Even so, Song Xibai still had to pour cold water on the Crown Prince's hopes.

"Your Highness, it's not certain yet!"

“But Wei Hong said…” The Crown Prince was taken aback.

"Don't worry about me first, I'll explain everything to you in detail." Song Xibai patted the Crown Prince. "There are so many people watching!"

The crown prince snorted: "Let's see who dares to look around!"

Eunuch Feng was startled, his head almost drooping to his crotch.

The prince carried Song Xibai to the bedroom in a willful manner before gently placing her on the bed.

The way they handled it so carefully was as if they were holding a rare treasure.

Song Xibai pulled his hand over and intertwined her fingers with his before speaking.

"It's too early in the pregnancy to feel anything, but my period is a few days late..."

At this point, Song Xibai paused, her brows furrowing slightly.

“I even specifically asked Wei Hong and the others not to tell you yet! I didn’t expect her to tell you right away.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Hong, who was outside, knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"This servant has overstepped her bounds, please punish me, Master."

Song Xibai didn't know how to punish her. After all, Wei Hong was given to her by the Crown Prince, so she was considered one of the Crown Prince's people. If this matter were to be investigated thoroughly, it couldn't be considered that Wei Hong was at fault.

Seeing her troubled expression, the Crown Prince immediately offered her a solution: "Disobeying the master's orders shall be punished with ten lashes."

Wei Hong kowtowed: "Yes, this servant will go and accept the punishment."

Song Xibai was startled.

"Ten lashes? That's way too severe!"

The Crown Prince disagreed: "This has always been the case in the palace. This is only because Wei Hong served you personally, so she wasn't punished."

Song Xibai glared at him: "You have no conscience! Isn't Wei Hong loyal to you? And you still want to have her beaten!"

The crown prince felt he had been wronged.

He wanted to explain, but seeing Song Xibai's unhappy expression, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and pulled her closer by the waist.

"Alright, alright, it's my fault. I won't punish her. How about you punish me instead?"

As he spoke, the Crown Prince rested his head on Song Xibai's neck and shoulder, nuzzling her neck.

Song Xibai suppressed a laugh and pushed his big head away.

"There will be plenty of times to punish you in the future... Wei Hong, come in."

Wei Hong entered, her heart pounding with fear.

"This servant will accept any punishment from my master, as long as you don't send me away, I'll accept whatever punishment you give me."

Song Xibai noticed her worry, smiled slightly, and waved to her.

"Tell me the truth, did you go to inform His Highness yourself, or did someone send you?"

Wei Hong hesitated.

Song Xibai understood immediately.

Who could make Wei Hong hesitate like this?

Clearly, only Granny Fangqi remains.

"Alright, that's all for you. Now, call Granny Fangqi in!"

Wei Hong wanted to explain, but seeing Song Xibai's expression, she didn't dare to say anything more and obediently retreated.

Before long, Granny Fangqi entered the hall with a bow, and gave Song Xibai a deep bow through the screen.

“Your Majesty, this matter was indeed done by this old servant, and it is this old servant who should be punished.”

Her eagerness to admit her mistake left Song Xibai speechless.

After a pause, Song Xibai finally spoke.

“I know you mean well, but since I am the master, everyone inside and outside the East Hall should obey my orders. There should be no dissenting opinions.”

"Yes, Your Highness is absolutely right."

Song Xibai looked at her, shook his head and sighed.

Although Fangqi is not old by age, she is not easy to manage such an elderly person with a special status.

Especially those who claim to be doing things for your own good and making decisions for you.

Song Xibai fell silent.

Fangqi was initially calm and composed, but as Song Xibai remained silent for longer, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

If Song Xibai had directly reprimanded or punished her from the start, Granny Fangqi wouldn't have been afraid. But her silence now was what worried her.

Even the Crown Prince looked at Song Xibai with curiosity, waiting to see how she would handle the situation.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but the warm air inside made Fangqi's back break out in a fine sweat, which dampened her inner clothes.

At this moment, Song Xibai finally spoke.

"Granny is devoted to His Highness. I'm afraid my position as head maid is not suitable for her. How about we remove her from the position immediately?"

Granny Fangqi felt a chill in her heart; this was far beyond her expectations.

She had originally planned to accept whatever punishment she might receive, whether it was a fine, being forced to kneel, or even being beaten with a board. But she never imagined she would be dismissed from her position.

There was only one head maidservant in the Crown Prince's entourage.

She seemed somewhat lost, but quickly composed herself.

"This old servant accepts the punishment... This old servant will go back to pack my things and return to Kunning Palace."

As she spoke, she dragged her leg and tried to stand up and walk outside.

But then, Song Xibai suddenly called out to her again.

"Wait!"

Fangqi paused.

Song Xibai touched the bracelet on her wrist with two fingers and spoke slowly.

“You’re not suitable for the head nanny position, but there’s another position that I think is perfect for you. I’d like to ask you to be my child’s caregiver.”

Fangqi's heart suddenly raced. She looked up in disbelief and, for the first time, disregarded etiquette, staring directly at Song Xibai.

Even the crown prince exclaimed in surprise.

"Qingqing, you..."

Song Xibai reached out and grabbed the Crown Prince's palm, revealing a playful smile.

“After all, Granny Fangqi meant well! She genuinely cares about the child, so I think it's best to let Granny Fangqi take care of the baby after it's born. I trust Granny Fangqi’s loyalty.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!