Chapter 3

‘Power and Majesty’ featured four male protagonists, each with corresponding stats: Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Action Power, and Decision-Making. Each of the four male leads excelled in one area while lacking in others.
For example, General Shao Jingyu had the highest Action Power; Chief Chancellor Jiang Yi had explosive Intelligence; and the charming nobleman Jian Yuyan possessed extremely high Emotional Intelligence.
As the future emperor and the highest authority, Nan Gongxuan's most crucial trait was his Decision-Making in front of his ministers, his Decision-Making was the highest among the four.
Of course, his Intelligence wasn't low either, and his Action Power was at a normal level. As for the remaining stat, Emotional Intelligence, the crown prince, who had been flattered since childhood, had never possessed such a thing.
Only 22.
During the Chenxia Dynasty, in Jinling City.
In the warm spring of March, the peach blossoms on Fuyu Mountain were in full, dazzling bloom. Though the mountain lay far to the north of Jinling, the faint, sweet fragrance of peach blossoms could still be caught in the city.
A luxurious and ornate carriage rolled over the bluestone pavement. Its gold-inlaid, jewel-encrusted windows were veiled by a light purple silk curtain. A gentle breeze lifted a corner of the curtain, revealing a glimpse of a graceful figure, causing passersby to turn their heads for a second look. Two more carriages with green canopies followed behind, clearly carrying the attendants of the wealthy family, indicating that the occupant of the leading carriage was of no ordinary status.
The carriage swayed gently. Lu Mei stole a glance at her young lady. Yan Yiming leaned lightly against a small, delicate pillow, her eyes closed as if lost in thought.
Ever since boarding the carriage, the young lady had not spoken a word, unlike her usual lively self. Lu Mei watched as Yan Yiming's brows gradually furrowed, and her round little face slowly fell, growing more and more distressed on her mistress's behalf.
The young lady must be deeply upset. Throwing away the gifts sent by the crown prince today was surely an impulsive act born of extreme disappointment. Remembering her young lady's usual infatuation with the crown prince, Lu Mei became increasingly convinced that Yan Yiming was merely putting on a brave face and forcing a smile.
She was just a little maid, not daring to complain about the Crown Prince, but she couldn’t help feeling a trace of resentment in her heart.
If he couldn’t keep the appointment, why did he have to agree in the first place, only to make the young lady’s hopes soar and then fall?
Yan Yiming had no idea that Lu Mei had already thought so much in such a short time. In truth, she was simply feeling carsick.
Lu Mei pursed her lips, stood up to brew some tea, and called out softly, “Young lady...If you don’t want to go, then let’s not go.”
“Why wouldn’t I go?” Yan Yiming opened her eyes, took the teacup, and took a small sip. Her exquisitely shaped eyes, which even a painter could not capture, held a hint of laughter and barely concealed excitement. “Fuyu Mountain has a unique beauty today. It would be a pity to miss it.”
The cherry blossom season wasn’t particularly short, but was there really any difference between the blossoms today and tomorrow? Lu Mei couldn’t grasp the hidden meaning in Yan Yiming’s words and assumed she hadn’t understood her own implication. So, she tried to console her more directly, “The cherry blossoms on Fuyu Mountain will likely last until the end of the month. There’s still plenty of time. If His Highness the Crown Prince is unavailable today, he can invite you another day when he’s free.”
Yan Yiming took small sips of her tea and chuckled dismissively, “Why bother inviting him? It would only ruin the mood.”
Lu Mei grew even more distressed. After a moment of inner conflict, she suddenly grasped Yan Yiming’s hand and said, “Young lady, please don’t be sad. His Highness the Crown Prince must still care about you.”
Yan Yiming: “...”
This girl was truly loyal to her mistress, but she was a bit too straightforward. Yan Yiming firmly believed that even if she insisted a hundred times that she didn’t like Nan Gongxuan, this girl wouldn’t believe her.
Yan Yiming closed her eyes again, half-heartedly responding to her talkative maid while her mind wandered back to the plot progression from the game.
