/Why am I the one who gets to choose a girl to make my future Empress?/
/Shouldn't it be Mingyi?/
/He's the Crown Prince, not me!/
"What about Mingyi?" Yuying asks aloud without even realizing it.
The Emperor's face instantly changes when she mentions his name.
"My dear Ming'er," the Emperor murmurs, "We both know why it's you instead of him."
/No, I don't!/
"Why isn't Mingyi the one who gets to choose?" Yuying pushes, "I'm not the Crown Prince, he is!"
"Ming'er!" the Emperor suddenly raises his voice. It's so thunderous and full of authority that even the palace staff that were busy working from a distance couldn't help but flinch.
Yuying gulps. She'd been so eager to know why Ming'er instead of Mingyi was the one getting to undergo the Choosing that she'd forgotten her place.
She forgot that she was speaking to the fucking Emperor.
"Father," Yuying immediately mutters as she gets on her knees, "I'm so sorry, Father, I didn't mean to..."
"That's enough, Ming'er, get up," the Emperor orders as he grabs his son by his arms and pulls him up. "I don't want you to ruin your outfit."
"Father," Yuying shakes her head, "I'm really sorry..."
"It's okay," the Emperor cuts her off before she can finish her sentence, "Just don't bring him up anymore."
A wide smile returns to the Emperor's face as he slaps Yuying on the back once again.
"After all, today is all about you," he grins.
Yuying takes in what had just happened.
/As if it isn't already strange enough that it's the Second Prince rather than the Crown Prince getting to undergo the Choosing.../
/The Emperor seems hesitant to talk about Mingyi, his first son, the lawful Crown Prince, next in line to the throne.../
/I wonder why I'm the one getting the Choosing instead of Mingyi..?/
Before Yuying can say anything else, a eunuch steps up to her and the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, Second Prince Zhao," the eunuch greets, "The guests have arrived at the Imperial Palace."
"Oh, that's wonderful news!" the Emperor lights up. He then claps his hands together to get everyone's attention.
Yuying notices everyone in the Main Hall immediately looks the Emperor's way before his palms even make contact with each other, as though they'd predicted that he would call for their attention in advance.
/I guess they've all been conditioned to living in the Imperial Palace./
"Everyone," the Emperor announces, "The guests will be arriving in the Main Hall shortly. I want everyone to get in your respective positions and to prepare for the Choosing to commence."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the palace staff reply simultaneously.
"I want everyone to put their best foot forward tonight," the Emperor reminds, "After all, I'm sure that we all know just how important the Choosing is in determining the future Empress of our kingdom."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the palace staff reply in unison again.
"I want everything to be perfect tonight," the Emperor emphasizes, "I don't want anything to go wrong, do you all understand me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the palace staff reply again, this time even more enthusiastic than the previous two times.
"By the way, has anyone seen the other princes?" the Emperor asks, "They're supposed to be here by now..."
Just then, two Imperial Guards push open the grand door of the Main Hall to reveal the other princes.
/Speak of the devil, huh./
Mingwu was standing beside Mingsan, who was standing behind Mingyi so that he could push his wheelchair.
They were all dressed in white robes with intricate silver patterns, though none of theirs was as elaborate and striking as that of Yuying's.
Even though Yuying knew that she wasn't getting married that night, she couldn't help but notice that the other princes look like her best men.
Yuying, on the other hand, felt like a groom, the most important person at the banquet tonight after the Emperor and the Empress.
Yuying gulps as she takes in the gravity of the situation.
/I'm more or less getting married, or at least, deciding who I want to marry in the future.../
/How am the fuck I supposed to do this...I've never had a boyfriend, let alone be married, for crying out loud...!/
/Besides, it's not right for me to make a decision on behalf of the real Ming'er.../
/It's not fair to him at all.../
This is weighing heavily on Yuying's shoulders.
She doesn't have a concrete plan on how to proceed, not does she have one to escape the situation.
Although Yuying had read and watched Chinese literature and Chinese dramas, it was one thing to sit and watch as a bystander, and another to be the one who is directly involved in and influencing the situation.
/I don't know what to do./
/I guess I'll just go with the flow and see how it goes./
/I really hope I don't screw anything up./
Her brothers seem to approach in slow motion. Mingyi giving her the soft smile that he'd given her at the pavilion, while Mingwu was tugging at Mingsan's robes, clamouring to let him push Mingyi's wheelchair.
Just then, Yuying realized something.
There was no sign of the elusive Mingsi, who Yuying still hasn't met yet.
Yuying furrows her brows.
/That's strange./
/Why isn't Mingsi with them?/
/Shouldn't all of the princes be present for such an important occasion...?/
Yuying got so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize when the other princes were now standing right before her.
"Father, Second Brother," Mingyi, Mingsan, and Mingwu greeted simultaneously with their hands put together.
"Wow, Big Brother looks so handsome!" Mingwu exclaims. He giggles as he hops over to Yuying and clutches her leg.
"Wow, this dragon on your robes look so real!" Mingwu chirps as he traces the pattern with the tip of his finger, "It looks like it's gonna fly off your robes at anytime..."
"Mingwu," Mingyi grunts as he pulls his younger brother up by the scroff as though he was a puppy, "Get up, behave yourself."
