On his way back to Qingyun Palace from Chun Nuan Pavilion, Su Ruhan saw rows of servants in different uniforms passing by him. He took a closer look—many of them were unfamiliar faces, and some were even from Lubei. Yunxi had a more humid climate, so people tended to have lighter skin, while Lubei was drier with stronger sunlight, and its people had darker complexions.
“Where are you going?” Su Ruhan grabbed a young attendant and asked.
The young attendant glanced sideways at him, intending to ignore him and walk away. But the hand gripping his arm suddenly tightened, and his expression immediately changed.
“To… Wenyang Palace…” the young attendant said, while using his other hand to try to pry Su Ruhan’s grip loose.
Su Ruhan frowned in thought. After a moment, he asked again, “Who sent you?”
“Emperor Hao Lin ordered us… ah, please let go first…”
Su Ruhan judged that the young attendant wouldn’t dare lie to him, so he released his grip and looked him over. The attendant was small and thin, dressed neatly, and his eyes darted around restlessly, as if they could speak.
“You’re part of the music troupe?”
Hearing the question, the young attendant nodded awkwardly. “Yes, we’re supposed to perform music on the princess’s wedding day. If you had broken my arm just now, how would I even play my sheng?”
Only then did Su Ruhan notice the sheng hanging at the attendant’s waist. It matched the color of his clothing, so Su Ruhan hadn’t noticed it earlier.
A trace of anxiety appeared on the attendant’s face. By now, the music troupe had already moved far ahead, along with the cooks, tailors, carpenters, and others. Behind them were scattered guards specifically assigned to whip those who lagged behind.
Su Ruhan nodded at the attendant, who immediately dashed forward to catch up.
When Su Ruhan arrived at Qingyun Palace, the Third Prince was sitting in the main hall with his eyes closed, resting. Eunuch Tai’an stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. A bowl of tea sat on the nearby table, untouched and already cold.
“Your Highness, do you know that those from Lubei are entering and leaving the courtyard freely?” Su Ruhan asked.
The Third Prince slowly opened his eyes. “I know. I allowed it.”
Su Ruhan showed no expression, though he felt slightly puzzled. He added, “But they said it was ordered by Emperor Hao Lin.”
“That’s because I have already issued a command. During the period before the wedding, all restrictions in Qin Yi Courtyard will be lifted. Whether it’s people inside walking around freely or outsiders entering—it’s all permitted.”
“Why?”
The Third Prince raised a hand, signaling Eunuch Tai’an to stop, then stood up from his chair and began pacing slowly. He ordered all the servants in the room to leave, leaving only himself and Su Ruhan.
“With so many outsiders entering the courtyard, there are bound to be people with ill intentions mixed in. Has Your Highness already prepared defenses?” Su Ruhan asked.
“No.”
“Then what about the guards originally stationed at each checkpoint?”
“They’ve all been dismissed.”
“Doesn’t that mean the courtyard has no defensive capability at all?”
“Why would it have none?” the Third Prince finally countered.
Su Ruhan pondered his words for a moment, then asked tentatively, “Do you mean that the more careless it appears, the less likely those with ill intentions will dare to act?”
“Not entirely,” the Third Prince said slowly. “Those who covet this courtyard fall into two groups: people under Hao Lin and people under the Emperor. And they share the same goal—to take Mu Xueshi away from me.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t this order be like inviting wolves into your home?”
“Even if I didn’t issue it, do you think they wouldn’t find a way to break in?”
Indeed, from the beginning until now, Shangchuan Hong alone had entered twice, and each time had nearly succeeded in taking Mu Xueshi away. That was when there were defenses. Now, with defenses seemingly removed, wouldn’t it be even easier to approach Mu Xueshi? Even if the Third Prince’s reasoning made some sense, if someone was willing to take the risk, there would be no time for regret.
