Yun Kui lowered her head and finally noticed the bite mark had been exposed. It was neither too high nor too low, and she had even tried to cover it with makeup, but unexpectedly, some of it had been rubbed off by her collar.
Nanny Yan, seeing the shy flush on her face, couldn’t help but smile. She decided not to tease her about this and instead asked, “Did you make some pastries for His Highness yesterday?”
Yun Kui nodded. “But he only ate a small piece.”
Nanny Yan asked, “What did His Highness say about it?”
Yun Kui fidgeted shyly. “His Highness said it was acceptable. I suppose it’s because my skills aren’t refined enough.”
Nanny Yan replied, “If His Highness didn’t like it, he wouldn’t even glance at it, let alone taste it. ‘Acceptable’ is actually a compliment from him.”
Yun Kui laughed softly, “His Highness is quite strict.”
Nanny Yan agreed, “Indeed. His Highness never indulges in food cravings and is quite picky. The kitchen prepares more than ten dishes meticulously every meal, and if he picks out three or five and takes a few bites, that’s already very good.”
Yun Kui thought to herself, such a picky person had actually stayed up late last night to eat some pastries with her after she coaxed him a bit.
Her fingers twined through a lock of hair as she recalled the passionate dream from last night, and then the scene this morning when he pinned her to the bed and kissed her. Her heart wavered with uncertainty—was he angry, or was it something else?
The dignified Crown Prince, caught dreaming of such intimate scenes, was probably embarrassed and angry, which was why he bit her hard as a form of punishment.
But if it was punishment, spanking or pinching the hand would have sufficed. Why bite *there*?
A single bite could serve as a lesson, so why did he also kiss her lips? And for so long that her lips nearly went numb.
Thinking of that moment, a strange flutter rose in Yun Kui’s heart, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
No wonder the men and women in her dream loved to kiss—it seemed truly delightful, especially when the other party was the cold, noble, and exquisitely handsome Crown Prince. When he occasionally opened his eyes during the kiss, she saw a magnified, finely chiseled, handsome face before her, making her nearly stop breathing. It was simply... more pleasurable than tasting any delicacy in the world.
How could someone be so good-looking!
And someone so good-looking would kiss her!
Even when she took the opportunity to wrap her arms tightly around his narrow waist, he just focused on kissing her without saying a word to stop her.
The feel of his waist was indescribably wonderful. His bandages had been removed, and through the thin sleeping garment, her palm pressed against the hollow of his waist, tracing the firm, sculpted muscles beneath. She felt as if she were about to float away.
She even thought that if he bit her again, she might not be able to resist...
Before she left, Nanny Yan styled her hair into a charming hanging bun. The top was gathered into a knot, fixed with pearl flowers, with two strands of hair hanging down by her ears, swaying gently like a pair of dangling rabbit ears—exceedingly cute and lovely.
In the palace, some female attendants liked to wear the hanging bun hairstyle, and it had once been quite popular. As a low-ranking palace maid serving in the bedchamber, Yun Kui’s choice of hairstyle was not inappropriate.
Yun Kui noticed Nanny Yan smiling at her continuously, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Nanny, do you think this hairpin doesn’t suit me?"
Nanny Yan chuckled warmly, "Not at all. I just thought His Highness might like it."
Yun Kui’s ears flushed slightly. "How do you know His Highness would like it?"
Nanny Yan had recalled an old story while helping her with her hair earlier.
When the Crown Prince was a child, there was an occasion when he was reading in a pavilion. A tortoiseshell lop-eared rabbit, raised by one of the ladies, had wandered into the garden and quietly hopped onto the stone table where the prince was reading.
Though still very young, the Crown Prince was not fond of animals. Princess Wenchang had once gifted him a pure white mink to play with, but he never even glanced at it and immediately sent it back through his attendants.
It could be said that the Crown Prince was only interested in studying, martial arts, and treating his chronic headaches—nothing else caught his attention.
At that moment, Cao Yuanlu, standing nearby, was about to shoo the rabbit away. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince, still reading, unconsciously began to stroke the rabbit’s ears.
