Tender shoots had just unfurled, dew beading at their tips. The droplets trembled there, as if the slightest sway would send them rolling down.
Cui Yu’s high, straight nose seemed to have accidentally brushed against the dew, sinking into it...
Within that cramped little space, Shen Yanshui trembled from head to toe.
After what felt like an eternity, Shen Yanshui was overcome by a pleasure unlike anything she had ever known. She went rigid for an instant, then all the strength drained from her at once. Her unconsciously lifted waist finally sank back onto the damp bed, and she felt like a salted fish too limp to so much as lift a finger.
Cui Yu slowly raised his head and looked at her.
The instant their eyes met, Shen Yanshui caught sight of the lower half of his handsome, striking face, glistening with moisture. Her cheeks burned so fiercely she thought smoke might rise from her head.
Yet he continued to stare at her without looking away. There was something in his gaze that made her body shiver for no reason at all.
Those eyes—usually so calm, even cool—were startlingly bright now...
His dark pupils held her fast. Though his expression remained composed, she felt utterly exposed beneath his gaze. Even her heart trembled, and her toes curled faintly of their own accord.
“Y-Your Highness?” Her voice was slightly hoarse, the last syllable rising unconsciously, as though it carried a tiny hook.
Cui Yu’s deep gaze rested on the redness at the corners of her eyes. His voice was low and rich with huskiness. “A-Yan is sweet.”
With a boom, Shen Yanshui’s mind went blank. Her head was on fire.
As the night wind began to stir, Cui Yu accidentally drove her head into the headboard. She was dazed for a moment, and then a soft pillow appeared beneath her head.
The trailing flowers above her swayed back and forth before her eyes. She suddenly felt like a lump of dough, turned over and over again, her legs bent and folded every which way...
At last, she seemed to hear that familiar creak. Only one thought remained in her mind: Would Lotusheart Court have to replace another bed tomorrow?
Scalding drops of sweat fell onto her skin. Shen Yanshui could not help lifting her hips to meet him. Looking at the man before her—his cool, composed features flushed faintly red—she thought that, while dressed, he was noble and gentle, refined and scholarly. But... once that outer layer was stripped away, he became more and more unlike himself.
He was forceful, even a little reckless. Nothing like the steady, dignified, self-restrained Crown Prince he was by day; instead, he seemed almost like an inexperienced young man...
That night, Lotusheart Court called for water three times—an unprecedented occurrence.
*
The morning dew had not yet dried when sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, scattering mottled patterns of light across the bedchamber.
When Shen Yanshui awoke, every inch of her felt sore and weak, as though she had been run over. Instinctively, she summoned her ability. In moments, her body felt lighter. Still half-asleep, she turned over—only for her arm to brush against a warm body.
She jolted awake and opened her eyes to meet a pair of profound, dark eyes.
The Crown Prince was still here?
Shen Yanshui froze for a moment before recalling that today was a rest day; there was no morning court.
But... she distinctly remembered sleeping beneath her own thin quilt. How had she ended up under his covers?
Cui Yu had evidently only just awakened as well. A trace of sleep still clouded his eyes, but the moment their gazes met, his expression swiftly cleared. Then a flicker of barely perceptible awkwardness passed through his eyes.
Everything that had happened the night before came flashing back through his mind.
His handsome, coolly aloof face revealed little emotion. He only felt that he had been… far too reckless and unrestrained.
Cui Yu’s expression remained unreadable as he threw off the thin quilt and rose.
“Hiss—”
A faint gasp suddenly came from behind him.
Cui Yu paused and turned his head, only to see Shen Yanshui frowning in pain.
His gaze fell involuntarily upon the pale, mottled skin exposed on her body. His eyes flickered, and the tips of his ears flushed red.
Shen Yanshui found his expression amusing, but she lowered her lashes. When she looked up again, her eyes were shimmering with tears, and her voice held a hint of grievance and reproach.
“Your Highness~ It’s rubbed raw…”
Cui Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. After a moment of silence, he said, “That ointment you used before was quite effective. Where is it? I’ll apply it for you.”
