Chapter 59: The Crown Prince, Ex-Husband of the Transmigrated Woman (7)

In Noble Lady Song’s courtyard, she was blending fragrances when her personal maid came to report that the Crown Prince had arrived. She quickly stood up to welcome him.

“Shen’er, Mother has missed you so much. Come here and let me hold you properly.”

Seeing her son, who was still so small, Noble Lady Song’s face lit up with excitement. She couldn’t wait to pull him into her embrace.

However, her overly enthusiastic attitude startled Xie Shen, who instinctively hid behind his nanny, clutching tightly onto her clothes.

Noticing the nanny blocking her way, Noble Lady Song’s expression darkened. She coldly reprimanded,

“Insolence! How dare a lowly servant like you stand in my way?”

Seeing his mother scolding his nanny, Xie Shen tightened his grip on her clothing. For some reason, he suddenly felt that his mother was very unfamiliar to him.

The nannies who served the Crown Prince were personally appointed by the Emperor and were not ordinary servants. When it came to reprimanding or punishing them, no one besides the Emperor and the Crown Prince himself had the authority to do so. Even the imperial consorts treated them with respect when they occasionally encountered them in the palace, let alone someone with just the rank of Noble Lady.

“Noble Lady, if you believe this old servant has done something wrong, you may report it to His Majesty. His Majesty will punish me as he sees fit.”

Like a mother hen shielding her chick, the nanny firmly stood in front of the young Crown Prince.

“You—!”

Noble Lady Song hesitated, realizing that her relationship with the Emperor was not on good terms at the moment. She bit her lip, feeling momentarily at a loss.

She turned to glance at her personal maid, who immediately understood and dismissed all the servants in the room. Only the nanny and a young eunuch remained by the Crown Prince’s side, neither taking a single step back.

“I have private matters to discuss with the Crown Prince. You are dismissed!”

Before the nanny could respond, the young eunuch bowed and said with a smile,

“Noble Lady, please be understanding. His Majesty has ordered us to stay by the Crown Prince’s side at all times to attend to his needs.”

Noble Lady Song’s face flushed with anger. She turned around and sat down on the couch, then beckoned to Xie Shen.

“Come here.”

Xie Shen hesitated for a while before finally letting go of the nanny’s clothes and walking over to his mother.

Noble Lady Song assumed that the two attendants would stay put once the Crown Prince was by her side. But to her frustration, they followed closely, leaving no private space for mother and son.

“Shen’er, tell them to step back. Mother has something to discuss with you—a secret just between us.”

The scent of incense on his mother made Xie Shen sneeze. He rubbed his nose, his eyes turning slightly red.

Although both his mother and father wore incense, he always felt that his father’s fragrance was far more pleasant.

He sneezed again and again. Finally, when he stopped and noticed that his mother seemed to be upset, he answered softly,

“Mother, if you have something to say, just say it. Nanny won’t tell anyone…”

Noble Lady Song was so furious with her son that she nearly choked. She could only grit her teeth and forcefully suppress her anger as she explained her intentions.

She had spent the entire night thinking of ways to see the Emperor, but after years of neglect, the Emperor never visited the harem. Consorts were not even allowed near the front palace.

Even as the Crown Prince’s biological mother, she had no power to change this.

The only leverage she had was her son. If only Xie Shen could speak on her behalf before the Emperor, perhaps he would see that she had realized her mistakes.

“Shen’er, wouldn’t you like to see your father and mother living harmoniously, like a normal family?”

Hearing this, Xie Shen’s eyes widened in surprise, his gaze shifting away from the pastries on the table.

“Mother?”

Seeing his shocked expression, Noble Lady Song assumed he was overjoyed. She was just about to guide him on what to do when she saw him swiftly move away from the couch.

“Mother, I think you should see the imperial physician. I am the Crown Prince, supported by the people—how could I live like an ordinary family?”

With that, Xie Shen bolted out of the courtyard, his short legs moving as fast as they could.

The ground was slippery with snow, and the servants hurriedly followed, afraid that the young prince would fall.

In an instant, the once lively courtyard became silent again.

Noble Lady Song stared blankly at the doorway. Only when the weight of the snow caused a plum branch to snap, sending a small flurry to the ground, did she finally come to her senses. She slammed her hand on the table, closed her eyes, and struggled to suppress her anger.

That child—why was he nothing like the obedient and sensible boy from her past life?!

—

Xie Shen ran out of the courtyard quickly, but when he reached the imperial garden, his pace slowed down.

His father disliked his mother. If the Emperor found out that he had gone to see her without permission, would he be angry with him?

In the pavilion of the imperial garden, a few imperial consorts had gathered around a small brazier, roasting sweet potatoes. The delicious aroma filled the air.

One of the consorts, known for her musical talents, was wearing a rose-red cloak. She lightly plucked the strings of a guqin while the others chatted and laughed, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

Noticing Xie Shen, one of the consorts waved him over. Instinctively, he walked up to the pavilion and bowed slightly.

“Greetings to Your Highnesses.”

The consorts all put down what they were doing and smiled.

“Good day, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Since the Emperor had never appointed an Empress, the highest-ranking women in the palace were consorts. In terms of status, the Crown Prince was above them, but in seniority, they were still his elders.

