Cui Yu looked toward Zheng Yuande. “Bring in the servants who went to Lotusheart Court today.”
Zheng Yuande hurriedly turned and acknowledged the order.
Well, who would have thought that boy Wang Chun had a bit of luck after all!
Bowing respectfully, Wang Chun said, “Your son pays his respects to Godfather. Did you summon me for some reason?”
When he had just returned from Lotusheart Court to make his report, he had been filled with anticipation. Although he ultimately did not get the chance to be summoned and questioned by the Crown Prince, he had not been too disappointed.
If it did not work this time, there was always next time. Based on his observations over the past few days, the Crown Prince seemed to treat Lady Shen somewhat differently from the others. Sooner or later, Wang Chun would find an opportunity.
Zheng Yuande cast him a sidelong glance and drawled, “Don’t say your godfather hasn’t been looking out for you. When you report to His Highness in a moment, talk more about Lady Shen. Do you understand?”
He had finally figured things out. Whenever His Highness was unhappy, seeing Lady Shen always seemed to cheer him up a little. In that case, there could be no harm in mentioning Lady Shen more often.
Wang Chun entered the study on tiptoe and knelt to salute. “This servant, Wang Chun, pays his respects to Your Highness.”
Cui Yu was looking through the affairs of state in his hands. “How is things at Lady Shen’s residence?”
Wang Chun respectfully replied, “In answer to Your Highness, when this servant escorted Miss Chunping back to Lotusheart Court, Lady Shen was overjoyed. She came out personally to receive her. From what this servant could see, gratitude filled Lady Shen’s eyes, and she repeatedly said that she thanked Your Highness for his gracious favor.”
He paused, then secretly glanced up at the Crown Prince’s expression before continuing, “Lady Shen also asked this servant to convey a message. Whenever Your Highness has some free time, she would personally prepare a table of dishes to properly thank Your Highness.”
The brush in Cui Yu’s hand paused slightly. He recalled the egg tarts she had made herself before—their golden, crisp crust encasing a soft, fragrant, sweet filling that melted in the mouth. Sweet, yet not cloying.
It had indeed been a rare and novel treat.
But before the hint of a smile could spread across his face, his expression darkened once more.
“I know.” Cui Yu’s voice was cool and detached. “You may leave.”
“Yes.” Wang Chun bowed cautiously and withdrew.
After Wang Chun had left, Cui Yu set aside the report in his hand and lightly tapped his knuckles against the desk.
“Zheng Yuande.”
“This servant is here.” Zheng Yuande hurried forward.
“Has the Directorate of Palace Servants sent over any new information?”
Zheng Yuande replied, “In answer to Your Highness, there has been no new information for the time being.”
Cui Yu’s expression darkened slightly. He rose to his feet. “Go to Kunning Palace.”
“Yes.” Zheng Yuande answered repeatedly and hurried after him.
*
Within Kunning Palace, the Empress sat on a couch, her face pale and showing several traces of exhaustion.
When she saw Cui Yu enter, she forced herself to rally and beckoned him closer.
“Your son pays his respects to Mother.” After Cui Yu bowed, his gaze fell upon the Empress’s face, and his brows drew together slightly. “Mother, you don’t look well. Have you had the imperial physicians examine you?”
The Empress waved a hand. The crease between her brows never eased. “I know my own body. It is nothing.”
She looked at Cui Yu. “How is the Crown Princess doing now?”
At the mention of the Crown Princess, Cui Yu pressed his lips together. “The child has been saved for now. However, the imperial physicians say that the Crown Princess will need to remain bedridden and recuperate from this point onward.” Seeing his mother’s grim expression, he paused briefly, his features softening somewhat. “Mother, please do not worry. The Crown Princess knows that her health makes it difficult for her to manage affairs at present, and she has asked me to appoint Nanny Zhanrong to oversee the inner quarters of the Eastern Palace.”
Even so, the Empress’s expression remained unpleasant. Three months pregnant, yet she had dared to conceal it and had nearly caused a catastrophe—utterly foolish beyond belief!
Looking at Cui Yu’s expression, the Empress felt a surge of guilt. “It was all because your mother was careless back then and chose poorly. After all that careful selection, I still chose such a Crown Princess for you, Yu’er. And now, because of it, my son…”
She knew her own son best. Although he showed nothing on his face, the Crown Princess’s actions must have chilled his heart.
Before the Empress could finish, Cui Yu frowned and interrupted, “Why does Mother say such things?”
“When Mother chose a Crown Princess for me, the reputation she had at the time was one of gentleness and propriety, of knowing how to conduct herself with grace and restraint.” He paused.
