Chapter 16: The Crown Prince — His Nose Is Tall and Straight, His Adam’s Apple Prominent…

Shen Xingwan frowned and walked over to the young servant.
“Did you mishear? Are you certain it was the Third Prince?”

Seeing her expression, the servant dared not be careless and immediately kowtowed to the ground.

“This servant wouldn’t dare speak nonsense. Just now in the palace, everyone saw it. The envoy from the State of Yan had a private meeting with the Imperial Noble Consort and the Third Prince.”

“Even if they met, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be made Crown Prince.”

The servant raised his head. “Shortly after the envoy met with the Third Prince, the court historian was summoned. Everyone says it’s to draft the edict for establishing the heir apparent.”

Shen Xingwan’s heart sank, as though a heavy stone was pressing down on it. She wrung the handkerchief in her hands tightly.

She ordered the servant, “Take Father’s clothes to the palace and try to gather more information while you’re there.”

The servant acknowledged the command and left. Shen Xingwan stood still for a moment before collapsing into a chair, looking utterly disheartened.

Madam Shen saw her despondent state and sighed, “Forget it. You were the one who insisted on breaking off the betrothal with the Third Prince. Whether he becomes the Crown Prince or not has nothing to do with you now.”

Shen Xingwan smiled bitterly in her heart.

It wasn’t that she regretted missing the opportunity to become Crown Princess — what she resented was her failure to bring that man down.

She had intended to dismantle him piece by piece, to strip him of any chance to ascend, to see him crushed with unfulfilled ambitions and die in despair.

But now, he had become Crown Prince without any support from the Shen family. He was only one step away from the throne.

If he truly ascended to become the new Emperor, what could a mere daughter of the Shen family do to shake his position?

Her father and brothers were loyal and upright. It was utterly impossible for them to help her assassinate the emperor.
Was it really hopeless to reverse Wei Zilin’s fate of becoming Emperor?

Shen Xingwan clenched her fists. She absolutely could not let things continue to unfold like this.

She waited in the manor for news from the servant, but several days passed with no response. Not even a single bird flew out from the palace — the atmosphere was unnervingly strange.

Having waited in vain, Shen Xingwan figured that Yan Jinghuan must be standing by in the palace as well, so it would be useless to look for him. After pondering for a long while, she dressed and entered the palace, seeking out Princess Guang’an.

From Princess Guang’an’s mouth, she finally heard the news that left her utterly hopeless.

“Third Brother has indeed been secretly named the heir. He’s already the Crown Prince. But since Father is gravely ill and there might be unforeseen complications, the announcement hasn’t been made public yet.”

Shen Xingwan slumped onto the couch, drained of all strength, nearly dropping the teacup in her hand.

Princess Guang’an saw her expression and smiled faintly.
“You… really bet on the wrong horse. If you had married Third Brother back then, you’d be Crown Princess now. That shrew from the Lu family wouldn’t have had a chance.”

She tossed aside the melon seeds and patted Shen Xingwan’s hand, leaning in close with a mischievous grin.

“But honestly, in terms of character and looks, Yan Jinghuan is definitely superior. You’ve got good taste.”

“His nose is tall and straight, and his Adam’s apple is very prominent…”
Princess Guang’an giggled and winked at her.
“You’re really in for a blessing later.”

Shen Xingwan froze for a second, then looked up to see her teasing smile. Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
“Princess, you jest.”

“Oh, come now, what’s there to be shy about between us? There’s nothing we can’t talk about.”

Princess Guang’an also blushed slightly. She picked up a silk handkerchief and fanned herself.
“But still, none of them can compare to your brother. Your brother is the real gem.”

“Princess…”

“Hahaha! Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. You’re such a stick in the mud — so conservative.”

“Oh right, you’re getting married in a few days. Your brother will definitely return from the borderlands for the wedding. When he does, you must be the first to tell me, so I can go see him.”

Shen Xingwan had a headache just thinking about it. Looking at the lovey-dovey Princess Guang’an, she could already imagine her poor, honest brother being completely devoured by her.

But with heavier things on her mind, she couldn’t stay to joke around. She responded half-heartedly and quickly took her leave.

Shen Xingwan left Princess Guang’an’s quarters in a daze. The brilliant sunlight fell on her body, yet it felt especially harsh and piercing.

Standing on the palace road, she suddenly felt a sense of aimless frustration, like a warrior raising their sword but not knowing where to strike.

What should she do next?

After thinking for a while, Shen Xingwan decided she had to find Yan Jinghuan and ask why the envoy from the State of Yan had suddenly decided to support the Third Prince’s claim to the throne.

Yan Jinghuan had clearly promised the Emperor he would support the Fourteenth Prince, Wei Zihui.

Having made up her mind, she looked up to determine the direction and headed toward the temporary palace residence set up for the Regent.

Before she could get close, a group of people approached from the opposite direction. When she saw that the man in front was none other than the Third Prince Wei Zilin, it was already too late to avoid him.

On the long corridor, Shen Xingwan moved to the side beneath the palace wall, lowered her head, and stood still in accordance with etiquette, yielding the path to the noble.

Wei Zilin wore a crimson python robe and a golden crown, his hair neatly tied. As he walked, his every step was full of ease and pride — he was clearly riding high.

When he saw Shen Xingwan standing at the side of the road, he paused and raised an eyebrow with a smile. Then, lifting his hand slightly, he waved off the attendants and leisurely approached her.

He stopped in front of her without saying a word, just smiled at her with a sideways glance, clearly in a very good mood.

After a moment of silence, seeing she couldn’t avoid him, Shen Xingwan had no choice but to curtsey first.

“This subject’s daughter greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Wei Zilin chuckled softly, mocking her, “You’re pretty well-informed.”

