People were coming and going at the Crown Prince’s Mansion, and things were complicated. The Crown Princess was very busy normally and had little free time.

Today, Changping Gōngzhǔ came to the palace, and the Crown Princess kept her temper and talked with her. After having lunch and spending a long time with her admiring flowers and trees in the garden, Changping Gōngzhǔ left.

As soon as Changping Gōngzhǔ left, the Crown Princess immediately breathed a long sigh of relief and said to herself: “Fortunately, she only comes here two or three times a month. If she comes once every few days, it would be a headache.”

It was okay for the Crown Princess to talk about it, but no maids on the side dared to answer this question.

Ye nǚguān ^[1]lady officials of the Palace motioned the maids to step back with her eyes, and then said in a low voice: “If the Crown Princess does not want to see Her Royal Highness, in the future when Her Royal Highness the Princess hands over the name card, the servant will say that you have something to do, and just stop her.”

The Crown Princess’s eyes flashed. Then she said calmly: “No need. I just need to spend more time and energy to deal with her.”

Although she looked down upon Changping’s frivolous and dissolute manner, after all, they were relatives by marriage. Changping was also greatly favored, so she couldn’t simply shut her out, and she ended up just going along with it.

“Since I have responded to the Ling family, please remember to ask someone to arrange an empty guest room nearby. In a few days, the Ling family sister and brother will come to the door, and you have someone lead them there.”

Ye nǚguān responded: “Yes, this servant has noted it down.”

The Crown Princess thought for a while and then ordered: “Go to the Imperial Grandson’s yard and give my message. When the Imperial Grandson returns home, let him come to see me.”

Ye nǚguān responded and quietly retreated.

The Crown Princess sat alone for a moment, thinking of something, and the smile on her face quietly disappeared.

…

It was getting late.

The exquisite octagonal palace lanterns were lit in the Crown Princess’s room, illuminating the dining room brightly.

The Crown Princess and the Crown Prince were sitting at the red sandalwood dining table, which was filled with all kinds of pastries, porridge, and various dishes.

The Crown Prince had handsome features, but his face was slightly pale, with a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and a few strands of white hair on his temples. Mixed in the black hair, it was particularly eye-catching.

Compared with the beautiful, elegant, and young Crown Princess, the Crown Prince who was just over thirty years old looked a little bit old and did not match his age.

The Imperial Grandson stepped into the inner hall and greeted the Crown Prince and Crown Princess: “Your son pays respects to father and mother.”

“Okay, there are no outsiders here, so there is no need to pay attention to these false etiquettes.” The Crown Princess smiled and waved to the Imperial Grandson: “Come quickly and sit down. Wait. Let’s talk after eating.”

The Crown Prince also smiled and said, “Yes. The family banquet is informal.”

The Imperial Grandson performed the ritual with precision and then calmly sat down at the dining table. His demeanor was composed, and his manners were excellent. Even the most discerning person couldn’t find a single fault.

That handsome and striking face. It exuded cold air that kept strangers away.

The Crown Princess accustomed to his demeanor, couldn’t help but criticize him with a few words: “You, when you’re outside, you always have to maintain a serious demeanor, not showing any emotions or laughing unnecessarily. But now, it’s just me and your father here, with no outsiders around. Why are you still keeping such a stern expression?”

He didn’t even smile at his mother, which was really sad to see.

The Imperial Grandson didn’t even move his eyebrows and said calmly: “Mother, my son is born like this, it’s not that I have a sullen face on purpose.”

…And yet you have the nerve to say you’re not keeping a stern expression!

The Crown Princess looked at her expressionless son. She was angry and amused at the same time: “That’s all, I won’t talk about you anymore. Let’s eat while it’s hot! If you have anything to say, we’ll talk about it after dinner.”

She specifically asked him to come over. Sure enough, she had something to say. The Imperial Grandson thought calmly.

The Crown Prince looked at his son who had matured into a man who was no less dignified than him. He felt relieved in his heart, but he couldn’t help but sigh secretly.

He was physically weak and needed to rest for a long time. Most of the affairs in the Eastern Palace fell on his son. Only major decisions were made by him.

For a young man who was not yet an adult to shoulder such a heavy burden, he must put in far more thought and energy than anyone could imagine. It also forced Ah Yao to grow up quickly. Naturally, he lost the liveliness and vitality that a teenager of this age should have.

The Imperial Grandson noticed the Crown Prince’s apologetic and loving gaze and felt a warmth in his heart. He took the initiative to pick up a piece of fish for the Crown Prince and said: “Father likes to eat fish, eat more.”

He didn’t like to talk much by nature, and there was no special expression on his face.

There was a smile on the Crown Prince’s face: “Don’t worry about me. Eat it yourself!”

The Imperial Grandson hummed and lowered his head to eat in silence.

…

Eating in silence, sleeping without speaking.

The family of three finished their dinner in silence. Then they moved to the inner hall next door to talk.

The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess each took their seats, and the Imperial Grandson sat next to the prince, looking calm. The Crown Princess didn’t open her mouth, so he didn’t speak either, as if she was competing to see who was more patient.

It was evident. Mothers always found it hard to resist their sons.

The Crown Princess cleared her throat and broke the silence: “Ah Yao, are you unaware of something that happened in the mansion today while you were away?”

The Imperial Grandson raised his eyebrows: “What is it?”

The Crown Princess said slowly: “Today there were guests in the house, the family members of Langzhong Si Ling, the Minister of Industry…” As she spoke, she paid careful attention to the changes in her son’s expression.

The Ling family was here?

The Imperial Grandson’s expression moved slightly, and he subconsciously asked, “What were they doing here?” Was Seventh Miss Ling here too?

This sentence was not asked.

The Crown Princess saw it from the subtle changes in his expression, and her heart suddenly sank. This Ling Jingshu was indeed no ordinary person. In such a short period of time, she left a deep impression on him.

“You once rescued Seventh Miss Ling, and also rewarded their siblings with famous posts. Why did you never tell me these things?” The Crown Princess asked rhetorically without answering.

The Imperial Grandson quickly calmed down all his expressions and replied calmly: “It’s just a small matter, I forgot to mention it for a moment.”

“You forgot, but the Ling family didn’t forget.” The Crown Princess said “Ling family” intentionally or unintentionally. Three words, the meaning behind the words was self-explanatory: “Today they came here specially because they had something to ask for.”

After saying this, she deliberately kept quiet and refused to talk more. She picked up the teacup and drank the tea slowly and leisurely.

This time, the person who couldn’t hold back his patience was the Imperial Grandson.

“Mother, what business did the Ling family have when they visited?” asked the Imperial Grandson.

The Crown Princess succinctly explained what happened: “…They came here this time because they hope to come to the house every five days. After the Imperial Physician Wei diagnoses your father’s pulse, he will be administering acupuncture treatment to the Ling family’s young master. I didn’t want to accept this matter. But Madam Ling specifically mentioned that you had saved Seventh Miss Ling. For your sake, I nodded in agreement.”

Every sentence seemed to carry a hidden meaning, full of profound implications.

(To be continued.)