Shen Yanshui did not stand on ceremony. She pointed to the rosewood box beside the dressing table. “It’s in that wooden box.” After a pause, she added in a shy little voice, “Then I’ll trouble Your Highness.”
Cui Yu’s face remained expressionless. He rose to fetch the ointment, then sat back down beside the bed.
Shen Yanshui pulled the thin quilt lower, revealing the area that needed treatment.
Cui Yu’s lashes trembled faintly. With an impassive expression, he opened the lid of the ointment box, dabbed some milky-white ointment onto his fingertip, and began applying it for her.
His movements were somewhat stiff at first, but soon became natural and practiced.
Yet after spreading on the ointment, the milky-white cream against her skin…
Cui Yu abruptly stood up, turned, and placed the ointment on the table.
“Done.”
With that, he walked around the screen and left.
Zheng Yuande had been waiting outside and now respectfully attended to him as he dressed.
Shen Yanshui watched his reddened ears and somewhat rigid back. She secretly chuckled to herself several times, then called Chunping and Qiuru in to attend to her as well.
The moment the two maids entered the room, they caught sight of the marks on their mistress’s body—marks that even her undergarment could not fully conceal. Their faces immediately flushed, and they hurriedly lowered their heads as they helped Shen Yanshui change.
Chunping secretly thought to herself: The Crown Prince really could have been a little more gentle.
Before long, the two of them had washed, dressed, and finished their makeup. It was also time for breakfast.
That morning’s breakfast was especially sumptuous, filling the table with all sorts of delicacies in the style of Jiangnan.
The crab roe soup dumplings had thin wrappers and generous fillings. With the slightest bite, piping-hot, savory broth burst into the mouth.
The Longjing prawns had been quickly stir-fried with freshly picked tea leaves, the fragrance of tea complementing the freshness of the shrimp.
The sweet rice cake known as Ding Sheng Gao had been shaped like delicate pink lotus blossoms and filled with smooth red-bean paste. There were also three-silk spring rolls, osmanthus-scented lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice, water-shield soup, fresh meat mooncakes, fermented-rice dumplings, and more… The dishes filled the table—ample in portion, varied in kind, and perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Once Cui Yu picked up his chopsticks, Shen Yanshui eagerly began eating as well. Her eyes lit up every time she sampled a new dish.
“Your Highness,” she asked, after swallowing a mouthful of water-shield soup, “did you change cooks for breakfast today as well? These dishes seem to have a distinctly southern flavor, and they taste as though they were prepared by the same chef who made dinner last night?”
At her words, Cui Yu glanced at Zheng Yuande.
Zheng Yuande quickly replied with a smile, “Lady Shen’s palate is truly remarkable. You could taste that? The Crown Prince’s kitchen did indeed bring in a new chef from Jiangnan.”
He had noticed yesterday how much Lady Shen had enjoyed the food, and the Crown Prince had eaten more than usual as well, so he had ordered breakfast to be prepared again today.
“No wonder. I thought I hadn’t tasted these flavors before. So they really did change chefs.” Shen Yanshui’s eyes lit up as she spoke. She picked up a crab roe soup dumpling and placed it in Cui Yu’s bowl. “Your Highness, try this. Be careful—it’s hot…”
Cui Yu did as she suggested. The fresh, savory flavor melted in his mouth, and it was indeed quite good. He gave a slight nod. “Reward him.”
Zheng Yuande hurriedly answered, “Yes.”
Privately, he thought, *Who would have expected Old Lin to suffer a setback at the Crown Princess’s residence these past few days, only to make a name for himself here at Lady Shen’s? He even earned a reward from the Crown Prince.*
After they finished breakfast, Cui Yu said, “Pick three baskets of grapes. I’m taking them with me.”
Shen Yanshui’s beautiful, peach-blossom eyes immediately widened.
Seeing her expression, Cui Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Have you really become this stingy?”
