Yun Kui, who served in the inner palace, had never witnessed such a grand imperial banquet before, let alone such a fierce and exhilarating performance by warriors. The thunderous drumbeats, the powerful movements, and the robust muscles left her utterly awestruck, her blood boiling with excitement.
Just as she marveled inwardly, a sudden chill crept up her spine. When she snapped back to her senses, she realized the Crown Prince’s dark, gloomy eyes were fixed coldly upon her.
Yun Kui’s heart skipped a beat. "Your Highness… do you require anything?"
The Crown Prince tapped the table lightly. "Shell hazelnuts for me."
She glanced at the high-footed dish before him, filled to the brim with hazelnuts, and stammered, "H-how many?"
"Start with these," he replied.
Yun Kui was baffled. He usually had little interest in indulging in food, especially nuts like hazelnuts and almonds—they would be served untouched and taken away. Yet today, he demanded she shell an entire plate!
Reluctantly stealing one last glance at the bronze-masked lead dancer, she lowered her head and picked up the tools to crack the nuts.
When cheers erupted from the banquet, she instinctively looked up—only to meet the Crown Prince’s icy stare again.
A suspicion crept into her mind. She muttered under her breath, "Your Highness, are you forbidding me from watching the performance?"
The Crown Prince’s voice was frosty. "Is this just an ordinary performance?"
"Isn’t it?" she asked timidly. "They’re performing openly, and everyone is watching openly. Should I gouge my own eyes out?"
"You are my bedchamber maid," he reminded her sharply. "No other noblewoman is staring so shamelessly at men."
Yun Kui craned her neck to peer past the screen separating the women’s section. Surely, with such stirring music and thunderous drums, at least one of the hundreds of noblewomen and consorts was looking up?
How could anyone resist?!
But before she could spot any noblewomen, her gaze collided with the Sixth Prince seated not far away.
The Sixth Prince, surprised to see Yun Kui, was about to wave when the Crown Prince’s frigid glare swept over him. The prince flinched and immediately pretended to engage in conversation with the Fourth Prince beside him.
The Crown Prince slowly withdrew his gaze, his jaw clenched.
Yun Kui was now certain—the Crown Prince simply forbade her from looking at other men! Not the Sixth Prince, not even the performers.
"Hiding yourself away and not letting anyone look, yet forbidding me from looking at others? Is this the magnanimity of the future emperor?"
"If you were willing to let me look at you every day, would I even care about others?!"
She puffed her cheeks indignantly, but the sight of the Crown Prince’s clenched fists and bulging veins made her shrink back. With a resigned sigh, she lowered her head and continued shelling hazelnuts.
In the women’s section, only a few bold princesses and noblewomen dared to openly admire the bare-chested performance. The rest kept their heads down, chatting quietly.
Among them sat the Marchioness of Wuning with her married daughter, Jiang Qingci.
The Marquis of Wuning was a seasoned warrior, once Emperor Jingyou’s most trusted general. Now, he and his son fought alongside the Crown Prince in the southern campaigns, serving as his right-hand men. Jiang Qingci had married Shen Yanyu, the fourth-ranked Grand Secretary, and now held the title of a noblewoman.
As palace maids bustled about, refilling tea cups, one accidentally tipped her teapot, spilling tea onto Jiang Qingci’s sleeve.
The maid immediately knelt in apology, wiping the stain. "Forgive me, my lady! It was an accident. Please allow me to escort you to a side chamber to change."
With her winter robes damp and uncomfortable, Jiang Qingci excused herself from her mother and followed the maid to the side chamber.
The moment she stepped inside, an overpoweringly sweet incense assaulted her senses. The room was warmed by charcoal, but instead of comfort, a strange dizziness clouded her mind. Assuming it was the stuffy air, she paid it little heed.
The maid guided her to a set of robes prepared in advance.
For such grand banquets, Concubine Yin had arranged over a dozen spare robes, anticipating accidents. On New Year’s Eve, with its dazzling lantern displays, mishaps like shoving, falls, or even drownings were common—better to be prepared.
As Jiang Qingci undressed, she felt no chill. Instead, her body grew warm and numb. Her vision blurred, and her limbs weakened.
Alarmed, she called for her maid—but the girl, who had been right behind her, was nowhere to be found.
Panicked, she tried to leave, but her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor.
The maid who had spilled the tea swiftly moved her onto the bed.
Back at the banquet, the performance continued. The Crown Prince’s table was laden with delicacies.
