Entering the palace means entering a high position; I'm His Majesty's cousin, who am I afr

The palace maid truthfully reported the situation at Xianchun Palace to Shen Jiayu.

Upon hearing this, Hongling exclaimed in surprise, "This Crown Prince usually seems weak and useless, but I never expected him to say such harsh words today."

Shen Jiayu seemed to be deep in thought.

Hongling stepped forward and whispered, "That palace maid named Jinshu is easy to deal with; we just need to find a pretext to punish her. But what about the First Prince…?"

Shen Jiayu knew what she was going to say.

Wild fire, in spring.

If we let the eldest prince go unchecked, we might get bitten in the future.

After all, this eldest prince is far more complex than he appears.

Shen Jiayu never intended to let the eldest prince go.

The tricky part is how to deal with him.

He was young and hadn't done anything wrong; it was his mother who did the evil, and he was innocent.

Should we just kill him and cripple him?

This method definitely won't work.

Ultimately, she was still of imperial blood, the grandson of her aunt.

If she really did that, the emperor and her aunt wouldn't be so easily fooled. Even if they let her off the hook once, it would become a lifelong grudge.

It's not worth making such a fuss over a prince.

After much deliberation, Shen Jiayu finally decided that she would not harm the eldest prince.

There is someone more suitable than her, and the results may surprise her.

All she needs to do is work in the shadows, putting in just a little effort.

Thinking of this, Shen Jiayu raised her eyes and said in a soft voice, "His Majesty said that without his decree, Chu Shi is not allowed to step out of the Cold Palace, but he did not say that others are not allowed to visit Chu Shi. Tell the guards in the Cold Palace that if the Crown Prince goes to visit him, do not stop him, let him in."

Hongling was somewhat puzzled: "Your Highness, what is the meaning behind this?"

If the eldest prince is let in, what if the Chu family takes the opportunity to instigate him to plead for him?

Although His Majesty is unlikely to agree, the Crown Prince's actions may well cause further complications.

Why would they do something so thankless and exhausting?

Shen Jiayu smiled slightly: "I know what I'm doing, you just have to watch."

After she said that, Hongling didn't ask any more questions and went to give the instructions.

*

Until evening.

The emperor took Qi Yuan back to Deyihua Palace.

Upon seeing the father and daughter, Shen Jiayu unusually refrained from going up to them, instead instructing the palace servants to bring water for them to wash their hands before eating.

The kitchen's meals have been getting better and better in the past two years. They not only cook palace dishes, but also famous dishes from Sichuan, Hunan, Nanjing and other places.

A table full of dishes, all beautifully presented, delicious, and abundant.

The family of three sat around the dining table and began to eat slowly.

Shen Jiayu didn't seem to be in good spirits tonight. She only asked Qi Yuan a few questions about what was happening in the study, and then ate her dinner quietly.

Pei Yan noticed her emotions, and after he finished, he instructed Tao Yao, "Take the princess to the side hall to do her homework."

Tao Yao responded and left with Qi Yuan.

Pei Yan embraced Shen Jiayu as they sat on the couch. He gently shook Shen Jiayu's body and asked in a low voice, "Why are you unhappy?"

Shen Jiayu looked listless and didn't seem to want to talk much, only shaking her head.

Seeing this, Pei Yan waved his hand to dismiss all the palace servants in the hall.

Hongling and Lüe exchanged a glance, slowly retreated, closed the palace door, and stood guard at the entrance.

When no one was around, Pei Yan asked her, "Is it because of what happened this morning?"

Shen Jiayu leaned on his shoulder without saying a word.

Pei Yan raised his hand and gently stroked her back. "Didn't I deal with Consort Lan? She won't be able to cause any more trouble in the future."

Shen Jiayu responded with a muffled sound.

Pei Yan looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Shen Jiayu said listlessly, "I'm not worried about Consort Lan, but I have someone I'm worried about..."

Pei Yan pondered for a moment, then understood: "Qi Zhan?"

Shen Jiayu sat up straight from his lap, her expression serious and solemn. "Did His Majesty not see the Crown Prince before the Emperor today?"

Pei Yan naturally saw it.

Since returning from court, Qi Zhan had been pleading for mercy outside the Xuanzheng Hall and refused to leave.

It was only after Pei Yan personally intervened that he was persuaded to leave.

Pei Yan nodded slightly: "I saw him."

Shen Jiayu wrapped her arms around his neck, giving a bitter smile. "Today, after returning from the Emperor's presence, His Highness went to the Cold Palace. To allow him to reunite with his mother, Lady Chu, I had him allowed to leave. Now that he's inside, he'll inevitably hear Lady Chu's tearful complaints and will hold a grudge against me. Actually, even without today, there are no secrets in the palace. One day, the Crown Prince will find out the truth about Consort Lan's deposition. What if he holds a grudge against me then?"

Pei Yan frowned slightly, tightening his grip and holding her even closer. "He wouldn't dare."

Shen Jiayu then recounted the First Prince's remarks from that morning.

She then lowered her head and touched her lower abdomen: "If I am unfortunate and remain childless, the position of Crown Prince has always been established by the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and His Highness is the most suitable. If he harbors resentment, then I and Qi Yuan..."

Shen Jiayu did not continue speaking; she knew that Pei Yan understood her unspoken words.

Pei Yan's expression was inscrutable after hearing this.

Did Qi Zhan ascend to the position of Crown Prince?

He had never thought of it, nor had he ever thought of it, including Qi Rui.

In his heart, only his and Shen Jiayu's child was qualified to be named the crown prince.

However, it was indeed unexpected that Qi Zhan would say such a thing today.

Does it endanger her and Qi Yuan...?

Pei Yan's eyes were deep as he looked up at Shen Jiayu and assured her, "You don't need to worry about these things; I will handle them."