Chapter 72: Imperial Princes’ Study Companions

Consort Wei, who often accompanied the Emperor, knew his temperament best.

He frequently vented to her about those nosy censor-officials at court, and she took it all to heart.

But what she forgot was that, no matter how favored she was, she still had no right to speak carelessly about matters of the previous court.

What’s more, her father was the Grand Chancellor and her brother a general, which already made the Emperor wary.

Yet she saw his favor as a sign of exclusive affection—as though she alone in the harem enjoyed such privilege.

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the grand hall froze.

Before Consort Wei could even react, the Emperor’s face had darkened as though a storm cloud had descended under the table.

It seemed the recent events still hadn’t taught her why she had suddenly fallen out of favor.

Just before the New Year, Chancellor Wei had pressured him in court, and her worthless brother, with no ambition but holding military power, had only made matters worse.

To the Emperor, the Wei family had always been a threat.

He had once favored Consort Wei only for the Wei family’s usefulness.

He had thought she possessed at least some intelligence, but clearly she had overstepped.

When Consort Wei realized she had misspoken, she quickly tried to change her tone and win back his favor.

Instead, the Emperor cut her off with a decree: “Consort Wei’s improper conduct and offense toward the Empress will be punished with three months of confinement.” He also ordered that all recent rewards given to her residence, the Hall of Eternal Joy, be confiscated.

Immediately after, he had the lying palace maid thrown into the Office of Strict Discipline, likely intending to extract the truth with torture.

As for Noble Lady Yuan, who had been innocently dragged into the mess, the Emperor originally intended to say a few comforting words. But recalling her cold attitude toward him from the moment she entered the palace, he quickly lost interest and simply issued a perfunctory compensation.

At the word “reward,” Noble Lady Yuan showed no joy or gratitude on her face.

After accepting the reward and thanking the Emperor, she directly approached the Empress. “Your Majesty, Miss Xu is still unwell, and Nanny Zhao needs to stay by her side. That will leave you short on attendants. Why not let your concubine remain and serve you?”

The Emperor at the side: “…”

Xu Sanning felt a wave of relief as the palace maid was taken away.

Truthfully, even though her aunt was the Empress, she lacked the courage to speak out against the harem concubines.

From a young age, Xu Sanning had been taught to behave with modesty and restraint.

Her grandmother often told her: Flies don’t bite eggs without cracks. If she didn’t stir up trouble, she wouldn’t attract it.

That’s why she was terrified that her aunt would find out about the harassment earlier.

Uneasy, Xu Sanning closed her eyes and recalled what had happened.

She had been trying to avoid those three boys and fled to the rock garden. As she knelt to admire the beautiful koi fish in the hot spring, someone pushed her into the water from behind.

As she fell, she heard a voice behind her say: “If you die, don’t blame me. It was Her Highness Consort Wei who ordered me. Don’t come haunting me.”

But she hadn’t died.

If her grandmother ever learned what happened today, she would scold her for being improper—for appearing alone in an unfrequented place.

She’d also say she caused trouble for her aunt and would likely forbid her from entering the palace again.

The more she thought about it, the more ashamed she felt, and she lowered her head guiltily.

Yao Yao was the first to notice Xu Sanning’s mood. Her porcelain-doll face was far too delicate to ignore.

Noticing the look from Yao Yao, Xu Sanning instinctively looked up to meet her eyes.

Her peripheral vision unintentionally fell on Xie Yixing beside Yao Yao. She snuck a few more glances before quickly retracting her gaze.

This young heir of the Marquis of Chengming certainly didn’t resemble the monstrous rumors about him.

Not only was he handsome, but he also seemed calm and composed.

At least, far better than certain other people who entered the palace with them.

Thinking back on the vulgar words those three boys had said to her made her feel sick to her stomach.

Her body shuddered involuntarily. Then she noticed Yao Yao had come to her side and taken her hand.

“Sister, you’re so skinny~” Yao Yao said cheerfully. “My mama says girls our age should eat more so we grow taller. Come, I’ll take you to eat some pastries! The pastries here are delicious—you can’t even buy them outside~”

Yao Yao acted as though the palace were her home.

The Emperor, by now, had grown used to the little girl’s boldness and let her be.

After all, she’d only been in the palace for half a day. A little child couldn’t cause much trouble.

The Empress was even more pleased. Seeing Yao Yao being kind to her niece, she immediately waved for more pastries to be brought, letting the child eat to her heart’s content.

The Emperor had originally planned to test Xie Yixing on his studies. But the moment Yao Yao led Xu Sanning away, Xie Yixing followed right after her, almost sticking to her side, not even sparing the Emperor a glance.

The Emperor felt entirely defeated today. The only one who ever tried to please him—Consort Wei—was now under house arrest.

Sigh. Forget it.

If other people’s children wouldn’t pay him any mind, at least he could spend time with his own, right?

He asked after the Crown Prince. The attendants replied that he was practicing archery.

Asked about the Second Prince—he had taken the Third Prince fishing.

Asked about the Fourth Prince—he had tripped and was being soothed by his nanny.

As for the Fifth Prince—he was still too young and couldn’t even speak properly yet.

The Emperor’s face turned grim again, but suddenly recalled the bold, chubby girl who had dared confront him earlier. His mood immediately lifted.

That child was rather interesting.

An idea suddenly flashed in his mind, and he turned to the Empress. “Don’t we still have a few princes without study companions? Why not choose some today?”

The Empress nodded in agreement, but the Emperor quickly added, “Junhe has grown a bit spoiled thanks to Consort Wei’s indulgence. But he’s not beyond saving. How about assigning that little girl to be Junhe’s study companion? That girl is clever—she might help fix Junhe’s bad habits.”

The Empress’s smile stiffened.

To assign that sweet, chubby darling Yao Yao to be Junhe’s study companion? Only the Emperor would come up with such an idea! Wasn’t he worried that if Junhe annoyed her, she might whip him out of spite?

Junhe was indeed pampered by Consort Wei, but who had allowed that to happen if not the Emperor himself?

Still, the Empress didn’t say it outright. She only gently advised, “Your Majesty, have you forgotten that on New Year’s Eve, Junhe had a dispute at a teahouse in the capital with the young heir of the Marquis of Chengming?”

That chubby little girl was also from the Marquis’s household. What if Junhe held a grudge and bullied her?

But the Emperor waved it off, “Kids fight one moment and forget the next. No need to take it too seriously. I’ll have a word with Junhe—he won’t dare lay a finger on her.”

Hearing his assurance, the Empress still felt uneasy.

After all, she wasn’t the Emperor’s own child, and he wouldn’t feel heartache for her.

Study companions in the palace didn’t have a fixed residence. They had to arrive before dawn and couldn’t leave until nightfall.

There was one rest day a week when they didn’t have to enter the palace, but for children from wealthy or noble households, such a schedule was a hardship.

That’s why most study companions chosen for the princes and princesses were children of lesser officials or concubine-born children from noble families—those with no high status, who wouldn’t dare challenge a prince, and wouldn’t whine about hardship.

But Yao Yao was clearly a pampered, well-fed little girl. Could her parents really bear to let her suffer like this in the palace?