Chapter 14 Your Highness, please listen to my excuses…
How am I supposed to explain to the big boss that this was really just a dream, that she never had any impure thoughts towards him... Well, actually she did, and had even fantasized about him more than once.
But none of that matters. What matters is why the Crown Prince would have such a dream!
When Yun Kui first entered the dream, she even thought it was her own dream. She thought that she had been craving him too many times in real life, but she didn't have the courage to do it in reality, so she could only satisfy her desires in her dream.
However, as I looked at it, I realized something was wrong.
She was merely an observer in the scene, unable to join or influence the dream. When she realized that this was most likely the Crown Prince's dream, she woke up almost instantly. Upon waking, she was suddenly confronted with the Crown Prince's icy expression, which further confirmed her conjecture.
If she hadn't shown shock the moment she woke up, perhaps she could have pretended not to know anything about it; after all, who would know she had seen the Crown Prince's dream?
But at this moment, her surprise, panic, embarrassment, and the undisguised blush of shyness were all seen without reservation by the other person.
Everything is self-evident.
The man's hand was still gripping her shoulder, the force so strong it felt like he was crushing her bones.
Yun Kui was on the verge of tears: "Your Highness, please listen to my excuse... no, my explanation. I don't know why you would have such a dream, but I assure you I had no intention of disrespecting Your Highness! Dreams are often the opposite of reality. In the dream, I was disrespectful, but that only proves my unwavering loyalty to Your Highness!"
If the Crown Prince didn't have the ability to read minds, he might have been fooled by her tearful appearance. But after listening to her thoughts for so long, how could he not know what she was really thinking?
She's a complete lustful fiend.
He had this absurd dream precisely because he was influenced by her thoughts before going to sleep.
The prince pushed the person away from him, his chest tight with anger and extreme agitation.
Undeniably, holding her as we fell asleep last night was better than any elixir of life; it would be a real shame to kill her.
Regardless of what she dreamt about, this certainly confirms that she has the ability to peek into other people's dreams, which is as surprising as his sudden acquisition of mind-reading ability, showing that everything in the world is mysterious and unpredictable.
He Bailing is knowledgeable and experienced; perhaps he can provide the answer.
Admittedly, he could spare her life to use her, but he couldn't swallow his anger at simply letting her go.
The crown prince glanced at the timid maid beside him, rubbed his temples, and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Tell me, who else have you dreamed of?"
This time, Yun Kui dared not make up lies again. Her mind raced, and she listed them as she recalled: "Besides His Highness, there were also Caiju, Dangui, Gantang, Shantao, Hao Zhangyin from the Imperial Kitchen, Aunt Bizan, the eunuchs Fugui, Jixiang, and Xiaofuzi who did odd jobs, as well as my fellow villager, Guard Li, Guard Zhao from Desheng Gate, Guard Qian from Xianhe Gate, and his good brother, Guard Sun..."
The crown prince coldly rebuked him: "...Enough."
He didn't want to get to know all the different people around her.
Yun Kui murmured softly, "As I said, I can only dream about people I know well. Apart from dreaming about Your Highness tonight, I almost never dream about any important figures... Oh right, there are important figures, though. One day, when I was delivering food, I passed by Baohua Palace and that night I dreamed about Consort Yu... I saw her lying with the Heir Apparent of Ningde Marquis, their necks intertwined, very intimately..."
The Crown Prince's cold expression finally showed a reaction, "You still recognize the Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Ningde?"
“I didn’t recognize him at first,” Yun Kui said, somewhat embarrassed as she recalled the scene in her dream, “but when the young master was deeply in love, he insisted that Consort Yu open her eyes to look at him, and he even forced Consort Yu to call his name. He called it more than ten times before he would let her go. Only then did I realize that the person was actually the heir of the Marquis of Ningde…”
The crown prince scoffed softly, a rare look of pleasure on his face.
