Yuelan headed toward the manor’s front door at a faster pace than Guangfeng had ever seen her use. When they reached the foyer, Yuelan’s father was there waiting. A delighted squeal came from Yuelan and she ran over, nearly knocking the older man over as she hugged him. “Welcome home, Daddy!”

Long Ansheng chuckled and wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Welcome home to you too, little one.” Kilin’s prime minister stroked Yuelan’s hair as he held her close and smiled down at her. “How was your time in Longuo?”

Yuelan grimaced. “I miss electricity and running water,” she sighed. “And you.”

“Cheng Man mentioned you brought someone home with you today. Is this him?” Ansheng asked, looking over at Guangfeng.

Guangfeng stepped forward and gave a slight bow. “I am Xiong Guangfeng, third prince of Longuo,” he said, introducing himself. “I asked Yuelan to bring me here so that I could understand her better.”

Ansheng studied Guangfeng for a bit and then looked over at his secretary, who was just coming in through the door. “Cancel or postpone as many of my appointments as you can for the next couple of days. I’ll be spending my time with my daughter, since she is well enough to be at home.”

The secretary nodded and headed for one of the studies he used as an office, pulling his phone out and starting on his task as he went.

“Have you shown his highness the garden yet, Yuelan?” Ansheng asked once the secretary was gone.

“No, I was just about to show him the library, but I think that can wait until later,” Yuelan answered.

“Then let’s take him out to the gardens. The chrysanthemums are blooming and I was waiting for you to come back before going out to enjoy them. Is that alright with you, Your Highness?” Ansheng smiled at his daughter and then turned to look at Guangfeng.

“Of course.” Guangfeng smiled back at the prime minister. His smile became a thoughtful frown and he rubbed at his chin. “I do have a question, though. I heard that you have equal power to your emperor. How should I address you?”

Ansheng chuckled. “Ansheng is fine. I remember Yuelan mentioning before that you were the one she was going to choose to be her fiance. I’ve been hoping to meet you at some point.”

“Then please call me Guangfeng,” the prince requested. “It would be quite arrogant for me to have you address me by title when I address you by name, both as my elder and as someone of higher social status.”

Long Ansheng nodded and headed for the door. “The gardens are at their best in late spring, but there are a number of beautiful spots during the fall. My wife was very fond of flowers and she designed the gardens here herself. She and Yuelan used to spend quite a lot of time outside tending to them when Yuelan was young.”

“Yuelan mentioned only having you as a parent. You have no concubines you could promote to head wife?”

The prime minister turned to look at Guangfeng with a frown. “Polygamy isn’t considered socially acceptable anymore, so I have never had a concubine. I chose not to remarry after her death as I felt it would be unfair to whomever I chose. I’m still very much in love with Yuelan’s mother. She is and always has been the only woman for me.”

Guangfeng frowned. “Yuelan mentioned that before, I think. She also insisted I promise that I would take no concubines and only have her.”

“Does that upset you?” Ansheng asked.

The prince shook his head. “No. My mother died as a result of fighting in the emperor’s harem. I have no desire to see that take place in my own family.”

Ansheng nodded. “Good answer. I want only for my daughter to be happy. So long as you can work to ensure her happiness I will be content. However, should you hurt her or make her unhappy we will have a problem.”

Guangfeng winced and looked over at Yuelan, who had walked further ahead to lead the way and was pretending she couldn’t hear the conversation between the two men.

“She’s already unhappy, isn’t she?” The prime minister had caught Guangfeng’s look and he frowned. “Why is that?”

The third prince sighed and explained the situation with Laurel. At the end, he rubbed the back of his neck and let out another sigh. “After that she became upset with my younger brother and myself because she finds me to be overprotective and inconsiderate of her thoughts and feelings. She also insisted that she doesn’t need my protection.”

Long Ansheng sighed and looked over at his daughter. “My daughter is a very independent young woman. She learned quickly to do things for herself because there weren’t many she could rely on. I was often gone and the servants were quite busy. Sometimes her independence becomes stubbornness. She dislikes feeling weak or showing weakness.”

“Are you attempting to reassure me or help me?” Guangfeng asked curiously.

The prime minister shrugged. “Either. Or perhaps both. Knowing her better will both assist you and reassure you.”

Guangfeng nodded. “Are women really equal to men here?”

“They are. The previous prime minister was a woman. The heads of many companies are women. Of course, there are men in those positions as well. And in positions that would normally be considered work reserved for women.”

“But they’re not soldiers, are they?” Guangfeng asked, frowning.

“Of course. There are many women who serve in the military. As long as they aren’t pregnant they’re permitted in combat, too.” Ansheng studied Guangfeng’s shocked expression. “Things are very different here compared to where you are from. Yuelan has received an education equal to any boy’s her age and better than most. Because of the higher technological level here, her education is no doubt better than your own. Tell me, your highness, if you were to go to a place where you were better educated than anyone else and treated as inferior only because you happen to be a man, how would you feel? Would you continue to see the kindness of others only as kindness? Or would you start to feel that they are looking down on you and ignoring your capabilities?”

Guangfeng had no answer to the prime minister’s question. He turned to look at Yuelan’s slender back as she walked ahead of them in her qipao with a thoughtful expression on his face. “I suppose that does put things in perspective,” he finally sighs.