What his mother had valued even more, at the time, was the standing of the Crown Princess’s grandfather, Lord Li, in the literary world.
Lord Li’s students were spread throughout the land. He was the foremost figure among the refined scholars of Great Yong.
Cui Yu’s gaze was calm. “If anyone is at fault in this matter, it is I. Living under the same roof as the Crown Princess, I still failed to notice what she was doing. How could Mother, confined within the inner palace, possibly have foreseen it?”
“Now that the child has been saved and the Crown Princess recognizes her mistake, she is willing to relinquish authority and focus on her recovery. With Nanny Zhanrong looking after the Eastern Palace, nothing serious will go wrong. Mother, please set your mind at ease and concentrate on recovering from your illness.”
The Empress’s eyes grew slightly warm. Seeing how much more composed and steady he had become over the years filled her with pride, yet also left a bitter ache in her heart.
A flash of severity passed through the Empress’s eyes. “Fortunately, Madam Li is at least a sensible woman. The Crown Princess is willing to hand over authority and recuperate in peace; she has not yet become utterly beyond redemption.”
After all, the Crown Princess was the Crown Prince’s lawful wife. Unless she committed grave crimes such as treason, witchcraft, or adultery—or failed to bear an heir—she could not be easily deposed. Otherwise...
At that moment, the chief palace matron of Kun Ning Palace hurried in and bowed as she reported, “Your Majesty, Your Highness, word has come from the Office of Judicial Punishment. The maid serving the Consort of the Fourth Prince has confessed.”
The Empress straightened her back, her expression turning stern. “What did she say?”
“She has fully confessed that it was the Consort of the Fourth Prince who ordered her to shove Lady Zhang, intending to harm the Crown Princess. But regarding the venomous snake, she insists that she knows nothing.”
A palace maid at the side said, “Your Majesty, it is now the fifth month. Venomous creatures are especially active at this time of year. Could it be that the Imperial Guard failed to clear them out thoroughly, allowing that snake to slip through?”
After all, no one had known in advance that the Crown Princess was pregnant. Who would have prepared a venomous snake beforehand?
The Empress frowned. A coincidence? Then this “coincidence” was far too convenient.
*
By the time Shen Yanshui learned of the matter, several days had already passed.
As Chunping quietly reported the news from outside, Shen Yanshui calmly lifted her teacup and took a sip.
At last, there was a conclusion to the incident at Gold Bright Pool, where the Crown Princess had nearly suffered a miscarriage.
After the maidservant at the Consort of the Fourth Prince’s side confessed everything, she “took her own life out of guilt” that very night in the Department of Judicial Review.
A crime as grave as plotting against the Crown Princess required someone to bear the blame.
The Consort of the Fourth Prince, He, was stripped of her title and reduced to a commoner, then confined under guard in a separate residence.
Her father, He Yixun, the Vice Chancellor, was repeatedly impeached for a multitude of offenses: embezzlement and bribery, allowing his servants to commit violence, forcibly seizing commoners’ land, forming factions for personal gain, and more. In a single stroke, he was demoted from Vice Chancellor to Prefect of Lizhou, banished far from the capital.
His protégés, students, and trusted associates were dismissed from office, removed from their posts, or demoted along with him. Few managed to escape unscathed. The imperial court was thrown into turmoil.
The Fourth Prince, having failed to keep his household in order, was stripped of his duties and ordered to remain behind closed doors to reflect on his mistakes.
Noble Consort Lan repeatedly pleaded for leniency, but to no avail. Before long, she fell ill.
Countless palace servants were interrogated and punished because of the incident. For a time, the palace was gripped by fear, and everyone lived in terror.
As Shen Yanshui listened to this string of shocking developments—each one more startling than the last—she suddenly began to understand why the Crown Princess had been so arrogant.
The consequences of plotting against the Crown Princess and harming the imperial heir were simply too terrible for an ordinary person to bear.
The Crown Princess had not even miscarried, yet the imperial court and inner palace had already been thrown into such chaos. If she had truly lost the child, who knew what the aftermath would have been?
Just look at Lord He, Noble Consort Lan’s elder brother. He had once occupied a position of great power and enjoyed the Emperor’s profound trust, yet now even a Vice Chancellor could be demoted at a moment’s notice. Once the tree fell, the monkeys scattered.
No doubt Lord He’s political enemies had played a part in this. Perhaps the Crown Princess’s maternal family, the Li clan, had acted as well. Even the Crown Prince himself… surely he had made a move.
And then there was something else… Shen Yanshui felt that the investigation had proceeded far too smoothly.
