(BaiLing's pov)
Seeing the fifth prince agitated was quite amusing. But I was sure that the person watching from the shadow was having even more fun.
Since the fifth prince was so agitated, the effects of the drug seemed to be showing sooner, because soon, the fifth prince was making an excruciating face and was almost doubling over.
I quickly changed my expression to surprised and worried at the same time and asked him.
"Your highness! What's wrong?!"
On went over to his side and pretended to check on him. He was in so much pain it was hard for him to talk, but he still managed to say some things, though they were words that ruined his plan more than helped him. But this was precisely what I wanted.
"Why? Why am I in so much pain? The wine in the normal vale wasn't drugged. So, why am I in pain while she's still fine?"
Pretending to be shocked, I stood up and back away from him with a disbelief look on my face while saying.
"Yo... you... you drugged the wine? How could you?"
I was trying very hard to keep the tears coming, but my eyes were becoming dry now.
Me: "Why... why would you do that? I love you so much. How could you do this to me?"
I gripped my chest to make it seem like I was in so much pain. The fifth prince was able to gain back some energy and looked up at me while laughing like a mad man. He said to me.
"Huh. Why you ask. Because I need the throne. Marrying you is equivalent to gaining the throne.
Your father and brother love you so much that whoever you married, they would surely support them in court and help them become the crown prince. Everyone knows that even though your family doesn't get involved in the politics of the court, your father still can change my father's mind about who becomes crown prince!"
Me: "So, all this time. Everything you showed me was fake? You don't love me at all, do you?"
Prince: "Hahahaha, your right. I never loved you. I only approached to gain the throne. Who would love someone like you, a girl who always hides in the house, weak, pathetic, has no talent, no beauty, and can't even dress herself up properly."
Me: "So... so those are your true thoughts about me?"
Prince: "That's right. I came here today to stop you from hearing news of my engagement, but I still failed in the end. I even brought the drugged wine so that if I couldn't marry you as the first wife, your father will have no choice but to agree if his daughter is no longer pure. But I really didn't expect to be in this condition instead."
"What a mad man. He's no only blinded by greed, but he's also a jerk." I thought
But since he showed his true colors, now it's my turn to have some fun.
Me: "Your highness, are you sure your wine hasn't been tampered with?"
I asked him while still looking pained but worried at the same time.
Me: "What if they put something in it that harms your body? What if it affects your health and
you can't have kids anymore? Your highness, you should really go to the doctor."
Although I knew that the drug wouldn't do anything like that, it was still funny to see his expression. He looked so concerned and full of panic that I almost lost control of my own expression.
After hearing what I said, the fifth prince immediately stood up and glared back at me and said.
"Consider yourself lucky today." and with that, he left.
He didn't even bother to take his wine with him. I guess he's really concerned.
As soon as the fifth prince was out of sight, I wiped my tears away and sat back down at the table, and poured out two cups of tea. One for myself, and the other for my guest.
I sat there for a couple of minutes, waiting to see if my guest would come out by themselves or not. But they didn't, so I spoke up and said.
"I'm sure it's tiring to stand there the entire time. Why don't you come out and have a cup of tea?"
A moment later, my guest stepped out from behind the post from the side of my courtyard. He slowly approached me. His steps were gentle, yet there was power to them. Although I already knew he was there, the way he was walking was as though he was still trying to hide his presence.
When he finally came over, I looked up at him as if I didn't know who it was and was surprised to see that it was the ninth prince.
I stood up and greeted him.
"Greetings to the ninth prince."
Ninth prince: "Rise."
Me: "Thank you."
After rising, the ninth prince sat and gestured for me to do the same as well, and I did.
Once I sat down, I asked the ninth prince.
"What brings your highness here today?"
He looked at me like I was a bizarre creature before responding.
"I came here today to bring the dowry gifts and to greet your father and brother."
Me: "I see. Then do you have any business with me then?"
