In Name Only

Chacha: [Host, what you said was so perverted.]

Shen Anxin: [It's fine. No one heard me anyway. Wow, there are so many beauties over here too!]

Empress Wei looked up in shock, only to meet Emperor Hongyao's probing gaze.

Her pupils trembled as she instantly recalled the emperor's instructions from yesterday. Her face turned all sorts of colors.

Th-this... was this what His Majesty had meant?

Emperor Hongyao saw her expression and nodded in understanding, then swept his gaze over the others present.

The ladies and young ladies of the various households all looked terrified, glancing around in panic. Then their eyes went blank; they had probably begun doubting themselves, thinking they had imagined the voice.

Emperor Hongyao cleared his throat and had the officials who had accompanied him go sit with their wives and daughters.

As long as the women could hear it, they could talk about it in secret. They needed to be reassured first, so nothing would go wrong.

Emperor Hongyao also went over to Empress Wei.

Besides Empress Wei, the four consorts were all there as well. They held the empress in high regard.

With the crown prince choosing a consort, they had naturally come along to watch the excitement too.

Instead, they had been badly frightened. Fortunately, their sons had also come, and upon receiving Emperor Hongyao's silent signal, they hurried over to explain the situation to their respective mothers in secret.

And so a strange sight appeared in the imperial garden: every now and then, a woman would have her mouth covered by the person beside her.

In the end, the women's eyes flickered, and one after another, they couldn't resist stealing glances at the person behind the crown prince.

Xiao Yanchen helped cover up the strange scene by first taking Shen Anxin to their seats.

As soon as Shen Anxin sat down, she began appraising the beauties, starting with the imperial consorts and moving on to the young ladies of the various households. In the end, she concluded: This imperial garden really is a riot of blooming flowers.

The women listened to what seemed to be praise for themselves while their relatives explained the bizarre situation.

A woman disguised as a man? Inner thoughts? Eating melons? The past and the future?

Their "three views" shattered.

"New three views" forming...

A few of the young ladies had seen Shen Anxin dressed as a woman, but they weren't well acquainted.

Shen Anxin had only recovered two years ago. In the first year, no one had dared invite her to banquets. It wasn't until the second year that she had been invited to a few gatherings, but she had spent most of her time by her eldest sister's side and had spoken little with the others.

But however little they had spoken, they had never encountered anything like this!!!!

The others were still trying to take it all in, but Wei Baozhu had already zeroed in on the "important point."

What eating melons and inner thoughts? None of it mattered as much as the fact that Shen Anxin was now disguised as a man and accompanying her crown prince cousin!

It would have been one thing for the two of them to sit together.

But her crown prince cousin kept pushing the tea and refreshments on the table in front of Shen Anxin, urging her to eat.

And she simply reached out and ate them, without seeming to think it was any great honor at all.

Didn't anyone think something was wrong?!!!!!

Wei Baozhu stared fixedly at Shen Anxin, her pretty face full of jealousy and anger. She wished she could shout: This woman is outrageously disrespectful! How could Crown Prince Cousin keep a woman by his side, especially one this strange? It's too dangerous!

But her father kept her firmly in check, and she could do nothing but glare.

Shen Anxin was so absorbed in looking at people while she ate the refreshments that she really hadn't noticed who was pushing them in front of her. She thought it was the palace maid who had just poured the tea.

[Huh? Why is that young lady over there glaring at me? Her eyes are so big, and they get even bigger when she glares. But she's so pretty, dressed all in red, radiant as a rose.]

Wei Baozhu's angry face gradually flushed red: ...Even if you praise me, I still won't like you!

Shen Anxin: [The Duke of Wei is beside her. Could she be Wei Baozhu of his household? I've heard of her. Everyone says she's a leading candidate to be the crown princess.]

Wei Baozhu: Good, at least you know! Now why don't you stay away from Crown Prince Cousin!

Shen Anxin: [Strange. Then why is she looking at me like that? Just now, I almost thought Shen Anlan had offended her somehow.]

This time, Wei Baozhu's face turned red with anger.