The Fourth Prince had been responsible for security at Jinming Lake. If something had happened to the Crown Princess, he clearly would not have escaped unscathed. Could the Consort of the Fourth Prince truly have been so eager to eliminate the child in the Crown Princess’s womb?
And had she really been so brazen as to directly order someone at her side to do it?
Still, the world was sometimes just one enormous amateur production.
It was much like certain commercial rivalries in the large companies of the modern era—blunt, crude, and astonishingly simple.
Shen Yanshui had once heard of a favored consort in the imperial harem of a former dynasty who, after suddenly winning the Emperor’s favor, had ordered a pregnant consort to be held down and struck in the abdomen with a stick until she miscarried.
Though the method appeared crude and heavy-handed, it was not impossible.
After all, if the child in the Crown Princess’s womb turned out to be a healthy young imperial grandson, it would clearly carry a different significance for the Eastern Palace.
At present, the Eastern Palace had only one legitimate eldest son, and he was born frail.
Come to think of it, no one had yet explained where the venomous snake that had frightened the Crown Princess had come from.
Had someone deliberately arranged it, or had it merely been a coincidence?
For the next few days, Shen Yanshui did not even leave the courtyard. She stayed quietly in Lianxin Court, drinking tea and eating pastries every day to calm her nerves.
It was not until another half a month had passed that the atmosphere in the palace gradually relaxed.
The palace servants taken away by the Department of Judicial Review were released one after another and returned, though some never came back.
Another half month passed. One afternoon, Shen Yanshui was carrying a small bamboo basket and picking the first ripe grapes of the season from the courtyard when Chunping approached on light footsteps and reported in a low voice, “Mistress, I just heard that Lady Zhang seems to have taken a turn for the worse.”
Shen Yanshui’s hand paused for a moment. Lady Zhang had fallen ill after returning from Jinming Pond, but she had not expected her condition to be so grave.
Frowning, she asked, “Has an imperial physician been summoned? Does the Crown Princess know?”
Chunping replied, “I heard that someone from Bamboo Fragrance Residence reported it to Nanny Rong. The imperial physician has come twice, but even after nearly half a month of medicine, Lady Zhang has shown no improvement.”
In recent days, His Highness the Crown Prince had only visited Gathering Fragrance Hall and Bright Moon Studio, and had not stayed overnight at either. Perhaps he did not even know that Lady Zhang was seriously ill.
Shen Yanshui glanced at the grapes in her hand. She had ripened them with her ability. Although they contained only a faint trace of its power, they were still beneficial to one’s health.
She had put up the grape trellis in the courtyard herself over the past few days, with Chunping, Quanfu, and the others helping her while they had nothing else to do.
Thinking of the gaunt, skeletal Lady Sun she had seen before, Shen Yanshui could not bear to watch a healthy young woman like Lady Zhang waste away into such a state.
“Come. Let’s go to Bamboo Fragrance Residence and visit Sister Zhang.”
Chunping was startled, then quickly said, “My lady, Lady Zhang is ill at present. Why not let this servant go in your stead? You must not risk catching her illness.”
Winter Yi hurriedly added, “Yes, my lady. Let us go instead. You do not know—Lady Zhang has been ill for days with no sign of recovery. Even Lady Wang and the others, who used to chat with her regularly, have not visited her in several days.”
“I am in excellent health, so there is no need to worry,” Shen Yanshui said. “Chunping may come with me.” Then, looking at Quanfu and Quanshou with a smile, she instructed, “Stop looking so glum and hurry up with the swing I asked for. I’ll inspect it when I return.”
Quanfu and Quanshou promptly answered, “Rest assured, my lady.”
Once they had all gone back to work, Shen Yanshui left with Chunping.
Lotus Heart Court lay at the westernmost end of the rear quarters, while Bamboo Fragrance Residence was at the far eastern end. Shen Yanshui strolled along at an unhurried pace. Yet as she reached the vicinity of Moonlight Gate, she heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching.
Turning her gaze, she found herself facing the Crown Prince, dressed in a moon-white robe and wearing a jade crown.
More than twenty days had passed since they had last met. His brows and eyes seemed to have acquired an even colder, more imposing severity, and the weight of his presence was enough to make others hesitate to look directly at him.
“This concubine greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.” Shen Yanshui hastily curtsied.
Cui Yu’s gaze settled on her, then flicked to the basket of fresh, glistening grapes in her hand. His brow creased slightly.
At his side, Zheng Yuande’s heart gave a jolt.
Could it be that Lady Shen knew His Highness was heading to Bright Moon Studio, and had deliberately come here to intercept him?
