Because of this, Shen Tinghe had developed the habit of sleeping until she naturally woke up from a young age.
Madam Shen patted the back of her hand, her tone gradually becoming more serious.
“You should also rein in your temperament a little. In two months, you’ll be marrying into the Eastern Palace and becoming the Crown Princess. Do you understand?”
“If you continue sleeping this late then, people will laugh at you.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Tinghe lay back down on her pillow and muttered,
“Crown Prince Brother would never laugh at me. Maybe after I marry him, he’ll even let me sleep in later.”
It had to be said that Shen Tinghe had actually guessed correctly. After she married into the Eastern Palace in the future, Xie Yanzhao really would allow her to sleep even later. She simply wouldn’t be able to wake up…
Madam Shen said, “The Crown Prince dotes on you, but once a woman marries, she ultimately won’t have the same freedom and comfort as she does in her maiden home. You can’t be this willful anymore.”
Shen Tinghe, who had been pretending to sleep, opened her eyes. A faint layer of uneasiness appeared in them.
She turned onto her side and looked at her mother sitting beside the couch.
“Mother, what if he falls in love with another woman in the future?”
Madam Shen looked up at her daughter.
Shen Tinghe’s cheeks were flushed with a delicate pink, and her almond-shaped eyes, which usually held a smile, were now filled with uncertainty.
Madam Shen couldn’t help but smile softly as she reached out and caressed her daughter’s face.
“You really don’t know how fortunate you are.”
“That child, the Crown Prince, is proud and stubborn by nature. Who in court doesn’t fear him to some extent? But look at the way he treats you. Has he ever shown you even the slightest bit of coldness?”
Madam Shen’s voice was gentle but certain, and her eyes were filled with understanding.
“Your father and I have seen everything. His cold heart has long since been given completely to you.”
“His love is obvious indulgence, a kind of favoritism that no one else can receive even in the slightest.”
She gently pinched her daughter’s chin, her tone becoming serious.
“If we weren’t certain of his sincerity toward you, how could your father and I have felt comfortable entrusting you to him? This engagement has never been because he is the Crown Prince. It is because he is someone who genuinely treats you well.”
“Yuan’er,” Madam Shen said, taking her daughter’s slightly cool hand, the warmth of her fingertips passing into it.
“Love can make a person hesitant and cause them to worry about gains and losses. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you should know that the Crown Prince isn’t an ordinary man, much less one of those men who indulge in beauty and are fickle-hearted. You should trust him a little more, and trust yourself a little more too.”
She paused before speaking firmly.
“My daughter was born into this world to be cherished in the palm of someone’s hand and to enjoy a blessed life. You only need to do what you want to do and love the person you want to love. You don’t need to wrong yourself in the slightest.”
“Your father and I will always be your strongest support. If he ever develops even the slightest inclination toward someone else, we’ll leave him. Your maternal grandmother is still here, isn’t she?”
Shen Tinghe gazed at the undisguised love in her mother’s eyes, and the tip of her nose stung.
Her maternal grandmother was the Grand Princess Zhaorong.
She was the late emperor’s biological younger sister and had once donned armor and fought on the battlefield as a female general.
When the late emperor was conquering the realm and establishing his dynasty, the glorious military achievements she had earned were in no way inferior to those of any man. Even now, she commanded unparalleled prestige within the imperial family, and no one dared show her anything but respect.
Shen Tinghe’s eyes were slightly red, but her voice had become much lighter.
“I thought Mother would persuade me and say that it was normal for an emperor to have three wives and four concubines, and that I should just learn to accept it.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen lightly patted the back of her hand and scolded her affectionately.
“Is that really what you think your mother is like? Would I let my precious daughter suffer?”
“Back then, even the late emperor was able to love only Empress Yizhen throughout his entire life, leaving the Six Palaces empty and becoming a celebrated love story. Why can’t the Crown Prince do the same? If he can’t be this devoted, then our Yuan’er doesn’t want him.”
The love between Emperor Chengyuan, the founding emperor, and Empress Yizhen was a famous romance praised by everyone.
Emperor Chengyuan had only one wife throughout his entire life Empress Yizhen. The two of them supported each other through everything and ruled the realm together, never once harboring suspicion toward or betraying one another.
