Shiyu let out a cold snort through her nose. “Share a meal with His Majesty? And what would you serve His Majesty?”

If His Majesty truly came, she feared she would not even dare to eat.

Yan Shiyao smiled and teased, “Quite right — His Majesty is very particular about food.”

Lou Ao: “……”

“Yaoyao still remembers that His Majesty is very particular about food?” Qi Qingchen looked up at Yan Shiyao, his expression somewhere between a smile and not, his tone unmistakably sour.

Shiyu sighed soundlessly. Her eldest sister was still a little too guileless — that one remark had managed to displeased both her own husband and her second elder sister, most likely.

But they all knew her nature and would not take it to heart.

“It was just something I said off the top of my head,” Yan Shiyao said sheepishly.

“I thought Yaoyao had been keeping it close to heart all along,” Qi Qingchen said, squeezing the dumpling in his hands with some force.

Yan Shiyao: “……”

“I think that’s about enough. You all keep wrapping — I’ll go start the fire.” Lou Ao, the one who had stirred things up, brushed the flour off his hands and turned toward the corner of the courtyard to gather firewood for the stove.

By the time the dumplings were cooked and everyone had taken their seats, the sky had darkened.

A cool evening breeze drifted over them. Around the round table in the pavilion sat a large circle of people — the chatter and noise of the children blended with the laughter of the adults’ conversation, creating an atmosphere of rare and quiet warmth.

“Hot, so hot!” Qi Xingqian hopped about, scalded by a steaming dumpling.

Qi Qingchen helplessly lifted the little bowl away from him and fanned away the heat with a fan.

“Here.” Yan Yunning fed a cooled dumpling to the edge of Xuan Yuncheng’s mouth.

The little one took a bite and murmured, “Mother Empress, it’s delicious.”

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips into a smile. “Since Xiaoxiao likes them, next time you come to Auntie’s house, Auntie will make them for you again.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” The little one’s smile was exceptionally sweet.

After the meal, they chatted a while longer. Without lingering, Yan Yunning took Xuan Yuncheng back to the palace. The moment they reached the Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters, they saw Eunuch Feng standing at the doorway, bowing to them.

“Your Highness the Xuan Empress, the Grand Emperor and the Empress Dowager have not seen His Highness the Crown Prince all afternoon. This servant has come to escort His Highness to pay his respects.”

“Go back and tell Imperial Grandfather and Imperial Grandmother that this Palace is tired and will go pay respects tomorrow.” The little one drooped lazily against Yan Yunning’s shoulder and gave a languid wave at Eunuch Feng.

“Your Highness, have you dined? The Grand Emperor and the Empress Dowager are still waiting to have the evening meal with you.”

The little one smacked his lips. “Already eaten. This Palace had dumplings at Auntie’s house. Go back and tell Imperial Grandfather and Imperial Grandmother there’s no need to wait for this Palace.”

“Oh dear!” Eunuch Feng cried in his high-pitched voice. “Your Highness, how could you… how could you eat…”

Yan Yunning’s heart lurched. “What is it? Is Xiaoxiao allergic to some kind of filling?”

“No, this servant only… Your Highness the Xuan Empress, did the Crown Prince’s food go through the silver needle test?” Eunuch Feng asked in a panic.

Yan Yunning opened her mouth, but before a single word could come out, Eunuch Feng had already turned to instruct the maidservants: “Quickly… quickly summon the Imperial Physician.”

Yan Yunning made no move to stop him. After all, Xiaoxiao’s status was that of Crown Prince. If she prevented the Imperial Physician from coming today, it would likely displease the Grand Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

“Your Highness the Xuan Empress, this servant is not making a mountain out of a molehill…” Eunuch Feng exhaled a long breath. “This servant is worried about His Highness. You may not know — when His Highness the Crown Prince was three years old, the Grand Emperor carried him to a banquet held for the ministers. It was at that banquet that His Highness almost…”

The little one tilted his head, as though a memory had surfaced. He pursed his lips. “Mother Empress, Imperial Grandfather fed me a sip of water, and then a little while later my nose started bleeding, and my stomach hurt terribly. Imperial Grandfather said I had an allergic reaction, and that sleeping it off would cure it. And I did sleep, and I truly was better.”

