Chapter 25 Their eyes met, the man's gaze intense and burning...
As the two approached the palace gate, before the Crown Prince could speak, Yun Kui obediently said, "Your Highness, please go back and rest. This servant will continue guarding the palace gate."
The crown prince looked at her coldly: "Isn't it embarrassing enough?"
Yun Kui said, "This servant hasn't found the culprit who poisoned us yet, how can we go back empty-handed?"
The Crown Prince's gaze swept over the torn fabric on her knees, and he asked in a cold voice, "Why haven't you come to Chengguang Palace to serve lately? If I hadn't summoned you, I wouldn't have known you were supposed to be on duty at night."
Yun Kui muttered softly, "This servant stood at the palace gate all day, and went straight to bed when I got back to the side hall, afraid that I hadn't served His Highness well enough and displeased him. Besides, this servant had been rude to His Highness earlier, and thought that His Highness didn't want to see me, which is why he sent me away..."
The crown prince scoffed coldly.
Yun Kui secretly glanced at his expression. "So Your Highness isn't angry after all? I thought Your Highness had abandoned me."
The Crown Prince said calmly, "It's just because you can enter dreams, so you're still somewhat useful."
Yun Kui smiled and said, "I see. Then this servant will go to Chengguang Palace tonight to serve you. Your Highness, please wait for me!"
The crown prince's face darkened.
The way she spoke made it sound as if he wasn't there to perform a duty, but rather as if the emperor's carriage was about to arrive, and he was to wait to be favored.
Before he could question her, the little girl had already run off in a flash.
...
The Imperial Study.
Emperor Chunming was discussing important matters with key officials of the court. Several cabinet ministers, including the emperor's brother-in-law and his son, were also present.
The personal eunuch came to deliver a message, saying that De Shun, who served the Crown Prince, had an urgent matter to report.
What important matter could the Crown Prince have to discuss with him?
Emperor Chunming was startled, and an exciting thought popped into his mind: Could it be that something happened to the Crown Prince?
Halfway through the discussion, Emperor Chunming, disregarding the presence of several important officials, immediately said, "Summon them quickly."
De Shun entered the hall unhurriedly and first paid his respects to the emperor and the Grand Secretaries.
Emperor Chunming dismissed his formalities and asked urgently, "How is the Crown Prince? Has the imperial physician been summoned?"
De Shun then said, "It's not His Highness the Crown Prince, it's His Ninth Prince."
"What does this have to do with Xiao Jiu?" Emperor Chunming asked, his face full of confusion.
Several officials also looked over, especially when they heard that it was related to the Ninth Prince. The heir of the Marquis of Ningde quietly pricked up his ears.
De Shun then recounted the events that had just transpired outside Donghua Gate, “...The Ninth Prince insisted that the palace maid kneel down and ride him like a horse, and even boasted…”
Emperor Chunming's expression changed slightly, and he interrupted with a smile, saying, "I have important matters to discuss with the Grand Secretaries, so perhaps we should go to..."
Before Emperor Chunming could finish speaking, Deshun said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince means that there are also the Ninth Prince's teachers among the Grand Secretaries present. Your Majesty, please allow me to finish speaking."
Shen Qiuhua, the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, was the princes' teacher and was in the hall at the moment. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "If a prince has made a mistake, this humble subject cannot shirk the blame. This humble subject should be aware of the situation and then offer further guidance."
Emperor Chunming clenched his fist secretly, suppressing his displeasure, and said to Deshun, "If that's the case, then tell me the truth."
De Shun then added, "His Highness the Ninth Prince has declared that concubines are meant to be ridden like horses by men."
Upon hearing this, everyone, including Emperor Chunming, instantly changed their expressions.
Everyone thought that the Ninth Prince was very favored and was indeed a bit mischievous, but he was still cute as a child. However, they did not expect that the Ninth Prince would speak so recklessly.
De Shun continued, "Prince Chen wanted to take the Ninth Prince back to Baohua Palace and hand him over to His Majesty for discipline, but the Ninth Prince insisted that he had done nothing wrong and wanted His Majesty to go and judge the matter."
The Grand Secretaries looked at each other in bewilderment, while Emperor Chunming's face turned pale.
De Shun said, "His Highness the Crown Prince could no longer tolerate it, which is why he said he would take on the responsibility of disciplining the prince on behalf of His Majesty."
The Marquis of Ningde's heir, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "How does the Crown Prince intend to discipline the Ninth Prince?"
Marquis Ningde glanced at his son with an unfriendly expression. The emperor hadn't even spoken yet, so why was he in such a hurry to say something?
