TFSRITA Chapter 177

Thankfully, the Princess Royal was gentle and only blinked at her invitingly, gesturing for her to sit down.

Ji Jiaxun sat beside her and curiously asked, “Qingqing, what did you mean by what you just said?”

Yan Qing didn’t hold back and explained, “Right now, the crown prince hasn’t been decided. Among the three adult princes who are strong contenders, the First Prince frequently visits here. Even if he leaves with a sour expression, by the time he reaches the door, he’s smiling again. What do you think outsiders would assume?”

Ji Jiaxun wasn’t slow to catch on. After a brief analysis, he immediately understood. “They’d think my father and he…”

Yan Qing nodded, ruffling his obedient head, and continued, “But in reality, that’s not the case. It’s a tactic to force us to pick a side. The fight for the crown prince’s position is a high-stakes gamble. One wrong move and it’s total ruin. Our family doesn’t need to take a side; otherwise, the other two princes and even the emperor himself might target us.”

Ji Jiaxun’s expression gradually darkened.

Yan Qing said no more but thought to herself, wondering if she could dispel the emperor’s suspicions about the Ji family this time. If not, and if war broke out in the northwest, she’d have to find a way to prevent these two from leaving.

But how?

She couldn’t shake the suspicion that the northwest conflict and the death of the Marquis of Pingwu were all schemes by those in power to eliminate threats.

Of course, it was only her conjecture.

Before long, the Marquis of Pingwu returned, looking much better and even bringing her many gifts, as if rewarding her.

As they were about to leave, the Princess Royal suddenly remembered and said, “The First Prince came by to deliver invitations. Your father and I won’t be attending, so you two can go instead.”

“Alright.” Yan Qing accepted the invitation from the nanny, glanced at it briefly, and then tucked it away.

The First Prince, Xu Cheng’an, was already over twenty and had two children, with a third celebrating their first birthday. He was the only prince with many offspring. The Second Prince, plagued by chronic illness, had long lost his eligibility to inherit the throne.

The Third Prince, while talented, had a reputation for cruelty, which caused many women to avoid him. Even those who once arranged to marry him came from families of mediocre status.

In two previous engagements, the brides-to-be fell ill and died within one to two months. As a result, rumors spread that the Third Prince brought misfortune to his wives, further discouraging families from associating with him. The emperor, feeling guilty for arranging those matches, had since distanced himself from the Third Prince.

The novels claimed it was the Third Prince who orchestrated the deaths of those women and even the concubine who had pushed for the marriages. His reasoning? He felt the concubine had insulted him.

Yan Qing thought she now understood why the system didn’t want the Third Prince to become emperor.

Beyond the Third Prince, the only other adult prince was the Fourth Prince. His mother’s family was as influential as the First Prince’s, but he hadn’t yet married. His fiancée, still in her maiden years, was expected to wed him next year.

On the day of the First Prince’s celebration, Yan Qing woke up early to prepare.

A group of maids bustled around her.

Ji Jiaxun, fascinated, almost begged to draw her eyebrows but was firmly refused by Yan Qing due to time constraints.

Disappointed but unwilling to stray far, Ji Jiaxun instead busied himself selecting her outfit.

Growing up surrounded by beauty, Ji Jiaxun developed a keen sense of style. The outfit he picked was both elegant and regal. Once she was dressed, he cheerfully brought over a box of jewelry to complete the look.

Yan Qing opened the box and was momentarily stunned by a palm-sized pearl inside.

“This… where did this come from?”

Ji Jiaxun smugly tilted his chin and leaned in. “Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”

The maids, blushing, turned away, unwilling to witness the scene.

This kind of affectionate interaction between the young master and mistress was common. What had once shocked them now merely made them smile and avert their eyes, entirely unbothered.

Without hesitation, Yan Qing leaned in and kissed Ji Jiaxun with a playful smack, even making the sound exaggerated on purpose.

Flustered, Ji Jiaxun’s face turned red, and his long lashes fluttered nervously as he stammered, “F-from my mother!”

Yan Qing patted his head and laughed. “Alright, then I’ll wear this.”

She pointed at the large pearl.

A pearl that big? She loved it.

Ji Jiaxun nodded enthusiastically and eagerly helped her put it on.

With the pearl in place, Yan Qing immediately felt like her head had become much more expensive.

When they arrived at the First Prince’s estate, their carriage happened to pull up alongside another.

Ji Jiaxun stepped out first and helped Yan Qing down.

The occupants of the other carriage seemed to have arrived slightly earlier. One of them chuckled softly and remarked, “I didn’t expect Ji Jiaxun to be so attentive. The young madam truly is extraordinary.”

Hearing the clear voice, Yan Qing steadied herself and looked over curiously, only to feel a jolt of surprise.

It was the Fourth Prince.

“Greetings, Fourth Prince,” Yan Qing said softly. Ji Jiaxun followed suit with a respectful bow.

“No need for formalities.” Xu Chengming smiled warmly. “We’re all family here—no need to stand on ceremony.”

Yan Qing returned his smile without responding further. The young man before her had a handsome face, a warm smile, and a noble bearing. Servants flanked him respectfully on either side as he stood tall, one hand behind his back and the other holding a folding fan.

But beneath that amiable exterior was the cunning of a sly tiger.

However, his eyes were clearer than she had anticipated.

They say the eyes are windows to the soul. Looking into his, Yan Qing found it hard to harbor any dislike for him.

Ji Jiaxun, seemingly on friendly terms with the Fourth Prince, greeted him with a smile, and the two quickly struck up a lively conversation.