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墨書 Inktalez
Yun Kexin's earlier lighthearted mood during her conversation with the Crown Prince at the Imperial Garden had completely vanished, and her beautiful face now showed signs of anxiety.
"Young Lord, how could I not know," Yun Kexin said with a furrowed brow. "On one hand, I value my friendship with the Crown Prince, but on the other hand, I am deeply afraid of being seen by those in the Palace, which could lead to misunderstandings or even being used by others."
"Then next time the Crown Prince summons you, Yun Kexin can simply claim to be ill and not attend," Feng Yinxiao suggested.
"You can hide for a moment, but not for a lifetime," Yun Kexin replied worriedly. "Now that the Crown Prince sees me as the only person he can talk to, if I claim to be ill and do not show up, he will definitely come to visit me at all costs. I do not want that."
Feng Yinxiao thought again about their engagement, which would make Yun Kexin his own. The Crown Prince might have some reservations, but as soon as he thought of his agreement with her, he immediately closed his slightly parted lips.
"Young Lord, how about this," Yun Kexin said, racking her brain for a compromise. "I will find an opportunity to explain the situation to the Crown Prince."
"What?" Feng Yinxiao looked at her with a confused and bewildered expression.
"I mean that it’s not good for him and me to have such frequent interactions," Yun Kexin continued walking ahead, "and I will analyze the pros and cons of this situation with him."
"Do you think His Highness will listen?" Feng Yinxiao raised his handsome brows in skepticism.
In his impression, Crown Prince Qin Ke was very opinionated and did not care much about others' gossip. This trait was generally good for a person's character but was a major taboo given his current status. The more such a person was, the easier it was for political enemies to seize upon their words; his acquaintance with Zhen'er and their forced separation were enough proof of this.
"I will do my best," Yun Kexin stopped and faced Feng Yinxiao. "If it doesn’t work out, then I can only avoid him."
Feng Yinxiao nodded in understanding. "No matter what method Yun Kexin uses, remember to keep your distance from the Crown Prince. I can also act as a mediator in this matter."
Yun Kexin smiled bitterly; she knew well that she needed to maintain distance from the Crown Prince. If it weren't for this incident, she wouldn't have found herself in a situation where she could easily fall into a deadlock.
"Yun Kexin, I will escort you back home..." Feng Yinxiao looked at the troubled Yun Kexin, feeling his own mood drop instantly but still smiling to comfort her.
A few nights later, in the brightly lit Eastern Palace, the Empress Dowager summoned the Crown Prince, and Qin Ke complied with her summons.
"Grandson pays respects to Grandmother Empress; may Grandmother Empress enjoy longevity and peace." Qin Ke knelt halfway down to pay his respects.
"Please rise," the Empress Dowager said with a smile, "there's no need for formalities between us, my grandchild."
"Thank you, Grandmother Empress." Qin Ke stood up, adjusted his sleeves slightly, and smiled as he took a few steps closer.
The Empress Dowager looked at her grandson, who had become increasingly handsome with age, her eyes filled with affection.
Qin Ke sensed that Grandmother Empress's smile seemed different than usual recently. Surprised, he was about to ask when the Empress Dowager gently and slowly said:
"Has your mood improved lately, my grandson?"
"Much better," Qin Ke replied lightly, "thank you for your concern, Grandmother Empress."
"Ke'er, you must not harbor resentment towards your father and mother," the Empress Dowager's smile vanished in an instant, her expression serious. "They are also thinking of the foundation of Taihe built over decades. As the Crown Prince, you must not go against the court's principles, do you understand?"
Reluctantly, Qin Ke could only nod in acceptance. "I understand your teachings, Grandmother Empress." At the same time, he speculated that the Empress Dowager might be interceding for some external minister because after the incident with Zhen'er, he had vowed to find out who was responsible for Zhen'er's death. Remembering this, Qin Ke's gaze darkened.
"Let's not dwell on that," the Empress Dowager did not intend to discuss unpleasant matters during this meeting. She quickly changed the subject and smiled again. "Ke'er, you have reached an appropriate age; it's time to establish Consort Qin."
Qin Ke sneered inwardly: he wondered which faction's representative had come to propose marriage to the Empress Dowager this time. Unexpectedly, he heard the gentle voice of the Empress Dowager:
"Ke'er, I have heard good things about the Duchess of the Duke of E's Residence, Seventh Sister. Would you like to meet her?"
Qin Ke suddenly looked up in shock and exclaimed softly, "Grandmother Empress..."
Seeing that Qin Ke only showed surprise without any displeasure, the Empress Dowager continued:
"I have already sent someone to inquire about her," she did not mention what she had seen in the Imperial Garden and smiled. "This Seventh Sister's given name is Yun Kexin; she is the daughter of our Deputy Minister of Justice, Yun Yang. It is said that she is exceptionally beautiful and graceful. Her temperament is famously gentle and well-mannered; she would be an excellent choice for Consort Qin."
"Grandmother Empress, I..." Qin Ke appeared somewhat flustered. He never expected the Empress Dowager to set her sights on Yun Kexin. For a moment, he was at a loss for words due to the sweet feelings bubbling within him—he wondered how Seventh Sister would react. He struggled to muster a response: "But Grandmother Empress, perhaps Seventh Sister is already engaged."
