"This servant greets Consort Li!" Abao, dressed in a light lake-blue robe, stood before Consort Li and bowed. Unlike ordinary eunuchs, he was a trusted eunuch who had served the Crown Prince for over a decade, spending the most time with him. Although a eunuch named Xiao Quanzi seemed to have replaced him as a favorite of the Crown Prince, Abao still held considerable influence, though he didn't spend as much time with the Crown Prince as before.
"Please sit down, Eunuch Bao!" Consort Li offered a gesture of support.
“A servant is a servant, how dare I sit in front of the concubine?” Abao refused to sit, maintaining a very humble posture.
“Then let me get straight to the point. The fact that Eunuch Bao has come to see me today means that he has the same thoughts, doesn’t it?” said Consort Li.
“The Consort is still as sharp as ever!” Abao looked up at Consort Li and said.
"Hehe, isn't Eunuch Bao still the same as before, a favorite of the Crown Prince, except now there's one more person. Why don't you get rid of this person, Eunuch Bao? The Crown Prince won't blame you," said Madam Li.
“You are mistaken, Consort Li. The one who has the most influence with the Crown Prince right now is that little Quanzi. He is the Crown Princess’s man, and the Crown Princess’s pressure on Consort Li is becoming more and more obvious. I believe that Consort Li also urgently needs someone who can join you in suppressing the Crown Princess,” A Bao said.
“Indeed, the Crown Princess is getting more and more ruthless. Now that the Crown Prince doesn’t come to my side, she takes advantage of my misfortune and makes things difficult for me at every turn. My Hongxi has been harmed so badly by her, I can no longer sit idly by and wait for my doom,” said Lady Li.
“The eldest prince is the Crown Prince’s eldest son, so the Crown Princess should not dare to do anything to him. Consort, there is no need to worry,” A Bao said.
“She might not want Hongxi’s life, but she can ruin him. Isn’t that the same as killing him?” A strong hatred flashed in Li’s eyes.
"I heard that the eldest prince's mental state has been poor ever since that incident?" Abao asked.
"Hmph, it's not just bad, it's utterly ruined. Not only that incident, but before that, Hongxi was deliberately led to the Crown Prince's place and witnessed some things he shouldn't have seen. This caused my Hongxi great distress." Li's eyes flashed with disgust and hatred.
"What does the concubine want?" Abao asked.
“The Shi family is only being rejected because their maternal clan can help the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince is increasingly valuing the Shi family’s influence. You and I are just people who can’t help him, which is why we are being disliked now,” said Consort Li.
“Consort, the Crown Prince will eventually ascend to that position, and you will at least be a concubine then. Why rush things?” Abao pondered.
“But Lady Shi won’t give me a chance. She’ll make sure I die before I’m made a concubine. Eunuch Bao, your life isn’t easy either. Lady Shi hates you just as much as she hates me. She’ll eliminate them one by one and then play the Crown Prince like a puppet.” Lady Li said.
"You mean, the Crown Princess is trying to control the Crown Prince?" Abao asked.
"Isn't that right? Xiao Quanzi was the one she placed by the Crown Prince's side. And look at the Crown Prince now, all he does is drink and make merry with that little eunuch all day long, does he still have a shred of affection for him?" Li Shi's words were tinged with sorrow. At this moment, she, a concubine of the Crown Prince, was no different from a eunuch who had been favored by the Crown Prince.
After a moment of silence, A Bao said to Lady Li, "Consort, as long as the Crown Prince is well, I will be satisfied."
Looking at Abao, Lady Li suddenly felt sorry for the Crown Prince. Everyone around him no longer loved or respected him, and Abao was probably the only one who still loved him.
“It’s a pity that the Crown Prince doesn’t cherish Eunuch Bao. If the Crown Prince continues to favor this little power-wielder, I’m afraid even Eunuch Bao’s simple wish to stay by the Crown Prince’s side will not be fulfilled,” said Madam Li.
Abao was silent for a moment. What Li Shi said was true. He could hardly see the Crown Prince anymore, and even when he did, the Crown Prince no longer favored him. Instead, the Crown Prince was showing affection for that young prince right in front of him.
Seeing that the Crown Prince, whom she cared so much about, no longer trusted her, A Bao felt a deep emptiness in her heart.
“Eunuch Bao, if you hesitate any longer, I’m afraid that little Quanzi will exploit you to the bone. How could he possibly snatch the Crown Prince from you? I’m afraid he has some secret method,” said Consort Li.
"A secret recipe?" Abao exclaimed in surprise, looking up at Li Shi.
"Indeed, why do you think the Crown Prince values him so highly? I suspect this man has used some underhanded methods on the Crown Prince." Lady Li was shrewd and calculating. She had lived in the palace for over a decade and had seen many ways to win favor. To "capture" the Crown Prince's heart in such a short time, he must have used some method.
"What did he do to the Crown Prince?" A glimmer of hope ignited in A Bao's eyes. If the Crown Prince simply liked this little Quanzi, then there was nothing he could do. But if the Crown Prince was being framed, he absolutely could not tolerate it.
“That filthy stuff. Once you drink that stuff, you become especially infatuated with the first body you encounter,” Li said.
A few moments of surprise flashed in A Bao's eyes. He said tremblingly, "Thank you for the reminder, Consort. A Bao will not allow anyone to harm the Crown Prince."
"Go, go and find out exactly how that little Quanzi got the Crown Prince so deeply involved. Make sure he doesn't harm the Crown Prince!" said Lady Li.
After Abao left Li's room, Li sighed and said, "I hope Abao can expose Xiao Quanzi's tricks."
“Consort, we are now being closely watched by the Crown Princess’s people. It’s difficult to do anything without their eyes watching us,” Ruixin said.
"Does she think I don't know about her affairs? I know about a matter that could cost her her life. If this gets out, the entire Crown Prince's palace will be in an uproar. Don't push me too far; if you do, it'll come to a fight to the death. If she dares to lay a hand on Hongxi again, I'll fight her to the death," Li said coldly. Now, her heart only belonged to her two sons; the Crown Prince was no longer important. She knew she held no place in his heart either. In the end, beauty faded, and he sought love elsewhere, even falling for a eunuch, leaving Li utterly disappointed.
"Consort, no! If that matter gets out, the Crown Prince's position might be threatened," Ruixin said.
"Then it depends on the Shi family," said Madam Li.
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