The court and inner palace had both been beset by troubles lately. His Highness had been so busy his feet scarcely touched the ground, while the pregnancies of both the Crown Princess and Lady Chu were unstable. The Crown Prince was already in a poor mood. For Lady Shen to run into him now, surely...
Even as Zheng Yuande sighed inwardly, he heard the Crown Prince speak in an indifferent tone.
“Rise.”
Shen Yanshui straightened as instructed.
Cui Yu looked at the basket of fresh, plump grapes in her hand, his voice even. “You have been thoughtful. I have much to attend to these days. I will visit you in a few days.”
With that, he cast a sidelong glance at Zheng Yuande.
Zheng Yuande immediately caught on. With a broad smile, he stepped forward. “Mistress Zhaoxun, these grapes look wonderfully fresh. Shall this servant carry them for you?”
Shen Yanshui froze for a moment. Looking at Zheng Yuande’s outstretched hand, then glancing at the Crown Prince’s expressionless face, she could not help feeling awkward.
At once, she handed over the bamboo basket with a beaming—if slightly guilty—smile. “Then… I shall not delay Your Highness any longer. I’ll take my leave first.”
She could hardly say, in front of so many people, that the grapes were not for His Highness, but for Lady Zhang, could she?
How was she supposed to survive in the Eastern Palace afterward if she did? She was not that thoughtless.
With that, she gave a respectful curtsy and turned to leave with Chunping.
Recalling the faintly guilty look on her face just now, Cui Yu narrowed his eyes. As he watched her hurried retreat, he cast a glance at Zheng Yuande.
Zheng Yuande paused for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
During this brief delay, Lady Chu emerged as well, supported by her nursemaid. With her belly swollen from pregnancy, she curtsied and said, “This concubine greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Her gaze paused briefly on the incongruous bamboo basket in Zheng Yuande’s hands, but her expression remained unchanged as she smiled. “Please come in, Your Highness. The sun is strong outside.”
Cui Yu gave a quiet “Mm,” his expression returning to normal, and entered Bright Moon Retreat with her.
*
After returning to Lotus Heart Court, Shen Yanshui sighed helplessly.
Well, that was just perfect. The women in the rear quarters would surely think she had been too eager to vie for the Crown Prince’s favor and had deliberately intercepted Lady Chu on her way.
Though… her supernatural ability had indeed been progressing rather slowly lately, and she really did rather want to do that.
But given the current circumstances, the Crown Prince was clearly very busy, and he did not seem to be in a particularly good mood. If she approached him now, would she not have to keep herself on high alert and serve him with utmost care?
She might as well cultivate on her own. It was far more relaxing.
“Chunping, bring another basket,” she said, rolling up her sleeves. “Hurry and pick them. And this time, don’t let us run into anyone again.”
Chunping quickly acknowledged the order and soon picked another basket of grapes.
This time, Shen Yanshui did not dare linger. Carrying the basket, she hurried out, walking somewhat faster than usual for fear of encountering the Crown Prince again when he came out of Bright Moon Retreat.
Only after she passed through the gates of Bamboo Fragrance Residence did she finally let out a breath of relief.
Yet before she could fully relax, the sight before her startled her.
Lady Zhang lay propped against the bed, her face as pale as paper and her lips drained of all color. She had grown so thin she was nearly unrecognizable; not a trace remained of her former appearance.
“Sister Zhang, how did you become so ill?” Shen Yanshui hurried forward and sat at the bedside, her brows drawn tightly together.
The maid attending nearby said with reddened eyes, “In answer to Mistress Zhaoxun, my mistress fell ill after returning from Golden Bright Pool. She has not improved since. This servant wanted to seek an audience with Matron Rong, but my mistress would not allow it…”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Lady Zhang gave a weak smile. “There is nothing seriously wrong with me. A little rest, and I’ll be fine. Yet you went to the trouble of coming to see me today, Sister… cough, cough. I only hope I do not pass this illness on to you.”
Looking at her in this state, Shen Yanshui understood most of what had happened.
“If you do not mind, Sister, I know a little crude medicine as well.” She smiled somewhat shyly. “Though I have not mastered it and have never properly treated anyone before. Please do not laugh at me.”
Lady Zhang had intended to refuse. She did not wish to trouble anyone, but seeing Shen Yanshui’s expression, she found it difficult to reject such kindness. Smiling, she extended her wrist. “What are you saying, Sister? I am already deeply grateful that you came to see me.”
Shen Yanshui placed her fingers on Lady Zhang’s pulse and concentrated for a moment. Soon, she understood.
As expected, it was caused by excessive fright and an unsettled mind.
