Chapter 78: A Bitter Sweetness

Chapter 78: A Bitter Sweetness

The present sovereign is enthralled by feminine charms, basking in the residual prosperity bequeathed by his ancestors. Thus, the princes he has nurtured are rarely of noble character. The crown prince is cruel, the second prince mediocre, the third prince miserly, the fourth prince greedy, the fifth prince arrogant, and the sixth prince frequently ill. As for the seventh prince...

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Ye Jiangbai lifted his gaze to see the Seventh Prince approaching with great delight. The prince's eyes shimmered as he seized Ye's sleeve, repeatedly calling out, "Duke Duke!"

His stern countenance couldn't help but soften, and he replied tenderly, "Princess, what has made you so delightfully happy?"

Chang Nian's smile radiated from the corners of her eyes to the arch of her brows as she gestured playfully, "I did something heroic last night! You should have seen it – there was a thief with a long sword, this long! Trying to do something wicked near the palace walls. Commander Xu spotted him and gave a mighty yell. I rushed over, yelling too, and kicked one of the black-clad fellows to the ground!"

As she spoke, she extended her tiny legs and gracefully kicked at the air with remarkable agility.

Ye Jiangbai genuinely couldn't hold back his laughter and broke into a boisterous cackle.

Chang Nian found his laughter inexplicable. With her cheeks puffed out, she asked, "What? Am I not impressive?"

"Indeed," Ye Jiangbai continued laughing while applauding, "Your Highness is incredibly valiant, far beyond what ordinary people can achieve."

Feeling that he wasn't genuinely praising her, Chang Nian pouted. She released his sleeve and huffily turned around to return to the house.

Ye Jiangbai followed closely behind her and gently took her wrist, smiling warmly. "Your Highness, please calm your anger. I merely found your charm too much to bear, thus I couldn't help but smile, not intending to mock you."

With a slight blush on her cheeks, Chang Nian turned her head to give him an aggrieved glare.

Ye Jiangbai, watching her, could not resist drawing her back into his arms, planting a gentle kiss on her lips, his nose brushing against the curve of her ear as he whispered, "Your Highness is truly remarkable. The Third Prince has never personally achieved merit while in the Imperial Guard, yet you, having just recently joined the ranks, have already captured a bandit. If this were any other prince, it would surely be boasted far and wide, sent straight to the imperial throne for praise."

Even he had to inquire about it to learn of such matters.

With a slight dimness in his eyes, Chang Nian lowered his head and said, "Third Brother promised to help me claim credit with our father the Emperor, but..."

Yet, it was clear from Third Brother's expression back then that he found her displeasing to the eye. Whether Father Emperor would even learn of this feat was another matter.

Ye Jiangbai carried her onto the couch and draped a blanket over her legs. Half embracing her, he asked softly, "Your Highness, in your opinion, how do you think the Third Prince would handle this situation given his character?"

Chang Nian lowered her gaze and whispered, "If he suppresses the matter and doesn't inform Father Emperor, it wouldn't be a significant issue. It's fine if Father Emperor doesn't know."

Ye Jiangbai shook his head. She was still too innocent. "The Third Prince has been in charge of the Patrol Division for quite some time. He takes it upon himself to report matters to the emperor. In other words, when there are accomplishments, he can attribute them to whoever he wishes."

This was also why the Third Prince had accumulated so many merits.

Chang Nian was taken aback and frowned. "He'll even take credit for my accomplishments?"

Ye Jiangbai nodded.

"How can he do that?" Chang Nian was indignant. "I can see Father Emperor too. Doesn't he fear that I'll report him?"

"Your Highness is correct. Third Prince truly isn't afraid," Ye Jiangbai said with a smile. "His Majesty detests princes fighting over credit. If Your Highness were to argue with Third Prince in front of the emperor over such a trivial matter, you would not come out on top. Then, when Your Highness has displeased His Majesty, he might magnanimously step aside, not only escaping punishment but also earning His Majesty's praise."

