Yuelan sighed and leaned back in her seat. She shifted the curtain beside her slightly and looked out the window, watching the people on the streets as the carriage rolled by. “What would you do if you became emperor?” she asked.

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Xiong Guangfai answered calmly. “But what’s there to really think about? The emperor rules all and handles problems as they come up. It’s the job of the ministers to present things to the emperor and handle everything that the emperor doesn’t have to oversee.”

Yuelan’s thin lips pursed slightly and she looked over at the first prince, who smiled and shrugged when he noticed her glance. “I see…” It seemed the first prince was ambitious, but didn’t really care about improving his country. “And what about making improvements? What would you do to benefit the people?”

“Benefit the people? I benefit the people by existing. Without an emperor they would have no one to serve, no purpose. My existence is a benefit.” Xiong Guangfai’s expression was haughty and his words made Yuelan want to gag. She kept her expression carefully calm and turned back to the window. This prince was a definite no. How could anyone be so disgustingly selfish?

The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant and the two stepped down from the carriage with the assistance of their servants. Yuelan followed a couple of steps behind the first prince with Willow behind her and headed into the restaurant. She didn’t say anything at all until they were seated and the prince had ordered food for them both without asking her about her preferences.

“Am I allowed to ask you questions?” the first prince asked. His dark eyes were slightly narrowed as he studied Yuelan.

Yuelan gave him a diplomatic smile. “Of course.”

“I hear you play the guzheng?”

“I do.” Yuelan nodded her head once and continued to smile. “My mother started teaching me when I was small and after she died I continued lessons with another instructor.”

“My younger sister, Ainuan, said you performed well during the cherry blossom viewing. When can I expect a performance?” The first prince leaned back in his seat, a confident, lazy smile on his face.

Yuelan gazed calmly back at him. “I’m sure there will be an opportunity eventually,” she replied, shrugging. This prince was giving her an uncomfortable feeling and she didn’t want to invite him into her home or let him see her mother’s instrument. “What role would you have me play if I did choose you?”

The first prince laughed. “What role is there to play? You’d be my Imperial Consort and then Empress. Obviously you would stay in the harem except for formal events and you would be over all my other wives.”

“And if I didn’t want you to have any other wives or concubines?” she asked.

Xiong Guangfai looked a bit startled, then snorted. “I will be the emperor eventually. Of course I must have many wives and concubines. There’s no need to feel that you would suffer, though. I’d treat you well.”

Yuelan’s gaze remained calm, but she turned to look at the servants who were bringing food in and setting it on the table. Inside she was feeling rather upset. Once the food was placed on the table she picked up her chopsticks and started to eat. The first dish she tasted was quite spicy. She hated spicy food, but was too well mannered to let it show on her face or to spit it out.

The first prince continued to ask Yuelan questions, which she answered using as few words as possible as she continued to taste each dish. Every single one was spicy, much to her disappointment. Yuelan began to pace herself and slowly eat small amounts of food at a time while the prince ate most of what was on the table.

By the end of lunch, Yuelan was still hungry but most of the food was gone. She set her chopsticks down and took a sip from her cup before standing up. “Thank you, Your Highness, for the meal,” she said softly.

“Why don’t we look around on the streets and see what we can find to purchase?” Guangfai suggested.

Yuelan smiled and gently shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m feeling a bit tired now, Your Highness, and I’d like to return home.”

The prince looked unhappy with her request. “Then we’ll go shopping together next time,” he decided. “Would three days from now be convenient for you?”

“I’m afraid I’m meeting with some misses I met at the cherry blossom viewing that day,” Yuelan answered, making a mental note to have Chung Soo send invitations to Zhou Xiuya and Zhao Hanju as soon as she returned home so that it wouldn’t be an outright lie. She didn’t want to see the first prince again for a while if she could avoid it.

“Perhaps next week then,” Xiong Guangfeng offered. “Father Emperor had my brothers and I make a schedule. We’re each permitted time with you two days a week.”

