“Master, someone has come to report that Old Duke An has arrived and is waiting at the Eastern Palace gate,” Fuquan said urgently outside the door.

Old Duke An?

Rongrong couldn’t help but worry, “Why would the old duke come at this hour? It’s getting dark.”

“I’ll go check it out. You don’t need to fuss; we don’t want to end up having him stay for dinner and making things worse.” The Crown prince, unsure of the old duke’s purpose, thought after yesterday’s events that the old man was unlikely to cause trouble.

He removed the cloth Rongrong had applied to his arm and, shaking his sleeves, went outside.

Fuquan, seeing him come out, whispered, “The old duke didn’t say why he’s here, but the doorman reported that he brought four carriages with him.”

The Crown prince didn’t respond and quickly walked toward the main gate.

Old Duke An hadn’t been involved in affairs for many years, but the prince knew if the old man wanted to cause trouble, even the emperor would have a headache.

He wondered what kind of show the old man was planning at the East Palace.

When the prince arrived at the East Palace gate, Old Duke An had already entered.

The staff, not daring to neglect him, had moved a grand chair for him to sit in the corridor, offering tea and a fan, treating him with great respect.

Seeing the prince approach, Old Duke An snorted, “You’re not young anymore but act so high and mighty.”

The Crown prince, unfazed and unwilling to engage in a verbal sparring match, asked calmly, “Grandfather, you’ve come in a hurry. What is the matter?”

“Nothing special, just came to take a look and bring some gifts,” Old Duke An said, noticing the crown prince’s sarcastic look. “Since I’m here, aren’t you going to invite me in to sit?”

“Grandfather, you’re already seated.”

“You brat!” Old Duke An scolded him but wasn’t too angry. “I didn’t come to see you; where’s my great-grandson Yuanbao?”

“Yuanbao is at a banquet in the palace today and will return later.”

“Oh, I see. I brought many good things for Yuanbao, so I’ll wait for him.” Old Duke An chuckled, stood up from the grand chair, and walked inside.

Despite his age, he moved quickly and efficiently, soon disappearing from view.

The Crown prince, though displeased, couldn’t physically stop him, so he followed.

As with previous emperors, the crown prince lived in the Eastern Palace, and since the current emperor was once the crown prince, Old Duke An had frequently visited before.

Thus, he knew the way without needing guidance.

He soon reached the front of Yuhua Palace. The crown prince caught up and stood on the steps to block his path.

“Hey, is there something you don’t want me to see?”

The crown prince said coldly, “There’s nothing for you to see.”

Old Duke An saw his attitude and, instead of getting angry, chuckled, “So, Yuanbao is living with you in Yuhua Palace now?”

“Yes,” the crown prince replied, already irritated with the old duke, but since the old duke hadn’t said anything too outrageous, he had to endure and answer.

“Then… aren’t the other palaces in the Eastern Palace empty?”

The crown prince found the old duke’s words a bit strange and immediately stopped responding, giving him a cold stare.

Old Duke An grinned and said, “I remember there is also Fengyang Palace behind Yuhua Palace, which is quite elegantly done. Since it’s empty now, why not let me stay there?”

“You want to stay?” The crown prince was amused. “Grandfather, why aren’t you staying in your own An Guo Duke’s residence? Why come to my Eastern Palace to cause trouble?”

“Look at your attitude. I’m here to help you.” Old Duke An’s eyes turned shrewd, and he sighed repeatedly. “You’re over twenty and still don’t have a wife. I’ve heard you personally accompany Yuanbao to sleep every night… At this rate, by the time Yuanbao gets married, you’ll still be single!”

This remark…

Seeing the change in the crown prince’s expression, Old Duke An Guo knew his words had hit the mark.

Before coming to the Eastern Palace today, he had thought long and hard about his strategy.

Seizing the moment, he said, “As Yuanbao’s great-grandfather, I feel very guilty for neglecting him these past four years. If you let me have Fengyang Palace, I can stay there with Yuanbao, and you’ll have one less worry at night.”

You old man!

The crown prince cursed inwardly but couldn’t come up with a rebuttal.

The old man had actually come to the Eastern Palace to take care of Yuanbao—what timely help!

Suppressing his excitement, the crown prince finally said, “Yuanbao recognizes people, and he won’t stay with anyone, not even the Empress Mother.”

The old duke had already inquired about this before coming, but his nature was to never admit defeat.

The more unlikely it seemed, the more he was determined to make it happen.

“How would you know without trying?” Old Duke An Guo insisted. “Give me a day to try. If Yuanbao doesn’t want to stay with me tonight, I’ll move out by tomorrow morning!”

The crown prince remained silent.

He didn’t like the old man, who was opportunistic and changed his attitude faster than an actor changes costumes.

Yet, the old man was incredibly cunning and knew exactly what he needed.

He had promised Rong Rong that he wouldn’t touch her before giving her a proper title, but the time for that was not far off.

If Yuanbao continued to crowd them every day, his happiness would indeed be greatly reduced.

Seeing that the crown prince did not protest, Old Duke An Guo cunningly waved at Fu Quan, “Bring some strong men over to help me move!”

Fu Quan looked at the crown prince and, seeing no objections, knew that the old duke had brought the right gift.

He quickly bowed and directed several people to take the old duke to Fengyang Palace.

After the old man’s figure disappeared, Fu Quan leaned in and said to the crown prince, “It turns out that the four carts of things were all for him. With so many carts of things moved into Fengyang Palace, it will be quite a hassle to move them out.”

The old duke’s seniority meant he couldn’t just be thrown out of the Eastern Palace with his carriage.

