Imperial Consort Yang was undoubtedly a peerless beauty, but compared to the Princess Consort of Yan before him, she seemed to fall short in some indescribable way.
The Crown Prince stared at Jiang Si, his heart burning.
No wonder Seventh Brother wouldn’t let others touch his things.
The dog with supernatural abilities belonged to Seventh Brother, and this incomparable beauty was also Seventh Brother’s. It seemed all the good things were in Seventh Brother’s possession, so of course he wouldn’t let others touch them.
A sense of resentment rose in the Crown Prince’s heart.
He was the Crown Prince, the heir apparent to the nation, while the Seventh Brother was just an unremarkable prince. There was no reason why all the good things should belong to Seventh Brother!
Yujin seemed to sense something and glanced back in the Crown Prince’s direction.
Unlike his reaction when he learned of the Crown Prince’s designs on Erniu, his gaze was now calm, like a bottomless pool, inscrutable.
The Crown Prince was startled back to his senses by this look, his palms suddenly sweating.
This reaction annoyed him greatly.
He was the Crown Prince, and the Seventh Brother was just a prince. He wasn’t afraid of Seventh Brother at all. It must be the hot weather making him sweat.
He dared not look too much at the incomparable beauty anymore, given the many eyes around. The Crown Prince still had this much sense.
After the initial amazement, the Crown Prince’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on a woman standing beside Jiang Si.
This woman was of similar stature to the Princess Consort of Yan, with snow-white skin and a flowery countenance. She was also a rare beauty, and upon closer inspection, she bore a slight resemblance to the Princess Consort of Yan…
The Crown Prince couldn’t help but purse his lips.
To be honest, compared to the dazzlingly beautiful Princess Consort of Yan, he was more interested in this graceful and gentle woman.
A woman in her twenties was at her prime, much better than in her teens.
What was this woman’s status? She seemed very close to the Princess Consort of Yan. Could they be sisters?
The Crown Prince’s heart began to race.
Prince Qi observed coldly from the side, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
Had the Crown Prince taken an interest in the woman beside the Princess Consort of Yan?
He also took a few more glances at the woman, deciding to pay attention to her identity.
Everyone gathered around, vying to see the little Princess.
They didn’t lack for children and had seen plenty, but they still wanted to see what was so special about this child that made the Emperor favor her so much.
The infant slept peacefully in her red swaddling cloth embroidered with the character of “fortune,” unaware of being surrounded by so many onlookers.
“The little Princess is truly beautiful, with a jade-like nose and cherry lips, just like the Princess Consort.”
“Indeed, her hair is so black and thick, it’s really rare…”
The resentment in Yujin’s heart was slightly suppressed by these compliments, allowing him to deal with the guests without showing any emotion.
Jiang Si didn’t linger long, apologizing to everyone before leaving with the little Princess.
It was customary for the hostess of a full month celebration to bring the child out to meet close relatives, but since the child was so young, she naturally didn’t need to stay long.
Prince Qi silently observed the Crown Prince, noticing that his gaze indeed followed that woman, further confirming his earlier suspicion.
After the banquet dispersed, Prince and Princess Qi returned to their mansion together. Prince Qi asked, “Who was that woman in blue standing beside the Princess Consort of Yan today?”
Princess Qi was startled.
The woman in blue standing with the Princess Consort of Yan was her elder sister, wasn’t she? Why was the Prince asking about this?
Although puzzled, Princess Qi replied, “That lady is the elder sister of the Princess Consort of Yan. She was once the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family…”
Prince Qi smiled, “I noticed that woman’s appearance was somewhat similar to the Princess Consort of Yan, so I guessed she might be her sister. I remember now, she’s the one who divorced Zhu Ziyu, right?”
Princess Qi frowned, “Why is Your Highness asking about her?”
She had noticed the men’s gazes when the Princess Consort of Yan appeared in the garden.
Hah, men.