Just because he's Consort Yu's son?
The Grand Secretaries also became nervous. The Crown Prince was tyrannical and ruthless. If he found any fault with you, no matter if you were a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking official, he would use torture to extract a confession and execute you without reporting to the emperor. His methods of interrogation were terrifying to hear.
The Ninth Prince is only five years old; how could he possibly withstand his "discipline"?
De Shun said, "Before I left, I only heard the Crown Prince say that he was going to take the Ninth Prince to the horse farm to teach him how to ride a horse, in order to put the Ninth Prince in his place."
Emperor Chunming was taken aback. "Is that all?"
De Shun nodded in agreement.
The Ninth Prince was at fault to begin with, so it's no wonder he stirred things up and used linguistic tricks to obscure the main point and confuse the public. If we really investigate, he didn't say a single wrong word.
The heir of the Marquis of Ningde curled his lip: "The Crown Prince can be so kind?"
De Shun asked in surprise, "Your Highness has always been fair in rewarding and punishing, and has never hesitated to teach the princes. Could it be that in the eyes of the young master, our Your Highness is a vicious and wicked person?"
Marquis Ningde finally couldn't help but glare at his son.
Emperor Chunming and his ministers were also surprised, as the Crown Prince did not seem like the kind of person who would lift something up high and then let it go easily.
With the important cabinet ministers present, even if Emperor Chunming was worried about the safety of the Ninth Prince, he could not show it.
He sighed and lamented, "It's all my fault for spoiling and indulging her these past few years, raising Xiao Jiu to be like this. I really..."
Marquis Ningde immediately cupped his hands in admonition: "Your Majesty need not blame yourself too much. It is common for the Ninth Prince to be unruly at such a young age. He can be properly guided in the future. Your Majesty is dedicated to the affairs of state and also has to manage the studies of nearly twenty children. With so many things to do, it is inevitable that some oversights will occur."
His words softened the expressions of the elders who had been displeased, and they nodded in agreement.
Everyone has children, but even the top officials of the Great Zhao Dynasty who have risen to high positions cannot guarantee that all their children will be outstanding and of good character. How much less so for Emperor Chunming, who is busy with many affairs of state and has many children? The Ninth Prince is still the youngest, so it is only natural to love him more. He can be taught slowly in the future.
Seeing Emperor Chunming deeply remorseful, Shen Qiuhua also bowed and pleaded guilty: "The teacher's negligence is the cause of the Ninth Prince's unruly behavior. It is my fault for failing to teach him properly. Your Majesty trusts me and has entrusted the princes to me, but I have failed Your Majesty's trust. I am truly ashamed and beg Your Majesty to punish me."
After another round of harmonious dialogue between the emperor and his ministers, seeing the tide turning, De Shun promptly said, "Your Highness means that although Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, you should also set an example by speaking and acting virtuously. While Grand Secretary Shen is imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, you should also pay attention to the moral education of the princes and princesses. The Ninth Prince used foul language today, and His Highness the Crown Prince has taken the blame for him. In the future, Your Majesty and the Grand Secretaries will need to put in more effort to persuade him to do good and correct his mistakes."
After a few words, Emperor Chunming and Shen Qiuhua's faces turned red and white in turns.
This is ridiculous. Emperor Chunming couldn't even teach his own son properly, and he had to ask the Crown Prince to teach him a lesson.
Thinking deeper, could the Crown Prince also be using this incident to express his dissatisfaction with Emperor Chunming, who was acting as emperor, and his desire to rule personally?
After the meeting, the Marquis of Ningde and his son returned to the government office together.
The Marquis of Ningde is now serving as the Minister of Revenue, and his heir, Xie Huaichuan, was also promoted this year to the rank of Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a position of the fourth rank. These are all honors brought about by the family's revitalization.
After the incident at the Imperial Study, both father and son looked displeased.
The Marquis of Ningde scolded his son: "You were too impatient today!"
Xie Huaichuan appeared calm and composed in public, but his father, Marquis Ningde, knew he had something to hide.
At a palace banquet last year, Xie Huaichuan got completely drunk and leaned against his wife's chest, but he kept calling out Consort Yu's maiden name!
It was only then that Marquis Ningde learned that his son, who had been married for so many years and already had two children, was still thinking about the emperor's woman!
Fortunately, only the Crown Prince's wife, Lady Meng, and the Marquis of Ningde knew about this. The Marquis of Ningde was furious. He comforted his daughter-in-law and then severely punished Xie Huaichuan.