Chang Nian's face paled, and she bit her lip.

She had witnessed plenty of intrigue in the harem but had experienced little of the power struggles in the imperial court. She had thought that by working hard, there would be a day when she could rise above it all. Who knew there were so many hidden machinations behind the scenes?

If it were anyone else, she might still seek his help. But Third Prince...

Chang Nian hadn't forgotten that if her interests conflicted with those of Third Prince, Ye Jiangbai would choose the prince without hesitation.

As she pondered this, she felt a chill on her lips. Ye Jiangbai had extended his finger to free her lip from between her teeth. His deep voice sounded beside her ear. "Are you still resentful towards me?"

Blinking, she turned her head to look at him. "How did you guess what I was thinking?"

Ye Jiangbai sighed. "Because Your Highness wears it on your face."

Hardening her expression, Chang Nian put on a demeanor of unyielding resilience.

Ye Jiangbai chuckled softly, caressing her lips with his fingertip as he whispered, "I didn't let you join the Patrol Division because there's no need for Your Highness to confront Prince Third head-on at this critical moment. Prince Third has a narrow mindset and is currently at the height of his power. If he were to target you before even dealing with the Crown Prince, wouldn't that be unfair to Your Highness?"

His original intention was to foster peaceful coexistence between Prince Third and Chang Nian by using the matter of supervising grain and fodder as leverage for mutual benefit. In that way, Prince Third would eventually extend a helping hand to Chang Nian. However, the unintended consequence was that their conflict deepened. The Crown Prince, having become more astute, had decided to maintain a low profile and observe from the sidelines like an onlooker watching two tigers fight. Meanwhile, Zhao Chang Nian, whose foundation wasn't yet solid, had already become a thorn in Prince Third's side.

Ye Jiangbai began to question if he had made a miscalculation somewhere.

Listening, Chang Nian pondered for a moment before blinking and asking, "So, Duke Guo is trying to protect me by not letting me join the Patrol Division?"

"Mm," Ye Jiangbai replied, narrowing his eyes and darkening his expression slightly. "Yet, Your Highness insists on going and has even sought help from General Beithang."

"No, I didn't," Chang Nian hurriedly explained. "General Beithang offered to help me without me asking him."

"Oh?" Ye Jiangbai sneered. "Then General Beithang must be quite the altruistic fellow."

Chang Nian shivered and clutched her cheeks.

"How so?" Ye Jiangbai glanced at her sidelong, "A toothache?"

"No," Chang Nian winced, "I got a sour taste in my mouth. Ouch... it's so sour."

Oh, well, the little rabbit had grown bold enough to mock him? Fuming, Ye Jiangbai leaned in to nip at her cheek and then reached for her wrist, sliding off a bracelet, as if to toss it away.

"Marquis!" Chang Nian's voice trembled with fear.

His hand froze, and Ye Jiangbai looked down at her, "The princess is quite nervous, isn't she?"

Of course, this was the Bei Tang family's heirloom. If he broke it, how could he face Beitang Miao? Chang Nian hastily clung to his arm, reaching for the jade bracelet, "Give it back to me."

It had been just a jest, but he hadn't expected her to take it so seriously. Ye Jiangbai felt conflicted, switching the bracelet to his other hand and asking in a cold tone, "What if I don't?"

Chang Nian couldn't help but laugh through her tears, "The noble Marquis can't be so petty, can he? This was a gift from a friend, not a token of affection."

"Which friend would give a man such a jade bracelet?"

"Indeed, most people would give a pendant." Releasing him, Chang Nian dug into her sleeve and produced a broken piece of jade, "Like this one, right? It wasn't cherished and was carelessly shattered."

With a sideways glance, Ye Jiangbai looked a bit guilty as he pursed his lips and said, "Who asked you to go back with him?"

"Fine, if you don't want to stay when I return with him, but must you throw a tantrum?" Chang Nian was slightly annoyed. "A true man shouldn't be so unreasonable. I won't escort you again in the future. You can throw yourself into someone else's arms then!"