The three of them, thoroughly drunk, loudly pledged to face hardships together, vowing sisterly devotion. Xiao Wangye watched the innocent Ye Qingcheng with amusement.
The next day, Ye Qingcheng awoke with a splitting headache.
"Bixi? Bixi?"
Before she could call out further, Bixi entered with a hangover soup.
"Your Highness Consort, you're awake?"
Ye Qingcheng pressed her aching head. "How did I get back?"
Bixi paused as she set down the soup. "Your Highness Consort, you've forgotten?"
Ye Qingcheng felt unwell all over, her head swimming. "Tch, I only remember that Yunxia, Yiran, and I became sworn sisters, and then I don't remember anything else."
Bixi then recounted the events.
At the time, all three were quite intoxicated, unable to walk properly. However, as they were all women, it was awkward to have men help them. Fortunately, Sheng Yiran had brought her maids. Thus, Sheng Yiran and Ye Qingcheng were supported by the maids, while Yunxia had to trouble Elder Jun. It was quite a burden for him, an old man, to clean up after his drunken disciple.
It took great effort for them to help the women downstairs, only to encounter an acquaintance of Sheng Yiran.
Ye Qingcheng asked, "Who was it?"
Bixi replied, "It was the Eldest Princess and Yu Changan."
Ye Qingcheng nodded thoughtfully.
Yu Changan was the Eldest Princess's only son, and she was quite strict with his upbringing. He had invited the Eldest Princess to the restaurant that day, and upon arriving, he found Sheng Yiran completely drunk. He became anxious. "Yiran? What happened to you? You're this drunk."
The Eldest Princess beside him also saw Ye Qingcheng and, observing her son's expression, understood a little.
Sheng Yiran blinked groggily, looking at him, still not fully registering. "Hmm?"
Yu Changan was about to say something when Ye Qingcheng pushed him aside.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Bixi, who had been watching them, hadn't noticed how Ye Qingcheng had moved so quickly.
Bixi couldn't stop Ye Qingcheng as she pointed at Yu Changan's nose and demanded, "What do you want with my third sister!"
Yu Changan looked confused. "Third sister?"
Ye Qingcheng swayed and nodded. "Yes, she's my third sister. We just became sworn sisters..."
Bixi quickly corrected her. "You're mistaken, Your Highness Consort, not sworn sisters, but sworn siblings."
Ye Qingcheng blinked dazedly for three seconds before coming to her senses. "Oh! Right, it's... sworn siblings, not sworn sisters..."
Yunxia, who was already unconscious beside them, raised her hands above her head and exclaimed, "Ya oh!!"
Yu Changan watched the drunken antics of the women and wryly pulled at the corner of his mouth.
The Eldest Princess, however, found it rather amusing, covering her mouth and stifling a laugh.
Just then, Lin Xiao, who had gone to fetch the carriage, arrived. Ye Qingcheng instructed Bixi to help Sheng Yiran into the carriage. "Quick, put my third sister into the carriage and send her to the Prince's manor."
Bixi, experiencing a moment of social mortification, could only comply. Yu Changan, however, was not pleased.
He tried to take Bixi's hand to help Sheng Yiran, but Ye Qingcheng saw through his intentions.
She punched him in the face. "You dare bully my third sister? You're asking for a beating."
"What did you say?" Ye Qingcheng exclaimed, jumping up in disbelief. "You, you said I... I hit Yu Changan..."
Bixi nodded. "Yes!"
Ye Qingcheng's mouth fell open. "I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy! That's the Eldest Princess's son! I actually, fatefully, hit the son of the Eldest Princess and the驸马! It's over, it's over."
Bixi said from the side, "Your Highness Consort, please calm yourself. The Eldest Princess is right there, and she hasn't said anything!"
Ye Qingcheng was now truly losing her mind.
"Silly Bixi, the Eldest Princess might not say anything outwardly because she doesn't want to lose her temper in public, but she must be angry in her heart! That's her son!"
