The Crown Prince’s residence was a constant bustle of comings and goings, with no shortage of affairs to attend to. The Crown Princess was busy from morning to evening on ordinary days, with scarcely a moment to herself.

Today, Princess Changping had come to call, and the Crown Princess had endured her company with restrained patience. They ate lunch together, then wandered through the garden admiring the flowers and trees for quite some time before Princess Changping finally took her leave.

The moment Princess Changping departed, the Crown Princess let out a long, slow breath and muttered to herself, “Thank goodness she only comes two or three times a month. If she came every few days, it would give me a real headache.”

Such words the Crown Princess could say freely; the maids standing nearby naturally dared not pick up that thread of conversation.

Lady Ye, the female official, gestured with her eyes for the maids to withdraw, then leaned in and said quietly, “If Your Highness does not wish to see the Princess, whenever she sends a calling card in the future, this servant can simply say Your Highness is occupied and turn her away.”

The Crown Princess’s gaze flickered briefly, and she replied with mild indifference, “No need. I shall simply spend the time and effort to humor her through it.”

Insufferable as Princess Changping’s frivolous, dissolute manner was, the two of them were sisters-in-law after all. And Princess Changping was exceedingly beloved by the Emperor — she could hardly turn her away at the door. Better to just get through it.

“Since I have already agreed to the Ling Family’s request, remember to give the instruction for a vacant guest room to be arranged nearby. When the Ling siblings come calling in a few days, have someone escort them to it.”

Lady Ye acknowledged, “Yes, this servant will remember.”

The Crown Princess thought for a moment and added, “Go to the Crown Grandson’s courtyard and pass word that when he returns to the residence, he is to come and see me.”

Lady Ye acknowledged and quietly withdrew.

The Crown Princess sat alone for a moment, and whatever thought crossed her mind, the smile on her face quietly faded away.

The hour grew late.

In the Crown Princess’s chambers, elegantly crafted octagonal palace lanterns were lit, illuminating the dining hall in a warm glow.

The Crown Princess and the Crown Prince sat before a red sandalwood dining table, which was laden with an array of pastries, rice porridges, and dishes of every variety.

The Crown Prince was a handsome man, though his complexion was somewhat pale, and a few fine lines had formed at the corners of his eyes, while a few strands of white had crept into his sideburns — conspicuous threads among the black.

Compared to the beautiful, graceful, and youthful Crown Princess, the Crown Prince, now past thirty, had begun to show a touch of aging that seemed ill-suited to his years.

The Crown Grandson strode into the inner hall and paid his respects to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess: “Your son pays his respects to Father and Mother.”

“Enough — there are no outsiders here. There is no need to stand on these empty formalities.” The Crown Princess smiled warmly at the Crown Grandson and beckoned him over. “Come, sit down quickly. We can talk after dinner.”

The Crown Prince chuckled as well. “Quite right — family dinners are not bound by ceremony.”

The Crown Grandson nonetheless completed his bow with measured propriety before straightening and walking to the table to take his seat with composed ease. Every movement was graceful and perfectly restrained — even the most fastidious person could not find a single fault.

That devastatingly handsome face radiated a cold, forbidding distance that kept others at bay.

The Crown Princess had long grown accustomed to this manner of his, yet she could not help but scold him a little. “You, always so stiff and solemn when you are out in public — not showing a trace of feeling, not cracking a smile, fine. But right now it is only you and your father. There are no outsiders. Why are you still holding your face so rigid?”

Looking at his own son without so much as a smile — it was genuinely a little disheartening.

The Crown Grandson did not even move an eyebrow. He said with flat detachment, “Mother, this is simply how I am by nature. I am not deliberately holding a stiff expression.”

He dared to say he was not holding a stiff expression while wearing that face!

The Crown Princess looked at her expressionless son and felt simultaneously exasperated and amused. “All right, all right, I won’t say another word. Let’s eat while the food is still hot! Whatever needs to be said can wait until after dinner.”

He had been specifically summoned here — so there was clearly something she wanted to say.

The Crown Grandson kept this thought to himself, giving no outward sign.

The Crown Prince looked at his son — mature beyond his years, his dignity no less than the Crown Prince’s own — and felt a mingling of pride and quiet, inexpressible sorrow.

His own body was frail and required long-term recuperation. The vast majority of the Eastern Palace’s affairs had fallen onto his son’s shoulders. Only on matters of great importance did he make the decisions himself.

For a youth who had not yet come of age to bear such a heavy burden — the thought and energy demanded of him was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine. It had forced A’Yao to grow up swiftly, and naturally he had lost the liveliness and vitality that should have belonged to a boy his age.

The Crown Grandson sensed the Crown Prince’s gaze upon him — warm, with a trace of apologetic tenderness — and felt a surge of warmth rise in his chest. He proactively picked a piece of fish for the Crown Prince. “Father likes fish. Please eat more.”

He was by nature a man of few words, and his face revealed little.

The Crown Prince smiled. “Stop fussing over me. Eat your own food!”

The Crown Grandson made a sound of acknowledgment and lowered his head to eat in silence.

Silence at the table, silence at rest — that was the rule.

The family of three finished their evening meal in quiet stillness, then moved to the inner sitting hall next door.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess each took the seats of honor; the Crown Grandson sat at the Crown Prince’s side with a calm, unhurried air. As long as the Crown Princess had not spoken, he did not speak either — as though they were competing to see who had more patience.

Evidently, a mother will always lose to her son in the end.

The Crown Princess cleared her throat and broke the silence first. “A’Yao, you were not at the residence today, so there is something you do not know yet.”

The Crown Grandson raised an eyebrow slightly. “What matter?”

The Crown Princess spoke at an unhurried pace. “Guests came to the residence today — the family members of Ling, the Bureau Director of the Ministry of Works…” She spoke while carefully watching the subtle shifts in her son’s expression.

The Ling Family had come?

A faint flicker passed over the Crown Grandson’s expression, and he asked almost reflexively, “What did they come for?” — Had Ninth Miss Ling come too?

That last question did not make it out of his mouth.

Yet the Crown Princess had already caught the subtle change in his expression and felt a sudden heaviness settle in her heart. This Ling Jingshu truly was no ordinary person. In such a short span of time, she had already left a deep impression on him.

“You once rescued Ninth Miss Ling and even presented a calling card to the two siblings. Why have you never once mentioned any of this to me?” Rather than answering, the Crown Princess turned the question back on him.

The Crown Grandson swiftly suppressed every trace of expression and replied with practiced composure, “A trifling matter — I forgot to bring it up for a moment.”

“You forgot — but the Ling Family did not.” The Crown Princess deliberately stressed the words “Ling Family” with deliberate weight, her unspoken meaning unmistakable. “They made a point of calling today specifically to ask a favor.”

Having said this much, she deliberately dangled the suspense, refusing to say more. She picked up her teacup and sipped her tea with calm, unhurried elegance.

This time, the one who could not hold steady was the Crown Grandson himself.

“Mother, what was the favor the Ling Family came to ask?” the Crown Grandson inquired.

The Crown Princess relayed the events in concise terms: “…Their purpose in calling today was to request that every five days they be permitted to come to the residence once. After Imperial Physician Wei examines your father’s pulse, he would then be available to administer acupuncture treatment to the young Ling gentleman. I had not intended to agree. However, Madam Ling specifically brought up the fact that you had once saved Ninth Miss Ling — out of consideration for your standing, I gave my assent.”

Every sentence was weighted with implication.