Hearing the noise, Hongyu knew it was the Crown Prince. A few days ago at Yixiang Garden, the Crown Prince had seen her and even made advances towards her in front of the Emperor and Prince Yan. He must still be thinking about her.
A slight smile played on her lips as she devised a plan. She whispered a few words to Emerald, who then hurriedly left.
She covered her face with a handkerchief, turned to greet the Crown Prince, and curtsied, saying, "Hongyu greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
“Hongyu, there’s no need for such formalities. I heard that you have been waiting outside the Ziji Palace for a long time. The night is cold and the dew is heavy. I am worried that you may not be able to take it.” The Crown Prince sighed softly, then reached out and took Hongyu’s hands and placed them on his chest. He took the opportunity to pull Hongyu to his chest, closed his eyes and gently smelled the fragrance of her hair.
Hongyu lowered her head and feigned shyness as she broke free from the Crown Prince's hands. Knowing full well that the Crown Prince had ill intentions, she still pleaded with him for help, "Does Your Highness really have an antidote? Mu Chenyu saved Hongyu's life. If Hongyu were to stand by and watch someone die, wouldn't she become a laughingstock to the world?"
"Yes, yes, yes, Hongyu, come with me."
The two arrived at the Crown Prince's palace.
The Crown Prince was not in a hurry to produce the antidote. Instead, he prepared a table of food and wine and pulled Hongyu to sit next to him.
Hongyu picked up the wine pot, filled herself with wine, and before the Crown Prince could speak, she picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. One cup after another, she drank five cups in a row, having never drunk wine before. Suddenly feeling dizzy, she leaned weakly on the Crown Prince's shoulder.
The crown prince was overjoyed at the sight and quickly helped her to the bed.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by the clear tinkling of bells. Hongyu knew that Feicui had returned. She struggled free from the Crown Prince, pressed the gold hairpin she had prepared against her throat, and said in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this, Your Highness? Where is the antidote you promised Hongyu?"
The Crown Prince exclaimed in astonishment, "Didn't Hongyu intend to submit herself to me?"
Hongyu looked towards the doorway, where two figures were reflected. She pressed down hard on the golden hairpin, which pierced her skin, and hissed, "Ugh! Hongyu... would rather die than betray King Yan!"
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Prince Yan's Mansion.
Inside the Jade Pavilion, Hongyu listened as everyone withdrew, then slowly opened her eyes. She saw Yan Wang standing quietly to the side, his back straight and lonely, just like his cold, aloof, stubborn, and obstinate nature.
To cover up Prince Yan's shameless affair of secretly meeting with male lovers, she was caught in the act by the Crown Prince and the Emperor. To maintain the status of Prince Yan's household, she entertained the Emperor with his pleasures. As a result, Prince Yan ignored her and even avoided her at all costs.
Tonight, she was intimate with the Crown Prince, not believing he would provide the antidote. Instead, she wanted to confirm his intentions and provoke Prince Yan's fighting spirit, thus turning him against the Crown Prince. However… Prince Yan did not turn against the Crown Prince; he simply carried her back to his residence as if nothing had happened.
She forced herself to sit up and softly called out, "Prince Yan."
Upon hearing that Hongyu had awakened, Yan Wang did not turn around, but instead walked directly towards the door.
Ever since the night the Duchess punished Liu Yu with a cane, he has changed his mind and decided to let Liu Yu go and live a good life with Hongyu.
However, Hongyu spent her days playing chess, drinking tea, and watching acrobatics with the emperor... and even went with him to admire flowers at the Zuo family's residence. As a noble prince, how could he possibly beg for Hongyu's affection? Therefore, he treated Hongyu coldly and ignored her, hoping that she would realize her mistake and apologize to him.
But what about Hongyu? Knowing full well that the Crown Prince was fond of women, she still dared to go to his residence alone. Did Hongyu want to cause him to turn against the Crown Prince?
Utterly foolish! The Crown Prince has the Empress's backing. Even if he is deposed, he still has Prince Li, Prince Hong, Prince Jin… and many other brothers. He can only wait for the right opportunity and plan carefully before acting. Is Hongyu, acting so rashly, still the "little fox" he initially set his sights on?
He opened the door, but Hongyu hugged him tightly.
"Prince Yan, Hongyu only wanted to find an antidote for Chenyu, she never expected to be taken advantage of by the Crown Prince..."
Hongyu hugged Yan Wang tightly, lay on his back, and cried uncontrollably, trying to provoke Yan Wang again.
The Crown Prince was ruthless, plotting against loyal ministers, killing Master Jia, forcing Master Mu to go on a campaign, and even forcibly taking Zuo Zhen's wife... The ministers were all indignant and wanted to join Prince Yan. However... Prince Yan was in a daze all day long and had no interest in politics.
Although Hongyu was a concubine and should not have interfered in politics, she had no choice but to stand up and fight against the Crown Prince when the Crown Prince's faction plotted to harm Shenyu.
At this moment, she was injured, yet Prince Yan stood there motionless, his face cold. How laughable! She had overestimated her importance in Prince Yan's heart!
Extremely disappointed, she knelt down with a thud. As soon as she opened her mouth, she choked up and couldn't speak. "Prince Yan... I beg you to spare Liu Yu... Liu Yu only has Chen Yu in his heart. When Tingyu Pavilion caught fire, Liu Yu jumped into the fire to save Chen Yu. He is probably... seriously injured. This was all done by the Crown Prince's faction. In order to protect Liu Yu... can you please pull yourself together?"
"Ha!" Prince Yan snorted coldly, turning to stare at Hongyu with a cold, disappointed look in his eyes. How could he not know the Crown Prince's despicable methods?
The Crown Prince has already killed the Second Prince and the Eighth Prince, and harbors hostility towards him, secretly monitoring him. Recently, many ministers have been secretly visiting Prince Yan's residence, hoping to seize the opportunity to develop his own power so that he can one day rival the Crown Prince. However… the time is not yet ripe.
Looking down at the tearful Hongyu, his heart ached. If it weren't for Hongyu covering up his shameful affair at Yixiang Garden, the Emperor would have severely punished him. It seems that Hongyu is worth employing.
However, how dare Hongyu accuse him of having feelings for Liu Yu? He was secretly angry and said coldly, "Yu Lang and I grew up together. What's wrong with me caring about him?"
Just then, Lianxiang led her maids and servants to report from outside the door, "Prince Yan, the examination woman has arrived."
A physical examination? Hongyu stood up in shock, backing away repeatedly, her eyes filled with desolation. "Since Prince Yan cares about Liu Yu, why bother whether Hongyu is innocent or not?"
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