Shen Yanshui pursed her lips. “I personally tended these grapes, and there aren’t many of them to begin with. Naturally, I have some for Your Highness, but if we pick too many at once, they’ll lose their freshness after sitting for a while, and they won’t taste as good. If Your Highness wants more later, you can simply come back—”
She had only gotten halfway through her sentence when she noticed Cui Yu watching her intently. Realizing that her words sounded as though she were using the grapes to curry his favor, she hastily changed course.
“Or, whenever Your Highness feels like eating them, you can send someone to let me know, and I’ll have them delivered to you.”
Seeing her rush to explain herself, Cui Yu said calmly, “The Empress has always enjoyed grapes. I intend to send them to her for a taste.”
Since they were sending some to the Empress, they naturally couldn’t leave out the Emperor. His imperial grandfather and maternal uncle would also have to receive some.
When Shen Yanshui heard that the grapes were meant for the Empress, she immediately stopped joking around and hurriedly ordered her people to pick out the best ones.
After Cui Yu left Lianxin Court with the three baskets of grapes, he had them sent out at once. Before long, the entire Eastern Palace knew about it.
In Tengluo Pavilion, Lady Song was chatting with Lady Wang, though her words were unmistakably laced with resentment.
“The Crown Prince hasn’t visited the rear palace in a long time. And whenever he does come, he only sits for a while at the Crown Princess’s or Lady Chu’s residence—he never stays the night. Yet this is the first time he’s come to the rear palace in all these days, and he went to Lianxin Court again…”
“That seductress must have given His Highness some kind of potion. How else could she have him thinking about her so constantly?”
Lady Wang merely smiled at this and did not respond.
At Haoyue Studio, Lady Chu’s expression darkened as she listened to the low report from her personal maid.
“The woman from Lianxin Court truly has some tricks,” the maid muttered indignantly. “Yesterday, she actually tried to steal Your Ladyship’s favor. And that very night, she managed to entice the Crown Prince into going to her residence.”
“Now she’s somehow learned that Her Majesty the Empress likes grapes, and she’s using His Highness to curry favor with her. A mere Lady Shen thinks she can win over the Empress? Does she really believe that receiving a phoenix-headed hairpin from Her Majesty means she has earned the Empress’s favor?”
Lady Chu said nothing, but Shen Yanshui’s lovely, lotus-like face rose unbidden in her mind—along with that delicate, shapely figure, growing ever more alluring by the day.
Then she recalled what she had just heard: Lotus Heart Court had called for water three times last night...
She had served the Crown Prince for several years. He had always been indifferent to matters of the bedchamber, restrained almost to a fault.
He had been the same with all his other concubines. Never once had there been an exception.
But the commotion at Lotus Heart Court last night...
A shadow of gloom crossed Lady Chu’s eyes.
Could it be that Shen, in her desperation to win favor, had dared to use some forbidden aphrodisiac on His Highness?
She had originally intended to wait until the child in her womb was born before making any plans. But seeing how doting the Crown Prince had become toward Lady Shen left her deeply uneasy.
With a dark expression, Lady Chu instructed the maid at her side, “Take some silver and have someone inquire at Lotus Heart Court...”
“Yes, my lady.” The maid accepted the order and withdrew.
As for Lady Wu, who had been punished by being made to copy *Lessons for Women*, she had already finished copying it, but her hand was still aching. Upon hearing the news, she angrily rubbed her sore wrist again and muttered, “That little vixen does nothing all day but seduce His Highness!”
Just then, a maid hurried in carrying a food box.
Lady Wu was already in a foul mood. Seeing the maid moving so sluggishly, she immediately snapped, “Why did it take you so long just to fetch breakfast? Were you off shirking your duties?”
The maid did not dare defend herself. She merely set the breakfast out on the table with the utmost care.
Ever since her mistress had been punished, they had needed to spend silver even to get a hot dish. The servants in the kitchens were experts at fawning over the powerful and trampling those who had fallen from favor.
