Chapter 36 I'd like to see just how stubborn this mouth really is...
Cao Yuanlu knew that the Crown Prince had not been interested in women for years. Three years ago, Emperor Chunming had mentioned choosing a concubine for him, but it was delayed due to the war in the northern frontier. Now that the Crown Prince's arrow wound had healed and his headache had been relieved, the marriage was imminent.
The Crown Prince had a bad reputation, and due to his violent temper and chronic illness, many noble families in the capital avoided him, as if the Eastern Palace was some kind of hell palace, and entering it meant certain death.
Regardless, there were still quite a few officials whom the late emperor valued who stood on the side of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince also had several capable generals in the army, and their unmarried daughters were all good candidates to be the Crown Prince's wife.
Cao Yuanlu carefully sized him up and said, "Traditionally, one is first married as the principal wife and two as concubines. Does Your Highness have a suitable candidate in mind?"
It would be best to decide on the matter once and for all, so that the family line can be continued as soon as possible, lest His Highness, who is already notorious for his evil deeds, be burdened with the additional fault of being childless.
Cao Yuanlu even felt that if things continued like this, the Emperor and Empress might spread the word that his prince was "impotent," and at that point, not only would the neutral officials be shaken, but even those who firmly supported the Crown Prince would waver.
Upon hearing the words "impotence," the crown prince looked at him coldly.
Cao Yuanlu had no idea that his thoughts had been overheard by his own prince, who assumed he was unwilling to marry or take concubines. "Your Highness," he said, "your marriage really cannot be delayed any longer."
"As for Miss Yun Kui, no matter how much you like her, she is still just a palace maid," he said with a sigh, out of consideration for his master. "When the Crown Princess enters the palace in the future, you can give her a title, such as Liangyuan or Cairen. Give her gold and silver rewards, the favor and respect she deserves, and that will not be considered treating her unfairly."
The crown prince lowered his eyes, his face revealing no extra emotion.
The late emperor and empress died young, and the country fell into the hands of others. He has come to this point with great difficulty, and he understands better than anyone the importance of the imperial heir to the country and the nation.
He also knew that as long as he remained in the position of Crown Prince, he would definitely have his own Crown Princess in the future.
However, he was not Emperor Chunming, and he needed to constantly expand his harem to win over court officials and connect with various forces.
Despite his formidable power over the world, the late emperor ultimately had only one wife, his mother.
He wanted to reclaim the throne, relying on his legitimate bloodline, his personal guard, his political strategies and military prestige, and also on gradually revealing the truth about Emperor Chunming and his associates' plot to usurp the throne, so that the world could see the true faces of this hypocritical emperor and empress.
As for the influence of maternal relatives, it may have a significant impact on some powerful figures, but it is dispensable to him.
He didn't have a clear image of the Crown Princess in his mind, but he knew that he would not marry a woman who trembled at the sight of him and dared not look him in the eye, nor would he marry a woman who wanted to rely on the power of the Eastern Palace to revitalize her family but had no true feelings for him. He did not want a puppet who would live in perfect harmony with his wife, nor did he want a well-bred lady who wrapped herself in rules and regulations from head to toe, strictly abiding by etiquette and having no fun.
If he can't find the right person, he'd rather have none than accept something inferior.
As for Yun Kui… his mind conjured up that charming and delicate face, and he closed his eyes.
She's just a lowly palace maid, yet she's already so audacious. If we really elevate her rank, wouldn't she become incredibly arrogant?
Besides, she is full of filth and is different from ordinary people. Now, she can't help but touch him even though they are just sharing a bed. If he were to actually have sex with her, that would be exactly what she wants. Wouldn't she then pester him for pleasure every night?
He couldn't spoil her too much.
...
With the New Year's Eve palace banquet approaching, news of the Crown Prince's upcoming selection of a consort quickly spread, even reaching Yun Kui.
Suddenly, it seemed that many people began to look at her with sympathy.
Perhaps it was because she had served the Crown Prince without any official title or status, or perhaps it was because the Eastern Palace was about to welcome a true mistress, and she, as the Crown Prince's only bedmate, was likely to be suppressed in some way.
Yun Kui wasn't too upset. She was just a maidservant, and this was just another master she had to serve. If she was lucky enough to have a generous master who would give her more rewards, that would be fine.
The only regret is that the handsome and delicious Crown Prince hasn't even been tasted by her yet, and he's about to become someone else's meal!
The crown prince found her carefree and thoughtless all day long rather dull.
In the brocade tent at night, he stared at the little girl beneath him, whose eyes were brimming with tears from his kisses, and, unusually, asked with a touch of kindness, "Don't you want anything from me?"
Yun Kui's eyes darted around. "Whatever this servant wants, Your Highness can give it to her?"
The crown prince sensed something was wrong, and sure enough, he heard her audacious thoughts the next moment.
"I want to take advantage of Your Highness!"
The crown prince snorted coldly, "Just as I thought."
However, things are different now. His Highness will not take her life again. Since he asked sincerely, Yun Kui must not waste this opportunity. She immediately pinched his sleeve and said, "This servant does have something to say."
The crown prince raised an eyebrow: "You speak."
Yun Kui squirmed in his arms, "That's right... other palace mistresses often reward their servants, even the Empress knows to reward me. I've served Your Highness for so long, but Your Highness has never..."
