Qi Yunruo bid goodbye to Ji Huan and fell asleep after getting on his sedan. He didn’t even know when he had returned to the prince estate. Once his mind grew clearer, he only felt that his body was light: someone was carrying him.
Qi Yunruo opened his eyes. Pleasantly surprised, he said, “Your Highness!”
Indeed, Li Chen was carrying him on his back. Qi Yunruo cried out in surprise, and held onto him tightly.
Li Chen carried him to Ink Lotus Courtyard. Sensing that the prince was not in a good mood, Qi Yunruo did not speak. A while later, when they were almost at their destination, Li Chen said, “Did you have a good meal today?”
Qi Yunruo lowered his head. “I think I might have stirred some trouble for your honored self today.”
Not the least bit concerned, Li Chen said, “What happened?”
Qi Yunruo brought up how Great Scholar Wen had deliberately made things hard for him today. As he spoke, he sneaked a peak at Li Chen’s expression, and the longer he spoke, the louder his voice became. In the end, he was practically indignant at the injustice. “That old man is really too hateful. How could such a person have become a great scholar?”
Li Chen smiled.
Qi Yunruo hesitated before saying, “Your Highness, what should we do if that person censures your honored self again?”
“Invite him here.”
At once, Qi Yunruo no longer felt worried. However, he hiccupped. He covered his mouth and ran to the side. Smiling, Li Chen looked at him, the melancholy in his heart vanishing.
The next day, Li Chen received an imperial decree. He was indeed washed clean of Si De’s case. First, Si De had committed treason. Second, he tried to frame Li Chen. All the bestowments he had received while alive had been taken back. He did not have descendants, and his family slaves were all sold. And the Si estate was no more.
Not a word leaving his lips, Li Chen accepted the bestowment. Recalled the people he had sent to the northwest. He said to Qi Yunruo, “See if there’s anything you like.”
Qi Yunruo to look at the bestowments of the emperor. Shook his head.
Li Chen waved, indicating for Su Ge to store these items. A moment later, he remembered the matters regarding the princess consort. He said to Qi Yunruo, “Let’s take a look at the inner courtyard.”
To which Qi Yunruo nodded.
Presently, only Consort Ji lived in Frost Autumn Courtyard. Come midday, she invited her mother to have the noon meal. Consort Wei had moved to Yulan Magnolia Courtyard, which was closeby to the Sunset Courtyard the tertiary consorts lived in.
Tertiary Consort Li was idle and went to visit Consort Wei for a chat. Noticing Consort Wei’s child was by her side, she missed her own daughter even more. In the past, before the princess consort had children, she still treated Yan’er well. When the prince visited the princess consort, Yan’er could still see her father. However, the princess consort gave birth to two daughters later on. Both were conferred the title of Princess of the First Rank, and Yan’er’s identity became awkward in Winter Plum Courtyard.
The empress had bestowed Tertiary Consort Li to the prince. She was beautiful and had received Li Chen’s favor in the past. However, the prince discovered that she was sending news to the outside. At that time, she thought that since the empress was the prince’s birth mother, wasn’t it normal that a mother would want to know the recent developments of her son? But once she was found out, she realized she had been gravely mistaken. Yet, it had already been too late.
She wanted to take back her child but was afraid to ask the princess consort. How could she even phrase it? Back then, she had given away her daughter to forge a future for her daughter. Now, the princess consort had a terrible temperament. If she actually asked for her daughter back, would the princess consort think she was siding with Consort Wei? Would the princess consort think she was spying on Winter Plum Courtyard?