Shen Xingwan lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Wei Zilin’s smile faded slightly, his tone turning colder.
“Rise. What brings you to the palace at this time?”

“By order of Princess Guang’an, this subject’s daughter entered the palace to accompany her.”

Her words were stiff, with no hint of emotion.

Wei Zilin didn’t seem to mind. He was in a very good mood and didn’t appear to want to make things difficult for her. Instead, he said with a smile,
“She has indeed been confined these past few days. If she’s feeling bored, it’s good that you’re here to keep her company.”

Then, he reached out to take her hand.
“Or… you could come and keep me company.”

Shen Xingwan frowned and swiftly stepped back to avoid his hand.

Wei Zilin’s smile froze at the corners of his lips. He licked his back teeth and slowly curled his fingers into a loose fist at his side.

He looked up and fixed his gaze on her gentle features, his eyes dark and ominous.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Her Highness the Imperial Noble Consort and Lord Zhang are still waiting for you…”

The attendant who couldn’t help but step forward to urge him caught sight of the look on his face, and was so startled he quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

After a long pause, Wei Zilin took a deep breath and gave a self-deprecating smile, as if he had come to terms with something. “I really don’t know what I did to offend you… to make you loathe me this much.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t dare?” Wei Zilin sneered. “You’d better truly not dare.”

His gaze swept over her from head to toe. Then he meaningfully raised his hand and patted her shoulder, as if trying to comfort her. “No matter, there’s still plenty of time. I’ll use it to clear up this ‘misunderstanding’ between us.”

With that, his fingers curled in slightly, lingering in a possessive grasp on her slender shoulder before he turned and walked away without looking back.

Only after the group disappeared down the end of the corridor did Shen Xingwan finally let out a long breath, slumping against the cold, hard palace wall in exhaustion.

She slapped hard at the shoulder he had touched, as if trying to rid herself of the scent he had left behind.

That scent of cypress and orchid, which once made her feel at ease, now sickened her to the core the moment she caught the faintest whiff.

Just thinking about the look in Wei Zilin’s eyes earlier made her skin crawl.

That gaze… was just like a hungry jackal staring at meat laid out on a chopping board.

She knew now—he would never let her go.

She absolutely could not let him succeed.

She could never allow him to ascend the throne. Anyone else, absolutely anyone, would be better than letting Wei Zilin become emperor!

Shen Xingwan’s mind rapidly sifted through and compared all the candidates eligible to inherit the throne. Suddenly, a timid little face flashed through her mind.

That’s it—the Fourteenth Prince, Wei Zihui, wasn’t he the most suitable candidate?

The Emperor favored him, and the Regent Prince Yan Jinghuan supported him as well. If the Shen family could lend their support to him, they might just stand a chance against Wei Zilin.

Having made up her mind, she lifted her skirt and hurried off to find Yan Jinghuan.

The guards outside the Regent Prince’s residence were clearly under prior instructions—Shen Xingwan encountered no obstacles, as though walking into an unguarded courtyard.

“The Prince has been resting here these past few days. At the moment, he is meeting with the envoy from Yan Kingdom, so it may be inconvenient for him to receive visitors. Miss Shen, please wait in the side room for now. You’ll be seen shortly.”

The young palace maid explained as she led Shen Xingwan into a side chamber. She then brought tea and pastries before closing the doors and leaving.

Shen Xingwan sat down on the couch, glancing around. The room was furnished with quiet elegance, and the air carried a faint scent of cool pine.

She slowly closed her eyes and felt her anxious heart settle slightly.

“Your Highness, must you truly be so stubborn? What you’re doing has already greatly angered Her Majesty the Empress. This is your last chance—you mustn’t go against her again!”

“My mind is made up. Please return to Yan Kingdom and report the matter truthfully.”

The conversation outside was impossible to ignore. Shen Xingwan moved closer to the window, slightly opened the pane, and peeked outside.

“Your Highness! Please reconsider—who’s there?!”

The voice outside suddenly shouted. Shen Xingwan quickly shut the window.

The doors swung open, and the young maid led two people in—none other than Yan Jinghuan and the envoy from Yan Kingdom.

Yan Jinghuan’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed the moment he saw Shen Xingwan, and a smile spread across his face. He reached out a hand toward her. “Come here.”

Shen Xingwan lowered her head, feeling a little guilty, and stepped forward to curtsy.

“How long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you say something?”

“I heard you were meeting with an important guest,” Shen Xingwan glanced at the Yan envoy awkwardly, “so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Yan Jinghuan chuckled and took her hand, speaking to her as if giving advice: “Meeting with guests is important, yes—but you’re important too. In the future, when you come looking for me, don’t wait. Just come straight in.”

Then he turned to the envoy. “I have more important matters now. Sir, you may take your leave.”

The envoy paused for a moment, his face flushing red, clearly unwilling. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Yan Jinghuan had already pulled Shen Xingwan deeper into the chamber, coaxing her like a child, saying he had something good to show her.

The envoy stared after Shen Xingwan for a long time, his gaze filled with resentment. In the end, he begrudgingly cupped his hands in salute.

“I take my leave. I will pay my respects to the Emperor before departing for Yan Kingdom. As for the matter I raised with Your Highness earlier, I urge you to give it careful thought and respond as soon as possible.”

Yan Jinghuan didn’t even look back, merely lifting a hand to signal acknowledgment.

The envoy gritted his teeth, then raised his voice forcefully:
“By the decree of the Emperor and Empress of Yan Kingdom, Second Prince Yan Jinghuan is hereby ordered to break off the engagement with the Shen daughter of Wei Kingdom and sever all ties with her!“