The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 558 - 464: Too much indulgence…Bullying the Top Scholar because he is too honest…_2

Chapter 558: Chapter 464: Too much indulgence...Bullying the Top Scholar because he is too honest..._2

Shen Chuwei spoke again, "Where is your attendant? I had someone take him to the side room to get familiar with the surroundings."

Chu Lingfeng paused upon hearing this and took a while before responding, "He is no longer with us."

Shen Chuwei was momentarily taken aback. Gone? She later realized he meant the attendant was dead.

Seeing that Chu Lingfeng didn’t seem willing to elaborate, she didn’t pursue the matter further.

"I’ll arrange for you to pick someone suitable to be your attendant later. As the Chu heir, you can’t be without someone to look after your daily needs."

Chu Lingfeng nodded his thanks.

Shen Chuwei observed Chu Lingfeng for a moment and then turned to leave.

Once she was a distance away, Shen Chuwei instructed, "Chun Xi, go to the Internal Affairs Department later, ask them to send a few people over for the Chu heir to select one."

Chun Xi nodded in acknowledgment, "This servant will go to the Internal Affairs Department right away."

Shen Chuwei added another instruction, "Also, the Chu heir has just arrived, he must feel a bit constrained, make sure to ask proactively about his daily needs."

Chun Xi nodded, "This servant has noted it down."

It wasn’t long before Chun Xi left for the Internal Affairs Department that Eunuch Quan brought over three young eunuchs around fifteen years old.

Eunuch Quan smiled lightly, "Chu heir, these lads have just entered the palace, and they are very obedient. You may choose one yourself."

The Chu heir glanced over the three individuals before him, of varying heights, and finally set his eyes on the small eunuch on the right, who had a slender figure and a delicate appearance.

He raised his hand and pointed, "You will do."

The chosen small eunuch was Yuanbao, who hadn’t expected to be selected and was stunned for a moment.

On their way here, both were afraid of being chosen by the Chu heir, for the heir was merely a hostage, with no promising future to speak of.

Everyone said he was lucky for being so frail and weak; he surely wouldn’t be chosen.

"What are you standing around for? Aren’t you going to pay respects to the Chu heir quickly?"

Once Yuanbao came to his senses, he immediately knelt down to acknowledge his master, "This servant Yuanbao pays respects to the master."

Chu Lingfeng said indifferently, "Rise."

"Then, this one shall take his leave first," Eunuch Quan said with a smile, leading the remaining eunuchs back.

The two who were not chosen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they weren’t the ones selected; otherwise, they would have lost any chance of better prospects.

Seeing that the Chu heir had made his choice, Chun Xi turned to leave.

Shen Chuwei, who was sitting on the couch cracking melon seeds, saw Chun Xi walk in, "How did it go?"

"Master, the Chu heir has chosen his attendant," Chun Xi replied as she walked over and lifted a teapot to pour a cup of tea, placing it before Shen Chuwei.

"Master, it seems that the Chu heir does not talk much."

Shen Chuwei lifted the teacup and took a sip, "Perhaps he’s introverted. Besides, he has just arrived in a strange place. He’ll warm up over time."

Chun Xi smiled and nodded, "Yes, and now Taotao will also have a companion during his study sessions."

"Crown Princess." Lady Tao Lyang approached with a smile.

After Concubine Xu left the palace, Lady Tao visited very often, almost daily.

Shen Chuwei waved to Lady Tao, "Lady Tao, come join us in cracking melon seeds."

After Lady Tao sat down, she grabbed a handful of seeds and started cracking them, "Crown Princess, I heard Taotao has a reading companion now, is it true?"

Shen Chuwei nodded, "It’s the Chu heir, a very pretty boy."

Lady Tao asked with a gossip-monger’s eagerness, "How pretty?"

Describing the young boy, Shen Chuwei found it a bit challenging to express, but after thinking for a moment she said, "His looks are on par with Taotao’s, but he is a bit thinner, and a very polite boy at that."

"Now you’ve made me curious," said Lady Tao, cracking a melon seed, and looking at Shen Chuwei with a chuckle, "Crown Princess, let’s go and have a look."

Shen Chuwei agreed readily, "Of course!"

Putting the seeds aside, the two women went together to the adjacent Crown Prince’s bedchamber.

As they approached the study room, they could hear Song Qing’s smooth voice.

"Chu heir, this poem is not bad."

"You flatter me, Mr. Song."

"Taotao is also very talented."

Lady Tao reached the door and peered inside, catching sight of Song Qing dressed in a moon-white long robe with a white jade belt around his waist, which accentuated his tall and slender figure.

Shen Chuwei also leaned in, her gaze landing on Chu Lingfeng, and nudged Lady Tao with her elbow, "See, that handsome youth is the Chu heir."

"Oh," Lady Tao came back to her senses and shifted her gaze from Song Qing to the boy in front of him. The boy appeared to be eight or nine years old, with a slender figure, yet his youthful face was stunning.

"I see him, quite handsome indeed," said Lady Tao, her eyes drifting back to Song Qing.

Song Qing closed the book in his hand and said, "Chu heir, take the Grand Imperial Son out to play for a while, rest for a bit, and then continue."

"Yes, Mr. Song," Chu Lingfeng said as he and Taotao came out from the inside. Upon seeing the Crown Princess, he stepped forward and bowed, "Your servant pays his respects to the Crown Princess."

Taotao joyfully rushed into Shen Chuwei’s arms, "Mother Consort."

"Taotao." Shen Chuwei crouched down in front of her son, noting his hands stained with plenty of ink, "Let mother take you to wash your hands and have something to eat."

She stood up while holding her son’s hand and looked down at Chu Lingfeng, "Chu heir, you should come along to wash your hands and have some refreshment as well."

Chu Lingfeng nodded and followed the Crown Princess to wash his hands.

Before leaving, Shen Chuwei said to Lady Tao, "Play for a while; I’ll be right back."

Lady Tao replied, "Go on with your tasks, don’t mind me."

After Shen Chuwei and the two boys had left, Lady Tao’s gaze returned to the study room, where Song Qing was sitting at the desk reading a book; she stepped inside.

"Top Scholar, what book are you reading?"

Upon hearing her voice, Song Qing looked up and saw Lady Tao; he quickly put down his book and got up to bow, "Lady Tao."

Lady Tao walked over slowly, picked up the book Song Qing had been reading, glanced over it, and thought about the storybooks she read. A smile curled at the corners of her lips.

"Top Scholar, I have a book here; would you like to read it?"

Song Qing lowered his head, his eyes demure, "This subject enjoys reading; if it’s a book I haven’t read, I would naturally like to see it."