The rabbit, in turn, stayed quietly by his side, soft and obedient. The sight of boy and rabbit together was a rare moment of harmony.
When the attendants came up with tea, the Crown Prince seemed to suddenly realize the rabbit was there. He withdrew his hand and ordered someone to take the rabbit away.
Later, Nanny Yan even asked if he wanted to keep a lop-eared rabbit to play with. The Crown Prince simply said, "I don’t like it," as if he had already forgotten that he had been stroking the rabbit’s ears for quite some time.
Nanny Yan guessed that the Crown Prince probably didn’t realize that his subconscious was drawn to soft, adorable things. Though his rational mind forbade him from indulging in anything unrelated to his duties, it was undeniable that everyone had their innate preferences.
Yun Kui touched her hairpin and smiled softly.
……
Deng Kang was dead. Before his death, he steadfastly insisted that the Qianyuan Platform sacrificial incident was a personal vendetta, a malicious act to clear the name of his own master.
Inside the Imperial Study, Prince Chen knelt on the floor to plead guilty, with Emperor Chunming, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Dali Temple all present.
Emperor Chunming handed over the evidence, witness testimonies, and Deng Kang’s confession to the Minister of Dali Temple, his face dark as iron. "Prince Chen, your governance has been lax. I hereby dock your salary for one year, suspend your duties for three months, and confine you for self-reflection. Any objections?"
Prince Chen immediately bowed his head. "I accept Your Majesty’s decree."
Emperor Chunming had assigned each of his adult sons to departments suited for their growth. Prince Chen was sent to the Ministry of Personnel, which directly influenced official appointments and evaluations. This placement allowed him to broaden his network, get close to court officials, and learn from Chief Minister Chen Xian, who concurrently served as Minister of Personnel. It was clearly a well-thought-out plan.
The Minister of Dali Temple, a trusted minister of Emperor Chunming, stepped forward and said, "Prince Chen was unaware of the matter. It was merely his eunuch who committed the crime. Might the punishment be too harsh, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Chunming snorted coldly, "I only regret that the punishment is too lenient."
After the two ministers left, Emperor Chunming, furious, swept the memorials off the desk, sending them crashing down onto Prince Chen.
"You’ve done a fine job!" he spat.
Prince Chen knelt on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, his eyes burning with overwhelming rage.
All those involved in the case had been punished according to their crimes. Even the veterinary officer was exiled far from the capital. Yet, unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had dug deep and unearthed the matter once again.
Now that the Crown Prince has uncovered the truth and personally brought witnesses to confront the matter, the whole affair has become common knowledge. Anyone with a shred of intelligence could easily guess that this was orchestrated by Prince Chen.
Fortunately, Deng Kang never betrayed his master until his death, and the only victim in the Eastern Palace was a minor eunuch close to the Crown Prince—not the Crown Prince himself.
How others interpret this is beyond Emperor Chunming’s control. This time, only by severely punishing Prince Chen can he silence the endless rumors and clearly demonstrate the monarch’s stance to all his subjects—
The Crown Prince is the sole heir apparent; Emperor Chunming values and protects him, allowing no one to harm the Crown Prince or those around him, not even the Empress or the Imperial Uncle.
Ordinarily, the Emperor turns a blind eye to any moves made by the Empress and the Imperial Uncle, since they share common goals. But the problem is, once a decision to act is made, no matter the outcome, it must be done cleanly and decisively—never leaving a handle for others to exploit, lest they end up shooting themselves in the foot.
It was one thing to plant spies in the Eastern Palace, but to have them all uncovered by the Crown Prince in just a few days?
Emperor Chunming hardly knows whether to praise the Crown Prince’s cleverness or condemn the Empress and Imperial Uncle’s foolish carelessness, unable even to cultivate a single reliable informant, who then easily exposed their masters.
The Crown Prince deliberately returned those two spies to the Empress and Imperial Uncle—how could they handle that? What would the court think?
The Empress could still claim that placing trusted aides near the Crown Prince was out of concern for his well-being, but how could the Imperial Uncle justify his actions?
