Chapter 75

For a moment, the Crown Prince stood still, waiting for her to come find him.

Jiang Xiurun caught sight of the Crown Prince emerging from the corner of her eye, and her heart immediately sank.

She had taken the carriage so often that she no longer recognized the way, and of all places, she had stumbled upon this one.

But if she were to turn a blind eye and walk away now, wouldn’t that give the Crown Prince a reason to hold something against her?

So, she forced a smile on her face, walked over, and curtsied to greet him: “Your Highness, it’s been a few days since you returned to the residence. Have you been eating and resting well?”

Feng Liwu gave a noncommittal “hmm” and glanced at the small jar wrapped in cloth that the guard behind her was carrying.

“What’s that?”

What the guard was holding was naturally the liver paste made by Jiang Xiurun’s sister-in-law.

Jiang Xiurun, fearing that the jar might tip over unnoticed in the carriage without anyone to tend to it, had asked the guard to carry it.

Now that the Crown Prince had asked, Jiang Xiurun, who was accustomed to flattery, lied without batting an eye, calmly replying, “This is liver paste, specially made by my sister-in-law for Your Highness. You’ve been working so hard these past few days, and it’s clear you’ve lost weight. Everyone in the residence is worried about Your Highness, concerned that you’re not eating or resting well!”

These words warmed Feng Liwu’s heart, making him feel that although she had arrived later than the other concubines in the residence, she still had his best interests at heart.

He happened to be returning to the Crown Prince’s residence to rest, so he took Jiang Xiurun back with him.

Once inside the carriage, Feng Liwu suddenly noticed that his sense of smell was much sharper than usual.

The relatively spacious carriage was filled with the faint, unique fragrance of Jiang Xiurun.

If she broke into a light sweat, the scent became even more alluring, lingering on her jade-like skin, intoxicating… Feng Liwu’s thoughts drifted far away, and the hidden fire that had been smoldering for three days suddenly flared up.

He frowned slightly, feeling that he still lacked self-control, as she had once again easily stirred his emotions. By the time they returned to the residence, it was dinner time.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xiurun had eaten too much at lunch and wasn’t very hungry, so she diligently served the Crown Prince his meal.

She spread a thick layer of liver paste over the hot rice, and as the steam rose, the aroma was irresistible.

The Crown Prince had been eating simply at the government office these past few days.

Now, back at the residence, enjoying a bowl of fragrant rice with fresh crab shell soup, and watching the jade-like “young master” beside him serving him food, every gesture was a sight to behold.

This single meal made Feng Liwu feel as if he had wasted three days.

The days and nights spent at the government office were nothing compared to the warmth of good food and beauty under the soft light.

From now on, there was no need to deliberately avoid returning to the residence, needlessly causing the beauty to suffer from longing.

However, the Crown Prince’s return stirred the stagnant atmosphere in the residence that had lasted for three days.

Every courtyard was on high alert, waiting for the Crown Prince’s visit.

They were all trying to outdo each other in finding out the Crown Prince’s intentions.

So, after dinner, while the Crown Prince was alone in his study reading, the steward brought him a letter.

Feng Liwu unfolded the letter and saw that it was from the head of the Wei family, his maternal grandfather.

The letter subtly reminded him that the state of Yan, with its treacherous terrain, was the throat leading to the territory of Great Qi.

With Yan as a barrier, Great Qi could remain secure for a thousand years.

In the end, the letter hinted that he should not act impulsively in his youth and neglect Concubine Cao.

By the time Feng Liwu finished reading, his brows were frosted with ice.

His grandfather’s interference in his household affairs was unlike his usual style; it seemed more like his mother had instructed him to do so.

His mother had been doted on by her parents since childhood, developing a domineering personality.

This led to discord between the Emperor and Empress shortly after their marriage.

Now, his grandfather seemed to have forgotten the past pain, always believing that he, the Crown Prince, had been established through the influence of the Wei family and the old ministers, hence the authoritative tone in managing his personal affairs.

He could be angry with his mother, but he had to show respect to his grandfather.

After pondering for a while, Feng Liwu got up and went to Cao Xi’s courtyard.

Cao Xi had not expected the Crown Prince to visit her courtyard after dinner and was overjoyed.

She quickly ordered her maid to fetch a brightly colored dress, changed into it, and then welcomed the Crown Prince into her inner chamber.

Cao Xi had always admired her cousin’s handsomeness, but Feng Liwu had always been cold, leaving her at a loss.

She had been heartbroken when she thought of her cousin favoring Concubine Tian and Concubine Yao first, but now that he had finally entered her courtyard, she was nervously unsure of what to do.

After serving Feng Liwu fragrant tea, the room fell into silence.

Feng Liwu did not speak, and Cao Xi did not know what to say to ease the atmosphere.

She knew she lacked Concubine Yao’s allure and Concubine Tian’s sweetness, so she decided to take the path of a virtuous wife, doing her homework on the Crown Prince’s canal governance.

Now was her chance to show her virtue to the Crown Prince.

After a period of silently fiddling with the teacup and drinking tea, she seized the moment to speak: “Your Highness has been working hard on the canal project these days. I heard the national treasury is tight. I wanted to share your burden, so I asked the Empress to write to my father. He promised that if Your Highness’s project runs into financial difficulties, he is willing to lend money to help you through this critical time.”

Feng Liwu understood everything now.

No wonder his grandfather had been eager to place people in the canal administration these past few days.

Even if he didn’t agree, they hadn’t given up.

They were confident that he would eventually agree.

This confidence was all due to the unremarkable Cao Xi before him.

These past few days, the Emperor of Yan had indeed sent an envoy, mentioning this matter and agreeing to lend money, but with a condition: that Great Qi would later send troops to help him attack the neighboring state of Wei.

