“‘The Palace of Eternal Life.'”

“Emperor Minghuang and Yang Guifei?”

Junior Martial Sister turned to look at him, her eyes curving into crescents with her smile.

“Oh my, our Crown Prince actually knows this? If Emperor Minghuang knew from the underworld, he’d cry from being moved.”

She’d made the Crown Prince laugh again, who asked, “Why would he cry?”

“Because Emperor Minghuang later became a foolish ruler, while the Crown Prince will certainly be a wise ruler in future. A wise ruler mourning a foolish one…”

Junior Martial Sister hummed. “He’d not only cry from being moved but also from shame.”

This girl—when teasing people, she could infuriate them to the point of jumping. But when truly coaxing someone, she could make them beam with delight. No one was better at it than her.

The Crown Prince smiled until his eyes curved downward, his entire face glowing radiantly as he called out, “Weiwei?”

“Mm?”

“I remember Emperor Minghuang not for anything else, but because he had Yang Guifei by his side.”

The relaxed atmosphere stopped abruptly.

He and Zhu Yanting gasped secretly while feeling vaguely worried for Junior Martial Sister.

The powerful never spoke carelessly. Though the Crown Prince’s words were implicit, their deep meaning was quite obvious—

He wanted to take Junior Martial Sister as his consort and was willing to dote on and love her.

If he’d said “marry,” their worries would be unnecessary. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne in future, Junior Martial Sister could become empress—the best possible match.

But the Crown Prince’s residence already had one primary consort and two secondary consorts, while Junior Martial Sister’s temperament… She was finicky choosing even a husband—how could she be willing to become someone’s concubine?

At this time, Junior Martial Sister only smiled without speaking.

The Crown Prince wasn’t anxious either, sipping tea patiently, waiting.

After a long while.

Junior Martial Sister pointed at the ruler and consort on stage. “Your Highness, do you think Yang Guifei was fortunate or unfortunate?”

“Living with glory and wealth, after death having the ruler’s soul long for her—how many women in this world could have her fortune?”

The Crown Prince smiled. “She was naturally fortunate.”

Junior Martial Sister shook her head lightly. “I think she was too pitiable.”

The Crown Prince was clearly somewhat surprised. “Pitiable how?”

“Pitiable in having no control over herself.”

Junior Martial Sister’s face was serene and light. “Entering the palace—no control. Being favored—no control. Even death was beyond her control. If not pitiable, what is it?”

The Crown Prince’s lips trembled slightly. In an instant, his expression had already changed several times.

Junior Martial Sister turned her body, looked at him, and smiled mischievously. “Your Highness must become a wise ruler. You cannot have a Yang Guifei by your side—beauty brings disaster!”

“Junior Martial Sister speaks correctly!” The Crown Prince’s tone suddenly became bland, revealing no joy or anger.

Just then, the clappers stopped abruptly.

Junior Martial Sister stood, stood prettily and elegantly before the Crown Prince, properly performed a grand courtesy, speaking with double meaning: “The opera has ended. Your Highness may now properly scold me.”

“You…”

After a long while, the Crown Prince pointed at Junior Martial Sister. “Master has spoiled you beyond all bounds.”

Junior Martial Sister smiled wickedly. “Doesn’t Your Highness bear some credit for this?”

The Crown Prince snorted coldly and strode away.

Zhu Yanting, frightened, quickly chased after him. He remained in place, suppressing his voice to ask, “Why did you refuse?”

“Senior Martial Brother, I only want to find a good man who’ll be willing to protect me at critical moments.”

He deliberately asked, “Am I, your senior martial brother, a good man?”

She blinked. “Think me foolish? Senior Martial Brother is someone else’s good man.”

“Aren’t you afraid the Crown Prince will…”

“Senior Martial Brother, romantic feelings before imperial power and authority aren’t worth half a coin. He can see this clearly.”

“Young Master Pei.”

