Mingda was even more frank than Bai Cheng. When Manbao asked her, she nodded and said, "I do quite like him." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Manbao couldn’t help but be curious, "What do you like about him?"

Mingda couldn’t help but laugh a little before saying, "I think he’s a lot like you."

Manbao: ... How is she like Bai Er? She’s obviously so smart!

Mingda’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she said, "Just like this, this energy is very similar, and he’s not only healthy but also happy. I know, you’re not afraid of us, and neither is he, so neither of you want anything from us. I’m very happy to be friends with you. There are very few people like you around me."

What Mingda didn’t say explicitly was that it wasn’t just very few, but only the two or three of them.

Even Sister Changyu, although they shared a deep bond as sisters, when they first started, and even now, her care for Mingda was not solely because of their sisterly love since childhood but also because she was the daughter of the emperor and empress.

Although Mingda didn’t mind this at all, when she met friends like Zhou Man and Bai Erlang who didn’t try to please her just because she was the legitimate princess and didn’t want anything from her, she also cherished it tremendously.

She said, "It’s not necessarily about making him a prince consort; I just quite like him. Seeing him together with you all always makes me can’t help but laugh, and it makes me happy."

She smiled and said, "If you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have said anything. Marriage is determined by parental orders. I don’t even know what kind of prince consort Father will choose for me."

Manbao asked, "Won’t you ask?"

Mingda shook her head slightly, but then nodded, saying, "Father will tell me. No need for me to ask specifically."

Manbao thought for a moment, not quite understanding, "How can you be so indifferent? He’s the person you’ll spend your whole life with."

She said, "I couldn’t do that. If we’re to live together in the future, he must be good-looking first, otherwise, wouldn’t life be suffocating?"

Mingda couldn’t help but laugh out loud, asking, "So you chose Bai Shan and not Bai Erlang?"

Manbao widened her eyes in disbelief, "What are you talking about? How could I choose Bai Er?"

That would be unimaginable.

Mingda thought for a moment and also found it unimaginable. She couldn’t help but laugh and asked, "But to outsiders, the conditions between those two cousins are quite similar. Though Bai Shan’s family background is somewhat better than Bai Er’s, Bai Shan lost his father early, while Bai Er’s parents and brothers are all intact, which is better than Bai Shan in many ways. In terms of friendship, you knew each other earlier and were from the same village, so why did you choose Bai Shan and not him?"

Manbao left her mouth slightly open for a moment, unable to speak, "This, how do I even begin to explain? It’s something I’ve never thought about."

Mingda said, "Indeed, it’s something I’ve never thought about. I never thought about marrying him. I just feel like I like him."

"Have you thought about it now?" Manbao said, "You must have thought about it by now."

Mingda didn’t deny it, smiling, "Since it was brought up, I naturally couldn’t help but think about it. But thinking is only a momentary thing."

"That’s true. I shivered a lot just now." Manbao complained a bit, then asked, "So what do you think now?"

Mingda smiled and said, "Just let things take their course."

"I don’t believe you. You’ve never been someone who listens obediently. Why are you acting so obedient now?"

"I’ve always heard people say Sister Changyu doesn’t listen, but this is the first time I’ve heard someone say I don’t listen."

"That’s different. Princess Changyu is fierce on the surface and complains verbally but never disagrees with the emperor and empress’s arrangements. But you are different." Even if Mingda appeared compliant, she was actually very strong-minded.

Seeing her wanting to know everything to the end, Mingda took off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed, saying, "Alright, I tell you. It’s no big deal."

She said, "Father said he wanted to arrange a marriage for me, but he reviewed several candidates and wasn’t satisfied. According to my calculations, deciding on it this year isn’t possible."

Moreover, the Empress Dowager’s health wasn’t good. If it couldn’t be decided this year, then she would have to wait at least two more years to discuss marriage again. After all the busywork, the engagement might not happen for another three years.

So in guessing that it might not be settled, Mingda naturally wasn’t going to bring up her fondness for Bai Erlang.

Besides, "Three years may not sound long, but living through it is long. Bai Cheng would be of age by then, right?"

Manbao said, "Senior Brother Bai got engaged and married just after coming of age. That’s not too old."

Mingda paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, there’s one more thing..."

She said lightly, "Three years later, I don’t even know if I’ll still be alive."

Manbao was startled, quickly saying, "What are you talking about? Although you’re somewhat weak, it shouldn’t be that bad, should it?"

Mingda just gave a bitter smile, "It’s just you. Actually, quite a few people inside and outside the palace know. I’ve been frail since birth, just slightly better than Yin Huo from Lord Yin’s family."

She said, "Both he and I are well-known sick children of the palace and beyond. We look better now, but the congenital deficiencies can’t be completely cured."

"Thus, I’m unsure of what kind of prince consort Father wants for me," Mingda said. "Whether it is to conspire, to win over, or simply for the short time I have left?"

Manbao didn’t expect her to think so much, and after a moment, said, "No wonder you always seem exhausted; you’re thinking about too much."

"Why don’t you ask His Majesty?" she said, "He cares for you very much. I think he would discuss this with you."

Mingda shook her head, "I don’t want Father to be troubled, so I’ll wait and see what kind of prince consort he seeks for me. If it’s the first two, I won’t mention it. If it’s the last one, I’ll have to consider it."

Manbao asked, "Why would you consider?"

It seems like there’s a slim chance for her Junior Brother, only a one-sixth probability.

Mingda said, "Of course, I’d have to consider it. If at that time my health is poor, and I die shortly after marriage, wouldn’t I be ruining his life by making him a widower?"

Manbao: "... You think too much."

When Manbao returned to the Chongwen Pavilion, she told Bai Erlang, "Mingda said she would consider it because she doesn’t want to make you a widower."

Bai Erlang widened his eyes, "You actually went to ask her?"

"You have to ask about her feelings first before proposing, right?" Manbao said, "But now you know, she doesn’t dislike you and even likes you a bit, so you can start working hard towards the emperor."

Parents’ orders, naturally, require parental consent before seeking approval from the main person involved; isn’t that the proper way?

Bai Erlang then worried, "How do I work hard? I can’t even see His Majesty."

Manbao thought for a moment and said, "I occasionally have the chance; should I pass a message for you?"

Bai Erlang: "What could I possibly say to His Majesty?"

There wasn’t anything, as she often had nothing to say herself.