Jiang Deqing received the order and retreated. Qi Xiao turned to look at Bairen, "It's getting late, and it's inconvenient for you to leave the palace with your injuries. Why don't you stay in my palace tonight?"

Upon hearing this, Bairen's face immediately changed. Qi Xiao chuckled, "Don't worry, you're injured. Although I'm shameless, I won't force you to do that at this time."

Bairen felt relieved and lowered his head without saying a word. He was only wearing a thin ivory-colored chiffon shirt, wrapped in a soft yellow blanket. He looked a bit tired, which made him appear lazy. Sitting on the couch like this, surrounded by a dozen exquisite small soft pillows, he looked adorable no matter how you looked at him.

"Are you cold?" Qi Xiao pretended to pull up the soft blanket for Bairen, imperceptibly embracing him. He laughed softly, "It would be nice if you were always this soft and listless. When you're energetic, you're really hateful."

Bairen only realized what Qi Xiao meant after he finished speaking. He was anxious to retreat, but Qi Xiao wouldn't let him run. He simply hugged Bairen tightly in his arms and laughed softly, "Alright, I already promised not to touch you for now. Give and take, you should give me some benefits to taste... Don't move, be careful not to pull your wound."

The biggest disadvantage was still in the other person's hands. Bairen naturally didn't dare to resist too much and endured it with all his might. Seeing that Bairen was no longer struggling, Qi Xiao's hands became more and more unruly, slipping in under Bairen's slightly lifted shirt...

"Crown Prince!" Bairen instantly exploded, but he couldn't push him away. His eyes turned red with anxiety.

Qi Xiao still had that unhurried look, carefully avoiding his wounds while holding him tightly. He lowered his voice and laughed, "Why are you so afraid? Like an unmarried girl... Alright, don't make a fuss. I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer them well, I'll let you go."

Bairen was furious. Did he have a choice?! He could see that Qi Xiao was a smiling tiger, gentle on the surface but with more bad ideas than anyone else. Unfortunately, he couldn't disobey him!

Qi Xiao looked at Bairen's flushed face and found it adorable. His hands became gentler, gently stroking the flesh on Bairen's back while slowly asking, "Tell the truth... when you were in Lingnan, did you have any concubines?"

Qi Xiao had already investigated the people in Bairen's residence in the capital. There was no one who had served Bairen overnight, but Bairen was already fifteen years old. It wouldn't be strange if he had concubines in Lingnan.

Bairen was embarrassed by Qi Xiao's touch. After a while, he shook his head.

Qi Xiao rewarded him with a kiss on his forehead, his voice becoming even gentler, "Then did you let the maids serve you overnight?"

Bairen's face turned even redder. His mother was from a family of military generals and was most cautious about raising boys in a pile of rouge and powder, fearing it would change their temperament. Bairen was also different from other aristocratic sons.

Since childhood, he didn't like maids serving him. