Ling Xiao was taken aback for a moment before sighing. “Since you have thought it through so clearly and made up your mind, then from now on keep your distance from the Crown Grandson. That way at least you won’t stir up any trouble later on, and the Crown Princess won’t take out her resentments on you.”

It was rare for Ling Xiao to think so clearly about something.

The Crown Princess appeared gentle, but was in truth prideful and self-possessed. Accustomed as she was to looking down on everyone from a great height, whenever things went wrong she would only find fault with and vent her frustrations on others.

Ling Jingshu curved the corners of her mouth and nodded in agreement. “Mm — I’ll listen to you. From now on I’ll keep my distance from the Crown Grandson.”

In truth, to borrow the power of the Eastern Palace to exact her vengeance, she could not avoid having dealings with the Crown Grandson.

The key was to make her position clear from the very beginning, so as not to let the Crown Grandson harbour any misunderstanding.

After Ling Xiao had fallen asleep, Ling Jingshu carefully tucked the covers in around him. She sat beside the bed, waiting until Ling Xiao was fully asleep before rising to leave.

Just when she thought Ling Xiao had already drifted off, he suddenly spoke again. “A’Shu, what do you think of Imperial Physician Wei?”

Ling Jingshu laughed despite herself.

“A’Xiao, what has gotten into you today? First the Crown Grandson, now Imperial Physician Wei. I’m not yet at an age to fret about marriage — surely I don’t need to decide on a match for life right this very moment?”

Ling Xiao looked a little abashed from being laughed at. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that I keep hearing everyone praise how handsome Imperial Physician Wei is, and how excellent his medical skill, so I couldn’t help but……”

“All right, you stop overthinking.” Ling Jingshu’s voice was light with laughter, her tone bright and easy. “The most important thing for you right now is to get your eyes better. Stop letting your thoughts run away with you.”

Ling Xiao gave a meek sound of agreement, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

Ling Jingshu gazed at Ling Xiao’s peaceful, sleeping face, her own expression soft and calm.

That same evening.

Ling Daye made a rare early return home. In front of the younger generation he maintained his dignified air, his expression composed as usual through dinner.

But once he was back in his own room, Ling Daye dropped all pretence at once, his face alight with excitement and impatience. “How did things go today — the trip they all made to the Crown Prince’s residence? Did everything go smoothly?”

After more than twenty years of marriage, husband and wife were so alike that even their questions came out nearly identically.

Sun Shi naturally knew what Ling Daye most wanted to ask. She smiled and recounted, without omitting a single detail, everything she had heard during the day. “……The Crown Grandson appeared early in the morning, and His Highness the Crown Prince himself went specially to the guest quarters to see the two of them. By Yüniang’s account, His Highness the Crown Prince paid particular attention to A’Shu.”

“Their visit to the Crown Prince’s residence today was more than just a success. It was everything one could have wished for.”

Who had their wishes granted?

Ling Daye, of course.

The anxiety that had weighed on Ling Daye all day lifted at once. He beamed with joy. “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Fifth Brother has accomplished nothing of note all these years, but at least he has raised a good daughter.”

The situation was plain to see.

The Crown Grandson had already set his heart on Ling Jingshu. He had been waiting outside the study early that very morning.

As for the Crown Prince’s attitude — that was an unexpected stroke of good fortune.

Sun Shi saw how elated Ling Daye was and felt her own spirits lift as well. Yet after a moment’s thought, a worry arose and she said, “My lord, I find myself with another concern. The Crown Prince is also in the prime of his years. Having seen A’Shu — what if he too were to develop designs on her……”

A man of over thirty, in his prime — if he were also drawn in by A’Shu’s beauty, what would they do then?

Ling Daye was first taken aback. He considered the matter for a moment, then said, “The Crown Prince has spent these past years quietly tending to his health, his desires kept in check, keeping himself at a distance from women. Besides, A’Shu is still young — His Highness would surely not harbour such intentions toward her.”

