CHAPTER 431: CHAPTER 399: HIS HIGHNESS DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE SCHEMES OF WOMEN IN THE HAREM

After lunch, Song Yuanbao returned to his room to sleep.

He was quite sleepy during the meal, but once he lay in his bed, he tossed and turned and couldn’t fall asleep.

Yuanbao sat up in frustration, scratching his head. His eyes glanced at the canopy bed beneath him, and he suddenly realized the reason for his insomnia—he wasn’t used to the bed.

This past year or so, he had grown accustomed to the large cooling bed in his room in Yutang Palace, which was warm in winter and cool in summer. Suddenly sleeping in a different place and a different bed made him uneasy.

Staring at the canopy bed’s top, Yuanbao secretly made up his mind: he must find a way to get hold of that bed, otherwise, he’d end up facing more sleepless nights in the future.

His brother rarely came back, and Jinbao was so excited that he didn’t want to take a nap; he wanted to play with his brother.

Wen Wan stopped him, not allowing him to disturb Yuanbao. The little fellow began to throw a tantrum, yelling shrilly in their courtyard.

Granny Song heard the noise and came over herself to ask what was the matter.

Wen Wan gave her son a sidelong glance and told her mother-in-law it was nothing, Jinbao was just idle.

The little fellow seized the opportunity to complain to his grandma, saying he wanted to find his brother but his mother wouldn’t let him go.

"I thought it was something big." Granny Song picked him up in her arms, "Grandma will take you there."

Wen Wan: "..."

A quarter of an hour later, Jinbao appeared in Song Yuanbao’s room.

It just so happened that Yuanbao wasn’t sleepy, so he played hide and seek with him for a while.

The little fellow got tired from playing, felt drowsy, and refused to get up from Yuanbao’s bed.

Yuanbao covered him up with a quilt and reached out to rub his head, "When your brother turns eighteen and leaves the palace, he’ll bring back that big bed, and then you can sleep however you want."

The little fellow was too sleepy and, in a daze, he heard his brother’s voice and responded absentmindedly, "Oh..."

——

Yutang Palace.

The lunch from the Imperial Kitchen had been delivered long ago, but Zhao Xi kept his head down, writing vigorously, with no intention of moving his chopsticks.

Wan Qiu, standing at the side, couldn’t help but urge, "Your Highness, it’s time for lunch."

"Take it away, I have no appetite."

Zhao Xi didn’t raise his head, his tone was indifferent.

Wan Qiu was slightly shocked. Usually, His Highness disliked wasting food the most, so he always timed his meals right to finish everything. Such occasions as today, where he sent back untouched food, were rare.

Zhao Xi probably also realized that these dishes would end up being dumped into a slop bucket when sent back, so he paused his writing and changed his mind, "Forget it, leave it here, and you few can share it."

Wan Qiu couldn’t help but worry, "Your Highness, aren’t you hungry?"

"Mm, no appetite."

Generally, Zhao Xi wouldn’t lose his temper with the servants, but his attitude was still rather cold.

Wan Qiu couldn’t persuade him, so she had to find a food box to pack the lunch and take it out to share among the little palace maids.

Zhao Xi worked on his assignments for a while, then massaged his shoulders. Seeing this, Wan Qiu spoke out, "Your Highness, should I give you a massage?"

"No need." Zhao Xi closed his book and stood up, "Dress me; I need to go to Xianfu Palace."

Zhao Xi’s birth mother, Princess Consort Qi, was the head of Xianfu Palace, which also housed a consort and a concubine.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Xi was dressed again with Wan Qiu’s help and sat in a palanquin heading to Xianfu Palace.

Upon learning that her son was coming, Princess Consort Qi was delighted and had someone brew Zhao Xi’s favorite pre-Qingming Longjing tea.

"Xixi, why are you free to come by today?"

Zhao Xi said, "I missed Mother Consort, so I came to see you."

"Is that so?" Princess Consort Qi fiddled with the beads on her wrist, her tone filled with grievance, "Since your companion entered the palace, I’ve seen you fewer times than I have the Emperor."

Zhao Xi seemed just to have realized this issue, "It was careless of me; I’ll make a point to visit Mother Consort every few days from now on."

"There’s no need for every few days." Princess Consort Qi understood her son, "I know you’re busy, seeing Mother once or twice a month is enough."

Zhao Xi didn’t insist further, as he also knew he couldn’t manage every few days.

Mother and son sat for a while, and Princess Consort Qi suddenly remembered the palace maid’s words from this morning, "Did Song Hao leave?"

"Mm." Zhao Xi nodded, "This is the year for the provincial exam, and he needs to prepare for it in advance by returning home."

"No wonder I heard the palace attendants talking about it this morning. Song Hao has been your companion for so long; he’s practically a student of the Study Room. The provincial exam shouldn’t be a problem for him, right?"

"Being the top scorer is hard to say." Zhao Xi assessed Song Yuanbao’s ability, "But the chance of him failing is slim."

"That’s true." Princess Consort Qi laughed, "With your father personally selecting someone for you, his abilities would naturally not be lacking."

