Song Xibai later summarized the story of King Wu in just one sentence.
Ambitious but lacking in ability and skills, destined to be a perpetual runner-up.
Although the King of Wu was the third son, the second prince was usually not very noticeable and was like an invisible person. The King of Wu always considered himself "the Crown Prince is the eldest and I am the second eldest".
However, Song Xibai did not yet know much about the King of Wu, so after thinking about it, she still advised him.
"This kind of thing is not easy to manage. If you are not careful, you may cause trouble for yourself. Your Highness might as well send someone to send a message back to the palace to tell the Emperor."
The Crown Prince chuckled softly, "You and I are thinking the same thing."
Song Xibai opened her eyes slightly.
"Have you already sent someone back to the palace?"
The Crown Prince nodded: "I have sent three people back to the capital to inform the Prince of An's residence, the Prince of Wu's residence, and the palace."
Song Xibai was relieved.
The two talked for a while, and soon a servant came to report that lunch was ready. The Crown Prince then pulled Song Xibai out of the backyard.
The Crown Prince invited the Prince of Wu and the Sixth Prince to dine together, but he was worried about leaving Song Xibai alone, so he brought her along as well.
Song Xibai didn't feel anything was wrong. In the past, both at her own home and the Ding family's home, the whole family would eat together, and there was no distinction between men and women.
But both the King of Wu and the Sixth Prince were secretly startled when they saw the two walking hand in hand.
The King of Wu was the first to recover, laughing twice to mask his surprise, and even teased the Crown Prince.
"Your Majesty really dotes on your sister-in-law! You can't bear to be apart from her for even a short while."
The Crown Prince pulled Song Xibai to sit down at the table, and then kicked her.
"I have already sent word back to your residence. I reckon your wife already knows by now."
As soon as he said this, Song Xibai saw the King of Wu's face change color instantly.
Her originally rosy complexion turned pale in an instant.
It's almost as good as the face-changing act in Sichuan opera!
Song Xibai chuckled inwardly.
The Crown Prince stopped the King of Wu with a single sentence, and then pulled the absent-minded King of Wu to sit down in the seat furthest away from Song Xibai.
The sixth prince was already seated, his hands on his knees, his back straight, looking just like an obedient little boy.
The Crown Prince sat down next to Song Xibai and waved his hand, ordering the dishes to be served.
"When traveling, keep things simple and make do with whatever you eat!"
The Crown Prince took a bite himself first to make sure there was no problem before serving food to Song Xibai.
Song Xibai buried her head in her food and gave a casual reply.
If you ask her, the farm-style food on this estate is far better than any banquet in the palace. Putting everything else aside, it's incredibly fresh!
Even though it wasn't the season for lotus roots, this plate of lotus root slices was so tender and crisp that it amazed Song Xibai.
With outsiders present, Song Xibai felt embarrassed to speak during the meal and quietly finished eating.
As the servants cleared away the dishes, Song Xibai noticed that the Sixth Prince was staring longingly at the food that had been taken away.
A boy in his teens should be able to eat a lot, but the Sixth Prince didn't seem to ask for more rice and only ate a small bowl.
Having figured things out, Song Xibai took advantage of the fact that the Prince of Wu and the Sixth Prince had left, and pulled the Crown Prince aside, asking in a low voice.
"Your Highness, the Sixth Prince is in the palace; surely he hasn't been eating enough?"
The crown prince was completely stunned.
"impossible."
How could a prince not have enough to eat in the palace?
Song Xibai pointed to the Sixth Prince's back and lowered her voice to continue.
"Doesn't Your Highness think the Sixth Prince is particularly thin? And he's not very tall, and his complexion is a bit yellowish. I remember seeing the Eighth Prince at the last grand banquet. The Eighth Prince is fair-skinned and plump, and quite tall. He's four years younger than the Sixth Prince!"
The crown prince frowned deeply.
"I haven't had much contact with Xiao Liu, but he always eats very little at banquets. Maybe he's a picky eater?"
"Then shall I have Dingxiang take his pulse?"
Song Xibai offered a suggestion.
The crown prince did not refuse; he still felt it was impossible.
The two walked outside, and someone outside reported that they had seen the carriage of the Prince of Wu's residence. The Prince of Wu did not even have time to greet them before rushing out and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The sixth prince stood in the courtyard, at a loss.
At that moment, Wei Hong and Ding Xiang walked out from behind the other door.
Song Xibai waved to the two of them.
"Wei Hong, bring the pastry box over here."
"What kind of snacks would you like, Master? Here, your father-in-law has prepared three different kinds!"
"Bring them all over."
Wei Hong was somewhat surprised, but she didn't ask anything. She curtsied and ran to the backyard.
Dingxiang wanted to follow, but Song Xibai stopped her.
"Dingxiang, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Dingxiang reluctantly shuffled over: "What is it?"
Song Xibai whispered a few words in her ear. Dingxiang looked surprised, but still nodded.
The Crown Prince went over to talk to the Sixth Prince, asking him about his daily life in the palace from time to time. The Sixth Prince, without suspecting anything, answered honestly.
A short while later, Wei Hong returned carrying a food box, followed by the old woman who had led the way earlier, who was also carrying two food boxes.
After taking everything inside, Song Xibai made an excuse to get the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince back into the hall.
The six prince was stunned to see that the three large food boxes contained dozens of kinds of snacks, all of which were placed on the octagonal table.
"So many snacks!"
Song Xibai feigned distress: "I was just saying that! I brought too much, and Your Highness doesn't like to eat it, and I can't finish it all by myself... Would Your Highness like to try some?"
The sixth prince's eyes lit up, and he sat down at the table and began to eat without any ceremony.
Many of these pastries are made using modern methods, with recipes provided by Song Xibai and made by Eunuch Lai himself. Of course, there are also some pastries commonly found in the palace, such as bite-sized shortbread, dragon beard candy, and magnolia cake.
Song Xibai took a piece of abalone with butter and started eating it. The Crown Prince also wanted to take one, but Song Xibai glared at him, so he had to cough and withdraw his hand.
The Sixth Prince ate several dishes. Dingxiang walked over with a cup of tea and took the opportunity to examine the Sixth Prince's wrist.
Then, she frowned.
After returning to Song Xibai's side, Dingxiang whispered something in her ear.
"The Sixth Prince's pulse doesn't seem to indicate illness, but when I looked closely at his face, it looked like he had worm spots."
Song Xibai was shocked: "Insect spots? He's fifteen years old, not a five or six-year-old child. How could he have insect disease?"
Dingxiang shook her head. She had only taken a quick pulse; how could she possibly discern so much?
Song Xibai felt increasingly uneasy.
Logically speaking, the princes in the palace should have the best food, clothing, and daily necessities, and they should be regularly cared for by imperial physicians, so this shouldn't be the case.
But both the emperor and the crown prince had health problems.
Now even the sixth prince is one.
This is so strange.
Moreover, it would be understandable if someone were to target the emperor and the crown prince, but who would target a sixth prince who is not valued?
Song Xibai's doubts grew, and she couldn't figure it out no matter what she did.
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