“There is nothing impossible about it.”

Sun Shi pursed her lips and stripped away Ling Daye’s pretensions without mercy. “My lord was over thirty years of age once too — and did you not take a beautiful young serving girl as your personal attendant when she was barely in her teens?”

Ling Daye coughed awkwardly. “That is all in the past — why keep bringing it up?”

Afraid that Sun Shi would keep pressing on that sore point, he quickly changed the subject. “My own feeling is that the Crown Prince has caught wind of something, and that is why he paid such particular attention to A’Shu.”

That was also possible.

The Crown Grandson had once saved A’Shu, and had specifically bestowed a name card upon her — he had been attentive to A’Shu in every way. It was likely that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had both heard of this.

Sun Shi turned the matter over in her mind for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, “My lord, setting aside the attitudes of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess for now — I find myself a little worried about A’Shu.”

“A’Yan has shallow thoughts and cannot conceal anything in her heart. A’Shu is different. She appears quiet and gentle, but she is in truth firm of will beneath that soft exterior, and has a strong mind of her own. I cannot read her thoughts at all. This morning I told her to change into new clothes and put her hair up afresh, but no matter what I said she would not be persuaded. Considering all that — she does not seem to harbour any romantic feelings toward the Crown Grandson……”

What woman does not love adorning herself? In front of one’s beloved, dressing oneself brilliantly would be the natural response. A’Shu’s behaviour today was entirely out of the ordinary.

There could only be one explanation.

A’Shu had no interest in the Crown Grandson whatsoever.

Ling Daye laughed and dismissed the concern. “Stop imagining things. With a young man of the Crown Grandson’s standing — not only supremely exalted, but of extraordinary good looks — how could A’Shu not be moved? The reason she did not take care to dress up today was nothing more than maidenly reserve and bashfulness.”

Could it truly be that simple?

Sun Shi looked at Ling Daye with an expression somewhere between belief and doubt. “But what if A’Shu genuinely has no interest in the Crown Grandson?”

Ling Daye was momentarily stumped. He quickly recovered and replied with specious reasoning, “A young girl has no business being so particular about something as important as a match for life. That is a matter for her elders to decide.”

Sun Shi could not help but push back. “A match for life is decided by the wishes of one’s parents — and even then it is not for you, her uncle by marriage, to be making decisions on her behalf.”

Ling Daye: “……”

Ling Daye coughed and lowered his voice slightly, his earlier certainty somewhat diminished. “Mother is still living, so A’Shu’s marriage would in any case have to be decided with Mother’s thoughts in mind. And beyond that, it is Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-in-law’s concern. It truly is not for me to decide. But surely there is no harm in me, as her elder uncle, caring about my own niece’s affairs.”

And then, as he spoke, his tone became self-righteous again. “If this were truly to come to pass, it would be a lifetime of glory and prosperity for A’Shu. All of Dazhou will one day belong to the Crown Grandson — there will come a day when the Crown Grandson takes his seat upon the Dragon Throne. And when that day comes, A’Shu will be an imperial consort in the palace. If she bears a son early, there could be even greater fortune and blessings in store.”

“Look at the Xu family’s daughter — she entered the palace as a consort, won the Emperor’s favour, became a Noble Consort, and then Empress. The Xu family rose with her, and see how glorious they are now!”

“Who is to say our Ling family might not have such a day.”

Ling Daye grew more and more animated as he spoke, more and more carried away.

It was as though he could already see with his own eyes the day when Ling Jingshu ascended to the Empress’s throne and the Ling family became the foremost clan in all of Dazhou.

Sun Shi too was swept along by it all, her own blood rising. She asked urgently, “My lord, what should we do next?”

Ling Daye thought briefly and made up his mind. “I will write a letter tomorrow and have it sent to Dingzhou.”

The matter of Ling Jingshu’s marriage was not his to decide. Let Mother and Fifth Brother be the ones to weigh in.