CHAPTER 117 — THE WIFE HE DARES TO CLAIM
For a long moment, the Empress waited in silence, her gaze steady upon the Third Prince. She had asked him a question that few dared to pose so directly — a question that touched upon his intentions, his ambitions, and the woman who had unwittingly become the centre of a quiet storm.
Ye Lan Jue finally spoke.
"This king merely wishes to marry a wife."
His tone was light, almost indifferent, yet the words carried a weight that settled heavily in the air. There was no arrogance, no jest, no political manoeuvring hidden beneath the surface. It was a simple statement — but simplicity, in the mouth of Ye Lan Jue, was never without significance.
The Empress blinked, taken aback. She had expected evasion, perhaps a polite deflection. She had not expected honesty.
Nor had she expected that answer.
A wife.
Not a consort.
Not a political alliance.
Not a stepping stone.
A wife.
The distinction was subtle, but unmistakable.
She drew a slow breath. "Xin'er may not be the sort of wife one expects in a noble household," she said carefully. "She is not the quiet, gentle, obedient girl who manages the inner court with grace and silence. She is… spirited. Independent. She does not fit the mould."
The Empress paused, her expression softening with reluctant affection.
"She is not a woman who will sit behind a screen and embroider flowers. She is not a woman who will bow her head and swallow grievances. She is not a woman who will be content to remain in the shadows."
Ye Lan Jue's lips curved faintly — a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.
"That," he said quietly, "is precisely why she suits me."
The Empress stared at him.
He continued, his voice low and steady. "If I wanted a quiet woman, I would have married long ago. If I wanted a docile wife, I would have chosen one of the many who were offered to me. But I did not."
His gaze sharpened.
"What this king wants is not a woman who hides behind walls. I want a woman who stands beside me."
The Empress's heart tightened.
She had known Ye Lan Jue since he was a child — brilliant, proud, sharp as a blade. She had watched him grow into a man whose presence alone commanded attention. A man who rarely revealed his heart. A man who trusted few.
And now, he spoke of Tang Ke Xin with a clarity that left no room for doubt.
But she could not allow herself to be swayed.
"Your Highness," she said softly, "have you considered what such a marriage would mean for Xin'er? Whether it is what she wants?"
Ye Lan Jue's expression did not change, but something flickered in his eyes — a shadow, a tension, a hint of something unspoken.
The Empress pressed on.
"Xin'er is gifted. Too gifted. She shines too brightly. In this palace, brilliance is both a blessing and a curse. She is more capable than most noble daughters. More perceptive. More daring. More intelligent."
Her voice lowered.
"And because of that, she is more vulnerable."
Ye Lan Jue's jaw tightened.
The Empress continued, "The Crown Prince has already expressed interest in her. And today, I saw clearly that Your Highness feels the same."
Ye Lan Jue did not deny it.
The Empress sighed. "I do not wish for Xin'er to become a prize fought over by princes. I do not wish for her to be dragged into the struggle for power."
Ye Lan Jue's voice was quiet, but firm. "Then what marriage does Your Majesty believe suits her?"
It was rare for him to speak so much. Rarer still for him to ask a question so directly.
The Empress hesitated.
"I only want Xin'er to be happy," she said at last. "If she loves someone, I will support her. If she does not, I will not force her. I will not allow anyone — not even a prince — to push her into a marriage she does not desire."
Ye Lan Jue's eyes narrowed slightly.
He understood the Empress's meaning perfectly.
She was warning him.
She was telling him to step back.
She was telling him that Tang Ke Xin's heart was not his to claim.
He exhaled slowly. "This king understands."
The Empress blinked, surprised by his calmness.
But Ye Lan Jue's next words revealed the truth beneath his composure.
"But understanding," he said softly, "does not mean I will give up."
The Empress's breath caught.
Ye Lan Jue continued, "I will not force her. But I will not let her go."
His voice was quiet, but the conviction in it was unshakeable.
The Empress felt a strange mixture of relief and dread.
Relief — because he was not the sort to coerce.
Dread — because he was the sort who never surrendered.
She opened her mouth to speak again, but Ye Lan Jue had already turned away.
---
Meanwhile, Tang Ke Xin and Ye Lan Chen walked side by side through the palace corridors. The lanterns cast long shadows across the stone floor, and the night air carried the faint scent of plum blossoms.
Ye Lan Chen frowned suddenly. "Xin'er, why did Mother keep Third Brother behind? Does she want to ask him something?"
Tang Ke Xin's brows twitched. She did not answer immediately.
Ye Lan Chen continued, "Could it be… Mother suspects Third Brother had something to do with what happened to me?"
Tang Ke Xin stopped walking.
She stared at him.
Then she sighed.
"Ye Lan Chen," she said slowly, "what exactly is inside your head? Water?"
He blinked, confused. "What did I say?"
Tang Ke Xin rubbed her temples. "If the Empress suspected the Third Prince, she would not have kept him behind now. And she certainly would not have spoken to him alone."
Ye Lan Chen looked even more puzzled. "Then why—"
Tang Ke Xin cut him off.
"Forget that. Let us talk about you."
Ye Lan Chen straightened instinctively, like a child about to be scolded.
Tang Ke Xin glared at him. "How could you be tricked so easily? In broad daylight, inside the palace, you allowed yourself to be led away by a stranger? And then you were drugged, stripped, and thrown onto Imperial Concubine Ning's bed!"
Ye Lan Chen's ears turned red.
"I… I thought he was a palace guard," he muttered. "He said he had something important to tell me…"
Tang Ke Xin stared at him in disbelief.
"A guard? Approaching you? During a banquet? With the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince all present?"
Ye Lan Chen shrank slightly. "I… didn't think about that."
Tang Ke Xin threw her hands up. "Of course you didn't! With your level of awareness, even if someone sold you, you would help them count the money!"
Ye Lan Chen lowered his head, thoroughly chastened.
Tang Ke Xin sighed again, softer this time. "Listen carefully. Do not trust strangers. Do not follow anyone without verifying who they are. And even if you know them, if the situation is strange, do not believe them so easily."
Ye Lan Chen nodded vigorously. "Yes. I understand. I won't do it again."
Tang Ke Xin studied him for a moment.
He looked genuinely remorseful.
And genuinely earnest.
She softened slightly. "Good."
But before she could say more, a familiar presence approached from behind.
Ye Lan Jue.
He had arrived silently, as he always did — a shadow, a storm, a force that filled the space without effort.
His gaze swept over Tang Ke Xin and Ye Lan Chen.
And something darkened in his eyes.
Jealousy.
Sharp, unhidden, and simmering beneath the surface.
Tang Ke Xin had scolded Ye Lan Chen openly. She had called him by name. She had shown him a side of herself Ye Lan Jue had never seen — unguarded, natural, unrestrained.
She had never spoken to him that way.
Never used his name so casually.
Never revealed such raw emotion in his presence.
Ye Lan Jue's jaw tightened.
This woman…
She treated Ye Lan Chen differently.
And he hated it.