Chapter One Hundred and Six: A Match Made in Heaven

After saying that, he paused a little, looking somewhat embarrassed. “If possible, please come back and visit us often...”

“But he is the Third Prince now. He probably will not be coming back,” Li Bo said after a moment of thought. “Forget it. Best not to say any more. Even this is good enough.”

Times had changed. Xiao Yan was now a prince of the realm, while he was only a lowly servant. What right did he have to speak with him anymore?

Li Bo let out a sigh so faint it was nearly inaudible. “This servant will go to the kitchen.”

Watching his retreating back, Shen Nanyuan suddenly felt a trace of bitterness in her heart.

Come to think of it, the first person who had truly treated Xiao Yan well was probably Li Bo.

She herself had drawn close to Xiao Yan with motives of her own, which was why she had been kind to him. The only one who had ever treated him with genuine sincerity was Li Bo. When Xiao Yan had been injured, Li Bo had brewed medicine and cooked for him; whenever there had been anything good, he had always left a portion for him. Now that Xiao Yan had left Shaohua Courtyard, though Li Bo said nothing, he must have been deeply saddened.

Qing Sui hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. “Miss, I will not be able to accompany you into the palace tomorrow. Although Xiao Yan used to work in Shaohua Courtyard and lived with us for more than a year, you must never forget that he is now a prince, and a sovereign at that, while you are now betrothed to the Second Prince... If anyone sees you together with Xiao Yan, I am afraid gossip will be unavoidable.”

Then she changed tack. “If you wish to speak with him, remember to find a secluded place.”

Shen Nanyuan: “...”

If they found a secluded place to talk and were then discovered, would it not be even harder to explain?

She nodded. “I know.”

Tomorrow, there was no telling whether she would even have a chance to speak with Xiao Yan.

She was already betrothed to the Second Prince; in the eyes of outsiders, that was tantamount to the Second Prince having tied his fate to the House of the Protector Duke. Countless eyes were fixed on her, leaving her no room to breathe.

Even though Xiao Yan had returned to the palace, in the eyes of others the Second Prince still had an excellent chance of ascending the throne. That meant she would one day become empress. Just thinking of the flattering sycophants who would come swarming around her gave her a headache.

But there was nothing to be done.

Having Shen Sinian by her side might help block some of it.

—

The next day.

This banquet was an important one, and Shen Nanyuan did not want to stand out too much, so she wore a pale green gown with a gauzy mist-colored outer robe. Her hair was jet-black, adorned with a matching dangling ornament; the tassels scattered across her dark tresses, giving her an air of lively grace and natural ease. Her features were smooth and gentle, and especially her eyes, dark and bright, dazzlingly striking.

She had intended to keep a low profile, but this only made her seem all the more fresh and refined, impossible to ignore.

Shen Yi and Shen Sinian went with her. Along the way, they did not speak much, as though everything was covered by the understanding that whatever happened, they would stand behind her. At the same time, they also believed Shen Nanyuan knew her limits and would not make trouble.

Today’s banquet was being held in the Grand Ultimate Palace. The princes and nobles had already arrived, while the Emperor and the princes were not yet present. The moment Shen Yi appeared in the Grand Ultimate Palace, the people on both sides noticed him and immediately came forward to greet him respectfully.

“General Shen has come as well.”

“Commander Shen is young and accomplished, and Lady Yong’an has also been betrothed to the Second Prince. Both of his children are so outstanding; truly, they take after General Shen.”

Shen Nanyuan: “...”

These people...

Her younger brother had not even arrived yet. Although Shen Jinyu had changed a great deal, his reputation as a libertine still lingered. By then, she wondered how this crowd would manage to talk their way out of it.

Head lowered, she wore a faint, polite smile and dealt with them as best she could.

“When will the Second Prince and Lady Yong’an be married? Has an auspicious date been chosen?”

Shen Yi’s voice was deep and unsmiling. “Not yet. There is no need to rush.”

“No need to rush, no need to rush,” the man said hastily, seeing that Shen Yi’s expression had turned rather unpleasant. He quickly shut his mouth and did not continue the subject.

“Does the general know anything about the Third Prince? He was lost for so long; how was he found? I have only heard a little about it and do not know whether it is true.”

The Emperor had kept the matter tightly sealed, so aside from Shen Yi and a few others, very few people knew about Xiao Yan’s past.

Shen Yi’s brow furrowed. His bearing was stern and cold. “How should I know?”

When Shen Nanyuan heard that, she almost could not hold back.

This man clearly harbored some ulterior motive. Since the Emperor had not told them, it meant he did not wish them to know; yet he still came pressing Shen Yi with questions. Was that not deliberate?

Shen Yi had handled it well.

At last, they reached their respective seats and sat down. As soon as Shen Nanyuan lifted her eyes, she saw Meng Chuyue opposite her.

The Prime Minister was still seated across from them. As a pillar of the court, the princes and princesses sat above, while the civil and military officials were arranged below.

She could not help glancing toward the area where the princes were seated.

She wondered which seat Xiao Yan would take.

After a while longer, the princes finally began arriving one after another at the Grand Ultimate Palace.

The Emperor had nine children. The Eldest Princess and the Third Prince were both born of the Empress. In the novel, the Eldest Princess had loved Xiao Yan dearly since childhood, and after his return to the palace, she had shown him boundless kindness. Yet in the second year after Xiao Yan returned, she was sent to the Houlan Kingdom for a political marriage. The ruler of Houlan treated her miserably, but because she held the position of empress there, many of the concubines still regarded her as a thorn in their side. Later, when the Eldest Princess became pregnant, one of those concubines deliberately administered poison that caused her to die in a difficult childbirth.

When the news reached him, Xiao Yan was furious. He led a million elite troops in person and beheaded the ruler of Houlan with his own hands. But the Eldest Princess could never return; she remained in Houlan forever.

Shen Nanyuan lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze falling on the exquisitely featured person seated there, and a sigh stirred in her heart.

Since the storyline had changed so much, she did not know whether the Eldest Princess’s ending would also be altered.

The Eldest Princess had truly been kind to Xiao Yan and had done no harm, so Shen Nanyuan still very much hoped that she could live.

But the appearance of the Second Prince interrupted all her thoughts.

He stood before her, and she had no choice but to rise and curtsy. “Your Highness.”

Before Gu Shengyu could speak, the voices of the officials around them had already risen.

“The Second Prince and the county lady are truly a match made in heaven.”

“Is that not so? They are simply a pair carved by fate.”

“When is the wedding date set?”

Gu Shengyu smiled. “The wedding date has not yet been decided. Once Father Emperor has chosen an auspicious day, I will certainly inform everyone.”

Shen Nanyuan: “...”

These people really were adept at reading the wind.

Earlier, when the subject had come up, Shen Yi’s expression had been unpleasant, and they had not dared to continue. Now that Gu Shengyu liked hearing it, they began flattering him with all their might.

Shen Nanyuan kept her head lowered and said nothing. It was Shen Yi, with a furrowed brow and a grave expression, who said, “Your Highness should quickly take your seat. His Majesty should be arriving shortly.”

Gu Shengyu smiled lightly. “Very well.”

Then he looked at Shen Nanyuan. “Wait for me after the banquet ends.”