Chapter 22

No matter how much Yan Yiming puzzled over it, she absolutely couldn’t voice such a question aloud.
Whether it was Jian Yu'er or Jian Yuyan, one of them must have an unusual identity, an identity so significant that it might even drive Jian Yuyan to consider killing her.
Yan Yiming wasn’t afraid of death, but implicating the Ding Duke’s estate would be an unforgivable sin.
Even though she hadn’t asked the latter part of her question, the first part alone was enough to strip Jian Yuyan of all his teasing and condescension, leaving him breathless and unsettled.
Those peach-blossom eyes, usually brimming with laughter, suddenly contracted, leaving behind only a chilling glint. They locked onto Yan Yiming as if frozen in ice, though the sharpness quickly faded back into calm.
“What does Lady Yan intend to do?”
“Nothing at all.”
Yan Yiming was genuinely astonished by how quickly this man could change his expression. The brief moment their eyes met had left her with a lingering fear. “I only meant to say, since both you and I have our own secrets, could we perhaps agree to keep each other’s confidences now?”
Jian Yuyan lifted his gaze and studied Yan Yiming for a long moment before letting out a soft laugh. “Of course, but…”
Yan Yiming gestured for him to continue.
“But the Crown Prince and Prince Yue are no ordinary men. If the Crown Prince discovers you’ve been toying with both of them, do you know what the consequences will be?”
“He’d probably want to kill me,” Yan Yiming chuckled. “There’s no need for you to remind me of that.”
Jian Yuyan still hadn’t grasped the meaning behind her words. Was she acknowledging that exposure would lead to a miserable fate and thus backing off, or was she determined to persist recklessly?
He couldn’t understand why Yan Yiming would insist on such a dangerous path. Was it out of resentment toward the Crown Prince? Or had she genuinely shifted her affections and fallen for Nan Gongye?
Upon returning to the Jian residence, Jian Yu'er had been despondent lately over the Crown Prince’s engagement to Yan Yiming. Though Jian Yuyan felt a pang of jealousy, he maintained his usual demeanor and gently comforted his sister. Suddenly, Jian Yu'er murmured, “Sister Yan saved me, and I should be grateful to her, but…I really don’t want to thank her at all.”
Jian Yuyan’s smile froze, as if he hadn’t quite processed her words. “Yu'er, what did you say?”
Jian Yu'er looked up at her older brother, the person who loved her most in the world, more than even their parents. Finally unable to hold back, she threw herself into his arms and began to cry.
“I really don’t want to thank her. If she hadn’t saved me, wouldn’t the Crown Prince have been the one to rescue me instead…”
Jian Yuyan’s arms tightened around her abruptly, his eyes turning icy cold.
Nan Gongxuan.
No one’s heart is purely innocent. Prejudice arises from the shattering of unrequited love. Realizing she had no chance left, Jian Yu'er finally began to harbor resentment.
She resented Yan Yiming for going out of his way to pull her up.
She resented why, when the Empress had shown interest, her brother and father had forbidden her from getting close to the Crown Prince.
Why were all the people she liked and cared about standing in her way?
Little A was discussing with Yan Yiming which identities could be used as backups for the next conquest when a slight anomaly suddenly disrupted the program. Yan Yiming casually asked what was wrong.
“It's nothing,” Little A shook her head.
For some reason, she had just felt that the system seemed a bit different.
Nan Gongxuan's favorability came more easily than Yan Yiming had imagined. Since the engagement was announced, it had been steadily rising. On the day the Crown Prince came of age, he woke up drunk in the morning and heard from the maids that Yan Yiming had taken care of him for a long time the previous day. The Crown Prince felt a fondness and liked Yan Yiming even more.
The day of the Crown Prince's grand wedding was slowly approaching. During this time, Nan Gongxuan's favorability had been steadily increasing. If Yan Yiming took the initiative to show concern or affection, the increase would be even greater.
Now, it had reached ninety-eight percent.
What was the reason for the remaining two percent?
If it truly required the completion of the wedding or the consummation of the marriage, then the conquest of Nan Gongxuan would be equivalent to a failure. Failure would mean having to start the conquest all over again.
Yan Yiming really didn't have the patience to go through it again.
She asked Little A, but Little A didn't know either. Yan Yiming couldn't help but frown.
She couldn't truly complete this marriage.
So, if the remaining two percent had to be achieved after the actual ceremony, Yan Yiming had to find a way to provoke Nan Gongxuan and reach that two percent in advance.
