“Your Majesty’s words, I will remember. Please be assured, I understand that I cannot stay in Yuhua Palace forever. In the future…”

The Empress stood up and moved closer to Rongrong, helping her up.

Seeing the tears in Rongrong’s eyes, she smiled slightly, “Silly girl, I am not trying to drive you away. Today’s heart-to-heart talk is to ask for your help.”

“I am foolish. Please instruct me, Your Majesty.”

“I want you to stay in the Eastern Palace and take good care of Liu Zhen and Yuanbao.”

Rongrong was puzzled, her eyes full of confusion.

“But I don’t have the ability…”

“Your abilities are unmatched. This task is something only you can handle.”

“Please clarify, Your Majesty.”

“I need you to keep Liu Zhen steady before his wedding. You are meticulous and understand people’s thoughts well.

Liu Zhen responds to gentleness rather than force. Do not refuse him, but also do not indulge in his nonsense. Since you have not lost your virtue, this is good. Save it until after his marriage.”

The Empress said with a smile, “If you can handle this matter well, I can promise you a position as a noble consort, and Yuanbao can be entrusted to you.”

To have Yuanbao entrusted to her?

Rongrong’s heart stirred suddenly.

She had never hoped to legitimately raise Yuanbao, but if she could really take care of Yuanbao, could Yuanbao then call her “Mother Consort”?

Could she really wait until Yuanbao called her “Mother Consort”?

The Empress looked at Rongrong’s expression, feeling conflicted.

Of course, it would be most appropriate for Yuanbao to be raised by the Crown Princess.

However, despite Yuanbao’s young age and cheerful demeanor, he, like Liu Zhen, was steadfast in his attachments.

Yuanbao had repeatedly told the Empress that his father liked Auntie Rongrong and that he liked her too.

If Rongrong were to enter the Eastern Palace in the future, Yuanbao would certainly not be with Liang Muchen.

But…

Rongrong said, “If Your Majesty wishes for Crown Prince’s wedding to go smoothly, you only need to drive me out of the Eastern Palace.”

The Empress sneered, “To drive you out of the Eastern Palace would mean that any remaining mother-son bond I have with him would be lost. Four years ago, that bond was already halved. I can’t afford to lose any more of it.”

Rongrong didn’t fully understand the Empress’s words but could see that the Empress spoke with genuine intent.

Upon reflection, the Empress’s request was indeed not difficult.

As long as she could keep the Crown Prince away from herself before his wedding to Liang Muchen, once he was with Liang Muchen, he would likely lose interest in her.

By then, the Empress would grant her a noble consort position, and she could live a peaceful life with Yuanbao.

“…I prefer to be upfront about these things. If you fail in this task, you and your family will have only six months left to live.”

The idea of Yuanbao calling her “Mother Consort” made Rongrong’s heart race with excitement, making her completely miss the Empress’s last remark.

She immediately knelt to accept the order.

“I will follow Your Majesty’s decree.”

By the time the Crown Prince returned to the East Palace, it was already close to midnight.

Fuqian, who was on duty standing under the corridor of Yuhua Palace, hurried forward to greet him when he saw the Crown Prince come back.

“Has Yuanbao gone to sleep?” the Crown Prince asked.

“He has. Miss Rongrong is with him. They’ve both been asleep for an hour,” Fuqian noticed the tiredness on the Crown Prince’s face and decided to keep his thoughts to himself for now.

He led the Crown Prince into the study and attended to his washing.

From last night until now, the Crown Prince had ridden swiftly from the capital to the Grand Xiangguo Temple and back, only having a meal of dry rations in between.

His eyes hadn’t closed since early the previous morning.

As Fuqian helped him remove his disheveled hair, the Crown Prince’s eyes had already started to close slightly.

Seeing his master so exhausted, Fuqian intended to discuss today’s events the next morning.

However, the Crown Prince asked, “When did she return?”

“She came back early this morning. Prince Yuanbao was very happy. They redid the paper on the butterfly kite that was knocked down yesterday. Around lunchtime, Her Majesty the Empress arrived,”

Fuqian’s voice grew softer as he continued, “The meal was made by Miss Rongrong herself. The Empress was very pleased with it. After eating, when Prince Yuanbao went to sleep, the Empress summoned Miss Rongrong and questioned her.

All the servants were sent out, leaving only Anru to attend inside. They spoke for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

After the Empress left, Miss Rongrong sat there in a daze for a long time.”

