No one had expected that the General’s Mansion, which had lost the Emperor’s favor due to its dwindling members, would actually form a marriage alliance with the imperial family.

The General’s Mansion had truly raised a good daughter.

With this development, many families turned their attention to Lin Hao. Since the elder sister was becoming Princess Wei, marrying the younger sister to become connected to Prince Wei as in-laws wouldn’t be bad either.

Most wonderfully, the General’s Mansion only had two daughters, so marrying Second Miss Lin offered benefits beyond just becoming Prince Wei’s in-laws.

However, these families still cared about appearances. To eagerly seek Second Miss Lin’s hand in marriage right after First Miss Lin’s betrothal to Prince Wei was arranged would look somewhat unseemly. It was better to wait a while—ideally until First Miss Lin truly became Princess Wei.

For Han Baocheng, First Miss Lin receiving the jade ruyi bestowed by the Emperor meant he and First Miss Lin were completely fated to remain apart.

This time, it was Yang Zhe and the others who invited him for drinks.

Zhang Liangyu, the youngest son of the Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud who had once joked that the first suitor was usually eliminated, now looked at his friend with only sympathy.

He patted Han Baocheng’s shoulder. “Brother Han, marriages are destined by heaven. Try to take it in stride.”

Han Baocheng gripped his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and laughed dryly. “I know. I’m not troubled by it—it’s not like I ever spent time with First Miss Lin anyway.”

Hearing this, the others relaxed. Especially Zhang Liangyu and Li Lan—they had both sought First Miss Lin’s hand in marriage too. To say they were deeply attached would naturally be false, and judging others by themselves, Brother Han was probably the same.

Of course, Brother Han was certainly more frustrated than them. Just when the marriage seemed about to succeed, for it to suddenly fall through—anyone would be unhappy.

Men deal with frustration by drinking. One drinking session and everything would be fine.

Cup after cup, Han Baocheng drank too much.

“Brother Han, are you alright?” Wen Feng asked with concern.

Among those present, he felt the most regret for Han Baocheng and Lin Chan.

“I’m fine.” Han Baocheng waved his hand dismissively, his eyes still looking relatively clear. “You all know my alcohol tolerance—what could possibly be wrong?”

Yang Zhe also said, “Brother Han, let me see you home.”

Han Baocheng refused with a smile. “I really haven’t drunk too much, and besides, I have my servant.”

“Take good care of your young master,” the group instructed Han Baocheng’s servant as they parted.

Han Baocheng walked forward silently, the alcohol he exhaled gradually adding a hazy quality to his gaze.

“Young Master, you’ve gone the wrong way,” the servant following close behind reminded him.

Han Baocheng stopped, looked at his servant, then looked around. “Wrong? Where did I go wrong—”

His voice paused as he realized he really had taken a wrong turn.

This seemed to be the direction toward the General’s Mansion.

Realizing this, his heart gave a dull ache, followed by confusion.

He clearly shouldn’t feel this upset—she was just a young lady he’d happened to meet twice, whom he’d thought suitable in all respects and thus considered seeking in marriage. That was all.

There were plenty of young ladies who were suitable in all respects.

A carriage gradually approached, bearing the insignia of the General’s Mansion.

Han Baocheng instinctively hid behind a tree.

The apricot-colored padded window curtain embroidered with chrysanthemum patterns lifted, revealing a young lady’s graceful face.

It was First Miss Lin!

Han Baocheng thought he’d been discovered and quickly shrank back. Between the alcohol and his panic, his forehead knocked against the tree.

He covered his forehead and watched as the carriage’s window curtain fell back down and the carriage gradually moved away.

So First Miss Lin hadn’t seen him after all.

Han Baocheng lowered his hand, feeling both relief and disappointment.

Strange—though he’d drunk alcohol and felt somewhat dizzy, why had First Miss Lin’s features appeared so clear in his eyes just now?

“Young Master, your forehead is scraped!” the servant exclaimed in alarm.

