Only Xie Yunye still remembered.
Now that Xie Yunye had gone to the frontier, he had instructed his fiancée to remember.
The Crown Prince picked up his chopsticks, originally intending only to taste it symbolically, but he froze upon taking the first bite.
The flavor of the noodles unexpectedly reminded him of his late mother.
The same simplicity, the same familiarity.
When the attendant was called in to clear the table, he saw an empty bowl.
This Third Miss Meng’s cooking was so good that His Highness had finished it all?!
The attendant kept this in mind. In the following days, whenever the Crown Prince had no appetite, he would seek out Meng Jinyue.
After many such occasions, the Crown Prince even grew accustomed to eating the meals prepared by Meng Jinyue.
“His Highness has hunted another deer.”
Lin Shenghè had already very naturally tossed the game in front of Meng Jinyue.
Meng Jinyue nodded obediently: “I will have it sent to His Highness once it’s ready.”
Lin Shenghè shook his head: “You should go directly. Eat together.”
Meng Jinyue asked cautiously: “Does His Highness know? Would he disapprove?”
Lin Shenghè smiled: “No, it was His Highness who summoned you.”
After saying this, Lin Shenghè turned to leave, but after just two steps, he stopped and turned back to stand before Meng Jinyue, speaking with a smile:
“Third Miss, you have been preparing food for His Highness all this time. His Highness is well aware and remembers it. In truth, our Crown Prince is not a bad person.”
“I… I know.”
Watching Meng Jinyue head to the Crown Prince’s camp once again, Meng Jinrong’s expression grew increasingly twisted.
“That wretch, with Brother Xie gone, she’s trying to seduce His Highness the Crown Prince again. She’s been running to His Highness’s place all the time lately.”
“She’s a born harlot, a born fox spirit!”
Madam Meng had grown accustomed to Meng Jinrong’s behavior. She had scolded her, patiently advised her, but nothing worked.
Now, she could only let her vent her emotions—at least this way, she wouldn’t go out and cause a scene.
“What do you think, A’hua?”
Meng Jinhua remained silent for a moment: “Mother, His Highness the Crown Prince will not like her. For now, he only treats her as a cook.”
Madam Meng nodded in satisfaction. Her younger daughter had been somewhat spoiled, but fortunately, her eldest daughter had not.
“It’s good that A’hua understands. Xie Yunye shares a deep friendship with His Highness. As long as Xie Yunye likes her, there is absolutely no possibility between His Highness and her.”
Madam Meng took Meng Jinhua’s hand: “So there’s no need for you to rush to deal with her.”
Meng Jinhua nodded: “Mother, what does Grandfather say?”
Madam Meng shook her head: “Your grandfather’s opinion is to wait a little longer. The Crown Prince’s position is unstable now, and there may be changes in the future.”
Meng Jinhua was stunned for a moment, growing somewhat anxious: “But His Highness is the legitimate heir. Among His Majesty’s sons, only the Crown Prince stands out in talent and virtue. The others…”
His Majesty currently had only four sons.
The Crown Prince was both the eldest and the legitimate heir.
Next was Prince An, but Prince An was obsessed with women and fond of killing.
If becoming an empress meant marrying a man like Prince An, Meng Jinhua would rather not marry at all.
The remaining Third Prince appeared utterly unremarkable on ordinary days.
More importantly, the Third Prince’s mother came from too humble a background—originally just a courtesan.
Meng Jinhua prided herself on her noble status, and with the Crown Prince right before her eyes, how could she possibly consider the Third Prince?
The remaining Fourth Prince was too young.
“Why would Grandfather say such a thing? Among His Majesty’s sons, who could compare to His Highness?”
Not to mention talent and virtue, even in appearance and bearing, they were far inferior to His Highness.
Madam Meng sighed: “It’s all because His Majesty does not favor the Crown Prince.”
“Everyone favors the Crown Prince, which only makes His Majesty dislike him even more.”
If there were a second prince among His Majesty’s sons who could rival the Crown Prince, the Chen and Meng families would not consider him.
After all, they have some unresolved grievances with the Crown Prince’s maternal clan.
But there is none.
“Be patient a little longer, Ah Hua. Your mother also favors the Crown Prince, but this empire ultimately belongs to His Majesty.”
“But…”
“Your grandfather promised me that if His Highness remains unharmed upon our return to the capital, he will seek His Majesty’s approval to arrange your marriage.”
Hearing this, Meng Jinhua felt somewhat reassured: “Does His Highness know? Will he agree?”
Madam Meng smiled and patted her daughter’s head: “As long as His Majesty agrees, how could His Highness refuse? He is a wise man.”
Meng Jinhua grasped Madam Meng’s hand: “Mother, I still wish to settle this sooner. Please speak with Grandfather again. After all, His Majesty is advanced in years—how many more years does he have?”
“Silence!” Madam Meng covered Meng Jinhua’s mouth.
