Nanny Qian saw The Crown Prince out of Kunning Palace, just as a palace maid came to deliver a message.
After overhearing the report, Nanny Qian went to inform The Empress, "The Emperor has gone to see Consort Hui again. It must be because Prince Shao is about to leave the capital, and The Emperor has some instructions for him. Once he's finished, he will come to accompany Your Majesty for the festival."
The Empress let the words go in one ear and out the other, clearly indifferent to The Emperor's favor toward Consort Hui.
She instructed Nanny Qian, "Go to the Inner Anle Hall and check on Sister Tu. After all, it's a festival today—don't let her feel lonely and cold, unable to even have a bowl of Laba congee. Also, stop by Consort Chu's place on your way. Make sure nothing serious happens to her."
Nanny Qian accepted the order and left, while The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Princess had already instructed someone to keep an eye on news from the Front Hall.
Before long, palace personnel came to report: "His Highness The Crown Prince has returned to the palace," "His Highness The Crown Prince has entered the Rear courtyard," and "His Highness The Crown Prince is heading toward Her Highness's quarters."
Finally, Ma Nao lifted the silver-red Swallow-down felt curtain embroidered with dragons and phoenixes and entered to inform The Crown Princess, "Your Highness, His Highness has arrived."
The Crown Princess insisted that Mama Hu help her go outside the hall to welcome The Crown Prince.
Mama Hu tried to dissuade her, but it was no use.
In the end, she could only wrap The Crown Princess tightly in her cloak and assist her in greeting The Crown Prince.
Fortunately, The Crown Prince walked quickly. The Crown Princess had just stepped out of the first passageway of the main hall in the Rear courtyard when The Crown Prince arrived.
"Why come out?" Seeing The Crown Princess's pale, bloodless face, The Crown Prince frowned slightly and said to her, "Didn't I say there's no need for such trouble? I just came to see you."
Though his tone was quite ordinary, The Crown Princess felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
She responded softly and followed behind The Crown Prince as they walked inside the hall.
The Crown Prince initially walked quickly but, noticing that The Crown Princess was struggling to keep up, he slowed his pace. They entered the main hall one after the other.
"Your Highness hasn't eaten yet, has you? I had them prepare congee for you. It's being kept warm in the Tea-water room. Would you like to have some congee before the meal is served?"
The Crown Prince hummed in agreement and said to The Crown Princess, "Aren't you unwell? If you're feeling uncomfortable, go back and lie down. There's no need to force yourself like this. I can go inside and talk to you just the same."
The bitterness in The Crown Princess's heart turned into gratitude, and her eyes grew slightly red.
She looked at The Crown Prince and said, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Actually, lying down all the time is tiring too. I'd rather stay here and keep you company while you eat and talk."
The Crown Prince was well aware of The Crown Princess's stubbornness in this regard.
When they had first married, The Crown Prince had tried to make her feel more at ease. She was his principal wife, the mistress of the Eastern Palace just as he was its master. Why should she always be so restrained? It made her uneasy, and it tired him to watch.
But The Crown Princess had clearly internalized the etiquette and rules she had learned from the female officials. Though she did not enjoy imposing such strictness on others, she had rigidly confined herself within those boundaries. If asked to be more relaxed, she would not know what to do.
The Crown Prince had given up trying to persuade her.
He sighed and said, "There's been a lot going on lately, and you're with child. You must be exhausted."
"I'm not tired," The Crown Princess immediately shook her head. "Being able to share your burdens is my good fortune."
The Crown Prince looked at the Crown Princess, whose appearance clearly indicated a deficiency of vital energy and blood, merely sustained by sheer willpower, and straightforwardly said, "Her Majesty has already told me. It's not sustainable for you to keep pushing yourself like this. Why not let Zhuang Shi assist you for a few days? Of course, she has only been in the palace for a few months and lacks experience in many matters, but she can at least help you with trivial tasks and share some of your burdens. Let her assist you for a few days first. If you find her unsuitable, we can discuss it further."
