. To drive us out now — is that truly the manner befitting His Highness Prince Yan?”

Jiang Shi’s scalp prickled at hearing this. She shot Ling Jingyan a look that plainly said, “Have you lost your mind?”

How could one say such reckless things?

This Eunuch Xi was clearly a trusted confidant of Prince Yan’s, and he had the look of someone who loved to stir up trouble. If he repeated Ling Jingyan’s words to Prince Yan, how could the prince not grow angry?

Before Jiang Shi could speak, a languid, youthful voice rang out:

“Who is this, spouting such nonsense and speaking ill of me behind my back?”

Prince Yan had arrived!

No one reacted faster than Eunuch Xi, who turned and dropped to his knees almost instantly. “Reporting to Your Highness, this shopkeeper of Dingxiang Tower is truly detestable — he dared give Your Highness’s private room to other guests. This servant told the shopkeeper to ask the guests to leave, but they refused, and even dared to insult Your Highness! This is utterly intolerable! Your Highness must not let them off easily!”

Jiang Shi’s expression changed.

This Eunuch Xi was fanning the flames and slandering them maliciously without restraint!

If Prince Yan truly flew into a rage, they would have brought real disaster upon the Ling family today!

At the sound of Prince Yan’s voice, Ling Jingyan’s heart pounded wildly, and she could not stop herself from rising and turning to look toward the door.

Ling Jingshu also looked over, betraying nothing on her face.

No sooner had Eunuch Xi finished speaking than a youth of fifteen or sixteen appeared before them all.

The youth had fair skin and long, slender brows. His somewhat narrow eyes carried a careless, lazy smile, and as his gaze drifted, it seemed almost to bewitch the heart, quickening pulses and stirring affections.

He wore a crimson brocade robe trimmed with gold, a belt set with white jade fastened at his waist, and from it hung an exquisite scented sachet and a piece of mutton-fat jade. In his hand he held a paper fan painted with a beauty’s image, and on his finger he wore a dark jade archer’s ring.

On an ordinary young man, such extravagant attire would have seemed merely showy. On him, however, it appeared entirely fitting, only further setting off his noble, proud bearing.

Power beyond measure, wealth that overwhelmed at a glance.

This young man was none other than Prince Yan — the legitimate son of the reigning Empress, and the Emperor’s most beloved youngest son.

She had finally seen him again!

Ling Jingyan forgot her fear entirely, gazing at the youth in crimson with rapt fascination.

Ling Jingshu, too, was watching the youth, though the chill in her heart only grew deeper.

She bore Princess Changping a grudge over a stolen husband, and held an even deeper hatred for Empress Xu — one of mortal vengeance. To avenge herself, she stood, by nature, on the opposite side from Prince Yan…

The moment Prince Yan appeared, no one dared speak carelessly. The shopkeeper knelt down, trembling, to beg forgiveness. “Everything is this humble one’s fault — I beg Your Highness’s mercy…”

Prince Yan did not so much as glance at the shopkeeper, his gaze sweeping instead across the room.

That lofty, condescending air was identical to the Crown Grandson’s.

But where the Crown Grandson was cold and reticent, lending him an even greater dignity, Prince Yan carried an extra measure of wild abandon, surveying everyone present without the slightest restraint.

When his gaze fell on Ling Jingyan, who was staring at him with rapt devotion, Prince Yan’s expression showed no reaction at all. He merely glanced briefly before looking away.

Then Ling Jingshu’s face came into view — unadorned by powder or rouge, yet still strikingly, exquisitely beautiful.

Prince Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked, “Was it you who spoke just now?”

Ling Jingyan: “…”