Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

At the banquet the following evening, west Lin once again brought up the matter of a marriage alliance between the two countries.

Emperor Cangxuan said, "The Crown Prince is about to get married, so it is not appropriate to take a concubine at this time. My third son is not yet married, and he and Princess Chiyue are compatible in temperament."

He then bestowed Princess Chiyue upon my third son as a concubine, thus establishing friendly relations between our two nations.

The Xilin envoy was somewhat displeased. It was one thing to be a concubine for the Crown Prince of Beixuan, but why was she still a concubine for the Third Prince?

However, having just received a favor from Princess Anguo, they dared not utter a word and could only look at Chiyue.

Princess Chiyue, however, took two steps with a shy expression and gracefully expressed her gratitude.

Even the princess herself wasn't dissatisfied, so they said even less.

The marriage was thus arranged.

The next morning at court, Yuan Jingchen stood outside the Third Prince's residence, bowed to the guards at the gate, and said, "I am Yuan Jingchen. My father is the newly appointed Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yuan Bujin. Concubine Bai of the Third Prince's residence is my cousin. I have come to visit my cousin today, and I hope you, guards, will inform me."

The guards stepped forward to confirm his identity, and one of them said, "Young Master Yuan, although you are Concubine Bai's cousin, you are still an outsider. His Highness the Third Prince has not yet returned to the manor. If you wish to see Concubine Bai, you may go to the front hall and wait for His Highness the Third Prince to return."

Yuan Jingchen was naturally more than happy to agree.

If we could take this opportunity to establish a relationship with the Third Prince, that would be ideal.

He followed the guards to the front hall, sat down at the guest table to wait, and was served tea by the servants.

He surveyed the wealth and luxury of the Third Prince's residence, and the exquisite tea he had never seen before filled his eyes with a burning desire and longing once again.

He sipped his tea, his mind racing.

Last night's banquet finalized the marriage between the Third Prince and Princess Xilin.

However, Princess Xilin was a concubine.

Princess Xilin is incredibly beautiful; the Third Prince is truly blessed with good fortune.

With Princess Xilin around, my cousin's situation in the Third Prince's residence is probably not going to be good.

He felt a little anxious. Most men in this world are fickle and easily bored. If his cousin wanted to gain a foothold in the Third Prince's residence, she could only do so by bearing him the eldest son.

Only because his cousin was favored in the Third Prince's residence could he and the Third Prince visit each other frequently.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the Third Prince returning.

It wasn't until the person in charge called him several times that he finally stopped.

"Young Master Yuan?"

Yuan Jingchen suddenly came to his senses, and when he looked up, he saw a richly dressed young man standing to the side, staring at him.

Yuan Jingchen was startled and hurriedly stood up to bow.

"Your subject, Chao Jingchen, pays respects to His Highness the Third Prince."

The Third Prince looked at this man and thought he was quite handsome.

However, he was dressed in a simple blue robe, making it impossible to tell that he was the eldest son of the Yuan family.

I heard that Yuan Bujin disliked his eldest son, and it seems the rumors were true.

The Third Prince hummed in agreement, nodded slightly, walked to the main seat, and asked Yuan Jingchen, "Young Master Yuan, are you here to visit Concubine Bai?"

Yuan Jingchen immediately bowed again and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Highness, I have indeed come to visit my cousin. However, I have long admired Your Highness, and it is a great honor to be able to see Your Highness today."

The Third Prince glanced at his lips from an angle where the Third Prince couldn't see him.

Sycophant.

He seemed like an upright person, but I didn't expect him to be such a sycophant.

There are plenty of people who want to scheme against him, and he's seen people with even more sophisticated methods than him.

However, the Third Prince did not show it on his face, but said, "Steward, take Young Master Yuan to Concubine Bai's courtyard. I am tired and would like to rest for a while."

The steward acknowledged the order and stepped forward, saying, "Young Master Yuan, please!"

Yuan Jingchen stared blankly at the steward. He had only said one sentence before the Third Prince dismissed him.

Was there no further communication?

At the very least, he is a young talent, known as a genius since childhood. Shouldn't His Highness the Third Prince be trying to win him over?

Moreover, the Third Prince actually had someone lead him directly to his concubine's courtyard.

Although it was a sunny day, there was still a difference between men and women. Was the Third Prince simply carefree or unconcerned with such details?

Yuan Jingchen followed the steward with a blank expression.