Eunuch Feng tightened his grip on the whisk in his hands. It was not a reaction caused by water at all. At the time, the Grand Emperor had nearly torn apart the Imperial Medical Academy. That tiny little person had lain in bed coughing up blood in great heaves, unable to swallow even the medicine.

The Empress Dowager, casting aside all decorum, had rebuked the Grand Emperor for ever bringing the Crown Prince to a ministerial banquet. In the end, it was His Majesty who had held the Crown Prince and fed him the medicinal broth spoonful by spoonful.

He remembered it clearly — the hand His Majesty held the spoon with had been trembling the entire time.

From that day forward, all food and drink for the Crown Prince had to pass strict inspection.

Everyone knew perfectly well that harming the Crown Prince would not end well — that the punishment would be the annihilation of the entire clan.

And yet their audacity remained as great as ever. That time, His Majesty had ferreted out the minister who had harmed the Crown Prince and had him dealt with at morning court without delay. The severity of the measures had shaken all the other officials into silence.

Yan Yunning’s heart clenched hard, and the ache in her chest became suffocating.

So even though they all knew that Xiaoxiao’s Imperial Grandfather and Father Emperor would not pardon whoever dared harm Xiaoxiao, they had still taken the risk.

Did they covet this position that desperately?

Or was it that harming Xiaoxiao was simply meant to force Xuan Xixi into choosing a consort and sending their own daughters into the Xuan Palace?

After all, if there were no Xiaoxiao, Xuan Xixi would have no sons at his knee, and the position of Crown Prince could not remain vacant forever.

“This official pays respects to Her Highness the Xuan Empress.” The Imperial Physician came hurrying over with his medicine box.

“Quickly examine His Highness.” Eunuch Feng carefully folded back the little one’s sleeve.

“Mmm…” The little one, who had drifted off to sleep on Yan Yunning’s shoulder, tucked his small hand further into her embrace.

“Xiaoxiao, let the Imperial Physician take a look.” Yan Yunning held the little one’s small arm steady and gestured for the Imperial Physician to step forward and take his pulse.

The Imperial Physician placed his fingers on Xuan Yuncheng’s wrist. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and bowed respectfully. “Your Highness the Xuan Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince is in excellent health. There is no issue whatsoever.”

“Good.” Yan Yunning looked toward Eunuch Feng. “Go and report to the Imperial Father and Imperial Mother that they may rest easy. I will take Xiaoxiao to wash up.”

Seeing Xuan Yuncheng half-asleep and drowsy, Eunuch Feng could only bow and withdraw.

——

Xuan Palace — The Emperor’s Sleeping Quarters.

The moment Yan Yunning returned to the palace, Ye’an came in to report. “Your Majesty, Her Highness the Xuan Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince dined at Yan Shiyao’s residence and have now returned. Her Highness is currently in the Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters.”

The man lay sprawled on the daybed, his elegantly boned thumb idly rubbing his jade thumb ring. His voice came out low and raspy, unfamiliar even to himself. “Xiaoxiao is indeed more important to Ningning than this Emperor. Today, when this Emperor called for her, she did not even spare a glance at me — all for Xiaoxiao.”

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is still so young. When he cries, it is only natural that Her Highness would feel for him.”

“Leave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ye’an withdrew from the sleeping quarters, pulling the doors closed behind him.

The first quarter of the Hour of Hai. (Around nine fifteen in the evening.) Not a single footstep sounded at the palace doors. Xuan Yanyu pressed down his restless mood and sat up from the daybed. He had to admit it — he could not compare to Xiaoxiao.

He had thought that if he did not go looking for the two of them, Ningning would come to see him. As it turned out, he had been flattering himself. If he was not as important as Xiaoxiao, then he simply was not — at least he still ranked second in Ningning’s heart.

At least no one was competing with him for that second place. Having worked through his thoughts, the man was just about to get up and go find Yan Yunning when the palace doors were pushed open from outside.

“Xuan Xixi~” Yan Yunning closed the palace doors and called out softly.