Chapter 24: Doukou

The courtyard was filled with the colors of spring, with three thousand flowers in bloom; there was no place without a rich, fragrant scent.

Originally, there were two sets of marble tables and chairs in the courtyard, but because guests had been invited, several more sets were specially arranged, each prepared with exquisite pastries and tea.

Empress Dowager Zong and Xiao Youlan were walking through the courtyard, admiring the flowers and chatting happily.

Xiao Mingyu kept looking over in that direction.

Virtuous Consort noticed and whispered a light mockery: "Stop looking. She only treats the Crown Prince like her own grandson; you are only one in name. She speaks in his favor and even wants him to support her while walking."

Xiao Mingyu's gaze remained fixed on Nan Xueyin, and he gave a perfunctory "Mm," as if listening, though his thoughts were entirely elsewhere—does the Crown Prince like her so much that he even brings her to a Flower Viewing Banquet? How exactly did she please the Crown Prince?

"The noble ladies who came to this Flower Viewing Banquet today, to put it bluntly, are all those the Emperor and Empress Dowager consider worthy of being the Crown Princess. If they aren't from the Fengdu noble families, they have a father who is a high-ranking court official. Among them, Dou Fangchun, daughter of the maternal uncle of the Emperor, and Yan Zhirong, daughter of the Minister of Personnel, are the most distinguished. It would be good if you married one of them. The Emperor didn't name you Crown Prince, isn't it just because he thinks my background isn't high enough? If you had a wife and father-in-law with noble backgrounds, things would be different."

Speaking up to this point, Virtuous Consort realized her son was distracted and could not help but feel a bit displeased, "Are you even listening to me?"

Xiao Mingyu withdrew his gaze half a beat late, "... I am listening."

He sneered lightly, "Dou Fangchun is completely devoted to her Crown Prince cousin; it is impossible for her to marry me."

"Yan Zhirong is also good," Virtuous Consort said, lifting her chin slightly, "Look, it's that one."

Xiao Mingyu followed her gaze and saw the young girl under the hibiscus flowers not far away; with sloping shoulders and a slender waist, she wore a pomegranate-red dress, and her already fair and tender skin was reflected as if glowing with a soft light, making her quite eye-catching.

Seeming to sense the gaze, Yan Zhirong turned her head slightly and looked over.

It was also at this moment that Nan Xueyin passed by carrying tea.

Xiao Mingyu's dark eyes narrowed, and he strode forward.

Nan Xueyin had been called to help out temporarily.

Just a moment ago, Xiao Youlan was accompanying Empress Dowager Zong on a walk, and Nan Xueyin was following at a close distance.

A palace maid hurried over and asked at her side: "Are you Doukou, the palace maid from the Eastern Palace?"

Nan Xueyin nodded, "I am."

That palace maid smiled apologetically: "My name is Songyue, and I am a senior maid of Baoci Palace. There are too many people in the palace today, and our own maids are truly too busy to manage; could you help out for a while?"

Nan Xueyin was always sharp and vigilant; at this moment, she smelled a hint of a conspiracy.

But she had always been the one to face storms and bloodshed head-on.

Therefore, without much hesitation, she smiled slightly: "Alright."

Songyue breathed a sigh of relief, "Then I must thank you in advance!"

"However, I came with His Highness the Crown Prince; before I go to help, I must first tell His Highness," Nan Xueyin said.

"That is only proper."

Nan Xueyin walked quickly for a few steps, reached Xiao Youlan's side, and briefly explained the situation.

Xiao Youlan frowned very slightly, because he had brought her here today to admire the flowers and naturally did not want her to serve others, but in front of the Empress Dowager, it was not convenient to say anything, so he nodded, "Alright."

Thus, Nan Xueyin went to help, which meant serving tea to Ruan Yunchan, the daughter of the Minister of Works.

When she walked over, she felt multiple gazes landing on her; she ignored them and offered the tea. Ruan Yunchan had a goose-egg face, but the expression on her face was not friendly at all; she clearly took the cup, but deliberately let go suddenly.

Watching as the cup was about to fall to the ground, Nan Xueyin reached out with quick eyes and nimble hands, catching it steadily.

