"Your Highness, this was personally delivered by He Zhu! He said it was for you!" Nuandong presented a letter to the Imperial Noble Consort.
"A letter from the Crown Prince?" The Imperial Noble Consort was puzzled as to why a letter was being sent to her at this time. Upon opening the letter, she read that the Crown Prince had written, "He Xue did not go to Yuqing Palace last night. Have He Xue leave the palace as soon as possible today!"
After reading the letter, the Imperial Noble Consort immediately immersed it in a teacup. Soon, the words on it blurred and became completely illegible.
The Crown Prince doesn't want to involve He Xue. If He Xue is involved, this matter will inevitably have a certain impact on her reputation. The Crown Prince is protecting He Xue.
However, it might not be easy for the Crown Prince to shoulder everything alone.
It seems that someone has been targeting the Crown Prince all these years, trying to ruin his reputation at every turn.
Each time Emperor Kangxi ordered an investigation, he could only find a few insignificant palace maids and eunuchs. After dealing with them once or twice, the rumors became even more rampant, saying that the Crown Prince had killed people to cover up the crime. It can be said that the Crown Prince's reputation has plummeted in recent years, even worse than that of the Eighth Prince.
It is said that the Eighth Prince has become very famous among the court officials. Everyone praises him for being gentle, polite, and well-mannered, with the demeanor of a refined gentleman.
"Aunt!" He Xue's voice interrupted the Imperial Noble Consort's thoughts.
"Why didn't you sleep well last night?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked He Xue with concern.
He Xue had a black ring around her eyes, and her eyes were also red.
"Maybe she's not used to it yet since she just got back!" Xue said.
"If all else fails, have the imperial physician prescribe some calming tea!"
“I understand, Auntie!” He Xue replied.
"Did the Crown Prince escort you back last night?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked.
"Yes, I said I'd come back by myself, but my brother the Crown Prince was worried!" He Xue said groggily.
"Did you run into anyone?"
"No, I didn't run into anyone! Aunt, what's wrong?" He Xue thought something had happened.
"It's nothing, your aunt was just asking because she was worried that if you run into someone, it might affect your reputation!" The Crown Prince specifically told He Xue not to know, so the Imperial Noble Consort didn't tell He Xue either.
The Imperial Noble Consort was puzzled. If He Xue and the Crown Prince hadn't encountered anyone, how did the news spread? Moreover, the person who saw the Crown Prince probably didn't see He Xue clearly, otherwise they wouldn't have said that the Crown Prince was with a palace maid!
But if you can't see clearly that it's He Xue, how can you be sure it's the Crown Prince?
Could it be that someone is deliberately spying on the Crown Prince?
Seeing that the Imperial Noble Consort said it was nothing, He Xue didn't take it to heart. "Aunt, I want to leave the palace now!"
"You haven't had breakfast yet! Are you in such a hurry?"
"Aunt, you still have many palace affairs to attend to, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll come to see you again in a few days!" He Xue mainly didn't want to run into the Crown Prince again. She was afraid that the Crown Prince would question her again, and she wanted to think things through before speaking.
"Alright then! Get some rest after you return to your residence!" the Imperial Noble Consort instructed He Xue.
The Imperial Noble Consort felt that it was good for He Xue to leave the palace now, since the matter had not yet spread and He Xue did not have to face it.
"Okay, I understand!"
After bidding farewell to the Imperial Noble Consort, He Xue left the palace with Qing Dai. This time, He Xue only brought Qing Dai with her when she entered the palace, while Xia Bing stayed at the mansion to pack things.
"Hexue!"
When Xue arrived at the palace gate, she heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw the Eighth Prince.
"Greetings, Eighth Prince!" He Xue bowed and greeted the Eighth Prince.
"You're still as polite to me as ever!" The Eighth Prince said to He Xue after calming his breathing.
"Propriety must not be disregarded!" He Xue said with a smile. "Does the Eighth Prince have something to say?"
"No...it's nothing!" the Eighth Prince said, his face slightly flushed.
"Eighth Prince, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?" He Xue didn't know why the Eighth Prince had called her over. Was he really alright? If he was alright, why would he call her over?
“It’s alright!” The Eighth Prince looked at He Xue, as if he had made a great decision, and took out a jade pendant.
"He Xue, this is a jade pendant that my father had made for me when I was born. It represents my identity. My father said that this jade pendant can be given to my wife later!"
"He Xue, I want to give you the jade pendant!" The Eighth Prince said, his face already flushed red.
He Xue was still wondering why the Eighth Prince's face was getting redder and redder as he spoke, but after hearing what he said, she understood. "Eighth Prince, do you want me to give this jade pendant to Tana?"
Qingdai watched the Eighth Prince's actions and sighed inwardly, "It seems the Eighth Prince is here to compete with the Crown Prince for the woman!"
Unfortunately, her princess isn't as bright as others; she managed to misinterpret the Eighth Prince's obvious meaning in such a way!
The Crown Prince had told Qingdai about his feelings for Hexue since she went to Hexue's side. Before leaving for Fujian, the Crown Prince specifically instructed her to keep a close eye on Hexue and not let any other men appear around her.
However, as Qingdai spent more time with Hexue, she felt that Hexue was not suited to live in the palace, so she forgot about the Crown Prince's instructions.
Now that the Eighth Prince has snatched someone right under her nose, should she tell the Crown Prince? She's heard that the Eighth Prince's wife has already been chosen!
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