Not wanting to waste anything, Su Xinghe thought she’d make an excellent homemaker if she were in charge.
A family is a family, whether small or the grandest in the land, and all the heads of prosperous families in the past were known for their frugality, weren’t they? As a palace lady, she should carry on this virtue. Take something like a simple boiled egg, for example not the most delicious thing, a bit bland with each bite. It reminded her of the journey from Jiangnan to the capital when her nurse had boiled fifty eggs and packed them for the trip. She ate them whenever she was hungry, and by the time they reached the capital, only three were left, but they had spoiled. What a waste! Sometimes Su Xinghe thought that if she hadn’t been born into such a family, she might have become a very stingy Person. Though she loved fine food, she couldn’t bear to throw away even the simplest things. When she was little and her brother was eating a sesame bun, she would pick up every sesame seed that fell on the table and put it in her mouth. Her mother would laugh and cry at the sight, saying that if a relative happened to visit, they’d think the family wasn’t treating her right. But that’s just how she was, born to be frugal, without anyone teaching her. Of course, Su Xinghai saw things differently; his only comment about her could be summed up in two words: “stingy miser.”
“This boiled egg, if sent back to the kitchen, would probably just be thrown away if it’s not used what a pity.” She took another bite, swallowing with some difficulty, and added, “Do you know that poor families out there, during times of famine, can’t even get an eggshell to eat? They end up eating locusts and chewing on tree bark…” She sounded as if she’d been through it herself.
The Crown Prince frowned. “The Great Yin hasn’t had a famine in years. Which troubled dynasty are you talking about?” Worried she might choke, he quickly poured her a cup of water.
Su Xinghe replied, “Don’t worry about which dynasty I’m talking about. I’m just making a point.” She glanced at the five eggs neatly in front of him. “Why aren’t you eating? They’re already peeled; if you don’t eat them, they’ll spoil for sure.”
The Crown Prince felt he should clarify her earlier words. “Eat what, to nourish what? Su Xinghe, what exactly are you implying? Don’t think that I missed your meaning just because you spoke vaguely. How can a young lady say such things so openly?”
She had been bold enough to say it, but at his question, her face flushed.
Su Xinghe looked up at him. “I’m not making this up; it’s written just like that in *The Shen Family’s Book of Health Preservation*.”
The Crown Prince thought back and then glared at her angrily. “Nonsense! You might as well say it’s written in *The Jade Ruler of Gynecology*!”
She burst out laughing. “Why are you getting all flustered? Doesn’t matter which book it’s in; the point is, it’s true.” She gestured to him, “Go on, eat up.”
The Crown Prince felt his dignity was being tested; she was playing dumb, but she clearly understood everything. With a sullen expression, he picked up an egg and turned it over in his hand, feeling more and more uneasy. She was well-read, yet how could an unmarried young lady act so much like she’d seen it all?
He wasn’t entirely reassured and, fiddling with the eggshell, leaned closer to ask, “When you were under twelve and always hanging around with General Lou Yueting, did you ever… peek when he went to the toilet?”
The question took her by complete surprise and Su Xinghe stared at him, wide-eyed. “What… are you saying?!”
The Crown Prince sighed as he peeled the egg, muttering as he worked, “With someone like you, I can’t help but wonder. If you actually did see him…” Then what? As he thought it over, a feeling of dread washed over him.
Watching his expression change dramatically, Su Xinghe sensed trouble. He was so competitive, even about his childhood friendships. If she said she had peeked at General Lou Yueting, would he do something outrageous?
She waved her hands frantically. “No, I would never do something like that! What kind of person do you think I am?”
Only then did the Crown Prince let out a discreet sigh of relief, mentally noting that if she *had* seen anything, he wouldn’t let her off tonight.
Watching her happily devour the eggs, he realized she really was someone who valued thrift and resourcefulness. The Crown Prince began to feel he might have struck gold; if he handed over the management of the palace to her in the future, she’d never let it go to ruin.
And so, a strange scene unfolded in the Crown Prince’s chambers: the two of them sitting across from each other, in silence, earnestly cracking and eating eggs. For someone used to a diet of rare delicacies, the Crown Prince found this bland fare nearly unbearable, and after three eggs, he felt he couldn’t possibly eat anymore without feeling sick.
