The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 296 - 295: Planning to Depose the Crown Prince? The Dog Emperor is Beaten ~ Giving Medicine to His Highness ~

Chapter 296: Chapter 295: Planning to Depose the Crown Prince? The Dog Emperor is Beaten ~ Giving Medicine to His Highness ~

The Empress, puzzled by his words, looked up at the canine Emperor. "Your Majesty, what has happened with the Crown Prince and Lady Shen?"

The Emperor spoke somberly, "We never paid attention to these trifles before, but today, upon investigation, I discovered that the Crown Prince has allowed only Lady Shen to serve in his bedchamber this past year."

"Doesn’t the Empress think the Crown Prince is overly indulging Lady Shen?"

Of course, the Empress was aware of this. The Crown Prince’s exclusive favor of Lady Shen was due to affection. She originally didn’t want to intervene, but seeing as this involved the imperial progeny and Lady Shen’s difficulty in conceiving, others had to be allowed to conceive instead.

But why did these words, spoken from the canine Emperor’s mouth, feel like they were begging for a punch?

He himself embraced women on both sides, possessing the affections of the three palaces and six courtyards, and now he wanted his son to follow in those indulgent footsteps?

The Emperor continued, "He is the Crown Prince. The lack of offspring is a matter of the utmost importance."

The Empress, suppressing the urge to hit someone, asked, "In that case, what does Your Majesty plan to do?"

The Emperor said, "I intend to have the Crown Prince consummate marriage with them to ensure the continuation of the royal lineage. If the Crown Prince insists on favoring only Lady Shen, we’ll have no choice but to confine her to the Cold Palace until there are imperial heirs."

Although the Empress knew that these methods were commonly employed by the Imperial Family, she couldn’t help but think that confining such a well-behaved child like Lady Shen to the Cold Palace was going a bit too far.

"Lady Shen is not at fault. Confined to the Cold Palace, I find this improper," remarked the Empress.

Not expecting the Empress to object, the Emperor stared at her for a while before counterquestioning, "Then does the Empress have a better solution?"

The Empress was taken aback. If she had a solution, she would have been embracing her grandchild by now.

Seeing the Empress’s silence, the Emperor knew she had no solution. "If the Empress does not agree with Our approach, there is only one alternative."

The Empress pressed, "What alternative?"

The Emperor spoke deliberately, "Depose the Crown Prince, and whom he favors excessively will no longer concern Us."

The Empress was stunned.

It was the canine Emperor who had initially established Xiao Jinyan as the Crown Prince, and now he wanted to depose him over this matter?

What nerve!

"Then whom does Your Majesty wish to appoint as the Crown Prince?"

The Emperor uttered a name, "Yuyu."

The Empress paused again.

Two years ago, when she suggested that Yuyu be the Crown Prince, the canine Emperor refused.

Now he wanted to appoint Yuyu as the Crown Prince; wasn’t he being capricious?

She suddenly realized, the canine Emperor was deliberately opposing her views.

"Did Your Majesty not say that Yuyu is too young and lacks Jinyan’s steadiness and capability?"

"I did say that, but I had not expected him to disregard his own progeny for the sake of a woman. He is the future sovereign, how can he not have heirs?"

With that, the Emperor wrapped his arm around the Empress’s shoulder and continued, "They are all Our sons. If the Crown Prince stubbornly refuses an even distribution of his favor to ensure an abundance of heirs, he shall choose between one of two paths."

The Emperor harrumphed, "I’d like to see if he would forsake his position as Crown Prince for a woman’s sake."

Upon hearing this, the Empress clenched her fists. In the past, you also approached me for the sole purpose of securing your position as Crown Prince, didn’t you?

Indeed, unbidden kindness is either plotting or theft.

Having finished his piece, the Emperor looked down at the Empress and after a moment added, "What’s wrong? You seem to look unwell."

The Empress glared coldly at the canine Emperor.

"The Empress’s skin seems to be getting worse," the Emperor remarked, pinching the Empress’s cheek with a provoking comment: "It is no longer as smooth and delicate as before."