Who offended me?! Don't talk nonsense. That's slander! I don't even know Shen Anxin's brother, all right?!

Wait, Father just said everyone can hear. Crown Prince Cousin won't misunderstand when he hears that, will he?

There really is something wrong with this woman!

Maybe she has designs on Crown Prince Cousin and is using this method to get rid of every obstacle!

Both angry and anxious, Wei Baozhu immediately complained to her father.

The Duke of Wei remained perfectly calm. "Baozhu, don't mind her. That's just how she is. Her thoughts gallop off like a heavenly steed. She even speculated before that His Highness the crown prince was a cut sleeve and had a relationship with her brother that couldn't be spoken of. Everyone understands, so it's all right."

Wei Baozhu was dumbfounded. Could there be something wrong with Shen Anxin's head?!

How could Crown Prince Cousin possibly be a cut sleeve? That's an insult to him! It would be better if Shen Anxin herself had designs on him!

Shen Anxin was still gossiping with Chacha.

Chacha: [Host, you're overthinking it. The one she likes is the crown prince. She doesn't even know your brother.]

Hearing that voice which didn't exist again, everyone still found it somewhat difficult to get used to.

Wei Baozhu, on the other hand, whose innocence had been proven, immediately felt more favorable toward Chacha.

Shen Anxin: [Oh, then I probably saw it wrong. Maybe she was looking at the crown prince.]

The Duke of Wei hurriedly reminded Wei Baozhu, who had no choice but to rein in her gaze.

Chacha: [The identities of the women present have been detected. It can be determined that there is a 90% chance today's flower-viewing banquet is being held for the crown prince.]

Shen Anxin: [Could they be about to settle on a crown princess? Chacha, quick, tell me! Whose home does the flower finally fall to?]

Everyone immediately pricked up their ears, and the young noble ladies couldn't help feeling their hearts beat faster.

Only Xiao Yanchen, who sat beside Shen Anxin, frowned slightly and lowered his eyes to drink his tea, as if he had nothing to do with what was happening.

Xiao Yanchen didn't want Shen Anxin to reveal his future, but clearly, there was no stopping it.

But since even matters of state could be changed, then the future of his private affairs could be changed as well. Everything should follow his heart.

Chacha: [Query complete: Crown princess, Wei Baozhu.]

When Wei Baozhu heard her own name, she nearly jumped for joy.

It's me! It really is me! I really married Crown Prince Cousin, whom I've wanted to marry since I was little!

This Chacha system really is a sage with eyes as sharp as torches.

Beside her, the Duke of Wei and his wife also looked excited. Then, like victors, they raised their heads proudly and looked at the other families present as though pretending to be gracious in victory.

The other families naturally looked unwilling and regretful, but they also knew that, now that Chacha had said it, Emperor Hongyao would most likely follow it and decree the marriage.

Emperor Hongyao and Xiao Yanchen's expressions remained unchanged. Their guesses had been more or less correct.

Empress Wei looked gratified and exchanged nods and smiles with the imperial consorts.

Just then, the tone of Shen Anxin's inner voice was full of disapproval.

Shen Anxin: [Huh? It really is her?]

Wei Baozhu instantly bristled. What do you mean? You have a problem with me? Shen Anxin, you really do have designs on Crown Prince Cousin...

The Duke of Wei and his wife hurriedly held Wei Baozhu down before she could explode.

The others looked at Shen Anxin excitedly. If this person whom Emperor Hongyao valued so highly disapproved, there might still be a chance for the choice of crown princess to change.

Xiao Yanchen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. Shen Anxin had just been praising Wei Baozhu.

Chacha: [Host, don't you like her?]

Wei Baozhu suddenly found herself hoping she could count on this unknown thing, Chacha, to help her refute Shen Anxin.

Chacha: [Although she was crown princess in name only and met a miserable end, you shouldn't know her future, Host. Why wouldn't you want her to be crown princess?]

Wei Baozhu: ...

What had she just heard?

In name only?

A miserable end?!

Aaaah!!!!