Yun Kui finished shelling the last hazelnut and dusted her hands. Among the serving maids, she spotted a familiar face—Shan Tao, her former roommate from the Imperial Kitchen.
Shan Tao set down a dish of braised goose feet in wine, winked at her, and Yun Kui smiled back. As she watched Shan Tao leave, the girl gestured for her to follow.
It had been two months since they last met, and Yun Kui hadn’t even had a chance to greet her properly under the Crown Prince’s watchful gaze.
She pushed the bowl of hazelnuts toward him. "Your Highness, I’ve finished."
The Crown Prince gave a noncommittal hum, making no move to eat them.
Studying his expression carefully, Yun Kui ventured with a bright smile, "Your Highness, I saw an old friend from the Imperial Kitchen. May I step out to speak with her?"
To her surprise, the Crown Prince acquiesced with rare patience. "Go."
Delighted, she thanked him and hurried out, lifting her skirts.
The Crown Prince flicked a glance at Qin Ge behind him.
Understanding immediately, Qin Ge said, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I’ll send guards to discreetly protect Miss Yun Kui."
The Crown Prince frowned, as if about to say something, then waved him off dismissively.
Meanwhile, in the women’s section, Concubine Yu rose to excuse herself from Concubine Yin.
Fearing the Ninth Prince might be frightened by the Crown Prince, she had left him in the care of palace maids to view the lanterns in the imperial garden. He should have arrived by now.
As the highest-ranking noblewoman present, Concubine Yin adopted an uncharacteristically haughty tone. "The Ninth Prince is unruly. You must discipline him strictly. Once he recovers, bring him to the Eastern Palace to apologize to the Crown Prince."
Though inwardly displeased, Concubine Yu nodded obediently.
From afar, the Crown Prince noticed her departure and signaled Cao Yuanlu to have her followed.
As the banquet reached its third round of drinks, a flustered servant hurried in.
The man lingered near the Crown Prince’s seat before finally stepping forward. "Your Highness, this servant is from Chaoyang Hall. There’s urgent news to report…"
The Crown Prince arched a brow, intrigued. "Oh?"
The young eunuch hesitated, lowering his voice with great difficulty as he forced out a few words: "Your favored bedchamber maid... she was caught in the side hall with an actor... in an intimate embrace. Chief Steward Lin witnessed it himself. You must go at once!"
The man likely hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to remain so composed. His most beloved concubine had been caught in an affair, yet he showed no reaction—how could he still sit so calmly?
The eunuch grew uneasy and attempted to urge him again: "Your Highness, Chief Steward Lin awaits your personal judgment!"
If the Crown Prince doesn’t go to catch them in the act, the plan won’t proceed!
Only then did the Crown Prince feign fury, rising to his feet with a cold command: "Lead the way."
Across the hall, the Heir of Ningde Marquis watched as the Crown Prince departed, his eyes narrowing slowly.
For years, the Empress and his father had exhausted every means to eliminate the Crown Prince—assassination, poison, drugs—yet all had failed in the end.
Tonight, he had laid a trap in the side hall. By dawn, the Crown Prince would be condemned by all, abandoned by even his closest allies.
Clenching his wine cup, he estimated the timing was right. Just as he prepared to invite Emperor Chunming, Marquis of Wuning, and others to witness the spectacle, his trusted aide rushed in, drenched in cold sweat, whispering urgently into his ear.
The Heir of Ningde Marquis paled instantly, nearly crushing the cup in his grip.
"What happened?"
"Concubine Yu had gone to the imperial gardens to find the Ninth Prince but was accidentally jostled in the corridor, staining her robes. She then entered the side hall to change... My lord, rest assured, our men are watching closely. The Crown Prince’s path has been blocked, and the side hall remains secure for now. But Concubine Yu is inside with that lead dancer... their clothes in disarray. I dared not risk extracting her without your orders..."
His face twisted with fury, the Heir of Ningde Marquis shot to his feet. "Seal the side hall immediately—no one is to approach! And send someone to divert the Crown Prince—no, wait! Have Qi Lian take his men and strike tonight! The Crown Prince must not live to see another dawn!"
He could no longer remain calm. The Crown Prince must not witness what was happening in that room. If he hurried now, he might still save her.
The aphrodisiac had no antidote. He couldn’t leave her to be defiled by some lowly actor.
He knew Chaoyang Hall well—he could hide her away.
But he refused to wait any longer! Whether this was a mishap or a scheme, once the Crown Prince was dead, the banquet would descend into chaos, and all problems would resolve themselves.
