"In that case, I will act separately from General Xie. I will go to the Crown Prince’s residence to inform His Highness, while General Xie contacts the old troops. General Fu is already aware and will be on guard!" Bai Jinxiu was being candid with Xie Yuchang, telling him that they and Fu Ruoxi were family, and fighting between them must be avoided.
"Understood!" Xie Yuchang stood up to see Bai Jinxiu off.
"No need to see off, General Xie. We must attend to urgent matters!"
Leaving Xie Mansion, Bai Jinxiu headed straight for the Crown Prince’s residence to seek an audience.
The Crown Prince was sleeping soundly within Hongi’s hibiscus drapes. Suddenly, he heard Quan Yu softly saying that Mrs. Qin sought an audience outside the curtain, and the Crown Prince, not yet fully awake, irritably asked: "Which Mrs. Qin is this to disturb in the middle of the night?!"
Quan Yu, standing with head lowered outside the exquisitely embroidered light purple bed curtains, softly replied: "Your Highness, it is the cousin of the Princess of Zhen who is married to Qin Lang. Her relationship with the Princess of Zhen is as close as that of sisters born of the sa mother!"
He reminded the Crown Prince that Bai Jinxiu’s relationship with the Princess of Zhen was like that of true sisters, hoping the Crown Prince would take her seriously.
Inside the drapes, Hongi wrapped her fair arms around the Crown Prince’s neck, murmuring, "What is it about the Princess of Zhen? Does she not consider the hour when seeking an audience with you? Does the Crown Prince need no rest? Could it be that she is taking the Crown Prince’s favor for granted, treating His Highness as her servant to command at will?!"
"Enough!"
The sound of rustling ca from behind the hibiscus drapes, followed by the Crown Prince gasping and sighing contentedly—clearly, Hongi had ensnared the Crown Prince. Quan Yu frowned, inwardly blaming Hongi for her lack of consideration; Mrs. Qin had co in the dead of night, surely with an important matter, but Quan Yu, as a servant, could only be anxious without overstepping his bounds.
Not long after, the sound of a woman’s teasing complaint ca from inside the drapes, leaving Quan Yu no choice but to withdraw and wait quietly outside.
Tonight, however, Hongi seed determined to prevent the Crown Prince from seeing Bai Jinxiu, clinging to him relentlessly, using all sorts of wiles to entertain him, making the Crown Prince completely forget about Bai Jinxiu, indulging instead in pleasurable company.
With growing anxiety, Quan Yu had to remain outside, listening to the increasingly improper sounds from within.
Not until the end of the Yin hour did the entanglent inside the hibiscus drapes co to a halt.
Hearing the Crown Prince call out to Quan Yu with a hoarse voice, he quickly entered with little eunuchs carrying washing supplies.
Quan Yu placed a brush in a black lacquer tray held aloft by a little eunuch, then knelt down to place the Crown Prince’s shoes onto the footrest at the bedside, assisting him as he got dressed.
The Crown Prince put on his shoes, stood up, and walked down from the footrest, his eyes still closed. Quan Yu waved to the eunuchs by the curtain, and they hurried in, bending over to assist the Crown Prince with his wash.
Hongi, wearing only a red undergarnt with mandarin ducks playing in water, opened the bed curtains in a provocative manner, leaning against the bedpost. Her fair skin flushed from the recent affection, she complained coquettishly: "Your Highness... why do you always accommodate the Princess of Zhen at the re ntion of her na... This makes envious!"
The Crown Prince glanced back at the slender beauty, smiled, and said, "Short-sighted girl! My relationship with the Princess of Zhen is that of sovereign and subject. Even the Crown Princess Consort has no complaints... look at your petty jealousy!"
Annoyed by this, Hongi rose and slipped behind the Crown Prince, wrapping her delicate arms around his waist: "The Crown Princess Consort is gracious and magnanimous, but Hongi’s heart is small, it can only hold Your Highness!"
