Chapter 47. Ready!
Yun Kui was tormented throughout the night and finally fell asleep around dawn.
Normally, the palace maids would be getting up to wash by this time, but she was so tired that she couldn't lift a finger. Her eyelids were heavy and pressed down, and she gave up struggling when he pulled her into his arms at night.
She actually heard some noise when the Crown Prince got up in the morning, but fortunately, he still had some conscience and instructed his servants not to disturb her rest, so she felt at ease and continued to sleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly felt an itch on her earlobe, as if something wet was slowly sliding over it. She instinctively hunched her shoulders and buried her head even deeper.
Then she felt a rustling itch on the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and reached out to scratch it, but touched something cold and hard. She touched it and then squeezed it.
The man finally lifted his chin, which she had been groping haphazardly. "Aren't you getting up?"
Yun Kui bowed her body, her lower body still aching slightly, and she really didn't want to move. "Your Highness, please forgive me. It is this servant who is useless and cannot withstand Your Highness's mighty power."
The prince felt a throbbing pain in his temples upon hearing this.
Logically, after he kissed her like that, she should have snuggled up to him gently and considerately, or realized that sleeping until noon was too impolite and should have gotten up immediately, cleaned herself up, and returned to work.
It shouldn't be like this now, where you only move when you poke it, and even the dignified Crown Prince is too lazy to deal with it.
The Crown Prince pinched her earlobe, pondered for a moment, and said, "You deserve the greatest credit for the case of the Marquis of Ningde's debauchery in the harem and confusion of the imperial heir. In addition, you were meritorious for serving him in bed last night. What reward do you want?"
"I served you so well last night, does that count as doing a good job?"
Although Yun Kui had been bullied too badly and harbored resentment, she still felt somewhat guilty when it came to her contributions.
"Want to take this opportunity to ask for some more bounty?"
"How about some jewelry? The jewels bestowed by His Highness the Crown Prince certainly won't be the cheap stuff you can find in any shop. Who knows, he might just casually give me a priceless pearl. Wouldn't I be rolling in money then!"
The Crown Prince frowned: "Is gold and silver jewelry all you care about?"
Yun Kui: "I... um??"
It seems she didn't say anything at all!
The Crown Prince smiled enigmatically: "Don't you want to take advantage of my favor and ask me for a rank?"
For the past twenty years, he had never considered getting married, let alone having a concubine. He never imagined that he would favor such a filthy and audacious girl.
Although the process was not pleasant, he had at least shown her favor. He was not stingy with titles; it was just a name. As long as she behaved well, he would not mind giving her a little treat.
As for the appointment of the Crown Princess, there's no rush.
Surrounded by wolves in the Eastern Palace, he still has too many things to do. This is not the time to indulge in romantic love. The Zhan family is all urging him to marry as soon as possible and continue his lineage. But he still doesn't know if he can win in the end. Even if he has children, there is no guarantee that they won't become the second him.
It's not too late to marry and have children after the truth is found out, power is regained, and the country is stabilized.
Just then, he heard the little girl muttering to herself.
"Is he trying to... make me an empress?"
"Forget it, I don't want to become a thorn in the side of the future Crown Princess. Don't get rid of me as soon as I enter the palace."
"Although the palace maids who serve the emperor are of lowly status, they are not recorded in the royal register, so they should be able to pack up and leave at any time. If His Highness gets tired of me in the future, or if the Crown Princess wants to deal with me, I will take my money and run far away without them having to say anything! With that gold in my possession, I can buy a few handsome men to guard the house and find a son-in-law to live a life where I can be served by servants."
Having made up her mind, Yun Kui quickly said, "Your Highness, I..."
Before she could finish speaking, her gaze met the Crown Prince's cold, inky eyes, startling her so much that her heart skipped a beat. "Your Highness?"
"Just a moment ago they were asking me what rank I wanted, how come suddenly..."
"Could it be that they came to test me? Do they think I'm arrogant and presumptuous, dreaming of climbing the social ladder and becoming the master, which is why they've put on a stern face?"
"Heaven knows, I truly never wanted to become an empress!"
She smiled ingratiatingly at him: "Your Highness, this servant wouldn't dare."
To everyone's surprise, his expression did not soften at all; his thin lips were pursed, and his eyes revealed a chilling intent.
Yun Kui, fearing he wouldn't believe her, pointed to the sky and swore, "This servant will always remember my place and will never entertain any delusions!"
The crown prince stared at her carefree appearance and said coolly, "Very well then."
Yun Kui whispered, "If Your Highness insists on rewarding me with something, then I will dare to speak up. Please don't be offended, Your Highness."
The crown prince's face was as cold as ice: "Tell me."
Yun Kui said cautiously, "Serving in Your Highness's presence, I live in constant fear. If I ever make a mistake in the future, and Your Highness or the Crown Princess wants to punish me, I would like to ask Your Highness for a favor. If you do not wish to see me, just send me far away from the palace. I promise I will never again come to Your Highness's side or get in your way."
The crown prince gave a cold laugh.