Which woman could endure being criticized by her own husband in such a manner, especially for pointing out the very things women are most sensitive about?

Fed up, the Empress gave a strong push with both hands, toppling the canine Emperor to the ground.

"Does Your Majesty find this and that unsatisfactory about your Consort? Why don’t you seek those freshly selected beauties, eh? Each one only fifteen, with skin smooth, delicate, and elastic."

Caught off guard, the Emperor was pushed to the ground by the Empress. Sitting in disarray, he stared bewildered at the Empress.

Immediately he burst out in anger, "Empress, what great audacity you have!"

The Empress, looking at the bedraggled Emperor sprawled on the floor, had been furious in the moment, but now that she had come to her senses, she was scared half to death.

Even if he was a dog, he was still the Emperor with the ultimate authority over life and death.

"This concubine was clumsy, Your Majesty, please don’t be angry," the Empress quickly helped the Emperor up and dusted him off.

The Emperor glanced at the Empress and left with a flip of his sleeve.

The Empress stood there stunned, this was the first time the dog Emperor had ever left with a flip of his sleeve, he must have truly been angered.

If only you had turned and left like this back then, I would not have married you!

Did you really think you were such a catch that anyone would want to marry?

I was once the legitimate daughter of General Chang, cherished as a valuable pearl, with many heroes, scholars, and elegant gentlemen desiring my hand in marriage!

The Empress was livid, so she turned over in bed to sleep, only to find herself suffering from insomnia...

*

Shen Chuwei took out a string of candied haw from a wooden box, the ice inside the box was changed daily, so the candied haw was well preserved.

This was the last string of candied haw.

Shen Chuwei held the bright red candied haw in hand and hesitated to eat it.

After finishing his review of the petitions, Xiao Jinyan came through the back door of Shen Chuwei’s mouth to Hehuan Hall, and the scene he walked into was this.

"Little Nine is not yet asleep."

Shen Chuwei looked up and saw Xiao Jinyan entering in a blue brocade robe, it was her first time seeing him dressed in blue.

Indeed, a handsome man with a good figure could pull off any color.

"Your Highness, have you finished your work?"

"Mhmm, I just finished reviewing the petitions." Xiao Jinyan sat down on the bed, eyeing the candied haw in her hand, he reached over and pulled it away, "It’s late, you’re not allowed to eat candied haw."

Shen Chuwei stared intently at the candied haw Xiao Jinyan took from her, fearing he might bite into it on impulse.

"This concubine wasn’t planning to eat it, just looking at it," she lied.

"Even looking is not allowed." Xiao Jinyan knew her too well; if she didn’t want to eat it, she wouldn’t have taken it out of the wooden box.

He opened the wooden box, placed the candied haw inside, and then closed the lid.

Shen Chuwei stared until the lid was closed, and only then did the anxiety in her heart settle.

She looked at the lotus blossoming in front of her and scooped some water with a small wooden spoon to pour over the lotus, then put it back down.

"Your Highness must have been under a lot of pressure these past days?"

Xiao Jinyan did not deny it, "Mhmm, there has been some pressure."

Shen Chuwei picked up the teapot from the low table, took a clean teacup, poured some medicinal soup, and placed it before Xiao Jinyan.

"This can help relieve stress."

Xiao Jinyan looked down at the steaming teacup in front of him, he could smell the medicinal soup—it wasn’t bitter but somewhat sweet.

He picked it up and took a sip, just as he had expected.

After drinking the soup, Xiao Jinyan freshened up and then went to bathe and rest.

Shen Chuwei watched as Xiao Jinyan drew the bed curtains, thinking that with the stress he was under, he would probably suffer from insomnia, so she placed a prepared medicinal pouch by the bed that could help with sleep.

After Xiao Jinyan drew the curtains, he came over and accurately pulled her into his embrace, "Little Nine."

It was already dark in the room, and with the curtains drawn, they could barely see each other’s faces.

Shen Chuwei looked at Xiao Jinyan on top of her, "Your Highness, what is it?"