On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness

"Prince Zhenbei Mansion is the main branch of the Leng Family, and Marquis Ningyuan's Mansion is a collateral branch, so Heir Lai is a clan brother to Leng Yu Yan, I suppose. Their being together doesn't seem odd," Jian Lecheng muttered softly.

However, Ye Yiheng knew that it was Leng Zongfa and Prince Zhenbei who were actually clan brothers, and that the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and Leng Yu Yan were already beyond the fifth degree of kinship, belonging to the sixth degree.

Jian Lecheng talked to himself, "But what if it's beyond the fifth degree?"

"Hm?"

His voice was clear and cold, with a considerable authority.

Seeing Ye Yiheng's gaze sweep over him, Jian Lecheng immediately shut his mouth.

Knowing full well that he couldn't be seen today, Jian Lecheng still felt as though there were knives in Ye Yiheng's gaze.

I've talked too much!

Jian Lecheng slapped his own mouth.

The sound was crisp.

Ye Yiheng withdrew his gaze. Even though marriage could take place outside the fifth degree of kinship...

Any self-respecting noble family wouldn't marry someone sharing the same surname!

"Back to the Eastern Palace," Ye Yiheng spoke again.

Jian Lecheng was puzzled, "Your Highness, are we not going to Xinya Academy?"

The calligraphy treasures of the Late Empress were to be sent to the academy to inspire the students. Why the sudden change of plans?

"Next time," Ye Yiheng replied.

"Why?" Jian Lecheng was very confused.

The birth month of the Late Empress was approaching; as per tradition, Xinya Academy always held a calligraphy competition to commemorate the Late Empress at this time.

Ye Yiheng glanced at him and said nothing.

Jian Lecheng hit his own forehead, "Could it be you don't want to see Lai Wu? You can't see today anyway. Besides, she's wearing a veil."

"Stop the noise!" Ye Yiheng uttered curtly with a cool tone and then closed his eyes to rest.

Inside Mozhai, Leng Yu Yan saw a government-regulated, broadly sized, and luxuriously decorated horse carriage stop and then go.

Such a grand carriage was hard not to notice, and she couldn't help but take a longer look.

That single glance allowed her to see the nameplate hanging outside the carriage—

The Eastern Palace!

Was Ye Yiheng inside?

If it were not for an imperial decree marrying them, she would not want to have any contact with him.

She had been having dreams for two months, and in each one, he strangled her.

She valued her life greatly!

The Heir of Prince Zhenbei also saw the Eastern Palace Carriage restart its journey, with a hint of a shallow smile forming on his lips. He then gave Leng Yu Yan a bow to say goodbye.

As Leng Yu Yan's gaze moved away from the departing carriage, the young man before her was saying a polite farewell, so she nodded in acknowledgment.

The young man walking away had a tall figure and handsome features, exuding both elegance and an imposing presence. Wei Ruili had earlier addressed him as the Princely Heir, but she wondered who he truly was.

Remembering how Wei Ruili acted around this man, like a mouse before a cat, she felt a little better from the annoyance of being pestered by Wei Ruili.

--

In the afternoon, the students of Class D attended their calligraphy lesson.

The teacher instructed the students to write the basic four characters "永风飞家," but only had Leng Yu Yan do tracing practice, tracing the character "一."

Although they were all Class D students, many looked down on their classmates, always trying to curry favor with those from Class A.

At this moment, hearing that Leng Yu Yan had to trace like a young child, many burst into sneers.

Lai Jiajia turned her head, intending to offer consolation, but she saw Leng Yu Yan earnestly tracing the character "一."

Witnessing her solemn and serious demeanor, Lai Jiajia couldn't bear to interrupt and thus kept silent.

After class, the fact that Leng Yu Yan needed to start from tracing red characters in learning to write a single character spread like wildfire to other classes.

Miss Xu found Lai Manting with a light laugh.

"Manting, your Fifth Sister is truly making a spectacle of herself. Regardless of how she got that Jade Token, just her writing..." She shook her head and covered her lips with her hand, "It's really surprising! She actually has to start from writing a single character, hahaha..."