“Your Highness, why are you out alone? Where are your attendants?”

One consort, who had a fondness for food, picked up a roasted sweet potato and offered it to him.

“Try this. It’s very sweet.”

Worried that his father might scold him when he returned, Xie Shen lingered in the pavilion for a long time. It wasn’t until a eunuch from the Emperor’s side came to fetch him that he finally got up and left.

As Xie Shen walked under the archway, he turned back to glance at the concubines in the pavilion.

Some were playing the zither, some were singing, and one was dancing in the snow with a white plum blossom in hand. A few others gathered together, complaining about someone snatching the chestnuts they had just roasted.

He had heard the old maids and others gossiping about it long ago—so long as a concubine in the harem did not love His Majesty, she could live like an immortal.

If she missed her family, she could even return home for a time with the approval of the Grand Consort, though her relatives were not allowed to enter the palace.

There was no need to vie for favor, no need to curry favor with the Emperor. The Grand Consort managed the affairs of the harem fairly, without bias. On holidays and festivals, they would even receive gifts from the Emperor.

Yet even as Xie Shen walked up to his father’s palace, he still could not understand how his mother had suddenly lost sight of this.

His father held the world in his heart—the common people, the nation. There was no room for even the slightest trace of personal affection.

Inside the study, Xie Hui was reading a memorial when a little eunuch came to report that the Crown Prince had returned. He set the document aside and stepped outside.

In the corridor, a little one was crouched down, playing with the snow. Xie Hui walked toward him.

“Since you’re back, why haven’t you come to see me?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Xie Shen was so startled that he toppled headfirst into the snow, his legs kicking up into the air.

He had chosen a spot untouched by the palace servants, where the snow had piled up all winter. With his hat on, falling into it didn’t hurt at all.

Xie Hui moved faster than the palace attendants, pulling the child out of the snow.

“You’re a year older now. Why are you still so mischievous?”

Xie Shen reached up to brush the snow off his head, hanging his head in guilt. After a long silence without hearing a reprimand, he couldn’t help but glance up at his father.

“Father…”

“Your son should not have gone to see Mother without your permission.”

Now, Xie Shen could only pray that his mother wouldn’t make a scene before his father. Otherwise, given his father’s character, her fate would not be a good one.

He felt torn—he didn’t want his mother to suffer, but he also didn’t want to make things difficult for his father.

If her wish had been anything else, he would strive to fulfill it when he grew older. But if what she wanted was love from his father, that was simply impossible.

As Xie Shen admitted his mistake, Xie Hui bent down and lifted him into his arms, carrying him along the corridor to the pavilion to watch the snow.

“It’s fine. She is your mother. If you want to see her, just go. But remember, you must always bring someone with you.”

His father’s leniency only deepened Xie Shen’s guilt. He could no longer appreciate the beauty of the snow, his heart weighed down with anxiety.

“Last time, you were too young. This spring, you will go with me to the imperial farm to plow the fields and pray for good weather and a bountiful harvest next year.”

Bringing up something else successfully distracted the little one.

“Plowing the fields?”

“Yes, alongside the common folk. Come autumn, Shen’er can eat the crops he planted with his own hands.”

For a child, growing something himself had an inexplicable allure.

“Then can I plant a little extra? So I can give Father a bowl?”

Xie Shen looked up at the falling snowflakes and then turned to his father with a smile.

It was only then that Xie Hui noticed the black smudge on the child’s mouth. He reached out to wipe it away but found it wouldn’t come off. He turned to look at the old maid beside him.

“While in the garden, His Highness played with the concubines for a while. One of them gave him a roasted sweet potato.”

“It’s fine. If Shen’er ever feels bored, he can visit the concubines’ palaces.”

Most of the concubines who remained in the palace were those who had seen through the fickle nature of an emperor’s affection and simply wanted to live in peace.

Xie Hui could tell that they were nothing like Noble Lady Song, who did not know her place.

After all, when the previous emperor had chosen his concubines, he deliberately selected those of low birth and little favor.

The emperor ruled the court, while the concubines lived their quiet lives in the harem, separate yet content.

“Okay!”

Xie Shen squinted his eyes and grinned, reaching out to catch the falling snowflakes.

Xie Hui played with him for a while before carrying him back to practice calligraphy.

Xie Shen had once thought practicing calligraphy was unbearable—if he wrote poorly, his tutor would strike his palm. But now, being taught by his father, he no longer had to worry about punishment, and any progress he made only fueled his motivation to learn.

Xie Hui guided his hand over the rice paper. Seeing the little one’s serious expression as he practiced, he resisted the urge to poke his chubby little cheeks.

By the time the New Year arrived, Noble Lady Song was still restless, seeking out the Crown Prince nearly every day.

Xie Shen was so frightened that he hid in his father’s palace, no longer daring to visit the concubines’ palaces for pastries. On occasion, when his father went to court, he would follow along.

He was so small that he barely reached others’ waists, yet he wore the full crown prince’s court attire, standing at Xie Hui’s left side.

When one of the ministers finished his report, Xie Hui beckoned to his son and softly said:

“Come here.”

Xie Shen ran over with his little legs. The next second, Xie Hui took his hand and placed him on the dragon throne.