"Not only did they not reward me, they also confiscated the thousand taels of silver!"
"Forget about gold hairpins and bracelets, a few gold melon seeds would be nice too!"
Crown Prince: "..."
Others whispered in her ear to gain recognition and elevate her maternal clan, but she, on the other hand, was only after sex and money.
"You work in the Eastern Palace, do you really need so much money?"
He sent people to investigate her family background and learned that she had broken ties with her uncle's family and run away. She was essentially an orphan with no relatives and did not need to support her family. She also had no opportunity to leave the palace to make ends meet.
“It’s different,” Yun Kui smiled. “When I have money, I feel at ease. Even if I leave it there and don’t use it, just looking at it makes me feel comfortable.”
She winked at him, but the prince ignored her.
"They won't give us meat and they won't give us money either, so stingy!"
The crown prince's face turned cold as he pressed down on her hand that was reaching for his abs. "Go to bed."
Yun Kui withdrew her hand in disappointment.
After a long silence, she sighed and asked, "Your Highness, if the Crown Princess doesn't like me, will you send me away?"
The crown prince's face darkened, and he asked her in return, "You want to leave?"
In the past, serving the Crown Prince would have meant certain death if there had been even the slightest mistake, so Yun Kui would have wanted to leave. But now... she couldn't explain it herself.
She suddenly remembered that in those storybooks, the seductive women who were not tolerated by the mistress of the house were all sold off. If they were even less lucky, they would either be separated from their mothers and left with their children, or be thrown into a brothel, or be secretly hunted down.
Thinking of this, Yun Kui still felt a little sad.
If Your Highness could give her more valuables to protect herself, and let her leave sooner...
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's face instantly darkened.
There is absolutely no way we can let her leave.
Now that she has entered the Eastern Palace and is forced to be bound to him, and has offended the Empress and the Heir Apparent of Ningde, there is nowhere for her to go outside the Eastern Palace. Where can she run to?
As Yun Kui was contemplating the possibility of leaving, she suddenly felt the atmosphere around her drop sharply. The man's black jade ring brushed against the back of her neck, making her shiver.
It felt like she was back in those first few days after entering the Eastern Palace, when she was trembling with fear, constantly worried that if she wasn't careful, His Highness the Crown Prince would suddenly snap her neck.
The prince stroked the marks of kisses on her fair skin, looking into her almond-shaped eyes that were filled with tears of fear. Her petite and soft body trembled slightly in his palm. He thought to himself that as long as she was obedient, he could protect her.
He was the only one in the world who had the ability to protect her.
However, in an instant, the Crown Prince's dark and gloomy eyes twitched.
That soft little hand trembled as it reached out to his chest, gently stroking it, her voice as soft as water: "Your Highness, please calm down..."
Yun Kui had learned a bit about reading people's expressions. When she asked if he would send her away, His Highness the Crown Prince's face immediately darkened. Could it be... that he wanted to keep her here?
In short, if His Highness the Crown Prince is unhappy, just appease him!
"Those pectoral muscles are so firm. I wonder how many more times I can touch them. Oh well, I'll enjoy them first!"
Although the crown prince hated her unbridled words, he ultimately tolerated them.
A delicate and timid little girl, after all, is still afraid of him, and has some sense to know to coax him, and that's enough.
The next morning, when Yun Kui woke up, there was no one beside her.
Just as he was about to get up, a cold, hard stone pressed against his back.
The Crown Prince's bed is usually the softest and smoothest. When has such a huge object ever appeared? Could it be some kind of murder weapon? Could someone be trying to harm her again?
She cautiously lifted the covers, and her pupils dilated in shock the moment she saw the "stone".
This is such a big lump of gold, it must weigh at least two pounds!
Yun Kui's hands trembled as she picked up the huge gold ingot, utterly speechless with astonishment.
Is this... someone trying to bribe her to assassinate the Crown Prince?
This is so blatant! They just brought the gold ingots directly to the Crown Prince's bed!
Or perhaps, last night she asked His Highness the Crown Prince for a reward, and this is the reward His Highness gave her?
A gold ingot weighing over two pounds!
Yun Kui's heart was pounding, and her palms were sweating.
Throughout the day, no one suddenly appeared to bribe her or threaten her by stuffing medicine into her mouth.
When Yun Kui was serving the emperor that night, she still felt unsteady on her feet and saw double.
Just in case, she knelt before the Crown Prince. "To be honest, Your Highness, I received a windfall today. I'm extremely uneasy, fearing that someone might be trying to use me to poison Your Highness..."
The crown prince raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Where are the stolen goods now?"
Stolen goods or stolen items?
Yun Kui was somewhat uncertain after hearing what he said. "The stolen goods... are in my hands, but the person behind them hasn't come looking for me yet. Why don't I wait for them to take the bait, and then help Your Highness capture them in one fell swoop?"
The crown prince lowered his eyes, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Fine, I'll see what you're capable of."
Yun Kui hugged his arm and rubbed against him, then smiled and said, "Before that, could I keep the stolen goods for you?"
The prince closed his eyes, trying to ignore the soft warmth pressed against his lips. He had barely uttered a soft "hmm" when the girl's rosy, soft lips unexpectedly pressed against his.
"I'll see just how stubborn this mouth really is!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
