The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 419 Extra (Establishing a Lifetime 5)

Madam Shen tugged at Liu Ruyan's arm several times.

"Alright, that's enough. It was the Seventh Prince who wouldn't let you go see the lanterns, so how can you blame Wanwan for this?"

Liu Ruyan, still unconvinced, spoke up. "But if my cousin could put in a good word for me with the Seventh Prince, he wouldn't insist on not taking me along. Aunt, can't you see? The Seventh Prince likes my cousin; he'll definitely go along with her."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenqian snorted coldly, "So Ruyan can also see that the Seventh Prince likes your cousin. Since you can see it, why do you insist on going with your cousin to admire the lanterns with the Seventh Prince?"

Liu Ruyan was speechless for a moment. She moved her lips, wanting to say something more, but the words stuck in her throat.

Shen Wenqian is different from her aunt. This matter cannot be resolved by simply whining and saying a few nice words. Moreover, the Liu family now relies on Shen Wenqian to live their good life.

She was somewhat afraid of Shen Wenqian.

Although she was very resentful, why was she, a girl just like Shen Qingwan, so lucky to be chosen by the prince?

She also owed her relocation from Rongcheng to the capital to the Shen family's influence.

However, Jiang Yuxian is not the only prince in the capital. The emperor has so many sons. Even if Jiang Yuxian is not the one, there are others. Who can guarantee that the position of crown prince will definitely belong to Jiang Yuxian in the future?

Compared to the future crown prince, what is Jiang Yuxian, a mere prince, anyway...?

She either doesn't get married at all, or if she does, she makes sure she marries someone better than Shen Qingwan.

Jiang Yuxian's carriage moved very slowly, afraid that if it went any faster, the people sitting in it would be jolted.

"Wanwan, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear?"

"Hmm?" Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Why did you ask that, Seventh Prince?"

Seventh Prince...?
Upon hearing those three words, Jiang Yuxian's smile suddenly tightened.

Just now, in front of everyone, she was still willing to call him Brother Xian, but now that there are only the two of them in the carriage, she has become distant and has to call him Seventh Prince.

Seeing his face darken, Shen Qingwan asked, puzzled, "Is it bad news?"

Jiang Yuxian snapped out of his reverie, his expression indifferent. "The bad news is that Father Emperor said he won't grant Rongcheng to me as my fiefdom."

Shen Qingwan frowned in confusion.

They will not grant Rongcheng to him as a fiefdom.

That's hardly bad news.

Rongcheng is not a place with beautiful mountain scenery or great wealth.

The drought six years ago almost uprooted Rongcheng's lifeline. Even after all these years, Rongcheng has not recovered to its former prosperity.

The Emperor loves him so much, how could he bear to send him to such a distant fiefdom? Even if he is not the future crown prince, he would still think of keeping him in the capital.

Shen Qingwan's words to him seemed to have nothing particularly surprising about him.

"What about the good news?"

good news.

Jiang Yuxian wanted to say that the good news was that she had come to the capital.

But that one word, "Seventh Prince," seemed like an invisible hand, pushing the distance between them further apart.

"The good news is that Father Emperor has bestowed upon me the title of Prince Rui. I am the first prince among the princes."

Prince.

Shen Qingwan naturally knew what a noble status this was, and she also knew that the distance between them was growing wider and wider.

"Wanwan, you..." Jiang Yuxian wondered if he was being too sensitive and overthinking things. He felt that Wanwan didn't seem as happy as usual tonight.

Before he could finish speaking, the carriage shook violently as if it had been hit by something. Caught off guard, Shen Qingwan slid a considerable distance on her seat due to the inertia.

Just when she thought she was going to hit the car door.

Jiang Yuyan leaped forward and stood in front of her.

Her head bumped right into his chest, but instead of the expected pain, she was enveloped in a sweet fragrance.

She seemed to have smelled this fragrance yesterday as well. The palace really loves using incense.
However, I must say, the spices in the palace smelled really good.

The carriage, having experienced something outside, was violently struck but did not stop immediately.

As the carriage swayed, Shen Qingwan's body uncontrollably bumped into Jiang Yuxian.

Once, twice...

Gradually, the thought of Jiang Yuxian floating through Shen Qingwan's mind crossed her mind.

Wouldn't her head be banging against the carriage frame like she was striking a wooden fish?

That would surely make him stupid.

Shen Qingwan was imagining herself hitting her head, completely unaware that Jiang Yuxian, who was blocking her way, was stiff and motionless, as if someone had acupunctured him, with a rather strange expression.

Only when the carriage stopped jolting and came to a steady stop did he speak, his face flushed, "Um... could you sit a little over there?"

Shen Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to her senses.

Only then did she realize why Jiang Yuxian's expression was so strange and his face so red.

This pose is way too suggestive.

He loosely put one arm around her shoulder, and she nestled almost her entire body in his embrace, one arm against his chest and the other on his leg...

Shen Qingwan: ...

Shen Qingwan jumped up from his arms as if pricked by a needle, her face turning bright red.

She looked around somewhat bewildered, and racked her brains to find a topic to talk about in order to ease the awkwardness.

"What's in your pocket? Why is it so hard?"

Jiang Yuxian: ...

Just then, the attendant who had just driven the carriage lifted the curtain and asked, "Your Highness, are you alright...?"

He only managed to utter half a syllable of the word "ba" before it got stuck in his throat.

Looking at the two of them, their cheeks were flushed and their expressions were strange.

Who is he? Where is he? Should his hand, which he used to lift the curtain, be raised or lowered?

"what happened?"

Just as he was at a loss, Jiang Yuxian suddenly spoke up.

"Replying to Your Highness's words." The attendant finally regained his composure. "Just now, a group of people rode past on horseback on the main street. It was my fault for not driving the carriage properly, which startled Your Highness and Miss Shen. Please punish me, Your Highness."

A group of people riding horses?
Who dares to ride a horse so recklessly down the long street?

"Can you see clearly who's riding the horse?" Jiang Yuxian lifted the side curtain of the carriage and glanced outside.

The carriage that startled them had already vanished, leaving only dust swirling in the air as it sped past.

"Your Highness, those people were covering their faces, so I couldn't see them very clearly. However, the Ferghana horse that the leader was riding seemed to belong to the Third Prince."

Third Prince?
Jiang Yuyan...?