Chapter 297: West Court Confrontation, East Court Planning
The west courtyard's corridors were covered in emerald green creepers, their leaves gleaming with dewdrops in the sunlight. As Yongqi reached the moon-shaped gate, Zhihua's personal maid came to greet him, a flattering smile plastered on her face. "Your Highness is finally here! The Concubine has been missing you."
Yongqi hummed, and without stopping, he walked straight in. He was wearing a royal blue casual uniform with dark patterns, a jade belt around his waist, and his posture was upright, but there was a subtle sense of alienation between his brows.
In the main room, Zhihua reclined on a cushioned chaise longue, a bowl of steaming abortion-preserving medicine resting on a small table before her. She wore a moon-white qipao embroidered with magnolia flowers, her hair loosely tied in a bun, adorned with a pearl hairpin. Upon seeing Yongqi enter, her eyes lit up, and she struggled to stand. "Your Highness."
"Lie down." Yong Qi raised his hand to stop her, his voice calm and even, "I heard you weren't feeling well?"
Zhihua leaned back on the couch, frowning softly, her hand gently covering her belly. "It's nothing serious, just a lot of morning sickness, and a little dizzy. Since Your Highness is free today, I'd like to ask you to come and sit with me." She looked up at Yongqi, a hint of grievance in her eyes. "Your Highness... you won't blame me, will you?"
"You're pregnant, and it's only right that you ask me to come over when you're feeling unwell." Yongqi sat down on the chair opposite, his eyes fixed on the medicine bowl on the small table. "Has the imperial physician come to see you?"
"I've checked it," Zhihua nodded, her voice softening. "The imperial physician said it's nothing serious, just told me to rest more. It's just..." She paused, as if unable to speak, "It's just that I've always felt uneasy. I thought if the prince could come to see me more often, maybe I'd feel better."
Yongqi picked up the teacup on the table, opened the lid and skimmed off the foam, not looking at her: "There are many things to do in the mansion. If I have time, I will come over."
Zhihua's smile froze for a moment, then she regained her gentle demeanor. "I was just being greedy." She looked at Xiao Zhuozi standing behind Yongqi. "Who is this?"
"He's my little Zhuozi from the East Courtyard." Yongqi said calmly, "From now on, when I come to the West Courtyard, he will follow me."
Zhihua's eyes flickered, and she cursed Xiaoyanzi inwardly for being nosy, but she still smiled: "It turns out to be Eunuch Xiao Zhuozi, please take a seat."
"I dare not." Xiao Zhuozi bowed and said, "I'll just stand." He watched his nose and his heart, but he saw and remembered everything in the room - the concubine looked at the prince too eagerly, and always moved closer to the prince when speaking, and she didn't touch the bowl of pregnancy-maintaining medicine.
Seeing Yongqi's indifference, Zhihua changed the subject, recounting Mianyi's recent amusing experiences with a familiar tone, as if she and Yongqi were a perfectly harmonious couple. Yongqi occasionally responded, but mostly just listened, his fingers unconsciously stroking the pearl hairpin in his sleeve—it was given to him by Xiaoyanzi, and the cool touch kept him awake.
"...Mian Yi said yesterday that she missed Your Highness." Zhi Hua's eyes reddened as she spoke, "Your Highness, are you...still angry with me?"
Yongqi raised his eyes and looked at her calmly: "Why should I be angry?"
"I'm angry at me... I shouldn't have..." Zhihua lowered her head, her voice choked with sobs, "But I also wanted to stay with the prince, so that I could give birth to a child for him."
Yongqi's brows furrowed slightly. "There's no need to dwell on the past. If you take good care of your baby and Mian Yi, that will be my greatest comfort." He put down his teacup and stood up. "It's getting late. I should return to the East Courtyard."
Zhihua quickly stood up as well, staggering a bit, as if trying to grab Yongqi's sleeve, but Yongqi dodged her attack calmly.
"Your Highness, won't you sit for a while?" Zhihua's eyes were full of disappointment.
"No." Yongqi turned and left, "You should rest well."
Seeing Yongqi's unrelenting back, the tenderness on Zhihua's face instantly vanished, replaced by an icy coldness. She stared at the door, her nails digging deep into her palms—Xiaoyanzi! Xiaoyanzi again! If it weren't for her, how could Yongqi be so cold to her?
