The Fourth Prince's carriage stopped outside Gao Yang's residence.
Inside the carriage, Dantai Mo's eyes were half closed, a trace of displeasure on his handsome face.
Jian Ruonan's thoughts came through in fits and starts, mixed with crackling static. Even listening closely, he could barely make them out.
Dantai Mo: A high-level system?
I really am a high-level system, code name Black Tortoise, the Black Tortoise System said. I'm just out of lamp oil. When lamp oil runs low, all sorts of unpredictable things can happen.
With a full tank of lamp oil, you can hear clearly even from far away!
The Black Tortoise System certainly didn't want the Fourth Prince looking down on it.
Shut up. Dantai Mo fingered the string of tourmaline beads in his hand and slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were nearly black, his brows and hair dark as well. Dressed in a Black Brocade Robe, he exuded noble refinement beneath his languid air, his handsome bearing beyond any profane touch.
He had followed them this time to confirm whether he could hear Jian Ruonan's thoughts. Now that he had, he could find another chance to steal lamp oil-no, to talk to her.
A prince of the realm, and he had nearly been led astray by a system.
Dantai Mo took a deep breath to steady himself. After hearing her thoughts, he decided to get out and meet Fifth Miss of the Jinyang Marquis's Residence.
He had noticed that Fifth Miss seemed to have a special source of intelligence. Unless he was mistaken, it was probably a function of her system.
Hadn't it said Fifth Miss was bound to a low-level system?
Yet a low-level system had such a powerful intelligence-gathering function.
His own system did nothing except boast about its high level.
Utterly useless!
The Black Tortoise System: I'm just out of lamp oil. Once I fill up...
Dantai Mo: Shut up!
This useless system painted him hundreds of rosy pictures every day. His ears were practically growing calluses from listening.
He would see whether the useless system remained this useless once it was full of lamp oil!
The residence's gates were tightly shut, and he wasn't sure how to get inside.
"Go tell them to open the gates," Dantai Mo instructed his Imperial Guard. "Say this residence has caught my eye, and ask whether the owner will sell."
Ever since the Fourth Prince had fallen from his horse, his behavior had grown increasingly eccentric. His Majesty indulged him nonetheless, and if he wanted to force a commoner to sell their home, no one dared say a word.
Before the Imperial Guard could knock, the gates suddenly opened. A large red-bay horse charged out of the courtyard, heading straight for the Hequ Horse pulling the carriage.
Carriage horses were generally docile, and this Hequ Horse had even been bestowed on the Fourth Prince by His Majesty.
"Neigh-" The large red-bay horse leaped up, throwing its forequarters over the Hequ Horse's hindquarters and successfully mounting it on the first try.
The Black Tortoise System: Watch out, Your Highness. I know this horse. It just ate the pastries Fifth Miss laced with a potent aphrodisiac.
Dantai Mo: *...*
No one dared approach to pull horses apart while they were mating. This red-bay horse was clearly behaving abnormally, wildly overstimulated. Its antics nearly overturned the carriage.
The Black Tortoise System: That potent aphrodisiac works pretty well.
Dantai Mo: *...*
The Black Tortoise System: Perfect. We've found an excuse to enter the residence.
Your Highness, make sure you exchange a few more words with Fifth Miss!
The servant tending the horse thought something truly uncanny was happening today. The normally gentle Red-Bay Horse had charged into two groups of distinguished visitors for no apparent reason.
One was an official, the other a prince.
Tending horses really was a miserable job.
Inside the courtyard, Gao Yang was still kneeling and kowtowing, begging his prospective father-in-law's forgiveness.
The steward personally escorted the Fourth Prince inside.
Dantai Mo had barely entered when he heard, The Third Prince wanted to get the Duke of Ping under his thumb...
The Third Prince, Dantai Huai, was Consort Xian's eldest son and the same age as the Empress's son, the Second Prince, Dantai Jing. Unlike the Second Prince, who eagerly involved himself in affairs of state, the Third Prince was mild-tempered, neither competing nor contending, and had shown no desire for the position of Crown Prince.
He wasn't particularly close to the Third Prince, but compared with his relationships with the other princes, theirs was fairly good.
His third brother seemed to get along well with everyone, always playing the amiable fellow, smiling all day long.
Who would have thought his third brother had already begun laying plans behind the scenes?
The Duke of Ping was an old associate of his imperial father. Back when his father was still a prince, the duke had been his study companion, and he had also helped his father ascend the throne.
The Duke of Ping was loyal only to his imperial father and generally kept his distance from the grown princes.
Clearly, his third brother had considerable ambitions.
Kneeling on the ground, Gao Yang suddenly saw the Fourth Prince arrive and froze, unsure what to do.
