Although the Empress decided to let the prince choose, it was ultimately a sudden whim, and the prince from Ganli Kingdom had not explicitly expressed such intentions.

After the morning court session, the matter was settled. None of the princesses would willingly become the legitimate wife of this prince. It all depended on who could gain his favor and win him over.

Ganli Kingdom is wealthy and strategically located. If a marriage alliance could be achieved, it would be a significant achievement for the princesses in terms of future prospects for ascending the throne.

After the morning court session, Shen Meng first went to the Hanlin Academy to tidy up some minor matters, entrusted her belongings to her trusted colleagues, and hurriedly made her way to the Imperial Hospital. When she arrived, she glanced at her previous spot but didn’t see Liang Jue’s figure.

For a moment, various palace intrigues flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety. Although she was thinking in a negative direction, she didn’t stop walking. Instead, she turned and headed towards the area where the herbs were being dried.

After walking for a while, she finally spotted a familiar figure. She heaved a sigh of relief, and her pace naturally slowed down.

The weather was beautiful today. When she arrived in the morning, the sun had just peeked out from the east, painting half of the sky red, with gentle and non-glaring hues.

By the time she left the morning court session, the sun had climbed from the level of the rooftops to the zenith. Although the shadows were still long when standing under the sun, the red glow had faded, revealing the original deep blue color of the sky.

The timing was perfect. The young pharmacy attendant had already laid out various herbs for drying, and the air was filled with a strong medicinal fragrance.

A young pharmacy attendant pointed out the precious herbs one by one to Liang Jue, with a hint of pride on her young face, appearing eager to teach. Liang Jue nodded attentively as he listened, so focused that he hadn’t even noticed her arrival. Standing in the sunlight, a few strands of his soft hair slipped out from the bun secured by a jade hairpin.

His lips curled slightly, his eyes forming a beautiful arc. Shen Meng felt a flutter in her heart as she walked lightly, quietly approaching Liang Jue from behind. With her index finger, she gently tucked the loose strands of hair behind his ear.

Her sudden proximity startled Liang Jue, and when he turned his head to see her face, he stood still, dumbfounded, allowing her to take action.

Shen Meng hadn’t forgotten to inquire about his hunger: “Have you been waiting here for a long time? Are you hungry?”

Liang Jue shook his head, his smile particularly clear and pure: “Mr. Zhang here brought me some refreshments. I ate a bit, so I’m not hungry. Plus, I’ve been learning the names of these herbs, so time flew by without me feeling bored.”

“That’s good then. We should thank Mr. Zhang.” Just as Shen Meng finished speaking, the young pharmacy attendant blushed and said, “I’m not a mister, you should address me as such. I’m young, just call me Xiao Zhang.”

Lastly, he added, blushing, “Sir Liang is very kind and thoughtful, taking care of him is no trouble at all.”

He was just a pharmacy attendant, without any rank, not comparable to the medical officers favored by the powerful. Although Shen Meng’s official position was higher than him, Liang Jue, as a young master, couldn’t bear to be thanked by his wife.

Shen Meng didn’t say much more, pulling her husband aside and saying, “I have a lot to do today, so I’m afraid I can’t accompany you earlier. How about this, I’ll take you out later, and the senior guards of the palace will escort you back.”

Liang Jue raised an eyebrow and asked her, “Didn’t you say earlier that you were going to take me to see that prince today? Why the sudden change of plans?”

Although he hadn’t initially intended to meet the prince, since Shen Meng had brought him down, it was better to resolve everything at once to avoid him having to worry about it later.

“Today isn’t a good time, and I’ve reconsidered. There’s no need for us to privately meet him.”

If Shen Meng had repeated that it was because she was too busy with tasks, he would believe this excuse, but Shen Meng changed her approach, leaving him no choice but to inquire further: “What’s going on? Why the sudden change of plans?”

Earlier, when Shen Meng said they were going, he felt it unnecessary, but now that she said they weren’t, there must be another reason.

Shen Meng frowned, “Can’t I just change my mind suddenly?”

Liang Jue said seriously, “No! As the wife, you should be decisive. Changing your mind like this requires a proper reason.”

It was one story before the morning court, and another after. He pursed his lips and continued, “You didn’t tell me what happened at the morning court. I could ask my elder sister or my mother to find out, but I’d rather hear it from you. Don’t treat me, your husband, as an outsider.”

Shen Meng retorted, “I don’t treat you as an outsider.” Really, if she did, she wouldn’t be behaving this way.

Liang Jue nodded firmly, “I know, but can you tell me now why?”

Shen Meng lowered her voice, “I wanted you to accompany me there earlier just to resolve something. Weren’t you complaining that someone was too affectionate towards me, calling him a troublemaker?”

Liang Jue looked surprised, a hint of reproach in his tone, “If that’s the reason, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Though he wasn’t happy about seeing a romantic rival, if it was to help someone give up, he would gladly go.

“That’s because there are other things I need help with. I haven’t fully considered what to say when we get there,” Shen Meng explained. She didn’t like discussing uncertain matters in advance.

“So, why did you change your mind? Did Her Majesty issue a marriage decree for the prince of Ganli Kingdom during the morning court?”

Today wasn’t the day for those envoys to enter the court, and after thinking it over, the only thing that could make Shen Meng feel it unnecessary was a marriage decree.

Shen Meng nodded and shook her head, “It’s similar to that. Her Majesty didn’t issue a decree, but mentioned that the princesses should strive on their own to win the affection of that prince.”

If the Empress said so, who would dare to compete with those princesses for a man’s attention? And she could totally predict that. In order to win the prince’s heart, those princes would definitely rack their brains and use all their tricks to please him.

