Empress Xie

Empress Xie •7

Xie Lien

The Noble Crown Prince.

The Gentle Second Prince.

The Demonic Third Prince.

The Friendly Fifth Prince.

Are what the Emperor's remaining sons are nicknamed.

The eldest, Jun Qi Chen, is only twenty-seven and his looks are not too outstanding, but he is one that cannot be ignored. He speaks wisely, judges fairly, and moves with a regality that stems from deep within him.

The Second Prince is like a deity. His looks are not only good enough to make a man reconsider, his temperament is even better than most women. Many think him a faultless Prince too pure to involve himself in the bloody struggle for the throne. He attends court but he keeps to himself and hardly gives an opinion until it's necessary. The Emperor also seems to like this calmness, and many ladies admire him seeing as not a single woman occupies his bed though he is twenty-four.

Third Prince is...unnerving. It's never to be spoken out loud, but it's said he is born from a deal with a demon. On the battlefield, this prince spares neither man, woman, or child. One swing of his spear can behead a hundred soldiers and he is no stranger to torture. Though this is said about him, he is still the one who decimated the Jiang Mo army and took back the mines and fertile lands in the South, but some would insist this was only possible due to the demonic blood in his veins.

Fifth Prince is a friend to all humanity. He is a little immature and rash, but he is one who comes up with many good ideas and gives off an amiable air that makes him the most approachable of all the princes. Jun Qi Kang's appearance is friendly and endearing, and when he is around young masters he treats them like brothers. With this character, he has made many young masters swear their loyalty to him.

The princes are hardly seen together if it's not an official event and the Third Prince has been away for so many years, making the appearance of all four princes an incredibly rare sight.

...Is what my little gossip monger, Zhou Li, told me.

"On this auspicious day how can Benwang have you all bowing for long. Everyone stand, let's celebrate and enjoy this day." Jun Qi Chen's smile seemed to glow with magnanimity, alleviating the pressure in everyone's heart.

Some young nobles approached the princes to exchange pleasantries, while some tried to quietly disappear. Xie Long and I included. Holding my hand, he wore an expression I could only describe as a ghost of a smile. We were slowly backing away, hoping to mix into the young masters and misses rushing to introduce themselves but...

"Isn't that the Xie's Second Miss?"

Well shit.

Zhou Li had told me merely meeting the princes would be enough to differentiate them, and she was right. Jun Qi Chen emanated dignity and regality, and this Jun Qi Dishi was too bright to even look at. Peach blossom eyes met mine, bright to the point of being enchanting, but they were also somewhat... scary?

I lowered my upper body and placed one palm over the other, my brother and maids also following my greeting. "Xie Lien greets the royal princes."

The Second Prince chuckled. "You may raise your head. Benwang only wanted to thank Second Miss for giving Imperial Grandmother such a wonderful present."

Exactly what is this man after? I'll be the first to admit I made a scene at the Empress Dowager's banquet, a considerable one for someone who hasn't left her manor since birth, but I had the nagging suspicion the Second Prince was aiming for something.