On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 In Front of People and Behind the Scenes

Lai Yuyue was taken aback.

It was then that Leng Yu Yan turned her head to see Ye Yiheng standing beside her.

When had he come to stand there?

Hadn’t he returned to the Eastern Palace?

Amidst her suspicion, she asked, “Your Highness, where is the Ninth Princess?”

Ye Yiheng let go of Lai Yuyue’s arm and confidently grabbed Leng Yu Yan’s arm, “Ah Ju returned to the palace half an hour ago.”

Instinctively, Leng Yu Yan wanted to retract her arm, but he gripped it even tighter.

So this meant he had been waiting here at the academy the whole time. The Ninth Princess had returned to the palace, yet he was still waiting…

Just to stop her from dining with Brother Lai?

Was there no freedom in this life?

Her interactions with Brother Lai were entirely in a brother-sister manner, plus Lai Jiajia was always there too.

“Where does Heir Lai intend to host?” Jian Lecheng asked with a beaming face, “Perhaps at Zuixian Building? The dishes there are good.”

Lai Yuyue watched Ye Yiheng holding onto Leng Yu Yan’s arm, his expression sobering, “Since the Crown Prince and Young Master are both willing to grace us with their presence, let us all go to Zuixian Building.”

What thick skins they have!

Catching the implication in the words, Ye Yiheng was not irritated at all, and turned to Leng Yu Yan to say, “Crown Princess Consort, assist me in getting into the horse carriage.”

Leng Yu Yan frowned slightly, having learned the secret of his eyes, he had begun to order her around without restraint.

Seeing Leng Yu Yan’s displeasure, Lai Yuyue quickly took hold of Ye Yiheng’s arm, “I shall assist Your Highness.”

He applied force on Ye Yiheng’s arm, yet strangely, the blind man did not exert any Inner Strength.

This made him reluctant to take advantage of someone with a disability.

“It’s better if the Crown Princess Consort assists me,” Ye Yiheng said nonchalantly, “Over this time, I’ve become quite familiar with the Crown Princess Consort.”

The latter part of the sentence was clearly intended for Lai Yuyue to hear.

“Brother Lai, let me do it,” Leng Yu Yan took Ye Yiheng’s arm from Lai Yuyue.

She had noticed Lai Yuyue’s earlier attempt to test Ye Yiheng.

To others, the blind man was weak and frail, and unskilled in self-defense.

If the secret of the blind man was ever leaked, the first person he would suspect of the betrayal would be her.

Then her life would be in danger.

She would help as much as she could, if only for her own sake.

Upon reaching the horse carriage, Ye Yiheng disdainfully pushed her hand away.

Leng Yu Yan looked at her own hand, momentarily stunned. If he disliked her so, why put on such an act? Wasn’t it tiring?

The two of them rode in silence, until Leng Yu Yan was the first to speak, “Thank you for inviting the Ninth Princess to help dispel the awkward situation.”

She had no particular relationship with Ye Jiu. Ye Jiu wouldn’t help her out for no reason.

Even without Ye Jiu, she could have resolved the situation herself, but it would have required more effort.

Ye Yiheng’s thin lips parted slightly, “I thought we had an understanding between us. In public, we are fiancés; in private, things are as they were before and will continue as such.”

His voice was cool, indifferent, and carried an obvious detachment.

Since he pointed it out straightforwardly, Leng Yu Yan wasn’t surprised.

“So today, Your Highness was concerned that I might disgrace the Eastern Palace.”

Ye Yiheng remained silent, leaning against the carriage wall to rest.

A procession of several horse carriages arrived at Zuixian Building. As they dismounted, an enthusiastic waiter from the building came forward to greet them.

Across from Zuixian Building, the shopkeeper of another restaurant scoffed upon seeing that the guests from the carriages were not headed to his establishment.

In a daze, I saw a young girl wearing a veil, and the shopkeeper quickly rubbed his eyes and took a closer look.

Oh no!

Wasn’t that the very Young Master their boss treated so politely, no, that young lady?

The Eldest Princess and Marquis Jiangyang had come personally to visit last time, and they dined together.

