Just as I entered the main gate, a young man in plain clothes approached me.

　　He had arched sword-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a high-bridged nose.

　　His appearance was incredibly beautiful, completely contrasting with his plain clothes.

　　"This humble one greets Princess Ba." He respectfully bowed to me.

　　"No need for formalities." I quickly went to see Shen Fu and didn't pay much attention to this person.

　　At this moment, it was just past the hour of Mao, and Shen Fu was practicing swordplay in the courtyard.

　　When he saw me, he put away his sword and looked at me with a smiling expression.

　　It seemed that he always smiled whenever he saw me.

　　"Why did you wake up so early today?" Oh, right, I usually slept until three poles past sunrise, so getting up at Mao was indeed rare.

　　I cleared my throat and looked at him seriously, asking, "Brother, are you going to marry?"

　　Shen Fu's eyes flickered slightly, almost imperceptibly, at my words.

　　After a moment, he said in a gentle voice, "The Empress mentioned this a few days ago." I pressed further, "Does Brother have a preferred candidate?" "I suppose so," Shen Fu replied slowly.

　　"Who?" "Feng Qingcheng, the second Miss of the Feng family." "No." "Good," I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again, "So, which girl from which family has captured Brother's heart?" Shen Fu merely looked at me without saying a word.

　　Could it be...

　　at the thought of that possibility, my heart ached for a moment.

　　"Brother, rest assured, I won't do anything to that girl.

　　In the past, I mistook my fondness for Brother as romantic love, but now I understand.

　　I will put myself in the right place and won't make things difficult for Brother and his future sister-in-law." Shen Fu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

　　"I know Brother may not believe me completely, so I have already sought permission from Father Emperor.

　　In three days, a husband will be chosen for me." As the final note fell, there was a sudden silence all around.

　　A gentle breeze brushed by, causing the stray strands of hair on Shen Fu's forehead to sway in the wind.

　　His upturned phoenix eyes were filled with emotions that I couldn't understand.

　　After a while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Are you serious?" I nodded, "Yes." "I'm almost seventeen, so I should choose a husband." I have always been true to my words, so this afternoon, portraits of noble ladies from prestigious families were sent to the Eastern Palace, and the next day, portraits of noble gentlemen were sent to my Hai Tang Hall.

　　The Duke of Guo's eldest son, the Prime Minister's second son, the Grand Tutor's eldest son...

　　logically speaking, as a neglected daughter of a concubine like me, I would never be able to reach this level of gentry husbands.

　　But that's because I have a good elder brother.

　　The emperor had nine sons, and Shen Su was the eldest biological son.

　　With a powerful maternal family and his own exceptional abilities, he surpassed everyone in the court, leaving no thought for the ministers to support the other princes.

　　They knew very well that unless Shen Su died, no prince could take the throne from him.

　　As the most beloved sister of the future emperor, there were numerous powerful and influential figures who wanted to marry me, hoping to benefit from being associated with Shen Su.

　　Moreover, I was also quite attractive as the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor's family, known as the top talented and beautiful woman in Shengjing.

　　In fact, based solely on appearance, I was often compared to her as Shengjing's "Twin Beauties".

　　After I reached the age of fifteen, many aristocratic youths and even the emperor himself sought to marry me.

　　However, because I had my eyes on Shen Su at that time, I rejected them all.

　　"This one looks pretty good." I carefully examined the portrait in my hand, leaving Song Xue astonished.

　　"Princess, have you truly let go of the Crown Prince?" "...I really can't pretend anymore." Seeing how seriously I was selecting the portrait, Song Xue finally believed me.

　　She glanced at the portrait in my hand and muttered softly, "He is indeed good, but compared to His Highness the Crown Prince, he falls a bit short." I tightened my grip on the portrait.

　　My mind began to wander.

　　Shen Su was the emperor's eldest biological son and was declared Crown Prince at birth, adorned with endless glory.

　　He lived up to everyone's expectations, excelling in both literary and military arts, and exuding extraordinary charisma and grace in every aspect.

　　His every word and action set an example for the royal family.

　　What's more, he had the appearance to cause trouble for the nation and its people.

　　Besides rumors of being involved with men or hidden illnesses, there was not a single flaw to be found.

　　Because of this, Shen Su not only gained the admiration of numerous females, but also many men who appreciated his talent in both literature and martial arts.

　　Having seen such a person, it was difficult for other men to catch my eye.

　　I picked and chose, selecting again and again, but I couldn't find anyone satisfactory.

　　I felt that none of them could compare to Shen Su.

　　This one had good looks, but he was a debauchee, that one had a good personality, but he was too rigid and had a perpetually stern face as if everyone owed him money.

　　This one had both good looks and character, but he was too slick and irritating.

　　There was also one who was good in every aspect, even Song Xue thought he was good, but...

　　I decided to give it a try.

　　Coincidentally, during the Lantern Festival, the young master from the Li family that Song Xue thought highly of invited me to go together.

　　I agreed.