It wasn’t until that cold, aloof figure disappeared from sight that the Crown Princess collapsed weakly onto the couch.
“Your Highness…”
Zheng Yuande stole a glance at his mistress’s expression, inwardly lamenting endlessly—what a life this was!
His Highness had only just begun to improve his mood, and now he had to hear about the Crown Princess’s troublesome actions. Did she really think His Highness didn’t have enough to worry about?
Cui Yu strode forward with a calm expression, only realizing he had arrived at the entrance of Lotus Heart Court when he looked up. After a brief pause, he walked inside.
Shen Yanshui hurried out to greet him upon hearing the sudden commotion outside. “This humble concubine has been remiss. I hope Your Highness will not take offense.”
Cui Yu saw that she was wearing only a simple, sky-blue gown, with no crown adorning her head. Instead, her dark hair was tied with a Jiangluo hair ribbon and styled into a casual cloud-like bun. Her face was free of makeup, yet her complexion was fair with a healthy blush, radiating vitality. Unconsciously, he found himself looking at her a moment longer.
Just as Shen Yanshui raised her eyes to smile at him and was about to speak, light, quick footsteps approached—it was Lady Liu.
Though Lady Liu’s attire was not particularly luxurious, it was immaculate, and her makeup was exquisite. She wore a delicate apricot blossom crown adorned with silver and jade hairpins. Every gesture, every smile, seemed measured by the strict ruler of palace etiquette, leaving no room for criticism.
Even Shen Yanshui couldn’t help but admire inwardly: Lady Liu’s discipline had not been in vain; she had truly put in the effort.
Unlike herself, who set low standards and never troubled herself too much, content with being just passable.
This was Lady Liu’s first time seeing the Crown Prince. With just one glance, she could hardly control the blush spreading across her cheeks and the rapid beating of her heart. She quickly lowered her head to hide her reaction.
Presenting her best posture and most flattering angle to the Crown Prince, she spoke in a voice as gentle as flowing water, “This humble concubine, Liu, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness be at peace. I apologize for my tardiness. I beg Your Highness for forgiveness.”
Listening to the melodious, undulating tone of her voice, Shen Yanshui had to admit—her voice was quite pleasant.
Cui Yu glanced sideways at her, uttered a word of acknowledgment for her to rise, then turned his gaze back to Shen Yanshui, signaling her to continue.
Lady Liu immediately bit her lip, unable to suppress the sour feeling bubbling in her heart, filled with regret!
Shen Yanshui spoke cheerfully and clearly, “Your Highness, seeing that the weather today is fine and pleasant, and with nothing else to do, I rearranged the rooms. Would Your Highness like to come inside and take a look?”
Cui Yu nodded, and as he looked up, he noticed that the once somewhat empty courtyard now held many additions.
Outside the window of Dongnuange, vibrant, lush banana leaves stood tall. In front of them, a long, irregularly shaped pond had been built with stones, about the height of a tabletop. The edges of the pond followed the natural contours of the stones, creating a somewhat rustic charm.
Shen Yanshui smiled, her eyes curving like crescents. “Although this courtyard is called Lotus Heart Court, I noticed there was no place to plant lotus flowers anywhere. So, I asked the Ministry of Internal Attendants to build this small pond. Not only are there a few fish inside, but I also had lotus seeds planted. Soon, we should be able to see lotus flowers in full bloom.”
Seeing that he showed no impatience and seemed rather interested, she smilingly led him into the room.
She had always particularly liked floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious, bright rooms. Back at the Loyalty and Righteousness Earl’s residence, she had long ago arranged her boudoir according to her own preferences. Now that she had moved to a new place, she naturally wanted to redecorate once more.
Upon entering, the view immediately brightened.
The room’s original furnishings and layout were no different from those of ordinary chambers, but now the heavy screens that had once separated the main hall from the eastern and western warm pavilions were nowhere to be seen. The space felt much more open and well-ventilated.
