22 Three Princes

The next evening, Yan Qiu Yue was in her brother's room getting ready for the banquet at the Crown Prince's estate. Yan Qiu Heng's servants were assisting her, their faces revealing not one iota of panic or derision. They had helped their young master's sister in this way many times before and so no longer made a big deal out of things.

Once he was of age, a son of the royal family moved out of the imperial palace, was titled as a prince, and had to establish his own household. The Crown Prince was the eldest of the Emperor's three sons, 25 years old this year, and the only one born from the Empress. He could be considered a diligent, hard-working man, but unfortunately was not very savvy when it came to politics or etiquette. The Crown Prince often committed serious gaffes with a completely straight face, accidentally offending ministers in court. He was the personification of the phrase "wasted beauty". The prince had looks, but was too rigid and lacked charisma.

The fourth prince was a known friend of Wei Hong Sheng and an even worse wastrel than his cousin, frequently visiting brothels and beating his servants senseless when he was drunk. He rarely attended court due to his regular hangovers in the mornings and there was a constant stream of beautiful women going through his estate on a weekly basis.

The fifth prince was only 13 years old this year but was known to be a good-tempered, bright child. He might make a good crown prince if not for his age...and the unfortunate circumstances of his birth. These unfortunate traits that he could not change made it impossible for Wei De Ming to ever become emperor.

Citizens and officials weren't overly pleased with their Crown Prince, but he at least wouldn't be a calamity. There were no viable alternatives to him, so everyone just resigned themselves to this status quo.

The Crown Prince frequently hosted events at his estate for networking purposes, so these events were always restricted in terms of attendance. Yan Qiu Yue had never been to his estate before, but Yan Qiu Heng had. Once she had properly disguised herself as her twin brother, Yan Qiu Yue returned to her own courtyard where the enchanting Yan Qiu Heng awaited. He explained to her the overall layout of the place and dropped the names and descriptions of a few people she ought to specially greet on his behalf for this or that reason. Naturally, one of Yan Qiu Heng's trusted aides would be at her side to remind her of these things, but it was still beneficial to know the facts beforehand.

"It is easier to be a woman," Yan Qiu Heng sighed. "As me, you have to remember all these names and faces and talk politics all night. Meanwhile, as you, I can rest here, play the guqin, and have a nap."

Yan Qiu Yue smiled wryly at her younger brother. "Ha. I would trade my 'easy life' for your freedom any day. Once in a while, I'm sure it's nice to laze around and be idle, but every day?" She shook her head exaggeratedly. "Too boring! If you ever have your own inner court, please let your poor wife go out for some fun every now and then, won't you?"

"I appreciate you using the word 'if' instead of 'when', Elder Sister." Yan Qiu Heng replied in an innocent tone, then took a sip of floral tea. "You know, I'm afraid that..."

"Hmm?"

"...No, it's nothing. Never mind."

Yan Qiu Yue studied her brother's dark, hesitant expression. "Are you sure?"

"We can talk about it later. If you don't start heading out now, you'll be late," he smirked.

"Ah! You're right."

After fiddling with the sachet at her waist for a while, Yan Qiu Yue left for the Crown Prince's estate. She brought Yan Qiu Heng's aforementioned aide with her, as well as Mu Rong. Mu Rong was great at thinking up comebacks and excuses in a pinch.

When she arrived at the estate, she paid respects to the Crown Prince before going inside. She walked to the main pavilion where the banquet would be held, along the path that her brother had described. Her pace was leisurely as she took in the scenery and furniture.

"Young Master," Mu Rong said to Yan Qiu Yue in a low tone. "I am hearing that both the sons of Prince Rui are already here."

It made sense for Tian Ao to be present at this time, as he was the guest of honor. However, she wasn't sure why Wei Hong Sheng would be showing his face here now. Was it to show that there was no quarrel inside Prince Rui's family? Or was Wei Hong Sheng on good terms with the Crown Prince? It was puzzling.

Yan Qiu Yue took a deep breath to steady herself. Though she was known for being somewhat willful and headstrong, it didn't mean she was incapable of feeling nervousness. She merely pushed past it. She did so once more, calming herself as she crossed the threshold into the pavilion.

At this point, she was very used to pretending to be her brother. She had a firm grasp on his habits, body language, and way of speaking. Though her voice didn't sound exactly like his, when she deliberately lowered her tone, they were fairly similar. She could pass so long as she didn't run into any of their family members or Hua Yan Ting.

This time, Yan Qiu Yue didn't have any grand ambitions, she merely wanted to see what Tian Ao was like. Some small part of her also wished to see how Wei Hong Sheng was faring. Everything else aside, he was likely in the lowest state right now. The position he'd always held, the identity he'd always been proud of...everything had been stripped away in a moment to become fodder for the gossip of others. She hadn't wanted to marry him, but Yan Qiu Yue didn't wish for the other's utter destruction, either.

She greeted the handful of young noblemen her brother was acquainted with, specially thanking one for "his invaluable help last time at Tiankong Tower". Yan Qiu Yue would have to ask her brother about that later, as she was somewhat curious as to what this Tiankong Tower was. After doing this, she approached the area where the guest of honor was supposed to be sitting.

In the main seat of honor--at least while the Crown Prince was still out greeting people--was sitting a young man that Yan Qiu Yue supposed was Tian Ao. Indeed, he bore a rather strong resemblance to Princess Rui. Not that he looked feminine; with his strong jaw and sharp cheekbones, he looked anything but. Still, she could see something of Princess Rui's eyes and when he frowned, he reminded her exceedingly of the last time she'd met and spoken with the princess. The thought made her smile lose some of its luster.

Tian Ao also looked very unhappy, unhappy to be here. He was sitting up straight as a board, hardly interacting with the people sitting next to him. It was hard to watch such a handsome young man act in such a chilly way. Tian Ao lacked Wei Hong Sheng's devilish charm, but he was just as attractive, with a dignified bearing that made him look upright and dependable. Yan Qiu Yue thought he could even pass for a young Inspector Yu. The image made her dread her marriage just a little bit less...!