Pei Yan left the palace and ordered his men to deliver the fresh fish to the Mei Mansion.
He wanted to expose Mei Wanying's feigned illness, but he was afraid that if they met, she would just cling to him again.
On the long walk from the Central Palace to the palace gates, Pei Yan came to a decision.
He wouldn't visit the Mei Mansion again unless it was absolutely necessary.
He didn't care if Mei Wanying was faking her illness or not. He would just let her put on her one-woman show.
Once she realized the tactic was useless, she would naturally stop making a fuss.
As for what scheme she might try next, Pei Yan had no idea.
It wasn't as if he were afraid of Mei Wanying. He would just counter whatever she threw at him.
Or just ignore her completely.
Once he left the Capital City, he would finally have some peace.
Pei Yan had just settled into his carriage when a subordinate reported that the Crown Prince had gone to the Mei family.
"The Crown Prince has visited once before. Today is his second visit," Wei Jue added.
"According to the staff at the Mei Mansion, Miss Mei used her illness as an excuse to not receive him the first time."
If she refused again, she would surely offend the Crown Prince.
A young lady with no father or brothers for protection—how could she possibly defy the nation's Crown Prince?
'A noble lady, once so cherished and pampered, now surrounded by peril after her father's death. It truly is a pitiful thought.'
'No wonder Miss Mei latches onto our Prince and refuses to let go. She must feel insecure and desperate for a protector.'
'Miss Mei and His Highness were childhood friends. The person she trusts most is, of course, the Prince!'
The man in the carriage gave no response. Just as Wei Jue was thinking Mei Wanying would have to fend for herself, a cold, indifferent voice rang out.
"To the General Mansion."
'Just as I thought,' Wei Jue said to himself.
'The only reason Miss Mei has been able to pester the Prince for so many years is because he himself gives her the chance.'
'Otherwise, he spends all his time at the military camp—either training troops, leading them in battle, or handling official business. Where would Miss Mei even get the chance to pester him?'
'He's delivering himself right to her door!'
The carriage changed direction, heading toward the Mei family.
As it drove down a long street, the steady carriage suddenly lurched.
The driver yelled, "Watch where you're going, you blind fool! How dare you collide with a Noble's carriage!"
The carriage was simple and unassuming, but it bore the insignia of the Prince Chen Mansion. And who didn't know that Prince Chen was the Holy Emperor's only son?
This was, indeed, a Noble.
A Noble one could not afford to offend!
Shielding a small child, Xue Yunshu said with an air of righteousness, "Even if you are a Noble, you can't just drive your carriage recklessly through the streets! There are so many children by the roadside. Are you trying to kill them with your carelessness?"
The driver spat. "Don't spout such nonsense!"
'The carriage was moving along just fine when this woman and her child suddenly rushed out. And now she has the gall to falsely accuse us of reckless driving and trying to harm people.'
'Is this woman out of her mind?'
"Get out of the way! Stop blocking the road!"
Xue Yunshu's expression was defiant. "You nearly injured someone. Shouldn't you apologize?"
The driver scoffed. "Where did this madwoman come from? If you delay our master's important business, you don't have enough heads to be chopped off!"
Xue Yunshu didn't budge, calling out in a loud voice, "Prince Chen, do you simply condone your brutish servant's attempts to harm people?"
A corner of the carriage window was open, and through the sliver of a gap, Xue Yunshu saw the man's divinely handsome side profile.
Strong brows, a straight, high-bridged nose, and a chiseled jawline—he was truly a strikingly handsome man.
Xue Yunshu's heart hammered in her chest, and she was so nervous she thought she might faint.
She was the daughter of the Duke of State Pacification, but her position in the Duke Mansion was awkward.
In his youth, the Duke of State Pacification had been rebellious, insisting on marrying a Medical Woman of humble birth. When his family's elders disagreed, he eloped with her.
They even performed their marriage rites in a small mountain village, becoming husband and wife.
That Medical Woman was Xue Yunshu's birth mother.
As the saying goes, a poor couple faces endless woes. Before two years had passed, the Duke of State Pacification returned to the Capital City with his tail between his legs.
He accepted his family's arrangements and married a lady from a prominent family.