Just then, a spring breeze swept through, carrying the faint, fresh scent of grass and trees from outside the courtyard. Her previously gloomy mood seemed to lighten a little.
On either side of the entrance, the ordinary potted plants that had once stood on the slender high tables had been replaced by exquisitely woven bamboo baskets, also filled with flowers.
However, unlike the extravagant and prized peonies, peonies, night-blooming jasmine, and crabapple blossoms commonly used in other palace chambers, these were simply a casual selection of plants.
There were the most ordinary pink and white primroses, hyacinths, narcissus, and two other types of unnamed small flowers. Though they did not appear particularly precious, they were fresh and elegant, pleasing to the eye.
Incense was burning inside the room, not too strong but naturally soothing and slow, carrying a hint of sweet orange fragrance. This made him slightly surprised, and he turned to ask, “What incense is this?”
It wasn’t the ambergris, sandalwood, or pine incense commonly used in the palace, nor did it resemble the various floral scents favored by women. It even seemed to have a slight refreshing effect.
Shen Yanshui smiled and replied, “Your Highness, it is incense I blended myself. I added orange peel and a little mint leaf.”
Cui Yu looked at her smiling face and unconsciously smiled lightly as well. “Not bad.”
Pleased by the praise, Shen Yanshui’s mood improved.
The arrangement inside the Dongnuange had not changed much from before. All the necessary furniture was still there, but a few oddly shaped soft pillows had been added to the couch. The window lattice beside the couch was wide open, with a layer of Xiangyun gauze as thin as gossamer hanging inside, which could be drawn open or closed from either side.
At the moment, the gauze curtain was half-open. On the windowsill stood a carved bamboo tube holding two vibrant green bamboo shoots.
From another corner of the open window lattice hung a small wind chime made of colorful shells and pearls strung together. Sunlight streamed in, and a gentle breeze stirred, bringing the soft, pleasant sound of the wind chime tinkling. In an instant, a sense of tranquility and peace washed over him.
“Not bad,” Cui Yu said as he stepped forward and sat down on the couch. His previously troubled mood inexplicably grew calmer, accompanied by a faint sense of weariness.
Shen Yanshui watched the lazy expression on his face, staring intently for several moments.
Indeed, being good-looking made even this languid demeanor appear exceptionally charming.
Cui Yu casually lifted his eyelids and glanced up at her.
Shen Yanshui instantly blinked her eyes, her gaze clear and bright, appearing particularly innocent and natural. As her eyes shifted, she suddenly turned the tables, saying, “Your Highness, why are you looking at me like that? I’m going to feel shy.”
Cui Yu: “…”
Zheng Yuande, who was standing nearby: “??”
Although Shen Zhaoxun’s delicate voice seemed appropriate, something felt a little off.
Cui Yu looked at her lively expression, momentarily taken aback, then for some reason felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.
And indeed, he let out a light chuckle.
Zheng Yuande couldn’t help but feel surprised.
He glanced at the exceptionally beautiful Shen Zhaoxun, whose face always seemed to be beaming with joy, and thought to himself, no wonder—after all, anyone looking at such a pleasing, smiling face would unconsciously feel a little happier just by seeing it.
This Shen Zhaoxun seemed… quite unusual.
A faint “gurgle~” suddenly reached both their ears, and Cui Yu instinctively lowered his gaze.
Shen Yanshui reflexively covered her stomach.
Cui Yu looked up at her, eyebrows slightly raised. “Hungry?”
Shen Yanshui nodded without hesitation, pursing her lips into a smile. “Your Highness, I’ve been busy all day, and it’s just the right time for dinner. Shall we have the meal served first?”
Seeing how naturally her expression shifted, Cui Yu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. However, hearing the rumbling of her stomach—something that should have been unrefined—was made oddly acceptable by her utterly candid attitude and tone…
“Have the meal served.”
With the Crown Prince present, dinner was far more lavish than when Shen Yanshui ordered for herself. Most importantly, no matter how much she ate, it was free!
Thus, the smile never left her face.