“Mother, even if His Majesty despises His Highness, even if His Highness must endure hardship, I am willing to stay by his side through thick and thin until better days come. Mother! Please persuade Grandfather again.”
Madam Meng could understand her eldest daughter’s perspective—affection forged through shared adversity naturally outweighs that gained effortlessly.
For a moment, Madam Meng herself wavered.
“Mother!”
“I understand.”
“Your Highness, the Chen family has extended an olive branch. Do you accept?”
Lin Shenghè was curious:
“This eldest daughter of the Meng family is said to be both talented and beautiful, and she has long been devoted to Your Highness with unwavering affection.”
“If you agree, the grievances with the Chen and Meng families caused by Ah Ye will vanish like smoke. Not only would it aid Your Highness, but it would also benefit the border regions.”
“This prince has already agreed.”
The Crown Prince set down his brush.
Now it was Lin Shenghè’s turn to be surprised: “Agreed? So quickly?”
But upon second thought, Lin Shenghè understood.
With the Chen family’s assistance, Ah Ye’s campaign would be easier.
“The border cannot wait. His Majesty is stubborn. In his mind, this campaign is no different from the one decades ago—victory or defeat matters little. The lives of Xie Yunye and the tens of thousands of civilians at the border are unimportant. What matters is eliminating anyone who threatens imperial authority.”
“But those are human lives too.”
Hearing His Highness speak of events from decades ago, Lin Shenghè’s expression shifted: “Your Highness.”
Back then, the former empress’s maternal clan was condemned in the same manner. No one dared mention these old matters in front of His Highness, yet today he brought them up himself.
“It is nothing.”
“This prince is also a threat to His Majesty’s authority. I will be next.”
Lin Shenghè sighed gravely: “Your Highness originally intended to bide your time.”
His Majesty’s health is failing. With a few more years of patience, brighter days would surely come.
“This prince has made a choice. Ah Ye cannot bear to see those civilians die, and neither can I. The Su family, like the Shen family of the past, is innocent and should not perish unjustly.”
“Having chosen this path, one must see it through.”
“Third Miss, His Highness has instructed that you are not to come here anymore.”
“Eunuch Liu, has something happened?” Meng Jinyue grasped the Crown Prince’s attendant’s hand.
“Do not ask.”
The Crown Prince’s servant arrived hastily and left just as quickly.
“Miss, what is the matter? Haven’t you been dining with His Highness every day lately?”
The Crown Prince enjoyed the meals prepared by Meng Jinyue, so she had been the one cooking them. Why was she suddenly told not to come today?
Meng Jinyue shook her head: “I don’t know either.”
In truth, she guessed it must be something related to the Crown Prince.
In her previous life, what was connected to Xie Yunye’s death in battle was the Crown Prince’s deposition.
However, the Crown Prince’s deposition lasted only a little over a year.
Sure enough, as the Qinghe autumn hunt, which had lasted more than two months, was nearing its end, news spread that the Crown Prince had angered the Emperor.
Qiu Zhi said: “His Highness knelt outside the Emperor’s tent for a full day and night. He only fainted this morning and was carried back to his tent.”
“Do we know the reason?”
“It seems to be because of the northwestern war.”
Qiu Zhi relayed every word of the news she had overheard from Meng Jinrong.
Qiu Ning asked: “Miss, what should we do now?”
If something happened to the Crown Prince, it meant Meng Jinyue would also be in danger.
“His Highness must not have eaten after kneeling for so long. I’ll prepare some food and bring it over.”
But Qiu Ning hesitated: “Miss, is it appropriate for you to go at such a critical time?”
Meng Jinyue certainly understood Qiu Ning’s concern—when gods fight, mortals suffer.
Going now would definitely be noticed by the Emperor’s spies.
Their Emperor was not exactly a wise ruler.
“The more critical the time, the more I must go. His Highness did this for the northwestern war, for Xie Yunye.”
The Crown Prince had knelt during a rainstorm. Even though he was physically strong, kneeling for so long in such weather inevitably led to him catching a cold.
Meng Jinyue could hear the Crown Prince’s coughing even before she entered the tent.
“Why have you come?”
Seeing Meng Jinyue, the Crown Prince was first surprised, then frowned deeply.
Meng Jinyue kept her head lowered and said nothing, only setting out the food she had prepared.
She spoke softly: “I’ve prepared ginger soup and some food. Please have some, Your Highness.”
Lin Shenghè gave Meng Jinyue a grateful look.
“Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble by coming at a time like this?”
Meng Jinyue shook her head, her tone still gentle but filled with unwavering determination: “I’m not afraid.”
The Crown Prince laughed in exasperation: “You were so timid before. Why aren’t you afraid now?”
Meng Jinyue replied: “Your Highness risked angering the Emperor for Xie Yunye, for the war, for the people. If you are not afraid, then I am not afraid either.”
“I am a woman, and there are many things I cannot do. But like Your Highness, I also wish to do what little I can.”