Yun Kui felt something was very off.
When he mentioned "well water," she was already deeply suspicious. Now, hearing him say "mnemonic chant," her confusion only grew.
How did he know she had been silently reciting that chant in her mind?
Before she could even ask, the man was already trailing delicate kisses down the side of her ear.
She shivered from the ticklish sensation, trying to push him away. "Your Highness, do you... know what I'm thinking?"
The Crown Prince's expression darkened. "Is your mind so hard to decipher?"
Yun Kui began doubting herself again.
After all, mind-reading was an esoteric concept—something she’d only encountered in fantastical tales. If not for his eerily accurate responses, she would never have considered it possible.
But if he truly could read her thoughts... then all those improper, audacious things she’d imagined about him—had he heard every single one?
She knew exactly how shameless her mind was. From the moment she first laid eyes on the Crown Prince, her thoughts had spiraled into indecent fantasies. Sharing a bed with him? Her mind was a whirlwind of desire. Attending his bath? A visual feast, a hedonistic paradise...
If her thoughts were ever made real, the Crown Prince wouldn’t be the Crown Prince anymore—he’d be Consort Xiao, the most favored concubine of Her Majesty the Empress of Dazhao, Yun Kui the Magnificent!
As for why she wouldn’t make him empress? Well, she couldn’t have him growing spoiled from too much indulgence...
The Crown Prince: "..."
That was a new one.
Not only did she often refer to herself as "We" in her mind, but she also worried about him becoming "spoiled" and thus only granted him the title of consort.
Good. Very good.
He suppressed the fury simmering in his chest, but his fingers betrayed him, tightening just enough to make her whimper.
"Your Highness?!"
"Focus," he growled, his warm breath brushing her ear, sending an eerie shiver down her spine.
She forced herself to calm down, clinging to the comforting delusion that mind-reading didn’t exist. If it did, the Crown Prince would have had her executed for treason the very night he woke from his injuries. Why spare her until now?
No, he was simply too perceptive—or perhaps she’d muttered something incriminating in her dazed state!
Yes, that had to be it.
Still unsure, she ventured cautiously, "Your Highness, how did you know about the mnemonic chant I was reciting?"
Suddenly, the Crown Prince decided against admitting the truth. He wanted to see just how bold she could be—and how much of her flattery was genuine.
He feigned indifference. "Do you really think I didn’t know what books you bought on the Lantern Festival?"
Yun Kui’s face burned. "T-that was a gift from the shopkeeper! Or maybe a mistake—yes, definitely a mistake!"
The Crown Prince scoffed. "I’ve turned a blind eye to how often you’ve studied those pages, but don’t assume I’m ignorant of it."
Her confusion deepened. Had she been reading aloud without realizing? Impossible!
Before she could dwell further, he flipped her onto her stomach.
Any thoughts of mind-reading vanished as he took control. None of those so-called "secret techniques" or "shop’s finest treasures" were of any use now. No matter how desperately she pleaded, he refused to relent, his movements fueled by a simmering fury, as if determined to devour her whole.
Only the unshakable duty of the morning court saved her from complete ruin.
Exhausted, Yun Kui lay sprawled across the bed, sniffling weakly.
Her reckless boast in front of Nanny Yan—"We’ll just try a few more times"—had clearly reached his ears, and he’d taken it as a challenge. Now, she was paying the price.
She swore to herself: from now on, she would watch her words. No more reckless remarks!
...
Confined to the Kunning Palace, the Empress finally received the news: the Marquis of Ningde had been executed, his family exiled, the Xie Clan stripped of everything.
After much pleading, Emperor Chunming finally granted her an audience.
Yet despite their decades of marriage, his gaze was colder than ever. "The decree is final. There is no reversing it."
The Empress knelt before him, desperation thick in her voice. "Huai Chuan’s crimes are unforgivable—he deserves death. But I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of our bond, spare my brother! He knew nothing! He has served the court loyally for years. Without him, how can I maintain my standing? How can the Second and Sixth Princes survive without their maternal clan? This is exactly what the Crown Prince wants! Your Majesty must not fall into his trap!"
To Emperor Chunming, imperial dignity was sacrosanct. The Marquis had trampled upon it—how could he let such defiance go unpunished?
The Empress didn’t dare mention the Ninth Prince, focusing solely on begging for the Marquis’s life.
But the Emperor’s expression only darkened further. "When I took Consort Yu into the palace, no one told me she and your brother were childhood sweethearts! Do you truly believe the Marquis was ignorant? Lady Meng confessed everything—even drunk, your brother called out Concubine Yu’s name, and the Marquis silenced Lady Meng to cover it up! Such loyalty! Such devotion!"