Between bites, he grumbled, “Who went and boiled so many at once?”
Su Xinghe, having already finished her three eggs, was now leaning back with a teacup in hand. She thought to herself that *he* was the one who’d given the order, claiming he wanted them boiled for her to last all night. Naturally, Dequan followed through. Now, if he started complaining and took it out on Dequan, that would be unfair. She quickly interrupted, “Just eat, they’re delicious!”
The Crown Prince muttered under his breath that they were anything *but* delicious, suppressing a burp as the egg taste filled his mouth. Unable to take any more, he pushed an egg toward her. “Out of friendship, here’s one for you.”
She tapped her fingers on the table. “Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness, but I’m quite full. These last two, though you *must* finish them. All the best nutrients are in these two.”
The Crown Prince stared at her, feeling trapped, but he braced himself and swallowed them down. When he’d finally finished, he collapsed onto the couch, utterly spent and unable to move.
Su Xinghe looked at the table covered in eggshells and felt a sense of accomplishment as if her mission was complete. She called for someone to come in, and Dequan, who had been waiting outside, shuffled in quickly. One look at the scene, and he asked, “All finished?”
Su Xinghe smiled and pointed to the table. “Clean this up, and take the table away. His Highness wants to rest.” As she spoke, she got up from the couch, ready to return to the Ladies’ Quarters.
The Crown Prince, lying back with a deep sigh, ordered, “I want to check on your injury. You’ll stay here tonight.”
At that, Dequan promptly carried the table and eggshells out of the room. Before leaving, he added, “Lord Su, I’ll have the hot water brought up, and placed just outside. Perhaps you should… take a bath? His Highness went to the training grounds earlier and hasn’t freshened up, so you could take care of it together.”
That’s what made Dequan a perceptive and competent servant. The Crown Prince, lounging comfortably, smiled with satisfaction, while Su Xinghe felt a pang of hardship. She had taken a beating earlier, barely had time to rest, and now had to help him wash. But what choice did she have? There was no way around it. She muttered under her breath, “I’m so full, I can hardly move.”
To her surprise, the Crown Prince jumped up. “I’ll help you, then.”
The hot water was brought in a large wooden tub, carried by two eunuchs who placed it directly in the chamber. The Crown Prince prepared a towel and began wiping her face, carefully avoiding the red and swollen side of her cheek. As he worked, he asked, “You don’t usually wear powder? Aren’t girls supposed to like rouge?”
Letting him tend to her like this felt like it would take years off her life, so Su Xinghe quickly took the towel from him. “I’m not fond of rouge. Ah, please, you should sit down. I’ll do it myself.”
Su Xinghe resigned to her task, wrung out the cloth, and began to wipe his face and hands. The Crown Prince smiled gently, saying, “I sweated on my back today.” She could only accept her fate, taking the warm towel and slipping it under his collar from behind.
Even through the cloth, he could feel her hand moving along his back, making him sway slightly, like a small boat on water. With his eyes half-closed, he asked, “What did your brother want today?”
Su Xinghe murmured, “There’s a new nephew in the family. My brother brought me wedding treats to celebrate.” She swapped the towel for a fresh one, wrung it out, and continued her work, reaching back in.
The Crown Prince felt that his entire back would be soaked if she kept at it, so he simply untied his sash and shrugged off his inner robe.
Now bare-chested, his upper body exposed, Su Xinghe was so startled that she stammered, “Isn’t this… a bit too shameless?”
In response, he casually turned to face her, his well-defined muscles glowing warmly under the light.
“Don’t like it?” he asked innocently. “Last night, weren’t you sneaking peeks into my inner robe?”
Su Xinghe thought back and realized that she *had* been briefly fascinated by his unintentional display. It’s human nature to appreciate beauty, so she’d stolen a glance no reason for him to be so bold about it now!
The Crown Prince, leaning on his waist, noticed her evasive gaze and felt she wasn’t giving him proper attention. Ordering her to look would seem shameless, so he compromised by pointing to his chest. “Here too. Wipe it for me.” He chuckled, adding, “We’re close enough by now; what’s there to be shy about?”