Yan Sanhe’s call pulled Tang Jianxi’s thoughts back.

“Besides seeing through things clearly, Tang Zhiwei refusing the former Crown Prince—could there be another possibility: she had someone in her heart?”

Sanhe, you’ve asked the right person with this question.

Look at me—precisely because I had you in my heart, other flowers and grasses couldn’t catch my eye.

“I think there should be. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so decisive and resolute.” Young Master Pei’s answer was very certain.

What was an imperial noble consort?

Second only to the empress.

With the special relationship of senior and junior martial siblings, the former Crown Prince couldn’t possibly mistreat her. If she bore a son in future, she might even have the fortune of becoming empress.

Yet Tang Zhiwei refused without hesitation—when things are abnormal, there must be demons.

Yan Sanhe: “Master Tang, is Young Master Pei right or wrong?”

Disdain suddenly appeared on Tang Jianxi’s face, yet he nodded.

Nodding meant yes.

The disdainful expression showed Tang Jianxi greatly looked down on that person.

Who could it be?

“Was it Zhu Yanting?” she asked.

Tang Jianxi shook his head.

Then it couldn’t possibly be you!

You and your wife listened to opera together from childhood—childhood sweethearts at the very least.

So that meant besides Tang Jianxi and Zhu Yanting, another person appeared in Tang Zhiwei’s life.

Recalling that Zhu Yanting’s signature was “Three Friends of Winter,” Yan Sanhe inhaled thoughtfully. “What does Master Tang favor most in this life?”

Clever, clever, clever!

Tang Jianxi’s hands resting on his legs clenched into excited fists. He looked up at his wife, saying affectionately, “My wife has loved plum blossoms since childhood. What she loves must be what I love.”

“‘Sparse shadows slant across clear shallow water, dark fragrance floats under dusk moonlight.'”

Yan Sanhe looked at Tao Qiao’er. “‘Dark fragrance’ means plum fragrance. Madam is clearly a wonderful person.”

Tao Qiao’er was momentarily stunned, then laughed. “Miss Yan, someone once said these same words to me. Can you guess who?”

“Tang Zhiwei.”

“It seems…”

Tao Qiao’er’s slender hand patted her husband’s shoulder lightly several times. “Miss is also a wonderful person.”

“Madam flatters me.”

Yan Sanhe continued analyzing.

“Zhu Yanting left an inscription at the Music Bureau calling himself ‘Three Friends of Winter’—the three friends being: pine, bamboo, and plum. Master Tang claimed the plum character, so Zhu Yanting was naturally bamboo.”

Tang Jianxi asked in an excited voice, “Why do you say this?”

“Bamboo symbolizes elegance, purity, modesty, and integrity.”

Yan Sanhe: “Zhu Yanting was a man of high elegance and integrity.”

Tang Jianxi jumped up like a gust of wind and rushed before Yan Sanhe, startling her so that she leaned backward.

“You just said what? He had integrity?”

Yan Sanhe sensed the madness in Tang Jianxi’s eyes, as if perceiving something, and nodded. “Yes!”

Tang Jianxi roared, “What gives you the right to say he had integrity? What gives you the right?”

This roar made Xie Zhifei beside her frown, his heart becoming wary.

Yan Sanhe disliked people looking down at her condescendingly. She also stood up. “Because he followed the former Crown Prince his entire life. Because in the end, he died for the former Crown Prince.”

“But everyone says he was a traitorous subject and rebel.”

Yan Sanhe looked at him coolly. “That’s because the person who ascended the throne in the end wasn’t the former Crown Prince. If it had been the former Crown Prince, then in the history books, Zhu Yanting would be a meritorious official, a loyal subject.”

“Qiao’er, Qiao’er, Qiao’er.”

Tang Jianxi’s voice grew more urgent with each call.

“Did you hear? Did you hear? She praised Senior Martial Brother as a meritorious official, a loyal subject… She praised him! She praised him!”