"Why are you still standing there? Aren't you going to help me down?"
Just as Chu Baihan was lost in thought, Yan Lin's cold, unyielding voice came from the side.
Help him?
Chu Baihan turned her gaze to him, her brows furrowed tightly.
In the end, she carefully extended her hand, "Prince, I shall assist you out now."
She adapted to the role quickly, even referring to herself as "I" with humility. Yan Lin's face darkened momentarily, but he didn't bother to correct her.
His palm was broad and slightly cool, the thin calluses scraping against her fingertips uncomfortably, though she dared not complain.
And just like that, she helped him down from the carriage.
"So, this is the Princess Consort of the Eighth Prince? It seems the Eighth Prince and his consort have quite the loving relationship," a mocking voice called out once more.
Chu Baihan raised her eyes to look toward the source, spotting a man dressed in resplendent robes fanning himself leisurely in the distance.
His features bore a faint resemblance to Yan Lin's, but lacked even a fraction of his charisma. Especially those murky eyes, filled with calculation, that made her deeply uncomfortable.
"Fifth Prince." Yan Lin seemed unwilling to acknowledge him, but Ziyi, standing behind him, begrudgingly offered a bow.
Fifth Prince?
This must be the Fifth Prince, Yan Jin. She had heard he was infatuated with women, often frequenting brothels, yet remained in good graces with the Crown Prince. His mother was Han Concubine, one of the four royal consorts, allowing him control over the Ministry of Personnel.
As Chu Baihan reflected on this, she suddenly noticed Yan Jin openly sizing her up with an unrestrained stare.
The look made her sick to her stomach, and her expression grew icy.
"Prince Lin, you finally made it. The Emperor is currently waiting for you and the Princess Consort in Fuyang Palace." Eunuch Zhang Hai, who served the Emperor, briskly approached, wiping sweat from his brow as he quietly reminded them.
"Oh, ever since the Eighth Prince had that accident with his eyes, he hasn't attended court and rarely had the chance to meet Father. I imagine he doesn't even remember the way to Fuyang Palace. Shall I, your elder brother, guide you there?"
Yan Jin sneered again, wasting no opportunity to humiliate Yan Lin.
"Fifth Prince, you—" Ziyi could no longer hold back his anger and was about to speak in defense of his master.
But at that moment, Chu Baihan stepped forward. With a calm voice, she addressed Yan Jin, "There is no need to trouble Fifth Brother. The eunuch can lead the way, and I shall guide my prince myself."
Before finishing, she once again reached out and gently held Yan Lin's large hand in hers.
Feeling the softness of her palm, Yan Lin's long lashes trembled slightly, yet his dark pupils remained as empty and unreadable as ever. No one could tell what he was thinking.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a detached tone, "Let's go."
Hearing this, Chu Baihan secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, Yan Lin maintained appearances in public. She had been genuinely terrified that he might throw her hand off without hesitation.
As they turned to walk toward the Fuyang Palace, Chu Baihan still felt Yan Jin's disdainful gaze from behind.
Unable to help herself, she stole a glance at the man by her side.
He was incredibly tall; she had to tilt her head up to glimpse his profile.
Sunlight streamed down, painting his flawlessly handsome features with a radiant glow.
Those eyes, had they been whole, would surely have blazed with brilliance.
After the accident that claimed his sight, she had heard that the Crown Prince and the other princes united to isolate and attack him.
While the Emperor hadn't stripped him of his military power entirely, he had relegated him to recovery within the Prince Residence, keeping him away from both the court and military affairs.
Once the favored son of heaven, now a fallen prince scorned by all—his heart must surely ache terribly.
A fleeting sense of pity bubbled up within Chu Baihan, but she swiftly suppressed it.
She couldn't afford misplaced sympathy for a man who wished her harm.
Gathering her composure, she followed Yan Lin and stepped over the threshold of Fuyang Palace.
Facing the Emperor today... she wasn't sure she'd get through it unscathed.
