“?” Yan Yunning shot him a sidelong glance. “Xuan Yanyu, is something wrong with you?”
The man tilted his head to look at her. His nose brushed hers, and he pressed a light kiss to her lips. “Ningning, let’s hurry — Imperial Father will be waiting.”
Ye Chen sighed inwardly. His Majesty was not going to be impatient at all — he would wait for the Crown Prince however long it took.
……
Taiyi Hall.
The moment Yan Yunning stepped inside the hall, she obediently called out greetings, exactly as Xuan Yanyu had instructed.
The entire hall went silent in an instant.
Even the waiting handmaids and eunuchs could not help but steal a glance at Yan Yunning.
Yan Yunning dug her nails hard into the back of Xuan Yanyu’s hand. No wonder he had been smiling so broadly — he had been playing a trick on her.
“Hss……” Xuan Yanyu could not hold it back — he let out a stifled grunt of pain.
The Xuan King’s brow knitted together. “Eunuch Feng, go and instruct the treasury to bring out hairpins, dangling ornaments, jade bracelets, woven-gold brocade…… have everything prepared to the proper standard as gifts for the Crown Princess.”
Stop letting her take it out on his Crown Prince.
His Crown Prince was truly spineless for just standing there and taking it!!!
“This servant will go and instruct the treasury to prepare at once.” Eunuch Feng stepped away cheerfully.
“This subject-son thanks Imperial Father.” Xuan Yanyu curled a finger around Yan Yunning’s finger, and Yan Yunning dipped into a curtsy in thanks. “Thank…… thank you, Imperial Father.”
“Mm.” The Xuan King looked at his spineless son, his head swimming with irritation. “Why are you still standing there? Come and sit down.”
Imperial households were most wary of having a weakness — and he himself was not worth much, having only the Crown Prince as his one and only. The Crown Prince was even worse, wanting none but the Yan girl. He dared not dwell on it — the thought alone was enough to make him sick with fury, and he could not afford to ruin his health, not when he still had a grandchild to raise.
“Ningning, you come over here too.” The Xuan Queen smiled warmly.
Strictly speaking, until the formal investiture ceremony, she was not supposed to dine at the same table as herself and His Majesty — but if Ningning were seated at a separate table, the Crown Prince would refuse to stand for it.
Yan Yunning scanned the room and, not seeing Xuanzhao Ran, smiled and made her way over to sit beside the Xuan Queen.
The Xuan Queen removed from her hair a hairpin carved with phoenix motifs and tucked it into Yan Yunning’s hair, saying gently, “Come to my chambers after the meal. Your Imperial Mother has more gifts for you.”
“Thank you, Imperial Mother.” Saying it this time, she was not nearly as flustered as the first.
Under Xuan Yanyu’s watchful gaze, Xuanzhao Yang also slipped a gold bracelet from her own wrist. “Ningning, this is your Imperial Elder Sister’s gift for you.”
“Thank you, Imperial Elder Sister.” Yan Yunning blinked, watching Xuanzhao Yang fasten the gold bracelet onto her wrist.
Had she come here just to collect gifts?
“Ningning, what did this Crown Prince ask of you earlier?” Xuan Yanyu rested one hand against his cheek, his knuckles rapping lightly against the teacup.
“Sit properly.” The Xuan King said with exasperation. “What sort of manner is that?”
Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow, leaning lazily back against the sandalwood chair, and continued, “Ningning, call out to her.”
A feeling of unease settled over Xuanzhao Yang.
Please do not tell her he wanted her to call out again.
“Imperial Elder Sister, Imperial Elder Sister.” Following Xuan Yanyu’s instruction, Yan Yunning called out the title twice more.
Xuanzhao Yang looked toward the Xuan King. The latter was busy piling food into his spineless son’s bowl.
Xuanzhao Yang unclasped two hairpins from her hair and pinned them both into Yan Yunning’s hair, adding a compliment for good measure. “Ningning, you look lovely.”
Xuan Xier, that little scoundrel, did it on purpose!
And Imperial Father just kept right on indulging him!!!
She was a princess — anyone who didn’t know better would think she’d just been robbed!!!
“Thank you, Imperial Elder Sister.” Yan Yunning touched the pins in her hair and understood at last — calling out “Imperial Elder Sister” an extra time was no custom at all.
“My son, now that you are back, stay for good this time.” The Xuan King said cheerfully as he placed prawns into Xuan Yanyu’s bowl.
