Just as Song Xibai was about to jump, she heard the Crown Prince suddenly say something, and for a moment she didn't know what to do.
Let's just skip this; ignoring the Crown Prince's words doesn't seem like a good idea.
But if she actually helped the prince off the carriage, she felt something was off.
While she hesitated, the Crown Prince didn't see anything wrong. Seeing that Song Xibai didn't move for a long time, the Crown Prince simply stepped onto the carriage shaft and pulled out Song Xibai's hand.
Before she could refuse, the crown prince grabbed her wrists with both hands and pulled her away.
Song Xibai was startled and almost cried out. She lost her balance and fell towards the direction where the Crown Prince was.
Finally, she landed steadily in the prince's arms.
Embraced by the Crown Prince, Song Xibai felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground.
In particular, the prince's laughter could be heard from above.
"I didn't expect Xixi to be so proactive outside; it's quite a pleasant surprise."
Song Xibai looked up and glared at him before quickly pushing him away.
"It was an accident!"
The prince covered his mouth with his fist, chuckled, and nodded.
"Yes, yes, it was an accident."
If the smile on his face hadn't been so obvious, Song Xibai might have believed him.
The only saving grace was that because they arrived early, there weren't many people outside the Prince's Mansion, so few people witnessed what had just happened.
After Song Xibai stopped, she smoothed her hair and glanced around. Seeing that the servants of the Prince of Wu's mansion were all standing in the distance with their heads down, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a hearty laugh came from inside the gate of the Prince's Mansion, and then a person dressed in a robe embroidered with purple and gold python patterns walked out.
"Brother, you've finally arrived! Your younger brother has been waiting for you for a long time."
Song Xibai glanced at it curiously.
Is this the King of Wu?
Why does he look older than the Crown Prince?
The King of Wu was twenty-two years old. He was of decent appearance and did not resemble the Crown Prince much. His face was slightly wider, and his appearance gave people a sense of honesty and kindness.
However, once he started speaking, the feeling changed.
She was meticulous and exceptionally enthusiastic, as if the estrangement from the Crown Prince in previous years had never existed.
Song Xibai glanced at it once and then looked away, focusing on her inner thoughts.
The Crown Prince exchanged a few pleasantries with the Prince of Wu, then pulled Song Xibai inside.
"The male guests are in the front courtyard, and the banquet for you women is in the back courtyard. Someone will lead you there in a moment. Don't be nervous. Princess Wu is easygoing and not the kind of person who is so calculating."
The Crown Prince whispered a reminder in Song Xibai's ear.
Song Xibai looked at him speechlessly.
“I’m not a child, Your Highness, there’s no need for such constant admonitions.”
Song Xibai thought to herself: Although I have never attended a banquet at the Prince's mansion, I am not the kind of person who is ignorant and does not know etiquette!
The crown prince thought it made sense, so he said nothing more and just patted the back of her hand.
After passing the screen wall and crossing the covered walkway in the front yard, a well-dressed old woman came forward to greet Song Xibai.
The prince reluctantly let go of her hand.
Song Xibai bowed her head, curtsied to the Crown Prince and the Prince of Wu, and said, "This concubine will take her leave first." Then she followed the old woman to the inner courtyard.
As the prince watched her figure disappear into the distance, the worry and tension in his heart were indescribable.
The King of Wu was astonished by what he saw.
He and the Crown Prince grew up together, and he knew the Crown Prince's temperament better than anyone else. The Crown Prince had been taught by the great Confucian scholars to be rigid and dogmatic, and he had never been close to women. Sometimes when he met the King of Wu, he would lecture him: put your mind on important matters, read more books, and take fewer concubines, and so on.
The Crown Prince in the King of Wu's mind was the same to everything; he couldn't discern the Crown Prince's preferences or guess what he was thinking.
This was the first time the King of Wu had seen his crown prince so attentive to a woman.
If the two brothers hadn't been married for many years and grown distant, King Wu would have teased the crown prince.
However, at this moment, the King of Wu dared not do so, and could only cough lightly before leading the Crown Prince to the reception room.
Meanwhile, Song Xibai, accompanied by Wei Hong, was led by the old woman to the main courtyard where the princess resided.
The journey was peaceful and smooth, without any mishaps or even a curious maidservant.
It seems that what's in novels isn't accurate either!
Song Xibai thought to herself.
Princess Qi, the wife of King Wu, is a voluptuous beauty. She has a son, the eldest son of King Wu, who is highly regarded by him. At this moment, he is lying on Princess Qi's lap!
When Song Xibai entered, all the women in the room fell silent and turned to look at him.
If someone is timid, they'll probably show their fear at this point.
However, Song Xibai did not care about these stares. She walked forward slowly and bowed to Princess Wu.
Princess Wu blinked and immediately came to her senses.
"This must be His Highness's new Consort Xi, right? She is indeed gentle and virtuous. His Highness is truly blessed."
As soon as the Princess Wu spoke, the other women echoed her, and the atmosphere in the room immediately became lively.
Song Xibai was worried that she would encounter difficulties or ridicule, but to her surprise, nothing happened.
Princess Wu pulled her along and introduced them one by one.
This is so-and-so's aunt, that is so-and-so's wife, most of them are related to the Wu Prince's Mansion.
In addition, there were two of the King of Wu's concubines standing behind the Queen of Wu.
Song Xibai's position was somewhat awkward. She was not the principal wife, and in principle, she should not have been assigned to the main courtyard, which was for the wives and princesses of various families.
But she was the Crown Prince's concubine, which was a rank, a third-rank official, higher than some other wives!
In addition, since the King of Wu intended to get closer to the Crown Prince, the Queen of Wu arranged for Song Xibai to be placed in the main courtyard.
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