Fright threw the vital energy into disorder. Lady Zhang had clearly been terrified by the incident at Jinming Pond, and with the turmoil in the palace these past days, her worries had grown too heavy. Her qi and blood were depleted, leaving her bedridden.
Releasing her wrist, Shen Yanshui smiled. “Your constitution is quite sound, Sister. There is no serious illness. So long as you can let go of your worries and ease your mind, you will naturally recover.”
A glimmer of hope rose in the maid’s eyes as she looked at Shen Yanshui expectantly.
Shen Yanshui took the bamboo basket from Chunping and held it out before Lady Zhang. “Look, Sister. These are grapes I had planted in my courtyard some time ago. This is the first crop they have borne. When I heard you were unwell, I picked some especially for you. Grapes are mild and sweet; they nourish the qi and blood, soothe the heart, and calm the mind. Please eat them without concern.”
After a pause, she added with particular emphasis, “I tended these with my own hands, so you must not waste my heartfelt gift.”
Looking at her bright, smiling face, Lady Zhang felt warmth stir in her heart.
Since she had fallen ill, Lady Wang, Lady Song, and Lady Zhao—who had once kept in touch with her—had each come only once, never to visit again, afraid of catching the taint of illness.
She did not blame them. In this palace, falling ill could be a matter of life and death. Concubines of their low rank had no right even to summon an imperial physician unless the Crown Princess or the Crown Prince gave permission. Being shunned was only to be expected.
Yet she truly had been frightened.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw herself being shoved into the Crown Princess. Then came the thought of her parents, brothers, and sisters at home being implicated. She woke night after night, her inner garments soaked through with cold sweat.
Shen Yanshui saw the terror in her eyes and gave a soft sigh. She remained for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, chatting with her about trivial matters, before finally rising to take her leave.
Not long after she returned from Zhuxiang Residence to Lianxin Court, Cui Yu also returned to the front hall. Once he had dealt with a batch of memorials, Zheng Yuande hurried in from outside to report, “Your Highness, we have found him.”
Cui Yu’s gaze snapped upward. “Where is he?”
Zheng Yuande’s heart tightened. He hurriedly replied, “When Commandant Zhang was found, he had already been dead by suicide for several days... This is the report submitted by the Ministry of Justice.”
Commandant Zhang was one of the Imperial Guard commandants responsible for clearing the venomous snakes and other poisonous creatures from Jinming Pond on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
He was the only one who had suddenly vanished after the incident. Now that he had finally been found, Zheng Yuande had immediately rushed to the Ministry of Justice. He did not dare entrust this matter to anyone else and had overseen it personally from start to finish.
Even now, it seemed he could still smell that sickening stench of rotting flesh in his nostrils.
Cui Yu leafed through the document, his expression calm. “Suicide?”
He was not particularly surprised. No ripples stirred between his brows, but as his gaze swept over the Ministry of Justice report, it abruptly fixed on one passage. His eyes darkened.
“Keep watching the Zhang family,” he said in a low voice. “And look into who paid off the debts her father owed back then.”
Several thousand taels of silver—given Commandant Zhang’s household circumstances, even if he had emptied his entire estate, it would have been difficult to raise such a sum in a short time.
And yet he had somehow produced it. What was more, he had repeatedly cleaned up the mess of his father’s outstanding debts afterward.
Zheng Yuande’s heart tightened. He promptly lowered his head to accept the order, then immediately sent someone to carry it out.
Cui Yu set down the report and rubbed his brow. Raising a hand, he pressed lightly against his throbbing temple. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes to rest. After a long while, he said, “Zheng Yuande.”
His voice carried a trace of weariness.
“The grapes Lady Shen sent—where are they?”
Zheng Yuande’s scalp prickled, and inwardly he groaned.
Earlier, he had already learned from one of the young eunuchs that the grapes had not originally been meant for His Highness at all. Lady Shen had intended to give them to Lady Zhang.
She had merely happened to run into His Highness at the Moonlight Gate, and he had misunderstood...
Daring not to delay, Zheng Yuande bowed quickly. “This servant will have them brought in at once.”
Not long afterward, a plate of freshly washed, plump grapes was placed before Cui Yu.
The grapes were full and round, their skins still beaded with sparkling droplets of water.
Cui Yu picked one up and placed it in his mouth. Then he paused slightly.
The flavor... was even better than he had expected.
The flesh was succulent and juicy, sweet with just the right hint of tartness. It awakened the palate, leaving a lingering finish.
More remarkably, after eating a few, the faint ache between his brows seemed to ease considerably.
He could not help eating several more. Before he realized it, an entire cluster of grapes had nearly disappeared.
When he came back to himself, even Cui Yu was somewhat surprised.