“Imperial Father gave this subject-son two years. Even if I do not go to Qilan, Imperial Father cannot have me handle Xuanzhao’s affairs.” Xuan Yanyu leaned close to the Xuan King with a low, easy laugh. “Imperial Father, for the remaining time, this subject-son will be busy fulfilling your wish of holding a grandchild sooner rather than later.”
The Xuan King shot him a sidelong glance. There was no need to be busy with that during the daytime, surely?
“Imperial Father would not go back on his word, would he? Consider it a holiday given to this subject-son.” Xuan Yanyu unhurriedly ate the prawns the Xuan King had placed in his bowl.
The Xuan King set down his golden chopsticks in vexation. He had sent him to Qilan expecting important matters to be handled, yet not only had nothing been accomplished, but he had been given one headache after another.
What a regret.
Nurturing what sort of affection — it would have been better to simply ask the Qilan Emperor for Shiyao and bring her to Xuanzhao from the very start.
“Yan girl, I hear your elder sister has come to Xuanzhao as well? Why did she not enter the palace along with you and the Crown Prince?” The Xuan King looked toward Yan Yunning and asked in a neutral tone.
Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. Should this not be asked of his son?
“Imperial Father, Yan Shiyao has been arranged by this subject-son to stay at the Grand Commandant’s residence. If you wish to see her, simply summon the Grand Commandant to bring her in.” Xuan Yanyu said unhurriedly.
The Xuan King clicked his tongue. “Did I ask you?”
Xuan Yanyu: “……”
“Imperial Father, my elder sister does not yet know the Crown Prince’s identity. With that in mind, it is for that reason that the Crown Prince arranged for my elder sister to stay at the Grand Commandant’s residence.” Yan Yunning offered with a smile.
What else could she say when he was asking her?
The Xuan King drew a sharp breath. She still did not know the Crown Prince’s identity?
What had the Crown Prince been doing for the past year or more while in Qilan??
Xuanzhao Yang picked up her handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. “Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, I shall take my leave first. My Prince Consort is still waiting for me.”
If she did not leave now, Imperial Father was going to lose his temper — and while Xuan Xier was unaffected, and Ningning was perfectly safe with Xuan Xier shielding her, the one left to absorb Imperial Father’s fury would be her.
“Very well, take care on your way.” The Xuan Queen urged.
“Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, Zhaoyang takes her leave.” With those words, Xuanzhao Yang dashed out of the hall in small quick steps.
The Xuan Queen shook her head and laughed. “This child — why was she in such a hurry all of a sudden?”
“Stop eating!” The Xuan King rapped Xuan Yanyu’s hand with a knock.
Xuan Yanyu slid over to sit beside the Xuan Queen and smiled with exceptional warmth. “Imperial Mother, shall we switch places?”
The Xuan Queen replied gently, “You no longer wish to sit beside your Imperial Father? My child, why not ask your Imperial Father if he is willing?”
Xuan Yanyu glanced back at the Xuan King seated at the head of the table. The latter was looking at him with an expression that could only be described as thunderous.
Xuan Yanyu cleared his throat. “Imperial Father, in what way have I upset you this time?”
“Hmph.” The Xuan King set down his golden chopsticks with a heavy clatter. “You have upset me in every possible way.”
Yan Yunning lowered her gaze. Had she caused the Xuan King’s anger by saying that her elder sister did not know Xuan Yanyu’s identity?
“Then this subject-son will leave the palace and return to the Crown Prince’s Manor, so as not to vex Imperial Father any further.” Xuan Yanyu made as if to rise and leave.
“Sit down.” The Xuan King gave his ear a light pinch — the first time he had done so gently. “You truly are my finest son. You know exactly how to use the threat of leaving the palace to keep me in check. Do you think it is easy for me to come and see you?”
Every time he lost his temper, the Crown Prince would sulk and refuse to enter the palace — waiting for him to coax him instead. And he always fell for it.
Because that little rascal was not bluffing — he genuinely could hold out and refuse to come.
He could hold out all he liked, but as the Imperial Father, he was the one who could not hold himself back. The Crown Prince had been in his arms since the day he was born, and he truly could not bear the distance.
“But did this subject-son not upset you just now? This subject-son only thought to leave the palace on that account……”
“Silence.” The Xuan King gave his ear another small pinch.
The Xuan Queen let out a quiet sigh, patted Yan Yunning’s hand, and smiled. “Ningning, you will get used to it in time. Let us eat — there is no need to pay them any mind. In a moment, once the Crown Prince irritates His Majesty into a temper, His Majesty will be the one coaxing him back.”
Yan Yunning nodded in a daze. Hearing about how dearly the Xuan King doted on Xuan Yanyu was one thing — seeing it with her own eyes was quite another.