Noble Consort Pei spoke in a gentle, soothing voice. “Even His Majesty can do nothing about the Crown Prince.”

“Aunt, what am I to do?” Pei Shutong’s beautiful eyes glistened with tears.

She was the only legitimate daughter born of the Chancellor’s estate. By Xuanzhao’s long-established custom, she ought to have been the one to enter the Crown Prince’s estate — yet the Crown Prince had not yet taken a secondary consort, and every petition her father had presented had been sent back by the Crown Prince.

The principal consort had already been named, yet there was still no secondary consort in sight.

“Tongtong……” Noble Consort Pei gently wiped her tears. Then her tone shifted. “This matter does not rest with the Crown Prince. The issue lies with the Crown Princess.”

“Aunt — but if His Highness the Crown Prince was unwilling, could Yan Yunning even control the Crown Prince?” Pei Shutong choked out.

“Tongtong.” Noble Consort Pei’s gaze swept to the handmaidens waiting inside the hall. “If a single word of what this palace and Tongtong have spoken today finds its way out, this palace will show no mercy.”

With that, the sound of knees meeting the floor filled the hall in quick succession. “Your servant understands.”

Noble Consort Pei was satisfied. She cautioned Pei Shutong, “Tongtong, mind how you address people while you’re in the palace. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are both in the palace today — if word reaches the Crown Prince’s ears, he will not let it go so easily.”

“Was it not Wu Attending Consort who was favored for a few days, only to be punished by His Majesty over a single careless remark that offended the Crown Princess?”

Pei Shutong nodded in stifled frustration.

Noble Consort Pei stroked her hair and sighed softly. “Tongtong, if the Crown Princess were to fall with child, you may have a chance. Alternatively, if the Crown Princess remains childless for a prolonged period, you will certainly have a chance.”

With no imperial heir, His Majesty could not continue to indulge the Crown Prince indefinitely.

“Aunt, what would it take for the Crown Princess to… remain without child?” Pei Shutong’s eyes brightened.

Noble Consort Pei smiled. “Leave that matter to Aunt.”

“Aunt, if it’s ever traced back to us……”

“It won’t be. Even if it were, it would be the Ninth Princess who takes the blame for us.”

Princess Xuanzhao Yue’s mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to her, and His Majesty had entrusted the child to her care. The girl had grown up guileless and obedient, doing exactly as she was told — and now was precisely the time to put that to use.

The very same Pei Shutong who had been sniffling just a moment ago now had the corner of her mouth curving into a smile. “Thank you, Aunt.”

“Tears all dry?” Noble Consort Pei flicked the tip of her nose, then changed the subject abruptly. “Tongtong — your wish to marry the Crown Prince: is it for the Chancellor’s estate, or is it because of the Crown Prince himself?”

Pei Shutong’s face visibly flushed with shy delight. “Aunt, it’s both — though the Crown Prince matters a little more.”

Just imagining that she might one day marry the Crown Prince, that her womb would carry the Crown Prince’s child — her heart couldn’t help but race with nerves.

The Crown Prince’s child with her. Would the child take more after him, or more after her?

Noble Consort Pei smiled helplessly. “Tongtong, you have feelings for the Crown Prince — but his heart will never be with you.”

Just as it was with His Majesty. She had never once seen him show genuine devotion — save for his exceptional favoritism toward the Crown Prince, his affection for any consort was always fleeting.

“Shutong understands.” A bittersweet feeling stirred in Pei Shutong’s chest. The Crown Prince was who he was — how could a man of his standing ever devote his heart to one woman? Yan Yunning was the exception.

Noble Consort Pei took her hand and said gently, “Stay and have breakfast with Aunt. Don’t overthink the rest — Aunt is here.”

“Mm.” Pei Shutong smiled, her eyes curving.

With Aunt’s assurance, she felt considerably more at ease.

……

The Eight-Cornered Pavilion.

Having finished breakfast, Yan Yunning and Xuanzhao Ran sat on the stone stools, taking in the scenery all around them.

Xiao Wan and Xiaoyue crouched on either side of Yan Yunning, massaging her legs.

Jing’er, the handmaiden attending Xuanzhao Ran, brought water to Yan Yunning.