Han Baocheng instinctively touched his forehead, then looked at the bit of blood on his hand and smiled. “It’s nothing, it doesn’t hurt.”

His steps somewhat unsteady, he walked toward the Minister’s Mansion, gradually steadying his gait.

Forget it, forget it—overthinking gives him a headache.

In the carriage were Lin Chan and Lady Lin.

Having received the jade ruyi bestowed by the Emperor meant the imperial family approved of Lin Chan as a daughter-in-law, so Lady Lin had brought Lin Chan out shopping to make purchases.

Since her daughter was willing, she as the mother naturally wanted to prepare the wedding properly, letting her daughter marry out in grand style.

While marrying into the imperial family offered no guarantees about other matters, her daughter’s dowry would only exceed others’, never fall short.

“Chan’er, what are you looking at?”

Lin Chan released the carriage curtain she’d been pinching and smiled. “Nothing, just felt a bit stuffy and wanted some fresh air.”

Lady Lin smiled. “Now that it’s cold, switching to the padded curtain does make it rather close. Why don’t we roll up the window curtain?”

“No need, when I lifted it just now the wind was rather strong.” Lin Chan poured a cup of honey water for Lady Lin. “Have some honey water to soothe your throat.”

Lady Lin drank the sweet honey water, her mood improving somewhat.

Seeing Chan’er like this, she truly didn’t resist this marriage arrangement—that put her mind at ease.

“Chan’er, you should drink more water too.”

The carriage creaked along, carrying the mother and daughter’s private conversation toward Changchun Street.

The person most vexed about First Miss Lin becoming Princess Wei was the Crown Prince.

He had long considered the Lin sisters as targets, and now First Miss Lin had become Fourth Brother’s fiancée and Second Miss Lin had become Fourth Brother’s future sister-in-law. How could he possibly succeed now?

But he also couldn’t possibly run to Father Emperor and say he opposed this marriage.

What standing did he, as an elder brother, have to oppose it?

The Crown Prince had sailed smoothly for over twenty years and was now utterly frustrated, yet there was no one in the Eastern Palace who could ease his troubles.

Never mind the Crown Princess—an old married couple, he couldn’t be bothered to look at her much. As long as she managed the Eastern Palace properly, that was enough. As for Consort Sun, ever since her face and hands were injured, he’d hardly visited, and the longer time passed, the less inclined he felt to go. As for the other concubines, he could barely recall their faces.

Vexed—he was simply vexed!

The Crown Prince’s irritation was too obvious. His trusted eunuch Wang Gui kept bringing tea one moment and pouring water the next, trying to cheer the Crown Prince up.

“Stop hovering! Just looking at you annoys me!” With his personal eunuch, the Crown Prince naturally said whatever came to mind.

Wang Gui understood perfectly well why the Crown Prince was upset and suggested carefully, “Your Highness, if you find the palace boring, why not go out to clear your mind?”

“What’s there to clear my mind about by going out?” The Crown Prince grew even more irritated at the suggestion. “What, should I go find the Heir of Prince Jing to play chess?”

Bringing this up made him even more furious. “I really never noticed before—Qi Shuo is actually quite competitive.”

Didn’t he know he was the Crown Prince? Playing one game and winning one game, always defeating him utterly.

Inconsiderate wretch!

Before, his heart hadn’t been in the game—it was all to engineer chance meetings with the Lin sisters. Losing was just losing. But thinking about it now was unbearable.

Qi Shuo clearly didn’t take him, the Crown Prince, seriously.

Seeing the Crown Prince’s expression darken further, Wang Gui dared not speak again.

The Crown Prince’s gaze swept over. “Wang Gui, you know best what I want. Tell me—is there still a way or not?”

Wang Gui immediately grew nervous.

This question required a careful answer.

He had risen to become the Crown Prince’s confidant by being able to devise schemes for the Crown Prince—schemes others wouldn’t dare imagine or couldn’t think of. If the Crown Prince decided he was useless, countless others would want to step over him to take his place.

Under the Crown Prince’s expectant gaze, Wang Gui’s eyes darted about, and an idea formed.