Although I was uninterested in what he had to say, I tried to be as polite as possible.
Ninth prince: "No, I just came by to greet my fiancé."
Me: "I see."
Ninth prince: "Though from what I have seen just now. I do have some questions for you."I wasn't expecting anything less, so I said.
"Please ask whatever it is that you are curious about."
Ninth prince: "Alright then. My first question for you is, how did you know I was standing behind there? Even my brother did not notice."
I looked up at him with an unfazed face and said.
"Although I do not know any martial arts, I am still a daughter from a general household. Basic self-defense is something I should know. Being able to sense the presence of others is something my father found very important, so I mastered it."
Ninth prince: "Is that so? Then, what about your feelings for my brother? Was all that just a show? It seems as though your tears disappear the moment my brother left."
I smiled dryly, looking down at my teacup before looking at the prince and asking.
"Do you know why your brother approached me in the first place?"
When he didn't respond, I continued.
"As I'm sure you've heard, my father can waver your father's mind. Don't you think my father would put in some good words for the fifth prince if I married him? Wouldn't my father want me to have a good life after getting married?"
Ninth prince: "I suppose you're right. But what does this have to do with your feelings for him?"
Me: "That's the point. I don't have feelings for him. This was all just a plan, and I was the bait."
The ninth prince looked at me in confusion. Although he may be a great general, he isn't on the same level as some of his other brothers when it comes to politics.
I stood up from the table and walked towards the tree in the corner of my courtyard. With my back faced away from the prince, he couldn't tell what my expression was. I reached up to touch the petals of the last few flowers on the tree before saying.
"I suppose now that we are engaged, it's okay for you to know the truth."
Ninth prince: "What truth?"
Still facing away from him, I said.
"The truth of why your brother is here and why you and I are engaged. Two years ago, your father unofficially announced that he was looking for an heir to the throne. He is indeed looking for a crown prince, but his true purpose was to test all of the princes to see who is worthy of being the next emperor. Out of all of the princes, the first and second are married, so even if they wanted to be emperor, it would be hard for them to approach me since my father wouldn't allow me to be married off as a concubine. As for the sixth prince, although he is also interested in the throne, he is friends with my brother and sees me as a little sister, so he wouldn't even think about marriage. And for the 8th prince, since he is already engaged, there is no point in trying to bring up marriage. It was easiest for the fifth prince, who had no engagement or wife/concubine, to come to find me. And for the third, fourth, seventh prince and you, none of you have interest in the throne. Your three brothers are friends with my brother, so to not get involved in the fight for the throne, they try to avoid creating any misunderstandings when they come by to see my brother. As for you, as soon as you heard the news, you left for the battlefield and didn't set foot back into the capital until the war was over. All these actions were enough for the emperor to see who he should choose as his heir."
The ninth prince seemed surprised by what I said. He sat still for a moment, trying to absorb all the information that he had just received.
Ninth prince: "But why use you as bait?"
Me: "What better way to see the prince's intention than to see how they act around me."
Ninth prince: "Since my father knows I'm not interested in the throne, why bestow this engagement? If what you said is true, then wouldn't this engagement mean that my father has already decided me as the next crown prince?"
Me: "That's right, this engagement is to tell the whole kingdom that you will be the next crown prince. Indeed, you don't want to be emperor, but your father saw you as the most suitable person to be the next emperor. This is a decision he had made long before he started this test. The only reason why these events have happened was just for the formalities, and nothing else."
Ninth prince: "Long before, huh?"
I turned back to look at the ninth prince. He had a calm look on his face, but you could tell that his thoughts were running 100 miles per hour.
(Narrator's pov)
When the ninth prince looked up at BaiLing, she did not seem like the weak lady earlier with his brother. Instead, he saw a young lady who was fitted of her status as the general's daughter. Strong, knowledgeable, yet elegant and graceful at the same time. This was what the ninth prince saw in BaiLing. And just when he thought he saw all that there was to here, she gave him another surprise.
