"Is that so?" Yao Xiuyan stared at her. "Then why did I hear all the gossip in Yingzhou as soon as I arrived? That the Qi family's daughter looks down on military families and would rather show her face in public than fulfill the marriage agreement?"

Qi Mingyue's teacup trembled slightly. She knew rumors could be dangerous, but she never expected them to spread to this extent.

"Does the young master believe in these things?" she asked softly.

Yao Xiuyan suddenly laughed: "If I believed you, I wouldn't have invited you here today." He got up and walked to the window, standing with his hands behind his back. "I'm just curious, what kind of person could make Sister Mingyue willingly stay in Yingzhou, even disregarding the marriage agreement in the capital?"

Qi Mingyue also stood up: "Since the young master does not believe the rumors, why bother to ask?"

Yao Xiuyan turned to look at her, his gaze sharp: "Because in three days, I will be setting off back to the capital. Before I leave, I want to hear the truth from you, sister." He slowly approached, "What are your plans regarding this marriage, sister?"

Suddenly, it started raining again outside the window, the sound of rain pattering on the banana leaves filling the air. Qi Mingyue gazed at the rain outside the window for a long time before saying, "Marriage is a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. Mingyue dares not make decisions on her own."

Yao Xiuyan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "What a fine 'dare not act on your own'! Qi Mingyue, Qi Mingyue, from childhood to adulthood, when have you ever truly listened to your parents' orders?"

His laughter abruptly stopped, and his tone turned somber: "When you were eight, because you disliked the discipline of the palace maids, you secretly climbed a tree and hid for a day, startling everyone in the manor; when you were ten, because you didn't want to sit at the same table as those spoiled brats, you pretended to be sick and slipped away from the banquet; when you were twelve..."

"Your Highness!" Qi Mingyue interrupted him, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Why bring up these old stories?"

Yao Xiuyan's lips curled slightly: "I just want to say that the Qi Mingyue I know has never been a submissive young lady." His gaze deepened, "So, tell me the truth. You came to Yingzhou to avoid marriage because you don't want to marry me?"

The rain grew heavier, tapping against the windowpane. Qi Mingyue looked at her childhood playmate, now the powerful heir of the Duke of Ying, and suddenly felt a sense of estrangement.

“Brother Xiuyan,” she whispered, uttering that long-unheard address, “when we were children you taught me to ride horses and shoot arrows, saying that women shouldn’t be confined to their chambers. Now that Mingyue has followed your advice and come out to see the world, why does it seem wrong?”

Yao Xiuyan was slightly taken aback, then laughed and said, "What a sharp-tongued girl! I was too narrow-minded." He pondered for a moment, "Since that's the case, I won't force you. But..." His tone turned cold, "I cannot let those who are causing trouble in the shadows off lightly."

Qi Mingyue frowned: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Yao Xiuyan took out a stack of papers from his sleeve: "These days, I haven't been wandering around Yingzhou for nothing." He spread the papers on the table, "Spreading rumors, colluding with the yamen runners, and even bribing servants to frame you... This Miss Bai Lian'er, you certainly have some tricks up your sleeve."

Qi Mingyue scanned the testimonies and evidence, secretly alarmed. She had long known that Bai Lian'er was no ordinary person, but she hadn't expected Yao Xiuyan to have investigated so thoroughly in just a few days.

"What does the Crown Prince intend to do?" she asked.

Yao Xiuyan sneered, "Naturally, we should treat them in kind." He looked at Qi Mingyue, "Would you like to stand by and watch, sister?"

Qi Mingyue shook her head: "One should be lenient when possible. Although she has made mistakes, she does not deserve this."

Yao Xiuyan stared at her for a long time, then suddenly sighed, "Mingyue is still so kind-hearted." He put away the evidence. "Fine, for your sake, I'll spare her this time. But..." His tone turned cold, "If she dares to cause trouble again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The rain subsided, and the sky outside the window began to brighten. Yao Xiuyan stood up: "I should go. Will you come to the welcome banquet in three days, sister?"

Qi Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Mingyue will be there on time."

A smile flashed in Yao Xiuyan's eyes: "Then I will await your arrival." He walked to the door, then suddenly turned back. "By the way, please apologize to Young Master Xie for me. At the welcoming banquet that day, I deliberately tested him, which was not the behavior of a gentleman."

Qi Mingyue was slightly taken aback: "Your Highness..."

“I can tell he’s an upright man,” Yao Xiu said calmly. “I’m very pleased that my sister has such a close friend in Yingzhou.”

Having said that, he turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance. Qi Mingyue sat alone in the private room, gazing out the window at the clear sky after the rain, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Zhi Shu quietly entered: "Miss, has the young master left?"

Qi Mingyue nodded and said softly, "Make preparations, and attend the banquet in three days."

"Miss, are you really going?" Zhi Shu asked worriedly. "What if something else goes wrong..."

Qi Mingyue looked out the window, a slight smile playing on her lips: "What's meant to come will come. You can avoid it for a while, but you can't avoid it forever."