Chapter 109 : It’s a Good Thing

The Fourth Princess cried so much that the Crown Prince thought his head was about to explode.

Little did he know, the Fourth Princess had been struggling for a long time without being able to come up with a word.

The more she couldn’t think of something to say, the louder she cried.

In the background, someone was vaguely saying something about King Xuan.

The Crown Prince couldn’t quite hear the full sentence.

Until he looked up and saw a cold, emotionless face.

The Crown Prince finally realized that the sentence was “King Xuan has arrived.”

The Fourth Princess looked up.

King Xuan!

She immediately began crying even louder.

Where was Xue Qingyin? Why hadn’t she returned yet?

The Fourth Princess felt a sense of panic rising in her heart.

After King Xuan entered, he ordered someone to bring a chair and silently sat down.

He watched the Crown Prince and the Fourth Princess as if they were actors in a play.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became strange.

Soon, footsteps approached.

Xue Qingyin walked in slowly, lifting the hem of her skirt as she entered. Everyone naturally looked at her, noticing the smile in her eyes.

The Crown Prince couldn’t help but lose focus for a moment.

King Xuan asked her, “Were you frightened?”

Xue Qingyin shook her head.

The Fourth Princess gradually quieted her crying.

The Crown Prince was able to take a breath. He pressed his head and coldly said, “What does King Xuan think of my Eastern Palace? A den of dragons and tigers?”

King Xuan replied lightly, “The Eastern Palace is imposing, and Qingyin is delicate. Naturally, I had to ask her if she was frightened.”

The Crown Prince deliberately tried to provoke King Xuan, staring at Xue Qingyin, “I see the concubine seems to like it here. Didn’t she walk in just now with a smile?”

He asked Jiang Hua, “How is it? Has the concubine met with the Crown Princess?”

Jiang Hua bowed and replied, “Yes, the concubine and the Crown Princess had a pleasant conversation.”

The Crown Prince didn’t even blink, seemingly confident that the Crown Princess was still firmly under his control.

He smiled darkly and said, “That’s rare. If the concubine has the time, she can visit the Eastern Palace more often.”

King Xuan said, “There’s no need, to avoid disturbing the Crown Prince’s rest.”

Hearing King Xuan say this, the Crown Prince leaned forward, whispering, “We’re all family. What’s there to disturb?”

King Xuan did not respond, standing up and placing an arm around Xue Qingyin’s waist. “Aren’t you going to bid farewell to the Crown Prince?”

Xue Qingyin complied and bowed.

The Crown Prince thought, truly listening to King Xuan.

“Well, then I’ll leave too.” The Fourth Princess interrupted.

The Crown Prince: “…”

The Crown Prince asked her, “Don’t you have anything else to say?”

The Fourth Princess shook her head, her face showing clear nervousness.

The Crown Prince’s doubts disappeared.

She probably wanted to say something but didn’t dare to.

It didn’t seem like she was pretending.

After all, if she was pretending, she was doing a terrible job of it.

“Let’s all go.” The Crown Prince said coldly, not forgetting to throw a sarcastic remark at the Fourth Princess, “If you encounter any trouble, just look for your second brother. Why bother coming to the Eastern Palace to look for me? I am now focused on self-cultivation, I can’t help with outside matters. I’m not as high-ranking as King Xuan.”

Xue Qingyin, who had almost left, turned back and said, “Crown Prince, your self-cultivation… doesn’t seem very successful.”

The Crown Prince: “…”

As she walked out the door, the Crown Prince could still hear her muttering, “Who told him to reward King Wei but not reward us?”

The Crown Prince: “…”

Once their figures disappeared, Jiang Hua walked up to the Crown Prince and poured him a cup of hot water.

The Crown Prince had a weak constitution and couldn’t drink tea.

“King Xuan’s concubine is truly domineering, and very petty, always comparing herself to others,” Jiang Hua frowned and said.

The Crown Prince took a sip of water and smiled, “She is an extraordinary beauty, she must have developed such a temperament from a young age.”

Jiang Hua fell silent for a moment, knelt in front of the Crown Prince, and rested her head on his knee, saying, “Your Highness, have you also noticed her beauty?”

The Crown Prince asked her in return, “Do you know who her beauty reminds people of?”

Jiang Hua paused for a moment, then cautiously replied, “The Shufei (a royal concubine)?”

