The palace guards that Eunuch Feng had dispatched to keep watch over Xuan Yanyu were huddled in the corner, trembling.

What a miserable lot they were!

Of all people, Eunuch Feng had chosen them to keep watch over the Crown Prince. The moment His Highness arrived at the ancestral shrine, he made a respectful bow and then walked straight to the side hall, where he reclined at ease with his legs propped up.

Did they dare to drag the Crown Prince to the main hall and make him kneel there properly?

His Majesty should have come to keep watch over the Crown Prince himself!!

“Your Highness, perhaps you might… comport yourself a little more properly?” Ye’an offered the suggestion out of goodwill.

Lying down was fine and all, but did he have to lie so carelessly? The main hall of the ancestral shrine was where the memorial tablets of every generation of the Prince Xuan and their consorts were enshrined.

The main hall, etched with dragon carvings, was stately and solemn — and their Crown Prince was entirely out of place there. Though, to be fair, His Highness was lying in the side hall.

Xuan Yanyu closed his eyes with languid ease. “If you hear footsteps approaching, give me a word.”

“…” Ye’an replied helplessly, “Understood, Your Highness.”

Prince Xuan had made a deliberate effort to punish Xuan Yanyu, forcing himself not to send anyone to release him. The man slept for well over an hour. When he opened his eyes and found himself looking up at the qilin relief carved into the ceiling — a motif symbolizing the royal family’s auspicious fortune — he was momentarily disoriented.

“Your Highness, you’re awake?” Ye’an shifted his numbed leg slightly.

Xuan Yanyu rubbed his temple and asked with a frown, “Father has not sent anyone to say when I may leave?”

“No.” Ye Chen massaged his knees.

His Highness had been sleeping so soundly just then that he had not dared make a sound. Now, at last, he could move again.

“Your Highness, His Majesty will surely release you before the midday meal.” Ye’an said.

His Majesty could not possibly leave His Highness to go hungry.

“Let’s go.” The man rose and brushed down his court robes.

“Your Highness.” Ye Chen wrapped his arms around Xuan Yanyu’s legs and earnestly coaxed him, “Please wait a little longer — or perhaps sleep another while?”

They had already been here this long. His Majesty might well send word to release them any moment now. If His Highness left at this point, would that not be making clear that he had no regard for His Majesty — deliberately provoking him?

Xuan Yanyu looked down at him, his gaze indifferent.

Ye Chen worked his mouth. Under the sharp intensity of Xuan Yanyu’s stare, he slowly released his grip.

The man strode forward and pushed open the hall door — and came face to face with Eunuch Feng, who was just arriving with a food box. Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow. “What? Is Father planning to have me stay in the ancestral shrine indefinitely?”

Eunuch Feng chuckled. “Your Highness, what are you saying? How could His Majesty keep you here indefinitely?”

His Majesty only wished for His Highness to put Xuanzhao first. In the beginning, when His Majesty learned that His Highness had overcome his tribulation and discovered that His Highness had deep feelings for the Crown Princess, he had complied with His Highness’s wishes and prepared betrothal gifts for the Crown Princess.

That His Majesty could do such a thing showed he was acting as a father, not as the ruler of Xuanzhao. Otherwise, the position of Crown Princess would never have gone to the second young miss of the Yan Family.

But His Highness had grown far too indulgent with the Crown Princess — even Xuanzhao had been placed behind her. His Majesty was sovereign. How could he allow this?

His Majesty worried that His Highness, on account of the Crown Princess, would neglect the governance of Xuanzhao. From this day forward, His Majesty intended to make His Highness understand his responsibilities — rather than spending every day thinking only of the Crown Princess.

If only His Highness would put on a small show in front of His Majesty — pretend not to be quite so besotted with the Crown Princess — His Majesty would not say another word.

His Highness did not understand His Majesty’s feelings, but he had served at His Majesty’s side for so many years, and he understood them well.

If he were Prince Xuan, with only the Crown Prince as his sole son — raised from childhood through every hardship, cultivated so painstakingly to adulthood, the tribulation finally overcome, and now this…

Today’s tardiness at morning court was a small matter — His Majesty had smoothed it over. But if something similar were to happen again, would His Highness once more choose to stay by the Crown Princess’s side?

