With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

Pei Jinxuan was too lazy to speak, and pushed away Xiao Jingyuan's hand that reached out to him.

Xiao Jingyuan was not giving up, and his hand reached out again. This time, he not only touched her but also groped her indiscriminately, saying jokingly, "Cousin, why be so stingy? I'm not going to eat her."

"Get out!" Pei Jinxuan shoved his hand away again, wishing she could tear his grinning face off.

Seeing that he was truly angry, Xiao Jingyuan put away his playboy demeanor, straightened his posture and sat up straight, but still wouldn't let it go, saying, "If you really won't tell me, I'll go visit that lady tomorrow."

Pei Jinxuan smiled and said, "If you step into my mansion, I will cripple you and make you sit at the same table as Eunuch Gao."

Others might not realize the gravity of the situation, but Xiao Jingyuan was different. He and Pei Jinxuan had grown up together since childhood, and he knew his cousin's temperament well. The more attractive Pei Jinxuan's smile was, the more intense the fire in his heart burned.

"You're not really going to do this, are you?" Xiao Jingyuan looked at him, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Pei Jinxuan took another sip of wine and remained silent.

"You are the Prince of Jing'an and His Majesty's younger brother. It's not wrong for you to take a widow into your household, but you must marry her properly. This is absolutely unacceptable."

Pei Jinxuan glanced at him sideways, clearly disgusted.

Xiao Jingyuan, oblivious to the danger, said, "Marriage is a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. At the very least, it should be a matter of matching social status. Besides, you and I were born into the imperial family. In all these years, how many people have we seen who are only concerned with true love and do not weigh the pros and cons? If I were you, I would have taken her in directly. Even if a widow remarries, she can't marry into your Prince Jing's mansion. It would be too good for her to be an outsider."

"Xiao Jingyuan!" Pei Jinxuan, perhaps having drunk too much, suddenly raised his voice.

Xiao Jingyuan tactfully cupped his hands in a bow, then slapped his mouth twice, saying, "Serves you right for being so shameless... Cousin, please don't be angry, I was just saying."

But he didn't stay quiet for long before leaning closer again, raising an eyebrow with a hint of smugness. "But seriously, it's a bit embarrassing that you can't even handle a widow. How about... I teach you a few tricks?"

Xiao Jingyuan had the refined appearance of a scholar with delicate features and an innocent look. However, he secretly committed countless philanderings and relentlessly ruined women in the capital. The noble families who came to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to file complaints almost wore down the doorstep. Helpless, the Duke of Zhenguo sent his only son to the frontier to gain experience and hopefully reform his ways.

Having been in Beijing for only half a day, the thoughts I had finally managed to suppress were unleashed again, like a wild horse returning to the grasslands, running wild and carefree.

Pei Jinxuan knew his cousin's character well. If he were to meet Lin Ci, what would become of him? Before this troublemaker caused any more trouble, he should write a memorial tomorrow and send him back to the frontier to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Pei Jinxuan stopped talking, downed a cup of wine, and stood up, saying, "That's enough for today. I have to go to the palace to meet the Emperor tomorrow, so I won't keep you any longer."

Before he could finish speaking, and before he could even regain his balance, a wave of dizziness washed over him. The image of Xiao Jingyuan before him multiplied from one to two, then from two to three, swaying and overlapping.

"You..." Pei Jinxuan sensed something was wrong and raised her finger to point at him, but she couldn't find the right spot.

"What about me?" Xiao Jingyuan grinned mischievously, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, "Cousin, after this is all done, you'd better thank me properly, your matchmaker."

Pei Jinxuan felt a buzzing in his head, then everything went black as he fell backward. In a daze, he felt himself being caught firmly by a pair of nimble arms and then hoisted onto a shoulder.

Xiao Jingyuan carried him on his back and strode towards the Jing'an Prince's Mansion.

It was late at night when the gates of the Jing'an Prince's Mansion were being pounded on.

The steward, dressed in his robe and holding a lamp, rushed to open the door, muttering, "Could something serious have happened?" Upon opening the door, he was taken aback: "Oh, isn't this Marquis Xuanping?"

"My lord, when did you return?" The steward hurriedly opened the door and was startled when he saw the person with his arm around the man's shoulder. He quickly reached out to help him up.

"I just arrived this morning. After greeting His Majesty and my parents, I came to see my cousin." Xiao Jingyuan answered as he carried the man inside, his steps never faltering. "Well, he was in high spirits, so my cousin drank a few extra cups. The wine at Wanchun Tower is the strongest; quickly find someone to help him sober up."

"But what time is it? The servants have probably all gone to bed by now..." The steward stood by, looking troubled.

Without a word, Xiao Jingyuan released his grip. Pei Jinxuan then slid down his shoulder like a soft noodle.

"This won't do!" The steward exclaimed anxiously, hurriedly calling to several servants. With everyone's help, they finally managed to carry Pei Jinxuan back to his bedroom safely.

Xiao Jingyuan didn't treat himself as an outsider. He entered the room and sat down casually. He first picked up the cup of warm tea prepared by the maid and drank it. Then he leaned back comfortably and waited for people to come.

Soon, footsteps could be heard outside, along with the crisp sound of bamboo sticks tapping the ground, one after another, sounding somewhat anxious.

"Lady Lin, watch your step."

The door was pushed open, and the first thing to be seen was a thin, long bamboo stick.

Xiao Jingyuan's gaze was drawn to the bamboo stick, his eyes following it like a snake with its tail pinned down, climbing up the stick inch by inch. Slender hands, wide sleeves hanging down, shoulders like those of a sculpted figure, neck like solidified cream. When that face came into view, the teacup between his fingers paused slightly.

The woman had a cool and aloof appearance, her black hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore only a jade hairpin. The candlelight fell on her face, making her look like a beautiful woman sculpted from jade and porcelain.

He suddenly understood what that sentence in Princess Yongle's letter meant.

Lin Ci asked softly, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"He's drunk."

Before the steward could speak, Xiao Jingyuan stepped forward first. His previous playboy demeanor had completely vanished. He bowed properly, and his manners resembled those of a young master from a noble family.

Lin Ci couldn't see the man, but from his clear voice, she could guess his age. She turned her head slightly and asked, "And this gentleman is...?"

"This young master..."

"Xiao Jingyuan, Princess Yongle's elder brother." Xiao Jingyuan interrupted the steward, his tone refined, "My younger sister often mentions my wife in her letters."

Lin Ci smiled and bowed slightly in the direction of the voice, saying, "Greetings, Young Master Xiao."

Xiao Jingyuan smiled and said, "Since my cousin has been safely delivered, I will not disturb you any longer and will take my leave."

He finished speaking and left, his steps quick and his clothes fluttering in the wind.

The steward hurriedly chased after them to see them off, and the room became empty.

Lin Ci tapped the ground with a bamboo stick and slowly moved to the bedside. She reached out and touched Pei Jinxuan's cheek unintentionally, which burned her hand and smelled of alcohol.

"Why did you drink so much?" she murmured, then sat down on the edge of the bed, first setting the bamboo stick aside, and then carefully unbuttoning his clothes to let him breathe.

Pei Jinxuan groaned twice, then slowly opened his eyes. A blurry figure swayed before him.

He groped for her hand and pressed it against his burning cheek. "So what if she's a widow? I prefer widows."