diskusbooks Chapter 56 What Does the Crown Prince Mean?
Chapter 56 What Does the Crown Prince Mean?
Before long, Crown Prince Yuchi Rui entered the hall.
His blue robe with four claws and a python pattern was of inestimable nobility. Moreover, he was tall and elegant, with an outstanding temperament and a fair and handsome face like the moon. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was the most charming man in the Great Ye Kingdom at present.
Ye Shishu hadn't paid much attention to him before, but his involvement in the relationship between Wei Yonghuai and Luo Lixian, and his bringing Luo Lixian into the Eastern Palace as a concubine, was truly bizarre and astonishing, making it impossible for her not to pay attention to this crown prince.
"This humble woman greets Your Highness the Crown Prince," she said, curtsying as Yuchi Rui approached.
“I didn’t expect to see Miss Ye here. It seems I was being presumptuous. I should have come later to avoid disturbing your conversation.” Yu Chi Ling smiled gently, then raised his hand. “Miss Ye, you may rise. When I heard you were in trouble, I went to the General’s Mansion to offer my condolences. Now that I see you safe and sound, I am relieved for General Ye.”
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness," Ye Shishu said.
"Your Highness, what brings you here today?" Consort Lan asked kindly.
"I haven't visited you for many days. Since the court session ended early today, I came to pay my respects."
Just then, a maidservant came to report, "Your Highness, the snow swallow is ready. Shall we use it now?"
Consort Lan smiled and instructed, "Perfect timing, the Crown Prince and the Third Miss are both here, serve them a portion as well."
The old woman acknowledged and withdrew.
The palace maids inside the hall immediately set up tables and chairs for Yuchi Rui and Ye Shishu.
Ye Shishu couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit down to the right of Consort Lan.
She was standing opposite Yu Chi Rui.
Ye Shishu was actually dissatisfied with the arrangement made for Consort Lan.
She was the principal wife of Prince Cheng and the prospective daughter-in-law of Consort Lan. Although the Crown Prince was the heir apparent, and she could say that she couldn't avoid meeting him, from Consort Lan's perspective, it was simply unacceptable for her prospective daughter-in-law to be seen eating and drinking with other men.
As the head of the six palaces, Consort Lan couldn't possibly be unaware of such a simple principle.
Before long, the palace servants not only brought over snow swallows, but also candied fruits and pastries, filling the tables to the brim.
Consort Lan greeted her warmly, "Shu'er, once you're in my Lanxia Palace, don't act like an outsider. Just relax and make yourself at home."
Ye Shishu nodded obediently.
Just as Consort Lan turned to greet Yuchi Rui, a palace maid who was arranging snacks on Yuchi Rui's table accidentally knocked over a porcelain bowl of elegantly dressed snow swallows.
"Ah!" the palace maid cried out in fright, then knelt down before Yu Chi Rui and begged for mercy, "Your Highness, please forgive me, I didn't mean it, please have mercy!"
Consort Lan's face darkened, and she angrily rebuked, "How could my Lanxia Palace have someone as clumsy as you? Chen Mama, take her away and give her ten strokes of the cane!"
The old nanny beside Consort Lan walked solemnly toward the palace maid and led her away.
Consort Lan looked at another palace maid and said, "Don't let His Highness the Crown Prince lose his composure. Quickly take His Highness to the side hall to change his clothes."
Yu Chi Rui did not refuse her arrangements, and nodded apologetically to Ye Shi Shu before leaving.
Ye Shishu remained completely silent throughout.
She merely looked at the precious food on the table without showing any intention of eating, displaying a shy and introverted demeanor throughout.
Seeing her reaction, Consort Lan smiled and said, "Shu'er, did I scare you? It's all because of Chen Mama and the others' poor training that you were spoiled."
Ye Shishu stood up and said, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. Shu'er has no such thoughts."
Consort Lan's gaze softened further, seemingly quite fond of her quiet and reserved nature. She then seemed to remember the purpose of summoning Ye Shishu to the palace earlier that day, so she rose from her seat, walked towards Ye Shishu, took her hand, and said, "Come, accompany me for a walk in the garden. You and Ling'er are getting married soon, and I've brought you here under the guise of flower viewing so you can familiarize yourself with Lanxia Palace beforehand."
At night, Shu Wen obediently followed her out of the main hall.
Spring and summer are the seasons when all things come to life. Every garden in the palace is a riot of color and a feast for the eyes, yet each one is unique and has its own charm.
The prospective mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked along the fragrant path, followed by four nannies and a dozen or so palace maids and eunuchs.
