On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince’s Hidden Illness
Chapter 450: Perhaps Out of Jealousy

Chapter 450: Chapter 450: Perhaps Out of Jealousy

Fortunately, Ji Qingyu was not in the teahouse, sparing the discomfort of an encounter.

While Leng Yu Yan was thinking this, she suddenly heard someone shout, "The Beiliang Princess has arrived!"

Ye Jiu leaned out of the window and then quickly drew back. "She’s still far away."

Leng Yu Yan said indifferently, "How can one see her face when she sits inside a horse carriage?"

"You don’t know the whole story," Ye Jiu explained. "When the procession reached the city gates, the horse carriage was changed, and on Vermilion Bird Street, they put up curtains on all sides of the carriage, within which sits the Beiliang Princess, allowing her appearance to be seen."

"Why do they do such a thing?"

"A Princess of Marriage is naturally chosen for her remarkable beauty," Ye Jiu clarified. "As for why, it’s to let the common people see the beauty of the Beiliang Princess, showing their sincerity."

Leng Yu Yan nodded. "I see."

Ye Jiu lowered her voice. "I almost became a Princess of Marriage myself, so I understand these things well."

After chatting idly for a while and the noise outside growing louder, they finally stood up to look out the window.

Riding tall horses at the forefront of the procession were Ye Zhenyu and Li Yuyue, while sitting atop a carriage with hanging curtains that let the breeze through was a youthful lady.

This lady had eyebrows shaped like willow leaves, skin fairly white, and a pair of charming, seductive phoenix eyes. With every grin and smile, she provoked a wave of admiration from the men surrounding her.

When Ye Jiu saw that Li Yuyue didn’t even spare the Beiliang Princess a glance, she finally relaxed.

Leng Yu Yan returned to her seat. "She’s not as beautiful as you, rest assured."

Ye Jiu gave Li Yuyue on horseback another long look and then sat back down. "Do you also think I’m prettier than her?"

"Of course." Leng Yu Yan slightly lifted her veil, popping a preserved plum into her mouth. "Her skin isn’t as white as yours, nor does she have your elegance."

"Ah Yan, I really like you so much, always speaking the total truth!"

Leng Yu Yan cracked a smile. "Now that you’re at ease, let’s return."

If they ran into Ji Qingyu, and someone discovered she visited Ji Qingyu’s teahouse today, that someone might just lose his temper.

Ye Jiu nodded. After paying with Silver Coin, they left the teahouse together.

But as luck would have it, right at the bottom of the stairs, they ran into Ji Qingyu.

Ji Qingyu recognized Leng Yu Yan, even with her veil. "Ah Yan, why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?"

As he spoke, he instructed the Shopkeeper of the teahouse to return their tea money. "We’re all friends here."

The Shopkeeper offered the money back, which Ye Jiu declined. "It’s just a little money for the tea, Qingyu, we’ve finished and were about to leave."

Leng Yu Yan slightly nodded in acknowledgment and, pulling Ye Jiu along, tried to leave. However, her scarf was caught by Ji Qingyu.

"Qingyu, you—" Leng Yu Yan turned around, frowning at Ji Qingyu, who stubbornly grasped her scarf.

Ji Qingyu wrapped the scarf around his hand, smiling gently. "Ah Yan, do you know that all eligible princes are within the Beiliang Princess’s selection range. He and I are of age, and it is said that even before coming to Tiancheng, the Beiliang Princess had heard of his exceptional beauty. In other words, the purpose of this Princess of Marriage is him! Ah Yan, would you be willing to share a husband with the Beiliang Princess?"

"I’m not willing," Leng Yu Yan forced a smirk.

Ji Qingyu brightened up at her words. "So you mean—"

Leng Yu Yan grabbed her scarf forcefully, flinging it around, unraveling it from his grip, and said coldly, "I believe he won’t choose her."

Even as she said this, her heart lacked certainty.

With that, she hastened away.

Ji Qingyu reached out, only brushing the corner of her scarf with his fingertips, trying to grab hold, but however hard he tried, it was in vain.

Ye Jiu looked at Ji Qingyu with a complicated expression. "Why haven’t you given up yet?"

Without waiting for Ji Qingyu to reply, Ye Jiu also stepped away.