Ruan Yunchan was also stunned, probably not expecting her to be able to catch it even then; she pursed her lips and quickly changed her approach to scold: "You palace maid, how can you not even know how to serve tea and water? It's so hot, are you trying to scald me to death?!"

Nan Xueyin was holding the teacup with one hand; through the smooth white porcelain, it was only lukewarm, nowhere near hot.

But she did not refute anything and complied: "Please forgive me, noble lady, this servant will go exchange it for a new one."

After speaking, she turned and left, while behind her Ruan Yunchan was still saying with disgust: "I really don't know how she entered the palace, or what she relied on to gain the favor of a noble person; I'm afraid it's that face! Hmph, the behavior of a vixen. If she were in my household, she would have been beaten and sold off long ago!"

Nan Xueyin walked forward as if she had heard nothing.

At this moment, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye: Xiao Mingyu.

He was walking this way, and his path overlapped with Nan Xueyin's.

Nan Xueyin tactfully stopped and curtsied; before she could even say "Your Highness Prince Duan," Xiao Mingyu was already right in front of her, but his footsteps did not pause for a moment, and he walked straight ahead until he reached the hibiscus tree.

Xiao Mingyu's voice carried a smile and could be called gentle, "Miss Yan, long time no see."

Yan Zhirong was slightly surprised, "I don't remember when I have met Your Highness Prince Duan."

Having rolled in the romantic scene for many years, Xiao Mingyu was naturally adept at handling such situations, and he chuckled: "Miss Yan's beauty is glorious; having seen it once, it is truly hard to forget. It's just that Miss Yan might not remember me; perhaps the young lady only remembers His Highness the Crown Prince."

Yan Zhirong smiled, "How could that be?"

Nan Xueyin felt no ripples in her heart, and there was no expression on her face as she continued walking forward with the cup.

Behind her, Xiao Mingyu observed Nan Xueyin's reaction calmly, but did not capture any of the expressions he had hoped for, and his heart inexplicably grew a bit more irritable.

Yan Zhirong asked out of courtesy: "I heard that Virtuous Consort has caught a cold; is she feeling better?"

Xiao Mingyu paused for a moment before withdrawing his gaze and smiled: "My mother also came today; would Miss Yan like to go over and sit together?"

Yan Zhirong nodded happily, "Alright."

When Empress Dowager Zong and Xiao Youlan finished their walk and returned, from a distance, they saw Yan Zhirong chatting happily with Virtuous Consort and Xiao Mingyu; Xiao Mingyu was accustomed to coaxing women to be happy, and with just a few words, he had Yan Zhirong giggling.

Empress Dowager Zong was very envious, "Look at Mingyu, how good he is at making young girls happy."

Xiao Youlan's expression was indifferent, "Fourth Brother is indeed skilled in this way; there are at least eight or ten concubines and bed-mates in his Prince's manor."

Empress Dowager Zong said sternly: "Your father and grandfather both had three thousand beauties; the men of the imperial family should naturally expand their lineage and open up their inner palaces widely; there is nothing wrong with this."

"Mother Empress died in depression because of this."

Xiao Youlan looked sideways, "Grandmother, watching so many women fight desperately with you for one man, are you happy?"

Empress Dowager Zong seemed to fall into some distant memories, and after a moment, it only settled into a heavy sigh, "This is something that cannot be helped."

Seeming to think of something, she asked: "Could it be that you have truly fallen for that girl named Doukou, and have made up your mind that you only want her for the rest of your life?"

Xiao Youlan was silent.

Empress Dowager Zong's expression changed instantly.

On the other side.

When Nan Xueyin returned with the tea again, Dou Fangchun had also sat down at the table and was talking with Ruan Yunchan.

From afar, Nan Xueyin caught words like "Doukou" and "lowly maid."

She walked closer, and Dou Fangchun, with a disdainful smile on her lips, gave a look to Ruan Yunchan, and the two of them looked toward Nan Xueyin together.

Ruan Yunchan said with dissatisfaction, "I am an honored guest invited by the Empress Dowager, yet until now I haven't even had a cup of tea; I don't know how you, this palace maid, are performing your duties!"

Nan Xueyin did not speak; she took a cup of tea from the tray and placed it on the table in front of her.

Ruan Yunchan touched it with her hand and immediately shrieked, "Why is it so cold? Am I here to sit on a cold bench and drink cold water?!"