Back when she was playing the game from the female protagonist’s perspective, Jian Yu’er occasionally suggested going to Fuyu Mountain to see the cherry blossoms. Naturally, Nan Gongxuan, who happened to be a guest at the Chancellor’s residence, had no reason to refuse.
Lady Yan, with her noble status and stunning beauty, was supposed to be an extremely arrogant woman who loved to flaunt her status and had a somewhat domineering personality. She was bold enough to declare in front of so many people that she would marry no one but Nan Gongxuan. While she was tender and affectionate toward him, she treated others quite differently.
So, after the Crown Prince stood her up, Lady Yan, heartbroken, went alone to Fuyu Mountain to admire the flowers. Coincidentally, she ran into the Crown Prince, who had claimed to have urgent matters to attend to, and Jian Yu’er, who was by his side. Overwhelmed by jealousy, she erupted on the spot. In front of the Crown Prince and Jian Yuyan, she pointed at Jian Yu’er and cursed her, accusing her of deliberately arranging to meet the Crown Prince there after learning about her own appointment with him.
This overly proud young lady was pushed too far and, with extreme bitterness, pointed at Jian Yu’er and demanded of Nan Gongxuan, “Am I not even comparable to this lowly woman?”
Originally, the Crown Prince and Jian Yuyan were in the wrong for deceiving Lady Yan, but her harsh questioning instantly turned her advantageous position into a disadvantage.
Yan Yiming found it somewhat amusing how the scriptwriter had portrayed the supporting female character as utterly brainless. Of course, she should have confronted them, but not in this way.
By directly calling Jian Yu’er a “lowly woman” in front of Nan Gongxuan and Jian Yuyan, even Jian Yuyan, who always wore a smile on his lips, lost his composure upon hearing Lady Yan’s words. The Crown Prince already disliked her, and now that the person he loved was being insulted so grievously, how could he possibly show Lady Yan any mercy?
Comparing the tearful, pitiful Jian Yu’er with the outwardly fierce but inwardly fragile Lady Yan, Nan Gongxuan immediately declared:
“You're not even half as good as Yu'er.”
Tsk, how cruel, Yan Yiming sighed inwardly.
He even called her Yu'er right in front of her.
Yan Yiming remembered while playing the game, after hearing Nan Gongxuan utter that “Yu'er,” from Jian Yu'er's perspective, the game's text read: [He's defending me with such an intimate address, my heart can't help but race.]
Little did she know that this defense, which stirred Jian Yu'er's heartbeat, broke another girl's heart.
The sweet scent of peach blossoms seemed to already permeate the air. The carriage slowly came to a halt. Yan Yiming opened her eyes and, holding Lu Mei's hand, carefully stepped down from the carriage.
“Miss, are we going to Fuyu Temple?”
Fuyu Temple was a key attraction on Fuyu Mountain and a frequent destination for nobles and officials. It had incense burning year-round, and every spring, the peach blossoms in the temple bloomed exquisitely.
“No,” Yan Yiming lifted her gaze toward the mountain ridge, where the sea of pink was faintly interspersed with emerald green, and said softly, “The best scenery on Fuyu Mountain isn't at Fuyu Temple. There's a bamboo pavilion on the southern ridge, with winding streams and peach blossoms covering the fields, that's the real place to enjoy the view.”

Fuyu Mountain in March was indeed exceptionally beautiful. Jian Yuyan almost never refused Jian Yu'er any request, let alone something as simple as flower viewing. However, he never expected the Crown Prince to personally visit the Jian family and join them on the outing.
To this day, Jian Yuyan still regretted letting Nan Gongxuan meet Yu'er, but now he had no excuse to stop it.
Now, his peripheral vision was filled with the smiling faces of Nan Gongxuan and Jian Yu'er conversing, and his ears were filled with their harmonious laughter. Jian Yuyan's eyes darkened, the ever-smiling gaze now devoid of any trace of amusement.
He excused himself for a short while, and Nan Gongxuan naturally had no objections. Jian Yuyan walked about twenty steps away before gradually stopping. His tall, slender figure leaned against a peach tree, his peerlessly handsome face showing no expression, lost in thought.
