Position?

Rong Rong was initially taken aback, then quickly understood.

Since the Emperor was naming Yuanbao to be entered into the imperial register, naturally, his mother would need to be recorded as well.

Every time she thought of Yuanbao’s mother, Rong Rong’s feelings were somewhat complicated.

There was always envy, and also pity, because Yuanbao might have been her own son.

Rong Rong felt a pang of guilt, thinking that she was enjoying the blessings meant for someone else’s child.

But why was the Crown Prince asking her about this? What did it have to do with her, a mere servant?

Rong Rong remained cautious and said, “I don’t know much about palace matters.”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s reaction, she added, “If it’s for Yuanbao’s sake, then… the higher, the better.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze was deep as he asked, “How high?”

The position of a primary consort… that was impossible, as Yuanbao was not of legitimate birth.

A secondary consort would be best, or at least a favored concubine.

However, since Rong Rong had said she didn’t know about palace matters, she couldn’t elaborate.

The Crown Prince, who was so concerned about Yuanbao, would certainly strive for the best for him.

“Your Highness, forgive me, but I truly don’t understand these matters,” Rong Rong said.

She glanced at the stack of manuscripts he had pushed to the corner of the desk, quickly gathered them together, and held them in her hands.

The study had already been fitted with a spacious bed, indicating that he intended to stay here long-term.

She couldn’t continue writing manuscripts in this study from now on.

“Yuanbao is still waiting for me, so I’ll be going now.” Rong Rong gave him a bow, holding her manuscripts, and exited the study, closing the door behind her.

The Crown Prince silently watched her leave.

After the door was closed, he took out a page of manuscript from the book on his desk.

The words were written in elegant flower script.

The Crown Prince had read The Dragon Girl’s Tale on the estate, and found the rewritten ending of the story in Rong Rong’s flower script.

His attention, however, was not on the rewritten story but on the flower script itself.

The chief maid of the Yeting courtyard for the past ten years had been Fu Xiang.

She was skilled in this slender flower script, and every maid studying in Yeting learned to write in the same style, producing similar characters.

Rong Rong was clearly a maid from the Hou residence.

Even if she learned to read there, how could she write in Fu Xiang’s flower script?

---

“Yuanbao seems very happy today, doesn’t he?” It was already late at night, and Yuanbao was still playing with a pile of Kongming locks, showing no intention of bathing and going to bed.

Rong Rong, seeing this, had to urge him.

Seeing Rong Rong approaching, Yuanbao happily lifted the Kongming lock he had just assembled. “Aunt, look, I can also assemble the eight-pillar lock now.”

Rong Rong gently tapped his nose with her finger. “Very impressive.”

After admiring the eight-pillar lock Yuanbao had just assembled, she said, “It’s already late, Yuanbao. It’s time to bathe and go to bed.”

Yuanbao, who was usually very obedient, put down the Kongming lock.

However, he suddenly said, “Aunt, I want to bathe with Father in the Lanyu Pool.”

Lanyu Pool was built to mimic the Huaqing Pool from the Tang Dynasty.

Because it wasn’t a hot spring, it took a lot of effort from the servants to prepare it, so the Crown Prince and Yuanbao didn’t go there often.

“But the prince seems very busy today. Maybe we should tell him another day…” Rongrong thought about the Crown Prince’s injured right arm.

If he went to bathe, he wouldn’t be able to hide it.

“No, Auntie,” Yuanbao, as usual, clung to Rongrong’s hand and acted spoiled.

However, today, no matter what he said, this trick didn’t work.

Yuanbao had no choice but to give up.

He suddenly had a new idea and ran out quickly. “I’ll go ask Father.”

“Yuanbao…” Rongrong called after him, but he didn’t listen and headed straight to the study.

They hadn’t seen the Crown Prince for many days; Yuanbao really missed his father.

Rongrong felt a bit helpless.

She got up and went back to the bedroom to prepare clean clothes for Yuanbao.

No matter how Yuanbao bathed tonight, these things had to be prepared in advance.

…

“Father.” Yuanbao excitedly pushed open the study door, only to find the Crown Prince lying on the couch instead of sitting at the desk.

Hearing Yuanbao’s voice, the Crown Prince sat up and waved him over.

“Father, are you tired?” Yuanbao had planned to ask his father to bathe in Lanyu Pool, but seeing him like this, he couldn’t say it.

Grandmother had once told him that when his father was busy with state affairs, he should be a considerate child and not disturb him.

“Not tired, just thinking about some things.”

Yuanbao was sure his father was tired.

He jumped onto the couch and pushed the Crown Prince back down, afraid he would sit up again, and lay beside him.

Originally, Yuanbao wanted to lean on his father’s right shoulder, but the Crown Prince pulled him to the left, letting him rest on his arm.

“Father, I still like sleeping on your arm.”

“Why?”

“Auntie Rongrong’s hand is too thin. Every time I lie down, I’m afraid of hurting her.”

“Hmm,” the Crown Prince nodded, “So will you sleep with Father from now on?”

Yuanbao had been separated from the Crown Prince for ten days and really missed him but felt a bit conflicted. “No, Auntie Rongrong likes sleeping with me. If I sleep with Father, she’ll be scared at night.”

“So what should we do?” the Crown Prince asked.

Yuanbao had an idea. “How about this, Father? Tonight I’ll sleep with you, and tomorrow night I’ll sleep with Auntie Rongrong.”

“Okay.”

Yuanbao was delighted but then pouted again. “It would be great if the three of us could sleep together. Father, why didn’t you let me tell Auntie yesterday?”

Even if Yuanbao told her, she would refuse!

The Crown Prince’s gaze turned cold, and his smile had a hint of sarcasm.

“Yuanbao, your father asks why you like her so much?”