Jian Zhang was somewhat bewildered as well. Why had the Fourth Prince come? Hadn't Nannan just said that this mistress had been sent by the Third Prince?
What was the Fourth Prince doing here?
The manager hurriedly explained, "Red-Bay Horse startled His Highness the Fourth Prince's horse."
Don't tell me Red-Bay Horse forced himself on the Fourth Prince's horse?!
The Fourth Prince's poor horse!
Jian Ruonan stole a glance at Dantai Mo, her gaze rather peculiar.
Dantai Mo: "..."
At this distance, he could hear her thoughts very clearly.
The girl was tiny, but she certainly knew a lot.
The Fourth Prince really gets better-looking the more you look at him. That face is straight out of a character model. His good looks could shatter the heavens!!!
Surely no one would dare object if he were called the most handsome man in Great Xia.
Dantai Mo's fingers paused on the tourmaline beads.
The girl had excellent taste.
Jian Ruonan held a hand over her little chest and sneaked looks at the Fourth Prince.
Once a darling of heaven, now unable even to stand, Dantai Mo still possessed extraordinary grace, composed and dignified. How heartbreaking.
What a shame, what a shame. Such a gorgeous guy, and he ended up paralyzed.
Dantai Mo: "..."
For looking only, not for use. No wonder I can face such a handsome man without my expression changing, my heart as still as water!
Heaven really is cruel. Such a smoking-hot guy, left paralyzed and unable to perform. What a criminal waste of heaven's gifts!
Heaven, could you please act like a decent human being!
Dantai Mo: "..."
He needed oxygen.
What was all this nonsense?
Jian Zhang: "..."
Nan Nan's inner world was rather treasonous. Luckily, the Fourth Prince couldn't hear her. If he could, wouldn't he draw a sword and cleave her apart on the spot?
Earlier, Jian Zhang and Min had discussed it privately. Apparently, only Nannan's immediate family could hear her thoughts; no one else could. They would have to tell Jian Huayuan and Jian Huateng before they came home, lest the two make a fuss.
Jian Zhang led his wife and daughters in paying their respects to the Fourth Prince. Jian Ruonan imitated her elder sister, looking like an utterly delicate little white rabbit. "May Your Highness Prince Rui enjoy good health."
Dantai Mo offered her the tourmaline beads in his hand. "Here, take this little trinket to play with."
The tourmaline beads were vividly colored and beautifully translucent, each as large as a longan, smooth and fine to the touch. Since the Fourth Prince had taken them off his own wrist, they were surely worth a fortune.
Jian Ruonan's eyes went wide at receiving such a lavish gift.
This Fourth Prince is generous. He's someone worth knowing.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Fourth Prince." Jian Ruonan lowered her gaze demurely and bowed to him again.
System, this is worth more than gold, right? System, I'm rich!!!
The system: Nan Nan, watch the corners of your mouth. Your mouth!
Dantai Mo: "..."
The Black Tortoise System: Your Highness, Fifth Miss of the Jinyang Marquis's Residence loves money. Bury her in it!!
Your Highness, when you two spoke just now, my whole body filled up with lamp oil!!
Dantai Mo: Shut up!
While Gao Yang was apologizing to the Fourth Prince, Jian Zhang prepared to leave with his wife and daughters.
The emperor was in his prime, and several princes had already reached adulthood. Jian Zhang wanted no involvement with them. One careless misstep could bring a crime punishable by confiscation of his property and extermination of his clan.
He was absolutely going to call off Xilu's marriage into the Duke of Pingguo Residence.
After Jian Zhang left, the Fourth Prince departed with his attendants as well, switching to an ordinary flat-topped carriage to follow them.
Jian Ruonan's carriage didn't return directly to the residence. Instead, it detoured to a gold shop. When she received the gold bracelet her elder sister bought her, she erupted into another inward burst of jubilant cheers.
After buying the gold bracelet, they went to the Five-Flavors Pavilion and bought plenty of pastries.
The Fourth Prince followed quietly behind, listening to her thoughts.
Mostly, he wanted to hear more about the Third Prince.
Instead, he heard nothing about the Third Prince at all. He heard Jian Ruonan apparently doing something called pulling cards, while singing something about "Good Luck Is Coming."
Dantai Mo: What is pulling cards?
The Black Tortoise System: It's a gambling-like game exclusive to little systems. Fifth Miss is quite unusual. Her elder sister is educated and well-mannered, accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and renowned for her talents. She, on the other hand, is not only lazy but greedy and fond of gambling. She also seems to have a bit of a weakness for handsome men...
Dantai Mo: *...*
Before you continue