Noticing Xuan Zhaoyue’s discomfort, Yan Yunning offered her the pastry she was holding, smiling gently. “I just finished breakfast a little while ago and am not hungry yet. You go ahead and eat — I’ll have a taste later.”
“Alright.” Xuan Zhaoyue nodded with a smile. “Then Crown Princess Sister-in-law can try some later.”
“Mm.”
Xuan Zhaoyue didn’t eat much either. After finishing the one piece Yan Yunning had handed her, the group sat down and began to chat.
“Crown Princess Sister-in-law, I’ve never once exchanged a word with Crown Prince Brother.” Xuan Zhaoyue said with an amused laugh. “Crown Prince Brother probably doesn’t even know which number sister I am to him.”
Every time she saw Crown Prince Brother, it was only at palace banquets.
Dressed in a magnificent bright-yellow dragon robe, his ink-black hair bound up with an extravagantly ornate golden crown, his features deep-set and handsome, he would sit at their imperial father’s side with an air of casual, unhurried elegance.
His smooth-boned fingers lazily swirled a wine cup, two attendants standing behind him ready to refill it at any moment — altogether giving the impression of someone utterly beyond reach.
Yan Yunning blinked. “He doesn’t know which princess you are??”
Xuan Zhaozan’s eyes lifted slightly. “Crown Prince Brother may truly not know.”
Xuan Zhaoyue sighed. “Ah! I hope one day there’ll be a chance for Crown Prince Brother to get to know me.”
Yan Yunning: “……”
Xuan Yanyu’s imperial sisters were rather interesting.
“Be careful — don’t let the little princess fall.” Noble Consort Lin called out anxiously.
Ever since she had attended the palace banquet, His Majesty’s attitude toward her and the little princess had shifted. These past few days, her mood had been particularly irritable.
“Yes, my lady.” The nanny answered in a low voice.
Hearing the commotion, Xuan Zhaozan and Xuan Zhaoyue both stood and bowed toward the approaching Noble Consort Lin.
Yan Yunning was the future legitimate wife of the Prince of Xuan — as the consort of the heir apparent, her status outranked that of a noble consort. By Xuanzhao’s customs, she was only required to bow to the Queen Consort, the Imperial Noble Consort, and the Noble Consort.
Noble Consort Lin smiled and helped Xuan Zhaozan rise, then turned to make conversation with Yan Yunning. “The Crown Princess is here too — did you come into the palace together with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Xuan Zhaoyue held her curtsy and dared not rise.
When Noble Consort Lin had been carrying the little princess, their imperial father had doted on her. After the little princess was born, though their father had not elevated her rank, he still favored both her and the little princess greatly — she could not afford to cause trouble for her own mother.
“Yes, I came with His Highness the Crown Prince.” Yan Yunning pinched a pastry from the round table and glanced over at Xuan Zhaoyue. “Yueyue, come here — what was this pastry called again?”
Xuan Zhaoyue stepped forward a couple of paces and answered obediently, “In reply to Crown Princess Sister-in-law, it is called the Rose Crystal Cake.”
“Rose Crystal Cake — Noble Consort Lin, please try one.” Yan Yunning smiled and held out the pastry in her hand to Noble Consort Lin.
Noble Consort Lin, giving face, took a bite — and her expression shifted subtly. The cake contained peach kernels and coix seeds.
The reason she could identify them in a single bite was that when she had been carrying the little princess, the imperial kitchen had once sent her a portion of these cakes. She had eaten only half a piece at the time and had nearly miscarried. Had she eaten the whole piece, there would be no little princess today.
One could imagine how much peach kernel and coix seed that half-piece must have contained — just like this one, where a single bite flooded the mouth with the flavors, the proportion mixed in clearly being considerable.
The imperial physician had told her at the time that it was only because she had not been in the early stages of pregnancy that the child was barely saved; had it been the early stages, there would have been no saving it.
To say nothing of those who were with child — even those who were not pregnant should not eat too many, as the imperial physician had said excessive consumption could cause dizziness, vomiting, and possibly diarrhea.
She inconspicuously glanced at the pastries on the glazed dish. Typically a dish would hold six pieces; only two remained now. At Fifth Princess’s seat lay one piece with a bite taken out of it, and counting the piece in her own hand — that meant the Crown Princess and Ninth Princess had each eaten one piece??