Seeing through Su Ruhan’s thoughts, the Third Prince explained, “It’s not that there are no defenses—it’s just a different method. Think about it: weren’t most of the imperial guards stationed at the gates and along the walls? The rest were spread across various checkpoints. In truth, the real difficulty lies in getting into the courtyard in the first place.”
“I understand.” Su Ruhan nodded in agreement. “Your Highness means that once they break through the outer defenses and enter, things become easier afterward. Instead of dispersing guards at every entrance, it’s better to concentrate them at Chun Nuan Pavilion. That way, even if they get inside, they still can’t approach Mu Xueshi.”
“It’s not that they can’t approach him—it’s that they can’t take him away.”
“Does Your Highness actually allow Xueshi to leave Chun Nuan Pavilion?” Su Ruhan couldn’t help asking.
The Third Prince smiled faintly. “Even if he doesn’t leave, someone will go there to cause trouble. Those hidden guards won’t reveal themselves unless absolutely necessary. Before my wedding, neither the Emperor nor Hao Lin will easily act against Mu Xueshi. They both know that if anything happens to him, I might destroy the marriage alliance. This political marriage is not merely symbolic—they both understand the stakes.”
Su Ruhan sighed. “Even so, those people might still harm Xueshi. Is Your Highness really willing to take that risk?”
The Third Prince’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at Su Ruhan. “Are you worried about him?”
“Isn’t it better if more people care about him?”
The Third Prince let out a cold laugh. “Of course it is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have allowed those people to enter.”
After thinking for a moment, Su Ruhan understood. The Third Prince intended to use the Emperor and Hao Lin to indirectly protect Mu Xueshi over these next few days. Princess Wenyang would certainly try to eliminate Mu Xueshi; once Hao Lin realized this, he would secretly stop her. And if the Emperor learned of Hao Lin’s intentions and wanted to maintain goodwill, he would also ensure Mu Xueshi’s safety.
“But that ‘concern’ of theirs might not just be concern, right? Aren’t you afraid that if they care too much, it might actually harm Xueshi?”
After hearing this, the Third Prince turned his gaze to Su Ruhan and slowly looked him up and down.
Su Ruhan didn’t know why the Third Prince was looking at him with that kind of gaze. Although he had never feared anyone’s eyes, it still made him uncomfortable.
After a moment of silence, the Third Prince voiced what was on his mind.
“I’m afraid—of course I’m afraid. But take you for example: can you guarantee that your concern for him is only concern? Even if you say yes, I would still be afraid. Yet you’re still standing here before me, unharmed, aren’t you?”
Su Ruhan almost laughed, his tone becoming much lighter. “Your Highness means even I have become an eyesore?”
“The world is full of danger. I can’t keep him hidden in my arms forever just because I’m afraid.”
Su Ruhan nodded, agreeing with the Third Prince’s words. Then he let out a small sigh of relief and said, “Since that’s the case, then I won’t worry either. I actually have something to tell Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Just now, when I came out of Chun Nuan Pavilion, Mu Xueshi’s true appearance had already been seen by all the servants there.”
“What?!”
The Third Prince’s expression instantly changed from calm and gentle to stormy and thunderous.
Su Ruhan’s heart tightened. He didn’t know whether to comfort him or question him. Hadn’t he just said that Mu Xueshi couldn’t be hidden forever? Yet now, simply because others had seen his face, his entire demeanor had shifted.
“Your Highness, concealing Mu Xueshi’s face would indeed reduce a lot of trouble. But times are different now. Continuing to do so will only increase his danger. I believe Your Highness understands this principle—once something is known to be a mystery, it will attract countless people who want to uncover it.
“Since someone has already seen Mu Xueshi’s true appearance, even if they can’t fully describe it, they will spread the word. One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred. Once people learn that beneath that face lies an even more stunning one, they will do everything they can to see it for themselves. Rather than letting them scheme endlessly just to uncover the truth, it’s better to place the truth before them and let them give up completely.”