The Crown Prince's wedding was held on an auspicious date personally chosen by the Emperor. On the day of the grand wedding, the Duke of Ding's mansion sent the dowry to the palace. Yan Yiming, dressed in a magnificent wedding gown and a phoenix crown, watched as the Crown Prince, in his dragon robe and ceremonial attire, performed the three kneels and nine kowtows before the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress.
The common people were not allowed outside. The road from the Duke of Ding's residence to the palace was cleared spotlessly. The Imperial Guard prepared an eight-person bridal sedan chair draped in red satin and carried it to the front of the Duke of Ding's residence.
Yan Yiming sat in the sedan chair while Little A excitedly rubbed her hands beside her. “This is the first time doing something so thrilling. I feel a bit nervous!”
“For you, it's just adding one more small plot point. What's there to be nervous about?”
As for her, Yan Yiming reminded Little A to start the one-hour countdown for her.
She had asked Little A before what would happen when the favorability reached one hundred percent. Little A replied that if she couldn't end her own life within an hour, the system would automatically cause her to die.
If it truly required marriage or even the consummation of the marriage to reach one hundred percent, Yan Yiming imagined herself self-destructing in front of Nan Gongxuan, Nan Gongxuan would probably be traumatized for life.
Though Yan Yiming found the idea rather thrilling.
The Crown Prince’s wedding ceremony was an exceedingly elaborate affair. Yan Yiming’s vision was filled with a sea of red, and she could only make out the tips of her feet as she moved step by step, until Nan Gongxuan firmly took her hand.
They bowed to complete the ceremony, stepped into the bridal chamber, and he lifted the red veil that obscured her stunningly beautiful face, unsurprisingly eliciting gasps of admiration from those present.
Nan Gongxuan’s gaze lingered on Yan Yiming’s face for a long time.
Thinking of his brothers waiting outside to get him drunk, Nan Gongxuan reluctantly glanced at Yan Yiming one last time before leaving. A few others joked that the Crown Prince was utterly smitten with his bride, given how he kept looking back at her.
Yan Yiming smiled faintly but said nothing, a fleeting shadow passing through her eyes.
Nan Gongxuan’s favorability rating remained stuck at ninety-eight percent.
Still missing that final two percent.
On the other hand, today was the joyous occasion of the Crown Prince and Yan Yiming’s wedding. As the Crown Prince’s full-blooded younger brother, no matter how much unwillingness Nan Gongye harbored in his heart, he had no choice but to attend.
He watched the magnificent bridal sedan chair enter the Eastern Palace in a grand procession. He couldn’t see her face, couldn’t see her figure, only the overwhelming red that assaulted his eyes, stinging so much he felt like crying.
His elder and younger brothers, though often at odds with one another, were all in high spirits today. Nan Gongye overheard the Third Prince gritting his teeth, saying that since the Crown Prince had married the capital’s number one beauty, they must get him thoroughly drunk tonight.
The Crown Prince did not usually enjoy drinking, but today, he would surely be willing to indulge.
The nuptial wine.
Nan Gongye had once wondered if that wine tasted different from the usual kind.
Especially when shared with Yan Yiming.
The palace was bustling and chaotic today, with palace maids and eunuchs running back and forth. A casual inquiry would reveal which part of the ceremony was taking place.
The sky had completely darkened, yet the Eastern Palace remained brightly lit. Nan Gongye excused himself early, claiming he was unwell, leaving the other princes and noble sons who had entered the palace for the celebration to continue their revelry.
In another half-hour, his elder brothers would gradually depart. After the wedding night, the ceremony would be completely and thoroughly over.
He recalled the day he returned to the capital, when Yan Yiming had said behind him that she would not marry the Crown Prince.
He had never truly believed it, but he had not been without hope.
Yet, as the days passed, the promise that she would not marry had now become nothing but a joke.
The Yue Prince’s residence had been completed, and Nan Gongye no longer lived in the palace. Though there were fewer restrictions, it was ultimately much lonelier than the palace. Perhaps because his heart ached too much, he had drunk heavily at the wedding banquet. By the time he returned to the Yue Prince’s residence, sleep eluded him, so he took up a wine jar and drank himself into a stupor.
In his drunken state, his heart felt numb, and the pain gradually lessened. His vision blurred, and he even began to hallucinate.
He actually saw Yan Yiming.