The uneasiness in Shen Tinghe’s heart completely disappeared.
She threw herself into her mother’s arms, tightly wrapping both arms around her waist and rubbing affectionately against her mother’s soft collar.
“Mother”
Madam Shen lovingly held her daughter, raising a hand to stroke her long, jet-black hair. Her eyes were filled with gentle hopes for her daughter’s future.
She did not ask for her daughter to become the mother of the nation.
She only wished for her to live a peaceful, healthy, and smooth life.
To win one person’s heart and remain together with him until their hair turned white, forever carefree and surrounded by love.
A maid helped Shen Tinghe wash and dress.
She wore a blue-green brocade dress trimmed with floral patterns. Her skin was smooth and radiant, and there was still a trace of youthful innocence in her delicate features.
After getting ready, Shen Tinghe linked arms with Madam Shen and headed toward the main hall.
An exquisite breakfast had already been laid out on the rosewood dining table. Crystal plates held steamed buns filled with crab roe, while a celadon bowl contained warm lotus-seed sweet soup.
Only Madam Shen and Shen Chengzhou were seated at the table. Shen Xuan had gone to court and had not yet returned.
Madam Shen said gently,
“Tomorrow, the Duke of Changguo’s Residence is hosting the Thousand Flowers Banquet. The two of you will come with me.”
Shen Chengzhou was holding his bowl and drinking the sweet soup. Upon hearing this, his movements stopped and his eyes widened.
“Huh? Sister can just go with Mother. Why do I need to join the fun?”
“Of course it’s to look at potential marriage prospects for you.”
Madam Shen put down her chopsticks.
“You’re fifteen this year. You’re not a little boy anymore. If we don’t start looking now, are we supposed to wait until you’re twenty before choosing?”
“Mother…” Shen Chengzhou still wanted to refuse. He looked pleadingly at Shen Tinghe beside him.
“Sister, help me out. Say something for me.”
Looking at her younger brother’s embarrassed expression, Shen Tinghe couldn’t help curving her lips into a smile. But she still gently shook her head, her eyes filled with an amused yet helpless expression.
In the end, Madam Shen made the final decision and insisted that Shen Chengzhou accompany them.
After breakfast, Shen Tinghe returned to her Jiangxi Courtyard.
Her personal maid, Qingxu, entered carrying an exquisite rosewood box.
“Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince had Guard Jing Cang deliver this to you.”
Shen Tinghe took the box and opened it.
Inside was a letter. The envelope was bulging, as though it contained something hard wrapped inside.
Confused, she pulled out the letter.
A military command token, completely black and engraved with intricate qilin patterns, fell into her palm.
The Qilin Tally!
It could command all the guards within the imperial palace.
Although it was not as powerful as the Tiger Tally, which could mobilize an army of millions, the imperial palace was the residence of the Son of Heaven and the most strategically vital place in the entire realm. If this Qilin Tally fell into the hands of a malicious person, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She unfolded the letter.
Xie Yanzhao’s handwriting immediately caught her eye. His strokes were powerful and vigorous, yet elegant and upright. Even renowned calligraphy masters would praise his exceptional penmanship.
The letter contained only six short characters:
“Yuanyuan, my beloved.”
There were no unnecessary words, yet they conveyed more than a thousand words could.
Shen Tinghe understood what he meant.
He was giving her confidence.
Holding the Qilin Tally, she even felt as though it were burning hot in her hand. Her heart was filled with both emotion and happiness.
Shen Tinghe stood up.
“Qingxu, Qingyu, help me change my clothes. I’m going to the palace.”
With the token Xie Yanzhao had given her, Shen Tinghe entered the palace without encountering any obstacles along the way.
When she arrived at the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s eunuch, Qi Lu, was already waiting outside the palace gates. Upon seeing her, he immediately bowed respectfully.
“Miss Shen, His Highness is handling official business in the study. This servant will take you there right away.”
“Is he busy? If it isn’t convenient, I’ll wait in the western room.”
Qi Lu’s face was covered with a gentle smile.
“Miss, you’re joking. Once you’ve arrived, His Highness no longer has any important matters to attend to.”