“These grapes...” He paused and looked at Zheng Yuande. “What did she do after returning?”
Zheng Yuande’s scalp went numb. He lowered his head even further, stammering a little. “In reply to Your Highness, after Lady Shen returned... she picked another basket of grapes and went to Bamboo Fragrance Residence to visit Lady Zhang. She did not stay long before returning to Lotus Heart Courtyard. After that, she tended to the flowers, fruit plants, and peach trees in her courtyard. She also had someone put up a swing...”
As he finished, Cui Yu’s fingers, which were idly rolling a grape, paused.
So... the grapes he had just eaten had originally been meant for Lady Zhang?
She had not come to see him on purpose?
Thinking of the guilty look on her face at the time...
He could not help but let out an amused, irritated laugh.
An indescribable feeling welled up within him—partly annoyed, partly amused.
“Is she close to Lady Zhang?” He had not expected her to bring food, of all things, on a visit—something so easily open to suspicion.
Was she not afraid someone might seize on it and make trouble?
“This servant has not heard that Lady Shen is particularly close to anyone. It may simply be that she heard Lady Zhang has not been feeling well lately, and so went to check on her,” Zheng Yuande replied. Then, cautiously raising his eyes, he caught sight of his master’s expressionless face and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed His Highness was not too angry.
Cui Yu’s expression did not change. His knuckles tapped lightly against the table. The taste of the grapes still lingered on his lips and tongue, and even the headache that had plagued him for days had eased by more than half.
“Lady Zhang is ill?”
Zheng Yuande answered cautiously, “In reply to Your Highness, this servant has heard that Lady Zhang fell ill after returning from Jinming Pool.”
“Has an imperial physician been summoned?”
Zheng Yuande hurriedly replied, “Nanny Rong has already called for an imperial physician once, and a prescription was written. It is likely that Lady Zhang’s constitution is frail, which is why she is recovering so slowly.”
Cui Yu nodded. Casually, he said, “If she is not improving, summon an imperial physician to examine her again.” Then he rose to his feet. “To Lotus Heart Courtyard.”
Zheng Yuande paused in surprise, then immediately followed. He did not forget to turn and pass the order along, though inwardly he could not help thinking: Lady Zhang was indeed fortunate. Even in serious illness, Lady Shen still remembered her. Otherwise... tsk, it would be hard to say.
When the setting sun melted into gold and the evening clouds filled the sky, Cui Yu arrived before Lotus Heart Courtyard.
Zheng Yuande was about to announce their arrival, but Cui Yu lifted a hand to stop him.
The palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard spotted him and, startled, instinctively prepared to kneel in greeting. One look from the Crown Prince stopped them.
Chunping watched her mistress sleeping soundly beneath the grape arbor and could not help growing anxious.
Shen Yanshui, dressed in a smoke-blue gown for leisure at home, lay on a reclining chair beneath the grapevines. A round silk fan covered her face, shielding her from the light as she slept peacefully.
Her hair was loosely pinned up, with a strand of dark hair fallen by her temple. On the small table beside her sat tea and pastries, as well as a plate of plump, glistening green grapes. In her hand, she loosely held a small peach with a single bite taken out of it, its skin broken.
Only moments before, the two maids at her side had been gently fanning her.
She looked utterly comfortable and at ease.
Zheng Yuande suddenly cleared his throat. “Ahem.”
Cui Yu turned and cast him a glance. Zheng Yuande looked embarrassed and promptly lowered his head.
Shen Yanshui jolted awake in fright and abruptly sat upright. The round fan that had covered her face nearly slipped from her hand, but she caught it instinctively.
When she saw the Crown Prince before her, her lovely peach-blossom eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly rose and stepped forward to pay her respects. “This concubine greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Seeing that she was awake at last, everyone in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief. How could they possibly allow the Crown Prince to wait for their mistress? If word got out, would it not make their mistress seem spoiled by favor and arrogant?
Cui Yu instinctively reached out to help her up, only then recalling why he had come. His gaze darkened slightly as he noticed the peach-pink imprint the reclining chair had left upon one cheek.
“Rise,” he said blandly.
With that, he passed her by and walked straight into the main hall.
Shen Yanshui paused for a moment before hurrying after him. She poured him a cup of tea and offered it to him, her voice soft and gentle. “Your Highness, please have some tea.”
Cui Yu accepted the teacup but did not drink. Instead, he idly turned it in his hand, his gaze resting on her face. His tone revealed neither pleasure nor displeasure.
“The grapes today were quite delicious.”