The Crown Princess had been immersed in the Crown Prince’s concern for her when, unexpectedly, he mentioned Zhuang Cairen. Her mind immediately began to twist and turn with countless thoughts.
At one moment, she worried that the Crown Prince was dissatisfied with her and thus intended to elevate Zhuang Cairen. The incident involving Jieyu Chu had escalated to the Emperor, and although the Crown Prince had not held her accountable, the matter had never truly left the Crown Princess’s mind.
At another moment, she pondered why it was Zhuang Cairen and not Shen Zhao Yi.
Could it be that His Highness thought she was petty, believing that because Shen Zhao Yi was close to Jieyu Chu, she would resent Shen Zhao Yi as well?
The Crown Princess was truly not that kind of person. She felt a pang of injustice and wanted to explain.
But what if, after her explanation, the Crown Prince truly asked Shen Zhao Yi to assist her in managing the Eastern Palace?
The Crown Princess suddenly recalled her time years ago at Qionghua Palace, learning etiquette.
Back then, how glorious the young lady of the Shen family was! Which instructing palace official did not praise her?
In those days, the Crown Princess had admired and envied the Shen family’s young lady wholeheartedly. To be honest, she had never imagined she could surpass her.
However, Zhao Fu Yue could lose to the Shen family’s young lady, but the Crown Princess could not be outshone by the Zhaoyi of the Crown Prince.
If it became known that she managed the palace less effectively than the Zhaoyi of the Crown Prince, she would truly have no face to continue as the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.
The Crown Prince waited for a long while but received no response from the Crown Princess. Putting down his porridge and looking up, he saw her still lost in thought.
"If you have no objections, let’s proceed this way for now," the Crown Prince decided on his own. "Don’t overthink it. It’s only a matter of a few days. Could Zhuang Shi possibly defy you? Put your mind at ease and focus on recovering your health. That’s what truly matters."
The Crown Princess’s face paled slightly further. She forced a smile and said, "Your Highness is right. Zhuang Cairen is the most meticulous and obedient. With her assistance, I will surely have much less to worry about."
Obedient?
The Crown Prince couldn’t help but lower his head and chuckle, thinking to himself that she must not have seen Zhuang Shi squatting on the ground roasting sweet potatoes.
However, Zhuang Shi was not the type of person with no sense of propriety, like Consort Chu.
The Crown Prince trusted his judgment of character.
He nodded and said, "Then it’s settled. You can have someone inform Zhuang Shi later."
This was meant to preserve her dignity, and the Crown Princess’s inner turmoil eased slightly.
She looked at the Crown Prince gratefully and said, "I understand. I will speak with Zhuang Cairen shortly. Your Highness must be hungry. Allow me to serve you your meal."
The palace personnel who had gone to the kitchen to fetch the meal had returned earlier. Hearing the Crown Princess’s words, they quickly brought in the dining table and set out the dishes.
The meal was lavish, but the Crown Prince ate only a few bites hurriedly before leaving.
It wasn’t that he no longer wished to speak with the Crown Princess; he simply felt that his presence truly exhausted her.
It would be better to leave quickly, allowing the Crown Princess to eat comfortably on her own and return to bed to rest and recover.
Leaving the main hall of the rear courtyard, the Crown Prince instructed Zhang Bao, "Find someone clever to pass a message to your Mistress Zhuang. You know how to phrase it."
Having witnessed the entire affair today, Zhang Bao thought to himself that this mistress's luck was truly remarkable.
By comparison, Mistress Shen seemed somewhat unfortunate.
But which mistress gained favor had little to do with Zhang Bao. Since he was already serving the Crown Prince—this great Buddha—he only needed to cling tightly to the Crown Prince's coattails. There was no sense in discarding a watermelon for a sesame seed.
Of course, keeping benefits within the family, this good assignment once again fell to his apprentice.
Tian Xi cheerfully headed to the Chenghua Side Hall to carry out his duty once more.