Consort Lan took the initiative to talk to Ye Shishu about Yuchi Ling's childhood. "Ling'er has always been a quiet person since he was a child. In the past, he always liked to go to his father, the Emperor, and was unwilling to tell me anything. Later, after he was injured and returned to the capital, perhaps he felt that he had become a useless person, and even his father was not close to him."
A silent, unassuming person?
Nightfall flashed through Ye Shishu's mind, recalling scenes of her time with Prince Cheng.
Prince Cheng appears aloof on the surface, but in private he is not only eloquent but also shrewd and resourceful.
Not to mention when they're alone, that guy is like a hungry wolf; the word "silent type" doesn't apply to him at all!
Based on her interactions with him, she felt that Yu Chi Ling's face, covered with fake scars, was completely unrelated to the word "silent type."
Consort Lan gazed at a peony in the flowerbed and suddenly sighed, "I know that the reason Ling'er is unwilling to be close to me is because he feels that I favor the Crown Prince. He is my own son and feels that I should only be good to him."
Upon hearing this, Ye Shishu became somewhat curious, "Is Your Highness jealous of His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Consort Lan turned to face her, a sorrowful look in her beautiful eyes. "Shu'er, you don't know this, but when the Crown Prince's mother was alive, she and I were like sisters. We even went through thick and thin together when the earthquake struck, we were practically brothers in arms. It's just that the Empress was too beautiful, and heaven was jealous of her talent, so she was taken away by the heavens, leaving behind the Crown Prince who is crying for his mother. Tell me, how can I just leave the Crown Prince to fend for himself?"
"Besides, given my status, if I don't care about the Crown Prince and only dote on my own son, how will the Emperor view me? How will the court officials who support the Crown Prince feel at ease? I don't want to be questioned about whether my son and I have ambitions, so I must treat the Crown Prince as my own son. I also don't want Ling'er to be suspected in court, so I persuaded him to join the army when he was young."
At this point, she sighed sadly, "Unfortunately, my actions were praised by the Emperor and his officials, but they chilled Ling'er's heart, and he still refuses to be close to me to this day."
There are some things Ye Shishu knows, such as Consort Lan treating the Crown Prince as her own son. It is precisely because of her great virtue and love that she is praised endlessly.
From Consort Lan's perspective, her meticulous care for other people's sons demonstrates her kindness and righteousness, deserving respect and the title of "great woman."
However, from Prince Cheng's perspective, she couldn't offer any comment. After all, even siblings from the same parents can harbor hatred towards each other if they can't treat each other equally, let alone the Crown Prince, who was born to the Empress.
Consort Lan took her hand and said, "I'm telling you all this because you're about to marry Ling'er, and we'll be family from now on. Ling'er and I have some disagreements, and I need you to mediate between us."
Upon hearing this, Ye Shishu replied obediently, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Shu'er will."
Consort Lan smiled, turned to look at the flowerbed, and suddenly pointed to an orchid, "Shu'er, do you like orchids?"
How could Ye Shishu dare to say she didn't like it?
"Your Majesty, this orchid is blooming beautifully."
"Someone, turn this orchid into a bonsai and take it back to the Third Miss's residence," Consort Lan ordered the palace maids.
"..." Ye Shishu wanted to stop her, but when she opened her mouth, she was worried that her refusal would displease Consort Lan.
A moment later, the palace maid pulled the orchid out of the flowerbed by the roots and presented it to Ye Shishu for her to examine. "Third Miss, please wait a moment, I will find a jade basin to cultivate it."
Ye Shishu smiled slightly.
The palace maid turned to leave, but the arc of her turn was too large, and the soil hanging from the base of her skirt splashed onto Ye Shishu's skirt.
Seeing this, Consort Lan's expression darkened slightly.
Chen, the old nanny, quickly said, "Your Highness, Hongyu didn't do it on purpose. Please don't be angry. I'll have someone take the Third Miss to clean up right away."
What can Ye Shishu say?
Seeing the mud on her skirt, she had no choice but to accept Chen Mama's arrangement.
She then followed a young palace maid toward the nearest palace.
Upon entering, Ye Shishu noticed that the palace was quiet and deserted, and she didn't see a single person, so it must be unused.
When the young palace maid pushed open a door, she went inside without thinking much about it.
But as she stepped across the threshold, her expression stiffened as she looked at the prince, dressed in a blue four-clawed python robe, seated on the couch to the side.
"Your Highness, please forgive me, I've gone to the wrong place." Fortunately, she reacted quickly and explained herself in time.
Before she could turn around, the door was quickly closed.
Her eyes widened, then she glared warily at the man sitting on the couch to her side, and asked in a cold voice, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"