The Crown Prince patted her face and said, “It seems you’re still smart. Since you’re smart, don’t ask such foolish questions again.”

Jiang Hua’s face turned red, and she lightly pushed the Crown Prince, saying coquettishly, “Am I not allowed to feel jealous?”

“Then go ahead and feel jealous,” the Crown Prince said with a grim expression, “Jealousy is a good thing. Jealousy makes you abandon kindness, become ruthless, decisive, and bold in your actions. It makes you a winner.”

It wasn’t clear whether he was speaking to Jiang Hua or to himself.

“Your Highness is right,” Jiang Hua replied softly.

She then straightened her face and reported everything Xue Qingyin had said and done when visiting the Crown Prince’s concubine.

The Crown Prince said, “You are truly reliable, always remembering to report everything back to me.”

Jiang Hua’s face showed some embarrassment, but her words were sharp, “I always wish the best for Your Highness, but the Crown Prince’s concubine does not. She might even be hoping for your death. Now with the concubine from King Xuan’s side stirring things up, the Crown Prince’s concubine might develop some unwarranted thoughts. For instance… she might take whatever she has in her hands and offer it to King Xuan. At that point, Your Highness would be at a disadvantage.”

The reason Jiang Hua brought Xue Qingyin was to give the Crown Prince’s concubine some hope, only to crush it later.

Another reason was that she wanted to make the Crown Prince realize the urgency of the situation, that he could no longer be soft-hearted towards the concubine. He needed to take decisive action when necessary.

Only she, Jiang Hua, could always be relied upon to stand by his side.

The Crown Prince fell silent for a moment and asked Jiang Hua, “Do you think the concubine from King Xuan’s side is a smart person? Or a fool?”

Jiang Hua sighed, “She has some small cleverness.”

The Crown Prince still had some doubts in his heart. “Send someone to investigate what the noble ladies in the capital think of King Xuan’s concubine.”

Jiang Hua replied, “Understood.”

The Crown Prince closed his eyes, signaling that he wasn’t issuing any further orders.

Jiang Hua couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness… what about the concubine?”

The Crown Prince opened his eyes. “What do you want to do? Poison her today?”

Jiang Hua spoke in grievance, “I didn’t mean it that way. I was just thinking we could increase the dosage of the poison, or maybe deal with the fool by her side first. We must frighten her. You know, Your Highness, the Crown Prince’s concubine is truly a tough nut to crack. After all this time, she refuses to lower her head.”

The Crown Prince firmly rejected, “No need.” He smiled and added, “In fact, the concubine from King Xuan’s side coming to the East Palace is a good thing.”

“A good thing?” Jiang Hua felt a pang of bitterness.

“Living in pain for a long time makes a person numb. After a while, they feel that death is nothing. But if one day she sees daylight again… she will reignite her desire for the outside world. So, we should let King Xuan’s concubine visit her more often. If she can bring something from Yangzhou, that would be even better,” the Crown Prince said coldly.

“What if the Crown Prince’s concubine gives things to King Xuan’s concubine?” Jiang Hua’s greatest worry was this.

The Crown Prince replied, “You don’t understand her.”

Jiang Hua felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing this.

As the Crown Prince’s closest confidant, he truly understood the concubine’s nature. He said, “King Xuan’s concubine is her only lifeline after all these years. The more King Xuan’s concubine gets along with her, the less she would want to give that thing to the concubine and cause trouble. After all, there are many people who want it, not just me. His Majesty also wants it. And such a thing… how could she easily hand it over to someone she’s only met once?”

The Crown Prince added, “Just wait.”

Jiang Hua sighed in relief, stood up, and began massaging his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Xue Qingyin and King Xuan walked side by side, and the small palanquin was left empty.

The Fourth Princess followed behind them, unsure of what to say, so she decided to remain silent like a blade of grass by the roadside.

“Why did you come?” Xue Qingyin asked.

“My father summoned me to the palace,” King Xuan replied.

Xue Qingyin thought to herself, as expected, King Xuan was not specifically here to pick her up.

A nearby eunuch weakly interjected, “Your Highness, aren’t you returning to the Tai Ji Hall?”

Xue Qingyin curiously leaned forward, “Is there unfinished business?”

The eunuch gave a wry smile, “Your Highness left in the middle of the meeting. We don’t know if His Majesty is furious yet.”