"As for understanding the Crown Prince, well, I'm not exaggerating, but I'm afraid that no one in the palace, except the Emperor, understands him better than I do!" Gao He said, raising his wine cup with a touch of pride and taking a sip.

"That's right! As the chief eunuch of the Crown Prince's residence, what in the Crown Prince's residence could escape your discerning eyes? Moreover, the Crown Prince's feelings for you are unparalleled."

With a hint of admiration in her smile, Qin Kou'er refilled Gao He's glass of wine, as if the person who conspired with Lan Linxue to kill him had nothing to do with her.

"Speaking of which, the Crown Prince is a man with a tragic fate!" Gao He said with some emotion.

"Oh?" Qin Kou'er seemed a little surprised, and couldn't help but laugh and say, "What are you saying, Eunuch? If we're talking about good fortune in this world, I'm afraid no one can compare to the Crown Prince. He is favored by the Emperor and has all the power and wealth in the world. How can he be associated with the word 'bitter'?!"

Gao He glanced at Qin Kou'er and snorted coldly, "It's true that she's showered with love, but it's also true that she's suffering!" He then lowered his voice, deliberately leaning closer to Qin Kou'er and whispering, "Do you know how the Crown Prince's birth mother died?"

Qin Kou'er deliberately thought for a moment with a serious expression, then quietly approached Gao He and said, "Are you talking about the former Empress Qin?"

Gao He nodded, "Our Emperor only has one Empress, which is none other than Empress Qin!"

Qin Kou'er looked at Gao He, her heart beginning to stir, but her expression remained unchanged as she shook her head slightly, "Isn't it an epidemic?"

Gao He immediately frowned and shook his head mysteriously, "Anything in the palace that can't be told outside is called an epidemic. That Empress Qin gouged out her own eyes and burned herself to death in her own palace. Her death was horribly tragic. That year, the Crown Prince was only nine years old and watched his mother burn to death with his own eyes!"

For years, Qin Kou'er had been searching for information, but she never expected to learn the truth under these circumstances. It turned out that she had died by self-immolation; it turned out that she had not clung to life waiting to see the heavens turn against her; it turned out that she had never forgotten her people and that raging fire.

Qin Kou'er's body trembled slightly uncontrollably, her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves, trying her best to calm the turmoil in her heart.

He forced a look of surprise, "It must have been quite an achievement to keep such a big thing completely hidden in the palace, a place full of gossip and people!"

Gao He shook his head vigorously, completely oblivious to Qin Kou'er's unusual behavior. He sighed and whispered, "What concealment? It was the Emperor who not only killed everyone in the Empress's palace at the time, but also had anyone who knew even the slightest bit about this matter buried alive with him. Only I, who was with the Crown Prince at the time, and the Emperor's personal eunuch, Eunuch Quan, were spared. So, no one else knew about this. However, the most pitiful one was the Crown Prince. After the Empress died, the Crown Prince fell ill and had a fever for several days. It was only after the Emperor took care of him day and night that he finally recovered."

At this point, Gao He shook his head, looking ahead with a sigh, and said, "Although the illness is cured, the Emperor and the Crown Prince's personalities have completely changed! Even between the two of them, they are like oil and water! Alas!"

At this point, Gao He took a sip of wine, still looking somewhat melancholy.

Qin Kou'er looked at Gao He, a fleeting, almost imperceptible ruthlessness flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She picked up her wine cup and refilled Gao He's. "Eunuch," she said, "I've heard that the Crown Prince has been sleeping in the same bed as the Emperor for many years. I wonder if this rumor is just a fabrication? If it's nonsense, then I can't listen to idle gossip anymore!"

"Yes! That's right! That's absolutely correct!" Gao He picked up a piece of camphor tea-smoked duck, chewing vigorously as he nodded at Qin Kou'er. "It wasn't until the Crown Prince turned fifteen that the Emperor agreed to let him move into his own palace. Before that, he slept with the Emperor!"

Qin Kou'er immediately showed a surprised expression, then instantly became somewhat embarrassed, "I wonder if there are any other stories behind this? Doesn't this seem a bit against the rules? There has never been such a thing in history!"

"There was nothing we could do about it!" Gao He said, his voice tinged with indignation. He took a sip of wine and continued, "Ever since the former empress fell ill, the harem has been quite a scene. Those powerful concubines used countless schemes to become empress. When the emperor found out, he severely punished them, even executing two of his favored concubines. He also told them that he would never appoint another empress in their lifetime! Only then did things quiet down!"

Qin Kou'er smiled coldly to herself. Is this what you call being devoted? Then Lan Shanyang's devotion seems a bit too cruel.

"However, these women, having no hope of becoming empress, set their sights on the still-young crown prince. Without an empress, they could only vie for the throne. Good heavens, their methods were endless, each more ruthless than the last. Within three months, the crown prince was poisoned four times, dragged into a lake once, and kidnapped and stabbed twice. In short, there was nothing these people wouldn't do. The gentler their smiles and the kinder they were to the crown prince in person, the more ruthless their methods would be in the end."

The Emperor was so filled with hatred that he wanted to kill everyone in the harem, but in the end, he could only protect the Crown Prince by keeping him by his side at all times. Therefore, the Crown Prince did indeed live and eat with the Emperor in his palace from childhood to adulthood!

"Oh, I see!" Qin Kou'er nodded in sudden understanding, then shook her head with a touch of pity. "So the Crown Prince has it so tough!"

"That's right!" Gao He shook his head helplessly. "So, from then on, the Crown Prince hated women the most, especially the beautiful and gentle ones. As for his mother, she was a thorn in his side, and no one could touch her. And those black things were the tools used to poison him when he was a child. That's why I told you that these three things are absolutely forbidden! Do you understand now?"

Qin Kou'er immediately nodded, smiling as she quickly pulled out another silver note from her sleeve and placed it in front of Gao He, saying with a face full of gratitude, "Thanks to your guidance, Father-in-law, otherwise, Kou'er wouldn't have known there were so many taboos! This small token is just a token of my gratitude!"

Gao He immediately burst into laughter, "You're too kind, Master! It's just that this old servant is a bit too talkative, how could I possibly help you, Master!" As he spoke, he secretly pocketed the silver notes.

Qin Kou'er pretended to be drinking and didn't see anything, but when the wine glass covered her eyes, there was no smile on her face at all.

---Aside---

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