Perhaps His Majesty was right. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were simply not suited to be together. With the Crown Princess present, His Highness would never rule Xuanzhao well.

Just a short while ago, His Majesty had received a letter from the State Preceptor, in which the State Preceptor had said that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would not last, and urged His Majesty to think quickly of a way to stabilize His Highness.

The State Preceptor had declined to elaborate. The only solution His Majesty could think of was to tie His Highness down with Xuanzhao’s affairs.

If His Highness were to ascend the throne now, there would be so much to attend to that his time with the Crown Princess would naturally be reduced. And when His Highness’s child was born, His Majesty would take the child and raise it himself.

Keeping His Highness from seeing the child often — that way, he would miss the Crown Princess less.

Thinking of what had happened this morning, His Majesty had grown uncertain again. He feared that once His Highness ascended the throne and the Crown Princess left, His Highness might abandon Xuanzhao altogether…

Xuan Yanyu stepped past Eunuch Feng, ready to walk out of the ancestral shrine. More than twenty palace guards stood before him with respectful bearing, blocking his path.

“Your Highness.” One of the guards held a towering stack of memorials and bowed his head. “His Majesty asks that you review them carefully before leaving the ancestral shrine.”

“Ha.” Xuan Yanyu’s slender fingertip tapped the stack of memorials the guard was holding. “How am I to review them in the ancestral shrine?”

“Your Highness, your subordinates have brought an imperial desk, a sandalwood chair. His Majesty asks that you go to the side hall to review them.”

Xuan Yanyu’s temple throbbed. He fixed his gaze on the two guards carrying the imperial desk, and said through clenched teeth, “I have not yet had my midday meal.”

“This servant has prepared it for you according to His Majesty’s instructions.” Eunuch Feng smiled pleasantly and handed the food box to Ye’an.

“Your Highness — did you not tell His Majesty that you accepted the punishment and he could deal with it however he wished? Surely Your Highness would not go back on your word?”

The reply Eunuch Feng received was a resounding “bang.”

Eunuch Feng pressed a hand to his startled heart. Thankfully, His Highness had not insisted on leaving.

The palace guards carefully pushed open the hall door, set the imperial desk in position, put down the sandalwood chair and the memorials, then hurried out. The guards who had been stationed to watch Xuan Yanyu were also called away by Eunuch Feng.

The hall door was drawn shut. Ye’an and Ye Chen opened the food box and arranged the dishes one by one on the imperial desk.

“Your Highness, why not finish your meal and then sleep a while, and review the memorials in the afternoon?” Ye Chen poured Xuan Yanyu a cup of tea.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at him, said nothing, and walked to the window. He pushed it open — and met the respectful smiles of the palace guards waiting on the other side.

Xuan Yanyu: “…?”

Another “bang.” The carved window was slammed firmly shut.

Ye’an touched his nose. His Majesty truly did know His Highness well.

He had anticipated that His Highness would appear to agree, then immediately try to climb out the window!!

“Your Highness, please eat — the food will taste poor if it goes cold.” Ye’an said quietly.

“There is too much for me alone. Join me.” The man sat at the sandalwood chair with displeasure, his expression dark and overcast.

Ye Chen felt a warmth stir in his chest. Their Crown Prince — except when he was truly at fault and was told to “get out” — there was truly no finer master than he.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Ye’an replied with a smile.

Xuan Yanyu held back his irritation, then finally let it out: “This is the royal ancestral shrine. Has Father any regard for the royal ancestors at all — having me eat and review memorials inside the ancestral shrine? Is that not disrespectful to them?”

“Your Highness, this is the side hall. The royal ancestors are enshrined in the main hall — it is perfectly fine.” Ye Chen offered the explanation earnestly.

Xuan Yanyu looked at him. “…”

Did he not know that?

Did he not know this was the side hall??

Did he need to be told???

Ye Chen glanced around, then said plainly, “Your Highness, this servant has looked into it — the reason Xuanzhao built a side hall within the royal ancestral shrine is precisely because every generation of the Prince Xuan used it as a place to punish Crown Princes who had made errors.”