"Marrying Princess Ningde would be beneficial to you. As you spend more time with her, you'll come to know her good qualities. It's getting late, you should go back and rest. Do not mention the annulment of the engagement again."
Although the Emperor's tone had softened, there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
Zhan Tianye merely nodded and withdrew. As he walked away, a thought flashed through his mind: whether to annul the engagement or not, and whether to take a woman, were not decisions for others to make for him.
Watching Zhan Tianye leave without a word, the Emperor seemed to sigh, "If only he had grown up by my side. Perhaps then I could have guessed his thoughts."
However, he knew clearly that while he could see through the thoughts of his sons who grew up before him, they were all incredibly foolish in his eyes.
This truly gave him a headache.
...
Prince Pingyang's Estate.
After Zhen Lin had taken a medicated bath and changed his clothes, he heard a knock on the door.
"Brother, it's me."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Lin's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been waiting for her to return.
Thankfully, she had returned safe and sound.
"Ningde, wait a moment," he replied softly.
"Mm."
Princess Ningde sat in the courtyard. The sky had completely darkened by now.
Her complexion was much better than when she had left in the morning, and she appeared very relaxed.
Lü Qiao, who followed Princess Ningde, felt her own heavy heart lighten when she saw that her mistress's mood had improved after returning from the palace.
Her mistress was truly amazing; it seemed she had resolved some troublesome matters in just one day!
"Lü Qiao, Zhang Quan, you two stand guard. Do not let anyone approach. The Heir and I have something to discuss," Princess Ningde instructed the two by her side.
The two immediately obeyed and moved a short distance away from the courtyard to stand guard.
A moment later, Zhen Lin emerged after changing his clothes and drying his hair.
After sitting down, Princess Ningde got straight to the point and recounted everything that had happened when she met the Emperor in the palace today.
When Zhen Lin learned that the marriage would not be canceled, the worry on his face did not diminish in the slightest. Instead, he remained deeply concerned, "The marriage not being canceled, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing for you."
"Oh? Why do you say that, Brother? Actually, for me, the marriage not being canceled is indeed a good thing," Princess Ningde said with a smile.
Zhen Lin thought for a moment before voicing his concerns, "His Highness Prince Jin shows no affection for you, Ningde. You should know that Prince Jin might never have you in his heart, even if you two do marry in the future. It's highly likely you'll be together in name only."
The smile on Princess Ningde's lips faltered. She lowered her eyes, concealing the momentary flash of panic in them. She smiled and said, "There's still plenty of time. His lack of affection now doesn't mean it will be the same in the future. Does Brother think I am not good enough?"
"You are, of course, the finest woman in the world! There are almost no women in this world who can compare to you. It's just..." In Zhen Lin's heart, his sister was the best woman in the world.
In his eyes, his sister deserved the best this world had to offer.
He couldn't understand why Prince Ye would be so cold to his sister.
"There is no 'just.' Brother, you yourself said I am very good. Since I am good, then you should trust me. You don't need to worry too much about my affairs with Prince Jin. Trust me, I will handle it. When have you ever seen me mistreat myself? When have you ever seen me do something I wasn't sure of? As long as I want to do something, I have never failed to do it well," Princess Ningde's words were filled with confidence.
These words came from her heart.
She had confidence in herself.
She firmly believed that she would change Prince Jin's mind.
She and Prince Jin were destined to be together. The potential annulment of their engagement, when they had not yet understood each other, could not stop her from taking this step forward.
Seeing Princess Ningde's confident, bright eyes, Zhen Lin was momentarily stunned.
Had he been overthinking?
A faint sense of foreboding in his heart made him realize that if Ningde insisted on this path, it might be the most arduous one she had ever walked since childhood.
"Ningde, be sure to keep a backup plan. Do not give your whole heart to Prince Jin," Zhen Lin cautioned her, unable to fully set his mind at ease.
Perhaps men understood men better.
He knew that Prince Jin was currently very cold.
Princess Ningde nodded with a smile, saying with some helplessness, "Brother, don't worry. I always know how to handle certain matters. Before Prince Jin gives his true heart, I will guard my own."
She would absolutely not allow herself to be in a completely passive position.
Could she really do it? The question surfaced in Zhen Lin's mind.
But he did not voice it.
In the future, he would observe from the shadows and offer assistance, ensuring his sister would not have to fight alone.
Ideally, Prince Jin would have no one in his heart, and then Ningde would have a greater chance of winning his affection.
Of course, this was only ideal.
Even if he had someone in his heart, it wouldn't matter.
...
That night.
The Minister's Estate.
Everyone had fallen asleep.
The entire estate was silent.
A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves.
A figure appeared in Qin Linglong's room as silently as a ghost.
The sound of the door opening was extremely faint, almost imperceptible to someone in deep sleep.
However, Qin Linglong, troubled by the events of the day and the previous day, was in a state of semi-consciousness, as if she were asleep but not truly resting, her sleep very unsettled.
She heard the faint sound of the door opening.
She thought she was dreaming.
Her eyelids felt incredibly heavy; she wanted to open them but couldn't.
Could it really be a sound from her dream?
She finally opened her eyes and looked towards the door. Seeing that it was closed, she gave a wry, self-mocking smile. It was indeed a dream! Now that she was awake, she had startled herself, and she likely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Since that was the case, she might as well focus on how she would meet Prince Jin next.
She couldn't let Princess Ningde gain the upper hand.
As she concentrated on her thoughts, she completely failed to notice that someone was sitting beside the table.
Yun Shu tugged at the corner of her mouth. Qin Linglong had looked towards the door just now and hadn't glanced in her direction at all.
She cleared her throat softly.
This sound startled Qin Linglong. Qin Linglong's eyes widened, and she reflexively turned her gaze towards Yun Shu. Upon seeing that the slender figure was a woman, Qin Linglong almost cried out, but she managed to cover her mouth in time.
"You!"
"You!"
Qin Linglong tried to get a clear look at the woman's face, but the room was too dark to see clearly. However, she was certain that the woman before her was the one who had appeared that night and had impersonated her to enter the palace the next day!
She had been looking for someone, and she hadn't expected this woman to appear tonight!
Yun Shu hummed in acknowledgment. "Yes, it's me. I am the one who replaced you in the palace that day."