Qin Ke's mind flashed with Yun Kexin's adorable demeanor of "calm as a maiden, swift as a hare." She could listen gently like water or laugh cheerfully with optimism. How could such a woman not stir one's heart?!
The Empress Dowager noticed that the Crown Prince Qin Ke did not exhibit the usual "cold as ice" or "indifferent" demeanor he had when it came to the coronation of Consort Qin. On the contrary, his handsome face surprisingly showed an unprecedented hint of redness, resembling both shyness and tacit approval. This made her even more certain of her observations. Thus, the Empress Dowager seized the moment to encourage him:
"Ke'er, you and Zhen'er are not fated to be together, and this is something Grandmother Empress also feels regretful about. Now, there is finally a woman who can rival Zhen'er and even comes from a higher status. Why not meet her?" The Empress Dowager paused slightly, noticing that although the Crown Prince remained silent, he did not show any signs of resistance. She continued, "Rest assured, if you take a liking to her this time, Grandmother Empress will do everything in her power to help you fulfill your wishes. There will be no repeat of the situation with Zhen'er."
In her heart, the Empress Dowager still cherished Qin Ke, her grandson, and held high hopes for him. Therefore, as long as it did not violate court regulations, she would find ways to assist him. In fact, she was grateful to Seventh Sister for dissuading the Crown Prince from thoughts of renunciation. With such a wise and intelligent woman by his side, how could the Crown Prince not govern diligently and care for his people in the future?
"But, Grandmother Empress," Qin Ke did not deny his admiration and affection for Yun Kexin, but when it came to the matter of conferring Consort Qin, he wanted to hear her opinion first. "I would like to wait a bit longer."
"What are you waiting for?" The Empress Dowager retorted playfully and then smiled, "Ke'er only needs to choose a day to meet Duchess of the Duke of E's Residence, Seventh Sister. If you nod your head, I will immediately have the Emperor draft an imperial decree."
"No, Grandmother Empress, things are not as you imagine," Qin Ke did not expect the Empress Dowager to be more anxious than he was. He hurriedly knelt down and pleaded, "Actually, I have known Seventh Sister for several years now, but it has only been out of friendship and our past schoolmate bond. We lost contact for a long time. This time I came to the palace because I heard about Zhen'er and my situation; she came to dissuade me from my reckless actions. There is nothing between me and Seventh Sister..."
The Empress Dowager squinted: just as the rumors outside said, they had known each other for a long time.
"Oh? Nothing between you?" The Empress Dowager revealed a knowing smile. "Then what is it that you have been meeting with Seventh Sister frequently in the Imperial Garden and even going out of the palace together?"
Qin Ke was taken aback: he hadn't realized that all these recent events had caught the Empress Dowager's attention; surely others in the palace had seen them too. He felt regretful for being so careless and forgetting Yun Kexin's "advice."
"Oh, I was just catching up with Seventh Sister and letting her help me sort out my feelings," Qin Ke paused for a moment before quickly responding, "There is nothing else, Grandmother Empress—"
"Ke'er, stop deceiving yourself," the Empress Dowager insisted with a smile. "Catching up requires such frequent visits and even going out? What hasn't your Grandmother Empress seen at this age? What hasn't she experienced?" She paused again as she saw the Crown Prince about to defend himself once more and added, "Have you thought about why you can't help but think of her often and feel compelled to seek her out? Ke'er, you are deeply entangled without realizing it."
The last sentence left Qin Ke stunned; his eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He anxiously lowered his head and glanced around.
"Grandmother Empress, no matter what happens, please promise me," after a moment, Qin Ke raised his gaze calmly and said, "Let me consider this matter first; do not rush Father Emperor into issuing an imperial decree. I beg you."
He feared that he might frighten her or that she would be unable to accept his transition from friend to Consort Qin and develop feelings of aversion towards him; that was not what he wanted to see. He wanted to take things slowly.
The Empress Dowager looked at the Crown Prince with some confusion and bewilderment: his feelings for Seventh Sister were obvious, so why was he so flustered and indecisive?!
"Very well, I will go along with Ke'er," the Empress Dowager decided not to press him further, only offering a provoking reminder, "I will give you some time to handle this, but do not delay for too long."
"Thank you, Grandmother Empress." Qin Ke sighed in relief, kneeling on the ground to express her gratitude.
However, while the Empress Dowager promised the Crown Prince that she would not rush the Emperor to issue an edict, she did not agree to keep this matter a secret. At the very least, she felt that the Emperor and the Empress should be informed. Thus, the next day, the Empress Dowager invited the Emperor and the Empress to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the flowers.
Upon meeting, after exchanging greetings, the Empress Dowager went straight to the point:
"Emperor, Empress, have you noticed any changes in the Crown Prince?"
"After returning home, I did notice," replied the Emperor first as he sat beside the Empress Dowager. "This child has finally stopped insisting on becoming a monk; he was truly causing quite a stir before, sigh..."
"Indeed, I didn't expect Ke'er to come to terms with it so quickly," said the Empress respectfully as she sat next to the Empress Dowager. "I was really worried that this child might be misled into doing something foolish; now it seems fine."
When the Empress mentioned "someone," she was referring to Zhen'er: she had long harbored resentment towards this commoner girl, believing that Zhen'er was good for nothing except for "charming" the Crown Prince. In truth, it was because the Empress already had Consort Qin in mind.
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