Lady Wu picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks. The moment it entered her mouth, a strong fishy taste filled her throat. Enraged, she berated the maid harshly.
Yet her stomach was empty, and she could only force herself to swallow. But after two more bites, she suddenly vomited.
“What is this disgusting filth?” Lady Wu flared, overturning the table. Plates and bowls shattered across the floor.
*
In the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Empress was reclining on a couch, taking a light rest.
Her health had worsened considerably of late. Her complexion was pale, and her spirits were low.
She had shown some improvement a few days earlier, but in recent days the fatigue had returned. The day before yesterday, she had even... coughed up blood.
Aside from the few attendants who served her closely, no one else knew of this.
“Your Majesty,” the chief palace maid said with a smile as she entered carrying a plate of washed grapes, “the Crown Prince specially had these sent for you. He asked that you try them.”
The Empress looked somewhat surprised. “Oh? Yu sent them?”
Though she had little appetite, she could not disregard her son’s filial thoughtfulness, and so she had the grapes brought before her. Each one was plump and full, gleaming a fresh jade-green that lifted the heart at a glance.
The Empress picked up one and placed it in her mouth. Sweet juice burst across her tongue, balanced by just the right hint of tartness. To her surprise, it suited her appetite perfectly.
Her eyes brightened. She ate several more in quick succession and, without realizing it, had finished nearly half the cluster.
At the side, Nanny Fan watched in delighted surprise. Her Majesty’s appetite had worsened of late; nothing tasted right to her, and if she ate too much, she would vomit. Yet unexpectedly, she was able to eat these grapes.
Seizing the opportunity, the nanny had the imperial kitchens prepare several dishes the Empress usually enjoyed.
Looking at the food, the Empress did not feel ill this time. For the first time in ages, she could smell the fragrance of the meal, and she even managed to finish a bowl of rice.
*
In the Imperial Study.
Having finished reviewing a batch of memorials, Pingkang rubbed his brow and was about to rest for a moment when Chief Eunuch Chen entered in person, carrying a platter of grapes.
“Your Majesty, please have some fresh fruit to ease your fatigue.”
The Emperor glanced at them. The grapes were a lush jade green and exceptionally fine in appearance. “Where did these grapes come from? As I recall, the Milk Grapes from Gaochang have not yet arrived as tribute this year. The ones grown in the palace are not nearly so fine.”
Chief Eunuch Cheng smiled. “In answer to Your Majesty, these were just presented by the Crown Prince. I have heard that they were cultivated by someone in the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince found them quite good and specially offered them to Your Majesty and the Empress as a filial gift.”
The Emperor was somewhat surprised. He tasted one and found it indeed crisp and sweet.
“Mm. Not bad.” The Emperor nodded, then paused in thought. “I recall that the lychees sent as tribute from Lingnan arrived only yesterday. Send a basket to the Empress.
“Also bestow half a basket upon the Crown Prince. Give one plate each to the Second Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Eighth and Ninth Princes. Noble Consort Lan, Consort Xian, Consort Liang, and Lady Shen are each to receive one plate. Consort Shu is to receive two plates.”
Nor did he forget to reward several trusted ministers, noble lords, and meritorious families who pleased him. The Crown Prince’s maternal family, the Fengguo Ducal Manor, received three plates in particular.
Lingnan had sent only a few baskets of lychees in tribute this year. Once they had been distributed in this manner, there was scarcely any left.
“Yes, this old servant shall see to it at once.” Chief Eunuch Cheng bowed and withdrew.
Before long, the Eastern Palace received the Emperor’s reward.
As Cui Yu looked at the half-basket of lychees, a trace of emotion showed on his face. Only after he had given thanks and seen Chief Eunuch Cheng off did he compose himself.
The news seemed to grow wings, swiftly spreading throughout the palace and beyond.
*
At Jingfu Palace, after Lady Shen received the lychees bestowed by His Majesty, she slowly let out a breath. Lately, by relying on certain events from her dreams, she had finally gained some favor in the Emperor’s eyes. But...
