Meanwhile, at the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Xiao Chen received an identical letter.
At that moment, he was dealing with the instructing matron sent from the Empress's palace.
Eunuch Zhang held the letter in his hand and entered the room to report.
A hint of irritation lingered between Xiao Chen's brows. He gave Eunuch Zhang a faint glance. Throw it away.
Did such a thing even need to be asked?
Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, the Eastern Palace received letters from Cui Yunchu almost every half a month, asking about his well-being and expressing her affection.
And for the other half of the month, they were sent to Prince An's estate, spreading her favors evenly.
The Crown Prince and Prince An had been fighting fiercely in recent years, but they had never mocked each other over the matter of Cui Yunchu.
Because that girl's ability to balance both sides was like a master juggler, which shocked them both.
As the heir apparent, countless women had tried to flatter and seduce the Crown Prince, vainly hoping to marry into the Eastern Palace. Cui Yunchu was the only one who displayed her ambitions so clearly, casting her net wide and targeting both of them simultaneously.
And she didn't hide it in the slightest.
If she had restrained herself and been a bit more secretive, the Crown Prince might have respected her for having some brains.
The instructing matron sent by the Empress also looked at Eunuch Zhang, a flash of disdain passing through her eyes.
For the Cui family to produce someone like Eldest Miss Cui, they had truly fallen into decline.
Your Highness, the future Crown Princess comes from the Tang and Cui families after all, and is cousins with the Cui family's daughters, sharing the same lineage. With Eldest Miss Cui acting like this, it's hard to guarantee the future Crown Princess won't learn bad habits. Moreover, etiquette has always been this way; please allow this old servant to make a trip.
This person was sent by the Empress to go to the Tang residence to teach Tang Qingwan court etiquette.
Tang Qingwan was bestowed the title of Crown Princess shortly after birth. The Tang family would naturally teach her all the palace rules, so sending an instructing matron was merely a way to torment her with harsh etiquette.
Especially since she was sent by the Empress, she could not be offended and could only be endured.
The Crown Prince looked at the instructing matron with cold eyes. In the palace, you speak to me of sharing the same lineage?
Those sharing the same lineage were everywhere. Historically, rebels only had the capital to fight because they shared the same lineage, didn't they?
Beside him, Eunuch Zhang suddenly said, Your Highness, the letter was not written by Eldest Miss Cui, but by the Second Miss Cui.
Hearing this, the Crown Prince frowned slightly.
Cui Yunfeng.
Tang Qingwan only had one older brother who was not in the capital, so she valued her Cui family cousins very much, especially Cui Yunfeng.
Bring it here.
Eunuch Zhang immediately handed the letter over.
The Crown Prince took it but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he looked down at the instructing matron. I will send my own people to instruct the main consort. You should go to the Liu residence instead. Compared to the Crown Princess, I imagine the Liu family's daughter needs it more.
But... Her Majesty the Empress's intention...
The instructing matron was unwilling, but she abruptly stopped when she met the Crown Prince's cold gaze.
Her Majesty had said there was no need to argue with the Crown Prince over trivial matters. Once they were married, there would be bigger issues waiting.
Yes. However, Her Majesty also gave another instruction. The matron clapped her hands, and a beautiful palace maid immediately walked in from outside the hall.
The Crown Prince recognized her; she was the Empress's senior palace maid.
This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. The newcomer bowed respectfully. Her face was very delicate and pretty, and she wore a jade hairpin on her head that did not match her status.
Your Highness, this is the rule, and it is also for the good of the future Crown Princess, the instructing matron said.
Before marriage, all royal descendants had to have an older palace maid teach them matters of the bedchamber.
This tradition was actually of little use later on, but Xiao Chen was the Crown Prince. The ancestors' rules could not be broken, especially not by him; he could not set such a precedent.
Eunuch Zhang looked at the Crown Prince, waiting for his order.
Your Highness, the Emperor values your wedding very much.
The implication was that his every move was under the Emperor's watchful eye.
The Emperor's murderous intent toward the Cui and Tang families could hardly be suppressed anymore. If he repeatedly lost his virtue over a woman, he would lose the Emperor's favor.
For a nation's Crown Prince, the most important thing to ascend the throne was the Emperor's support.
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and finally waved his hand, keeping the palace maid.
The instructing matron curtsied and respectfully withdrew.
Eunuch Zhang asked in a low voice, Your Highness, then... how should this person be settled?
Since she was accepted, it meant she became a person of the Eastern Palace, a member of the Crown Prince's harem. It was just a matter of what rank to arrange for her.
