The next day, the emperor issued an edict, demoting the eldest prince to a commoner and forever barring him from the capital. Upon hearing this news, Concubine De, with a heavy heart, accompanied Lan Xin to the Tianlao prison to retrieve the eldest prince. Upon seeing the eldest prince, a complex wave of emotions welled up within her, but she suppressed her grief and said to him, "Now that the emperor has spared your life, you should let go of all your hatred and live a good life with Lan Xin. This is what your mother has prepared for you." With that, Concubine De handed the eldest prince a bundle.
The eldest prince took the bundle, tears of gratitude and guilt in his eyes. He whispered, "Thank you, mother. No... thank you, your Highness, for saving my life. I hope your Highness will take care of yourself and your health in the future." After saying this, he knelt down and kowtowed three times to her. Then, he slowly stood up, held Lan Xin's hand tightly, and turned to leave.
Concubine De watched their receding figures, tears streaming down her face. She knew this farewell might be forever. Yet, she also understood that this was perhaps the best possible outcome. After bidding farewell to the eldest prince, Concubine De returned to the palace with a heavy heart and headed straight for the Eastern Palace...
Concubine De came to the gate of the Eastern Palace and said to the eunuch at the gate: "I am here to visit the Crown Princess. Go and tell her quickly."
The eunuch hurried in to report to Jiang Meiyu. Jiang Meiyu was delighted to hear that Concubine De had arrived, for she already knew that it was Concubine De who had pleaded with the Emperor, leading to the pardon of the eldest prince's death sentence. She thought to herself, it was truly rare that such kinship existed in this cold palace. Furthermore, Concubine De, who was not the eldest prince's biological mother, could take such a great risk to plead for him. Thinking of this, Jiang Meiyu couldn't help but be moved, and a warmth welled up in her heart.
Jiang Meiyu said to the eunuch who delivered the message: "Quickly invite the Empress Defei in."
"Yes," the eunuch turned and left.
After a while, Concubine De came in with light steps. She was wearing a gorgeous palace dress, with a faint smile on her face, looking particularly elegant and noble. She walked up to Jiang Meiyu, bowed slightly and said, "Excuse me, Crown Princess."
"Your Majesty the Virtuous Concubine is so polite. Please take a seat!" Jiang Meiyu responded with a smile.
After De Fei sat down, the two began to chat. De Fei first asked about Jiang Meiyu's physical condition and life, and then talked about some trivial matters and interesting things in the palace. Jiang Meiyu also cooperated with De Fei's questions and shared some of her thoughts and feelings with her.
"Zi Yan, bring the tea quickly," Jiang Meiyu said gently.
"Yes, my lady." Zi Yan poured the tea and stood behind Jiang Meiyu.
"Empress Defei, please have some tea." The palace maid handed a cup of steaming hot tea to Empress Defei and then stood aside respectfully.
Concubine De gracefully took the teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "This tea is fragrant and tastes very good."
Jiang Meiyu responded with a smile: "As long as Her Majesty Defei likes it, I'm glad. If you want to taste more, you can take a few packets back and savor them slowly." As she spoke, she also picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Concubine De politely declined, "How can I do that?"
Jiang Meiyu quickly said, "It's okay, these were sent by the prince's friends.
"I wonder what the Empress Defei is here for today?" Jiang Meiyu asked with a smile.
Concubine De smiled and replied, "I have nothing to do here today, but as the Crown Princess knows, my rebellious son Yunji is truly disobedient and only knows how to eat, drink and have fun. I am truly at my wit's end. So I would like to ask Your Highness to properly educate this younger brother and see if there is anything he can do. Feel free to arrange for him to do it. If there is anything the Crown Princess needs my help with, I will not refuse."
When Jiang Meiyu heard her words, she immediately understood her intention and said, "Empress Defei, thank you for your kindness. I will pass it on to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. However, I think Empress Defei is a blessed person. The Fourth Prince is simple, kind, and lovely. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince often praises him in front of me!"
After hearing this, Concubine De was delighted and asked hurriedly, "Really? Did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really say that?"
Seeing her so happy, Jiang Meiyu also smiled and comforted her, "Of course, the Fourth Prince is indeed very likable. This palace and the Crown Prince both like him very much."
Concubine De looked at Jiang Meiyu gratefully and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess. I am so happy. I hope the Fourth Prince can grow under the guidance of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
With this, Concubine De returned to Yonghe Palace with satisfaction. Jiang Meiyu had not liked Concubine De very much before, thinking she was hypocritical and pretentious, but this time, because of the incident with the eldest prince, she had a new understanding and opinion of Concubine De, and even some admiration for her. She thought to herself: "It seems that she is not as bad as I imagined. She lives in the harem, intriguing with a bunch of women, so it is understandable that she says some flattering words."
At night, the prince returned to the East Palace. Jiang Meiyu had already finished dinner and was sitting on the bed sewing baby clothes. The prince walked over gently, gently took the clothes from her hands, and said with a hint of grievance: "Yu'er, watch your eyes and stop sewing. Ever since you got pregnant, I feel that my status in your heart has declined a lot."
After hearing this, Jiang Meiyu couldn't help laughing, then rolled her eyes at him and said coquettishly: "Your Highness, you are really wronging me. I just gave you a purse I made myself the other day, and a month ago I made you a belt... Hmm..."
Before she could finish, the prince pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, as if he wanted to pour all his love into this kiss.
The two of them kissed each other gently at first, and then the prince gradually deepened the kiss, making Jiang Meiyu feel numb. Her face was as red as a ripe apple, and her breathing was rapid and heavy. She finally squeezed out a sentence: "Alright, Your Highness..."
However, the prince had no intention of stopping. Instead, he responded more enthusiastically: "It's not healed. The imperial physician said it's okay. I have been a vegetarian for several months. Today you must compensate me well." As he spoke, he waved his hand behind him, indicating Qi Yue and Zi Yan to close the door and leave.
Inside, candlelight flickered, illuminating the figures of the prince and Jiang Meiyu. They embraced each other tightly, their breaths mingling. The prince gently caressed Jiang Meiyu's face, his eyes filled with love.
Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, spreading across the earth, bringing a sense of tranquility to the entire world. But the atmosphere inside the house was fiery, their emotions like a burning flame, burning more and more vigorously.
As time went by, their passion gradually subsided. The prince smiled contentedly, held Jiang Meiyu tightly in his arms, kissed her forehead gently, and then fell asleep in her arms. In this warm moment, they enjoyed each other's warmth and happiness together.
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