The shopkeeper’s heart skipped a beat, and he fiercely slapped his thigh, hurrying to personally find Ji Qingyu.

After running a few steps and feeling his own pace too slow, he turned back, found a few people with quicker legs, and sent them to look for Ji Qingyu.

At that moment, within the Marquis Jiangyang Mansion, Ji Qingyu threw a register of names in front of the Eldest Princess and Marquis Jiangyang.

Marquis Jiangyang, Ji Liancheng, picked up the register: “What is this?”

Ji Qingyu lifted his robe and sat down at their lower side: “I got this from Uncle Emperor yesterday. After leaving the Imperial Palace, I went back to the Ministry of Rites. By the time I returned from the Ministry it was late, so I did not disturb father and mother.”

Marquis Jiangyang flipped through the register, which was filled with portraits of unmarried young ladies, and promptly and sensibly handed the register over to the Eldest Princess.

Ye Yuan also flipped through it and looked carefully: “None of these ladies has captured my heart as deeply as Miss Li Yu did that day.”

Placing the register on the table, Ye Yuan looked up at Ji Qingyu and asked, “My child, does your uncle mean for you to choose from among these?”

Ji Qingyu hummed a response: “Uncle’s intention is for me to choose an official wife from among these, and to take any others I like into the household. As for Li Yu, Uncle says that if her family background is ordinary, she can only be a consort.”

Ye Yuan immediately frowned: “Our family does not need to rely on a daughter-in-law’s family to maintain our interests. Could it be that brother has other considerations?”

Hearing this, Ji Liancheng’s face darkened: “The Emperor’s intention could not be clearer; his main purpose in making Qingyu a Commandery Prince was probably to use Qingyu’s marriage to help rally the noble families behind his own sons.” @@novelbin@@

Otherwise, why make Qingyu a Commandery Prince out of the blue?

Because he appreciated Qingyu’s casual and free-spirited nature?

“The position of the Crown Prince is about to change hands, and the other princes are watching closely.” Ye Yuan flipped through the register again. “In here, the Prime Minister’s second granddaughter, the Chief of Staff’s third daughter, every one of them represents different interests.”

Ji Liancheng’s expression turned grave: “So, the Emperor wants to see which side our family will take?”

Ye Yuan nodded: “Brother’s thoughts are profound; that’s probably the main reason.”

“This is easy to handle.” Ji Qingyu spoke indifferently, “I will not choose any of the ones listed in this register.”

Ye Yuan nodded with satisfaction: “If Ah Heng cannot be the Crown Prince, I do not care who becomes the Crown Prince. Our daughter-in-law will be Miss Li Yu!”

Ji Qingyu furrowed his handsome brows: “Your son isn’t doing it for that blind man!”

Ye Yuan gave him a look: “Enough, enough. When you were younger, the two of you were as close as brothers, practically inseparable…and now…”

“Mother, there’s no need to speak further, the matters of the past are behind us.”

Just then, a servant sent by the shopkeeper arrived: “Your Highness, you’re indeed here.”

The shopkeeper had sent several people out to look for the Prince, heading in different directions including the Imperial Palace and the Ministry of Rites.

He was in luck to find him in the Marquis Jiangyang Mansion.

Ji Qingyu asked in a calm voice, “What’s the matter?”

“The young lady has appeared, at the restaurant.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingyu immediately stood up: “Is there good food to entertain her?”

“Your Highness, it’s not our restaurant; the young lady went to the Zuixian Building across the street.”

Ji Qingyu clenched his hand, feeling somewhat nervous for some reason.

He turned to Ye Yuan and said: “Mother, your son is going to confess his feelings.”

Ji Liancheng stood up from his chair and patted his son’s shoulder: “You lad, make us proud and quickly marry the girl into our family!”

“Father, do you think she will reject me?”

“My son is a fine man, elegant and graceful.” Ji Liancheng reevaluated his son, recalling the stunning girl he had seen, “Perhaps she might refuse…”

“Father, you are my father!”

“I’m telling the truth,” Ji Liancheng replied, “but if you’re thick-skinned enough, perhaps you’ll win her over, just like I pursued your mother back in the day.”