"Father, stop pretending to be sick inside! What do you want from me!"
Jiayin is someone you watched grow up. You wouldn't really kill her to ask for rain, would you?
"Father, you can't do this! It's so heartless! How much of the fruit Jiayin planted and the pastries she baked have you eaten!"
"She's more filial than my own daughter, you can't treat her like this!"
The third princess pounded on the door and shouted loudly.
Manager Yi was so frightened he almost fainted, and he pleaded desperately.
"Princess, please calm down. You can't shout like that. His Majesty is unwell and cannot be angry any longer. Please, for my sake, come another day. I beg you!"
As he spoke, Steward Yi knelt down.
The eunuchs and maids around them, of course, did not dare to stand and all knelt down.
The Third Princess, enraged, lifted her skirt and kicked Steward Yi. "You old wretch, you have no conscience! Jiayin has always been so good to you, she has never treated you like a servant!"
"Everything sent to the palace, whether food, drink, or other necessities, has always included you! You just stand by and watch her be bullied; you have no conscience at all!"
Manager Yi smiled bitterly, kowtowed to the ground, and dared not raise his head or argue.
Just when things were getting out of hand, the Crown Prince finally arrived in a hurry.
"Your Highness, you mustn't do this!"
The crown prince also rushed over, his forehead covered in sweat.
He pulled the Third Princess aside and whispered, "Your fuss will only make Father Emperor angrier. Come with me to Xilong Pavilion, and we'll talk about it slowly."
The third princess refused to leave, but was forcibly taken away.
Chief Eunuch Yi wiped away his sweat, rubbed his aching knees, and then went around to the back hall to enter the room where the Emperor was resting.
The emperor looked dejected as he sat at the table drinking tea.
Chief Steward Yi quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the princess has been invited to have tea by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has the demeanor of an elder brother and is respected and loved by the princess. He will surely persuade the princess well."
The Emperor put down his teacup and sighed.
"It's a waste that I dote on the Third Princess so much. In her heart, I'm not even as important as a little maid."
Manager Yi thought to himself, "I got blisters on my feet from walking. You reap what you sow!"
But he dared not say that, and could only force a smile and continue to persuade her.
"The Third Princess is genuine, innocent, and kind-hearted. She probably thinks you are the supreme ruler of the world, possessing all the wealth of the four seas, so she pays less attention to you. On the other hand, the Princess has been eating and sleeping with her for half a year, and they have a deep bond. Moreover, the Princess is also devoted to the Princess, so the Princess naturally reciprocates in kind."
"These days there are many rumors going around, and you are not feeling well, so you can't pay attention to such trivial matters. It's inevitable that the princess will misunderstand."
The emperor's expression softened somewhat, but he didn't say anything more.
After finding an excuse to leave, Steward Yi stood behind a pillar and sighed quietly...
Inside the Xilong Pavilion, Eunuch Feng carefully served two bowls of ice cream.
This is the result of countless attempts by the head chefs of the imperial kitchen, hoping that His Majesty will be able to eat it.
As a result, the third princess only took one bite before throwing away the spoon.
"How could the Imperial Kitchen be so incompetent! How dare they serve such awful ice cream? It's a waste of these ingredients; it doesn't even taste half as good as Baiyunjian."
Eunuch Feng was terrified and immediately knelt down.
His Highness the Crown Prince waved his hand and ordered, "Take these away and make two refreshing glasses of juice. Remember to put less ice in the princess's glass; girls shouldn't drink too much cold food!"
Hearing her brother's thoughtfulness, the Third Princess couldn't hold back her temper any longer. She frowned and said, "Crown Prince, I'm not angry with you, it's just..."
The Crown Prince nodded and smiled, "Of course I know, you don't need to say more. The ice cream from Baiyun Pavilion is still the best. The fruit is sweet and the texture is delicate. The one made by the Imperial Kitchen is just not good enough. I had a few bites last time and I also found it unpalatable."
The Third Princess found an ally, and her complexion improved even more.
Soon, the imperial kitchen, fearing punishment, sent over fruit juice.
The brother and sister chased away the servants and sat by the window, sipping juice while looking at the small lake outside.
The third princess, remembering the rumors outside, crunched the ice cubes loudly.
"Brother Crown Prince, do you really know what Father Emperor was thinking? Praying for rain is fine, but why did he have to burn Jiayin to death! It's infuriating!"
"What kind of rainmaking is this? This is clearly sorcery! I went to see my father, but he pretended to be sick."
The Crown Prince sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Sister, Father's health has indeed been a bit poor lately, and he probably doesn't have the strength to explain to you."
"Moreover, the matter of praying for rain was handled by me and the Ministry of Rites. We really had no intention of offering sacrifices. It was all just idle gossip from ignorant folks outside!"
"Really?" The Third Princess was so happy she almost jumped for joy, and tugged at the Crown Prince's sleeve for confirmation.
"Is it really true that no sacrifice is needed, and that Jiayin won't die?"
"Of course!" the Crown Prince chuckled. "The princess not only gets along well with you, but I also grew up in Broken Gold Beach, so I'm practically a Broken Gold Beach native. How could I possibly watch the princess be sacrificed?"
Even if someone suggested it, I would still stop them!
"Yes, yes!" The Third Princess nodded vigorously, finally breaking into a smile.
"Brother Crown Prince, it's so good to have you! I couldn't sleep last night because I was worried about you, and I didn't dare to go to Jiayin because I was afraid she would cry."
"Thank goodness you're here! I'll go to the Earl's mansion in a bit and tell Jiayin, so she won't be scared."
The Crown Prince, recalling Jia Yin's quick wit and intelligence, smiled but remained silent.
A woman like that, unless her family is harmed, would probably not even flinch if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her at any time!
As the brother and sister were talking, the little fox chirped and jumped onto the table.
The prince picked it up and teased it with a smile.
"Where did you go to play again? When did you get back?"
The little fox had been lying under the table for quite some time, but it couldn't say anything. It just proudly raised its chin and swept its big tail across the fruit plate on the table.
The third princess quickly snatched it away, placed it on her lap, and eagerly tried to feed it.
For a time, the little fox was completely submissive to the two favored sons of heaven, feeling extremely comfortable.
A gentle breeze blew in through the window, carrying the dampness of the lake, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Perhaps the Third Princess had calmed down and regained some clarity and rationality.
She whispered to the Crown Prince, "Brother Crown Prince, has Father and the Marquis fallen out? Is it truly beyond repair?"
The crown prince did not respond, nor did he know how to respond.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Did you figure it out?"
The Third Princess sighed, "During the previous northern expedition, Father Emperor granted the Marquis's every request and cared about everything. Now, Father Emperor wishes the Marquis would die in battle."
“Take Jiayin for example. If the Marquis were in the capital, and if the Marquis hadn’t had a falling out with Father, how could Father have let Jiayin get caught up in the rumors? I’m not smart, but I know that some things have changed.”
She stroked the little fox's smooth fur a few times and said, "I don't care what Father Emperor plans, nor do I care about any important political affairs. All I know is that after Jiayin enters the palace, she will fight against that old witch, the Empress Dowager, with me, eat with me, and sleep with me. If I make a mistake, she will scold me. If I do something right, she will praise me."
"She is younger than me, but I have learned a lot from her, and she is truly kind to me!"
"Therefore, I will not allow anyone to bully her. Not even Father Emperor!"
Today's update is here!
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