“The Eastern Palace received half a basket?” As she recalled, over the past several years, the Emperor had bestowed only three or four plates of lychees upon the Eastern Palace each year. There had been no particular change in the Empress’s share.
In previous years, Noble Consort Lan would receive several plates, yet this year she had received only one.
Consort Xian and Consort Liang still received one plate apiece, while Consort Shu had received two.
Lady Shen had remained anxious ever since the Crown Princess’s miscarriage at Jinming Pool had failed to occur as it had in her dreams.
Yet though the Crown Princess had kept the child, she could only remain bedridden to recuperate. Childbirth had always been a passage through the gates of death for women; whether the child could ultimately be carried to term remained uncertain.
Moreover, Noble Consort Lan and the Fourth Prince had indeed been punished, just as in her dream. This eased her mind somewhat.
Then she thought of the phoenix-head hairpin the Empress had bestowed upon her concubine-born younger sister, and bitterness welled up in her heart. That was a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin! A design reserved for the Empress alone.
Only after a long while did her emotions barely settle. Yet as she thought of those fragmented, hazy dreams, she could not suppress the agitation in her heart.
“Xiangmo,” she instructed, “the moment the Sixth Prince enters the palace, inform me at once.”
In her dream, she had learned a great secret.
It concerned Marquis Xuanyi.
Marquis Xuanyi was the only son of his family. Only twenty-one this year, he had taken command of the Yumen Army on the northern frontier and now additionally commanded forty thousand Tigerwing troops under Great General Qi. Deeply trusted and valued by the Emperor, he held military power firmly in his hands.
Though scarcely past twenty, his achievements had already drawn the attention of court and commoners alike. Other than Great General Qi, no one dared challenge his edge.
Yet no one knew that this young, brilliant general was in fact a woman.
In the dream, the matter would not be exposed until several years later, when someone revealed it and set the entire capital abuzz. Before long, everyone knew.
It was a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Yet in the end, in consideration of her merits, His Majesty spared her life. She was merely stripped of her office and sent home; a shrine was even erected in her honor. However, the title of Marquis Xuanyi passed to a collateral branch of the Marquis Xuanyi’s household.
If she told the Sixth Prince of this in advance and brought Marquis Xuanyi over to his side, the Sixth Prince would surely value her all the more.
“Yes,” Xiangmo replied, though inwardly she was rather puzzled.
Lately, instead of doing everything she could to compete for the Emperor’s favor, her mistress had been growing ever closer to Consort Shu—and paying close attention to the Sixth Prince’s whereabouts as well...
*
Zhongcui Palace, residence of Consort Shu
Cui Jin looked at the extra plate of lychees before him—a dish more than in previous years. He picked one up, studying it with lowered eyes for a long while.
There were faint shadows beneath Consort Shu’s eyes. After seeing off the attendants from the Emperor’s presence, she dismissed everyone except for the mother and son themselves, leaving only her personal matron behind.
“Jin,” Consort Shu asked in a low voice, frowning, “that Captain Zhang... has he been dealt with properly?” She had heard yesterday that the Ministry of Justice had actually found the man’s body. She had wanted to summon her son into the palace at once to discuss it, but ultimately restrained herself, lest it draw attention. Only today had she called him in.
Cui Jin set down the lychee in his hand. A smile touched his lips as he lifted his gaze. “Rest assured, Mother.”
Seeing his expression, Consort Shu finally felt the heart that had been pounding anxiously in her chest settle back into place.
The incident involving the Crown Princess’s near miscarriage some days ago had thrown both court and harem into turmoil, and she could not help but feel uneasy.
It had all happened far too hastily. She had never intended to act against the Crown Princess in the first place. It was Jin who, upon learning the news, had sent someone to make a move...
In such circumstances, the slightest misstep could implicate oneself.
Just as it had Noble Consort Lan and the Fourth Prince.
She even suspected that the palace maid who had confessed and pointed the finger at the Fourth Prince’s consort—was she truly one of the Fourth Prince’s consort’s people?
