After Chu Chengming left, Prince Xuan remained seated, unmoving, lost in thought.
His fingers lightly tapped against the tabletop, producing a steady thump, thump, thump.
After a while, he lifted his head and looked at Chu Ba.“Go to the Chu Minister’s residence and pass on a message to the Minister. If he cannot discipline his child properly, then confine him to the residence and do not allow him to go out.”
“Yes. This subordinate will go at once.”
Hearing that everyone else had left the room, Shen Jingyi stepped out as well. She bit her lip and asked cautiously,“Your Highness… did I cause trouble?”
“You did make a mistake today,” Prince Xuan replied calmly, his tone revealing neither anger nor pleasure. “Think carefully—what was it?”
Shen Jingyi blinked and thought for a moment before answering carefully,“I shouldn’t have thrown the bowl at Chu Chengming.”
Prince Xuan shook his head slightly, his gaze sharp.“You’re only half right.”
Her heart tightened in confusion.
If she was only half right, then what was the other half?
She lowered her head and replayed everything that had happened.
“Have you considered this?” Prince Xuan said before she could think further.“If I hadn’t been there today, how would you have dealt with those people? And how would you have resolved the situation?”
Hearing this, Shen Jingyi’s earlier unease instantly vanished.
She walked over, tugged at his sleeve, and said coquettishly,“That’s precisely because I had Your Highness backing me up that I dared to act that way.”
Prince Xuan softened at her adorable expression, but still said seriously,“You must not act impulsively. Always think of a way out, and always put your own safety first.”
Shen Jingyi nodded repeatedly, showing she understood.
Leaning against him, she said softly,“I’ll be more careful in the future and won’t cause trouble for Your Highness again.”
Prince Xuan smiled and patted her head.“This wasn’t trouble—it eliminated a hidden danger.”
Shen Jingyi thought about it and realized he was right.
If Chu Chengming had been allowed to continue his reckless behavior, and someone with ulterior motives later reported it to the emperor, even the prince could have been implicated.
Being a brother-in-law was no easy role.
“Is there anywhere you’d like to go next?” Prince Xuan asked.
“No,” Shen Jingyi answered honestly. “It’s too hot. I don’t want to go anywhere. Let’s go back.”
“Alright. As you wish.”
They left the restaurant and boarded the carriage that had been waiting outside.
“Return to the residence.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The carriage slowly started moving toward the Prince’s residence.
Inside, Shen Jingyi sat beside Prince Xuan, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as she smiled faintly.“So, Your Highness… turns out powerful people really can eat without paying.”
Prince Xuan smiled slightly and tapped her forehead.“What nonsense. No one eats for free. Don’t speak recklessly if you don’t understand, or you’ll be laughed at.”
Shen Jingyi pouted.“But you didn’t pay just now.”
Prince Xuan rubbed his temples helplessly.“Don’t you know there’s such a thing as keeping a tab? Once it accumulates to a certain amount, someone is sent to collect payment at the residence.”
She blinked, embarrassed.“Hehe… I really didn’t know. No one ever told me, and I haven’t learned how to manage household affairs yet.”
Seeing her expression, Prince Xuan smiled mysteriously.“Then let me tell you something else.”
“What?” Shen Jingyi asked curiously.
“Zuixiang Pavilion actually belongs to me. That’s why I don’t need to pay.”
Shen Jingyi laughed inwardly—she had figured it out long ago and was only teasing him.
She deliberately put on a shocked expression and said,“Your Highness, I actually already noticed. Do you believe me?”She winked at him playfully.
Prince Xuan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Indeed—he hadn’t been careful, and the shopkeeper must have given himself away.
After returning to the residence, Prince Xuan personally escorted Shen Jingyi back to Youlan Courtyard before heading to the front yard.
“Mammy, have the return gifts we brought back been delivered to the main courtyard?” Shen Jingyi asked.
She was seated at the dressing table, allowing Xia Zhu to remove her hair ornaments.
“Yes, Secondary Consort. This servant delivered them as soon as we returned,” Mammy Qin replied.
Dongmei, still thinking about the food, asked eagerly,“Secondary Consort, were the dishes at Zuixiang Pavilion good?”
Without thinking, Shen Jingyi answered,“They were alright. I think they’re on par with our small kitchen’s cooking. Next time, I’ll take you all to try them.”
The servants were delighted and thanked her repeatedly.
Growing more animated, Shen Jingyi continued,“You know what? Your mistress did a good deed today!”
“What good deed?” Xia Zhu asked in confusion.“Didn’t you just go eat with His Highness?”
Shen Jingyi smiled smugly.“We were eating at Zuixiang Pavilion, and just after finishing, we heard someone downstairs trying to forcibly abduct a woman. So I—”
She vividly described the entire rescue to them.
Dongmei’s mouth fell open.“My heavens! I never imagined the Princess Consort’s brother was such a person.”
Spring Peach chimed in,“Exactly! In broad daylight, right under the emperor’s rule, he dared to forcibly seize a woman—absolutely outrageous!”
Xia Zhu sighed.“Fortunately, you and His Highness ran into him today. Who knows how many girls he would’ve harmed otherwise.”
Mammy Qin, however, worried whether the Princess Consort would make things difficult for Shen Jingyi after learning of the incident.She asked anxiously,“Secondary Consort… what about the Princess Consort?”
The others immediately grew worried as well.
Would the Princess Consort use this matter to trouble her?
Shen Jingyi, however, remained relaxed and comforted them calmly.“It’s fine. His Highness said he’ll handle everything. There’s nothing to worry about.”
By then, all her hair ornaments had been removed. Shen Jingyi stood up and rolled her neck, feeling much lighter.
She truly couldn’t understand how women with heads full of jewels endured it—weren’t they tired?
Sitting on the bed, she said softly to those still present,“I usually don’t leave the courtyard between noon and mid-afternoon. You may arrange shifts among yourselves during that time so you can rest a bit.”
Knowing their mistress was being considerate, they all smiled and thanked her.“Thank you, Mistress!”
“Go on, go on. I’m going to take a nap,” Shen Jingyi said, yawning lightly.
She lay down, and before long, her breathing became steady—she was truly asleep.
The servants quietly withdrew, all in good spirits.
Outside, Mammy Qin gathered them and said,“Our mistress is kind-hearted and treats her servants well, but we must also know our limits. Even though that time period seems uneventful, situations can change at any moment. You all know how this residence is. I think it’s best if only two of us rest each day.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Spring Peach agreed immediately.
Dongmei and Xia Zhu also voiced no objections, feeling it was safer this way.
“Then we’ll do it this way today,” Mammy Qin concluded.“We’ll arrange the evening shifts later.”
Meanwhile, after returning to the front courtyard, Prince Xuan sat silently in his study for an hour.
Then he wrote two letters—one to Censor Wang and one to Minister Chu—and had them discreetly delivered.