Find a courtyard and let her stay there, the Crown Prince said.
This meant to throw her somewhere far away.
Eunuch Zhang complied, and then heard the Crown Prince give another order. Keep her far from the main courtyard. Do not let the Crown Princess see her often.
The palace maid's face turned pale.
Eunuch Zhang complied, led the person away, and found someone to make the arrangements.
He actually felt the Crown Princess wouldn't care about a palace maid. After all, even secondary consorts had been married in; what difference did a lowly concubine make?
Ever since the wedding ceremony was set, all kinds of rules and etiquette had followed one after another, giving him a headache.
And aside from the necessary ones, he had blocked all the other irrelevant ones for Tang Qingwan.
When Eunuch Zhang came back in after settling the person, the Crown Prince rubbed the center of his brows and asked, Is Qingwan still unwilling to see me?
Eunuch Zhang pursed his lips and said nothing.
After the Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet, perhaps Miss Tang's heart had been thoroughly broken. Gold, silver, jewelry, and fine silks from the Crown Prince's estate were sent to the Tang residence like flowing water. Miss Tang accepted all of them, but she simply refused to show her face.
She blames me. Xiao Chen leaned back, narrowing his eyes at a certain spot, and didn't move for a long time.
Your Highness need not be sad. In ten more days, it will be the wedding day. Once Miss Tang marries in, Your Highness will have plenty of opportunities to make it up to her.
Xiao Chen lowered his eyes and said nothing. Instead, he opened the letter signed by Cui Yunfeng.
He had some impression of Cui Yunchu's handwriting. With a quick glance, he knew what was going on.
Seeing the Crown Prince frown as he read, Eunuch Zhang also leaned his head over. This was written by... Eldest Miss Cui.
Xiao Chen remained silent, seemingly trying hard to decipher the contents of the letter.
This old servant recognizes that character, Eunuch Zhang said, pointing to a spot. That's the 'please' in 'request'.
The Crown Prince said, It does look a bit like it.
Saying that, he continued reading.
Eunuch Zhang said, Your Highness, this old servant has recognized that character too...
The master and servant stared at the letter for a full fifteen minutes before they barely managed to guess and piece together the general meaning of it.
The Crown Prince shook the piece of paper and said, I never noticed before that Cui Yunchu had this talent. If she were to pass on state secrets, she would definitely leave the enemy country at a complete loss.
Eunuch Zhang, ...
Your Highness, then should we do as the letter says?
That Eldest Miss Cui certainly dared to dream. Thinking Young Master Wang wasn't influential enough, she wanted the Crown Prince to step forward and clear her reputation for her.
Saying that all those past entanglements were just baseless rumors spread by people with ulterior motives to intentionally smear her?
Wasn't that asking the Crown Prince to lie through his teeth?
She is Qingwan's younger cousin, after all. The Crown Prince lifted his robes and stood up, ordering, For such a big matter, I must ask for Qingwan's opinion before I can make a decision.
...
It was all an excuse.
Eunuch Zhang said, Your Highness is right. This old servant will go prepare the carriage immediately.
Along the way, Xiao Chen heard quite a few rumors circulating in the streets, mostly discussing the affairs between Cui Yunchu and the Wang family.
He suddenly turned and asked Eunuch Zhang, "When did that girl finally grow a brain?"
Eunuch Zhang was once again left speechless. After a long pause, he replied, "She is Miss Tang's biological cousin, after all. One would assume she wouldn't..."
He truly could not bring himself to finish the sentence, as it went completely against his conscience.
"Your Highness." The carriage was abruptly brought to a halt. Eunuch Zhang lifted the carriage curtain and reported, "Outside... those seem to be His Highness Prince An's men."
The Crown Prince followed his gaze and looked outside. The few men mingling with the commoners were indeed Prince An's trusted aides.
"Go and see what they are talking about to cause such a commotion."
Eunuch Zhang immediately hopped down from the carriage. It was not long before he returned and resumed driving.
"Just like you, Your Highness, they are using this opportunity to clear Eldest Miss Cui's name."
They had likely received the exact same letter.
Eunuch Zhang sighed softly. In the entire capital, only Eldest Miss Cui would dare to do something like this. He had heard of people throwing their weight around by relying on powerful connections, but he had never heard of someone relying on their sister's connections to do so.
To think that figures of such esteemed status as His Highness Prince An and the Crown Prince actually had to act against their consciences.
Recalling how His Highness the Crown Prince had been cornered by her in restaurants on numerous occasions in the past, Eunuch Zhang could not help but feel aggrieved on the Crown Prince's behalf.
