How could she explain to this powerful figure that it was truly just a dream? She had never harbored any irreverent thoughts toward him… Well, actually she had, and not just once.
But that wasn't important. What mattered was why the Crown Prince would have such a dream!
When she first entered the dream, Yun Kui even thought it was her own dream, assuming that her frequent cravings for him in reality—where she lacked the courage to act—had manifested in this feast for the senses within her dreams.
Yet as she watched, she realized something was amiss.
She was merely an observer of the scenes, unable to join or influence the dream's events. When she realized this was likely the Crown Prince's dream, she woke up almost instantly. Upon opening her eyes, she was met with the Crown Prince's frosty expression, which further confirmed her suspicion.
Had she not shown shock immediately upon waking, she might have pretended ignorance of the matter—after all, who would know she had witnessed the Crown Prince's dream?
But now, her astonishment, panic, embarrassment, and the blush she couldn't conceal due to shame were all laid bare before him.
Everything was self-evident.
The man's hand still gripped her shoulder, the force so great it nearly crushed her bones.
Yun Kui felt like crying but had no tears: "Your Highness, wait! Let me explain… No, I mean justify—I mean explain! This servant truly doesn't know why you would have such a dream, but I swear I never intended any disrespect toward Your Highness! Dreams often contradict reality. Though I appeared irreverent in the dream, this precisely proves my absolute loyalty to Your Highness!"
Had the Crown Prince not possessed mind-reading skills, her tearful appearance might have fooled him. But after listening to her inner thoughts for so long, how could he not see through her tricks?
She was simply a lustful glutton.
And he, influenced by her thoughts before sleep, had ended up having this absurd dream.
The Crown Prince pushed her away, his chest tight with stifled anger, feeling extremely irritated.
He couldn't deny that holding her while sleeping last night had been more effective than any spiritual pills and marvelous medicines. Killing her would be such a waste.
Regardless of what the dream contained, this incident confirmed her ability to peer into others' dreams—as astonishing as his sudden acquisition of mind-reading skills, demonstrating how mysterious the workings of the world could be.
He Bailing, with his vast experience, might have answers for him.
While keeping her alive could be useful, simply letting her off would be too hard to swallow.
The Crown Prince glanced sideways at the cowering girl beside him, rubbed his temples, and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Tell me, who else have you dreamed about?"
This time, Yun Kui didn't dare fabricate lies. Her mind raced like a revolving lantern as she recalled and listed: "Besides Your Highness, there was previously Cai Ju, Dan Gui, Gan Tang, Shantao, Head Cook Hao from the Imperial Food Bureau, Auntie Bi Zan, the odd-job eunuchs Fu Gui, Ji Xiang, Xiao Fuzi, my fellow villager Guard Li, Guard Zhao from Desheng Gate, Guard Qian from Xianhe Gate, and his good brother Guard Sun…"
The Crown Prince coldly interrupted: "…That's enough."
He had no desire to become acquainted with every single person in her life.
Yun Kui whispered timidly, "I've already said—I can only dream of people I'm familiar with. Aside from dreaming of Your Highness tonight, I hardly ever dream of important figures… Oh, but there was one exception. One day when I was delivering meals and passed by Baohua Hall, I dreamed of Yu Pin that night… I saw her lying intimately with the Heir of Ningde Marquis, their necks entwined…"
The Crown Prince's icy expression finally shifted. "You recognize the Heir of Ningde Marquis?"
"I didn't originally," Yun Kui replied, feeling embarrassed by the dream's content. "But during their passionate moment, the heir insisted Yu Pin open her eyes to look at him. He forced her to call out his name over a dozen times before relenting. That's how I learned it was the Heir of Ningde Marquis…"
The Crown Prince let out a soft scoff, a rare hint of amusement crossing his features.
Ningde Marquis was the current emperor's maternal uncle—the elder brother of the Empress. The heir, Xie Huaichuan, was the Empress's nephew.
As for Yu Pin, the Crown Prince knew she had been betrothed to Xie Huaichuan before birth. However, after Prince Rui ascended the throne, the Xie family rose in status as the Empress's maternal clan. Suddenly elevated, they looked down on the modest Yu family and covertly sabotaged the match, eventually breaking off the engagement. The Xie family later arranged for Xie Huaichuan to marry the granddaughter of the Duke of Ling.
Humiliated by the broken engagement, the Yu family refused to accept the insult. Yu Pin's father decided to send his daughter to the imperial selection to find a more powerful alliance.
Back then, Emperor Chunming had selected hundreds of women to populate his harem and expand his lineage, and Yu Pin was among them.
Though Emperor Chunming distributed his favors evenly, Yu Pin once enjoyed his affection and even bore the Ninth Prince.
Yet after seven years in the palace, her dream lover remained her childhood sweetheart—secretly cuckolding Emperor Chunming.
Noticing his interest, Yun Kui ventured cautiously, "Does Your Highness enjoy hearing such stories?"
The Crown Prince schooled his expression and replied indifferently, "I do not."
Yun Kui: "…"
This man truly changed his mood as swiftly as flipping a page.
Fixing her with a cold stare, the Crown Prince warned, "Do not speak of these dreams to anyone. If you do, I will hold you accountable."
Yun Kui nodded vigorously. "This servant obeys."
She had never mentioned them to anyone before, and certainly wouldn't now. She was still curious how the Crown Prince had found out.
After dealing with the Crown Prince, Yun Kui had half a day of free time before the noon meal tasting. Just as she planned to return to her side chamber to rest, the Empress summoned her, forcing her to hurry to Kunning Palace for an audience.
Unbeknownst to her, news had spread throughout the palace that she had served the Crown Prince for two consecutive nights—even without intimacy. For a Crown Prince known only for his lustful reputation but never having actually favored any woman, this was an unprecedented event. In the eyes of the Empress and others, it was certainly noteworthy.