In the end, Great Qi would provide the manpower, and he would take a large portion of the territory. Great Qi and Wei did not share a border, so even if they swallowed the fat, they would have to spit it out.

And now, he owed a favor to Yan, as well as to his grandfather and mother. Not only did he have to accept a bunch of good-for-nothings into the canal administration, but he would also be under the thumb of the Wei family from now on.

And now, in his own residence, he had just learned of another favor that required him to undress and share a night of passion to repay… Feng Liwu’s anger shot straight to the top of his head.

Cao Xi had no idea that her words had hit the Crown Prince’s sore spot and continued to chatter on: “If Your Highness feels it’s still not enough, just tell me, and I will always find a way to share your burden…”

Before she could finish, the teacup in Feng Liwu’s hand was already smashed against the wall.

He glared at Cao Xi with cold eyes and said, “As my concubine, how dare you interfere in state affairs? When did I ask you to seek help from Yan? Who gave you the audacity to act on your own?”

Cao Xi was completely taken aback by Feng Liwu’s reaction and was at a loss.

She quickly knelt down and timidly said, “I went to chat with the Empress and heard…”

Feng Liwu couldn’t stand to hear anyone mention his mother now.

Her palace was now rotting with flesh and maggots, covered with beautiful brocade, hiding the stench.

Just thinking of Cao Xi frequently visiting his mother’s palace and sharing a room with the notorious Steward Mao made him feel nauseous.

The intention to spend the night and go through the motions was completely gone, replaced by disgust.

As Cao Xi, pale-faced, tried to explain further, Feng Liwu had already stormed out with large strides.

Cao Xi quickly got up and chased after him, but only saw Feng Liwu’s tall figure disappearing around the corner of the corridor… Tears of grievance streamed down her face, but she still couldn’t understand what she had done wrong.

Meanwhile, Feng Liwu, feeling utterly disgusted, urgently needed someone to help him dispel the unpleasant feeling.

After leaving Cao Xi’s courtyard, he headed towards the outer courtyard… As for Jiang Xiurun, she had originally planned to stay overnight in the outer courtyard’s Young master Jiang residence.

However, in the evening, Qian’er accidentally ran into the steward, who was instructing the kitchen to prepare hot water for Cao Xi’s courtyard.

From the servants’ gossip, she learned that Feng Liwu would be staying in Cao Xi’s courtyard that night, hence the need for hot water.

After fetching sweet bean soup from the kitchen, Qian’er told her mistress about it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiurun felt relieved and quickly told Qian’er to pack the sweet bean soup in a food box.

She decided to return to Concubine Yao’s courtyard for the night.

Although Concubine Yao’s courtyard was remote, it had a fine bathing pool filled with clear spring water from the garden’s backyard.

Jiang Xiurun had bathed there a few times, and her skin felt incredibly smooth and comfortable afterward.

Since the Crown Prince had plans for the night, she didn’t need to worry and could enjoy herself as Concubine Yao.

So, the mistress and servant headed to the garden with the sweet soup.

After sending Qian’er back, Jiang Xiurun instructed Taohua to prepare a wooden tray to float on the pool.

Besides the bowl of sweet bean soup, there were also pieces of sweet melon and sugar-preserved bayberries with crushed ice.

Once everything was ready, the water temperature in the pool was just right.

She tied up her hair with a cloth and stepped into the pool for a bath.

Her period had just ended, and she had been feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

Now that it was over, a bath was just what she needed to relax.

As the steam rose, she sipped the sweet juice from the floating tray and popped a piece of sweet melon into her mouth.

It was truly a heavenly experience.

Earlier, some aides in the residence had suggested brainstorming to help the Crown Prince solve his worries.

A few had actively offered strategies, compiling them into a booklet to present to the Crown Prince. However, Jiang Xiurun had let it go in one ear and out the other, remaining silent throughout.

When she first entered the residence, she had genuinely believed that the Crown Prince needed these aides’ strategies. To avoid being seen as freeloading, she had made an effort to showcase her talents.

But now, the more she understood Feng Liwu, the more she realized that in many major matters, the Crown Prince had his own strong opinions and didn’t need others to offer solutions!

Yet, he didn’t like to express them directly.

He preferred others to guess his intentions and voice them, so he could adopt them, making it seem like he was open to advice.

Jiang Xiurun later reflected on this and found it quite enlightening.

If only she were a real man, she would definitely emulate Feng Liwu in this regard.

This approach was excellent!

The ideas came from the aides and guests.

If they were good, it showed the Crown Prince’s willingness to listen and value talent.

If they were bad, it was the aides who harbored ill intentions, tarnishing the Crown Prince’s reputation.

Having figured this out, Jiang Xiurun decided she could remain mediocre after all.

After all, she also served him with her beauty!

If she were both virtuous and strategic—the monthly allowance from the Crown Prince’s residence wouldn’t be enough!

So, Jiang Xiurun chose not to get involved in those messy affairs and simply enjoyed her leisurely life.

But little did she know, this blissful time would be as short-lived as the afterglow of the sunset.

Just as she was enjoying the hot bath, a voice came from the door: “So you ran here, making me search all over!”

Jiang Xiurun, caught off guard, choked on a bayberry pit and coughed violently, her eyes tearing up as if she had been greatly wronged.

When Feng Liwu saw her, he suspected she had been secretly crying for a long time…

Women were so jealous.

She said she didn’t mind him staying with other women, but why was she so upset in private?

(T/N: Heheh… Translating this novel is becoming a battle for me because Feng Liwu is the CEO of Delulu Inc… OMG… hehe… Someone, please, I beg you—deliver a reality slap to this delulu crown prince before I lose my last brain cell…wake up, please…she just choking on her food not crying… HAHAHA!”)