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Prince Xiao Xuan was venting his grievances, completely unaware that Wen Liang's spirits lifted momentarily upon hearing about the rift between Mu Junze and his wife, only to quickly dim again.
Even if there was discord between them, what did it matter? Their marriage was sanctioned by a royal decree requested by Mu Junze himself. As long as they did not divorce, she had no hope. Yet sometimes, people are like that; once a thought takes root, it grows wildly like weeds, impossible to suppress.
She knew it was unlikely, but she clung to a sliver of hope. Even if it was just a fleeting thought, it was better than living like a walking corpse. Or perhaps… when he returned, everything would be possible. A terrifying idea began to take shape in Wen Liang's mind. She would be willing to become a concubine for him; she had already compromised so much that she couldn’t believe he wouldn’t be moved by her willingness.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she was willing to try. After all, she had already experienced the worst outcome once before.
Wen Liang thought this way, completely missing what Prince Xiao Xuan said next. However, one sentence did catch her attention: the Emperor had ordered him to go to Duke Beiqin's mansion.
It had been several days already; they could not delay any longer. With a sigh, Prince Xiao Xuan said, “I actually hope your marriage with that young man is genuine. I would rather serve as your witness than go to Duke Beiqin's mansion. Although I have never met him, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not quite right.”
Wen Liang’s eyes brightened as she smiled at Prince Xiao Xuan. “Why not go? I’ve been feeling restless since I returned and have been looking for an excuse to get out and clear my mind. Why don’t we go together? I’m quite curious about what kind of person he is.”
Prince Xiao Xuan looked at Wen Liang, who had just moments ago worn a sorrowful expression and now seemed inexplicably cheerful. He couldn’t help but twitch his lips and instinctively distance himself a little.
“You… you’ve only just returned for a few days? I didn’t expect someone so young to be wilder than me.”
He said this while secretly admiring how quickly Wen Liang had changed her demeanor; it truly confirmed the saying that women could turn on a dime.
“Little Prince~ let’s go!” Wen Liang tugged at Mu Xuan’s sleeve playfully. Mu Xuan shivered involuntarily, goosebumps rising on his skin, but he had no choice but to agree since he was going anyway.
Having company made him less worried about running out of conversation later; after all, the Emperor hadn’t specified that he could only go alone.
Wen Liang naturally could not leave the palace openly, so the two slipped out secretly. The sky was still relatively bright; Su Che had just finished his work and was stretching lazily, preparing to eat.
Just then, Prince Xiao Xuan arrived with a woman in tow.
Wen Liang rarely left the palace, and since Mu Junze hadn’t spent much time in the capital recently—and even when he did, he didn’t stay at the royal residence—the servants there did not recognize Wen Liang.
When they entered, they initially maintained their distance from each other but soon began chatting happily and even shared a meal together. After Mu Junze left, Su Che found himself alone in the residence.
Since marrying Mu Junze, Wen Liang had never had a moment of leisure; now that she suddenly found herself with free time, she felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Fortunately, Mu Xuan and Wen Liang had come by.
Su Che happily invited the two to stay at his residence. Mu Xuan was indifferent, as it didn't matter where he stayed, but Wen Liang had to refuse. If Liang Fei found out that Wen Liang had not returned home all night and was brought out by him, he feared that even if he pretended to be a cat, he would still be skinned alive.
Moreover, today he had just angered Liang Fei, so he dared not stir up trouble again and quickly shook his head, saying he would come to stay another day.
The atmosphere among the three was initially joyful and lively, but Wen Liang looked at Su Che and thought about how such a wonderful person could be so good-looking; it was no wonder Mu Junze would marry him. If it were her, she would probably want to marry him too. Su Che was kind and interesting, without any airs or the demeanor of a merchant, making interactions with him very comfortable.
Lost in these thoughts, Wen Liang unexpectedly blurted out her feelings. “Has the Empress ever considered letting Uncle Emperor take a concubine?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the previously cheerful atmosphere fell silent. Su Che was taken aback and momentarily at a loss for words. Mu Xuan was even more startled by Wen Liang's comment; he quickly stood up and pulled on Wen Liang's arm, wanting to leave.
Wen Liang realized her mistake but felt embarrassed and didn't know how to explain herself. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in. She initially thought Su Che wouldn't respond to her question, but unexpectedly, just as they were about to leave, he smiled and said, “This matter is not something I can decide, nor have I ever thought about it, so I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything.”
Wen Liang silently committed this statement to memory as they hurriedly left the palace. On their way back, Mu Xuan anxiously paced around Wen Liang. “No, my dear aunt, what were you thinking? Do you know how awkward I felt? I could have carved a palace with my toes!”
Wen Liang felt guilty and kept apologizing while secretly delighted by Su Che's words. This indicated that she might have a chance with him. She believed that given Su Che's character, they would get along well without any scheming or rivalry. In fact, Wen Liang even thought about what she would name her future children with Mu Junze.
Once they returned home, Mu Xuan sulked with a pout. “Your mother is quite patient and very clever; how could you not follow through? Had I known you would be so indiscreet, I wouldn’t have brought you along this time or taken you out again!”
Wen Liang didn’t mind much; she rarely left the palace anyway. Since Mu Xuan often played outside, they had only become friends because of Mu Xuan’s fun-loving nature and his ability to engage with anyone easily. However, Wen Liang never easily opened her heart to others; she viewed him merely as a child. No matter how well things turned out, he was still just a child who couldn’t understand adult thoughts.
She merely played with him like one would with a child. After sending him off with some comforting words, she began to ponder how to discuss this matter with Mu Junze when he returned.
Meanwhile…
Su Che repeatedly contemplated Wen Liang's question within the palace. He knew that the woman held an extraordinary status and was called Liang Er but did not know her name. Her question seemed sudden but clearly stemmed from something deeper. Although Mu Junze indeed had many admirers, if one were to count them carefully, even Mu Junze himself might not know who was who.
Su Che was puzzled. Just as he was about to rest, he noticed that one of the guards left by Mu Junze seemed a bit off. The guard stood at the door, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he had something on his mind but was hesitant to speak.
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