Along the way to Kunning Palace, countless eyes followed her.
Feeling uneasy under the scrutiny, Yun Kui kept her head down and avoided overthinking until she entered Kunning Palace and finally relaxed.
Seeing her arrive, the Empress remained gracious. "You've worked hard these past few days. How is the Crown Prince's health lately?"
Remembering how he had spat blood yesterday and even harmed himself over the Joyful Union Powder, Yun Kui thought he probably wasn't well. She truthfully reported the Crown Prince's condition.
The Empress's spies in the Eastern Palace had already relayed this information. Her question was merely testing whether the girl would be honest. Pleased that Yun Kui's account matched the spies' reports, the Empress nodded.
"I heard there were assassination attempts the day before yesterday and yesterday?"
Yun Kui nodded, "Your Majesty need not worry. His Highness has already dealt with all those people."
The Empress smiled, "I heard you played a part in the Crown Prince's capture of the assassins. Is this true?"
Though she closely monitored the Crown Prince's activities, she rarely visited the Eastern Palace, especially since his awakening.
Firstly, the Crown Prince was the Late Emperor's son. Unlike other princes who respectfully addressed her as "Imperial Mother" and Chunming Emperor as "Imperial Father," he still referred to himself as "this solitary one" in their presence, clearly showing his disregard for them. As long as surface proprieties were maintained, the Empress saw no need to invite humiliation.
Secondly, the Eastern Palace was gloomy and terrifying, with Cheng Guang Hall particularly bloodstained. The Empress feared being possessed by some evil spirit, so every visit required thorough mental preparation.
Yun Kui dared not claim credit, saying only, "This servant merely stumbled upon it by accident, not worth mentioning. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is astute and discerning. With or without this servant, the poisoner would never have escaped his grasp."
The Empress sneered inwardly.
Over the past twenty years, she had planted countless people in the Eastern Palace, yet the Crown Prince remained alive and well—clear proof of his extraordinary capabilities.
Despite her displeasure, the Empress maintained a benevolent smile, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. With your beauty, sweet words, and exceptional cleverness, no wonder you've won the Crown Prince's favor."
As she spoke, a palace maid entered carrying a red lacquer tea tray adorned with gold patterns, upon which sat a cloisonné covered bowl.
The Empress said, "Having served the Crown Prince continuously—tasting his food and attending his bed—you must be exhausted. I've ordered this Fetus Nourishing Drink prepared for you to replenish your energy and blood. Drink it while it's hot."
Yun Kui froze, "Fe…Fetus Nourishing Drink?"
The character "fetus" suggested it was some kind of pregnancy tonic?
She waved her hands hurriedly to explain, "Your Majesty misunderstands, this servant actually hasn't…"
Before she could finish, Mama Qin interrupted from the side, "When Her Majesty bestows a gift, you should simply express gratitude. This Fetus Nourishing Drink is an excellent tonic—it stabilizes pregnancy for those with child, and replenishes vital energy for those without, treating various deficiencies to prepare for conception. Her Majesty is showing consideration for your strenuous service. Why are you still hesitating?"
Yun Kui dared not delay further, immediately kneeling to give thanks, "This servant's ignorance is profound. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness, and thank you for bestowing this soup."
Then, under the Empress's smiling gaze, she endured the bitterness and slowly drank the Fetus Nourishing Drink to the last drop.
She wondered why the Empress showed her such concern. Perhaps Her Majesty thought the Crown Prince frail—should he not survive the month, and Yun Kui being his first bedmate, she was making this effort to secure the imperial lineage?
But she would likely disappoint Her Majesty.
Just as she prepared to confess that she hadn't actually shared the Crown Prince's bed, the Empress spoke again, "For your meritorious service in attending the bedchamber, I will discuss with His Majesty and the Crown Prince in the coming days to establish your official position."
Yun Kui's eyes widened in astonishment once more.
The Empress laughed, "What? Don't you want it?"
Yun Kui stood frozen, unsure how to respond.
She had never imagined becoming a consort.
All these years in the palace, her greatest hope had been to follow in Auntie Bi Zan's footsteps—leave the palace and marry a guard. For low-ranking palace maids like her, this was already the most respectable and rare opportunity.
After the unforeseen events that brought her to the Eastern Palace, her expectations for life had dropped to the bare minimum—mere survival.
These past few days serving in Cheng Guang Hall had been like walking a tightrope over an abyss, filled with constant fear and uncertainty.
She wanted to live, to leave, but never had she considered becoming the Crown Prince's concubine.
The Crown Prince was unpredictable, violent and capricious—he wouldn't treat her gently just because of her status. At best, he might grant her a dignified death in the end.
Of course, perhaps before she died, the Crown Prince might succumb to his severe injuries and pass away first. And as a palace maid who had shared his bed, what fate would await her then?
Mama Qin said, "You are His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's bed companion. Her Majesty values you and promotes you—this is an unprecedented honor."
Yun Kui knew she should express gratitude, but the words stuck in her throat and wouldn't come out.
As she walked out of the palace, Mama Qin caught up and called her back, leading her to a hidden spot behind the palace gate.
"Her Majesty understands the concerns in your heart. Since she has taken a liking to you, how could she easily let you lose your life?"
With that, Mama Qin quietly took out an exquisite porcelain bottle from her sleeve and whispered, "After all, it's just a matter between a man and a woman. This is a long-lost secret medicine from the inner palace. Just feed a little to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he will dote on you deeply, with his heart and eyes full of you. This medicine has never failed."
"Sec… secret medicine?"
Yun Kui was utterly astonished, momentarily forgetting to reach out and take it.