SBCEJM -Chapter 104 Shocking Gossip! The Crown Prince’s Beloved Is Actually…

【The Crown Prince’s beloved?】

Feng Zexuan’s gossip radar instantly started buzzing, and she perked right up.

【Which lucky girl managed to catch our Crown Prince’s eye?】

The system explained lazily.

【A few days ago, the Crown Prince and his good buddy Wu Zhiqian snuck out of the palace for fun and ran into mountain bandits outside the city.】

【The Crown Prince rolled down a hillside, and this young lady saved him.】

【A beauty saving the hero? And then they pledged themselves to each other?】

In Feng Zexuan’s mind, countless romance novel pages began flipping dramatically.

Stories like “The Gallant Heroine and the Fallen Noble” and “Love Blossoms in the Mountain Cave” had already played out eight hundred times in her imagination.

【More or less.】

The system chuckled.

【Anyway, the two of them fell for each other at first sight. His Highness has been glowing lately—he’s practically floating when he walks!】

【Host, guess who she is?】

【How am I supposed to guess?】

Feng Zexuan grumbled internally as she wandered toward the palace gates.

The early winter sunlight was pleasantly warm, shining against the vermilion palace walls and casting a soft glow.

A group of people was approaching from outside the palace.

At the front was Crown Prince Xiao Mingxuan. Today he wore a moon-white brocade robe embroidered with silver cloud patterns at the hem that shifted gently with each step.

Tall and refined, he carried himself with elegance, though the smile lingering around his eyes and brows was impossible to hide.

To his left stood the broad-shouldered Wu Zhiqian.

To his right was a petite young girl.

Feng Zexuan’s gaze collided with the Crown Prince’s in midair.

Xiao Mingxuan clearly recognized her in women’s clothing. His footsteps halted briefly, blank surprise flashing across his face before a trace of amazement flickered through his eyes so quickly it was almost impossible to catch.

He stopped walking entirely, suddenly seeming awkward and unsure where to put his hands.

“King… King of Zhenbei.”

Feng Zexuan nodded lightly to him, inwardly amused.

Looking at his innocent reaction, anyone unaware of the situation would think he was some lovestruck young fool experiencing his first crush.

Her gaze naturally shifted toward the girl beside him.

The girl looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a pink lotus-colored skirt with twin buns in her hair, still carrying a youthful air.

Her large almond-shaped eyes were bright and round, filled with a kind of naïve innocence whenever she looked at people.

She truly was a beauty in the making.

【Host! That’s her! The Crown Prince’s sweetheart!】

Feng Zexuan understood immediately.

Not bad taste.

The girl seemed to notice the Crown Prince’s distraction and instantly became defensive.

She stared at Feng Zexuan warily, her sparkling eyes openly screaming the word “danger.”

The next moment, she reached out and tightly wrapped herself around the Crown Prince’s arm, pressing most of her body against him.

A blatant declaration of ownership.

【Oh? Strong territorial instincts.】

【Relax, little sister. I’m not going to steal your man.】

Feng Zexuan laughed inwardly, though her expression remained calm and detached.

Hearing that thought, the Crown Prince’s ears instantly turned bright red.

Feng Zexuan nodded to him once more.

“Your Highness.”

Then she walked past the trio without even sparing them an extra glance.

To her, the girl’s childish display of hostility was about as threatening as a puffed-up kitten.

Because of that small interruption, she completely forgot to ask the system about the girl’s background.

After leaving the palace, it was already noon, and her stomach was empty.

The sickening sweetness radiating from the young couple had already given Feng Zexuan emotional indigestion. All she wanted now was somewhere peaceful to have a few drinks.

Familiar with the way she turned into Drunken Immortal Pavilion and requested a private room by the window.

“Braised pork knuckle, roast chicken, and a pot of osmanthus wine.”

The dishes arrived quickly.

The pork knuckle had been stewed until the meat practically fell off the bone, its rich aroma mouthwatering.

Feng Zexuan tore off a chunk and dug in enthusiastically.

She had only drunk half a cup of wine when voices drifted over from the neighboring private room.

The man’s voice sounded greasy enough to drip oil.

“Yingying, come, drink this cup of wine, and you and I shall never part again.”

The woman’s voice carried a shy refusal.

“Oh, stop teasing me again, Third Brother…”

【Huh?】

Feng Zexuan paused mid-bite, pork knuckle suspended in the air.