The Third Prince let out a cold laugh. “Give up completely? I’m afraid that after seeing it, they’ll find it even harder to let go.”
“Your Highness is mistaken,” Su Ruhan said calmly. “Do you believe that the most beautiful thing must also be the most loved? If that were true, then the servants at Chun Nuan Pavilion, as well as Sun Ye and even I, should all risk our lives to compete with Your Highness for Young Master Xue, shouldn’t we?”
The Third Prince frowned and remained silent.
“I believe most people don’t think that way. Beautiful things are good, but they don’t necessarily have to be possessed. Some people understand their own limits—they can only admire from afar. Their eyes hold only appreciation. That’s how the servants around Xueshi are.
“Others already have someone in their hearts, leaving no room for anyone else. No matter how beautiful he is, he’s nothing more than passing clouds to them. That’s how Sun Ye and I are.
“But I think Your Highness is the same, isn’t that right? Otherwise, with the same face before you, why were you unmoved by Xueshi some days ago?”
The Third Prince’s expression shifted slightly. Though he tacitly agreed with some of Su Ruhan’s reasoning, he still refused to yield verbally. “But there’s another type of person—those who want to possess something even without love. Isn’t that the truly dangerous kind?”
“If they don’t love him, then why fear them? If they want to possess him, they must pay a price. And if the cost far outweighs the gain, would they still fight for it at all costs? In this world, aside from love, who would willingly make such an unequal trade?”
The Third Prince looked at Su Ruhan with a hint of suspicion. Since when had this man, usually sparing with words, become so eloquent? Though not every sentence aligned perfectly with his thoughts, there was undeniable logic in it, easing much of his worry.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Su Ruhan quickly added. “I just happened to have something to say.”
“Heh…” The Third Prince gave him a meaningful glance. “Did you develop such eloquence from flattering others?”
Su Ruhan froze. How did the Third Prince know that he often chatted idly with Mu Xueshi? Could it be that the Third Prince had planted spies around him?
“Your Highness misunderstands me. I just worry that Xueshi might not be able to handle things, so I occasionally say a few things to distract him.”
“Not able to handle things…” Hearing those words, the Third Prince felt as if the most fragile string in his heart had been tugged. It hurt, but he couldn’t touch it—because if he did, it might snap.
“Your Highness, rest assured—Xueshi is doing quite well. I think once everything is resolved, he’ll understand your intentions.”
Recalling the Third Prince’s intense reaction upon learning that Mu Xueshi’s true appearance had been exposed, Su Ruhan didn’t dare mention that Shangchuan Hong had touched Mu Xueshi. Given his current state, he would likely want to tear Shangchuan Hong apart. If that happened, things would spiral out of control.
The Third Prince said nothing, lost in thought. Su Ruhan moved his lips, hesitated, then finally asked, “Will Your Highness not go see Xueshi?”
“With you all watching over him, there’s no need for me to go,” the Third Prince replied indifferently.
“Your Highness… are you afraid you might lose control and hurt Xueshi?”
The Third Prince’s expression changed, clearly displeased that Su Ruhan had brought this up.
“No. I simply don’t want to.”
Su Ruhan knew very well that this wasn’t the truth. Ever since Mu Xueshi had been injured, the Third Prince had not stepped into Chun Nuan Pavilion even once. Yet people often caught glimpses of him standing by the window, gazing in that direction for long periods.
And no matter how late it was, Su Ruhan would see the lights still on in the Third Prince’s chamber. Ever since Mu Xueshi left the bedchamber, the Third Prince had not had a single restful night on that bed.
He wanted to say more, but realized there was nothing he could say at this moment. Perhaps it was for the best. Mu Xueshi had only just begun to recover—if the Third Prince went to see him, it might not be a good thing. For the Third Prince, seeing Mu Xueshi’s injuries would likely only deepen his guilt and pain.
“You may withdraw for now. As for whether to have Xueshi conceal his appearance again, I need to think it over carefully.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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