“I… I don’t know.” Yuanbao, hearing the Crown Prince’s question, began to seriously think about it, counting on his fingers. “Because Auntie cooks really well… and Auntie is very pretty, she smells nice, oh, and Auntie is very kind to me.”

“Anything else?”

There are so many good things about Aunt Rong Rong that Yuanbao felt he hadn’t listed them all.

He thought hard and finally remembered another one.

“Auntie, like me, likes Father.”

The Crown Prince was slightly taken aback, and after a moment, spoke gently, “Your father knows that she likes Yuanbao just like your father.”

“Mm, Aunt Rong Rong really likes Yuanbao.” Yuanbao nodded, furrowing his brow in contemplation. “I really know, but I was afraid to tell Father before because I didn’t want Auntie to be embarrassed.”

“What did you find out? Tell Father secretly.” The Crown Prince pulled Yuanbao closer to him.

Yuanbao hesitated for a long time and finally whispered in the Crown Prince’s ear, “Aunt Rong Rong, she often sneaks looks at Father.” After speaking, Yuanbao nervously tugged at the Crown Prince’s clothes. “Father, even though I told you, don’t tell Aunt Rong Rong, or she’ll definitely be embarrassed.”

“Do you think she likes Father?”

“Mm.” Yuanbao looked at the Crown Prince, nodding vigorously. “Father, marry Aunt Rong Rong. My… my mother has been gone for a long time, and Father needs someone to be with him.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze grew a bit serious as he looked deeply at Yuanbao and then kissed him on the forehead.

“Father has Yuanbao.”

“But I’ll have to get married too, and then there won’t be anyone to keep Father company.” Yuanbao seemed anxious.

Although Father and Grandfather are father and son, Father wouldn’t visit Grandfather every day.

The ones who spend the most time with Grandfather are Concubine Chen, Concubine Wang, and An Chang.

Yuanbao knew Father liked peace and quiet and didn’t want too many people in the East Palace, but at least one person should be with Father; otherwise, Father would be so lonely.

“Worrying about marriage so soon?” The Crown Prince chuckled and poked Yuanbao’s cheek. “Did Grandmother teach you to say these things?”

Yuanbao was instantly exposed by the Crown Prince, and his cheeks turned red.

He was embarrassed and hid his face in the Crown Prince’s embrace, mumbling, “Yes, Grandmother said so, but I think Grandmother is right.” Of course, Grandmother also spoke highly of Liang Muchen and said she would be good to Yuanbao.

Yuanbao didn’t believe it; no one could be better to him than Aunt Rong Rong, so he wouldn’t say good things about Liang Muchen in front of Father.

“Father…” Seeing that the Crown Prince didn’t say anything afterward, Yuanbao looked up at him. “Are you angry?”

“Do you really want Father to marry her?” the Crown Prince asked.

Yuanbao immediately smiled and nodded vigorously several times.

“Father understands.”

Yuanbao didn’t quite understand.

Did “understood” mean that Father agreed to marry Auntie Rongrong?

It should be, right?

Yuanbao felt happy inside, but amidst the happiness, he suddenly remembered something and grabbed the Crown Prince’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Yuanbao’s action was reminiscent of the instinctive movements he made when he had nightmares before.

Yuanbao’s little face was now devoid of any smile, flat and silent, with an inexplicable sadness that didn’t match his age in his eyes.

“Father.”

“Yes?”

“Do you like Auntie Rongrong more, or do you like Mother more?”

The Crown Prince was taken aback.

Many emotions he had forcefully suppressed surged up in an instant, like a giant wave swallowing him.

“Yuanbao…” He wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.

“Father, can you like them both equally? But I like Mother a bit more, so you can like Auntie Rongrong a bit more, but not too much, just a little more, because I only like Mother a little more.” Yuanbao looked up at the Crown Prince, waiting for him to agree.

The Crown Prince met Yuanbao’s gaze.

All his complex emotions were gradually softened by Yuanbao, flowing back into the unnoticed corners of his heart.

“Don’t worry, Father won’t disappoint you.”

This answer made Yuanbao even more confused, but it was a satisfactory promise.

If Father promised not to disappoint him, then it would surely be done.

The night was deep.

Seeing that Yuanbao was happy again, the Crown Prince sat up and took him to bathe.

Yuanbao had played too much today.

After changing into his sleepwear, he lay down on the couch and fell into a deep sleep.

As the Crown Prince was about to lie down, someone knocked on the door.

Looking up, he saw Rongrong’s slightly flushed face illuminated by the candlelight.

Rongrong didn’t really want to come, but Yuanbao had been sweating during the night for the past few nights.

She had placed a sweat towel on his back. She hadn’t mentioned this to Wang An, so the Crown Prince didn’t know.

If she didn’t place a sweat towel tonight, Yuanbao might catch a cold in the morning.

She had to force herself to come.

“Your Highness, I’m here to add a sweat towel for Yuanbao,” Rongrong said softly, holding up the towel. “Now that it’s getting warmer, he’ll sweat at night.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze lightly swept over her and he nodded slightly.

Rongrong felt uneasy under his gaze.

When he nodded, she lowered her head and walked inside.

This couch was different from the one in the bedroom; it was placed against the wall.

After Yuanbao fell asleep, he rolled a few times and ended up sleeping against the wall, facing inward.

This position made it easier to insert the sweat towel, but he was lying on the inside.

Rongrong wanted to pass the towel to the Crown Prince and have him place it on Yuanbao, but she was afraid he might wake Yuanbao if he did it wrong.

Resolutely, she climbed onto the couch and quickly placed the towel inside Yuanbao’s clothes.

However, as she straightened up and was about to get off the couch, she suddenly felt a slightly warm body pressing closely against her back.