Princess Qi laughed coldly in her heart.
Prince Qi didn’t think he had behaved inappropriately in the Yan Prince’s garden. He said in a low voice, “I observed that the Crown Prince has taken an interest in this woman.”
“What?” Princess Qi was shocked.
She had thought these men’s attention was all on the radiant Princess Consort of Yan. She didn’t expect the Prince and Crown Prince to have noticed the Princess Consort’s sister.
Men… Princess Qi suddenly couldn’t understand how men thought anymore.
“Your Highness means—”
Prince Qi smiled, “Naturally, to find an opportunity to play matchmaker.”
He understood the Crown Prince’s thoughts too well.
Compared to the well-protected Princess Consort of Yan, her sister residing in the East Peace Earl’s mansion would be much easier to approach. The Crown Prince was bound to be tempted. And given Seventh Brother’s uncompromising nature, if his sister-in-law were to be harmed by the Crown Prince, he would surely fight the Crown Prince to the death.
At that time, he could sit back and watch the tigers fight.
The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, his heart indeed stirring. He secretly ordered his attendants to inquire about Jiang Yi’s situation.
“So, after the elder sister of the Princess Consort of Yan divorced her husband’s family, she’s been staying at the East Peace Earl’s mansion?” After hearing the information gathered by his attendants, the Crown Prince stroked his chin, feeling there was a great opportunity.
Since returning from Qianhe County, the Emperor had been dissatisfied with his mediocre performance and had sent him to tour the six ministries in rotation each day to familiarize himself with state affairs.
There were quite a few opportunities to leave the palace—
The attendant listened with trepidation: “Your Highness, the capital is not like Qianhe County. Any slight movement might reach the Emperor’s ears…”
The Crown Prince frowned, “Father won’t be watching my every move. Besides, this matter requires waiting for the right opportunity. I won’t let anyone catch me this time. Just keep your mouth shut!”
“This time?” The attendant was surprised.
Could there have been previous incidents?
The affair with the woman in Jinli Town had been handled by him, leaving no trace, so it couldn’t be what the Crown Prince was referring to.
Remembering how all the attendants serving the Crown Prince had disappeared when he was deposed earlier, the attendant felt a chill.
The Crown Prince realized his slip of the tongue and glared at the attendant, “Get out! If you say another word, I’ll send you to scrub the toilets!”
The attendant hurriedly retreated, only to return shortly after: “Your Highness, the Emperor summons you to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”
The Crown Prince entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, feeling very confused: Why had Father summoned him? He hadn’t complained to Father.
Seeing the Crown Prince’s blank expression, Emperor Jingming became angry: “I heard you were bitten by Erniu today?”
The Crown Prince immediately showed a hint of grievance and nodded.
Emperor Jingming frowned, “Can’t you be more dignified? Teasing a dog in public, getting bitten in front of everyone in the garden, do you have any sense of decorum as the heir apparent?”
“Son didn’t tease the dog—”
“Then why did Erniu bite you and no one else?” Emperor Jingming retorted.
The Crown Prince was at a loss for words, his lips trembling as if he was about to cry.
He had refrained from complaining for Erniu’s sake, so why was Father still scolding him?
It seemed that in Father’s heart, he wasn’t even worth as much as Erniu…
Emperor Jingming became even angrier, “Why are you putting on such an aggrieved look? Don’t tell me you want to hold a grudge against a dog?”
“Son wouldn’t dare,” the Crown Prince said, swallowing his anger.
Originally, he hadn’t wanted to hold a grudge, but with Father scolding him like this, he felt like stewing Erniu and eating it!
“Go back and reflect on your behavior!”
The Crown Prince left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, dejected.
As the guests dispersed, the Yan Prince’s mansion became quiet. Yujin entered the inner chamber, dismissed the serving maids, and sat down opposite Jiang Si. He coldly uttered a sentence: “A’Si, I want to kill the Crown Prince!”