Two more days passed, and on the evening before dinner, the Crown Princess sent someone to invite the Crown Prince to Xiefang Hall to dine together.
Cui Yu raised his head from the stack of memorials, twisting his neck, and glanced out the window at a branch of plum blossoms. Something seemed to occur to him, and he lifted his hand, tossing the brush he’d been holding into the brush holder, and stood. “Let’s go.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince arrives—”
“Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince—” Everyone at Xiefang Hall knelt to pay their respects.
The Crown Princess, dressed in a light purple long robe with wide sleeves, her hair done up in a peony pearl coronet adorned with a peony twining-branch gold hairpin that swayed with her movements, carried herself with noble elegance, dignified and composed, and had been waiting by the door for some time.
Seeing him approach her with his tall, upright bearing, she smiled and bowed in greeting. Cui Yu raised his hand in a token gesture of support, then withdrew it once she’d risen.
The two of them entered the main hall of Xiefang Hall one after the other. Not speaking while eating or sleeping was a habit the Crown Princess had been raised with since childhood, so unless Cui Yu spoke first, their meals were always silent, with only the occasional clink of bowls and chopsticks.
Cui Yu’s appetite had been quite good lately, so he started off eating fairly well. Noticing that the Crown Princess had only taken a couple of bites before stopping, her complexion looking somewhat pale and unwell, he frowned slightly. “Is the Crown Princess unwell?”
Though the incident last time had stirred anger in him, after his warning that day, the Crown Princess had conducted herself rather well in the days since—he supposed she’d recognized her fault and repented.
She was, after all, his Crown Princess. He wasn’t so cold as to ignore it when her complexion was so clearly off.
Cui Yu: “Has your stomach trouble not gotten better? Has the Imperial Physician seen you?” He knew she’d been taking medicine on and off these past days—he’d asked about it once before, which was why he brought it up now.
The Crown Princess seemed startled for a moment, then set down her silver chopsticks. A sudden sting of tears rose in her eyes. “Reporting to Your Highness, this concubine’s body is fine, the chill has nearly healed. It’s only that I indulged in too much tea and fruit at noon, so I’m not very hungry now. Your Highness needn’t worry about me—let me serve you instead.”
Cui Yu glanced at her. “No need. Just rest.”
Despite his words, the Crown Princess still sat beside him, occasionally adding food to his bowl, while barely eating anything herself.
Cui Yu had originally been somewhat hungry, but he’d lost his appetite by now, and after only one bowl he set down his chopsticks.
The Crown Princess wasn’t surprised to see this—she simply assumed the Crown Prince had eaten something before coming to Xiefang Hall.
Their conversation always circled back to the child eventually. The child was still too young, still at the age of being held by the wet nurse to feed. After confirming the child’s health had no serious issues, he nodded, satisfied.
Though still not as robust as other children his age, if properly cared for, he would surely grow healthier as time went on.
The Crown Princess talked about the child for a while longer, then finally said with a smile, “Oh, Your Highness, in three days it will be the Duanyang Festival. As usual, we’ll be taking two of the younger sisters along to Jinming Pond. Has Your Highness decided who should go? This concubine was thinking that Zhang…”
“Have Zhaoxun Shen go with you,” Cui Yu suddenly said.
The corner of the Crown Princess’s mouth stiffened, but she quickly smiled again as if nothing were wrong. “As Your Highness says. This concubine had thought, since Liangyuan Zhang holds the highest rank among the new arrivals, to bring her along with Chu Liangdi, but since Your Highness mentions Zhaoxun Shen—this concubine has noticed she seems obedient by nature as well. Then let’s bring her along too.”
Cui Yu nodded. “Her nature is simple and forthright. She’ll need the Crown Princess to look after her more.”
The Crown Princess’s fingers suddenly clenched, her neatly trimmed nails digging into her palm, though her smile remained in place. “Your Highness need not worry. This concubine will surely look after both sisters well.”
Cui Yu frowned. “Chu Liangdi is with child now, and it wouldn’t be wise for her to go somewhere so crowded and lively. Let her rest easy and focus on the pregnancy within the palace.”
The Crown Princess agreed with a smile still on her face, but there was a teasing edge to her tone. “It’s only that these past two years, Chu Liangdi has gone every time. If she can’t go this time, I’m afraid Sister Chu will hold it against this concubine in her heart.”
Cui Yu’s gaze cooled slightly, his tone even. “You are the Crown Princess, with the authority to manage the affairs of the Eastern Palace. No one else has the right to comment.”
At this, the Crown Princess’s lips curved upward in a faint, satisfied smile.
That night, the Crown Prince went to Chu Liangdi’s quarters. Most of the people in the back rooms who heard the news couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.
When word reached everyone at Lianxin Courtyard, they exchanged glances. Chunping finally stepped forward and said softly, “Mistress, His Highness has gone to Haoyue Studio.” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but glance at her, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Shen Yanshui looked up from her book at her expression, and at how the others had suddenly turned careful and cautious in their movements, and couldn’t help feeling rather exasperated. B L A C K L O T U S Novel Chapters · Black Lotus Novel
Did she really look that fragile emotionally??
If she truly couldn’t handle something like this, she might as well go become a nun. Otherwise, could she really expect to find, in a place like this, a man who’d swear to be devoted to her alone, to spend his whole life with just her, and keep himself chaste for her sake?
She herself couldn’t even guarantee she’d stay devoted to one man for her whole life, let alone guarantee a man would stay chaste for her sake—who knew what might happen in the future?
Since that was the case, why bother thinking about such clearly unrealistic things?
Seeing their expressions, she said, somewhat helplessly, “What’s with those faces?”
Seeing that she didn’t seem sad or upset, nor angry, Chunping looked a bit sheepish. “We servants were worried you might be in a bad mood…”
Shen Yanshui grew a little curious. “The Crown Prince has gone to other courtyards before too. Why weren’t you worried then?”
Still, looking at their expressions, she could roughly guess the answer.
It was probably nothing more than the sense that, because the Crown Prince seemed to treat her somewhat differently, her own feelings toward him must have changed too, and so naturally she’d care more and more.
“Never mind—” She yawned, her voice a little muffled. “Sleep, sleep. I’m tired.”