Ye Qingcheng was terribly flustered, pacing back and forth. If all else failed, she would have to go and apologize to the Eldest Princess.
"Bixi, go arrange a gift. We're going to the 驸马's manor to apologize to the Eldest Princess."
Bixi, having heard her mistress's words, didn't dare to be negligent and immediately nodded and left.
At this moment, the Eldest Princess was not angry.
She was still laughing at her son's flushed face.
Yu Changan, holding a cold compress to his face, felt very dejected. "Mother, please stop laughing at me. Son gets beaten, and you just watch from the side."
The Eldest Princess, still chuckling with her hand over her mouth, said, "You deserve it. Who told you to help that girl? When a woman is drunk, how can a man offer assistance? He'd be taking advantage of the young lady."
Yu Changan pouted. "I was just worried! The Regent's Consort was also drunk. How can one drunk person take care of another drunk person?"
The Eldest Princess was displeased.
"Even so, you didn't need to worry about it. She had her maids!"
Yu Changan was speechless, retorted. "Then..."
The Eldest Princess shook her head helplessly. "Son, tell your mother, what are your thoughts on the Sheng family's young lady?"
Yu Changan hesitated and stammered at this moment.
The Eldest Princess disliked this trait of her son the most. "If you like her, you like her. If you don't, you don't. Being so hesitant is unseemly."
Yu Changan was choked.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Mother, how did you know?"
The Eldest Princess sighed. "Who knows a son better than his mother? You are usually so proper, but whenever it concerns Miss Sheng, you lose all composure."
Yu Changan chuckled. "I still can't hide anything from Mother."
The Eldest Princess adjusted her clothes. "Alright, find a good day, contact a matchmaker, and we'll go propose."
Propose? Yu Changan was stunned.
"Mother, you're willing for me to marry Yiran?"
The Eldest Princess smiled and shook her head. "When have you ever seen your mother be someone who clings to power and would sacrifice your marriage for it?"
Yu Changan hurriedly shook his head. "I know Mother isn't that kind of person, it's just..."
"Just?" The Eldest Princess was puzzled. "Just what?"
Yu Changan sighed. "Mother, you don't know about Yiran's family situation."
Upon hearing this, the Eldest Princess shifted her posture and listened carefully.
"Her parents sacrificed themselves for the country back then, and she lived with her paternal uncle and aunt. However, her uncle was harmed by a traitor from that year, and his remains can't even be found now. As a result, her aunt became a widow. Currently, the head of the Sheng family is her paternal uncle's wife, and her paternal aunt cannot make decisions regarding her affairs."
Yu Changan looked at the Eldest Princess.
"Mother, I've always known that her uncle's wife's daughter has feelings for me, but I've never responded. If I go to propose now, I fear... her uncle's wife will not agree and will make things difficult for her."
The Eldest Princess shook her head and replied, "It's probably not that..."
Yu Changan didn't understand what she meant.
The Eldest Princess explained, "Regarding their Sheng family, I have heard some things. The Sheng family's rise relied entirely on the second and third branches. The eldest branch, Sheng Zedong, is a scoundrel who favors beautiful women the most. Therefore, his household has many concubines and many children. The third branch only has Sheng Yiran as a daughter, and the second branch's orphan is only one son, less than ten years old. So, if you propose, they cannot possibly disagree, but I fear they might usurp the rightful owner and substitute the genuine article."
Yu Changan was stunned. "Mother means... they want their eldest branch's daughter to marry in Yiran's place..."
The Eldest Princess did not speak, but her meaning was clear.
At this moment, a servant reported, "Eldest Princess, the Regent's Consort has arrived."
The two were taken aback. The Eldest Princess asked, "What is she here for?"
The servant replied, "Reporting to the Eldest Princess, the Consort says she got drunk yesterday and accidentally hit the Young Master, and has come to beg for forgiveness."