Chapter 32-Part 1

(T/N: Thank you… Novelreader.. for the Ko-Fi… really appreciate it. These extra chapters are for you. Hehe. A Ko-Fi a day keeps the translator awake…)

With this in mind, she couldn’t help but emphasize her tone: “This empress also knows Your Highness has grown up and become independent. But you should know that those elders initially supported you because you are this empress’s son, with the Wei family backing you. Every move you make, those old ministers and the Wei family are watching. They do not wish to see the heir they’ve supported through thick and thin turn out to be disobedient and unfilial…”

Similar words were heard by Feng Liwu countless times. Every time he did something that didn’t align with the empress’s wishes, Empress Wei would use both soft and hard tactics to coerce him.

That’s his mother… Feng Liwu’s face showed no excitement; he and his mother would never exchange heartfelt words like other mothers and sons.

In fact, if he could, he wouldn’t even want to say half a word more to his mother.

So he straightforwardly stated, “If Mother favors Cao Xi, she can be the concubine. If Mother feels that I have mistreated my cousin, she can arrange a marriage for her separately.”

How could Empress Wei be satisfied? She merely raised her eyebrows and said, “No, Cao Xi must be the principal wife. She is dignified and virtuous, far superior to that wanton Tian Ying.”

Feng Liwu respectfully responded, “Mother has worked hard for Cousin Cao Xi, and I am deeply moved. However, regarding reputation, if it’s at risk, it’s simple to handle—just a few maids and a bowl of aphrodisiac. But if I were to do it, there would be no mistakes. Would Mother be willing to let me try?”

If he were to do it, he wouldn’t be like his mother. If he failed, he would spread rumors everywhere, tarnishing Cao Xi’s reputation and ruining her future!

“You…” Empress Wei was speechless.

Her son had always been someone who kept his word. She didn’t know what tricks Tian Ying had played to bewitch him so thoroughly that he didn’t even listen to his own mother’s words!

Sometimes she regretted why she had only given birth to this one son, making her rely on this disobedient and unfilial child.

At this point, there was no room for her son to change. However, since Cao Xi had entered the mansion, the future was uncertain. Whether Tian Ying could secure her position as the Crown Princess was hard to say!

So, she tried to soften her expression as much as possible and said, “Since you favor the princess from Han, as a mother, I won’t say anything further. But after your cousin Cao Xi enters the family, you should cherish her in every aspect. After all, the strength of Yan is also beneficial to you…”

For a moment, both mother and son took a step back, exchanging superficial tranquility.

After bidding farewell to his mother, Feng Liwu left the palace.

At this moment, his nose was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood mixed with rouge powder from Empress Wei’s palace, making it hard to breathe.

He walked quickly, wanting to leave this suffocating palace as soon as possible.

When he walked outside, he saw his young tutor, who had bought two sticks of glossy candied haws wrapped in syrup from a nearby stall. He held one in his hand, nibbling at it, while the other was tucked away at the carriage door.

(T/N: jiang xiurun appointed as the crown prince tutor but he also served as his aide)

In fact, the other stick in Jiang Xiurun’s hand was bought for the Crown Prince.

This Crown Prince she served had probably never experienced most of the things other children did because he grew up in the Cold Palace, especially common street snacks, which he had never tasted.

Therefore, as the attentive “chief steward” ,she always bought some fresh novelties to please her master, employing a way of flattery and appeasement.

But at this moment, seeing the Crown Prince approaching with a gloomy expression, Jiang Xiurun couldn’t predict where the wind would blow, making it awkward to offer the other string of candied haws to him.

Instead, after the Crown Prince boarded the carriage, he took the initiative to ask, “What are you eating?”

Jiang Xiurun hurriedly offered the candied haws in her hand.

Feng Liwu took a bite using her hand. The crunchy sugar coating in the cold winter was delightful, and the sourness mixed with the taste of caramel lingered in his mouth, dispersing the previous feeling of nausea. Feng Liwu then grabbed the young tutor’s hand and took a second and third bite…

Jiang Xiurun wanted to break free, telling the Crown Prince to eat by himself, but doing so would seem affected, so she could only let him hold on until the last bite was finished.

The Crown Prince pointed at the stick and said, “In the future, you should often buy these for me to eat.”

Jiang Xiurun was grateful that the Crown Prince allowed her to keep the change, so spending such a small amount of money naturally wasn’t a problem. She hastily agreed.

She thought the Crown Prince would return to his residence, but unexpectedly, he came near her brother’s residence.

It turned out that Feng Liwu wanted to inspect the newly built academy.

Jiang Xiurun had only known of the academy’s prestigious reputation and substantial funding in her previous life, which attracted many contemporary scholars and produced numerous successful examinees. She never expected that the construction of this academy was closely related to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince summoned the builders, inspected the surroundings, and after completing the inspection, he dismissed them and went to the library of the academy, gazing into the distance for a long time.

At first, Jiang Xiurun didn’t understand why Feng Liwu rushed to inspect this academy amidst his busy schedule, but after some thought, she understood.