He saw Yan Yiming, adorned in phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, breathtakingly beautiful, doing things he couldn’t comprehend and saying words he couldn’t understand.
He asked her why she had come.
Yan Yiming looked at him intently and said, “Your Highness, I promised you, I would only marry you.”
Nan Gongye let out a bitter laugh, a wave of sorrow washing over him. He had thought he both loved and hated Yan Yiming to the extreme, yet deep down, he still yearned for her, otherwise, why would he be seeing her now?
She looked even more stunning in her wedding dress than he had imagined, he thought, but in the end, it wasn't for him.
Nan Gongye turned his face away, averting his gaze. “But you've already married my elder brother.”
“If we haven't shared the ceremonial wine or consummated the marriage, how can it be considered marrying him?” Yan Yiming was speaking in riddles again, and Nan Gongye, puzzled, turned his head back with a pained smile. “It's only a matter of time.”
“So, we can drink it first,” Yan Yiming said, producing a flask of wine from nowhere. She carefully filled two cups, her eyes meeting his clear ones. Reaching out, she gently adjusted his slightly loose hairpin. “I don't want to marry him, I only want to marry you. This ceremonial wine, I only wish to share it with you, Your Highness.”
She handed the cup to Nan Gongye, softly asking if he would drink it with her.
Even if it was a dream, it was one he couldn't resist.
Nan Gongye took the cup, and they linked arms as they drank. Yan Yiming's beautiful eyes sparkled with delight as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Your Highness, promise me that in this lifetime, I am your only wife.”
He held her tightly, wishing he could meld her into his very flesh and blood. This dream was so perfect, so wonderful that he never wanted to wake up.
“A’Ming, only you,” Nan Gongye said. “My wife is only you.”
Yan Yiming's body stiffened slightly before her smile grew even sweeter.
“Yes, only you,” she murmured, stroking his cheek and glancing up at the full moon in the sky. “Now, everything is finally complete.”
“Are you leaving?” Nan Gongye asked her.
“Yes, I must go,” Yan Yiming replied. “But we will meet again someday, though by then, you surely won't recognize me.”
“How could that be?” Nan Gongye chuckled. “Silly.”
Yan Yiming fell silent. She had treated it all as a game, never expecting that even in a game, there could be moments that moved her so deeply. With a helpless sigh, she said, “You're the silly one. I really have to go now.”
With that, she produced a few candies from somewhere, slowly unwrapping one. “I remember you once said there's no candy better than chestnut sweets.”
“There isn't,” Nan Gongye affirmed.
Yan Yiming laughed softly and held the unwrapped candy to his lips. “Then try this.”
“What is it?”
“This is my favorite candy.”
Nan Gongye remembered how Yan Yiming once said chestnut candy was utterly unpalatable, promising that if given the chance, she would let him taste her most beloved sweet.
Placing the small candy in his mouth, its delicate yet rich flavor instantly melted across his tongue. Yan Yiming asked him, “Is it sweet?”
Nan Gongye nodded, somewhat dazed.
“That's good,” Yan Yiming smiled. “If you ever feel bitter in the future, have one.”
“Mm.”
“I promise I won't marry the Crown Prince.”
“Mm.”
“We've already been married.”
“Mm.”
“Then I'm leaving.”
“Mm.”
The autumn night breeze swept by, carrying a growing chill. Nan Gongye gradually sobered up, and when he looked up again, Yan Yiming had vanished without a trace. Only the unprecedented sweetness in his mouth seemed to linger.
What an unbelievably real dream, Nan Gongye mocked himself with a bitter smile as he pushed himself up from the stone table. But his hand brushed against something small and hard, like a pebble.
Looking down, he saw the very candy from his dream, quietly resting on the table. Beside it sat the familiar wine jug and cup.
Nan Gongye's hands trembled uncontrollably, his eyes suddenly reddening. In an instant, the alcohol's haze vanished completely. Frantically, he scanned the surroundings but found no trace of anyone.
Servants rushed over at the commotion. Nan Gongye grabbed them, urgently asking if anyone had visited earlier.
“Your Highness, no guests have come.”
“How could that be...”
“Your Highness, “
The sound of hoofbeats shattered the deep night's silence in Jinling City. Nan Gongye looked up at the guard stumbling into the Yue Manor, his voice hollow as he asked, “What is it...”
“There's been an incident at the Eastern Palace...”
“The Crown Princess has been assassinated... she has passed away.”