The literary gathering at Chu Garden spread throughout the capital, but the deep palace only took notice when Prince Zhongshan’s heir appeared at Chu Garden.

“What did he go there for?” After bathing, the Crown Prince frowned and asked, “Even playing the good person by saving someone.”

The Crown Princess tied the sash of his robe for him, saying, “The Third Prince must have sent him there, right? After all, the Third Prince couldn’t conveniently appear in person.”

The Crown Prince gave a sharp laugh. “What’s inconvenient about it for him? Getting slapped in the face by a little woman, and he doesn’t rush over in a rage? Where did that madness he used to display before Father Emperor and me go?”

The Crown Princess smiled. “You and His Majesty are his father and brother who are tolerant of him. That young woman is a commoner. To rage at a young woman would damage his gentlemanly bearing, and the common people won’t be tolerant.”

The Crown Prince sneered. “And here I thought he truly didn’t care about reputation.”

“His position is neither proper nor justified, so naturally he needs reputation.” The Crown Princess said, then asked, “Should we have Yanfang go there as well?”

“He absolutely won’t go.” The Crown Prince laughed heartily. “If you don’t believe me, ask him.”

The Crown Princess chided him. “Of course it won’t work if I ask him. I have him come in to talk more and he pays no attention. Naturally, Your Highness should speak to him.”

“He won’t listen to me either.” The Crown Prince said. “This brother of yours fears nothing more than being tainted by association with imperial relatives, lest it damage his reputation.”

These words were a bit too harsh. The Crown Princess hurriedly knelt. “Your Highness, the Xie family takes pride in the Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince reached out to pull her up. “Why panic? I wasn’t talking about the Xie family. I was talking about Yanfang.”

“But Yanfang is the Xie family.” The Crown Princess said, puzzled.

The Crown Prince smiled. “You don’t understand. From the very beginning, I knew what kind of temperament that boy has. In any case, don’t concern yourself with this matter anymore. Just watch the excitement—” At this point, he turned to look at the eunuch standing nearby.

“Does Father Emperor know about this matter?”

The eunuch said, “The message has already been sent in. The other side said His Majesty paid no attention, only gave a cold laugh and said, ‘Chu Ling’s daughter.'”

The Crown Prince also gave a cold laugh. “Yes, Chu Ling’s daughter. Now flying high and acting arrogantly, she probably doesn’t even know her father is about to die, does she?” After speaking, he asked again, “What did Yunzhong Commandery say the other day?”

“Chu Ling’s deputy general has come to the capital.” The eunuch said. “He insists on having an imperial audience to present a memorial. Yunzhong Commandery couldn’t stop him, so they could only let him come.”

“Let him come then.” The Crown Prince said. “Before dying, he’ll have to beg for something anyway. He himself doesn’t care anymore, but he still has children.”

The eunuch smiled. “Then the Crown Prince, being benevolent and kind, will grant his request, rebuke the Third Prince, and pardon Chu Ling’s daughter from the crime of her arrogance and offense.”

The Crown Prince laughed. “Not enough, not enough. I will also make Chu Ling’s daughter an honored guest at the Third Prince’s literary gathering. Doesn’t she want to compete with men? I’ll let her compete to her heart’s content and become famous throughout the realm.”

The Third Prince would be utterly humiliated.

Both the Crown Prince and the eunuch laughed heartily, and the Crown Princess beside them also smiled.

“The night is deep. Your Highness should rest early.” Taking advantage of the Crown Prince’s good mood, she said softly.

The Crown Prince waved his hand. “With such a fine night, summon people. I shall compete well with them.”

The eunuch acknowledged the order. The Crown Princess could only bow her head in respectful farewell. Before long, she heard laughter and music coming from the great hall ahead. Besides the men’s cheers, there was also the mingled delicate laughter of women.

“Miss.” A palace maid came in and said in a low voice, “Lady Yang and Lady Qi, those two are truly shameless, fawning before His Highness again.”

Naturally, the Crown Princess wasn’t the only woman in the Eastern Palace. There were countless beauties. Although National Uncle Yang had failed to make someone from his family the Crown Princess, he had still sent in several beauties.

These beauties showed no regard for propriety, wantonly accompanying the Crown Prince in revelry—sometimes multiple women sharing the Crown Prince’s bed, or singing and dancing to add excitement when the Crown Prince held banquets.

These were things the Crown Princess could absolutely never do, which was why for so many years, she mostly slept alone.

“It doesn’t matter.” The Crown Princess removed her hairpins and jewelry before the mirror. “Third Brother said that no matter how those women use every means, no matter how powerful their backing families are, as long as I maintain womanly virtue, the position of Crown Princess is one no one can take away.”