Sending her out of the palace, buying a few guards, and then finding a son-in-law to live with her—wouldn't that be just what she wanted?
He said coldly, "Don't worry, if that day ever comes, I will handle this officially and I will not let you get away with it."
Yun Kui: "..."
"Damn it, they turned their back on me right after we slept together!"
...
The New Year's Eve palace banquet exposed the scandal of the Ningde Marquis's heir having an affair with Consort Yu and having a child. Emperor Chunming was furious and ordered Lu Qi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to conduct a thorough investigation in secret. He also severely tortured several of Consort Yu's personal maids, and the results were consistent with Zhu Wu's testimony.
The mother and son, whom he had doted on for so many years, were now betraying him and having an affair, while the other was not his biological son. Emperor Chunming barely managed to suppress his overwhelming rage before he did not immediately exterminate the Ningde Marquis's family and the Yu family, along with their entire clan.
Since it concerned the royal family's reputation, all the palace servants who witnessed the royal secrets that day, except for the palace maids and guards taken away by the Crown Prince, were secretly silenced by Emperor Chunming.
For more than twenty years since his ascension to the throne, Emperor Chunming had considered himself to be a diligent and benevolent ruler who had never slacked off. However, in the eyes of many veteran officials, he was still just a temporary emperor who could abdicate in favor of the crown prince at any time.
Even if the Crown Prince is condemned by thousands, as long as he does one good thing, he will still have the support of Emperor Jingyou's old ministers. Even if he has a minor flaw, it is enough for these people to attack him fiercely for that one flaw.
Therefore, in recent years, whether it was cultivating himself, managing his family, or governing the country, Emperor Chunming could not allow himself to make any mistakes or be criticized.
Unfortunately, Xie Huaichuan and Consort Yu's adulterous affair not only humiliated him, but also revealed the licentiousness in the harem, a serious oversight on his part as emperor, which must not be exposed.
When he uttered the word "gag order" in front of the Crown Prince that day, he had already made his stance clear. If the Crown Prince persisted in pressing the matter and refused to let it go, allowing it to be leaked, he would be willing to break off all pretense of civility and strike first to eliminate any future troubles.
Over the years, the Ningde Marquis's family had abused their power as relatives of the emperor, seizing vast amounts of land and plundering the people. Emperor Chunming had turned a blind eye to this, as both sides shared a common enemy: the Crown Prince. The Ningde Marquis had also done many shady things for Emperor Chunming in private. This time, however, Emperor Chunming was furious and disregarded all sentimentality. He ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to list the Ningde Marquis's ten major crimes and immediately confiscated his property and imprisoned him.
The punishment of the Ningde Marquis's family alone would attract too much attention, so Emperor Chunming simply took this opportunity to deal with some corrupt officials one by one, and the Yu family was naturally among the court officials who were purged.
Those officials who had raised their cups with the emperor at the New Year's Eve banquet never imagined that before their holiday was even over, they would receive an imperial edict to dismiss them from their posts and confiscate their property.
Emperor Chunming knew from the beginning that Consort Yu and Xie Huaichuan had a verbal engagement, which was later dropped. Xie Huaichuan married someone else, and Consort Yu entered the palace. Emperor Chunming never investigated the matter further, but he never expected that the two would still have feelings for each other, and that they would secretly have an affair and have a child. The adulterous couple even committed suicide together in front of him! Confiscating their property and exterminating their clan would be too lenient for them!
As for the Ninth Prince, Emperor Chunming, who once doted on him, now only harbors deep resentment.
He had no shortage of children; the arrival of this child was a mistake in itself! It caused him to lose face as an emperor, a disgrace to his entire life!
Emperor Chunming could only temporarily imprison the man and deal with him after the turmoil at the Ningde Marquis's residence subsided.
However, even though the news was kept tightly under wraps and a large number of people were mobilized to find fault in an attempt to cover up this scandal, the affair between the heir of the Marquis of Ningde and Consort Yu still spread like wildfire. It not only reached the ears of the Empress, but also began to be discussed among the concubines in the harem.
Overnight, the Ningde Marquis's mansion collapsed, leaving the Empress and Prince Chen, who were still under house arrest, utterly shocked.
The Empress was both terrified and filled with remorse. She never expected that her nephew, still harboring feelings for Consort Yu, would commit such a grave mistake. Even the wisest man could not have died because of love. If she had known this would happen, why had she painstakingly advised him to marry someone else?
The Empress is still under house arrest and has repeatedly requested to see Emperor Chunming without success. This matter has severely damaged the royal family's reputation, and all the ten major crimes are just a cover-up. Emperor Chunming wants to confiscate the property and exterminate the entire clan of Marquis Ningde!
Having been husband and wife for over twenty years, the Empress knew Emperor Chunming's character better than anyone. If she hadn't been the Empress and had borne him children, Emperor Chunming probably wouldn't have let her off so easily this time!
She and Prince Chen have lost the support of their maternal clans. The only way for Prince Chen to regain the Emperor Chunming's attention is to get rid of the Crown Prince, a major threat to the Emperor.
