Frankly speaking, Yuwen Luanfei is just a prince. What right does he have to bestow a marriage? He’s hardly the Emperor himself.
"Even if I agreed, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I could bring her to you. After all, Junjun Girl is not like other maidens; she has her own mind. Rather than fight a battle of uncertainty, it would be better to discuss it later. What do you think?"
Yuwen Luanfei’s refusal was tactful, but even Yuwen Song could understand it and couldn’t help but glance at Yuwen Jun: "I’m not criticizing you, brother, but she’s just a young girl. There are plenty of talented and beautiful women in this world. Why set your heart on this particular one?"
"Exactly, exactly. With your impressive talents, you could have any fine lady you wish."
Yuwen Luanfei also joined in with a chuckle.
But Yuwen Jun shook his head solemnly. "Once you’ve experienced the vast ocean, it’s hard for other waters to compare; if you remove Wu Shan, the clouds are just not the same."
With that one line from Yuwen Jun, the persuasions of the others were promptly suffocated.
Even so, Yuwen Luanfei still dared not agree. He sighed, "I truly can’t make this decision for you. Try speaking with her privately, but given the deep bond between the girl and Wenli, I fear it won’t be easy."
"..." Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun silently clenched his fists.
Meanwhile, Yuwen Song’s interest was finally piqued.
"What’s this about? Didn’t the girl break off her engagement with Li Wenli before? How come they’re on such good terms again?"
"It’s the shared adversities that reveal true feelings. Over these few years fleeing calamity, they’ve practically been together all the time. I suppose they’ve come to rely on each other and..." When it came to the gossip about these two, Yuwen Luanfei was all aglow with enthusiasm, though most of it was his own fabrication, but still not far from the truth.
Yuwen Luanfei wanted to say more, but when he caught a glimpse of Yuwen Jun’s increasingly ashen face out of the corner of his eye, he quickly changed the subject, chastising himself internally for engaging in frivolous talk about romance during such a gravely serious gathering of the Three Kings.
As they strove to preserve the sanctity of the Three Kings’ solemn meeting with new measures of rigor, on the other side, Bai Junjun had already taken Wenren Pingting out to sober up.
Before Yuwen Luanfei left, naturally, they could not depart first; they were merely sitting in a small pavilion just outside the door for the moment.
As soon as Wenren Pingting reached a secluded place, she faced Bai Junjun with a stern expression.
"How could you talk nonsense like that? I am a married woman. Your careless words could easily trap me in dishonor. Do you realize that?"
"Yes, yes, I understand."
Bai Junjun, out of respect for her patron’s face, did not retort and even admitted her fault with an earnest attitude. However, inwardly she was incessantly complaining. She had only casually mentioned whether she had feelings for the Fox, so why such an overreaction?
At this moment, not only was Wenren Pingting stern, but even Dian Hong’s face was tense.
Although it wasn’t her place to speak, there were things the Princess Consort might find inconvenient to say that she would have to convey.
Therefore, after Wenren Pingting finished speaking, Dian Hong also said, "Please forgive us, Miss Junjun. Our Princess Consort has a special status. She is surrounded by many eyes and ears, and without care, it’s easy to leave handles for others to grasp. Inside these palace walls, one fears most the gossip concerning a woman’s reputation, which is why the mistress reacted so strongly."
"I understand. I will certainly refrain from making such jokes in the future."
Bai Junjun nodded and then glanced at Wenren Pingting once more: "However, our Fox is not so bad that you need to avoid him to this extent. Ever since our reunion, you’ve been shunning him as if avoiding venomous snakes and fierce beasts. One who doesn’t know might think the Fox is a Flower Picking Thief."
"You’re still talking about it." Wenren Pingting was on the verge of fainting. How could Bai Junjun always be so hopelessly blunt, failing to read the room? Who would come to her rescue!