The Empress paled. So her brother had known. But she couldn’t abandon him—couldn’t abandon the Xie Clan. "Your Majesty, my brother only sought to protect the royal family’s dignity! That night at the palace banquet, the Crown Prince must have orchestrated it all—the hidden aphrodisiac in the chamber proves it was a scheme to divide you from your most trusted officials! He seeks to tarnish Your Majesty’s legacy—"
"Flies do not prey on unbroken eggs!" the Emperor roared. "If they were innocent, why were they caught in bed together? And the Ninth Prince—five years I doted on him! Five years of deception! Had this not come to light, would I have raised another man’s son as my own?!"
The Empress collapsed to her knees, trembling.
After twenty years of marriage, she knew better than anyone the icy ruthlessness beneath her husband’s gentle facade.
But she also knew the true architect of the Xie Clan’s downfall: the Crown Prince. Until he was removed, all her hopes—for herself, for Prince Chen, even for Emperor Chunming—would remain nothing but illusions.
...
Yun Kui slept until noon, finally stirring with a groan. The slightest movement sent sharp aches radiating through her body.
Lan Xiu entered to help her freshen up, taking in her disheveled hair, red-rimmed eyes, and the constellation of bruises across her fair skin. The memory of last night’s muffled moans made even the maid blush.
To receive the Crown Prince’s attentions all night and then dare to sleep in his bed until midday? Yun Kui was truly one of a kind.
Lan Xiu set down a tray. "His Highness left ointment. Shall I apply it for you?"
Assuming it was for the visible marks, Yun Kui agreed without thinking—only to recoil in shock when Lan Xiu’s hands moved lower. The sudden motion sent fresh waves of soreness through her.
She had never let anyone attend to her in such matters—being seen there would be mortifying. After hesitating, she finally said, "I'll do it myself."
Lan Xiu had no choice but to set down the ointment.
Yun Kui scooped a bit with her fingertip and lowered her head, unable to see the spot clearly. She only felt the swollen, slightly feverish tenderness there. As the cool salve was applied, the burning pain eased somewhat.
It was hard to imagine what that delicate place had endured. Even she was curious—how could such a small, fragile area withstand such relentless torment?
She recalled that last night, he had used something, making it much smoother than their encounter on New Year's Eve.
At first, she had even experienced unprecedented pleasure. But then, for some reason, when she tentatively probed his thoughts, it seemed to displease him again. This man was truly unpredictable—his moods shifted like the wind, and soon he was bullying her endlessly once more...
Lost in these thoughts, the spot she had just tended grew warm again, and her fingertips brushed against something slick. Blushing, she hastily wiped it away with a handkerchief.
After applying the medicine, Yun Kui drank some porridge, regaining some strength and clarity of mind. She began pondering again whether the rumors about his mind-reading abilities were true.
If he couldn’t read minds, how was it that every time, he managed to pinpoint her innermost thoughts with such eerie precision?
After much deliberation, she decided to test him further when he returned.
By evening, footsteps echoed outside the hall. Yun Kui perked up, eager to investigate. But the moment the tall, imposing figure of the man came into view, her traitorous legs began trembling faintly.
The Crown Prince glanced at her impassively. "Did you apply the ointment?"
Yun Kui swallowed. "Yes."
Mind-reading activated!
"Hah! I’m perfectly fine—I can run and jump! Do you really think something as trivial as that could trouble me? Ointment? Crown Prince, you underestimate me!"
Recalling how utterly pliant she had been the night before, the Crown Prince scoffed inwardly. "Good. Let’s eat."
Yun Kui: "..."
At the dining table, Yun Kui ladled a bowl of tremella soup and placed it before him. "Your Highness, have some soup to soothe your throat. Eunuch Cao said this tremella soup is beneficial for your headaches."
"I spiked it with aphrodisiac—go on, drink up!"
She watched, wide-eyed, as the Crown Prince took a sip without batting an eye.
Wait—he actually drank it?!
Did that mean he couldn’t read minds after all?
Just to be safe, after a moment’s hesitation, she boldly ventured another thought:
"We find your service lacking, Consort Xiao. Shouldn’t you reflect on yourself? The guards outside are far more—"
Before she could finish, a crisp clink shattered the silence in the hall.
The Crown Prince set down the soup bowl with deliberate calm, his eyes darkening as he fixed her with an unreadable gaze. "If you’re not hungry, we can always resume our earlier activities."
Yun Kui: "..."
Thank heavens—after over fifty chapters, the Crown Prince finally has a surname!
Let’s all congratulate the Crown Prince.
