When the crown prince returned to the palace later that day he was in high spirits. He walked into the reception hall of the eastern palace and immediately asked his steward to summon the other princes over.

The eastern palace was the private living quarters of the crown prince and he as the only one who was granted the luxury of having his own standalone accommodation within the palace walls. As for the other princes, they lived together in a section of the western palace until they married, after which they would have to move out of the palace and set up their own households elsewhere.

When Ru-an and Ru-wen arrived, they found Ru-quan sitting at the front of the hall sampling some grapes that his attendants had brought in. He waved at them, beckoning for them to come forward and take a seat. "The grapes are fresh from Shon. Have some?" he said, and his attendant brought small bowls of grapes over and placed them by the sides of each prince.

"You look like you're in a good mood today, Brother," Ru-an said, smiling at the crown prince as he took his seat.

Ru-quan nodded. "I suppose you could say that."

"What's the occasion?" Ru-wen asked.

"Does there have to be an occasion for me to invite you over?" Ru-quan laughed. "I had these grapes and I thought to share it with you!"

Both Ru-an and Ru-wen knew that it couldn't be as simple as wanting to let them taste grapes. As the three princes who were closest in terms of age, the three brothers had always been on good terms with one another even though all came from different mothers. Still, at the back of their minds they were always acutely aware that they had different statuses and that this sort of casual gatherings and chit-chats were not a permanent. One day Ru-quan would inherit their father's crown and become king, while the other two would leave the palace, and the capital, to take up their positions as lords of their own counties.

"I met Han Zi-ning at Minister Ouyang's manor earlier," Ru-quan said, the corners of his lips tilting upwards even further.

"Ah." Ru-an smiled. Now he understood why Ru-quan had summoned them. He had called them here to brag, knowing that Han Zi-ning had caught all of their attentions at the queen's gathering.

"I still don't understand how we could have not noticed a girl like her before," the crown prince mused, popping a grape into his mouth. "She's like a breath of fresh air. Different, from all the other girls in the capital. There's something special about her that I can't quite put my finger on."

"You clearly like her."

"That I don't deny," Ru-quan said. "I am planning to let Mother know I intend to make this girl my consort."

Ru-an raised his eyebrows, looking at his brother questioningly. "That's a big decision to be making after only having met her a couple of times."

"One time is all that's needed. Many people have gotten married with less."

"The queen might not agree with your decision. If she did she wouldn't have given the winning place in her painting contest to Ouyang Sangya instead of Han Zi-ning. The position of crown princess is one that requires careful consideration. Perhaps make her one of your concubines? You might face less resistance with that," Ru-an suggested helpfully.

Ru-quan shook his head. "No," he rejected, "a girl like her should never be relegated to becoming a mere concubine. She is like a phoenix and she is destined to have the world at her feet."

"Those are not words that should be easily spoken, Brother, not even from you," Ru-an laughed lightly. He didn't share the same conviction as Ru-quan about Han Zi-ning, but he did have to admit that he found the girl interesting. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to get to know her a bit better to find out where her inclinations lie. He looked up at his older brother, noticing the starry look in his eyes.

The crown prince was enamoured by the girl, so much so that he wanted to make her his wife. That could be an extremely useful little nugget to make use of in time to come.

"Ru-wen, what do you think?" Ru-quan suddenly asked, turning towards his silent younger brother.

The eighth prince had always been the quietest of the lot, choosing to listen instead of speak. As such, he rarely opened his mouth to say anything unless explicitly asked—like now.

"If you believe that she is a suitable candidate then I don't see any problem in that," Ru-wen replied. "The Han family is influential and Minister Han controls an entire ministry, albeit one of lesser importance."

"You're really alright with me marrying her?" Ru-quan probed further, leaning forward as he watched his brother's reaction carefully. "Do you not fancy her too?"

Ru-wen hesitated for a moment, then he shook his head. "I think she has talent and I agree that she's quite different from most of the other girls we see, but that's about it. I don't have any affection for her in the way you imagine."

Ru-an watched the exchange, unsurprised by Ru-wen's submissive behaviour. The crown prince had a jealous streak in him, and everyone knew it was unwise to trigger it.

When it came to interacting with his two older brothers, Ru-wen always preferred to take the back seat. Firstly, he was the youngest of the three, so it was only right that he stood behind them. Secondly, while his mother Consort Qin was a Consort of the First Rank, she had neither the title and position that Queen Ci Yuanji had, neither did she have the king's favour to the extent of Consort Song, Ru-an's mother. Thirdly, his reticent personality made it seem natural for him to remain silent in the background, allowing the other two to shine with their more exuberant natures.

Ru-quan seemed satisfied with his response. He waved his hand and gestured for his attendant to refill the grape bowls. Leaning back in his chair, the crown prince said, "Zhenghuan went with me to the Ouyang manor, but the only reason he showed up was because he needed to speak with Minister Song about the army rations. Apparently Minister Song is considering cutting supplies to the border troops!"

"Father would never allow something like that to happen," Ru-an scoffed. Whether it was genuinely for border security or whether it was for some other private reasons, the troops controlled by the Du family were always the most well-funded out of the kingdom's many battalions. The king himself personally made sure that that was the case. It was no wonder the ministers grumbled about his favouritism from time to time, especially when it came to Zhenghuan.

"Of course not. The kingdom's security has always been a top priority."

"But yet not all generals receive the same level of funding and supplies from the capital," Ru-an reminded. "Father is as biased as he was before, isn't he?"

Ru-wen frowned. "Something like that should not be said so casually," he warned. The walls had ears, and if someone went carrying tales to the king then all three of them would end up in hot water.

Ru-quan waved his hand dismissively. "We can speak freely while we're within these four walls. My stewards are extremely loyal and will not breathe a word to anyone." He picked up a grape from his bowl, but instead of putting it into his mouth he held it between his fingers for a moment, rotating it thoughtfully. "Zhenghuan has always been outstanding. It's no wonder Father favours him. Perhaps he even wishes that Zhenghuan was his own son."

Ru-wen shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Ru-quan tore his gaze away from the grape and turned to look at Ru-an instead. "But I thought you were on Zhenghuan's side? It sure sounded that way based on what you said in court the other day."

Ru-an smiled, unperturbed by his brother's piercing gaze. "Don't take it personally. I merely agreed with what he was saying. When it comes to security of the kingdom, it's always better to err on the side of caution. Like you said, the kingdom's security is always a top priority."

"Still, it would be better if your chose your words carefully, Ru-an, especially in front of the court officials. They might misconstrue your intentions. It cannot appear as if we are standing in opposing camps, don't you agree? After all, we are brothers, and blood is thicker than water."

"Of course."

"Speaking of Zhenghuan, Father has given the word to arrange for a formal banquet to welcome him back to the capital. Since it coincides with the time when the envoys from Hua and Shon are due to arrive, we'll consider it a welcome for them too." He tossed a grape at Ru-an and another one at Ru-wen. "Eat your grapes. Once the envoys arrive we won't have the time for such luxuries," he chuckled.