Gritting his teeth, the Heir of Ningde Marquis pushed open the doors of the side hall—only to hear the faint, breathless moans of a woman.
A voice he knew all too well.
It was her.
He swiftly extinguished the incense burner, then strode past the screen. There, Concubine Yu lay sprawled across the bed, cheeks flushed, limbs limp—but the actor was nowhere to be seen.
Wait. The actor?
A chill shot down his spine. Something was wrong.
Where was Chief Steward Lin? The actor? None were here!
Even Jiang Qingci, the daughter of Marquis of Wuning, who should have been present, was missing. Not a single servant remained—only Concubine Yu.
He realized in an instant—someone had lured him here.
Was it the Crown Prince? Or Emperor Chunming?
But his affair with Concubine Yu had been kept secret—even the Empress knew nothing. His father only had suspicions, never proof. Who could have exposed them?
A sharp pain lanced through his skull, as if split by a blade. His vision darkened, sweat drenching him as terror and fury threatened to consume him whole.
Then, the woman on the bed trembled, whispering his name: "Huaichuan... Huaichuan, is it you...?"
Xie Huaichuan froze. The last thread of restraint in his mind snapped.
Her soft, pleading voice coiled around him—the woman he longed for day and night, the one who belonged to him. How could he abandon her now?
He strode forward, gathering her into his arms. "Xuan, don’t be afraid. I’ll take you away—"
But the aphrodisiac had taken full effect. Her limbs were weak, her body scorching as she clung to him like ivy.
"Huaichuan... I’ve missed you so much..."
His breath hitched. Tipping his head back, he fought for control, his chest heaving.
Though he had extinguished the incense, traces of the aphrodisiac lingered in the air. Perhaps it was the remnants clouding his judgment—or perhaps it was her pliant body pressed against him, just as he had dreamed countless times. How could he let go?
But this was no place for intimacy. Clenching his fists, he forced himself to think.
Taking her now would only draw more attention. His aide might already be compromised...
His gaze snapped to the latticed window.
The only way was to leave first, find a maid from Baohua Hall to tend to her. Even if they were discovered later, with no man in the room, there would be no scandal to expose...
He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, murmuring, "Xuan, we’ve been set up. If I stay, we’ll both die. Let me find help—just wait here a little longer, alright?"
But as he tried to rise, her fevered breath brushed his skin—followed by the soft press of her lips...
Outside Chaoyang Hall—
Qin Ge approached with a report. "The Ninth Prince is in our grasp. Shall we proceed, Your Highness?"
The Crown Prince smirked. "Let us invite His Majesty to enjoy the spectacle."
A pity the Empress and Marquis of Ningde were absent—the show would have been even more thrilling.
Then a thought struck him. "Where is Yun Kui?"
Qin Ge hesitated. "She... encountered a fellow villager among the guards. They are speaking near the tea room."
The Crown Prince’s expression darkened instantly.
---
Yun Kui had been chatting with Shan Tao when she spotted Li Meng among the patrol at Chaoyang Gate.
Li Meng, unaware she now served as the Crown Prince’s bedchamber maid, excused himself from duty to greet her.
"I’d forgotten—you serve in the Imperial Kitchen. Are you here for the banquet?"
True to his name, Li Meng was tall and brawny.
Leading him to a secluded spot, Yun Kui smiled. "I serve in the Eastern Palace now. I came with His Highness today."
At the mention of the Eastern Palace, Li Meng’s eye twitched. "The Eastern Palace? I heard the Crown Prince recently purged his household. You...?"
Yun Kui waved a hand. "His Highness knows my loyalty. He wouldn’t harm me."
If the Crown Prince kept her by his side... did that mean...?
Li Meng glanced around nervously. "Since you serve the Crown Prince directly, I should..."
I should flee while I can!
If the Crown Prince caught him speaking privately with his maid, he’d be dead!
Yun Kui sighed. "Ah, you don’t understand. Though His Highness is ruthless, with a reputation like a wolf or tiger..."
As Yun Kui was speaking, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
Li Meng, catching sight of the tall, dark figure looming behind her, nearly collapsed to his knees in fright.
Yun Kui turned around in a daze—
Only to meet the icy, murderous gaze of the Crown Prince.
What had she just been saying? That His Highness was "ferocious as a wolf," "ruthless in his methods," and "had a terrible reputation"...
"Ahhhh, I'm dead!"
The Crown Prince takes his wife out for a stroll, only to find her ogling ten thousand men.