Shen Yanshui immediately broke into a bright smile, her eyes curving into crescents. “I tended these with my own hands. I’m delighted that Your Highness likes them. The peach trees and the strawberries transplanted into the courtyard will be ripe soon as well. Once they’re ready to eat, I’ll be sure to bring the first batch to Your Highness for a taste.”
“Oh?” Cui Yu’s tone was mild as he listened to her honeyed words. “I heard that you picked another basket earlier and sent it to Bamboo Fragrance Residence?”
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the small peach she had casually set on the side table—a bite missing from it, with the imprint of her teeth still visible.
The smile on Shen Yanshui’s face instantly turned a little awkward. How could his eyes be so sharp? He had even noticed such a tiny peach.
Softly, she said, “This concubine heard that Sister Zhang’s illness has lingered for some time. I thought that perhaps something sweet might lift her spirits, so I sent the freshly ripened grapes over for Sister Zhang to taste. But…”
As she spoke, she glanced at him. Knowing he was not truly angry over such a trivial matter, she blinked at him playfully. “I saved all the very best fruit for Your Highness.”
“Oh?” Cui Yu raised a brow.
Shen Yanshui immediately turned and instructed, “Chunping, pick the grapes I specially selected for His Highness this morning. Wash them and bring them here.”
Chunping: “…Yes.”
After answering, she hurried over to the grapevines with a basket. But… hadn’t her mistress said that morning that the largest, sweetest, finest bunches were to be saved for herself?
Well… she must have misheard.
Before long, a plate of grapes—clearly more attractive in appearance—was served.
Cui Yu lifted his brows slightly in surprise.
Shen Yanshui’s brows rose as well. “Your Highness, this concubine did not deceive you. Have a taste—aren’t these better?”
Cui Yu ate one. The faint crease between his brows eased, though his voice remained as cool and indifferent as ever. “Mm.”
“And this little peach,” Shen Yanshui continued. “Wasn’t this concubine tasting it first for Your Highness, to see whether it was sweet and good?”
Cui Yu glanced at her lively, sparkling eyes but did not respond to that excuse. “Eat first.”
Seeing that he was no longer pursuing the matter, Shen Yanshui immediately let out a quiet breath of relief and set her mind wholeheartedly to eating.
With the Crown Prince present, dinner was indeed extraordinary: lotus duck skewers, lamb’s blood soup, crab stuffed in orange, fresh fish soup, steamed pork with rice flour wrapped in lotus leaf...
After her first bite, she froze for a moment.
Then she secretly glanced at the Crown Prince. Seeing him dining with measured elegance, she promptly picked up her pace.
She ate without lifting her head. The Crown Prince did not require her to serve him dishes, so she devoured the meal as though she might swallow her tongue along with it.
Sob, sob—today’s dishes had definitely been made by a different cook! The Crown Prince had visited her before, but she had never tasted food like this!
Halfway through the meal, she finally remembered who had brought this dinner for her and reminded the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, eat quickly. Tonight’s dinner is so delicious! The bass is pleasantly tangy and savory, with tender, delicate flesh. The crab carries a faint orange fragrance, and this steamed pork—the rich aroma of the meat is mingled with the scent of lotus leaves, fatty yet not at all greasy.”
The flavor was simply incredible!
Seeing the shining delight in her eyes, the pure satisfaction and happiness she found in food, Cui Yu felt both puzzled and amused.
He remarked blandly, “No ambition.”
It had taken her four bowls of rice before she finally remembered there was a Crown Prince sitting beside her.
Shen Yanshui said happily, “This concubine has never had much ambition. If I can enjoy a hearty meal like this every day in peace, life feels full of flavor, and all my worries can be set aside.”
As she spoke, she picked up another piece of steamed pork with rice flour, her eyes curving contentedly. “Besides, if Your Highness had not come today, how could the meal have been so lavish? This concubine is only enjoying such a feast thanks to Your Highness.”
Cui Yu watched her satisfied, smiling expression. She looked like a well-fed little cat.
The faint irritation in his heart, born of his burdensome affairs of state, was unexpectedly dispelled somewhat by the fragrance of food filling the room and her cheerful chatter.
He gave a quiet snort and picked up his silver chopsticks. He, too, tried the steamed pork she had praised so enthusiastically. The fresh fragrance of lotus leaf mingled with the rich, tender meat; the fatty portions melted on the tongue. It truly was… not bad.
“Acceptable,” he pronounced in an even tone, though he proceeded to have another bowl of rice himself.
After the meal, they naturally had to take a walk to aid digestion.
The two strolled around the courtyard for nearly half an hour. By then, dusk had settled in and the sky was growing dark.