Yuelan wasn’t stupid. She recognized the implied meaning behind Guangfeng bringing up the emperor. He was trying to pressure her into seeing him. “Perhaps. I’ll have Chung Soo notify you if I have the time.”

The prince smirked. “Why wouldn’t you have the time? You’re a young miss who stays at home most of the time. Surely a chance to go out with a prince willing to be your escort and purchase whatever you like is a welcome one.”

“Long He hasn’t been available. He is my guardian here and I am not sure if he has any plans,” Yuelan answered, giving a light shrug. “So I cannot speak for next week.”

He frowned and his eyes narrowed. “I see...did I upset you somehow, Miss Long?”

“Do I look upset?” Yuelan countered, returning his look with calm eyes and a light smile that seemed quite sweet but was, in fact, diplomatic.

Xiong Guangfai relaxed. “No, you don’t. Send word once you know if you will be available a week from now, then.” He turned and led her out of the restaurant and back to the carriage, not even bothering to make sure she was actually following him.

Yuelan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she walked behind him. This prince did not suit her tastes at all. He seemed to think she was nothing more than a decoration with no opinions or feelings. His arrogant attitude rubbed her the wrong way and obviously the man wasn’t truly interested in her. If she weren’t the only way to get the throne he probably wouldn’t even give her a second glance. He had noticed her hair only because she wasn’t wearing the ridiculous accessories he had sent to her and hadn’t seemed to care at all whether she ate anything or liked the food he selected. It seemed this prince didn’t see her as a person at all, merely a means to an end. In comparison, the third prince, Guangfeng, was much better. Guangfeng had his faults, to be sure, such as his insistence on putting his own people in her home, but at least he was reasonable enough to agree to not have them spy on her and report back. And he offered explanations for his actions and apologies when he was wrong. And he seemed to actually listen to her and cared about his people.

When they reached the carriage the first prince climbed in first and Willow assisted Yuelan inside. The two young women sat down opposite the prince and Yuelan turned to look out the window as she continued to think things through. The first prince had no plans for the future of his country, but Guangfeng had at least mentioned making improvements to the quality of life of his people and had even remembered the conversation about health care they’d had the day they’d first met. That meant he actually listened to her and acknowledged that she wasn’t just a decoration.

So far, her mind and her heart were in agreement. The first prince was out of the question, but the third prince had possibility. She still needed to meet with the other four princes and get to know them better, though she suspected that it would be impossible to become more than friends with the last two. A kingdom needed an heir to the throne, and if the fifth prince truly was infertile after his accident there wasn’t anything Yuelan could do about it.

She propped her chin on her hand and watched the streets go by, ruminating over the princes and potential issues. Fortunately, the first prince didn’t try to engage her in conversation and it didn’t take long for them to reach her residence. She thanked the prince for his hospitality and received an arrogant “You’re welcome” that sounded like she should feel honored for him to even appear before her. Yuelan wanted to roll her eyes, but restrained herself from doing so.

Willow helped Yuelan from the carriage and the two headed into the residence. Yuelan sighed and looked around for Chung Soo, who fortunately was waiting for her to enter.

“Send invitations to Miss Zhou Xiuya and Miss Zhao Hanju,” she instructed him. “Invite them to visit in three days for tea.”

Chung Soo bowed. “Of course, my lady,” he agreed.

Yuelan gave him a tense smile. “Thank you, Chung Soo.”

Chung Soo nodded and went to do as he’d been instructed as Yuelan headed toward her conservatory.

“Miss, would you like me to have some snacks prepared and bring them to you?” Willow asked softly. “You didn’t eat much during your lunch with His Highness the first prince…”

“Yes please,” Yuelan sighed. “The food was too spicy. I thought my tongue was going to burn to ashes.”

Willow smiled. “I will inform the chef to make sure the pastries are extra sweet then.”

“Candied hawthorns sound good as well…” Yuelan mused.

Willow didn’t reply, but she did smile at Yuelan before turning and heading to the kitchens.