No one dislikes beautiful things, and Yun Shu was no exception.
Her gaze lingered on Huyan Mingchuan's face a few seconds longer than was proper. Tilting her head with curiosity, Yun Shu asked, "Your eyes are quite striking. In Bei Xiang, are many born with this color?"
Huyan Mingchuan lowered his head respectfully and replied, "In response to Your Highness, Mingchuan has not yet encountered another with the same eye color."
He answered gently, the very picture of a delicate beauty who inspired pity.
Unfortunately for him, Yun Shu was immune to such tactics. She merely curved her lips faintly and said, "I see. No wonder This Princess has never come across such a gaze before."
Then she turned her attention to the Third Prince.
"The Bei Xiang diplomatic party has traveled far. I am sure they must be weary. Third Royal Brother, you would do well to see them settled at the guest residence. As for This Princess, other matters require my attention. I shall return to the palace first."
"Yes."
The Third Prince quickly cupped his hands in acknowledgment. "This Prince respectfully bids farewell to the Crown Princess."
"Hyah!"
With a gentle flick of the reins, Yun Shu rode forward with composed elegance, cutting a poised figure as she passed through the group of Bei Xiang envoys and her Third Brother.
None could have imagined that the unruffled Crown Princess was, deep inside, screaming in chaos.
Help!
She had thought Bei Xiang was merely tossing her a beautiful distraction, a honey trap easily avoided. But who would have guessed that the man sent her way would be such a dangerous figure?
Everyone believed he was nothing more than a pretty face, a powerless weakling easily pushed around.
Yet Yun Shu remembered the original story clearly. When the future King of Bei Xiang was mentioned, the tale had described a man who always wore a mask — and bore eyes the color of amber.
The moment she saw Huyan Mingchuan's eyes, her heart went cold.
She had held onto a sliver of hope, thinking perhaps others in the Bei Xiang royal family shared the same rare eye color.
But no.
The future King of Bei Xiang was none other than Huyan Mingchuan.
A so-called useless prince with no support, who somehow outmaneuvered more than a dozen royal siblings in a vicious power struggle, slaughtering them all, and later became a fierce adversary of Tian Sheng.
What kind of person could pull that off? How deep must his scheming go? How ruthless must his methods be?
Was she capable of handling someone like that?
Absolutely not. Time to retreat.
For as long as the Bei Xiang envoy remained in the capital, she would not step one foot beyond the palace gates.
Hurrying back to the imperial palace, she remained uneasy, unable to shake the image of that living time bomb outside. She even dispatched a member of the Dragon Shadow Guard to monitor Huyan Mingchuan closely and report back to her in detail every day.
That very night, she received the first report from the guest residence.
Huyan Mingchuan had been slapped by the Second Prince of Bei Xiang. The reason? Not only had he failed to seduce Yun Shu, he had not even managed to speak with her for more than a few words.
Yun Shu dismissed it.
The next day, after spending the whole day reviewing memorials with Emperor Xuanwu in the imperial study, she received a second report.
Huyan Mingchuan had been beaten again.
This time, the reason was his failure to entice Yun Shu to leave the palace and come find him.
Yun Shu fell silent.
Were it not for her absolute trust in the Dragon Shadow Guard's stealth and accuracy, she would have thought this was all a ploy — a display of vulnerability designed to guilt her into action.
Fortunately, she had no fondness for self-sacrificing heroism.
Besides… she genuinely doubted someone capable of claiming the Bei Xiang throne ten years from now would so easily suffer such humiliation.
For three days, her reports showed Huyan Mingchuan receiving beatings with no sign of retaliation.
Finally, on the day of the Emperor's longevity celebration, Yun Shu had no choice but to face him once more.
He still lowered his head silently, following behind the Second Prince and Princess Baza, a faint bruise darkening one corner of his mouth.
He seemed unassuming, yet Yun Shu could clearly sense the moment he entered the great hall, many noble daughters' gazes were drawn to him.
"So that's the pretty fox?"
Yun Chuhuan stood beside Yun Shu, staring at Huyan Mingchuan for a long while before leaning in and whispering, "Fifth Sister, I heard Bei Xiang wants him to marry you. Is that true?"
"Where did you hear such a thing?" Yun Shu raised an eyebrow.
"Liu Ziming said so. My Consort Mother did too."
Yun Chuhuan frowned. "I don't like him."
"Oh?" Yun Shu chuckled. "And what exactly do you find lacking?"
"Everything!"
Unaware of Yun Shu's true feelings, Yun Chuhuan mistook her question as a challenge. He grew more agitated.
"He looks like some fragile little courtesan. Even back when Cen Yiyi was still a crybaby, she was sturdier than him. How could someone like that be your consort?
You're the Crown Princess of Tian Sheng! If you're to wed, it should be to the finest man under heaven. He is entirely unworthy!"
His indignation only grew. Just as he prepared to list more of Huyan Mingchuan's flaws, Princess Baza's voice rang out from the front of the hall.
"Might His Majesty permit my Ninth Brother to be seated beside the Crown Princess?
You are aware that we came with sincere intentions to propose a marital alliance. Yet due to the Crown Princess's many duties, our only encounter since arriving was that brief moment at the city gate.
Since today presents such a rare opportunity, I humbly ask Your Majesty to allow my Ninth Brother a chance to speak with the Crown Princess."
"But of course."
Her request was not unreasonable, and Emperor Xuanwu saw no need to deny her. With a casual lift of his hand, he instructed an attendant to place a seat beside Yun Shu.
Yun Shu said nothing.
Yun Chuhuan, however, was stunned.
Fifth Sister was seated closest to Imperial Father. There was no way the Ninth Prince of Bei Xiang would be allowed between her and the throne.
That meant… he would be placed between Yun Shu and himself!
No! He hated that pale-faced pretty boy!
Yun Chuhuan glared at Huyan Mingchuan like a cat with its tail stepped on. The latter didn't even lift his gaze.
He walked quietly to the seat between the two siblings, then turned slightly toward Yun Shu.
"Crown Princess."
"What is the meaning of this?"
Being ignored so blatantly only enraged Yun Chuhuan further. Taking advantage of Emperor Xuanwu's distraction, he stuck out a foot and kicked Huyan Mingchuan under the table.
"Do you not see this prince sitting here? Or do you simply not care? You take my seat and have nothing to say?"
"…Apologies."
The moon-white outer robe Yun Shu wore today — the same color she'd worn the first time they met — now bore a faint dusty footprint.
Huyan Mingchuan pressed his lips together and lowered his head. His apology was quiet and seemingly sincere.