But now, whether she was or not no longer mattered.
The victors became kings and the defeated were branded traitors. Noble Consort Lan and the Fourth Prince had not lost unfairly.
Still... Consort Shu’s brow suddenly furrowed. Thinking of how His Majesty had also rewarded Noble Consort Lan with lychees today, she could not help but feel doubtful. Did the Emperor still retain some affection for Noble Consort Lan?
*
Xiefang Hall of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess’s bedchamber.
Matron Zhou reported joyfully, “Your Highness, look—these are all lychees sent by the Crown Prince. His Majesty bestowed only half a basket in total, and His Highness sent half of it here to you. Though the Crown Prince may seem cold and sparing with his words, he still has you in his heart. Your Highness need only put your mind at ease and focus on caring for your pregnancy.”
The Crown Princess looked at the large basket of lychees, and the gloom that had weighed on her ever since she heard that the Crown Prince had spent the night at Lianxin Court eased somewhat.
Lychees were a rare delicacy. To receive them as an imperial gift was itself a mark of favor, and the Crown Prince had given half of them to her. It was plain enough how highly he regarded her.
Could it be that His Highness no longer held her anger against her?
“Other than this palace, which courtyards did His Highness send them to?” The Crown Princess’s expression had visibly improved as she reclined against the bed and asked.
Matron Zhou paused before answering, “In reply to Your Highness, Lady Chu received one plate, Lady Wang received one as well, and Lady Shen received two plates. No other courtyards received any.”
The Crown Princess’s expression shifted slightly at this.
“Your Highness, please do not be angry. Even combined, those people received less than Your Highness,” Matron Zhou hurriedly reassured her. She then added, “Why should Your Highness let this upset you?”
Winning back the Crown Prince’s favor was the most pressing matter.
Judging by things now, the Crown Princess’s earlier display of weakness before His Highness had been quite effective.
Thinking of it, Matron Zhou was filled with regret. If she had not concealed the matter from the Crown Prince in the first place, perhaps the Crown Princess would not have suffered so terribly—she had nearly miscarried, and worse still, had become estranged from His Highness.
The Crown Princess’s brows carried a trace of pride. “I am the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince’s lawful wife. How can they possibly be mentioned in the same breath as me?”
With that, she had someone peel a lychee for her to taste, while the maid Caiwei hurried forward to attend her.
Seeing that the Crown Princess was in a rare good mood these past few days, Caiwei seized the opportunity and ventured carefully, “Your Highness, I heard that Sister Hongling is now assigned to the Laundry Bureau. She was given twenty strokes of the rod before, and because there has been neither medicine nor proper care, she has remained feverish, with her high fever refusing to break. If this continues for a few more days, I fear that she… she may not survive…” Her eyes reddened as she spoke. At once, she dropped to her knees and repeatedly kowtowed. “I beg Your Highness to save Sister Hongling!”
The Crown Princess frowned slightly. Hongling had been her personal maid, brought with her from her family home into the palace. Having served at her side since childhood, they naturally shared some bond.
Yet now, the Crown Prince’s attitude toward her had only just begun to soften. If she brought up this matter again and pleaded on behalf of a servant he had punished, would that not render all her previous efforts futile?
Her expression softened as she made her decision. “You are thoughtful indeed, still remembering Hongling. Very well…”
Hearing the beginning of her mistress’s words, Caiwei nearly burst into tears of joy. Wonderful! Sister Hongling could be saved!
But before she could even utter her thanks, she heard the Crown Princess continue, “Take this wound medicine with you. Go and see her after you finish your duties.”
Caiwei froze where she stood, instinctively lowering her head.
The Crown Princess did not notice. She added, “Matron, give her another hundred taels of silver on my behalf for Hongling. Tell her to recuperate properly. Let it be the fulfillment of our bond as mistress and servant.” A hundred taels was enough to hire a female physician from the Imperial Medical Office to examine her; at the very least, it would pay for medicine and allow her to recover.