Once inside the horse carriage, Ye Jiu saw Leng Yu Yan closing her eyes as if to rest and knew Ji Qingyu’s words had affected her, so she chose to remain silent as well.

Returning to Prince Zhenbei Mansion, Leng Yu Yan remained silent.

Ye Jiu was by her side the whole time, comforting her, "Ah Yan, my Sixth Brother treats you differently; you must believe in him."

Leng Yu Yan nodded, "I know, but I still feel awful inside."

She had no idea that the reason the Beiliang Princess came to Tiancheng for marriage was that she had set her eyes on Ye Yiheng early on.

It was normal for Ye Yiheng, with his fine reputation, to be liked by women, but Leng Yu Yan couldn’t help feeling a profound bitterness.

Moreover, considering his attitude towards her last night and how he had her perform acupuncture to save his sight, these thoughts made Leng Yu Yan increasingly uneasy.

After lunch, Li Yuyue had returned from the Imperial Palace to Prince Zhenbei Mansion, but Ye Yiheng had not shown up.

Ye Jiu tried again to console her, "The Princely Heir is back; that’s because his duty to escort to the Imperial Palace is done. If Sixth Brother has not come, perhaps it’s because..."

Leng Yu Yan cut her off, "Perhaps he is sizing up the Beiliang Princess."

Ye Jiu hurriedly said, "Perhaps Sixth Brother has returned to the Eastern Palace."

Hearing this, Leng Yu Yan called Xiaoshan, "Go to the Eastern Palace and see if the Crown Prince is there..."

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Xiaoshan asked, "If the Crown Prince is in the Eastern Palace, should I invite His Highness over, or should I return to Prince Mansion to bring the Commandery Princess to him?"

Leng Yu Yan, unsure of what was best, simply told him, "Just go see if he’s there and come back to tell me; there’s no need to do anything else."

"Alright, I understand," he replied.

Xiaoshan bowed and left.

Two hours later, Xiaoshan returned to Prince Mansion to report.

"Commandery Princess, the Crown Prince is not in the Eastern Palace," he reported honestly, "the people of the Eastern Palace said His Highness is still in the Imperial Palace."

Upon hearing this, Leng Yu Yan’s heart instantly turned cold.

She waved Xiaoshan away and secluded herself in her room.

Ye Jiu also felt distressed as she followed closely behind Leng Yu Yan, whispering softly, "Ah Yan, maybe there’s some misunderstanding."

Leng Yu Yan shook her head, "Maybe; how many ’maybes’ have we said today?"

She suddenly remembered what the Princess Consort had said: the Crown Prince was the heir apparent; in the future, there would certainly be more than one woman by his side.

Leng Yu Yan laughed, a laugh that filled her eyes with shimmering tears, "Ah Ju, I want to drink; would you join me?"

Ye Jiu nodded vigorously, "Yes, let’s drink; however much you want to drink."

With that, she motioned for someone to fetch the wine.

Before long, two jugs of wine were placed before Leng Yu Yan and Ye Jiu.

Ye Jiu poured two cups of wine, but before she could say anything, she saw Leng Yu Yan tilt her head back and gulp down one cup.

The wine did nothing to soothe the sourness in her heart; Leng Yu Yan laughed again, her laugh brimming with tears. She grasped the wine jug firmly, uncorked it, and began pouring the wine directly into her mouth.

Ye Jiu had never seen Leng Yu Yan drink in such a manner and anxiously said, "Ah Yan, don’t drink like that; it’s bad for your health, and your elder brother will be heartbroken!"

At that moment, she was too embarrassed to even mention the Sixth Brother.

If things were as Ah Yan had described, with Sixth Brother leaving early in the morning and still no sign of him anywhere, not even in the Eastern Palace, it could likely mean that his heart really was set on the Beiliang Princess.

As they spoke, Ye Jiu tried to snatch the wine jug from Leng Yu Yan’s hand.

Fortunately, Leng Yu Yan wasn’t holding it tightly, and it was quickly taken away, though by then, she had already drained much of its contents.

Just then, Xiaoshan excitedly ran back in, "Commandery Princess, the Crown Prince has arrived."

Leng Yu Yan blinked her blurred eyes, her smile tinged with bitterness, "I don’t believe it!"