He Xue then turned to Qing Dai and instructed her, "Don't let the Crown Prince know what we just heard!"
"Yes, I understand!" Qingdai replied.
Seeing Qingdai's indignant expression, He Xue knew that Qingdai was worried about her, so she smiled and said to Qingdai, "Qingdai, I didn't take it to heart, so you don't need to worry too much."
"This is just hearsay. Even if the Crown Prince really wants to take Xu Yan as his concubine, there's no use in us worrying. Even if Xu Yan doesn't come along, there will be others. Do you always have to act like this? You'll have a lot to worry about later!"
"Your Highness, I was only thinking of what you couldn't do. You and the Crown Prince have just gotten married, and he's already taking someone else as a concubine. Isn't that a bit too hasty?"
"We don't know the specifics either. Once I see the Crown Prince, I'll ask him myself. Then you can stop worrying!" Xue joked.
Seeing that He Xuezhen didn't take it to heart, Qingdai stopped dwelling on the matter. "This servant will go tell the kitchen to prepare food for the Crown Prince!"
“Okay, go ahead!” He Xue said.
After learning that the Crown Prince was in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Qingdai brought food and dishes to the hall.
He Zhu was quite surprised to see Qingdai.
"Qingdai, what brings you here? Is something wrong with the Crown Princess?"
"Does that mean I can only come when the Crown Princess has something to do?" Qingdai said irritably.
"No, you misunderstood, I was just saying it casually!" He Zhu quickly said, [What's wrong with Qingdai today? Why is she being so rude?]
"The Crown Princess asked me to deliver lunch to the Crown Prince!" Qingdai said, pointing to the food box in her hand.
"So that's how it is. Come in with me!" He Zhu said with a fawning smile.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has sent Qingdai to deliver your lunch!" He Zhu said as he entered.
"I understand! Let her in!" the Crown Prince said without looking up.
After Qingdai left, she curtsied to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess was worried that you might not eat on time, so she specially instructed the kitchen to prepare some of your favorite dishes and had me bring them to you!"
He Zhu took the food box, placed it in front of the Crown Prince, and then opened the food box.
The Crown Prince saw that the dishes inside were all his favorites, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly. "How has He Xue been lately?"
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess is well!" Qingdai curtsied and said.
"Take good care of the Crown Princess!" the Crown Prince said.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Qingdai replied. "The bottom layer of the food box contains provisions prepared by the Crown Princess for He Zhu!"
Upon hearing Qingdai's words, He Zhu was overjoyed and immediately knelt down, saying, "This servant thanks the Crown Princess!"
"Chief Steward He, the Crown Princess has another message for me to convey to you!"
"Miss Qingdai, please speak, this servant will gladly die for you!" He Zhu said with conviction.
"The Crown Princess told you to take good care of the Crown Prince, and instructed him to eat on time and rest properly, and not to let His Highness lose even a little bit of meat!" Qingdai relayed He Xue's words to He Zhu.
"Please tell the Crown Princess that I will take good care of His Highness. If the Crown Princess finds that His Highness is missing even a tiny bit of flesh, I... I will give my own flesh to His Highness as compensation!"
"Why would I want your dried meat?" the Crown Prince said, both amused and exasperated. Then he looked at Qingdai and said, "Go back and tell Hexue to rest assured that I will take good care of myself!"
"Yes, this servant will take her leave!" Qingdai said, turning and leaving.
When Emperor Kangxi arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he saw the Crown Prince having a meal. "I was worried you would go hungry, but I didn't expect you to be eating already!"
The Crown Prince looked up at Kangxi and said, "Father, this was sent by He Xue. She was worried that I would forget to eat, so she sent someone to deliver it to me!"
Kangxi felt very uncomfortable looking at the Crown Prince's barely suppressed smile and the smugness in his words. It wasn't that no concubines had sent him meals before, but those concubines were only trying to please him and had ulterior motives.
It seems there are no cases like He Xue's feelings for the Crown Prince, purely out of concern. Sometimes his cousin would send him gifts, but she was too lazy, especially after having Yinzhen, she completely forgot about him.
Seeing the Crown Prince's smug expression, Kangxi felt extremely displeased. He was the emperor; if he was unhappy, why should others be happy, even the Crown Prince?
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