The Crown Princess felt that she had already done all that could reasonably be expected of her.
Caiwei looked anxious. She raised her head, wanting to say more. “Your Highness…”
A hundred taels of silver might seem like a considerable sum, but in this palace—where the strong trampled the weak and people could be devoured alive—it was no more than a drop in the bucket, enough only to prolong someone’s miserable existence by a few days.
The Crown Princess frowned, clearly growing displeased. “Enough. You may leave.”
Though Caiwei was unwilling to let it go, she did not dare plead further. After leaving, she looked at the medicine for bruises and the hundred taels of silver in her hands. For some reason, Chunping of Lianxin Court suddenly came to mind.
Chunping had merely been assigned by the Directorate of Palace Attendants to serve Lady Shen. How long had she even been in Lady Shen’s service? Yet Lady Shen had pleaded for her before the Crown Prince. As a result, Chunping had been one of the rare few sent to the Punishment Bureau who suffered little and was released early.
But what of Sister Hongling and the other servants of the Crown Princess who had been taken there with her that day?
Though she herself served in the Crown Princess’s palace, she found herself envying the attendants of Lianxin Court.
Before long, she stopped dwelling on it. After changing shifts with another servant, she quietly made her way to the Laundry Court.
*
News of the Crown Prince’s gift of lychees soon spread throughout the Eastern Palace’s inner quarters.
Some envied Lady Chu and Lady Wang. Truly, only children could serve as one’s foundation in this palace.
Then, upon hearing of the gifts sent to Lianxin Court, they were struck by another wave of envy and jealousy. More than a few handkerchiefs were torn to shreds.
After Wang Chun left, everyone in Lianxin Court wore undisguised delight on their faces.
Their mistress held no high rank and had no child to rely on, yet the Crown Prince had singled her out for two plates of lychees. Such favor was immense!
Shen Yanshui: “…”
Hadn’t she given the Crown Prince plenty of grapes as well? She had cultivated those grapes herself. While they might not grant immortality, they were beneficial to one’s health, more or less. Were two plates of lychees really worth getting so excited over?
Well, all right. She understood.
They were lychees, after all. And this was the north—of course they carried a certain prestige.
*
At dinnertime—
As the evening glow gradually stained the sky, Cui Yu set down his vermilion brush and lifted his eyes toward the window, glancing at the darkening heavens.
“Zheng Yuande.”
“This servant is here.” Zheng Yuande, waiting nearby, hurriedly bowed.
Cui Yu asked, “Have all the lychees been distributed?”
Zheng Yuande promptly replied, “In answer to Your Highness, they have all been delivered as you instructed.” The gifts had been sent to the inner court of the Eastern Palace, as well as to several of the Crown Prince’s most valued retainers.
Cui Yu asked, seemingly casually, “Did Lady Shen like them?”
Zheng Yuande hesitated. “Uh… in answer to Your Highness, Lady Shen was naturally very pleased.” Who would dare dislike something bestowed by the Crown Prince?
For no apparent reason, Cui Yu pictured her with smiling eyes, happily eating lychees with a look of complete satisfaction.
“Go to Lianxin Court for dinner.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Zheng Yuande immediately went to make the arrangements.
At Lianxin Court, Shen Yanshui was lying back in a reclining chair beneath the grape arbor, her eyes closed. Qiuru stood beside her, feeding her peeled lychees, while Quanfu stood nearby reading aloud from a storybook he had managed to procure.
Shen Yanshui felt as though life was as blissful as that of an immortal.
Cui Yu arrived without having anyone announce him in advance, and this was the scene that greeted him.
Chunping, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted the Crown Prince and hurriedly bowed in greeting.
Shen Yanshui had not slept at all today. She had known the Crown Prince was coming the moment she heard footsteps approaching from afar, but since he had not sent anyone to announce him, she simply pretended not to know.
Only now did she act as though she had just been startled. She hurriedly rose and offered a bow. “This concubine greets Your Highness.”