With so many princesses around, the time of the prince of Ganli Kingdom would surely be fully occupied, naturally leaving no time to bother her.

She paused for a moment, subconsciously scuffing the ground with her toe a couple of times, and dryly said, “And I just remembered that those matters could be handled by someone else, not necessarily me going to the post station.”

She couldn’t remember every detail from her past life’s memories, like this prince from the small country. She did remember there was such a thing, but she couldn’t recall his final outcome clearly. It was only during the morning court when she heard those ministers debating that she remembered his ultimate fate.

If she remembered correctly, he married the eldest princess as a concubine. Even though he was a prince, once he got married, he wouldn’t have much power and couldn’t flirt with other women.

It became clear then. This wasn’t some romantic pursuit; he was probably just trying to amuse himself.

Thinking about this, she wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or relieved.

While she spoke, Liang Jue had been observing her subtle expressions. After hearing her explanation, and confirming she wasn’t lying, he let out a long sigh of relief, “Well, if that’s the case, then it’s for the best.”

As a prince for a political marriage, he might not be as happy as one would think. Despite their prestigious status, they couldn’t freely choose whom they liked. He was better off in this regard; at least his wife was his own choice, his beloved, even if she wasn’t perfect, he had accepted her.

Seeing Shen Meng’s subtle expression, he sighed again, “He has his responsibilities. I suppose he sought solace in you due to his inner turmoil. Although despicable, the best thing we can do is to cut ties with him completely, pretend he never existed.”

The other party’s identity was like a hot potato; he didn’t want Shen Meng to have any contact with the former anymore, nor did he want to think about him. Whether dislike or affection, there shouldn’t be any emotions related to that person.

Shen Meng didn’t harbor much resentment, but Liang Jue’s words made her chuckle inwardly. She couldn’t vent her anger on the prince, nor could she take it out on Liang Jue, so she just ruffled his hair vigorously, messing it up, then finally stopped, satisfied, “Look at you, speaking so lightly. It’s not that easy to erase someone from existence.”

Liang Jue tidied up his tousled hair, enunciating each word, “As long as you want, nothing is impossible.”

Perhaps because his hairstyle was messed up, Shen Meng found his tone quite angry as he spoke, as if each word was forced out with great effort, with a hint of gritted teeth.

Without a mirror, Liang Jue’s hair still looked a bit disheveled, at least compared to when he entered the palace. Seeing his frustrated expression, Shen Meng burst into laughter, feeling her mood lighten up a bit. She kindly used one hand to steady Liang Jue’s shoulder and the other to meticulously tidy up his hair.

Initially, Liang Jue thought she was going to tease him again, so he turned his head away and struggled a bit.

Shen Meng lowered her voice and slightly increased the pressure on his shoulder, “I’m just helping you with your hair, don’t resist. Professor Do Min-joon from ‘My Love from the Star’ is teaching you.”

She leaned in close, and Liang Jue could smell the faint fragrance emanating from her, his cheeks blushing slightly.

He stammered, “G-Got it.” He didn’t fidget, obediently standing still.

Shen Meng was extremely meticulous, and using her nimble fingers to comb through those soft strands didn’t feel troublesome at all. After about a short while, she restored his hair to its original state.

However, there was no pond nearby, so after she finished, she lowered her head slightly, aligning her gaze with Liang Jue’s.

Their cheeks were very close, her breath brushing against Liang Jue’s face. Realizing they were not in her own backyard, Liang Jue’s fair face turned a slight shade of pink.

“W-Why are you suddenly so close? We’re still outside.” He could have pushed Shen Meng away, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

Shen Meng lifted his chin with her finger. “Look into my eyes and tell me what you feel.”

Liang Jue obediently gazed into her eyes for a moment before answering, “Your eyes are beautiful.”

His favorite thing in the world was his wife’s eyes, especially in this position. He felt like her eyes were filled with him alone, giving him a sense of being cherished.

Feeling so content, he secretly hoped time could slow down a bit, freezing this moment forever.

Shen Meng continued, “I didn’t ask about that. I meant, did you see your reflection?”

Liang Jue instinctively nodded. “Yes, I saw it, a very clear reflection.” In his heart, he silently added, ‘And it’s just me, I hope it stays this way forever.’

Shen Meng immediately let go of his chin. “See, it’s just like when you entered the palace.”

“Oh,” Liang Jue responded, his tone sounding somewhat disappointed. He thought Shen Meng was moved by what he saw, but it turned out she just wanted him to see his reflection.

The thoughts of young men are too delicate, especially someone like Liang Jue. Shen Meng couldn’t quite understand what he had to be disappointed about, but she had already delayed for quite some time and didn’t intend to ask further.

“Alright, if you’re satisfied, I’ll take you back.”

Liang Jue obviously noticed the issue of time. “You’ve been in the Hanlin Academy for so long, is it really okay? I know the way myself, I can go alone.”

Shen Meng shook her head. “It’s fine, I asked Senior Gao for help. Let me accompany you a little longer.”

Being able to accompany him naturally was the best option. Since they were family, Liang Jue didn’t need to be polite anymore. Considering they were in the palace, they didn’t interlace their fingers; instead, Shen Meng walked ahead while Liang Jue followed closely behind.

Shen Meng walked briskly, and Liang Jue quickened his pace to keep up with her. Because of the speed, when she suddenly stopped, he couldn’t brake in time and bumped into her back.

Rubbing his sore nose, he peeked out from behind her. “Are we there already?” He remembered there was still quite a distance to the palace gate.

Shen Meng’s voice from above sounded somewhat muffled. “No, not yet, not so fast.”

Following her gaze, Liang Jue’s expression changed instantly.