It had been some time since the Crown Princess’s formal investiture — it was not impossible that she might be with child. When she herself had eaten that half-piece, how long had it taken before she felt unwell?
Noble Consort Lin clenched her fingers in agitation. Why had she come to the imperial garden of all places today? She could neither leave now nor stay — if anything truly happened to the Crown Princess, there was every chance she would be implicated.
His Majesty already looked upon her with little favor. If something happened to the Crown Princess, and she just happened to be present at the scene — what then?
Surely the Crown Princess was not with child?
There had been no word of the Crown Princess being pregnant. Noble Consort Lin relaxed slightly. Right — if the Crown Princess were with child, His Majesty would certainly have held another palace banquet by now.
“Was it not to your taste?” Watching Noble Consort Lin take one bite and then turn pale with shock, Yan Yunning could not help wanting to try one herself.
Ranran had taken a bite and set hers down; Noble Consort Lin had taken a bite and her expression had shifted again and again. She wanted to see what this thing actually tasted like.
Seeing the girl blink her long lashes, her beautiful, delicate little face full of curiosity, Noble Consort Lin raised her brows — surely she had not eaten any herself??
“Crown Princess, these pastries fall far short of what the cooks at the Crown Prince’s residence make.” Noble Consort Lin said with a light laugh.
The cooks at the Crown Prince’s residence were personally appointed by His Majesty. When she had been carrying the little princess and was at His Majesty’s side, she had tasted their food on many occasions.
Yan Yunning set aside her impulse to try one — she would wait until Xuan Xixi arrived. She could not waste food; if it was not good, she could give it to Xuan Xixi.
“Yi ya……” The little princess kicked her small legs about.
Yan Yunning walked over to the nanny’s side and gently touched the infant’s little hand. The tiny girl clutched a little fist, smacked her small lips, her chubby face flushed rosy — utterly adorable.
Noble Consort Lin adjusted her hairpin. She was now genuinely curious: in the future, when the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s own child cried and fussed, what would the Crown Prince’s reaction be?
The little girl seemed to like Yan Yunning very much. Yan Yunning pinched her soft cheek, and the little girl grabbed hold of her thumb and would not let go.
Seeing this, the nanny gave the infant’s hand a firm tug and said in a trembling voice, “Crown Princess, the little princess is still very young and does not yet understand proper conduct — please, Crown Princess, do not take offense.”
Yan Yunning: “……”
Take offense at what, exactly??
The little girl, tugged as she was, did not cry at all, and went back to playing with her own fingers.
Yan Yunning stopped teasing her. After exchanging a few polite words with Noble Consort Lin, Noble Consort Lin took the little princess and departed the imperial garden.
……
At this moment, in the Imperial Study, the Prince of Xuan sitting upon the purple sandalwood dragon throne wore an expression of undisguised schadenfreude.
The Prime Minister, the six Ministry Secretaries, the Censor-in-Chief, the Grand Secretariat Head, the Imperial Tutor — more than a dozen people were all chattering at once, admonishing Xuan Yanyu.
The man rested his head on one hand, eyes half-closed, lounging comfortably against the sandalwood chair, his long legs propped up on the round table, while Ye’an and Ye Chen stood on either side, each kneading one of his shoulders — utterly languid and indifferent.
“Your Majesty, just look at the Crown Prince’s attitude.” Prime Minister Pei huffed in displeasure.
The Prince of Xuan set down his teacup and said unhurriedly, “My son — sit properly.”
Xuan Yanyu obediently lowered his legs.
Prime Minister Pei frowned. Although the Crown Prince had been sitting in a loose, casual manner, that was a minor matter. The attitude he was referring to was this: after so many ministers had said so much to the Crown Prince, His Highness had not responded with a single word!!
Seeing the Prime Minister’s knitted brow, Ye Chen curled his lip. His Highness the Crown Prince was already sitting properly — what more did they want from him??
“Your Majesty, please have the Imperial Physicians examine His Highness.” Prime Minister Pei ventured boldly.
“Insolence!” The Prince of Xuan’s smile vanished, every word falling like ice. “If you have served long enough as Prime Minister, We will find someone else to take your place.”