Cui Yu reached out and helped her to her feet by the arm, his tone indifferent. “You certainly know how to enjoy yourself.” As he spoke, he cast a glance at the palace maid who had been feeding her lychees.
When Qiuru noticed the Crown Prince looking her way, she immediately felt nervous.
Shen Yanshui smiled, and, taking advantage of the moment, clasped his broad hand, the palm roughened by a thin layer of calluses. “If this concubine is able to enjoy such a good life, it is all thanks to Your Highness.”
Seeing that the Crown Prince had no intention of entering the room, Quanfu promptly had a chair brought over. He placed it beside the reclining chair, across a small tea table.
Cui Yu’s expression changed slightly when her soft body pressed close against him, leaning against his arm. He had originally intended to rebuke her with a stern, “Mind your manners,” but the body pressed against him felt like a piece of smooth, cool jade—her skin refreshing and untouched by the summer heat, cool and soothing in a most pleasant way.
Shen Yanshui had no idea what was on his mind. After he sat down, she glanced at the plate of lychees on the tea table. Then she turned sideways and half sat on the armrest of his chair, smiling at him with curved brows and eyes, her voice soft and sweet.
“Your Highness is truly kind to this concubine. I’ve nearly finished this plate, but I had another one chilled on ice, just waiting for Your Highness to come so I could give it to you.”
With that, she ordered someone to bring out the chilled lychees.
Qiuru immediately acknowledged the order, and soon presented the plate of ice-cold fruit.
Cui Yu sat upright, his back straight, his voice calm and even. “It was the grapes you cultivated that won His Majesty’s favor. You deserve these rewards.”
Shen Yanshui was slightly surprised by his words, but her mood improved all the same. Leaning forward, she reached across him for the chilled lychees on the tea table beside him.
Today, she was wearing a lotus-pink silk blouse with a fitted bodice and a front opening, embroidered with trailing lotus vines. As she bent forward, a large expanse of fair, smooth, soft skin was revealed beneath her collarbones, trembling gently with her movement…
Cui Yu lifted his eyes, then quickly looked away. Her exquisite, picture-perfect features and delicate, alluring lotus-like face were close enough to touch; light shimmered in her peach-blossom eyes, and her crimson lips curved ever so slightly upward…
Zheng Yuande and the others kept their eyes lowered, silently focusing on their noses and noses on their hearts. The palace attendants serving nearby went so far as to quiet their breathing.
Lady Shen’s bold and intimate behavior was a first in the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince had always placed great importance on propriety in public. It was rare for him to be so… intimate with anyone in full view of others.
“Your Highness, try one,” Shen Yanshui said, offering him a peeled lychee, its translucent flesh glistening as she brought it to his lips.
Her slender hand hovered before him. The sweet fragrance of the lychee mingled with the faint, delicate scent of her body, winding around him in wisps.
Cui Yu’s jaw tightened ever so slightly.
In broad daylight, with everyone watching, her behavior was simply… far too bold and immodest.
It was against the rules. Utterly improper.
Cui Yu’s expression remained cool as he took it from her hand and put it into his mouth. His Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly as he swallowed the sweet flesh, then he said in an even tone, “Sit properly.”
Shen Yanshui paused. Seeing the faint flush at the tips of his ears, she gave a seemingly dejected “Oh,” climbed down from the armrest, and sat properly in the lounge chair opposite him.
Still, teasing the usually aloof and impeccably dignified Crown Prince now and then was rather entertaining.
Seeing this, Chunping and the others quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Noticing that the Crown Prince still sat ramrod-straight on the hard wooden chair, Shen Yanshui blinked. “Your Highness, this lounge chair is quite comfortable. Would you like to try it?”
At that, Cui Yu’s gaze swept coolly over the bamboo lounge chair, cushioned in soft padding, before he looked away. “No need. One should sit with proper bearing and conduct oneself by the rules.” As he spoke, he glanced at her.
Clearly hoping that, next time, she would refrain from being so brazen in broad daylight.
In private, however... he would not object.
