“What? The Prince wants to take our eldest miss into the Prince’s residence?” Old Madam Deng was completely stunned after hearing what Prince Rui’s representative had to say.

The situation had developed so unexpectedly that the old lady’s mind was filled with countless whys and left with a dazed expression.

The Prince’s residence steward had anticipated this reaction and waited with a smile for Old Madam Deng’s response.

“I refuse!” Li Guangwen strode in.

In Yahe Courtyard, Li Jiǎo had no desire to sleep. After hastily washing and grooming herself, she hurried toward Qingsong Hall.

She didn’t know how Li Third had described last night’s events to grandmother—she surely painted her in the worst possible light. If she didn’t hurry to explain, her future days would be even more difficult.

Li Jiǎo rushed toward Qingsong Hall with a worried heart, gradually sensing something was amiss.

Why were all the maids and servants she encountered along the way secretly observing her? Did everyone know about her embarrassing incident yesterday?

With this thought, Li Jiǎo’s heart clenched painfully with both anguish and grievance.

How could grandmother let such a shameful matter spread? Did she think Li Jiǎo had no prospects and thus cared nothing for her?

No, no—although grandmother’s heart now leaned toward Li Third, she should still have some affection for her. It wouldn’t be grandmother.

Then it must be Li Third!

Li Jiǎo bit her lip hard and quickened her pace, her hatred for Qiao Zhao reaching its peak.

Li Third wanted her to lose face and reputation, to trample her so she could never rise again. She was already the future Marquis’s wife—why must she continue to make things difficult for her?

“Miss, be careful—” Xing’er promptly pulled Li Jiǎo back, preventing her from colliding with an approaching woman servant.

Li Jiǎo came to her senses and forced a smile at the woman to show her magnanimity, then prepared to continue forward.

Who knew the woman would unexpectedly offer congratulations: “This old servant congratulates the eldest miss!”

Li Jiǎo paused, frowning at the woman whose face was wreathed in smiles: “Congratulations for what?”

Regardless of her status in the residence, a servant wouldn’t dare mock her, but what happy occasion could she possibly have now?

Seeing Li Jiǎo’s serious question, the woman chuckled: “The eldest miss doesn’t know yet? People from Prince Rui’s residence have come, saying Prince Rui has taken a liking to you. They’re currently discussing with the old madam and master—”

“Really?” Li Jiǎo’s eyes widened suddenly as she blurted out the question.

The woman’s smile grew even broader: “Would this old servant dare deceive the eldest miss? The Prince’s residence sent quite a few people, and the gifts they brought filled the entire courtyard. Oh my, this old servant always thought the eldest miss had an air of nobility—now I know it was foretelling this!”

Li Jiǎo had no mind for further conversation. She lifted her skirt hem and hurried toward Qingsong Hall, her heart in tumult.

Prince Rui had taken a liking to her?

How could this be?

She couldn’t help but recall last night’s scene.

By Jade Wave Lake, the lanterns were bright as day. In her panic, she had grasped the cool white jade belt and fallen into the water. The lake water pushed lotus lanterns toward her, and before everything went completely dark, the last thing she saw was Prince Rui’s thin, shocked face.

Perhaps Prince Rui taking a liking to her wasn’t so impossible after all.

The Lantern Festival was traditionally a good day for young men and women in the capital to form romantic connections. Prince Rui coming out to view lanterns on this day might well have been in expectation of encountering a beautiful young lady.

Li Jiǎo’s steps became lighter. Running to the entrance of Qingsong Hall, she heard Li Guangwen’s “I refuse!” and her vision went dark.

“Miss—” Xing’er called out worriedly.

Li Jiǎo raised her hand to stop her from speaking.

The maids at Qingsong Hall, seeing that representatives from Prince Rui’s residence were in the hall discussing matters with Old Madam Deng, didn’t announce Li Jiǎo’s arrival when she came.

Li Jiǎo stood at the entrance, breathing slightly heavily as she heard Li Guangwen’s voice: “Leave quickly, leave quickly! My daughter won’t be anyone’s concubine!”

Li Jiǎo’s legs went weak upon hearing this.

Won’t there be anyone’s concubine?

Had her father lost his mind? This was Prince Rui!

Though she was a daughter, she knew that the current emperor had only two sons—Prince Rui and Prince Mu. Neither prince had the title of “legitimate heir,” but Prince Rui was the elder and had much greater chances of inheriting the throne than Prince Mu.

More importantly, Princess Rui had died early, and Prince Rui had no children. If she entered the Prince’s residence and could bear a son, being granted the title of Princess would be just around the corner. Going further to become the most noble woman under heaven wasn’t impossible either.

Even Liu Xiangning, granddaughter of the Minister of Works, was a concubine to the grandson of Chief Minister Lan. She was just the daughter of a minor Hanlin editor—being able to serve as concubine to a dignified Prince was a fortune that countless people would envy. Why was her father so stubbornly inflexible?

If father didn’t want her to enter the Prince’s residence, did he wholeheartedly want her to marry a farmer instead?

In that case, she might as well die!

“Xing’er, go immediately to my room and fetch the white jade belt I have pressed under my pillow.”

Xing’er hesitated for a moment.

Li Jiǎo reached out and pinched her hard, hissing: “Go quickly!”

“Oh.” Xing’er nodded and ran off.

Li Jiǎo listened intently for a while, growing more confident.

From the Prince’s residence steward’s attitude, she could see that Prince Rui valued her highly. Once she entered the Prince’s residence, she would surely be favored.

“Miss, the belt.” In Li Jiǎo’s anxious anticipation, Xing’er brought the white jade belt.

Li Jiǎo took the belt and held it carefully, arranged her appearance, then lifted her feet and walked in.

Li Jiǎo’s arrival brought silence to the hall.

“Is this your residence’s eldest miss?” The Prince’s residence representative spoke.

Li Guangwen’s face was iron-gray: “What are you doing here?”

This wretched girl—didn’t she know he had nearly shouted his throat raw trying to prevent her from becoming a concubine? Yet she came running right into it.

“Father, your daughter has come to confess her fault.” Li Jiǎo said this and dropped to her knees before Old Madam Deng with a thud, holding up the fine white jade belt high and kowtowing to Old Madam Deng.

“Eldest girl, grandmother already knows about last night’s incident. It was just an accident—it can’t be blamed on you. Qing Yun, help the eldest miss back to rest!” Old Madam Deng’s heart sank as she quickly ordered a maid to take Li Jiǎo away.

Li Jiǎo’s kneeling already showed her desperate determination. How could she be persuaded away by Old Madam Deng’s single sentence? She immediately held up the white jade belt and said shyly, “Grandmother, at yesterday’s lantern festival, your granddaughter and His Highness… developed mutual affection. This white jade belt is the token of affection His Highness gave your granddaughter. Please grant your blessing, grandmother and father…”

“You rebellious creature, shut your mouth!” Li Guangwen was so angry that he jumped up and down.

What was the situation? Wasn’t it said that Jiǎo’er had fallen into the water and, in her panic, pulled down Prince Rui’s belt? Why had the belt now become a token of affection?

Using a white jade belt as a token of affection meant that Jiǎo’er and Prince Rui had had—

Li Guangwen’s vision went black in waves, while Old Madam Deng’s heart plummeted to the depths: It’s over. With the eldest girl saying this, they could never refuse Prince Rui’s residence.

From the tone of Prince Rui’s representative, she could hear his determination to succeed. Now, with the eldest girl voluntarily mentioning a token of affection, if she refused now, this matter would immediately become the talk of the town. The eldest girl would have no path other than entering the Prince’s residence.