The Marquis of Ningde was the emperor's brother-in-law and the empress's elder brother. The Marquis of Ningde's heir, Xie Huaichuan, was the empress's nephew.
As for Consort Yu, as far as he knew, she had been betrothed to Xie Huaichuan since childhood. However, after Prince Rui ascended the throne, the Xie family rose to prominence and became the maternal family of the Empress. From then on, they all rose to prominence and looked down on the Yu family, which was of humble origin. They openly and secretly interfered with the marriage, and in the end, the two families broke off the engagement. The Xie family then arranged for Xie Huaichuan to marry the granddaughter of the Duke of Ling.
The Yu family was naturally unwilling to swallow their anger after being rejected by the engagement, so Yu Pin's father decided to send his daughter to the palace for the imperial concubine selection so that she could marry into a better family.
In order to have more sons and grandsons, Emperor Chunming selected hundreds of women to fill the harem, and Consort Yu was one of them.
Emperor Chunming favored all his concubines, including Consort Yu, who also gave birth to the Ninth Prince.
Seven years after entering the palace, he never expected that his dream lover would still be his childhood sweetheart, who had cuckolded Emperor Chunming.
Seeing that he had become interested, Yun Kui tentatively asked, "Does Your Highness like to hear these things?"
The crown prince composed himself and said calmly, "I am not pleased."
Yun Kui: ...
This person is really something else; their attitude changes as quickly as turning the pages of a book.
The Crown Prince stared coldly at her and reminded her, "You are not allowed to mention the matter of entering the dream to anyone else, otherwise I will hold you responsible."
Yun Kui nodded vigorously: "This servant obeys."
She had never mentioned it to anyone before, and of course she would never do so again. She was also curious as to how the Crown Prince had found out.
After dealing with the Crown Prince, Yun Kui had half a day of leisure before the midday tasting. Just as she was about to return to the side hall to rest, the Empress sent someone to summon her, so she had to hurry to Kunning Palace to give a reply.
She was unaware that although she had not yet consummated her relationship with the Crown Prince, the news of her having served him for two consecutive nights had already spread throughout the palace. For the Crown Prince, who was known for his lustful nature but not for it, this was the first time he had ever favored a woman, and it was certainly worth noting in the eyes of the Empress and others.
The journey to Kunning Palace also attracted countless eyes.
Yun Kui felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, so she lowered her head and didn't think much of it until she stepped into Kunning Palace.
When the Empress saw her arrive, she remained kind and gentle: "You've had a hard time these past few days. How has the Crown Prince been feeling lately?"
Yun Kui remembered that he had vomited blood yesterday and had even injured himself because of the aphrodisiac, so she told him the truth about the Crown Prince's condition.
The Empress's spies in the Eastern Palace had already reported the news. Her question was merely a test to see if the girl would tell her the truth. Seeing that her account matched the information provided by the spies, the Empress was very satisfied.
"I heard there were assassination attempts on the day before yesterday and yesterday?"
Yun Kui nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured, the person has already been dealt with by His Highness."
The Empress smiled and said, "I've heard that you also played a part in the Crown Prince's capture of the assassin. Is that true?"
Although she cared about the Crown Prince's every move, she did not easily set foot in the Eastern Palace, especially after the Crown Prince woke up.
Firstly, the Crown Prince was the son of the late Emperor, and unlike the other princes, he never addressed her as "Empress Dowager," nor did he call Emperor Chunming "Father Emperor." He even referred to himself as "I, the Orphan" in front of the two of them, showing that he never took them seriously. The Empress, as long as she maintained a proper facade, naturally did not want to make a fool of herself.
Secondly, the Eastern Palace was gloomy and terrifying, and Chengguang Hall was even more bloody. The Empress was afraid of being possessed by some evil spirit, so she had to be fully prepared every time she stepped into the Eastern Palace.
Yun Kui dared not take credit, and only said, "This servant was just mistaken and it's nothing to mention. Your Highness is very discerning. Whether or not this servant was involved, the person who poisoned her will not escape Your Highness's grasp."