"Oh you!" The Crown Prince pinched Hongi’s nose, seeming quite pleased, and gently advised her to sleep a bit more before leaving her chambers.
Still lightly dressed, Hongi stood under the eaves, watching as the Crown Prince was carried away on a sedan chair. Her smile faded instantly. She turned and instructed, "Go... send a ssage to our master that the cousin of the Princess of Zhen has requested an audience with the Crown Prince late at night!"
"Yes!" The maid saluted and quickly left.
·
Bai Jinxiu sat in the main hall, staring intently at the flickering thirty-six-headed branched lamp, her expression solemn.
She had waited for nearly two hours...
Despite having stated the urgency, the Crown Prince still hadn’t arrived. She had sent soone to urge him multiple tis, only to hear that they were all blocked outside the courtyard by a nanny serving Hongi, and none of the eunuchs she sent even got to see Quan Yu.
Bai Jinxiu frowned deeply—Hongi truly had so skill!
Rumor had it that when Hongi first entered the Crown Prince’s residence, she was carried in on a small sedan, with only one maidservant attending her, and all her belongings fitting into a single small bundle. Who would have thought she could now command even the nannies of the Crown Prince’s residence?
Bai Jinxiu closed her weary eyes. The grain supplies escorted by Fan Yuhuai’s son Fan Yugan—why did Hongi ntion this to the Crown Prince?
On the surface, it seed like Fan Yuhuai was sending gifts to Hongi, but in reality, could Hongi have ties to Li Mingrui or even King Liang?
Originally, she had hoped that before the changing of the city gate guards, the Crown Prince could send soone with his seal straight to Daliang, allowing her elder sister to rightfully lead the troops back.
Yet, who could have predicted...
It seed this Crown Prince, even if he ascended the throne, would not be a wise monarch.
As Bai Jinxiu prepared to stand and have soone inform the Crown Prince once more, she heard a commotion at the front of the main hall. She quickly stood and saw the Crown Prince, supported by Quan Yu, descending from his sedan chair. She walked swiftly to greet him: "Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Mrs. Qin, please rise quickly!" The Crown Prince signaled Quan Yu to help Bai Jinxiu up before asking, "Mrs. Qin, coming here so late, has sothing urgent happened?"
Bai Jinxiu looked up at the Crown Prince and did not hold back. She spoke directly: "Your Highness, King Liang has colluded with Fan Yuhuai and Li Mingrui, and is likely planning a rebellion."
The Crown Prince, hearing this, initially thought it was a joke and couldn’t help but chuckle: "Fan Yuhuai... he’s the hero who saved and His Majesty during the last Wude Gate rebellion! You say Li Mingrui is rebelling... I might believe it, but if you say Fan Yuhuai is rebelling, I can’t agree. Could there be so misunderstanding?"
Bai Jinxiu clenched her fists by her side, earnestly explaining to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, have you assigned soone to monitor King Liang’s residence? Did any Hidden Guard report that Li Mingrui and Fan Yuhuai entered King Liang’s residence tonight?"
"No..." The Crown Prince, still smiling as he entered the main hall with Bai Jinxiu, felt she was worrying unnecessarily.
"Your Highness, my grandmother, the Eldest Princess, has a royal secret guard unit! After the last rebellion at Wude Gate, His Majesty’s compassion spared King Liang, but my grandmother feared he might cause trouble again, so she secretly ordered this royal secret guard unit to monitor King Liang. Today, the Hidden Guards, about to exit the city to report to my grandmother that Fan Yuhuai and Li Mingrui entered King Liang’s residence, noticed the changing guards at the city gate and ca to inform to notify Your Highness, so that you could take precautions!" Bai Jinxiu spoke steadily.
It was only upon hearing this that the Crown Prince finally showed so seriousness: "But the Hidden Guard of the Crown Prince’s residence has not reported back..."
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