“Ningning Sister-in-law, did the Crown Prince Brother say when he’d be leaving the palace?” Xuanzhao Ran cradled her face in her hands and sighed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ningning Sister-in-law.” Xuanzhao Ran smiled and leaned in a little closer. “Could you bring me along to stay at the Crown Prince’s estate for a few days?”

Every day their Imperial Mother had her looking at portrait after portrait of men, choosing a consort. She was thoroughly exhausted with it.

“I’ll ask your Crown Prince Brother when he arrives.”

“Ningning Sister-in-law, don’t ask Crown Prince Brother — just tell him yourself that you’re bored and want me to keep you company for a few days.” Xuanzhao Ran blinked.

“……” Yan Yunning said after a moment, “If I told your Crown Prince Brother I was bored, your Crown Prince Brother would be exasperated.”

“……” Xuanzhao Ran couldn’t help adding, “Is Crown Prince Brother really that free these days? No wonder Imperial Elder Sister went to the Crown Prince’s estate once, and the very next day was complaining about Crown Prince Brother to Imperial Mother — only to get herself thrown out of the palace.”

Yan Yunning’s eyelid twitched. Went to the Crown Prince’s estate?

And complained about Xuan Xi’xi to their Imperial Mother??

That was probably because he had taken her silver — the silver that was now in her own hands.

“Fifth Imperial Sister, Crown Princess Sister-in-law.” Xuanzhao Yue came over with a food box in hand, smiling cheerfully. She curtsied to Yan Yunning. “Zhaoyue pays respects to Crown Princess Sister-in-law.”

“Mm.” Yan Yunning smiled politely.

“How did you end up coming to the Imperial Garden?” Xuanzhao Ran asked, puzzled.

“Fifth Imperial Sister, I brought you pastries — they’re really good.” Xuanzhao Yue opened the food box to reveal delicate, semi-translucent, crystalline pastries with crushed flower petals pressed into their centers.

The sunlight fell on the pastries like a spotlight, setting the petals shimmering with light. Up close, the intricacy of them was almost absurd — so beautiful it seemed a shame to eat them.

A phrase floated unbidden into Yan Yunning’s mind: the lovelier the thing, the more likely it is to be…

She shook her head. What was she thinking??

“Crown Princess Sister-in-law, Fifth Imperial Sister — try them and tell me if they’re good.” Xuanzhao Yue watched them with eager anticipation.

A few days ago she had seen them in her mother’s chambers — her mother had been holding her little sister, feeding the pastries to her, and they had looked so delicious.

She hadn’t asked her mother for any. Without her own independent chambers, she naturally had no small kitchen of her own, and the people at the Imperial Kitchen wouldn’t make pastries specially for her.

She hadn’t expected her mother to send them over to her room today via a nanny, mentioning that Fifth Imperial Sister was at the pavilion in the Imperial Garden and suggesting she come share them together.

She hadn’t expected Crown Princess Sister-in-law to also be here.

Xuanzhao Ran picked one up, then passed another to Yan Yunning.

“It’s all right.” Xuanzhao Ran took a small bite and said.

They all tasted much the same to her — she’d had too many of them and was tired of it.

Xuanzhao Yue smiled contentedly, also picked one up, and tasted it in small bites.

“Delicious — Crown Princess Sister-in-law, you should try one too.” The girl scrunched her eyes and shook her head in delight.

Aside from palace banquets, this was the most delicious pastry she had ever tasted.

Yan Yunning looked at the pastry in her hand. If she was being candid, this particular pastry was something one should only admire. One sniff of the fragrance was enough to tell her it wasn’t good.

Lately, what with Xuan Yanyu having had the kitchen staff transferred from the imperial palace to the Crown Prince’s estate, her palate had grown quite spoiled.

In the past, she would certainly have taken a bite to try.

But the Crown Prince wasn’t here. If she tasted it and found it unpleasant, she had no way to pass it off to him from across the palace. Better not to taste it at all.

Every time she tasted something unpleasant, she would hand it to the Crown Prince to finish.

Xuanzhao Yue, having finished one, was reaching for a second, when she noticed Yan Yunning staring blankly at her pastry, and Xuanzhao Ran taking the tiniest of bites before setting hers down — and didn’t dare reach for another.

Did Fifth Imperial Sister and Crown Princess Sister-in-law not enjoy them?

But they were clearly so delicious.