"Your Majesty, Prince Lin and his residence have arrived," a eunuch softly announced to the Emperor within the hall.
"Your child greets Father," Yan Lin said, his head bowed slightly, his pale lips moving faintly, his voice icy.
"Your eyesight isn't convenient; skip the formalities," the Emperor said calmly, setting down the memorial he had been reading.
While Yan Lin was excused, she wasn't so fortunate...
Chu Baihan lowered her head quickly and knelt.
"Your daughter-in-law greets Father," she said, her heart trembling with uncertainty.
"So, you're the daughter of Minister Chu? Stand up and raise your head," the Emperor's voice echoed imposingly from the throne.
Though his tone was mild, the Emperor's presence was such that none dared to take it lightly.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Baihan rose slowly and lifted her gaze.
The Emperor seated on the Dragon Throne appeared close to fifty, his temples streaked with white, surely a result of burdening himself with the affairs of the state.
His eyes carried an oppressive force as they scrutinized her.
She couldn't fathom his intentions.
After a long spell of silence, he finally chuckled faintly.
"Such a bold little girl, even daring to meet my eyes directly. You resemble your mother, Lady Xu, in her younger years," he reflected with a tone of nostalgia, as though recalling an earlier time.
Lady Xu? Her mother was indeed surnamed Xu.
The Emperor...
"Your Majesty, your subject's daughter bears guilt," Chu Baihan immediately understood that he was aware of the marriage substitute arrangement and hurried to plead for forgiveness.
"A moment ago you addressed yourself as 'your daughter-in-law.' Why now switch to 'your subject's daughter'? Do you view being a royal daughter-in-law as a disgrace?" The Emperor's expression turned cold, his tone laced with anger.
"Your subject's daughter... your daughter-in-law meant no such thing." Chu Baihan shook her head quickly.
"Good, so long as you do not. Now that you've entered the royal family, you are the Princess Consort of the Eighth Prince. Be mindful of your titles henceforth. As for Minister Chu, it seems he has grown muddled in his old age. Deciding the royal family's marriage on his whims alone..."
His final words seemed more like mutterings to himself.
The hall fell into an eerie silence, punctuated only by the resonance of his voice.
Chu Baihan studied his expression, which was inscrutable, neither angry nor pleased. His tone only deepened the enigma.
"Now that you've entered the royal gates, keep your heart in check, Eighth Princess Consort. Do you understand?" The Emperor looked at Chu Baihan meaningfully with his sharp gaze.
What was he hinting at with those words?
Cold sweat trickled down Chu Baihan's back. She finally understood: there was no deciphering a ruler's mind.
As the tense atmosphere was about to stretch further, Yan Lin finally interjected, "Father, Grandmother misses me. If you have no other orders, I would like to escort my Princess Consort to visit her."
His tone remained indifferent, devoid of any vestige of respect.
Curiously, the Emperor showed no ire.
Nodding, he replied in a deep voice, "Indeed, your grandmother often keeps you in her thoughts. It hasn't been easy to have you come into the palace. Go then."
The communication between father and son struck Chu Baihan as odd, her brows knitting as she pondered their interaction.
Soon, Yan Lin's displeased voice reached her ears, "Aren't you leaving?"
"I'm leaving now," Chu Baihan replied hastily, reaching out to support his arm, carefully helping him out.
She could feel it—a simmering anger roiling within him.
Why was he so furious? Did he resent the Emperor?
"If you don't want to die a miserable death, restrain your curiosity," Yan Lin mocked coldly as they walked outside.
Chu Baihan froze, her expression rigid. After a long pause, she murmured faintly, "I understand."
Enough. Once she rescued Nan Xing, she'd flee this place immediately.
No peering into the hidden secrets of the imperial palace—it would only hasten her demise.
"When we see Grandmother later, if you dare to speak out of turn, I'll kill you," Yan Lin warned harshly, his words as cutting as ever.