It wasn’t a matter of familiarity making this okay. Su Xinghe felt even more helpless. She was bullied by Zuo Zhaoyi outside, and now she had to endure this ordeal in the Eastern Palace as well.
However, a life without facing challenges isn’t a complete life. Thinking it over, she realized that she wasn’t exactly young anymore, always surrounded by men, why keep up such a timid, dainty attitude?
With that thought, she got right to work, and soon even found some amusement in it. The Crown Prince’s muscles were firm, solid under her fingers. As she wiped his chest, she gave a few playful squeezes here and there. The muscles along his ribs felt ridged, almost like a washboard. The Crown Prince wasn’t the type to have a pampered, soft physique; he had a balance of strength and beauty, hard to describe but perfectly complementary.
When she finished wiping down his upper body, she glanced down reluctantly. “Shall I attend to the lower half as well, Your Highness?”
The Crown Prince swallowed, hesitated, and then thought better of untying his waistband.
Su Xinghe watched as he fled behind the ornate screen with his clothes, sighed wistfully, and returned to her seat in front of the bronze mirror. She examined her own face; it looked somewhat better, but the experience had left a deep mark on her heart.
Whatever happened tonight, by tomorrow morning the whole palace would surely know. Her family would hear, and so would Prince Jianping. She couldn’t be sure how her family would react, but she doubted they would cause an uproar. As Zuo Zhaoyi had pointed out, the Su family and the Jianping Prince’s household were closely tied, and a complete fallout would benefit no one. But she wasn’t about to let tonight’s humiliation slide so easily. She had to think carefully about how to make her tormentor regret it how to make them wish they were dead…
The Crown Prince finally emerged, now dressed in fresh clothes. He hadn’t needed her assistance with the lower half, after all. He entered the inner chamber with an elegant air, leaving her with a single sentence: “Hurry up; I’ll be waiting for you in bed.”
Tonight, in a show of affection, he’d summoned her to “share his bed” once again. Su Xinghe recalled Zuo Zhaoyi’s shameless comments about her, and a complex mix of emotions filled her heart. Slowly, she finished washing up and shuffled over to the bed. Seeing the Crown Prince resting his head on his hand, watching her, she lowered herself with a bow and moved to the foot of the bed.
The Crown Prince’s eyes widened, his heart racing. He lay back, gazing up at the ceiling, not daring to move a muscle.
What was this supposed to mean? In the palace, there was a set protocol for bed-sharing. Whether serving the Emperor or the Crown Prince, the concubine was expected to crawl in from the foot of the bed, inch by inch, like a snake, until she slipped into her master’s embrace. Did she actually intend to affirm their relationship tonight? The Crown Prince’s mouth went dry at the thought. If that was the case, he didn’t mind at all in fact, he was more than ready to make a good impression.
He could feel a presence moving near his feet, inching up slowly. The Crown Prince felt deeply touched, thinking that his affection for her had not been in vain. She knew how to be grateful; she was a good woman. Staring tensely at the apricot-colored canopy, he focused all his attention on her progress. She moved from his calves to his waist, to his shoulders… Taking a deep breath, he turned, ready to wrap his arms around her, only to find a pair of small feet entering his view. Snowy white, with dainty pink toenails charming, yes, but they crushed his expectations.
He choked back a bitter sigh, feeling utterly duped, and propped himself up in frustration, only to see her nestled by his feet, tucking the blanket around him.
Half his anger dissipated instantly. He said, “Su Xinghe, sleeping down there, aren’t you worried I’ll kick you in the night?”
She squinted up at him and replied, “I’m here to warm your feet, keeping watch through the night.”
Looking at her still-swollen cheek, the Crown Prince felt a surge of tenderness. “One kick to the face would hurt a lot worse than that,” he murmured, shifting to her side and lying down beside her.
He reached over and pulled her close, pressing his chin to the top of her head, whispering, “I’ll make them pay for this. They won’t have a place to hide.”
Su Xinghe said nothing. His resolve was comforting, but she felt that handling things herself would be far more satisfying.
But even though they were childhood friends, being this close didn’t seem quite appropriate. She gently nudged him. “We shouldn’t be lying together like this. After all, we’re both adults now; there should be some boundaries.”
