Zuo Miaomiao wiped away her tears haphazardly.

"Mingming was so happy to see Sister Xiao."

Xiao Qingyin noticed that something was wrong with her and asked, "What happened?"

Zuo Miaomiao was silent for a moment before replying, "The Crown Prince is selecting a consort, and I have been included in the candidate list. I will be entering the palace to participate in the selection in a few days."

The prince she was referring to was the second prince, who had only recently been appointed as crown prince.

Xiao Qingyin had heard Yi Shuihan mention it once.

The Great Xi Dynasty currently has eleven princes, only the first three of whom are Situ Yu's biological sons, the rest are Emperor Chengtai's sons.

The Second Prince, Situ Ming, was born to a maid. He was of low status and mediocre talent, and was always an unknown figure. No one paid any attention to him.

However, since the eldest prince Situ Sheng and the third prince Situ Rui were both dead, Situ Yu had no choice but to appoint him as the crown prince.

Situ Ming had already married and had children, but his wife, who came from a humble background, seemed to have little good fortune. She died of illness not long after Emperor Chengtai fell from power.

Xiao Qingyin and Yi Shuihan had whispered to each other that Situ Ming's luck was just too good—"getting promoted only to have his wife die."

Yi Shuihan smiled and said it might not be a coincidence.

Now, Zuo Miaomiao is actually going to run for the position of Crown Princess under Situ Ming?

No wonder she became depressed.

"You don't want to go to the palace?"

Xiao Qingyin asked Zuo Miaomiao.

Zuo Miaomiao nodded: "With my father's official position, if I were to run for office, the most I could get would be a concubine."

She had no desire to be anyone's concubine, not even the Crown Prince's.

"That's not necessarily true," Xiao Qingyin teased. "Maybe you'll become the Crown Princess?"

Zuo Miaomiao thought for a moment about the First Prince's wife and the Third Prince's wife, then shook her head and said, "The Crown Princess won't do either."

The current crown prince's consort is destined to be a widow, and she doesn't want to be one.