It wasn't until he heard faint footsteps and a woman's clear, lively voice that Jian Yuyan looked up.
This spot had been specially arranged by Nan Gongxuan, and very few people knew about it. How could someone be here? He tilted his head slightly and realized the figure seemed somewhat familiar.
Then he heard Yan Yiming's delighted voice, “Young Master Jian!”
Jian Yuyan was momentarily stunned, never expecting this young lady to appear here.
Yan Yiming had walked some distance, and a light sheen of sweat glistened on her smooth forehead. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her stunning face even more captivating. Her limpid eyes seemed to shimmer like autumn waters, breathtakingly beautiful.
Her delight at seeing Jian Yuyan was unmistakable. She lifted her skirt and quickly approached him. “Young Master Jian, what are you doing here? I heard you were discussing important matters with His Highness?”
Jian Yuyan quickly snapped back to attention, his expression betraying nothing as he smiled and said, “I came here to admire the flowers with a friend.”
Yan Yiming nodded slightly, then asked with a hint of embarrassment, “And what about His Highness? Wasn't it said that you had important matters to discuss with him?”
The Crown Prince was naturally here.
Even though Jian Yuyan briefly entertained the thought of letting Yan Yiming cause a scene, he remembered that Yu'er was also present. Lady Yan was known for her willful and domineering nature. If she were to see Yu'er alone with His Highness, she might not hold a grudge against the Crown Prince, but she would certainly resent Yu'er. For Yu'er's sake, he decided to conceal the truth and said, “How could His Highness be here?” Jian Yuyan turned his face away and chuckled softly. “His Highness returned to the Eastern Palace after our discussion. But Lady Yan, what brings you here?”
Upon hearing Jian Yuyan's words, Yan Yiming couldn't hide her disappointment. She bit her crimson lips, her expression shifting from hopeful to utterly crestfallen, and murmured softly, “I must have misunderstood. His Highness is burdened with state affairs; how could he possibly come here?”
Jian Yuyan thought of Nan Gongxuan, who was supposed to be occupied with pressing matters but was clearly chatting with Yu'er. Still, he refrained from nodding in agreement.
“Lady Yan,” Jian Yuyan spoke gently. Yan Yiming looked up at him and forced a smile. “It's nothing. There's no need for concern, Young Master Jian. By the way, are you here to admire the flowers as well?”
“Yes.”
“Everyone knows of the Fuyu Temple on Fuyu Mountain, but few are aware of another hidden gem. Not far ahead, there's a small bamboo pavilion beside a winding stream. Would you care to accompany me to see it, Young Master Jian?”
Jian Yuyan's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly replied, “I would be honored to accept your invitation, Lady Yan. However, the scenery you described isn't here. I know of another spot. Would you be willing to join me there?”
“Young Master Jian, you've arranged to meet a friend here for tea. How could you abandon them just to accompany me?” Yan Yiming lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped past Jian Yuyan. “Besides, since I've come all this way, it would be a shame not to take a look after walking so far.”
The spot was only about twenty meters away from where Jian Yu'er and Nan Gongxuan were, but a cluster of peach trees blocked the view. Once past those trees, everything would be visible. Jian Yuyan reached out to stop Yan Yiming, but she seemed to anticipate his move, lifting her skirt and taking a few quick steps to put distance between them.
In an instant, she had passed the peach trees, and the sight of Jian Yu'er and Nan Gongxuan chatting and laughing was laid bare before her.
Her slender figure froze in place, while Lu Mei, who had been following closely behind Yan Yiming, cried out in shock, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince!”
Hearing the commotion, the two turned around abruptly. Both their expressions changed upon seeing Yan Yiming's pale face.
Jian Yu'er stood up in a fluster, her face filled with panic. Nan Gongxuan, after a moment of surprise, showed a trace of embarrassment but quickly comforted Jian Yu'er upon seeing her pale complexion. When he looked up again, his expression was unreadable.