Mingwu pouts before releasing Yuying and getting back up to stand beside Mingyi and Mingsan.
Yuying couldn't help but smile slightly as just how adorable and curious Mingwu was.
/He's such a cinammon roll.../
The Emperor nodded at his other sons. "Get into your positions," he ordered, "I'm sure that you all know where you're supposed to be, am I right?"
"Yes, Father," the princes replied in unison as they bowed their heads again.
The Emperor nodded, before beaming at Yuying again. "All the best tonight, Ming'er," he grins before he turns to leave.
As soon as the Emperor has left, Yuying's brothers beam at her. Well, just Mingyi and Mingsan, actually.
Mingwu has gone back to kneeling down beside Yuying and tracing the delicate embroidery patterns on her robe with his finger.
Yuying chuckles as she ruffles Mingwu's hair.
"Look at you, Little Brother," Mingyi smiles softly at Yuying, "You look like you're gonna make all the ladies in the nation swoon over you tonight."
"Nah, Big Brother's going to do even more than that," Mingsan grins as he wiggles his brows suggestively.
Yuying doesn't know what he means by that.
"So, Big Brother," Mingsan drawls as he swings an arm around Yuying's shoulder, "How many ladies do you think you're gonna bed tonight?"
Yuying immediately clasps her hands over Mingwu's ears by reflex, even though the little boy probably didn't even know what Mingsan by meant by that.
Yuying doesn't see this coming. She instantly goes red in the face as she fumbles to come up with an answer.
"M-Ming...Mingsan!" she splutters indignantly, to which Mingsan cackles wickedly.
/I've never even done it before!/
"I'm not gonna be bedding anyone tonight!" Yuying proclaims a little too loudly.
Everyone in the Main Hall instantly turns to look at Yuying, who goes even redder in the face.
"Chill out, Big Brother, I'm just messing with you," Mingsan teases, "There's no need for you to be so enthusiastic..."
Embarrassed, Yuying clasps a hand over her mouth. She tries to tell the palace staff to go back to what they're doing, but can only manage squeaks.
Noticing Yuying's visible struggle, Mingyi orders the palace staff to go back to what they're doing on her behalf.
"What are all of you looking at?" he drawls, "Get back to what you're doing. The guests will be arriving here any second."
"Yes, Crown Prince Zhao," the palace staff reply as they immediately scramble back to what they'd been doing.
The title "Crown Prince Zhao" reminds Yuying about the question that'd been probbing at her mind just a few minutes ago.
/Why am I the one getting the Choosing instead of Mingyi?/
/It doesn't make any sense. After all, he's the Crown Prince, not me.../
Yuying's tempted to ask. However, based on the Emperor's reaction earlier, she has an inkling that it's a sensitive topic that she shouldn't be bringing up, especially not at her own Choosing ceremony.
And so, Yuying decides to clear the awkwardness by asking the next burning question that she has.
"Where's Mingsi?" she asks.
Mingyi and Mingsan's eyes widen at the mention of the Fourth Prince. They state at Yuying as though she'd grown a second head.
/Did I say something wrong?/
Mingwu, on the other hand, starts clapping his hands.
"Big Bad Wolfie!" he exclaims excitedly, "Big Bad Wolfie, Big Bad Wolfie, Big Bad..."
"Mingwu," Mingyi warns firmly as he clasps his hand over Mingwu's mouth and sits him onto his lap. "That's enough, behave yourself."
Mingwu tries to say something, but it comes out muffled. He struggles for a moment before licking Mingyi's palm.
Rather than feelin disgusted, Mingyi immediately retracts his palm and wipes it on Mingwu's sleeve. The latter immediately starts squealing in dismay.
"Mingsi?" Mingsan cocks his head as though it was his first time hearing his fourth brother's name.
"Why would you want Mingsi at your Choosing?" he asks, "You hate each other to the core."
/What?/
/Ming'er and Mingsi hate each other?/
Yuying furrows internally as she takes in this new information.
/But why...?/
"Ming'er," Mingyi suddenly says as he take Yuying's hand with the hand that Mingwu hadn't licked, "Don't worry about him."
He smiles softly at Yuying.
"Don't worry about anything," he reassures.
"After all, today is all about you."
Yuying is momentarily taken back.
/That's exactly what the Emperor said earlier./
She glances at Mingyi skeptically.
/There seems to be more to his words than he lets on.../
/I wonder what it is.../
However, before Yuying could even say anything, the doors of the Main Hall burst open.
"The guests have arrived!" one of the palace staff announces.
Everyone immediately goes to their respective positions upon hearing this.
The princes follow suit.
"We'll catch you later, Big Brother," Mingsan pats Yuying on the back and shoots her a wink before placing his hands on Mingyi's wheelchair.
"Good luck, Little Brother," Mingyi says quietly to Yuying, "May you choose the best maiden tonight."
"Big Brother is gonna get married!" Mingwu chirps excitedly as he bounces on Mingyi's lap, "Big Brother is gonna get married..."
With that, all of the princes take their seats.
Yuying returns to her place, right beside the Emperor.
As soon as she's back in her place, the Emperor grins at her before he gets up from his throne.
He claps his hands together.
"Let the Choosing begin!"