Lai Manting's certain kind of smile faded as she pretended to be quite embarrassed, "Fifth Sister does not like reading or breaking down characters, and it's given our father quite the headache, making us the laughingstock."

"It's the laughingstock of the century, Manting! You're the talented girl of our class, how could you have such a sister?"

Lai Manting responded with grace, "Writing is extremely painful for her. Please, for my sake, keep your comments to a minimum."

"You're still protecting her. In my opinion, you're just too kind." Miss Xu raised her voice, "Look at this, what a contrast! One is beautiful, one is not; one is a talented girl, the other is a dolt."

"I'm flattered, but I wouldn't dare to claim the title of talented girl," Manting's smile grew even warmer.

With Leng Yu Yan as a foil, her reputation as a talented girl was growing louder.

It seemed that this little girl could not only marry on her behalf to the sickly Crown Prince who was blind to her faults, but she could also pave the way for her. She was quite useful.

When school was dismissed, Lai Manting went to Class D, wanting to show concern for Leng Yu Yan.

Yet, to her surprise, she saw her practicing brushstrokes.

A vertical hook.

One vertical, one hook, finishing the stroke.

The magical movement of the brush left Lai Manting utterly shocked.

She couldn't believe that just one lesson would allow her to write with such mastery; it must be a fluke.

Leng Yu Yan looked it over for a moment, quickly crumpled the paper into a ball, and, looking up at the doorway where Lai Manting stood, asked, "Third Sister, what brings you here?"

The surprise in Lai Manting's eyes disappeared as she smiled, "Let us go home together."

Leng Yu Yan tilted her head toward Lai Jiajia, who had just returned with the "Respectfully" sign, "No need, I will go with Sixth Sister."

"That's fine then." Lai Manting smiled again and turned to leave.

She had intended to see a joke but, who would have thought, the students of Class D were not to be tamed. While other classes were still discussing academic matters, theirs had already dispersed.

She didn't get the laugh she'd hoped for but instead witnessed the exquisite control of that vertical hook.

Lai Manting couldn't stop wondering how she might master that brush movement herself.

Lai Jiajia, staring blankly at the departing figure of Lai Manting, furrowed her brows, "Why did she come here?"

She had earlier suffered unbearable stomach pain and asked the teacher for a "Respectfully" sign to excuse herself. Returning from relieving herself, she found that the school day was over. Not only that, but she saw Lai Manting trying to cozy up to her.

Fifth Sister was key to their group. Was Lai Manting trying to cause trouble for her?

Truly annoying!

"She suggested that I go home with her," Leng Yu Yan put away her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, "Let's leave."

Lai Jiajia hooked her arm in delight, "You're so good to me, Sister, you wouldn't just leave me behind."

She used to sheepishly follow around the third and fourth, enduring ridicule while still keeping up a smile.

That was over.

She wouldn't do it anymore!

Fifth Sister might have spots on her face, but she had a kind heart.

Some people had spots in their hearts, and that was too much!

With the sisters exiting the academy, Miao Zhu and Qinxian were already at the horse carriage, eagerly awaiting them.

Both were helped into the carriage by their maids, and just as the carriage started moving, Lai Jiajia noticed something through the window and hurriedly pulled Leng Yu Yan to look.

"Sister, look!"

Looking in the direction she pointed, Leng Yu Yan saw Li Lu shyly slipping a wallet into Wei Ruili's hand just as he stepped out of the Imperial College gates.

"They..."

Before Leng Yu Yan could ask her question, Lai Jiajia snorted, "Sister, you're not aware. Not long after Uncle sent you away to the mountains, Aunt Hu intended to have Fourth Sister marry into the Wei Family. Fourth Sister set her heart on Wei Ruili because he was handsome. The two of them have been secretly involved for more than a day or two."

"Aunt Hu is charming, and Fourth Sister takes after her mother. It's no wonder these two have come together," Leng Yu Yan remarked calmly.

Lai Jiajia exclaimed in astonishment, "Sister, I truly admire that you can think this way!"