Chapter 3

The leaves of the paulownia tree had already turned yellow. As a cool breeze stirred, a few leaves drifted down, spinning and tumbling in the air, reluctantly settling into the dust.

Perhaps one leaf was the most unwilling, or perhaps it simply wished to join in the bustle of the human world, for it happened to drift right past Jiang Si and landed at her feet.

She tilted her small face upward, her clear, pristine eyes gazing with utmost seriousness at the young man she addressed as "Your Highness." The man within her line of sight possessed a face as if sculpted by a master, his features impeccable and his temperament transcendent.

This was the other prince whom the Emperor had allowed to remain in the capital: Prince Fangye, Murong Fan.

The reason Prince Fu had always enjoyed undiminished imperial favor and was permitted to stay in the capital was that he had suffered from a paralytic illness in his youth, leaving his legs frail and disqualifying him from the succession wars of the past. As for Prince Fangye, he benefited from his youth; by the time his many elder brothers were locked in a life-and-death struggle for the throne, he had only just been born.

His origin was also shrouded in legend. It was said that when his mother, Consort Qin, was pregnant with him, she heard the chanting of scriptures from the heavens every day. There were even rumors that when he was born, he was clutching a "Heaven’s Eye" stone in his hand.

After the throne changed hands, Consort Qin had essentially handed him over to the new Emperor and requested permission to guard the mausoleum of the late Emperor. Thus, while he was the son of the late Emperor, he had been raised entirely by the current Emperor. His relationship with the Emperor was called that of brothers, but it was comparable to that of father and son.

He delved deeply into Buddhist teachings and was well-versed in the arts of divination and astrology. Whenever matters of great importance to the nation arose, the Emperor would consult him. The world looked up to him with admiration, calling him the "Buddha’s Son of the Imperial Clan."

By now, many people had followed them out. The first to arrive had already overheard Jiang Si’s previous words.

Gasps echoed all around. Murong Sheng’s expression could no longer be described as merely ugly.

"Jiang Wu, have you lost your mind?" he whispered, his voice a mix of command and plea. "Come here!"

Jiang Si ignored him. With both her elders and the male lead’s elders present, it was the perfect time to resolve the trouble.

"Your Highness, just moments ago, the Heir Apparent touched my face in public. Many people saw it."

Murong Sheng’s face flushed red, then turned pale. "I... I didn't mean to."

He disdained to lie; he had touched her, and he owned up to it. But he truly hadn't intended to. Whether he had been bewitched or just momentarily foolish at the time, it hadn't been deliberate.

"Jiang Wu, I will agree to whatever you want, just come here, will you?"

No, she would not!

Jiang Si sneered inwardly. "I ask Your Highness to uphold justice for me!"

Grand Tutor Jiang’s elderly, shrewd eyes looked first at her, then turned to Murong Sheng, and finally to Murong Fan. "My granddaughter is ignorant and has disturbed Your Highness."

The words sounded as if he were scolding his granddaughter, yet also as if he were protecting her.

Murong Fan turned the prayer beads in his hands. "Grand Tutor Jiang, you speak too seriously. Since this matter concerns my Murong clan, how could it be a disturbance?"

His gaze was calm, yet Jiang Si felt a suffocating pressure. The air between them was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, mixed with a trace of cool incense.

Silence descended, absolute and heavy. No one dared to breathe loudly.

"Do you wish to marry him?"

When he asked this, gasps broke out again. Jiang Si didn't need to guess what others were thinking.

Her answer was firm and decisive: "I do not!"

Murong Sheng was dumbfounded, thinking he had misheard. Like the others, he had assumed that by bringing the matter before the elders, Jiang Si was simply trying to secure a formal status. Beyond his shock, his pride was wounded.

He ground his teeth. "Fine, you Jiang Wu!"

Jiang Si expected Murong Fan to ask why she didn't want to marry Murong Sheng, but instead, the man asked something that seemed completely unrelated.

"How much silver do you want?"

This question struck a chord with her, making her realize that this "Buddha’s Son" of the world was not entirely detached from worldly affairs.

But silver? She didn't want that either. In this life, she already had everything she needed; she would not be greedy. The only thing she wanted was to escape the plot of the book and protect everything she possessed.

"I do not want silver. I only want the Heir Apparent to offer a formal apology."

Murong Sheng gritted his teeth. "Dream on!" He would rather marry this Jiang Wu than offer a formal apology. "Little Imperial Uncle, I am willing to..."

"Sheng’er, apologize."

The two words landed on Murong Sheng’s heart like heavy blows. If it had been anyone else, even his own father, he might have dared to argue. But this was his Little Imperial Uncle. His father had once said, never provoke the Little Imperial Uncle. His mouth was not merely a mouth; it was a sacred vessel for the heavens, and his words were as binding as an imperial decree.

