Half an hour later, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Hongshi knelt on the ground, covered in dust and dirt, while Nian Gengyao stood silently to the side with his head down.
Yinzhen sat at the head of the table, not speaking, but his eyes swept back and forth between the two. Qian Shengyan was by his side, while Shan Xiu stood on the other side, looking at Nian Gengyao with some anxiety.
No matter how much power you have, how high your position is, or whether a prince has a title or is just a bald prince, the distinction between ruler and subject will always exist.
In Shan Xiu's mind, Nian Gengyao's open humiliation of a prince in the palace meant the end for her.
Yinzhen spoke, but the question was still directed at Hongshi: "I didn't want you to concentrate on your studies, so why are you here?" He glanced around, his brows furrowing even more. "Where are the people with you? And what's with your attire?!"
"Your subject, your subject..." Hongshi mumbled, unable to get the words out. Yinzhen glared at him angrily for his lack of ambition and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table a few times.
Qian Shengyan knew his intentions and bent down to speak softly to Hongshi, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. The Third Prince has been studying diligently lately, but he is just a child at heart. It's not good for him to never go out. I think the Third Prince was just feeling cooped up and wanted to take a walk in the palace, and that's how he happened to run into you."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I just wanted to wander around... Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I have really been studying hard lately!" Hongshi quickly climbed down the ladder.
Yinzhen snorted coldly: "Then I will test your knowledge later and see how well you study."
Having said that, it seemed that Hongshi had done nothing wrong, while General Nian, who had been about to kick someone in the palace without saying a word, had not yet made a move.
Shan Xiuxian couldn't hold back any longer. She knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, my brother was just momentarily unaware that it was the Third Prince..."
"After all, it's in the palace..." The room was full of people in the know, so Qian Shengyan didn't need to maintain any persona and simply pointed the finger at Nian Gengyao, "There are still rules in the palace. What, does Consort Hua not know that?"
"Hmph!" Nian Gengyao snorted heavily, cupped his hands and said to Yinzhen, "What happened today is my fault. I have been in the army for a long time and do not know any of the princes. I did not expect the princes to dress like this. I just saw that he looked furtive. I am used to training soldiers in the army and cannot stand this kind of thing. So I couldn't help myself. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
Good heavens, today she has seen what "arrogant and willful behavior" really means. Suddenly, Qian Shengyan felt that compared to Nian Gengyao, Nian Shi was actually quite good-natured.
Listen to what General Nian said. In other words, he said: "I was wrong, but I fought for you and made contributions. I don't know the prince. Besides, what prince dresses as a eunuch and acts suspiciously? I'm the one who trains soldiers. I have to teach such people a lesson!"
He boasted about his own achievements and then mocked the prince; he was really... courting death...
A hint of a smile flashed in Qian Shengyan's eyes as she raised her hand to pour Yinzhen a cup of tea, without saying anything more.
"I know that General Nian is a man who does not concern himself with trivial matters. Let's leave it at that. It's getting late, so I won't keep the General any longer." Yinzhen said through gritted teeth, and then added, "Consort Hua is also tired. Go back to the palace to rest."
"Your Majesty..." Shan Xiu was somewhat uneasy, but Nian Gengyao had already clasped his hands in a fist salute and left on his own.
She didn't dare linger and left hastily after bowing.
Hongshi lowered his head and watched the pair of flowerpot shoes disappear through the back door. He sighed inwardly, but fortunately, Yinzhen was no longer in a hurry to look at him and waved him away to go back to his studies.
"Your son has finally managed to get out of town, and I've been missing Mother dearly. I wanted to go and pay my respects to her," Hongshi said, bowing his head.
Yinzhen, without suspecting anything, casually responded. Hongshi was overjoyed, but he restrained himself, bowed, and quickly left.
Even if Hongshi wanted to enter the inner palace, he couldn't just go to the Western Six Palaces and pass through the Imperial Garden. He would detour to the outside of the Forefront Palace, then head towards the direction of the Princes' Residence, and then directly enter the Eastern Six Palaces. Although it was definitely slower, he ran very fast in his eunuch's clothes, without caring about anything else.
On the other side, Yinzhen was complaining to Qian Shengyan: "Nian Gengyao is becoming more and more despicable!"
Qian Shengyan did not answer, but she couldn't help but think of the correspondence between the two.
When they can't see each other, it's all "I miss you so much" and "I feel so sorry for you." But when they meet, he criticizes her. It's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Was Yinzhen more suited to a long-distance relationship?
Yinzhen continued talking incessantly, and indeed, Qian Shengyan didn't need to respond. Qian Shengyan couldn't respond either; these were matters of the previous dynasty she shouldn't have known, so what could she say?
Meanwhile, Hongshi had already run to Jingren Palace. He saw the Imperial Concubine's carriage stop in front of Chengqian Palace in the distance, and his heart tightened, so he quickened his pace.
Just then, Shan Xiu was worried about Nian Gengyao beating the Third Prince. Standing at the palace gate, she hesitated whether to go and talk to Li Shi. Unable to make a decision, she asked Wanxia.
Wanxia smiled and said, "It's good that Your Highness has this intention, but Your Highness is, after all, a Noble Consort. Why don't you let me deliver some things on Your Highness's behalf?"
"That's fine then, go to the warehouse and choose whatever you like," Shan Xiu replied directly.
Wanxia took two maids to move things, and Shanxiu returned to her bedchamber and ordered everyone to leave. She felt more at ease without anyone to accompany her.
After a while, she got bored again, so Shan Xiu took out the booklet from under her pillow and couldn't resist taking another look.
Just then, she heard a sound from the window behind her. Startled, Shan Xiu stood up and asked, "Who is it?"
"Consort Hua..." Hongshi didn't know where he got the courage from, but he managed to sneak into Chengqian Palace while the consort's carriage was still in disarray. He then reached the back of the sleeping quarters and, at this moment, opened the window and poked his head in. "I... Your subject..."
"Third Prince?" Shan Xiu exclaimed in surprise. She instinctively took two steps back and bumped into the table. "What are you doing here?"
"Master?" A palace maid outside asked upon hearing the noise. Shan Xiu glanced nervously at Hong Shi, afraid that someone would see and she wouldn't be able to explain herself, so she said, "It's nothing, I accidentally bumped into the table!"
There was no sound. Hongshi stepped through the window and came in. But... he didn't know what he was doing there. He stood awkwardly by the window, looking down and secretly glancing at Shanxiu.
Shan Xiu changed into a casual qipao, the light pink color making her look incredibly delicate. Hong Shi felt that she was even younger than his own wife, and didn't look like a stepmother at all.
He couldn't help but lick his lips and immediately praised, "Consort Hua is truly beautiful."
Shan Xiu was taken aback, and then felt a little embarrassed, as it had been a long time since anyone had praised her like that since she came to the capital.
But she was also a little angry. Ethically speaking, this third prince was also her son. How could he so abruptly climb through the window into her bedroom in broad daylight and then compliment her on her looks...
She turned away and said reproachfully, "What exactly is the Third Prince doing here? If you've come because of my brother's mistake, I'll apologize on his behalf, but that's ultimately unreasonable. The Third Prince should go back quickly!"
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