Why did this dialogue sound exactly like the classic opening scene in those stories where scumbags trick innocent girls?

【System, spill the gossip next door.】

【Scan complete.】

【The man next door, Qian San, works as a recruiter for an illegal brothel. He drugged the wine and plans to knock the girl unconscious and sell her.】

Feng Zexuan raised an eyebrow.

【Broad daylight, right under the imperial capital’s nose, and he’s this brazen?】

At that moment, Miss Yingying had already picked up her wine cup.

Her cheeks were flushed red as she prepared to drink with Qian San.

Suddenly, a clear voice exploded inside her head without warning.

【The man next door, Qian San, works as a recruiter for an illegal brothel. He drugged the wine and plans to knock the girl unconscious and sell her.】

Yingying’s hand trembled violently, several drops of wine spilling from the cup.

Her mind went blank.

What… was that voice?

A divine revelation? Or had she imagined it?

Uncertain, she looked suspiciously at Qian San across from her.

He was urging her to drink with a gaze that sent chills down her spine.

Her instincts screamed that the voice was telling the truth.

Her heart pounded wildly, but she forced herself to remain calm. Under the pretense of serving Qian San food, she quietly switched their wine cups beneath the table.

“Third Brother, you drink first~”

Her voice was soft enough to melt water.

Qian San suspected nothing. Laughing loudly, he drained the wine in one gulp.

“Good! Yingying, you—”

Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back.

With a loud bang, his head slammed onto the table, and he went completely motionless.

Miss Yingying turned deathly pale, trembling from head to toe.

It was true!

That voice had been telling the truth!

Cold sweat instantly soaked through her back as fear crashed over her.

Grinding her teeth, she yanked off Qian San’s belt and used all four limbs to tie him up tightly before stuffing a tablecloth into his mouth.

After finishing, she stumbled out of the room in panic, screaming for help.

【Not bad. She’s not completely stupid. Saves me the trouble of stepping in myself.】

Feng Zexuan finished the last sip of wine, suddenly feeling rather bored.

Resting her chin in one hand, she gazed lazily out the window at the bustling streets below, slightly tipsy.

【Host, seeing this, have you lost faith in love?】

The system suddenly asked.

【Lost faith? Of course not.】

Feng Zexuan’s eyes were unfocused.

【I just don’t believe that sort of thing would ever happen to me.】

【But you clearly admire the Third Princess, and you also said the Crown Prince is handsome.】

The system couldn’t understand the contradiction.

【That’s just talking nonsense for fun, get it?】

Feng Zexuan waved a finger.

【I simply appreciate beautiful things, like admiring paintings or listening to music.】

【But actually living day and night with another person, sharing my bed, sharing my meals, sharing my time…】

She frowned with obvious distaste.

【Just thinking about it feels uncomfortable.】

【Host, that’s definitely because you haven’t met the right person yet!】

Drawing confidently from its romance database, the system made its conclusion.

Feng Zexuan merely nodded noncommittally.

【Maybe.】

…

The next day, Golden Throne Hall.

Dressed in her princely robes, Feng Zexuan yawned as she continued playing the role of invisible background decoration.

Since the Emperor hadn’t ordered any changes, she was perfectly happy standing in the back rows slacking off and eating gossip.

As usual, the court officials argued endlessly over trivial matters.

Listening to them made Feng Zexuan drowsy. Then she suddenly remembered the interrupted topic from yesterday.

【Right, System, we never finished yesterday’s gossip.】

【What exactly is the Crown Prince’s sweetheart’s background?】

The moment she asked, the seemingly calm court turned turbulent beneath the surface.

Emperor Xiao Juechen, standing beside the dragon throne, twitched an ear almost imperceptibly.

Several high-ranking ministers near the front unconsciously lowered their voices while presenting reports.

Everyone capable of hearing the system’s voice held their breath.

This was earth-shattering gossip concerning the imperial succession!

Under the eager anticipation of the entire court, the system finally spoke.

Its voice carried a dramatic sense of impending doom as it echoed clearly in everyone’s minds—

【That young lady… well, her relationship to him is a little complicated.】

The system deliberately dragged out the suspense, thoroughly whetting everyone’s appetite.

【She is actually the Crown Prince’s…】

【…younger sister with neither the same father nor the same mother!】