Today in the Imperial Study, Xie Huaichuan, for the sake of the Ninth Prince born to Consort Yu, spoke recklessly in front of all the Grand Secretaries, criticizing the Crown Prince!
The Grand Secretaries have their own judgment on the Crown Prince's character, and it is inappropriate for the Emperor's nephew to speak recklessly about him. What are others supposed to think of this?
The Empress's maternal family has long been dissatisfied with the Crown Prince.
Or did Emperor Chunming also have this intention, wanting to seize the throne?
Xie Huaichuan was preoccupied with worries, wondering how the Crown Prince would frighten the Ninth Prince, but he couldn't go to Baohua Palace right now, so he was anxious and uneasy.
"Father, I know I was wrong. I acted rashly just now..."
Marquis Ningde said coldly, "Fortunately, the discussion in the hall just now was about the discipline of the Ninth Prince, and the attention was not on you, otherwise even His Majesty would have become suspicious of you. This time, no matter what happens to the Ninth Prince, you must keep your mind to yourself and not interfere. Remember, everything in Baohua Hall has long been irrelevant to you, so don't give others a handle to use against you."
Xie Huaichuan pursed his lips and nodded in agreement.
The two had unknowingly arrived near Donghua Gate.
Yesterday, I heard from my colleagues that the Crown Prince punished a palace maid by making her guard the palace gate outside Donghua Gate. It is likely that this is the person who had a dispute with the Ninth Prince today.
The father and son looked over at the same time and saw a woman in a silver-red jacket and skirt standing outside the palace gate. The thin and soft sunlight cast a pale golden glow on her cheeks, making her skin appear snow-white and translucent, and her beauty was stunning.
Hearing footsteps, the girl's clear, dark eyes turned to them. With that one glance, Xie Huaichuan was almost immediately certain that this palace maid was the one he had given the Seven-Day Poison to!
Although the subordinate who contacted her had died in the Eastern Palace's torture chamber, he had described the appearance of the palace maid in charge of the bedchamber to him. She was exactly the same as the woman in front of him. Moreover, she was deeply loved by the Crown Prince, who wished he could summon her every night. Apart from such a beauty, Xie Huaichuan could not think of any other appearance that could win the Crown Prince's favor.
But shouldn't she have died long ago? Why is she standing here?
Could it be that the Crown Prince cured her of the poison?
Did the Crown Prince personally reprimand the Ninth Prince today because of her?
Yun Kui also recognized Xie Huaichuan.
After all, she was forced to witness the entire process of this young master and the concubines in the harem going to bed together in her dream. This young master of Ningde was sweating profusely and spouting lewd remarks, making it hard to forget.
But why was he looking at her like that? For a moment, Yun Kui even felt as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Could it be that he was the one who poisoned them?
Yun Kui wanted to confirm again, but the other party had already subtly concealed their abnormality, as if the change in their pupils just now was merely her imagination.
When the two high-ranking officials looked at her at the same time, Yun Kui hesitated for a moment, but still bowed and gave a salute.
Logically speaking, palace gate guards, like Luo Zhang and other guards, should not need to bow to all passing officials unless there is something else to do. Otherwise, with so many people coming and going outside Donghua Gate, a lowly palace maid like her would simply kneel there all day without getting up.
Fortunately, Marquis Ningde only glanced at her with a complicated expression before looking away.
The heir of the Marquis of Ningde glanced at her a few more times.
These high-ranking officials are all shrewd and cunning, skilled at concealing their emotions, and are beyond her comprehension. Yun Kui simply stopped thinking about it. Even if she had suspicions, there was no evidence at the moment. She might as well investigate further in her dreams tonight.
Too much had happened today, and her knees were still aching. She returned to the side hall before dark, took a bath, lay on the bed for a while, and then mustered her energy to go to Chengguang Hall.
A dozen or so dishes were laid out on the table, all of them top-notch in color, aroma, and taste, making one's mouth water.
Upon seeing her arrive, the Crown Prince casually instructed, "Since you're here, it's your turn to taste the food."
The eunuch who was tasting the food had already tasted the last dish. Upon hearing this, he gave Yun Kui a resentful look, bowed, and withdrew.
Yun Kui was secretly delighted, symbolically poked it with a silver needle, and then started eating.
She ate with relish, completely disregarding the rule that each dish should not exceed five coins. She would pretend she hadn't tried the dishes she liked before and come back to try them again. In any case, the Crown Prince had never had a good appetite and would put down his food after only a few bites. It would be a waste not to eat so many dishes.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, De Shun presented them with a bottle of wound medicine.
Yun Kui glanced at her palm and waved her hand, saying, "I just got a few scratches, it's nothing."