Emperor Chunming was burning with anger, so why would he summon the Empress at this time to hear her plead for her family?
He only regretted that the Crown Prince had leaked the news, and within just a few days, the news had spread secretly throughout the court and the palace.
He could silence all the servants in the side hall that day, but he couldn't silence the gossip.
On this day, Emperor Chunming summoned Lu Qi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The usually calm and gentle emperor's eyes burned with rage, his killing intent palpable. "The Crown Prince cannot be allowed to live. I have tolerated him for far too long."
Lu Qi suffered burns to his face in his early years and has always presented himself with a half-face bronze mask. The distorted half of his face due to the old injuries also makes him look menacing.
Almost no one has ever seen his true face. Even the civil and military officials of the court are very secretive about him. They only know that he once saved Emperor Chunming's life and was later promoted to commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, where he was highly valued.
Emperor Chunming's face was solemn: "He has already found you. If you don't kill him, he will find out the truth of what happened back then sooner or later. You have been lying low by my side for twenty years, all for the day when the Crown Prince dies, so that you can be ennobled, promoted, and honored, and take off your mask to live openly and honestly as you were. This time, you must not make any mistakes!"
Lu Qi gritted his teeth and immediately cupped his hands in obeisance, saying, "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
...
For the first time ever, Yun Kui did not see the Crown Prince for more than ten days.
Officials held meetings in Chongming Palace every day, and she had vaguely heard that many officials had their homes confiscated recently, including the Ningde Marquis's residence, which should be related to the Ningde Marquis's heir.
However, these important court affairs had nothing to do with her, and she valued her life, so she wouldn't reveal anything carelessly.
The Crown Prince's refusal to see her might be due to his busy schedule with state affairs, or perhaps he has found a new love, or maybe he thinks she is too ambitious and wants to become a mistress, so he wants to teach her a lesson and has been neglecting her for a few days. Or perhaps he is about to choose a Crown Princess and doesn't want people to see him favoring a palace maid every night, so he harbors resentment.
Yun Kui was quite open-minded; she didn't have to work and could still get a salary—what a good thing in the world!
But when she passed by the corridor that day, she heard palace maids whispering behind her back, saying that she had only been in favor for a few days before she had completely fallen out of favor. Yun Kui felt a little empty inside.
Where does emptiness lie? Is it that wealth and glory vanish in the blink of an eye? It seems not.
She was quite content and never coveted anything that didn't belong to her; a single ingot of gold could bring her joy for a long time.
When night fell, and she lay alone in the cold, empty bed, shivering and curled up under the covers, she suddenly realized where that feeling of emptiness came from—
The male beauty she had enjoyed for two months was gone.
When she wakes up in the middle of the night, she can't feel his firm, defined abs. When she wants to bury her face in his chest muscles, there's no one beside her. The strong arms that could easily control her body and serve as her pillow are gone, leaving only a hard pillow...
Anyone would feel a huge sense of disappointment in that situation.
Looking back on New Year's Eve, it wasn't entirely without joy.
There were a few moments when she felt her scalp tingle and her mind went blank, and she actually... missed them quite a bit.
Actually, she wasn't very good either. She was supposed to be a palace maid who served the emperor, and serving the emperor was her duty. However, she didn't do her job well, and instead of reflecting on her own actions, she blamed her master... Which master would want to use a palace maid like that again?
If given another chance, she would definitely pull herself together, perform her duties well, and serve His Highness the Crown Prince wholeheartedly!
The Lantern Festival has arrived in the blink of an eye.
The Crown Prince had not summoned Yun Kui for many days, and Cao Yuanlu was inevitably anxious.
Logically speaking, it's only natural for a man who's tasted the sweetness of women to seek them out every night, especially since His Highness is at such a vigorous age; it would be abnormal for him not to be interested in women.
"Didn't you taste it?"
"But Yun Kui can relieve Your Highness's headache. Even if you don't favor her, it would be good for her to stay in your room and serve you."
"Or is there something wrong with His Highness's health? He doesn't want to face it anymore..."
The crown prince sat at his desk reviewing documents, and upon hearing his thoughts, he couldn't help but frown.
This heartless girl would rather leave the palace than stay in the East Palace. How could he, the Crown Prince, possibly fawn over a mere palace maid?
Cao Yuanlu asked cautiously, "Today is the Lantern Festival, yet Your Highness still refuses to summon Miss Yun Kui?"
It turns out that half a month has already passed.
The prince pressed his temple.
Cao Yuanlu immediately said, "Is Your Highness suffering from a headache? This servant will go and invite Miss Yun Kui in right away!"
Before the crown prince could stop him, Cao Yuanlu had already hurriedly left the main hall.
A moment later, the young maid, with her hair styled in a cascading bun and dressed in a silver-red begonia-patterned jacket and skirt, clearly dressed up, slowly entered the hall with her head bowed and greeted him, "This servant greets Your Highness."
But the Crown Prince could clearly hear the sound of her sharpening her knives in her heart.
"I'm ready! I can do it again anytime!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