Xiao Zhuozi followed behind Yongqi and saw every change in Zhihua's expression. He was secretly shocked in his heart - this concubine changed her expression faster than turning the pages of a book.
In the east courtyard, Xiaoyanzi sat at a stone table beneath a crabapple tree, drawing circles on the ground with a branch. She wore a light-green short jacket, matching pants, and a pair of lightweight, soft-soled shoes, looking exceptionally sharp. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on her. She fidgeted restlessly, glancing periodically toward the west courtyard.
"Princess, you've already read the eighth chapter." Little Mosquito came over, holding a freshly picked crabapple in his hand. "The prince will definitely be fine. Xiao Zhuozi is with him."
"I know." Little Swallow curled her lips and threw the branch away. "I just feel that the threshold of this West Courtyard is even harder to cross than that of the Forbidden City."
Little Dengzi brought over a plate of freshly made mung bean cakes. "Princess, would you like to try some? This is freshly made in the kitchen. It's good for clearing away heat and relieving summer heat."
Xiaoyanzi picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, mumbling, "East Courtyard is still the best. We can have whatever we want to eat, and we don't have to worry about other people's faces."
As they were talking, they saw Yongqi's figure appear at the entrance of the Moon Cave. Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up, she stood up and walked quickly to greet him: "You're back!"
When Yongqi saw her, the alienation on his face instantly melted away, and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Well, you're back."
"How is it? She didn't play any tricks, did she?" Xiaoyanzi pulled his arm and asked anxiously, her eyes full of curiosity.
"What could he be up to?" Yong Qi scratched her nose. "It was nothing more than saying that she was not feeling well and that Mian Yi missed me. She also tried to pull me off, but I dodged her."
Xiaoyanzi raised her chin proudly. "I knew she would do this!" She pulled Yongqi towards the stone table. "Tell me, what did she say specifically? Did she mention me?"
Yongqi sat down next to her and told her everything that happened in the west courtyard, even taking into account the changes in Zhihua's eyes and Xiao Zhuozi's observations.
"Humph, and you still say I don't like her?" Xiaoyanzi snorted coldly after hearing this. "If she behaved herself, would I need to be on guard against her?"
"Okay, okay, don't be angry." Yongqi held her hand. "Look, I'm back safe and sound."
Xiaoyanzi looked at him and suddenly seemed to remember something. She took out a small brocade bag from her bosom and said, "Oh, this is for you."
Yongqi took the brocade bag and felt it was light in his hand. When he opened it, he found a few dried crabapple petals and a small piece of paper with crooked handwriting on it: "Don't panic when you encounter difficulties, think of me."
He couldn't help laughing: "What is this?"
"This is the calming sachet I asked Xiao Jian to make for me." Xiaoyanzi blinked. "It's not very useful, but looking at it is like I'm right beside you. I guarantee you won't be fooled!"
Yongqi carefully put the sachet away, placed it in his arms, and clutched it tightly: "Okay, I'll carry it with me every day."
Seeing the two displaying affection without paying attention to anyone around them, Xiao Dengzi, Xiao Wenzi, and Xiao Chongzi all tactfully retreated to the corridor. Xiao Wenzi whispered, "Dear, long, dong, the love between the prince and princess is sweeter than honey."
Little Bug nodded: "I just wonder if the one in the West Courtyard would faint from rage if he knew about this."
Little Dengzi patted their heads and said, "Mind your own business and do your job well."
Beside the stone table, Xiaoyanzi leaned on Yongqi's shoulder and said, "Next, it's the turn of the maid who drugged me."
"What do you want to do?" Yongqi looked sideways at her.
"It's very simple." A sly glint flashed in Xiaoyanzi's eyes. "We have to let her know that following Chen Zhihua will not end well. Then we can show her a clear path..."
She whispered a few words into Yongqi's ear. Yongqi listened and nodded repeatedly: "This method is good. It won't alert the enemy, and it will make her obey."
"Of course." Little Swallow raised her head proudly, "Don't you even consider whose idea it was?"
Yongqi looked at her sparkling eyes, which seemed to be filled with starlight, and could not help but lower his head and place a gentle kiss on her forehead: "My little swallow, you are indeed the smartest."
The sun was shining brightly, and the sweet scent of crabapple blossoms filled the air. The two men in the East Courtyard smiled at each other, as if they had already seen the dawn of victory. Meanwhile, Zhihua in the West Courtyard was still resentful of Yongqi's indifference, unaware that a net was quietly tightening around her.
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