Song Yuanbao leaned to the side and nearly toppled into the nearby flower bed.
Having gotten used to being informal around Zhao Xi, he hadn’t realized along the way that the seniority between him and Zhao Xi had drastically changed with the revelation of Wen Wan’s identity.
Zhao Xi was now his uncle.
Song Yuanbao felt quite distraught and turned around to quietly warn Eunuch Sanbao, "Don’t tell him I ca by."
He was about to slip away.
Eunuch Sanbao, quick and sharp-eyed, grabbed Song Yuanbao by the sleeve and shouted, "Since you’re already here, wouldn’t Young Master Yuanbao co in for a cup of tea?"
Song Yuanbao realized Eunuch Sanbao was doing this on purpose and glared at him several tis.
Eunuch Sanbao pretended not to notice and continued calling out, "Young Master Yuanbao, His Highness has been waiting so hard for you to serve the tea!"
Song Yuanbao’s mouth twitched twice, and just as he was about to kick this annoying little eunuch away, he heard the door of the main hall open, and Zhao Xi’s voice ca from behind him.
"Here already?"
Song Yuanbao froze.
Eunuch Sanbao quickly let him go.
Song Yuanbao turned his head. The young Crown Prince was already fully dressed in a golden embroidered python robe and a lavish and noble Purple Gold Crown, which made his eyes appear even deeper and more unfathomable, increasingly embodying the aura of "the unpredictable majesty of a ruler."
"Your Highness, you’re up so early?" Song Yuanbao forced a dry laugh, "I just ca with my parents, and decided to drop by."
Zhao Xi glanced at his attempt to leave, "Since you passed by the Eastern Palace, don’t you plan on coming in for a while?"
"Isn’t the palace banquet about to start?" Song Yuanbao laughed it off, "Jinbao is still waiting for in the Imperial Garden. If I’m late, he’ll cry all by himself."
Zhao Xi didn’t force him, "Then off you go."
Song Yuanbao took a couple of steps forward and suddenly rembered the purpose of his visit to the Eastern Palace. He stopped abruptly and turned back to Zhao Xi, "I heard that today the Emperor plans to announce your main and concubine consorts’ selections at the grand banquet. Is there such a thing?"
Zhao Xi nodded, "The rumors are true."
Song Yuanbao’s heart tightened, "Do you know who your main and concubine consorts are?"
"I do not," Zhao Xi shook his head.
To prevent families from climbing up the ladder, the selection of the Crown Prince’s main and concubine consorts was conducted secretly. Even those chosen and their families were oblivious, and Zhao Xi, the key person in this matter, had no idea who his consorts were.
"Aren’t you curious?" Song Yuanbao asked.
"Curiosity won’t change the established outco." Zhao Xi’s expression was calm, clearly prepared to accept those consorts.
Song Yuanbao thought of his terrible sleeping posture and was about to ask out of concern that Zhao Xi might be seen, but seeing Eunuch Sanbao present, he held back.
Zhao Xi observed and said, "Weren’t you leaving? Why are you still standing here?"
Song Yuanbao gestured to Eunuch Sanbao, "You leave first, I have sothing to discuss with His Highness alone."
Eunuch Sanbao obediently retreated.
Once alone, Song Yuanbao looked at Zhao Xi with a pleading expression, "I want to ask a favor of you."
"What is it?"
"In case Miss Ye from Cloud General Mansion is in your consort list, could you publicly refuse it?"
He was truly afraid that with just a slip of Emperor Guangxi’s hand, the girl he’d long been interested in might be given to the Crown Prince.
Zhao Xi looked at him for a mont and softly said, "It seems your feelings for Miss Ye are not just a re infatuation."
"Of course!" Song Yuanbao felt strongly about this, "Though I’m not as outstanding as you, I am at least sincere. When I say I like her, I an it. When I say I want to marry her, I an I’ll only marry her. So, could you not compete with ?"
Zhao Xi was silent for a while, "Did you co here just to tell this?"
"What else do you think?" Song Yuanbao shrugged, "I certainly didn’t co to see you, right? Don’t forget, it was you who kicked out of Yutang Palace."
Zhao Xi’s expression turned sowhat enigmatic upon hearing this, "So you are resentful over that incident, which led to your ill health and ntal distress after leaving the palace?"
Song Yuanbao frowned, "What nonsense, I’m talking about Miss Ye."
"Miss Ye isn’t on the list, you may leave," Zhao Xi replied, retracting his gaze.
Song Yuanbao walked a couple of steps then turned around, calling, "Your Highness..."
Seeing Zhao Xi ignoring him, Song Yuanbao rushed over, spreading his arms to block him, "Aren’t you worried about people seeing your bad sleeping posture? Have you thought about what to do after marrying?"
Zhao Xi frown was barely noticeable, "That is not for you to worry about."
"I have a good idea, do you want to hear it?"
"No need."
Song Yuanbao completely ignored him, "You could do as the Emperor does, either have the consorts attend you in the main hall for the night, then send them back, or go visit them one by one, returning to your bedchamber later in the night. In short, except for during, uh... that, don’t share a bed with your consorts, then no one will find out."
Having said that, he waited gleefully for praise.
Zhao Xi glanced at him and tossed out two words, "How boring."
Then he walked away without looking back.
"Hey! What kind of expression is that, I’m doing this for your good! Can’t you feel it?" Song Yuanbao shouted a few tis at Zhao Xi’s retreating back, but the latter refused to turn around. He pouted and walked out of the Eastern Palace, planning to rejoin his parents in the Imperial Garden.
After Zhao Xi returned to the main hall, Eunuch Sanbao hurriedly followed and quietly asked, "Your Highness, did Young Master Song upset you again?"
"I’m fine, you may leave." Zhao Xi sat down on the Purple Sandalwood Dragon Pattern Arhat Bed, picked up a book from the Flat Head Case nearby, and as he opened it, a folded piece of paper slipped out.
Zhao Xi stooped to pick it up and unfolded it. It turned out to be Song Yuanbao’s drawing of a chanical beast from when he was in Yutang Palace, outrageously ugly.
Zhao Xi intended to burn the design by placing it on the candle stand.
Thinking better, he slid it back into the bound book.
At 9 a.m., the grand banquet began.
The civil and military officials and the noblewon, who had greeted the Emperor and Empress earlier, returned to the Imperial Garden. The Emperor and Empress’ seats were arranged in the pavilion at the center of the lake, and from there, layers of tables extended to both sides along the andering corridors towards the shore.
The left was the seating for officials, the right for noblewon.
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