The Crown Prince glanced at her coolly, and De Shun could only continue to persuade her, "Miss, please wipe it off. His Highness's bedding is made of precious materials, and it would be bad if it got dirty or torn."
"So you're just disgusted with me."
"When you kissed me that night, you didn't seem to mind."
The crown prince's face was grim, but his gaze fell on the section of her fair and smooth forearm that was revealed when she took off her sleeve, where there was a two-inch-long abrasion.
While she was applying ointment to her wound, the Crown Prince asked, "Besides the princes, have you seen anyone else these past few days?"
She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the Crown Prince's voice sounded a little hoarse.
She thought for a moment and then said truthfully, "There were indeed a few adults I didn't recognize, but I also saw the heir of the Marquis of Ningde."
The Crown Prince's gaze sharpened slightly.
Of course, it doesn't matter whether she dreams of Xie Huaichuan or not. Although Xie Huaichuan's spies refused to speak until their deaths, they had already revealed everything in their hearts. Right now, he is still collecting evidence from all sides, and he will catch them all in one fell swoop.
After applying the ointment to her elbows and palms, Yun Kui lifted her trouser legs and applied it to her knees.
Seeing the prince staring intently at her, she turned slightly to the side, avoiding his burning gaze.
She still remembered that day at Tangquan Palace. That stingy guy was so secretive, he stripped naked but didn't let her see a single bit of himself!
Then she wouldn't let him see it!
Yun Kui turned around, secretly lifted her skirt to reveal her delicate white cleavage, and was just about to apply some ointment when a tall, dark figure suddenly loomed over her.
The prince stared at her injured knee, his throat bobbing slightly: "I need to see how serious this injury is on your knee, and whether it will soil my bedding."
When Yun Kui arrived, most of her embarrassment and restraint were dispelled by his words.
She pursed her lips and thrust her bluish-purple knee toward him. Unexpectedly, she lost her balance while standing on one leg and was about to fall. Fortunately, the man reacted quickly, his cool palm catching her knee and his other hand firmly holding her lower back.
The rough palm pressed tightly against the delicate, warm, untouched area, and in an instant, a tingling, electric-like sensation flowed through their bodies, causing both of them to tremble.
Yunkui's heart was pounding wildly.
The hand that had covered her thighs was clearly cold when it first came up, but now it burned her with an intense heat, the sensation clearer than ever before.
She cautiously raised her head, and their eyes met. The man's eyes were deep and intense, and his hot breath brushed against her cheek. She instantly blushed and didn't know what to do with her hands.
The prince's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and after a long while, he lowered his gaze to look at her injured knee.
The once fair and flawless skin was now bluish-purple, with two abrasions from which streaks of blood seeped.
He subconsciously raised his finger and scratched it, the warm fingertip and the cool ring brushing against the thin, sensitive skin on her knee at the same time, causing her legs to tremble slightly.
Unfortunately, this pose was extremely awkward. She had seen it in a picture book, and it seemed to be called "Goat Climbing a Tree"... but he was too tall, and she only reached his shoulder, so it might not be easy for them to coordinate.
Crown Prince: "..."
I've actually learned a lot from being around her these past few days.
Unlike other princes who had maids to serve them after they came of age, he was indifferent to beautiful women and had no time to think about marriage while fighting in the country all these years. It was only when he returned to the capital this time, having passed the age of twenty, that the Empress decided to arrange a marriage for him, which would give people something to talk about. Considering that he was about to die, she arranged four maids to serve him in bed according to custom.
Previously, with his bedside empty, he naturally had no time to study matters of the bedroom. However, during his years in the army, he had encountered some rough and boorish men among his subordinates who were always chatting idly. During his patrols, he had occasionally heard a few lewd remarks, and that was all he had ever heard.
Unexpectedly, upon returning to the palace, he found that a seemingly delicate palace maid was actually... full of filth and knowledgeable.
He had also listened carefully to the thoughts of others, and although there were those who were two-faced, none of them were like her.
His fingertips rested on the smooth, soft hollow of her thigh, and his palm tightened unintentionally, allowing him to feel the clear pulse beating beneath her skin.
The prince's eyes were dark, his breathing was heavy, and a dark fire seemed to ignite within him from somewhere, rushing up his limbs and bones.
He only snapped out of his daze when the person in front of him let out a soft hiss. He awkwardly released his grip and slowly put the person down.
Yun Kui's face was still flushed, and she pursed her rosy lips. Before she could calm down, she blurted out, "Your Highness has already seen it. May this servant go to Your Highness's bed?"
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