Previously, when the Crown Prince was still poisoned by the arrow toxin, he could fool others with his confused and unclear mind—after all, he really had moments of mental fog. But now, fully recovered from his grave injuries, having purged the Eastern Palace and reopened old cases, standing in court with a clear mind, steady steps, and commanding presence—there was none of the madness or bloodlust from before.
Emperor Chunming vaguely sensed that the Crown Prince’s mental affliction was now mostly healed.
Could this be thanks to He Bailing’s efforts?
The Crown Prince even sent the Imperial Guards to investigate Feng Yu’s whereabouts. No one knows how many mysteries from that battle twenty years ago he has uncovered...
Since the Crown Prince’s return to the capital a month ago, events seem to be spiraling beyond control.
The Empress is anxious—but so is he.
After all, the one sitting on the Dragon Throne is him. More than anyone else, he yearns to seize this supreme power firmly in his grasp, to be worshipped by ministers, revered by the people, and to become the sole ruler of the realm and all under heaven.
Emperor Chunming closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then ordered an imperial edict: the Empress must copy scriptures one hundred times as penance and pray for the Crown Prince’s well-being; the Marquis of Ningde, the Imperial Uncle, was to be suspended for three months and fined for half a year.
Like Prince Chen, only severe punishment could stem the tide of rumors.
The higher the Crown Prince was lifted, the more Emperor Chunming himself could stand on the moral high ground in public opinion.
When this news reached the Eastern Palace, several officials from the Office of the Censorate were already discussing countermeasures in light of Emperor Chunming’s decision.
Everyone tacitly understood that the Emperor and Empress excelled at twisting facts, controlling the flow of rumors, and smearing the Crown Prince’s reputation—all to polish their own virtuous image.
Left Advisor believed it was time to emulate their tactics—plant loyalists close to the Empress’s royal uncle in the Eastern Palace and spread rumors of Prince Chen’s deliberate framing of the Crown Prince’s confidants, all to turn public opinion in the Crown Prince’s favor.
Left Assistant, however, feared this plan might backfire. After all, in the hearts of the common people, the Empress was a paragon of virtue and kindness, a living saint, while the Crown Prince was seen as a demon. The uninformed masses would only end up condemning the Crown Prince.
Voices buzzed below, filled with speculation and debate. The Crown Prince picked up a piece of exquisite, flaky pastry from the table, took a bite, then set it down again.
He truly disliked those crumbly, fragile treats.
But last night’s milk and water chestnut cake—though plain in appearance—was subtly sweet and soft, surprisingly to his liking.
His mind involuntarily drifted to that same sweet, tender little maid.
He even thought of the pomegranate vine embroidery on her small garment, of her skin—soft, smooth, and fragrant like freshly baked pastry… This girl, no matter how you looked at her, was all softness. Even her voice was so tender it seemed one could squeeze water from it.
Not to mention, now that he possessed the power to read minds, he could not only hear the sounds she made when he kissed her—the quickened breaths, the suppressed moans—but also her gentle, sweet inner thoughts.
Sometimes coquettish, sometimes sighing… and sometimes far more explicit, making his lower abdomen tighten with desire, urging him to claim her fiercely, leaving marks on that snowy, delicate skin.
Snapping back to reality, he realized the flaky pastry in his hand had been crushed.
The officials below were speechless.
They exchanged glances, puzzled by the Crown Prince’s sudden destruction of the snack, unaware that in that moment, he was silently deciding whose life was to be taken.
Calmly, the Crown Prince took a silk handkerchief and wiped his hands, speaking coolly: “Attend to the official matters first. The rest need not concern you.”
The officials bowed timidly in response.
As the Crown Prince returned to the Chengguang Hall, he heard light, cheerful footsteps along the corridor.
He stopped and turned his head to see the little maid approaching from the far end of the gallery, her hair styled in drooping rabbit-ear buns. Upon seeing him, she immediately restrained her smile and walked over properly to salute him: “Your Highness, good health.”
But the Crown Prince clearly heard her thoughts instead—
“Your Highness, come closer.”
His heart soared with delight.