The Empress sneered inwardly.
Over the past twenty years, she has placed countless people in the Eastern Palace, yet the Crown Prince is still alive and well. This is no wonder, as she possesses extraordinary abilities.
Even though she was unhappy inside, the Empress smiled kindly and said, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You are beautiful, sweet-talking, and exceptionally intelligent. No wonder you are so popular with the Crown Prince."
As they were talking, a palace maid brought in a red lacquered and gold-painted tea tray, on which sat a cloisonné enamel covered bowl.
The Empress said, "You have been serving the Crown Prince for days, tasting his meals and attending to him in bed. You must be very tired. I have ordered someone to prepare a nourishing and blood-tonifying drink for you. Drink it while it's hot."
Yun Kui was stunned: "Fetal... Fetal Essence Drink?"
Since it contains the character "胎" (fetus), it must be a kind of medicine to prevent miscarriage?
She waved her hand and quickly explained, "Your Highness has misunderstood, this servant did not actually..."
Before she could finish speaking, Granny Qin interrupted, "You should thank Her Majesty for this gift. This Fetal Essence Drink is an excellent tonic. It can help pregnant women to have a safe and healthy pregnancy, and it can also help those who are not pregnant to replenish their vital energy and treat various deficiencies, preparing them for pregnancy. Her Majesty is showing consideration for your hard work in serving her. What are you waiting for?"
Yun Kui dared not delay any longer and quickly knelt down to express her gratitude: "It was my ignorance that led me to this. I hope Your Highness will forgive me. Thank you for the soup."
After saying this, under the Empress's smiling gaze, he endured the bitterness and slowly drank the bowl of fetal essence drink to the bottom.
It is unknown what the Empress meant by taking such good care of her. Perhaps she felt that the Crown Prince was short-lived and might not live past this month. She was the Crown Prince's first wife, so she went to great lengths to try to leave a bloodline for the Crown Prince.
However, she is likely to disappoint the Empress.
Just as he was about to tell the truth that he had not been favored by the emperor, he heard the empress say, "You have served the emperor well. I will discuss with His Majesty and the Crown Prince in the next few days to determine your rank."
Yun Kui's eyes widened in astonishment once again.
The Empress laughed: "What, you don't want it?"
Yun Kui stood there, stunned, unsure how to respond.
She never wanted to be an empress.
For many years, their greatest hope in the palace was to marry a guard after leaving the palace, just like Aunt Bizan. For palace maids of their low status, this was an extremely respectable and rare way out.
Later, due to unforeseen circumstances, she entered the Eastern Palace, and her expectations for life plummeted to the bare minimum—just to stay alive.
Serving in Chengguang Hall for the past few days has been a life-or-death struggle, filled with constant anxiety.
She wanted to live, she wanted to leave, but she never considered becoming the crown prince's concubine.
The crown prince is unpredictable and tyrannical, and will not treat her with kindness because of her rank. At most, he will give her a dignified death in the end.
Of course, perhaps before she died, the Crown Prince would be seriously injured and die first. As a palace maid who served him in bed, what would become of her?
Granny Qin said, "You are His Highness the Crown Prince's bedmate. The Empress values you and promotes you. This is an unprecedented honor."
Yun Kui knew she should express her gratitude, but the words just wouldn't come out.
As she walked out of the palace, Granny Qin followed her and called out to her, leading her to a secluded spot behind the palace gate.
"The Empress understands your concerns. Since the Empress values you, how could she easily let you lose your life?"
After saying that, Granny Qin quietly took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from her sleeve and said in a low voice, "It's nothing more than matters between men and women. This is a secret medicine that has been lost in the harem for a long time. Just feed His Highness the Crown Prince a little bit, and he will surely dote on you to the bone, and you will be the only one in his heart and eyes. This medicine is effective every time."
"Secret medicine?"
Yun Kui was stunned and momentarily forgot to reach out to take it.
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