The Crown Prince looked down at her. “What’s there to worry about? I don’t mind that you’re…plain.”
Su Xinghe was once again left speechless by his blunt response. “What I meant was, we’re grown now, and since we don’t plan on being a couple, we shouldn’t be so casual with each other. You’re just using me as a scapegoat, aren’t you? I’ve been filling that role for years; maybe it’s time it ended.”
He didn’t bother replying and closed his eyes.
His embrace was warm, and when she made a half-hearted attempt to move away, he tightened his hold. Su Xinghe thought privately, lying next to each other like this, if they had the inclination, sleep might not be the only thing on their minds. She blushed slightly as she imagined if it were General Luo Yueting beside her; she might not be able to resist and might even do something bold.
With nothing better to do, she started reminiscing about their childhood. But sadly, there was a gap of ten years in her memories, filled by this Crown Prince instead, who hadn’t exactly done much good for her mostly bringing her trouble. When you reach a certain age, it’s hard not to think about the future, about who you can truly trust, and where you might find your place. But it seemed impossible to know for certain.
The night deepened gradually, and the candlelight flickering on the desk finally extinguished. She had fallen asleep, her breathing steady and silent. The Crown Prince, in a state of confusion, reached out to caress her cheek. “Su Xinghe…”
She didn’t respond.
“If no one wants you in the future, you can come with me,” he sighed. “You’re so strong-willed and driven, who in this world could possibly satisfy you? Only I can. You don’t care for the title of Crown Princess; you want to be an Empress… but that won’t do. You can’t turn the world upside down. Being a Queen would be enough; you already hold one of the highest positions among women. What more could you want?”
His musings sank into the darkness. Unfortunately, he could only say these things after she had fallen asleep. Ambition isn’t something that can be easily dispelled with a few words; perhaps it would require her eventual enlightenment.
Without the backing of her family, a female official had no choice but to endure the punishment. For a family like the Su family, news of their daughter being slapped was a significant humiliation.
Su Yujin gradually calmed down from his initial anger and sat silently in a dark corner. Madam Su was still crying and lamenting, “After all these years, we’ve contributed more suffering than glory. Do they really think of us as servants, slapping us without regard for our dignity?”
Su Xinghai frowned at his father. “I’ll go and have a word with the Duke of Min. Let’s see what he has to say.”
Su Yujin replied, “What can he possibly say? The master in the palace is punishing her; does he expect it to be on a special day? Niu Niu has suffered this injustice; someone destined for greatness knows how to endure. Getting slapped twice has completely knocked Zuo Zhaoyi off the queen’s throne worth it. I’ve seen through it; with such a master, once he stabilizes his position, we’ll have only one way to go: to our doom. For now, it’s not too bad. Once the storm of the new empress passes, we’ll all have our own paths to take! I heard yesterday that there’s been a report from the court; the southern borders are unstable, and it looks like there’s a battle on the horizon. Chaos is good; chaos is what brings glory, and in troubled times, heroes emerge. We can’t offend the Duke of Min either; after all, he’s a royal prince, and as long as the emperor is around, we have to show him some respect.”
“So, are you saying Niu Niu took those hits for nothing?” Madam Su protested vigorously. “When she broke a treasured family heirloom as a child, I wouldn’t even lift a finger against her!”
Su Yujin’s wife’s complaints gave him a headache. “Your daughter is sweet, and she can’t just take a beating like that! Right now, you’re tearing your face with the Duke of Min, while the Crown Prince is the one benefiting; it’s a win-win for him.”
Madam Su grumbled, “Having a son-in-law who is the Crown Prince sounds great to me. I just don’t understand you, men. Why can’t you enjoy your idle days without wanting to build some great achievement?”
Su Xinghai awkwardly rubbed his nose, and his father sneered, “The Crown Prince? Just wait until the day there’s no one to keep him in check. I guarantee you won’t even be able to live a carefree life. If your daughter can stay, we’ll likely fare even worse than if we fell into Zuo Zhaoyi’s hands. You’re thinking about him as a son-in-law, but he might not even recognize you as his mother-in-law. It takes a long time to freeze three feet of ice; thawing it isn’t easy. If you want to survive, you either have to keep a low profile or get yourself confined. Just wait and see.”