Even if the crown prince wanted to prevent him from entering, it wouldn’t be appropriate to eject him and his carriage entirely.

The crown prince remained silent.

He didn’t want the old man staying in the Eastern Palace, but if the old duke could take good care of Yuanbao, it might make things easier in the future…

“Master, Miss Rongrong is asking where dinner will be served tonight.”

“Let’s have it at Suyi Hall.”

Suyi Hall was the proper dining area for the Eastern Palace.

Since the Eastern Palace had been quiet and seldom hosted guests, the crown prince and Yuanbao usually dined in Yuhua Palace.

With Old Duke An’s arrival today, the crown prince didn’t want him in Yuhua Palace, so Suyi Hall was the most suitable option.

The kitchen had prepared the meal according to the standards for a family banquet, considering the old duke’s age.

The dishes were light and included chicken strips with white fungus, pearl fish balls, eight-treasure rabbit cubes, and mushroom duck feet.

When the table was set at Suyi Hall, Fuquan went to invite the old duke over.

Seeing the crown prince seated and glancing at the food, Old Duke An squinted and smiled as he took his seat. “Just the two of us?”

“Is there anyone else?” the crown prince replied.

“There are others in the palace, aren’t there? Aren’t you going to call them to greet their elder?” The old duke calmly adjusted his beard.

The crown prince put down his chopsticks and looked at the old duke with a measured gaze.

“Are you sure?”

The old duke An gave the prince a meaningful smile. “I may be old, but my words still carry weight. Treat me as your grandfather; you won’t regret it.”

“Fine, but if you say anything inappropriate, don’t blame me for being harsh,” the crown prince said, signaling Fuquan. “Call Rongrong here.”

Fuquan complied and left.

The crown prince gave the old duke a cold stare. “Your grandson isn’t here to joke around with you.”

“Neither am I here to joke with you.”

The crown prince smiled. “You’ve criticized me for four years and Yuanbao in secret for the same amount of time. I want to see if you’ve truly changed.”

“Humph! I did criticize you, but I’ve never criticized Yuanbao,” the old duke An replied with a sneer. “If I wanted to deal with you, would I need to come to your Eastern Palace and put on a show?”

Indeed.

Old Duke An was a man of principles, always prioritizing family over reason.

When the crown prince had dismissed his most beloved granddaughter, Chen Jianru, he scolded the crown prince, then the Empress, and then not even the Emperor was spared.

Now that he had recognized Yuanbao, who resembled his first wife, as his close kin, he could act as if nothing had happened, allowing the crown prince to walk all over him.

The crown prince frowned slightly, about to speak, when a palace servant announced that Rong Rong had arrived.

“Let her in.”

Moments later, Rong Rong walked in gracefully.

Tonight, Old Duke An was to stay in the East Palace for dinner.

Rong Rong had planned to avoid the situation by preparing the meal herself, but since she was summoned, she had to comply.

She called for Su Xin, quickly tidied herself up, changed into a refreshing turquoise gauze dress, and styled her hair into a simple single bun.

Su Xin, skilled with hairpins, added a begonia-patterned jade pin, which enhanced the overall look.

“Your Highness,” Rong Rong first looked at the crown prince.

The crown prince nodded. “Today, your grandfather is here; you should pay your respects to him.”

Rong Rong’s face flushed.

The request seemed odd.

Why was she being asked to greet Old Duke An?

The crown prince spoke in such a familiar manner, as if addressing a wife, but considering Old Duke An Guo’s previous outrage over the marriage of the Princess of Qing, was this a deliberate attempt to provoke him by having her come over?

Rong Rong cast a resentful glance at him and then turned to Old Duke An Guo, bowing, “This humble girl, Xue Rongrong, greets the Duke.”

“Sit down. Let’s have a meal without all these formalities,” Old Duke An Guo said with a smile.

His face was now smiling, and his voice was loud yet very friendly, a stark contrast to the fierce lion he had been in the Eastern Palace’s main hall the previous day.

Rong Rong glanced at the crown prince again. Seeing him smiling, she followed his instructions and sat beside him.

Once seated, she could see Old Duke An Guo’s face clearly, which made her momentarily dazed.

Previously, as a maid, she would stand by while her masters dined.

Later, having spent more time in the East Palace, she occasionally dined with Yuanbao and the prince, but only within Yuhua Palace.

Today was different—she was dining outside Yuhua Palace, sharing the table with Old Duke An Guo.

Rong Rong felt a bit disoriented.

“Taste this,” the crown prince said, picking up a spoon and serving her a pearl fish ball.

The fish ball was made from freshly caught yellow fish, hand-mixed after removing the bones, with a white, delicate texture, resembling pearls in the soup.

Rong Rong held the bowl, feeling her face flush.

She was unsure what the crown prince was up to.

Usually, when in Yuhua Palace, he never served her such delicacies.

Was he trying to provoke her or embarrass her in front of Old Duke An Guo?

Rong Rong cautiously looked at Old Duke An Guo, who then pushed a bowl of chicken shreds and white fungus soup toward her, saying, “Young lady, you should eat more of this. It’s good for your health.”

The crown prince’s eyes were full of disdain.

The old man was indeed thick-skinned.

Rong Rong was surprised and flustered by the attention, quickly taking the soup bowl, “Thank you for your concern, Duke. I can manage on my own.”

Old Duke An Guo nodded and then asked, “How old are you, young lady?”

“Eighteen,” Rong Rong replied.

“Ah, the perfect age, very good! How long have you known Liu Zhen?”

Rong Rong’s face reddened, “Not long, I only met His Highness the Crown Prince last year.”