The young maids at the Duke's mansion, who had been chattering like sparrows earlier, gasped in unison at the words. They immediately fell silent, not daring to speak, yet their curiosity burned brighter than ever.
What was this rumored Prince Yan truly like?
Few of these maids had accompanied the young county princess to the desolate, frigid northwest.
They had stayed behind in the capital, enjoying its prosperity. Now, their hearts were filled with an insatiable curiosity. They longed to inquire, yet feared they wouldn't get a clear answer.
This Prince Yan...
Was he truly that terrifying?
The Duke and the young Duke rushed outwards, the latter's expression a complex mix.
He felt both nervous and worried, yet also a touch of bewilderment.
To this day, he felt everything had happened too quickly and without warning, like a dream.
He took a deep breath and couldn't help but murmur softly.
"The Crown Prince is truly dead?"
"This world, will it truly belong to Prince Yan?"
"His Majesty has decided to abdicate the throne to Prince Yan. Then his arrival in the capital, and his immediate visit upon leaving the palace... what is it for? It can't be for Nannan. Didn't Xiao Ci say Prince Yan doesn't like her at all?"
"Besides, Prince Yan thinks she's dead..."
The young Duke was filled with worry, unsure of what to do.
He was still in a daze when he heard his father's deep, indifferent voice.
"If you still cannot sober up, I will give you two hard slaps, and you'll snap out of it immediately."
Upon hearing his father's words, the young Duke's expression turned even more anxious. He trembled all over, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"My Lord Father!"
"How can my Lord Father say such a thing—"
"I understand."
"I will not be disrespectful to Prince Yan... after all, times have changed. He is about to become the most noble person in the entire realm."
"Alas, knowing this day would come, we should not have let my sister leave him back then. Now, everyone knows the Princess of Yan is considered dead, and we are truly in a difficult position. Especially since my sister is carrying his child. This is truly a muddled account, more muddled than anything can be..."
As he spoke, he saw from afar a man of extreme handsomeness, elegant and imposing, so beautiful it made him doubt his eyes.
He cupped his hands.
His voice was gentle, yet carried a firm, commanding certainty that sent shivers down the spine.
"I am here to find my wife."
The Duke was startled.
The young Duke was also extremely surprised. His voice was laced with doubt, mainly because the man before him looked so handsome, truly far more handsome than any other handsome man in the city, possessing a beauty he had never encountered. Such an elegant, noble figure, here to find his wife?
He hadn't even registered that the person before him was Prince Yan.
"Whom are you looking for... this is the Duke Mu's mansion."
"Who exactly are you?"
His tone softened considerably. A man with such bearing, like the descendant of a great scholar, could not be an unknown figure.
Then he heard the man before him say,
"I am the husband of the young county princess Mu Ci."
The young Duke was still thinking of his sister's husband, wasn't that Prince Yan? Wait, is Prince Yan this person? He was somewhat dazed, while Duke Mu, with a smile, immediately and eagerly led the man into the mansion!
"Quickly, come in, come in!"
"Forgive this old servant's impoliteness, for failing to recognize Your Highness."
"Your Highness's visit to the Duke Mu's mansion brings great honor to our humble abode! Please, Your Highness, come in quickly..."
The young Duke followed behind, finally coming to his senses. He immediately put on a smile, while Prince Yan nodded and walked unhurriedly into the Duke Mu's mansion. He looked at the surrounding scenery and nodded slowly.
"As expected of the Duke Mu's mansion, the scenery is beautiful. No wonder my delicate and helpless little wife always misses it."
"She still prefers the good scenery here. The north is harsh and cold, no wonder she fell ill."
"Which is why she returned to recuperate."
"My coming to see her is simply due to my intense longing for her."
He made no mention of his consort being publicly declared gravely ill and having passed away. He spoke with a smile, yet his words carried a hint of worry. He seemed like a husband deeply missing his wife, to the point of illness, letting out a soft sigh.
"She always says the osmanthus cakes at home are delicious."
"I thought I should invite that cook over. But now it's fine, since I'm here, there's no need to make the cook leave his home."
"If she wishes to return, and come home often in the future, I will never stop her. I will accompany her."
His words conveyed a sense of casualness, while Duke Mu dared not speak, merely looking up at a nearby maid.
"What is Miss doing? Please send for Miss."
The maids secretly glanced at the side profile of the young man, their minds lost in a daze, unable to snap back.
After a long while, they finally emerged from his astonishing handsomeness, quickly responded, and rushed off to find their mistress!
"Yes!"
When the young county princess Mu Ci appeared, she glanced leisurely at the maids. When she looked at the man again, her tone was tinged with a playful grievance.
"You want to see me?"
The man hummed in agreement.
He looked up at her face, a smile appearing on his lips, clearly visible. Then he said,
"My consort ran away, I had to chase after her."
Duke Mu, with a sense of propriety, left with his son. The maids also dispersed. The spacious tea hall was suddenly empty, leaving only her and this man. The man opposite her gazed at her eyes with tenderness. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her temple.
"I said, I want you to be my Empress."
The young county princess looked up at him.
"Are you that certain?"
Prince Yan had no intention of hiding anything from her.
"His Majesty is gravely ill and plans to abdicate the throne to me ahead of time."
"I only wish for you to be my Empress."
Mu Ci's voice became muffled.
"Even if—even if you only want me to be your Empress, in the eyes of others, I am already dead. My body has been cold for who knows how many days."
"How do you plan to cover this up?"
Prince Yan replied without hesitation.
"No need to cover it up. You are my Princess of Yan, my Empress. This matter is not for others to gossip about. Moreover, at the time, only those in the north knew of your grave illness and death. We can just say it was because you were pregnant, and I, worried you might be harmed by the Crown Prince's men, concealed this news."
"No one will pester me for answers."
"In short, I want you to be my Empress!"
His arrival at the Duke's mansion was simply to find his young lady.