The prince, feeling that it was all unreal, thought he was dreaming, but it was a beautiful dream, and naturally he didn't want to wake up.
This greatly disappointed the eldest prince, who had planned to watch the show, while the third prince, the mastermind behind it all, also did not expect things to develop this way, and couldn't help but marvel at the extent of the crown prince's favor.
The Crown Prince taking a concubine was something that Empress Youqing didn't even need to worry about. She just had to inform Yang, and the Crown Prince would naturally make the arrangements.
When the Yang family learned that the Crown Prince wanted to take Yang Qing into his household, Prefect Yang and his wife were extremely surprised. They knew nothing about it! They had just been planning to send their daughter to the Emperor, and now the Crown Prince wanted to take her into his household. This was... this was really too much to ask.
However, Prefect Yang had no say in this matter. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to have given his daughter to the Crown Prince from the beginning, which would have saved him all this trouble.
Yang Qing was both happy and disappointed when she received the news.
Her two half-sisters both married and became legal wives, so even though she was also a concubine's daughter, her nanny raised her according to the standards of a legal wife.
Even if the crown prince is of noble status, a concubine is still a concubine.
Yang Qing was naturally disappointed by his identity, but when she thought that the man was the Crown Prince, the one who had saved her and helped her out of a predicament, she couldn't feel unhappy anymore.
However, Yang Qing's aunt sighed and lamented when she found out about this.
“Your aunt had a hard life before entering the manor, but she managed to get by after giving birth to you. This is because the madam is generous and doesn’t care about these things. But there are so many people in the Crown Prince’s harem. I’m worried about you going there!”
Yang Qing's aunt knew better than anyone the bitterness of being a concubine. She lived in constant fear. Although she had a favored daughter in the mansion, her daughter couldn't even openly call her "Mother." The mother and daughter could only address each other without hesitation when they were alone.
Even with the wealth and status of the royal family, Yang Qing's aunt preferred that her daughter marry into a family of equal social standing and become the principal wife, rather than become the crown prince's concubine.
A woman's appearance is the most unreliable thing. As the saying goes, beauty fades and glory fades. If you don't have the right skills, it will all be for nothing in the end.
"Mother, don't worry about your daughter, I will take good care of myself."
At this moment, Yang Qing's heart was filled with thoughts of the Crown Prince. Even though she knew in her heart that becoming a concubine was not the best choice, she was still determined to do so.
Aunt Yang Qing sighed: "The matter has been settled, but there are a few things I need to tell you..."
Originally, Aunt Yang Qing did not intend to tell her daughter about these things. After all, she had seen that the master and mistress intended for their daughter to marry someone and become a principal wife, and that was also what the nanny had taught her. She had no objection to this. However, since her daughter was about to become someone's concubine, she naturally wanted to teach her how to be a concubine.
While the Yang family was making meticulous preparations, the Crown Prince was less concerned. He was more enjoying the process itself, and the fact that it was done so quickly made him lose interest.
He's an oddball too.
However, because of Yang Zhifu's status, Yang Qing, who was to become the Crown Prince's concubine, still managed to host a small banquet, mainly because the Crown Prince planned to come and have a meal with some of his brothers.
At the Yang family residence, Prefect Yang felt much more at ease seeing the lively scene. He knew that His Majesty doted on the Crown Prince the most, and since His Majesty had agreed to let his daughter enter the Crown Prince's harem, he figured His Majesty didn't have any major objections to him.
Yang Limin breathed a sigh of relief and told his wife to prepare to see Yang Qing off.
Madam Yang knew what was important, and even when sending off a concubine, she would make it a grand affair.
A sedan chair departed from the Yang family residence and was carried into the courtyard where the Crown Prince was staying at the post station. The Crown Prince had invited his brothers to a lively celebration, and the Yang family was even more extravagant. Prefect Yang had invited many friends over, and it seemed they were determined to drink until they were completely drunk.
That evening, the Crown Prince, slightly tipsy, went to his room and went to the Yang residence with the beauty he had longed for. Yang Limin was not completely drunk, but his mind was no longer clear.
At that moment, the Yang residence was surrounded, and Yang Limin was detained while still in a drunken stupor.
The Yang family was in complete chaos.
"Who are you people? How dare you arrest people like this? Help! Help us!"
At this moment, Madam Yang was no longer the dignified and elegant woman she usually was. She started shouting and screaming, but it was no use. At this point, Kangxi had taken control of everyone he could, especially Yang Limin, the source of the problem.
All of this happened at night, and the entire Yang family was imprisoned the next day.
Everyone who attended the Crown Prince's concubine-taking banquet yesterday was stunned. What happened? They woke up to find that everything in Yangzhou had changed.
Although Emperor Kangxi did not say why he imprisoned Prefect Yang, no one was stupid enough to know why; Prefect Yang must have done something he shouldn't have.
However, all of this came too suddenly, especially for the Crown Prince and Yang Qing.
The two had indulged in a night of passionate lovemaking last night, and should have been feeling triumphant, but when they woke up, the Yang family was gone.
Yang Limin had already pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince and was considered one of his men. Moreover, the Crown Prince had just taken Yang Limin's daughter into his household. Kangxi's actions showed absolutely no respect for the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was furious about this, but he didn't know why Prefect Yang had been arrested, so he dared not say or do anything.
Just as the Crown Prince was feeling troubled, Yang Qing came running over, crying and sobbing.
"Your Highness, what happened to the Yang family? Why were they suddenly arrested? There must be some mistake!"
Given the Crown Prince's understanding of his father, the Emperor, it's impossible for him to be wrong. Prefect Yang must have done something he shouldn't have, but it's unclear how serious it is.
The Crown Prince frowned: "Don't panic. I'm asking you, have you noticed anything unusual about your father, or who he often associates with?"
Yang Qing was raised in the backyard and knew nothing about her father's affairs, so the Crown Prince naturally knew nothing when asked.
Not getting the answer he wanted, the Crown Prince was not surprised. He simply said, "You may leave now, my lord. I will have someone inform you if there is any news." His tone was quite cold, a far cry from the tenderness and affection he had shown the previous night. Yang Qing was momentarily taken aback.
"Your Highness, I..."
Before Yang Qing could even speak, the Crown Prince interrupted her, frowning and saying, "Mind your manners. You must not refer to yourself as 'I' in front of me. I will have the nanny teach you manners. You may leave now."
That expression, so dismissive, sent a chill down Yang Qing's spine. This was nothing like what she had imagined. The tenderness and affection she had envisioned, the inseparable bond she had imagined, were now replaced by indifference. This stark contrast was hard for Yang Qing to accept, especially at this juncture.
When the Yang family was imprisoned, the Crown Prince suddenly changed his expression, which made Yang Qing turn pale, showing none of the shyness a newcomer should have.
"Miss, what should we do?"
The maidservant accompanying Yang Qing was brought from the manor and had also heard about the Yang family's affairs. The maidservant's parents and relatives were all in the manor, and her family's honor and disgrace were all inextricably linked to the Yang family, so she was also worried.
"Wait a minute, maybe it's just a false alarm."
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