Standing beneath the peach tree in the rear courtyard, now restored to vigorous life, Shen Yanshui smiled at him. “Your Highness, look—the peaches on this tree still aren’t ripe. Only the tips of a few have begun to blush pink. This concubine has already tasted one for Your Highness; it was still a little astringent. In another ten days or so, they should be fully ripe.”
At her words, Cui Yu’s gaze deepened. Looking down at her, his voice dropped a little. “Then I shall first taste the ones that are already fully ripe…”
Shen Yanshui was bewildered for a moment. It was not until the deep quiet of the night, amid the bed curtains, when the two ripe peaches upon her person had been tasted again and again, that she understood the unfinished meaning behind his words.
The very tips of peaches were always the sweetest. After Cui Yu had sampled them, he lifted his eyes to find her face flushed crimson. One brow rose as he offered his assessment in a low, husky voice.
“Exquisite.”
Shen Yanshui’s mind instantly erupted in a shrill scream.
She did not need a mirror to know that her cheeks must be burning red.
Aaaaah!
They had been apart for barely more than twenty days—how had this Crown Prince suddenly become like this?!
Though… though this version of the Crown Prince somehow made her want him even more…
A man and woman who had already tasted the pleasures of intimacy, then gone without it for so long, were like dry tinder meeting flame once they touched—utterly impossible to stop.
Shen Yanshui even felt that the Crown Prince that day, perhaps because he had not visited the inner palace lately and had been conserving his strength, was driving her to the point that she could scarcely endure him…
That night, the two trembling, fully ripened peaches hidden upon Shen Yanshui’s body suffered terribly. They were nearly bitten hard enough to break the skin, making her hiss in pain. In the end, unable to bear it any longer, she committed the offense of retaliating and bit his hard enough to break the skin as well.
Cui Yu shuddered violently all over… and spilled.
His handsome, coolly composed face darkened at once, shifting from red to pale, then pale to red, changing color again and again.
Shen Yanshui: “…”
She blinked, suddenly wanting to laugh—but barely managed to hold it in.
Cui Yu could only feel that he had lost face just now. Seeing the look on her face, his expression turned cold and stern. One hand circled her slender ankle, parting her legs as he bent down—
Shen Yanshui did not dare provoke the tiger at a time like this. Very obediently, she reached out and wrapped her arms around her own calves.
Cui Yu froze. Looking down at her from above, he took in everything at a glance. Because of that movement, her flushed, glistening petals had fallen slightly open, moisture steadily spilling forth...
These days, all the young women selected through the imperial consort selection had been taught about such matters by the palace matrons.
Yet when it came to affairs of the bedchamber, lest those with improper intentions tempt the princes into excessive indulgence, they were taught only the most proper and ritual-compliant position for intercourse—
One intended for producing heirs and observing propriety.
All other positions were considered improper, seductive tricks used to entice one’s lord. The young women were strictly forbidden from attempting or even exploring them.
Even during intercourse, they were required to maintain a dignified demeanor and were not permitted to take the initiative in teasing the princes. Afterwards, too, they had to observe the proper hierarchy and etiquette. They were also taught how to guide the princes through their words and conduct, encouraging moderation so that they would not become so immersed in sex that they neglected state affairs or damaged their health.
The others, having been raised as proper ladies from childhood, naturally followed every rule. Some even felt they had lost their dignity merely by making a sound.
But Shen Yanshui had let all of that go in one ear and out the other. Once she had sounded out the Crown Prince’s general temperament, she naturally had no intention of depriving herself in this regard.
Naturally, she did whatever felt good and made her happy.
As a result, Cui Yu found something new and enticing in Shen Yanshui nearly every time. He had even become somewhat... addicted to it.
When Shen Yanshui saw that he had suddenly stopped moving, she realized what had happened and felt awkward, with a flicker of indignation mixed in.
She glanced at his brother standing stiffly at attention. If he did not want to, then forget it!
In any case, she had satisfied her craving and was already eighty percent full.
With that thought, she was about to lower her legs and call for water to bathe.
But the moment she loosened her hold, a pair of large hands parted her knees and pressed them downward. Before she could react, she could only watch as the Crown Prince standing opposite her lowered his head...
Outside the door, Chunping, who was waiting on duty, heard the sudden sounds coming from within and immediately flushed crimson, her heart pounding wildly.
Th-this night had already gone on for so long, and they still were not finished...
Shen Yanshui’s whole body was like a pink shrimp that had been boiled through. She felt both overwhelmed and flattered.
This was the dignified Crown Prince, after all. Just thinking that the one pleasuring her was the heir to an entire empire was already enough to make her lose all composure...
