The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 226 - 225: Provoking at the Door, A Small Expert at Picking on People

Chapter 226: Chapter 225: Provoking at the Door, A Small Expert at Picking on People

Out of consideration for the Empress, Xiao Jinyan spoke with extreme tact, "Mother, I feel that Lady Chang is not suitable for the position of Crown Princess."

The Empress frowned upon hearing this, "Lady Chang is proficient in all arts, virtuous and well-mannered, what’s inappropriate about her? You are choosing a Crown Princess, and all aspects must be considered thoroughly. The Crown Prince should understand this!"

Xiao Jinyan retorted, "Mother, if we speak of virtuous and well-mannered, none can compare to Lady Shen..."

Before Xiao Jinyan could finish, the Empress huffed, "What’s not suitable is just an excuse. This palace knows you favor Lady Shen very much, but the Crown Princess can only be Lady Chang, you, as the Crown Prince, should understand this without me having to say more."

Xiao Jinyan pursed his lips, without a word to counter, this was the helplessness of being in the Royal Family, even the choice of whom to marry had to be considered for its usefulness to the throne.

After leaving the Fengyi Palace, Xiao Jinyan looked up at the sun overhead, yet could not feel its warmth at all.

"Brother."

At the sound, Xiao Jinyan looked over to see his younger brother, Xiao Jinyu, striding towards him, his peach blossom eyes full of smiles, bright and flamboyant.

He suddenly envied his brother, who didn’t have to struggle, as their mother would arrange everything for him without worry for the future.

Being the Crown Prince meant that his brother would not have to bear this title, and could live leisurely as a prince, and with him there, no one would dare to bully his brother, free and at ease.

Xiao Jinyu asked, "Brother, is it true that you’re going to marry Lady Chang as the Crown Princess?"

Having Lady Chang enter the East Palace as a concubine and then elevating her as the Crown Princess meant she would be welcomed with the rituals befitting a principal wife.

Xiao Jinyan responded with a faint "Hmm."

Xiao Jinyu sighed, "Why must you marry Lady Chang as the Crown Princess? Isn’t sister-in-law quite good?"

Xiao Jinyan gave his brother’s shoulder a pat and walked away.

Xiao Jinyu watched the Crown Prince’s retreating figure, sighed, and turned to enter Fengyi Palace.

The news that Lady Chang would be established as Crown Princess on the fifteenth of this month spread quickly throughout the East Palace and the entire Imperial Palace.

Lady Chang’s Xinlan Hall was nearly trampled by visitors.

People came one after another to offer congratulations and curry favor.

"Sister Chang, congratulations." Xu Chenghui said with a flattering smile.

A gentle smile curled on Lady Chang’s lips, her eyes unable to hide the joy and pride, as the position of Crown Princess was finally to be hers.

In six more days, she would be the Crown Princess, the principal wife married through formal nuptials, the future Empress.

Just thinking about it was thrilling.

Huai Xiang wore a triumphant smile, "My lady, your hard times have finally come to a sweet end, once you become the Crown Princess, you will be in charge of the minutiae of the East Palace. Let’s see how Concubine Xu dares to boss you around."

Lady Chang adjusted her hairpin, her tone of pride slipping out unconsciously, "Of course, I will be the Crown Princess, what does a mere concubine count for?"

Huai Xiang, imagining while looking at Lady Chang in the mirror, praised, "On the fifteenth, when my lady wears the red bridal dress, you will certainly outshine all others, so beautiful it will be beyond words."

Lady Chang looked at herself in the mirror, her beautiful reflection radiant. On the day of her installation as Crown Princess, wearing the big red bridal dress, she would undoubtedly be gorgeous.

Hehuan Hall

"My lady, it’s already a done deal that Lady Chang will be established as Crown Princess," Chun Xi said, even though she never harbored extravagant hopes for her lady to become the Crown Princess, she still felt somewhat concerned.

Shen Chuwei had guessed as much already, so she wasn’t surprised.

