Two more days passed. One day, just before the evening meal was served, a messenger was sent by the Crown Princess to invite the Crown Prince to share dinner with her at the Hall of Blossom Gathering.
Cui Yu lifted his head from the stacks of official documents, twisted his stiff neck, and glanced out the window at a sprig of blooming plum blossoms. As if suddenly remembering something, he tossed his brush into the brush holder, stood up, and said, "Let us go."
"His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince has arrived —"
"Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince —" All the servants in the Hall of Blossom Gathering knelt to pay their respects.
The Crown Princess was dressed in a flowing pale purple robe with wide sleeves, her hair adorned with a peony pearl coronet and a golden peony-patterned step sway that glinted with every small movement. Noble, poised, and elegant, she had been waiting respectfully right at the entrance long before he arrived.
When she saw him walking toward her, tall and straight, she greeted him with a soft smile and a curtsy. Cui Yu lifted his hand in a slight gesture to help her rise, then withdrew his hand once she stood.
The two of them stepped into the main hall of the Hall of Blossom Gathering one after the other. Silence during meals and rest was a rule the Crown Princess had been taught to follow since childhood, so as long as Cui Yu did not speak, the dining table remained perfectly quiet, save for the occasional soft clink of chopsticks against bowls.
Cui Yu had a good appetite these days, so he ate heartily at first. But when he noticed that the Crown Princess had only taken two bites before putting down her utensils, her face looking slightly pale and unwell, his brows furrowed. "Are you feeling unwell, Crown Princess?"
Though he had been angry with her over an incident some time ago, in the days following his warning, the Crown Princess had conducted herself quite well. He assumed she had learned her lesson and repented of her mistakes.
After all, she was his Crown Princess, and he could not pretend not to notice her obvious discomfort.
Cui Yu asked, "Has your disharmony of the spleen and stomach not healed yet? Have you summoned the imperial physician to examine you?" He had noticed her taking medicine occasionally these past days, and had asked once before, which was why he inquired now.
The Crown Princess froze for a moment at his question, then set down her silver chopsticks, a faint, bitter ache rising in her eyes. "To answer Your Highness, there is nothing serious wrong with my body. My cold is almost fully recovered. It is just that I indulged in too much tea and fruit at noon, so I am not very hungry now. You need not concern yourself with me, Your Highness. Let me attend to you as you eat."
Cui Yu glanced at her and said, "There is no need. You may rest as you like."
Even so, the Crown Princess sat by his side, repeatedly placing choice morsels onto his plate, while she herself barely ate a few bites.
Cui Yu had been rather hungry when he arrived, but now his appetite was gone. He only finished one bowl of rice before setting down his chopsticks and bowl. The Crown Princess did not find this strange at all, assuming the Crown Prince must have eaten something else before coming to her hall.
Their conversation inevitably turned to their child, who was still too young, being held and nursed by his wet nurse. After confirming that the child was in good health, Cui Yu nodded in satisfaction. Though the little prince was still not as robust as ordinary children his age, with careful upbringing, he would surely grow stronger and healthier over time.
The Crown Princess chatted on for a while more about the child, before smiling and saying, "By the way, Your Highness, the Dragon Boat Festival is three days from now. As per usual custom this year, we are to bring two of the younger consorts to the Golden Bright Pond. Have you decided on who the two will be? I was thinking that Lady Zhang —"
"Lady Shen shall go with you," Cui Yu cut in abruptly.
The Crown Princess's smile froze at the corners for a split second, before she regained her composure and laughed as if nothing was amiss. "Your Highness is quite right. I had thought that since Lady Zhang holds the highest rank among the new consorts, we might bring her and Lady Chu along. But the Lady Shen you speak of, I have always found her to be a gentle, obedient soul. We shall bring her along as well."
Cui Yu nodded. "She is simple and straightforward by nature. You must look after her well."
The Crown Princess's fingers curled tightly inward, her neatly trimmed nails digging deep into the soft flesh of her palms, yet her face remained wreathed in a gentle smile. "Rest assured, Your Highness. I shall take good care of both of the younger sisters."
Cui Yu frowned slightly. "Lady Chu is with child now. She ought not to go to such crowded, noisy places. Let her stay in the palace and rest peacefully to nurture her pregnancy."
The Crown Princess nodded and smiled in agreement, then added in a light, half-joking tone, "It is just that for the past two years, Sister Chu has joined us every time. If she cannot come this time, I am afraid she will blame me for leaving her behind."
Cui Yu's eyes turned cool, his tone steady and unyielding. "You are the Crown Princess. You hold the authority to assist in managing the affairs of the Eastern Palace. No one else has the right to question your decisions."
At his words, the Crown Princess's lips curved into a bright, pleased smile.
That same evening, the Crown Prince went to Lady Chu's quarters. Most of the servants who heard the news in the back suite could not help but feel a flicker of disappointment.
When the news reached the servants in Lotus Heart Courtyard, they exchanged glances with one another. Finally, Chunping stepped forward softly and said, "Master, the Crown Prince has gone to Bright Moon Retreat." As she spoke, she stole a glance at her mistress, her eyes full of quiet worry.
Shen Yanshui lifted her gaze from the book she was reading, looking at Chunping's worried expression, and the rest of the maids who had suddenly become so cautious and tense. She could not help feeling a little amused. Did they really think she was so fragile?
If she could not accept such things, she might as well go off to a nunnery and become a nun. Otherwise, what was the point? Could she ever hope to find a man in this palace who would swear to be devoted only to her, to live a lifetime of perfect fidelity, and stay chaste for no one but her?
She herself could not even guarantee that she would only love one man for her entire life, let alone promise to remain chaste for a single man. No one could tell what the future might bring.
If that was the case, why waste her time pining after such impossible, unrealistic fantasies?
Seeing their anxious faces, she said, a little helplessly, "What on earth are all of you looking so glum for?"
Chunping saw that she did not look sad, lost, or angry at all, and felt a little sheepish. "We were all worried that you would be in a bad mood..."
Shen Yanshui could not help but ask curiously, "Back when the Crown Prince visited other courtyards before, why were none of you so worried then?"
Just looking at their faces, she could easily guess what they were thinking. They assumed that because the Crown Prince had treated her a little differently than the others, she had started to care for him more deeply, and so would grow more and more upset whenever he gave his attention to someone else.
"Ah, never mind —" She yawned, her voice soft and drowsy. "Time for bed. I am sleepy."