Standing tall and looking at him dead straight in the eye, something that very few are able to do, she said to him.
"Your highness, as you may know, this engagement between us is to only help you ascend the throne smoothly. It does not mean that this engagement must go all the way through. So, if at any point you find someone who you truly want to marry, please tell me, and I will be more than willing to break off the engagement. However, you do not need to worry about losing my family's support. No matter who you choose to marry, my family will always be your support."
The ninth prince stared at BaiLing, his eyes filled with amusement. This was the first time he has ever heard someone say things like that. A noble girl who doesn't have dreams of becoming empress.
Ninth prince: "Do you not want to become empress?"
Not even faltering, BaiLing responded.
"No, I don't."
Ninth prince: "Why not? If you become empress, not only will you be the most respected woman in the entire kingdom, but your family will also receive lots of benefits."
BaiLing looked at the ninth prince with a pair of eyes that were dull and cold at the same time. Although it was a warm autumn day, the air couldn't help but feel chilly from her gaze.
BaiLing: "Not all girls in this world wish for power and status. Besides, I do not wish to drag my family into a political struggle just because I became empress."
"Not all girls, huh? Then is there something else that she wants?" thought the ninth prince.
Ninth prince: "Is your family not already in this power struggle since you support me?"
BaiLing: "The Ming clan only supports the emperor and listens to his orders. We do not listen to or take anyone's side. Our purpose is to keep the emperor and this kingdom safe. And since now that the emperor has chosen his heir, it is our duty to protect and support you. Besides that, there is nothing about politics that we get involved in."
Since young, the ninth prince has heard of many things about the Ming clan. The Ming Clan is as old as the royal family. And over the thousands of years that this kingdom has been standing, there was never once when this family was not powerful. As time passed by, the family only gained more power, never losing anything. This made many others wary of them. Many families tried to take them down, but in the end, it was them who suffered, not the Ming clan. And today, he could see why. Every single person in the family was knowledgeable and skilled. Even if it came down to the family's daughter, she did not lose anyone else in her family. This only made him more interested in her.
Ninth prince: "Alright. But I do have another question for you."
BaiLing: "Please ask."
Ninth prince: "What would you do if I want to go through with this engagement?"
BaiLing looked at the ninth prince, but she didn't show any expression, making him wonder what she was thinking about.
BaiLing: "If you still wish to go through with this engagement, then I will go through with it as well."
"Interesting. I can see why father wanted me to marry her." thought the ninth prince.
(In the Ming kingdom, the marriageable age for girls is 16, and for boys, it is 17. BaiLing is currently 14 years old, while the ninth prince is 16.)
Ninth prince: "Alright then."
The ninth prince then stood up and continued to say.
"It seems as though my brother has lost something important today. Thank you for your hospitality. I shall not disturb you any longer."
BaiLing bow towards the prince and said.
"Have a safe journey back, your highness. Forgive me for not seeing you out all the way." Although he was surprised by her response, he said to her.
"That's alright. Ahh, by the way, you should prepare yourself. I'm sure my brother will go find our father later."
BaiLing: "I understand. Butler Su, please see the Ninth prince out."
Adding another surprise to the list, the butler showed up, ready to lead the ninth prince out. The ninth prince was not aware that the old man was outside of BaiLing's courtyard the entire time.
The Ming Clan was the most mysterious in the entire kingdom. What went on within the manor was a secret to the world. All the servants were loyal to the family and would rather die than say a single word. So to the young prince, this made his interest in the young lady of the house grow by the minute.
"Brother must have been blind to call her weak and pathetic with no beauty." the ninth prince thought.
And with that he followed the butler out.
Once BaiLing was sure that the ninth prince was gone, she went back to her room and called for Bai Yang and the other guards. In a matter of minutes, all five shadow guards were there, ready to report and receive their orders.