After he left, the Medical Woman discovered she was pregnant. She never went to the Capital City to find the Duke of State Pacification, choosing to give birth to the child on her own.
When Xue Yunshu was ten years old, her birth mother fell gravely ill and told her to take a keepsake to the Capital City to find her father.
The Duke of State Pacification was filled with guilt for the Medical Woman; he had always considered her his first and true wife.
Upon hearing that the Medical Woman had died of a broken heart because of him, the Duke of State Pacification's guilt reached its zenith.
He took Xue Yunshu in.
He even endured great pressure to register her under the name of the official Duchess, giving Xue Yunshu the status of a legitimate daughter.
After marrying the Duke of State Pacification, Mrs. Xue gave birth to two sons and a daughter.
They were the universally acknowledged legitimate son and daughter, a world apart from Xue Yunshu's awkward standing.
This time, with the Empress selecting a consort for Prince Chen, the old matriarch of the Duke Mansion took it upon herself to send portraits of both her and her legitimate younger sister to the palace.
Her legitimate sister's name was Xue Xingyao. At seventeen, one year younger than her, she was at the perfect age to be discussing marriage.
In Xue Yunshu's opinion, this sister of hers was dull and uninteresting—just a typical noble lady who knew nothing but the four arts.
Unfortunately for her, Xue Xingyao's maternal family was illustrious. So even though she was utterly unremarkable, she was wholeheartedly supported by her clan.
All the families that associated with the Duke Mansion wanted to ask for Xue Xingyao's hand in marriage.
'My mother lost to Xue Xingyao's mother,' Xue Yunshu thought. 'I have to win this round back.'
'I'll shove my success in the faces of everyone who looks down on me!'
After much thought, Xue Yunshu decided to orchestrate a "chance encounter" with Prince Chen to seize the initiative!
She knew it was a risky move, but fortune favors the bold.
'Just look at her own mother. She came from the countryside, but didn't she manage to win over the heir to the Duke Mansion?'
Xue Yunshu stared intently at the carriage, her heart in her throat.
She was desperate to meet Pei Yan face-to-face.
To exchange just a single word.
If she could just leave even the slightest impression on him, her chances of being chosen would skyrocket.
As she had hoped, Pei Yan's gaze swept over her.
His deep-set eyes were glacial, bone-chillingly cold, and filled with an indifference that kept the world at arm's length.
That single glance from him made Xue Yunshu's heart nearly stop. It was the imposing aura of a man born to power.
She subconsciously took a step back, no longer blocking the way.
The man hadn't said a single word from start to finish as the carriage carried him away.
As his oppressive presence faded, Xue Yunshu could finally breathe again.
She cupped her face in her hands.
It was burning hot.
'If I could marry Prince Chen, I would willingly trade ten years of my life for it!'
"Ma, that was the lady who pushed me!"
The child's whining snapped Xue Yunshu out of her reverie.
A fierce-looking woman was striding toward her, sleeves rolled up, saying menacingly, "You dare push my son..."
Before she could finish her threat, a few pieces of broken silver were tossed into her arms.
Xue Yunshu's eyes dripped with disdain. "You're just trying to extort money, aren't you? Now scram."
With the silver in hand, the woman's face immediately lit up with a grin.
'What an easy way to make money!'
She said to Xue Yunshu, "How about you give him another push or two? I won't stop you!"
Xue Yunshu looked at her with contempt.
'Selling her dignity for a bit of silver! Utterly shameless!'
This only strengthened her resolve to marry into the Prince Chen Mansion. She had to seize wealth and glory for herself. Only then could she live a life of decency and dignity!
Ignoring them, Xue Yunshu turned and entered a jewelry shop.
'Next time we meet, I'll be dressed to the nines and leave a good impression on Prince Chen!'
The woman, left standing there, pulled her son along as she headed back, muttering to him as they went.
"Next time you see a carriage, just lie down on the ground and say it hit you. Make them pay up."
"Ma, if we run into a Noble's carriage, we could be beaten to death!" the boy retorted with a pout.
"This is the Capital City."
"You can't throw a rock without hitting some official."
"Trying to scam people here... that's putting money before your own life!"
The woman poked his forehead hard. "Are you stupid? You're supposed to pick the ones who look like easy marks!"