From daily matters to academic studies, and academic studies to companionship, Princess Consort Qi finally grasped the key point, "That... Xixi, Mother Consort heard you had Wan Qiu keep watch at night?"

A single sentence revealed what his birth mother wanted to ask, and Zhao Xi lowered his long eyelashes slightly.

"Mother Consort means nothing else," Princess Consort Qi said, "it’s just a hope that you pass this hurdle soon."

Zhao Xi casually grabbed someone as a shield, "The Imperial Physician said, your son is only fourteen years old, his body is not mature, and it is unsuitable for early sexual relations."

Fourteen indeed is unsuitable for sexual relations, but as the birth mother of the Eldest Prince, how could Princess Consort Qi not understand her son’s thoughts? He was merely finding excuses to evade.

After listening to his words, Princess Consort Qi suddenly asked, "Xixi, have you fallen for any girl?"

Zhao Xi responded without giving an answer, "Why did Mother Consort suddenly bring this up?"

"My intention is, if you truly have a girl you fancy, there’s no need to hide it. You can tell me openly and if I find her acceptable, I will discuss it with your father," said Princess Consort Qi.

Zhao Xi replied, "Currently, your son is focused solely on studies and has no intention for romantic affairs."

As he spoke these words, his expression did not change a bit, and Princess Consort Qi recognized that her son was not lying.

Although a son of the Imperial Family should be "strong without desires," a lack of desire as extreme as Zhao Xi’s might still worry the adults.

As the mother and son were speaking, laughter from young girls suddenly echoed outside.

Zhao Xi remained oblivious.

Princess Consort Qi glanced at the palace maid by her side and asked, "Who is outside?"

The palace maid quickly went to take a look and returned to report, "Replying to the Imperial Concubine, it’s Consort Qing’s niece Yinhuan and the little palace maids playing shuttlecock outside."

Living in the same palace, any movement outside can be easily heard in the main hall.

Princess Consort Qi quietly instructed, "Make sure they keep the noise down, lest they disturb His Highness."

Her tone carried a distinct displeasure.

Zhao Xi, with excellent hearing, had already heard her words but did not point them out directly. He stood up, "Your son must hurry to Qianqing Palace to see Father, and will not disturb Mother Consort anymore."

Upon finishing, he walked out without turning back.

Exiting the main hall, he saw outside two little palace maids surrounding a green-clad girl playing shuttlecock.

Separated by a cluster of flowering trees, Zhao Xi did not look much, as his gaze hadn’t even reached the face of the green-clad girl before turning sideways.

Suddenly, after taking two steps forward, he was hit on the shoulder by a flying shuttlecock.

Zhao Xi’s pace paused slightly.

Seeing this, Gu Yu, the palace maid who followed His Highness out from the main hall, immediately became angry, "How dare you! His Highness is not someone you can casually amuse!"

The two palace maids’ faces turned pale, and they knelt down simultaneously, "Forgive us, Your Highness, we did not intend it."

While speaking, they gave frantic signals to Miss Xue standing frozen in place, "Miss Xue, that is His Highness, quickly kneel!"

Xue Yinhuan looked sorrowfully at the already damaged shuttlecock and had no choice but to kneel down. Her peripheral vision drifted towards the shuttlecock but caught sight of the person’s cloud silk robe—clean without a single fold.

The owner of the robe faced away from her, his figure tall and straight like bamboo.

At this point, Xue Yinhuan no longer looked and quickly withdrew her gaze.

Not seeing Xue Yinhuan express any stance, Gu Yu sneered coldly, "The ones from outside have no manners, have the ones staying longer inside the palace not taught them?"

The two little palace maids were sweating bullets in anxiety, "It was our momentary negligence, not expecting His Highness to come out..."

"Hush!" Gu Yu warned with a malicious look, "Kneel properly, and I’ll deal with you later!"

After she finished, she adjusted her mood and approached with a smile, "Your Highness, this way please."

Zhao Xi did not turn back, his voice calm, "Forget it, it’s not a big deal."

Gu Yu’s smile remained unchanged, "Your Highness is always busy with studies, unfamiliar with the tricks of women in the harem. Some people, despite their young age, have many hidden complexities. Who knows how the shuttlecock flew onto Your Highness’s shoulder? Such a minor trick has long been overused by the concubines."

She continued, "Your Highness is known for upholding purity, please be cautious. You are of noble body, not every woman out there can approach you casually."

Zhao Xi glanced at her sideways but said nothing, as he stepped out of Xianfu Palace’s gate and boarded the soft palanquin heading towards Qianqing Palace.

In the palace courtyard, Xue Yinhuan and the two little palace maids were still kneeling in place.

Xue Yinhuan’s fingers within her sleeves clenched one by one, particularly when she heard herself being insulted indirectly, she could only strive to maintain composure.

Gu Yu walked up to the three, "Who was it that kicked the shuttlecock onto His Highness’s body just now?"

The two palace maids attempted to step forward to take the blame.

Xue Yinhuan did not look at her, her voice suppressed with calmness, "It was me."

Knowing it was her, Gu Yu was not surprised, deliberately raising her voice as if saying it for those in Rose Pavilion to hear, "No upright top beam, and so the lower beam tilts, right?"