“I’ll go see her,” the Crown Prince said, rising and heading toward the sleeping quarters.

The lights in the sleeping quarters had already been extinguished.

The Crown Prince walked casually toward the dragon bed, and before he could lift the gauze curtain, he heard a cautious voice from inside say, “Who’s there?”

Was she not asleep?

The Crown Prince didn’t answer.

He reached out and pulled back the silk cloth covering the night pearl at the edge of the bed and lifted the gauze curtain.

The large dragon bed was empty. Looking up, he saw Yuanbao, as usual, rolled up at the corner of the bed, facing the wall. Rongrong, on the other hand, was sitting against the wall, looking toward him.

She was so thin, hugging her knees while sitting, making her seem not much older than Yuanbao.

“Your Highness,” Rongrong’s eyes, momentarily illuminated by the night pearl’s light, met his.

Even though her voice was so soft, the Crown Prince immediately sensed the tension in it.

Did she fear him this much?

The Crown Prince silently watched her, unable to articulate his feelings.

After a moment, he jumped onto the bed. Instead of moving to her corner, he lay down at the edge of the bed.

He was used to a life of comfort and luxury.

Back when he was still practicing at the Grand Xiangguo Temple, not sleeping for four or five days was not a big deal.

Tonight, however, having only one sleepless night had left him utterly exhausted.

Rongrong wasn’t sure whether he was truly tired or if her problems had caused him too much worry.

He moved his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, “You don’t need to be afraid. I’m very tired today and don’t want to move.”

Tired?

What exactly had he been doing for the past two days and nights?

After the initial concern for him, she realized the implication of his words: if he wasn’t tired today, would he have been planning to do something?

Seeing him lying there, his face flushed like a freshly baked cake, Rongrong felt a bit embarrassed.

“Well then, Your Highness, if you’re tired, I’ll sleep over there tonight.”

The Crown Prince did not respond immediately.

After a long silence, he asked a question that seemed completely unrelated: “Do you think it’s possible for a soul to live on after death?”

His voice was calm and even, as if he were casually chatting with Rongrong.

However, Rongrong’s body trembled violently at his words, as if struck by lightning, her heart frozen for a moment.

The room seemed to have been frozen in place.

After a while, he lazily asked, “Why aren’t you speaking?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Why was he suddenly asking her this? He couldn’t have recognized her.

Rongrong struggled to hide her fear and anxiety, looking at him in panic, and found that he had his eyes closed and wasn’t looking at her.

Thankfully, he didn’t see her, didn’t see her.

Rongrong gripped her own fingers tightly, trying to calm herself.

Judging by his tone, it seemed like he was just asking casually and wasn’t suspicious.

She forced herself to suppress her trembling body and calm down.

“Your Highness, I’ll sleep in the study.” Even though she was trying to control herself, her voice still trembled slightly.

She needed to leave immediately.

The Crown Prince still kept his eyes closed and did not respond.

He was so tall that even with the broad dragon bed, he created a solid barrier when he lay at the edge of it.

To get off the bed, she would have to cross this barrier.

It was impossible to climb over him; it would be disrespectful, and Rongrong didn’t want to be too close to him.

She decided to crawl to the foot of the bed, but just as she was about to get off, the Crown Prince reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

“Sleep here.” He kept his eyes closed, speaking with a nasal tone.

Rongrong, startled, found herself enveloped in his warm embrace.

Her hands and legs were held tightly by him. He was so long that with a slight move, he had her completely in his grasp.

She wanted to move, but her forehead was pressed against his chin, and she was tightly held in his arms.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly.

Rongrong truly didn’t understand what he meant. She felt like crying but had no tears.

He had been missing for a day and a night, and she had no idea where he had gone.

Now, upon returning, he was asking her about soul reincarnation and was holding her, saying not to be afraid.

Did he not understand that the person she feared most was him?

She understood the Empress’s intentions today.

The roundabout message was for her not to seduce the Crown Prince within six months, to ensure that the Crown Prince would marry Liang Muchen without any disturbances, at least not to the extent of causing a scandal.

The title of “noble consort” was just a carrot dangled by the Empress.

But raising Yuanbao was something Rongrong couldn’t refuse.

And now, she had just started her new duties and had ended up in the Crown Prince’s embrace, sleeping together.

If the Empress found out… Rongrong felt a chill down the back of her neck.