Chapter 60-Part 1

It came as a shock to everyone when the Crown Prince suddenly ordered the execution of the palace maids on such a joyous day.

Madam Zhao’s lips trembled as she held back the words about the Crown Prince having knocked over the inkstone himself.

Instead, with a tight expression, she hurriedly said, “Your Highness, these two maids are highly valued by the Empress. They have been with her for a long time and watched over Your Highness as you grew up. They came with the Empress’s command to instruct the two princesses in court etiquette. If Your Highness acts like this, won’t the Empress be furious when she finds out…?”

Unfortunately, her plea hit the most sensitive part of Feng Liwu’s heart.

He had no feelings whatsoever for anyone or anything related to the Cold Palace.

The Empress’s maids had never shown him the respect due to a servant; instead, due to the Empress’s hatred for him, they often treated him harshly.

Before Madam Zhao could finish speaking, Feng Liwu coldly interrupted, “Precisely because they are from my mother’s side, they should be punished even more severely! Otherwise, their arrogance will sooner or later bring disaster upon her. In my own residence, executing a few servants shouldn’t be enough to anger my mother—unless someone dares to stir up trouble. And if I find out who, they will not be spared!”

Madam Zhao turned pale.

She knew the Crown Prince’s words were directed at her. The forced bowl of nourishing soup had already pushed his anger to the brink.

Soon, amidst the wailing of the two maids, they were bagged and dragged away. Amid their cries, everyone faintly heard them say that it wasn’t them who broke the inkstone, but the Crown Prince himself.

However, the truth was irrelevant.

Offending someone in power always came with fabricated charges.

The Crown Prince’s humiliation from being forced to drink the “nourishing soup” needed to be washed away with blood.

Madam Zhao, like the Empress, had grown accustomed to treating the Crown Prince as if he were still the silent child of the past.

Now, she suddenly felt a cold awakening, realizing with terror her arrogance when she had spoken to the Crown Prince in the study earlier.

Thus, when the Crown Prince announced that he had ordered the ceremonial rites to be simplified and that Madam Zhao needed not stay for dinner, she didn’t even bother to advise Princess Cao Xi. With a pale face, she quickly left to return to the palace and report to the Empress.

This move by the Crown Prince sent shockwaves, leaving Cao Xi’s face ashen, her body trembling. She had relied on her aunt for support, but upon entering the household, she had witnessed the Crown Prince drown the very servants sent to assist her.

With this realization, her mind, once filled with romantic fantasies about Feng Liwu, finally cleared.

This was the future emperor of Qi—how could he allow his mother to control him?

The Empress, though well-meaning, had inadvertently made things worse for her.

Cao Xi’s face turned pale, the powder barely supporting the two spots of rouge on her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Princess Tian watched the scene unfold with detached amusement.

Observing the Crown Prince’s expression closely, she realized Cao Xi had little chance of gaining his favor.

Tonight, there were three places the Crown Prince could go.

If he didn’t want to give face to the Empress, he would not go to Cao Xi, and he would also not give face to the broken shoe, who had just given birth; then the only option left was her.

A wave of secret joy filled her heart, and she could hardly wait to return to her courtyard to bathe and dress, eagerly awaiting the Crown Prince’s arrival.

Jiang Xiurun, however, also turned pale.

The drowning of the maids reminded her of her own death in her previous life.

Although she knew it wasn’t the Crown Prince who had killed her, she still felt suffocated with unease.

In recent days, because the Crown Prince had pressured her to act on behalf of Princess Yao, she had spoken to him disrespectfully at times.

Reflecting now, she realized she had forgotten how cold and terrifying the Crown Prince could be.

She silently reminded herself to never speak out of turn again, lest she suffer the same fate as the maids.

The Crown Prince had little interest in the marriage rites to begin with, and with his mother’s meddling, he now felt as though he had swallowed a fly.

After briefly greeting the three princesses, he simply told them to settle into the Crown Prince’s residence and then sent them to their respective courtyards to rest.

Jiang Xiurun, too, returned to the secluded courtyard in the garden.

Assigned to serve “Princess Yao” was a clever young girl named Taohua.

It seemed the Crown Prince had given her prior instructions, for she spoke little and simply attended to her duties.

Feng Liwu had already told Jiang Xiurun that if she needed to switch identities, she didn’t need to hide it from this maid.

She could feel at ease using her.

With Taohua’s help, Jiang Xiurun removed her heavy golden hairpins and jewelry, took a relaxing hot bath, and, after drying her hair, changed back into her male attire.

Slipping through the back door of the courtyard, she made her way to the outer courtyard and casually strolled back to her residence for the tutor.

After a long day, she finally found a moment of peace.

Judging by the time, the Crown Prince was likely at Princess Tian’s courtyard.

As an aide, all she could do was hope the Crown Prince was strong and virile.

Beyond that, she had nothing more to say.

She ordered Qian’er to stir-fry some dried rabbit meat brought from the hostage residence with a large handful of Sichuan peppercorns in a small pot, paired with a steaming bowl of scallop soup, and happily ate a bowl of millet rice before preparing for bed.

But just as she hadn’t yet put down her chopsticks, there was movement at the front gate of her courtyard.

To her surprise, the Crown Prince, who should have been enjoying his wedding night, casually strolled into her courtyard.

Jiang Xiurun barely had time to swallow her mouthful of rice before hastily rising to greet him.

It was supposed to be a joyous day, but the Crown Prince clearly looked unsettled, with faint red lines visible in his eyes.

As soon as he saw Jiang Xiurun, he frowned and said, “Is this all the food you have? How is this enough?”

Jiang Xiurun didn’t dare say, “It was enough until you came,” and instead smiled apologetically, asking, “Would Your Highness like to stay for dinner?”

Feng Liwu said nothing and immediately sat down, gulping down the bowl of delicious scallop soup.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiurun quickly instructed Qian’er to prepare more dishes, but the Crown Prince waved her off, saying he had little appetite and wasn’t in the mood to eat.

Jiang Xiurun promptly had the table cleared, brewed a pot of barley tea, and, after rinsing her mouth and washing her hands in the courtyard, returned to the room to serve the tea to the Crown Prince.

“Is Your Highness struggling with deciding which princess to visit tonight? Do you need my advice?”

Feng Liwu cast her a sideways glance, holding back his frustration, and said, “What advice do you have?”

Advising the Crown Prince was no small matter.

It wasn’t just about which woman to visit but also about distributing favor to the envoys from the states of Yan and Han.

As a loyal advisor, Jiang Xiurun hoped the Crown Prince could gather his strength and spend the night visiting both courtyards, evenly distributing favor to the families of Yan and Han.

But this wasn’t a simple matter of lip service.

She feared that if she suggested it and the Crown Prince couldn’t accomplish it, it would wound his pride, and in his anger, he might send her to join the maids at the bottom of the pond.