Song Xibai was completely unaware that the Crown Prince below had developed strange thoughts because of her unintentional action.
She grabbed the blanket from the inside of the bed and dragged it to her side.
He shook the blanket off with both hands, covered himself with it, then turned to his side, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
The prince was not sleepy at all.
He stared at the grape embroidery on the ceiling of the tent, silently reciting the Heart Sutra in his mind, trying to suppress his body's reaction.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally drifted off to sleep.
But it felt like she hadn't slept for long when she heard Eunuch Feng's cautious voice outside the door.
"Your Highness, it's time to get up."
The prince woke up suddenly.
Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly felt something pressing down on his right arm, making it impossible for him to move.
Turning her head, she saw Song Xibai's sleeping face.
She was completely wrapped in the blanket, with only her head showing.
Her long, jet-black hair was scattered on the soft pillow, a dark, messy mess; her long eyelashes were like dense little brushes, casting shadows under her eyelids; her lips weren't as red as they looked during the day, but her cheeks were flushed, probably because of the heat.
Her skin is so smooth and delicate that you can't help but want to touch and poke it.
The prince, as if possessed, reached out his hand.
We ran into each other!
His heart raced a little. He glanced at Song Xibai and, seeing that she didn't react, he mustered his courage and pinched her cheek.
The feel of it reminded him of a rabbit he had kept in the palace when he was a child.
Soft and fluffy.
But compared to a rabbit, it has a bit more elasticity.
The prince, in a playful mood, reached out his other hand and pinched Song Xibai's other cheek.
This groping caused Song Xibai to frown.
The prince's expression froze, and he swiftly withdrew his hand, coughed lightly, and prepared to walk around her to get out of bed.
Even though the Crown Prince was very careful, Song Xibai still woke up when he got out of bed.
She rubbed her eyes, looked at the gray sky outside, and muttered something silly.
"Is it just dawn or just dusk?"
The crown prince couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"It's barely dawn, you should go back to sleep!"
Although Song Xibai's eyes were open, her mind was not fully awake. Upon hearing this, she said "Oh," turned over, and fell asleep again.
The prince was both annoyed and amused. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to wake her, but instead dressed himself and opened the door.
The palace maids came in carrying hot water and copper basins, and the crown prince glanced at them.
"Be quiet, don't wake your master."
The palace maids moved quietly, like little cats, carefully placing the items one by one.
The Crown Prince always washed his face and brushed his teeth by himself, while the palace maids stood to the side with their heads down, looking at their toes, not daring to move their eyes.
Even Fuliu dared not utter a sound in front of the Crown Prince.
"Pass on my message that Consort Xi is overworked and needs to rest for three days. During these three days, she does not need to pay her respects to the Crown Princess."
Fu Liu reacted the fastest, kneeling down and replying, "Yes."
Only after the Crown Prince left did she dare to raise her head, her eyes sparkling, and even her face flushed.
It wasn't out of embarrassment, but rather excitement.
The Crown Prince cares so much about Consort Xi that he actually voluntarily exempted her from paying her respects!
Tell me, in the Eastern Palace, who has such influence?!
Fu Liu was so excited she wanted to jump up, but thankfully, she held back for fear of waking Song Xibai.
After quietly leaving, Fuliu couldn't hold back any longer and immediately ran to the central hall to convey the Crown Prince's message.
Although the Crown Princess had not yet gotten out of bed, she was already awake.
When Zhao Fen, who was on night watch, saw her sit up, she hurriedly ran over to help her get dressed and put on her shoes, and then helped her sit down in front of the dressing table.
What's that noise outside?
The Crown Princess was a light sleeper and could be awakened by the slightest noise.
Zhao Fen lowered her head and said in a low voice, "It was Fu Liu, who was by the side of Consort Xi in the East Palace. She said that she was conveying the Crown Prince's message that Consort Xi was tired, so the Crown Prince exempted her from paying her respects for three days."
The Crown Princess had just picked up the wooden comb when suddenly, with a snap, the comb broke.
Zhao Fen didn't dare to look at it at all, pursing her lips and staring nervously at her feet.
A moment later, the Crown Princess's leisurely voice rang out.
"This comb is of terrible quality. What is the Imperial Household Department doing? How dare they try to fool people with something like this? Have it returned later."
Zhao Fen responded softly, "Yes."
"Alright, you can go out now! Tell Wei Zi to come in and comb my hair."
The Crown Princess waved her hand expressionlessly.
Zhao Fen breathed a sigh of relief, bowed, and hurriedly withdrew, then called Wei Zi in.
Yao Huang and Wei Zi were brought from the Crown Princess's family, so their relationship is special. They are now twenty-two and twenty-three years old, and in two more years, they will be called aunts.
When Wei Zi entered, she immediately noticed the broken comb on the dressing table and her face showed displeasure.
"The Imperial Household Department is going too far! How dare they send something like this to Your Majesty? They deserve to die!"
She paused for a moment, then quickly walked over, picked up the broken comb, and placed it where the Crown Princess couldn't see it. Then, she took out a tortoiseshell comb from a small drawer on the left side of the dressing table.
"This was part of the Empress's dowry! It's been used for so many years and it hasn't broken."
Wei Zi gently combed the Crown Princess's hair.
The Crown Princess has been suffering from headaches lately, but she didn't want to bother the Imperial Hospital, so she found a folk remedy: to comb her hair a hundred times every morning and evening.
Wei Zi's grip was just right, neither too light nor too heavy, and the Crown Princess couldn't help but close her eyes.
“Since Your Highness has spoken, then Consort Xi will need not pay her respects. In any case, the New Year is approaching, and the palace will be busy, so I won’t have time to deal with them.”
"Your Majesty is right," Wei Zi said with a smile. "The Empress Dowager has been much closer to Your Majesty lately. In my opinion, perhaps this New Year, the Empress Dowager will have Your Majesty follow suit!"
This wasn't something Wei Zi said offhand; the Empress Dowager had indeed expressed this idea on several occasions recently.
The Crown Princess suddenly opened her eyes, her dark brown eyes filled with burgeoning ambition.
What does temporary favor matter? Power is the foundation of one's position.
Wasn't Lady Zhu favored before? But only a few years have passed? She has lost favor and even incurred the Crown Prince's displeasure. She will never be able to recover in this lifetime.
As Mother said, a man's favor is unreliable. A woman either has to rely on her son or firmly grasp the power in her own hands so that a man dares not look down on her.
The Crown Princess's chaotic mind quickly calmed down.
The slight anger that had just arisen dissipated.
Song Xibai is no threat. Even if she were a concubine, she wouldn't surpass me. The Crown Prince has been taught by three great Confucian scholars since childhood; he would never do something like favoring a concubine over his wife.
The Crown Prince's position is now in grave danger; they must have a child as soon as possible.
The Crown Princess took a breath, her gaze intense, and called in an old nanny.
"Instruct the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare some nourishing and fertility-enhancing herbal soups for Consort Xi every day."
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