With the decree spoken, he had no choice but to bite the bullet. Stiffening his neck, he offered a reluctant "I'm sorry" to Jiang Si.

The apology lacked all sincerity. Jiang Si would not indulge him. "Heir Apparent, an apology is not enough. I hope you will take this as a warning and ensure it does not happen again."

He gritted his teeth, squeezing a "Fine" through his clenched jaw.

Everyone was stunned, glancing at one another with varied expressions. Grand Tutor Jiang stroked his beard, a look of approval rising in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Si. *This child has a sense of propriety.*

Passing by her, he murmured a low word of praise: "Well done, Little Five."

Jiang Si smiled shyly, appearing simple and obedient.

Master Du, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped in at the right moment to urge everyone back inside. After this incident, hearts were restless; few people paid attention to the lecture, and even Master Du himself taught half-heartedly. When he glanced at Jiang Si intentionally or otherwise, he found that the student who usually looked blank and lost during class was actually listening more intently than anyone else.

He decided to test her, deliberately asking Jiang Si to recite a passage. She struggled, but stuttered through seven or eight-tenths of it.

Not only was he surprised, but the others also found it incredible—especially Jiang Zhi. When she noticed once again that not only Master Du but also Murong Sheng was stealing glances at Jiang Si, she nearly snapped the brush in her hand.

After school, she stopped Jiang Si. "Fifth Sister, why must you do this?"

Jiang Si looked puzzled. "Fourth Sister, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Jiang Zhi’s gaze was deep, tinged with pity. Suppressing her own discomfort, she offered advice in the manner of an elder sister. "The game of playing hard to get may not be to the Heir Apparent’s liking; he likely hates you by now. No matter how hard you study to become the person he likes, I fear he will never forgive you."

Jiang Si was speechless. So, this female lead thought everything she did today was to attract the male lead’s attention, and that her studying was to cater to his preferences.

"Fourth Sister, whether you believe it or not, I am not doing this for him."

"Fifth Sister, even if I believe you, no one else will."

Jiang Si looked up at the sky and then looked at her expressionlessly. "I do not care what others think."

...

Within the Jiang clan school was a library containing books accumulated over generations, including rare and unique editions. This was the reason Murong Fan had come today.

The library had three floors. The first was open to all students, the second only to the Jiang family, and the third was accessible only to the head of the Jiang family. He and Grand Tutor Jiang were friends across generations, so the Grand Tutor had made an exception for him to enter the third floor, leaving him to browse alone.

Bookshelves lined four walls, each compartment filled with titles ordinary people had never even heard of. From feng shui and divination to unofficial histories and secret records, everything was there. He found a corner and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Time passed until the daylight faded. A guard, silent as a shadow, entered to light the candles and then retreated without a trace. When he emerged from the scent of old books and ink, it was already pitch black outside.

Descending to the first floor, a guard stepped forward to report something in a low voice. He looked toward the side; Murong Sheng was sprawled on a desk, fast asleep. Perhaps dreaming of something pleasant, he was smirking with his mouth half-open, a visible trail of drool at the corner of his lip.

"Wake him up."

The guard complied. Murong Sheng, deep in sleep, was startled awake. His young master’s temper flared, and he was about to lash out at the person who had disturbed him, but the moment he locked eyes with Murong Fan’s emotionless gaze, all his sleepiness vanished.

"Little Imperial Uncle."

"What is it?"

Murong Sheng did indeed have something on his mind. He had lost face today and was full of pent-up anger. After much thought, he felt there was only one way to salvage the situation: marry Jiang Wu.

"Little Imperial Uncle, you may not know, but Jiang Wu originally had feelings for me. I saw she was innocent and simple, and I just liked to tease her. Who would have thought she would cause such a scene today? I suspect she was just acting out of spite, and her words about not wanting to marry me were just in the heat of the moment, so..."

"You are not fated to be together."

Murong Sheng was confused. Why weren't he and Jiang Wu fated? He had been convinced of his plan, even dreaming of their wedding. Though Jiang Wu’s background was a bit low, she was simple and beautiful; he didn't dislike her, and even found himself somewhat fond of her. As for that Jiang Zhi... perhaps they were the ones who truly had no fate.

"Little Imperial Uncle, her background is not high, but I did indeed act improperly toward her. It is only right that I marry her..."

"I said, you are not fated."

Murong Fan looked at him, his calm gaze unreadable.

He swallowed hard, feeling more nervous than he did before his own Imperial Uncle. "Little Imperial Uncle, can you tell me why we are not fated?"

"Her destiny is unusual, and you cannot suppress it."