Moreover, Xie Yanfang had repeatedly told her that she didn’t need to seek benefits for the family either.

“You only need to wholeheartedly serve the Crown Prince. That is sufficient.”

“Seeking benefits for the family is the business of us men.”

She smiled at the palace maid, calling this servant who had accompanied her since childhood and followed her into the palace by her childhood name.

“You see, compared to those women, how much easier and more relaxed I have it as Crown Princess.”

Easy and relaxed? The palace maid looked at the woman sitting alone in the magnificent palace chamber. After removing her splendid hairpins and exquisite clothing, her pure face was revealed. Miss was not yet thirty years old—

This lifetime was still very long, and it would continue like this.

Outside the lonely palace chamber, the sound of light footsteps rang out, accompanied by palace maids and eunuchs calling in low voices, “Young Highness.” “Young Highness, go slowly.”

Hearing this sound, the palace maid was overjoyed. The Crown Princess had already stood up and hurried outside to meet him.

“A’Yu—” she called.

A dark shadow rushed in from outside the hall door and threw itself into the Crown Princess’s arms, a childish voice clear and crisp. “Mother—”

The Crown Princess lifted the dark shadow up, examining him with a smile. This was a five or six-year-old boy with jet-black hair, fair white skin, and features almost identical to the Crown Princess’s. Small and compact, he was very adorable.

This was the eldest son of the Crown Prince and herself, the young prince whom the Emperor had named Yu’er. He was currently studying, and his teachers had all been selected by the Emperor himself.

“Can’t have him following his father lifting cauldrons all day.” The Emperor had said at the time.

After beginning his studies, Yu’er often stayed overnight with the Emperor and rarely returned to the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Princess hadn’t seen him for several days. Now, seeing her son in the dead of night, she held him before her like a precious treasure.

“A’Yu, how did you come here?” she said, then looked outside anxiously. “You’re not allowed to sneak back on your own.”

A’Yu laughed, hugging his mother’s neck. “I didn’t. The teachers said I did well on my lessons, and Imperial Grandfather is letting me rest tomorrow, so I came back now. This way, it counts as an extra day of rest.”

The Crown Princess was amused by her son and pressed against his tender cheek. “A’Yu is truly capable, to be praised by His Majesty.”

The child nodded proudly. “Imperial Grandfather really likes me.” He leaned close to his mother and lowered his voice. “Consort Zhao doesn’t like me and even wants Imperial Grandfather to dislike me too, but Imperial Grandfather ignores her.”

The Crown Princess quickly signaled her son to speak softly. “You mustn’t speak carelessly when with His Majesty.”

“I know.” The child hugged his mother tightly. “I never speak carelessly, except when I’m with Mother.”

Mother was the safest place in the world. The Crown Princess’s heart softened with a smile. She sat down holding her son, and mother and child talked together, reluctant to sleep even as the night grew deep.

“Mother, didn’t you say Third Uncle came? When can I see him?” Xiao Yu asked.

Third Uncle Xie Yanfang was someone Mother often mentioned—intelligent and handsome, capable of anything. Although he had never met him, he had already become the child’s most familiar and most admired person.

The Crown Princess held her son and smiled. “He’ll come soon. You must study hard. When Third Uncle comes to see you, he’ll definitely test you. One test, and he’ll discover that our Yu’er is actually as intelligent as he is. What a shock that will be!”

Yu’er giggled. “I must give Third Uncle one shock! Two shocks! Three shocks!”

The palace maid smiled as she extinguished the surrounding lamps. “As soon as she sees the young prince, Miss’s words never end. What’s the rush? Talk more tomorrow.”

The Crown Princess smiled and pinched her son’s cheek. “My words with A’Yu would never end even if we talked every day.”

A’Yu giggled, lying on the bed and holding his mother’s hand. “Mother, tonight you must tell a long, long story that never ends.”

The Crown Princess smiled and said yes, leaning beside her son and telling stories in a soft, gentle voice.

The palace maid said no more, leaving only a night lamp and withdrawing. Although the lamplight was dim, the magnificent palace no longer felt lonely.

With mother and child together, loved ones depending on each other, these days were not difficult to endure.

……

……

Under the night sky in a distant border commandery’s deep mountains, there was no magnificent palace or brilliant lamplight—only pitch darkness, with an occasional night bird flying past and emitting frightening cries.

Beyond layers of dense forest and mountain ranges, on the cliff face of a mountain peak, stood a wooden cabin. At this moment, a dim yellow light shone through the tightly closed door.

The lamplight shadows swayed, and a girl seemed to emerge from the darkness, pounding on the door until it boomed.

“Aunt, Aunt.” She said urgently, “Zhong Changrong has gone to the capital.”