The First Prince had actually always been very quiet. Perhaps because he’d been different from ordinary people since childhood, his thoughts were sensitive and delicate. Though he didn’t speak much, everything he did was generous and proper. The Emperor had already begun showing him some simple memorials from court affairs, and he handled them all very well.

Yet she was always noisy and boisterous. She never had a quiet moment by his side—either talking about who in the palace had quarreled with whom today, who had secretly eaten things from the imperial kitchen, or about what flowers had bloomed in the garden, what things the Emperor had made for the Empress.

Every time, he would quietly read while she talked endlessly. It was only because of his good temper that he tolerated her. Actually, having a quiet palace maid accompany him while reading would be better—she wouldn’t disturb him.

Her eyes reddening, Nuo’er pressed her lips together, looked at the First Prince for a long while, then turned and ran out.

Ming Sigu’s fingers moved slightly as he looked at the book in his hands, showing no other reaction.

Xin’er behind him said softly: “This servant didn’t know before that Your Highness could read inverted text.”

“Hm?” Ming Sigu came back to himself and looked carefully at the characters in the book he held.

He’d been holding it upside down.

Calmly turning the book right side up, he asked: “Has anything interesting happened in the palace today?”

Xin’er looked at him with difficulty: “This servant has been in Changxin Palace the whole time and hasn’t gone out, so doesn’t know of any interesting matters.”

“No matter.” The First Prince lowered his eyes, gave a low laugh, and continued reading.

Nuo’er sat gloomily in the Imperial Garden. As it happened, Princess Duanwen and General Yuwen entered the palace today. These two had gone through many twists and turns to be together initially, but after marrying, their affection turned out to be exceptionally good. Coming hand in hand, they looked extremely well-matched.

“Greetings to the Princess and General Yuwen.” Nuo’er curtsied obediently.

Princess Duanwen had only met Nuo’er a few times but had quite a favorable impression of her. She smiled at her: “Nuo’er has grown so lovely now. It should be time to betroth you, shouldn’t it?”

The mention immediately touched on a sore spot. Nuo’er’s eyes reddened as she pressed her lips together: “I don’t want to marry yet.”

Princess Duanwen raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yuwen Changqing. The latter very consciously said: “I’ll go pay my respects to the Emperor first.”

Leaving the two women, one older and one younger, to talk in the Imperial Garden pavilion.

Princess Duanwen listened as Nuo’er recounted what had happened today. As an observer, she could see at a glance—this girl had been protected carefree by the First Prince, learning propriety and filial piety, but never learning about romantic love.

“You know, this palace also accompanied General Yuwen for many years initially.” Princess Duanwen said: “But in the end, he still let me go back to marry the son of the Prince of Heqin.”

Nuo’er looked at her curiously: “But aren’t you together now?”

Princess Duanwen smiled: “Yes, but if he hadn’t stopped me at the ceremony hall back then and spoken his heart first, we wouldn’t be together now.”

Nuo’er didn’t understand: “You’re together because of liking?”

“Naturally.” Princess Duanwen said: “Only when you like someone do you want to always be with them.”

“Then… then if I want to always be with the First Prince, is that liking?” Nuo’er stammered: “But I clearly like Young Master Zhang—he can ride horses…”

Princess Duanwen smiled: “To know whether you like someone is very simple. Think about that person—can you imagine what life would be like being together with him in the future? Have you thought about what it would be like if you married, had children, and gradually grew old together?”

Nuo’er tilted her head and thought about Young Master Zhang. She could only recall his black horse and his vigorous riding posture.

But the First Prince… weren’t they together every day already? What was there to imagine? After marriage, she would still care for him like this, tell him interesting things, listen as he taught her what was written in books, go to the Imperial Garden to sun themselves in the afternoon, make osmanthus honey pastries in the evening, then coax him to tell her bedtime stories.

The palace nannies said that after marriage, people could sleep in the same bed. She’d been eyeing the First Prince’s bed for a long time—fragrant and soft, it would surely be very comfortable to sleep on.

Even when they both grew old someday, it didn’t matter—she could still push him along. She was very strong.

As for having children, what was that?

The First Prince’s gentle face suddenly flashed through her mind. Nuo’er pressed her lips together, summoned her courage, and stood up: “I want to go find the Empress.”

“Perfect, it’s on the way.” Princess Duanwen smiled and stood, pulling her along.

As evening fell, Xin’er had already helped him onto the bed. Ming Sigu lay on the bed in a daze, not paying attention to the person beside him. By the time he noticed, Xin’er had already begun removing her clothes.

He was already sixteen—old enough to understand such matters, and he knew this day would come sooner or later. It didn’t matter. It was just that sort of thing.

The First Prince waited quietly, his heart making not a single sound.

However, there was noise outside the door. Someone suddenly pushed open the doors of Changxin Palace’s main hall, bringing palace attendants in with an imposing manner, wrapping Xin’er in a quilt and carrying her out.

Ming Sigu opened his eyes to see Nuo’er in thin bedding attire glaring at him furiously.

“Is she quieter than me, more sensible than me, better than me?”

The First Prince was stunned. Before he could answer, Nuo’er had already pounced on him.

The doors outside were closed. Not a single person remained in the hall. The woman before him was as charming as in her youth, straddling him and saying indignantly: “You didn’t teach me yourself, so you can’t blame me for not understanding!”

What? Ming Sigu was very bewildered. Hadn’t she said she liked Young Master Zhang? So when he changed to another palace maid, why was she so angry?

Nuo’er lay against his chest, sulking like a small beast: “You can’t ride horses, so I kept dreaming of you riding horses, but I couldn’t see the face. That person could also ride horses, so I got it wrong…”

Muttering to herself, practically talking to herself, Ming Sigu couldn’t understand a single sentence. But in the end, Nuo’er summoned her courage to look up at him and said: “I want to marry Your Highness.”

Ming Sigu: “…”

The grand First Prince, the Empress’s legitimate son, devastatingly handsome, brilliantly talented—could he be married just because a little palace maid said to marry?

Ming Sigu raised his chin and replied haughtily:

“Very well.”

From childhood to now, he had never refused her, and Nuo’er had never made any excessive demands. Yet this demand was the most satisfying one he’d heard in his sixteen years.

The First Prince taking a consort—universal celebration.

Shen Guiyan was overjoyed beyond measure, pulling Gu Chaobei to discuss how the wedding should be handled. Since she was already a palace person, holding the ceremony in the palace would be sufficient.

But Ming Sigu shook his head: “Send Nuo’er back to the Gao household to be married from there.”

“Why?” Shen Guiyan looked at her son curiously.

The First Prince said with a straight face: “This son wants to ride a horse to marry her.”

She actually said he couldn’t ride horses. He simply had never ridden before—it’s not that he couldn’t ride, alright?

With a bridal procession stretching ten li and a spirited horse, the First Prince rode a white horse as handsome as himself, heading triumphantly toward the Gao residence.