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The red silk scarf covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of eyes as clear and fluid as autumn water.

Princess Xueyan sat upright on the bed, waiting for Xiao Jinyan to lift her veil.

But she waited and waited, and still Xiao Jinyan did not come, which made her somewhat anxious.

She looked up at her maid Shuiyao, who had followed her from Xueyue Country.

"Has His Highness not come yet?"

"This servant will go and inquire." Shuiyao hurried out.

Qimeng Hall was not far from the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber; it was just a short walk away.

Liu Xi stood at the entrance, lit by the glow of palace lanterns. From a distance, he saw someone approaching, and as the figure drew nearer, he recognized her as the maid of Princess Xueyan, the concubine from the side.

Upon seeing Liu Xi, Shuiyao stepped forward to ask, "Eunuch Liu, my mistress is still waiting for His Highness. When will His Highness go to Qimeng Hall?"

With a faint smile, Liu Xi replied, "Young lady Shuiyao, His Highness is busy reviewing memorials. It could be quite a while before he’s done."

Shuiyao expressed her dissatisfaction, "But today is my mistress’s wedding night, such an important day, can His Highness not set those papers aside for a moment?"

With a smile to match his words, Liu Xi responded, "Young lady Shuiyao, reviewing memorials is an important task commanded by the Emperor himself, and it is required for the court session early tomorrow. How could it be set aside?"

In the Imperial Palace, the Emperor’s word is supreme, so Shuiyao had no choice but to return.

When Princess Xueyan saw Shuiyao come back, she glanced behind her only to see no trace of Xiao Jinyan, her eyes revealing a hint of disappointment.

"Where’s His Highness?"

Shuiyao replied, "Mistress, His Highness is still in the study reviewing memorials and won’t be able to come for quite a while."

Princess Xueyan’s face showed her displeasure, "He’s still reviewing memorials so late at night."

Shuiyao, indignant, said, "His Highness too, why does he choose to review memorials tonight of all times? On such an important day, how can he leave my mistress to spend the night alone in her chamber?"

Upon hearing ’spend the night alone in her chamber,’ Princess Xueyan’s face grew even more troubled.

On such an important day, to spend the night alone in her chamber—such a thing was embarrassing for any woman.

Meanwhile, at Hehuan Hall

Today marked the auspicious day of Princess Xueyan’s entry into the East Palace, and the East Palace was aglow with lights, festooned with decorations, and reverberating with the crackle of firecrackers.

Concubine Xu, afraid that Shen Chuwei would be heartbroken, spent the afternoon keeping her company along with Lady Tao.

They spent the time with Shen Chuwei, cracking sunflower seeds, making homemade milk tea, chocolates, and ice cream, and finally enjoyed a mutton hot pot.

After a satisfying meal, Concubine Xu and Lady Tao went back to their quarters.

Having just learned the firsthand news, an excited Concubine Xu took advantage of the night, flouncing her handkerchief as she made her way to Hehuan Hall.

Shen Chuwei was already asleep, and it was Concubine Xu who roused her.

"Lady Shen, stop sleeping, I have some good news to tell you."

Groggily woken, Shen Chuwei was utterly bewildered.

"Concubine Xu, why haven’t you gone to bed yet?"

Seeing her as nonchalant as ever, Concubine Xu said with a touch of resignation, "You’re just taking this too lightly."

Shen Chuwei, yawning, replied, "What’s big or not big?"

Concubine Xu: "..."

"I just heard that His Highness is still in the study reviewing memorials; it looks like the concubine from the side may have to spend the night alone." Concubine Xu finished with a very smug smile.

Sleepy beyond measure, Shen Chuwei replied, "You aren’t sleeping just to tell me this?"

With beaming delight, Concubine Xu nodded, "Yes, you can rest easy now."

Shen Chuwei: "..." I was sleeping so soundly~

Concubine Xu came like a whirlwind and departed the same way, swishing her handkerchief as she briskly walked back.

Cai Xia couldn’t understand, "Young mistress, His Highness has never visited Yixiang Hall to dote on Lady Shen. Why are you still so happy?"

Concubine Xu, believing herself to be the pinnacle of expertise after poring over countless romantic pictorials, said proudly, "You just don’t understand, do you? His Highness dotes on only Lady Shen and only she attends his bedchamber. What does this tell you?"

Cai Xia asked with puzzlement, "What does it tell us?"

Concubine Xu explained, "It shows His Highness is pure and chaste, right? That’s quite rare."

Still perplexed, Cai Xia replied, "But young mistress, you have never attended his bedchamber. What will you do in the future?"

Concubine Xu blurted out without a second thought, "Have a cold dish, I guess!"

A term she had just learned yesterday now came into use.

Cai Xia asked, "What does ’have a cold dish’ mean?"

Concubine Xu dismissed it with a wave, "I don’t know either, let’s talk about it later."

Cai Xia, earnest and concerned, advised, "Young mistress, it’s better to make plans early. You’re still young, but if you spend every night alone in the future, it will be very lonely."

"So what, am I supposed to fight with Lady Shen for His Highness? Wouldn’t that make me just like those other women?

" Concubine Xu once read a romance where a woman shamelessly threw herself at the male lead, employing all manners of schemes to seduce him, and it infuriated her so much that she wished she could jump into the story and tear those shameless women apart!

Cai Xia studied her young mistress, still apparently the same person, yet suddenly no longer competitive.

"Young mistress, what’s come over you? This wasn’t how you were when you first entered the East Palace!

His Highness is just one man but there are so many women in the East Palace.

Without competing or fighting, the outcome will be miserable. "

"Times have changed. If His Highness doesn’t like me, then I needn’t like him either," declared Concubine Xu.

Stunned for quite some time, Cai Xia managed to ask, "But young mistress belongs to His Highness. If you don’t fancy His Highness, then whom will you fancy?"

"I don’t know either. Let’s not talk about this anymore, I’m dying of sleepiness," said Concubine Xu, punctuating her words with a yawn.

Cai Xia did not press any further, assisting Concubine Xu with her ablutions before leaving a single lamp burning and stepping out to keep watch.

Just as Concubine Xu was about to get into bed to rest, she turned around and noticed a long shadow cast on the wall.

She turned around mechanically and saw a figure standing in the room, a man with a tall and upright figure.

After a moment of shock, she screamed.

Before she could let out any sound, her mouth and nose were covered, stifling her attempts to scream.

Concubine Xu grabbed the arm of her assailant, her eyes wide with fear. Let go of me, quickly let go of me. Do you know who I am?

Do you know who my father is?

Do you know who my elder brother is?

Unfortunately, none of these fierce words came out, as her mouth was sealed shut.

Her mind raced with all the terrifying possibilities.

She thought of assassins sent to kill the Crown Prince, of rouges...and of her disastrous fate.

To think, she was only seventeen, and had so recently fantasized of sweet love, and now faced a fragrant life cut short.

Sobbing...

Perhaps the sorrow was too much, as her tears began to flood down her cheeks.

The person in black felt something cool and moist on the back of his hand and paused, "Why are you crying? I haven’t even done anything to you yet."

They’ve already embraced and nothing’s been done?

Doesn’t he know that men and women shouldn’t touch each other?

Crying even harder, for her mouth was covered too firmly to say a word, Concubine Xu could only keep pinching the man’s hand incessantly.

A muffled grunt came from above, "Hiss!"

Concubine Xu heard it and pinched the man’s hand even harder, then taking advantage of his distraction, she lifted her foot and stomped hard on the man’s foot.

The man in black hadn’t anticipated such ferocity from a delicate woman and caught off guard, he received a solid stomp, eliciting another muffled grunt from him.