Today’s dishes from the kitchen included Gilded Boiled Jade, Red-silk Boiled Dough—the noodles kneaded with shrimp meat, appearing pink in color, light yet exceptionally flavorful—as well as braised perch, Stuffed Chicken Powder Soup, three-colored tripe strips, lamb ribs, Moistened Musk Deer Roasted Meat, along with several seasonal green vegetables and fruits.
At a glance, everything looked light and mild, with not a trace of chili or any pungent aroma to be found.
However, she hadn’t yet tasted the Donggong kitchen’s take on these dishes, so she was quite looking forward to them and ate with the same enthusiasm and delight as always.
She tried every single dish without missing one, even eating quite a bit of the lamb and lamb ribs, which she usually didn’t care for much. She only restrained the urge to pick up the large bones and gnaw on them directly.
She ate to her heart’s content, finishing a solid four bowls of rice, leaving the attending Zheng Yuande utterly dumbfounded and Chunping nearly straining her eyes from all the meaningful glances she tried to shoot!
But alas, it was like signaling to a blind person—Shen Yanshui didn’t notice at all, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have starved herself for the sake of something as trivial as image or face.
Cui Yu was naturally surprised as well. People of the time favored elegance, and women often pursued slender, willow-like figures, so they typically ate very little. Watching them eat had always dulled his appetite, making meals bland and uninteresting.
But Shen Zhaoxun was different. An ordinary meal seemed like a rare delicacy to her, her expressions lively and amusing, making anyone watching feel their appetite stir. It was just… a bit too easy to unconsciously eat a little more than intended.
After the two rinsed their mouths and washed their hands, the attending palace servants quickly cleared the table.
Taking a stroll after meals was Shen Yanshui’s habit, and today was no exception. However, with two people together, it was only proper to have some conversation. Just as she was pondering what to say, a faint, melancholic sound of a zither suddenly reached her ears.
She instinctively asked softly, “Where is that zither music coming from?”
But she didn’t need anyone to answer. Within moments, she discerned the source of the music—it was from the neighboring courtyard.
She had a good idea who it might be and couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing her smile, Cui Yu glanced at her. “What are you smiling about?”
Shen Yanshui’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “I just thought that strolling to aid digestion while listening to this zither music is quite pleasant.”
Cui Yu: “Pleasant?”
Just then, the melody of the zither suddenly shifted, carrying a lingering, plaintive tone that made his brow twitch uncontrollably. He frowned and cast a cold glance at Zheng Yuande.
Zheng Yuande, with his plump, pale figure, immediately stepped forward, reacting swiftly. He turned and ordered, “Go quickly and see who is playing the zither, disturbing His Highness’s ears for no reason.”
A eunuch promptly hurried out to comply. Soon, the zither music ceased.
Seeing the Crown Prince glance over, Shen Yanshui couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. She hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to have such high standards when listening to music. She genuinely thought Lady Wu’s playing had been quite pleasant.
Back in Chuxiu Palace, Lady Wu’s zither skills had even been praised by the matrons.
After their meal, as the sky gradually darkened, the two returned to their quarters.
Across the way, in the West Side Hall, every movement of the Crown Prince was being closely monitored in secret. Seeing this, Yinping entered the room and reported in a low voice.
Lady Liu closed the window by the soft couch with deliberate calm, her expression unpleased.
However, no matter how envious she felt, the recent incident involving Lady Wu next door—just a wall away—had served as a cautionary tale. Though she had heard the commotion, she dared not act on it.
Listening to the sounds of water being called for in the East Side Hall across the way, she felt a pang of resentment. Clenching her teeth inwardly, she thought, “She’s merely relying on her looks. Is the Crown Prince someone so shallow? It’s just a passing fancy. Once this novelty wears off, His Highness will surely recognize my worth…”
Whether the Crown Prince was shallow or not, Shen Yanshui didn’t know, but she felt she herself was quite shallow—greedy for both food and beauty.
Moreover, she wanted to confirm one more thing.