Chun Xi comforted her, "It’s alright, my lady, as long as His Highness favors you, that is enough."

Shen Chuwei stared at Chun Xi for a good while, "Chun Xi, I want to eat ice cream."

"No way," Chun Xi immediately refused and packed up to leave.

Shen Chuwei followed Chun Xi, begging for ice cream from inside the house to the courtyard.

"Chun Xi, look how I’m craving it, how can you be so heartless?"

Chun Xi sighed helplessly, "Young Master, your period just ended today, can we wait another two days?"

Shen Chuwei said, "A little bit won’t hurt."

Ever since Chun Xi learned to do everything, Shen Chuwei became even lazier. She just had to call Chun Xi when she wanted something, no need to do it herself.

With no choice left, Chun Xi complained, "Really, there’s no dealing with the Young Master."

Shen Chuwei said with a giggling, "Chun Xi is the best."

Chun Xi sighed, Why did I have to get such a glutton for a master?

Concubine Xu hurried in, waving her handkerchief. Before she arrived, her words reached them first.

"Lady Shen, have you heard? The fifteenth day is the day Lady Chang will be established as the Crown Princess."

Shen Chuwei nodded, "I already know."

Concubine Xu stared at Shen Chuwei for a long time, "How can you be so calm? I’m almost freaking out here."

Shen Chuwei grabbed a handful of melon seeds and offered them to Concubine Xu, "Want some seeds?"

Concubine Xu looked at the melon seeds, grabbed a few, and cracked them irritably, only to find they made her more agitated.

"Lady Chang must be grinning to the skies by now."

Shen Chuwei sat on the rattan chair, legs crossed, cracking the seeds, "What if it were you?"

Concubine Xu imagined for a moment, "Then I’d grin even higher than Lady Chang. To be the Crown Princess is to be Your Highness’s official wife, a match made by formal marriage. I could point at Lady Chang’s forehead and scold her, and she wouldn’t dare talk back."

Shen Chuwei nodded in agreement. If Concubine Xu were the Crown Princess, she really might point at Lady Chang’s forehead and scold her. She hadn’t held back from scolding Lady Chang and the others when they were all just concubines.

A little maid came to report, "Young Master, Lady Chang has arrived."

Concubine Xu paused in her seed-cracking, "Speak of the devil, and he appears. She’s not here to intimidate us, is she?"

Then she added, "They say a new official sets fire thrice. She’s not yet in office, and it’s already started burning?"

Shen Chuwei shook her head to signal that she didn’t know.

Concubine Xu saw Lady Chang from a distance, flaunting her handkerchief, twisting her not-so-thin waist as she approached. She whispered, "Lady Chang hasn’t slimmed down since she last gained weight; just look at that waist, thick as a barrel, tsk tsk!"

Shen Chuwei just happened to see Lady Chang’s waist, which indeed was plumper than before. Unable to hold back after what Concubine Xu had said, she laughed.

Lady Chang saw Shen Chuwei laughing, stopped for a moment, and wondered if she still wasn’t aware of her impending establishment as Crown Princess, which was why she could laugh.

She won’t be laughing soon.

Lady Chang adjusted her hair at her temples and walked over slowly, a smile on her lips, "How are you, Lady Shen." She then glanced at Concubine Xu, seeming a bit surprised, "Concubine Xu is here too?"

"I was just having tea and chatting with Lady Shen. What wind has blown Lady Chang, who never steps out of her threshold or beyond her gates, all the way here?" Unable to change her abrasive nature on the spot, Concubine Xu spoke her mind directly.

Lady Chang scowled internally upon hearing that, thinking she’d deal with her later. She swept her glance from Concubine Xu and finally settled on Shen Chuwei, the glint of triumph in her eyes.

"Sisters must have heard about my establishment as Crown Princess. I’m coming out to foster ties with my sisters. It’s beneficial for managing the East Palace in the future, isn’t it?"