Here, Ye Yun was being led by Mo Qingchen, walking beside him along the gravel path by the imperial lake. Thinking about the earlier incident, she couldn’t help but ask, “Wang Ye, do you mind that I previously had feelings for Mo Heng…”
“I don’t mind.” Before Ye Yun could finish her sentence, Mo Qingchen responded, “Didn’t you say that the current Ye Yun is no longer the same as before, and I am not Mo Heng either? Moreover, that matter has already been settled. Since it’s in the past, there’s no need to dwell on it.”
Hearing Mo Qingchen’s words, Ye Yun stepped forward directly, wrapped her arm around his, and said with a smile, “Exactly what I meant.”
“But in the future…”
“In the future, you are mine, and I am yours.” Ye Yun looked up to meet Mo Qingchen’s gaze. “Wang Ye, you promised in front of everyone at the Empress Dowager’s palace: I am your one and only Consort of the Prince of Imperial Order. Wang Ye is a man of his word—you wouldn’t break your promise to everyone, let alone to a mere girl like me, right?”
“Of course not!”
Ye Yun smiled and then steered the conversation back, saying, “However, Wang Ye, when you said those words in front of Mo Heng, it seemed as though his status as Crown Prince was merely nominal. What if in the future he…”
“He is the legitimate eldest son, and it’s only natural for the Emperor to appoint him as Crown Prince. But you’re right—the title of Crown Prince doesn’t mean much. Didn’t you once tell me that no one can predict the future? In the realm of imperial power, things change in the blink of an eye. Until the very end, any title before that is merely nominal.”
“It seems you don’t have much faith in Mo Heng.” Ye Yun asked Mo Qingchen with interest, “The Emperor has four sons. As their imperial uncle, who do you favor the most?”
“It’s still too early to tell. Whomever the Emperor favors, I will favor.” Mo Qingchen raised his hand and gently patted the little girl’s head. “You don’t need to worry about any of this. Just relax and be at ease. I will handle everything.”
Ye Yun stopped walking, turned to face Mo Qingchen directly, and chuckled softly, saying, “Wang Ye, you’re so considerate. Will those admirers of yours outside blame themselves for not being proactive enough? They believed the rumors, feared you, and didn’t dare approach you, only for me to seize the opportunity.”
“In my eyes, there’s no such thing as seizing an opportunity. It’s simply because it’s you. If it were anyone else, no matter how proactive they were, it would be useless.”
“So I’m that special?”
“Mmm.” Mo Qingchen hummed in agreement. Yes, it was only her initiative that he found irresistible. Her appearance felt as though it was destined, and from that moment on, he was uncontrollably drawn to her.
After strolling for a while, the two returned to the Palace of Everlasting Joy. When it was about time, Ye Yun left the palace with her parents and returned to the Duke’s Residence.
Since that day, after the Empress Dowager presided over the family banquet at the Palace of Everlasting Joy and finalized the matter between Ye Yun and Mo Qingchen, it had become the most talked-about topic in the Imperial Capital during casual conversations.
On this day, in Ye Yun’s courtyard at the Protectorate Duke’s Residence.
Ye Yun listened as Lingzhi recounted the discussions circulating outside these past few days. “It’s been several days already. Are people in the capital still using this as gossip?”
Lingzhi said earnestly, “Miss, this matter will probably be discussed endlessly. After all, no one would have expected… What I mean is, previously, Miss and Prince Chen had no interactions, and there were never any rumors from Prince Chen’s side about wanting to marry. But seeing Miss and Prince Chen together, it’s truly a match made in heaven, a perfect pair. Precisely because of this, everyone is…”
“Don’t bother explaining. Did you manage to collect the pharmacopoeias I asked you to gather the other day?” Ye Yun cut straight to the point.
“I’ve already arranged for the Elixirists in the residence to handle it. The pharmacopoeias Miss requested cover almost all knowledge of medicinal herbs in the world. Miss, you’re not really planning to become an Elixirist, are you?”
“What do you mean ‘planning’? Can’t your young lady be a genuine Elixirist?”
Lingzhi was stunned and was about to speak when a clear male voice came from outside, “So these past few days, little sister has been frequently visiting the Elixirists in the residence and often going to the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion?”
Ye Yun smiled at the person before her and said, “Second Brother, Elixir making is fascinating. I just want to give it a try.”
Ye Yang looked at his younger sister with concern and said, “Second Brother isn’t stopping you from trying, but little sister must remember to act within your capabilities in everything you do. If you feel overwhelmed, don’t push yourself too hard. Also, make sure to take your medicine on time every day. Don’t let your health suffer—we’d all be worried.”
“I know. Did Father and Mother send you here, Second Brother? Yun’er listens to you. If Second Brother says so, Yun’er will absolutely, absolutely make sure nothing happens to herself.”
“Good,” Ye Yang replied gently. “Then, with little sister focusing on this, what about Prince Chen?”
“We’re doing just fine. He often accompanies me too,” Ye Yun thought for a moment and added, “Oh, right, Second Brother, the batch of medicinal herbs I asked the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion to prepare for me should be ready by now. I need to go check on them. Second Brother, I’ll take my leave now.” With that, she called for Lingzhi to follow and left her courtyard.
Ye Yang watched the girl running off and reminded her, “Slow down.” He thought to himself, Prince Chen’s feelings for his little sister were genuine and beyond doubt. This time, his little sister was sure to be very happy.
…
Under the cover of night, Prince Chen’s Mansion was exceptionally quiet.
Inside the study.
Mo Qingchen finished reading the intelligence report in his hand and casually placed it over the candle flame, burning it to ashes.
Feng Ying stood before the desk and reported, “Wang Ye, those people have infiltrated the Imperial Capital very covertly. For now, we cannot pinpoint their hiding place, and their identities remain untraceable. They are likely Death Warriors trained in secret.”
“Now that I am involved with the Protectorate Duke’s Residence, who do you think would be eyeing us covetously? If they want to keep their hands clean, it’s no surprise they would deploy Death Warriors. After all, if anything goes wrong while operating in the Imperial Capital, it won’t trace back to them.”
Feng Ying understood this reasoning and continued, “The Protectorate Duke is meticulous. Recently, the number of Hidden Guards secretly protecting Miss Ye has increased. They are more skilled than the previous ones. The Hidden Guards trained by the Protectorate Duke’s Residence are all exceptional. Dealing with a dozen or so Death Warriors should be no problem for them.”
“Moreover, Wang Ye specifically instructed the Imperial Guard Commander to pay extra attention to the route between the Protectorate Duke’s Residence and the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion during this period. At the slightest sign of movement, they will swiftly arrive. With the Imperial Guard’s capabilities, there will certainly be no issues.”
Mo Qingchen asked, “Did she go to the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion again today?”
“Yes.”
“Be cautious. She must not encounter any mishaps.”
Feng Ying bowed in response, “Rest assured, Wang Ye. I understand.”
The night grew increasingly tranquil. Mo Qingchen’s gaze fell upon the faintly flickering candlelight before him. Since someone was so eager to target those under his protection, he wouldn’t mind exerting some effort to see the Crown Prince’s position occupied by someone else.