Cui Lingyao: "..."
'So it's a secret crush,' she thought. 'The naive kind, after only meeting him three times.'
She was silent for a moment before asking, "Cousin, what is it about him that you admire?"
Shen Hanyue shot her a sidelong glance. "Two years ago, he won great renown on the battlefields of the Southern Border, securing one victory after another. When word of his deeds reached the Capital City, countless young ladies' hearts were captivated. Later, when he returned triumphant, Vermilion Bird Street was practically drowning in perfume, all for a single glimpse of him."
As she spoke, her eyes seemed to glow. "A man so heroic and upright, and so handsome on top of that... There are plenty of girls in the Capital City who admire him, and I'm just one of them. Who needs a reason? It's like you admiring my brother—what's the reason for that?"
It was only natural for women to admire the strong.
But Cui Lingyao had always observed everything in this world as an outsider.
Her "conquest" of Xie Jinbai had also gone very smoothly. From their first meeting to the completion of her mission, everything had fallen into place naturally.
Besides, Xie Jinbai's life was very quiet. There were no flocks of fawning women around him, so she never had to fight with others for his favor.
Before he took a concubine, there had never been anyone else between them. He had never given her the slightest reason to be unhappy over another woman.
He had even kept Li Wanrong, the Empress's handpicked candidate for his Princess Consort, from ever appearing before her.
Perhaps because she had won him over too easily, Cui Lingyao didn't fully grasp just how popular Xie Jinbai was with the young ladies of the Capital City.
Hearing this now, she wasn't particularly fazed. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Shen Hanyue continue.
"What I like most is his deep devotion to his late wife. A man who is a flawless strategist on the battlefield, a confident commander of thousands, so calm and composed... for him to love so fiercely and passionately... Just thinking about it is enough to make one's heart ache with longing."
"..." The words caught in Cui Lingyao's throat. Once again, her cousin had rendered her speechless.
Having opened up about her feelings for the first time, Shen Hanyue had completely opened the floodgates. She didn't notice Cui Lingyao's speechlessness at all and lowered her voice. "I heard that His Majesty wants to take advantage of Prince Yu recuperating in the Capital City to bestow another marriage upon him. That's why he appeared at the flower viewing banquet today."
"!!!"
Cui Lingyao's head snapped up. "You want to marry him?"
"Of course!"
The words blurted out, and Shen Hanyue belatedly felt a little embarrassed, quickly adding, "...If I get the chance."
"..." Cui Lingyao's feelings were suddenly a complicated mess. She couldn't quite put a name to what she was feeling.
Remembering that this cousin was the kindest to the original owner of her body among all the girls in the Duke Mansion, she paused for a few breaths before advising, "A lifetime is a long time. When a young woman chooses a husband, she should pick someone with a good temperament."
Three years ago, in those final days, Xie Jinbai had become somewhat moody and unpredictable.
Many times, she had no idea how she'd provoked him. He would suddenly glower at her, staring grimly for a long while before either storming off or sweeping her up and carrying her to bed.
And now...
She recalled the lifeless, glacial man she had just seen.
Forget sharing a bed with him; what delicate young lady wouldn't tremble in fear just standing before him?
But Shen Hanyue disagreed.
She said, "Prince Yu has an excellent temperament. In the past, he and his Princess Consort were always seen together, a perfect, celestial couple."
Cui Lingyao: "..."
'The rose-colored glasses are on so thick,' she thought, 'that even I, one half of that 'celestial couple,' don't know how to advise her.'
Shen Hanyue continued, "I've reached a marriageable age, and Father and Mother want to choose a husband for me. Since I have to marry someone eventually, why not someone I like? If there's even the slightest glimmer of hope, I want to try."
Her words made sense.
Cui Lingyao nodded lightly. "You have a point."
Although the Da Yue Dynasty was relatively open-minded, divorces between couples were still rare.
If one could marry a person they admired, they would naturally be more tolerant.
'To endure hardship willingly—this must be it.'
Hearing her agreement, Shen Hanyue felt a rush of joy at being understood. She was practically ready to declare Cui Lingyao her lifelong confidante, feeling that their relationship had suddenly become much closer.
She seized Cui Lingyao's hand and said happily, "If I can marry him, I'll definitely manage his household perfectly, so he only needs to worry about court matters and has no concerns at home."
A young lady from a Duke Mansion was, after all, raised to be the mistress of a great, noble house.
Her ability to manage a household went without saying.
Thinking of her mission for this trip, an idea sparked in Cui Lingyao's mind.
She didn't want to have children in this world.
But her mission was to ensure Xie Jinbai had his own heir.
The system had said another woman could bear the child.
When she thought about it carefully, Shen Hanyue was indeed a good match for Xie Jinbai.
She...
Cui Lingyao instantly saw a path to completing her mission. She squeezed her cousin's hand back and said earnestly, "If you're truly so deeply in love with him that you'd marry no one else, then I'll help you win him over."
She could help Shen Hanyue's wish come true.
Besides, "conquering" Xie Jinbai didn't seem all that difficult.
This time, she could stay hidden in the shadows, guiding Shen Hanyue on how to win him over. She wouldn't even have to show her face to him or let him know she had been reborn.
Once Shen Hanyue successfully conceived and gave birth, she could simply dust off her sleeves and disappear, her task complete and her name unknown.
'Such a perfect plan.'
But she never expected that this entire conversation would be overheard by the other party involved.
「Outside the carriage.」
Xie Jinbai, who was leisurely following the carriage, had a smirk playing on his lips that made Li Yong break out in a cold sweat.
'Ignoring countless official duties to follow the carriage of two young women, using his sharp hearing just to eavesdrop on their private conversation.'
'Is this still the same master who, ever since his wife's death, has been living like the walking dead, indifferent to everything?'
Xie Jinbai was genuinely starting to feel curious about the cousin from the Duke Shen Mansion, whom he had met only once.
He was curious how this young woman, when mentioning him, not only showed no reverence but also acted as if it were completely ordinary.
It was as if they were very familiar with each other.
And because of that familiarity, she didn't seem to find him the least bit remote or unattainable.
When she talked about him, her words were far more casual.
When they had first met just now, she didn't even seem to have the slightest intention of bowing to him.
He was also curious why his heart had started to pound erratically the moment he heard her voice.
It was rejoicing.
As if it had confirmed something, it was leaping with such joy that it felt like it would burst from his chest.
But Xie Jinbai could endure it.
He could endure any emotion, no matter how unbearable or painful.
Right now, what he was most curious about was how she planned to help her cousin 'win him over.'
Inside the carriage, Shen Hanyue was also curious about this.
"What can you do to help me?"
What could a cousin with no father, no brothers, and no family backing—one who lived in her home and had even offered herself as a concubine to her brother, only to be rejected—possibly do to help?
Cui Lingyao didn't mind being underestimated in the slightest. "Help you capture... Prince Yu, of course," she said matter-of-factly.
She might be uncertain about other things, but when it came to the matter of "conquering" Xie Jinbai, she had some experience.
After all, she had maxed out Xie Jinbai's affection meter before.
As far as the system was concerned, she had turned in a perfect score.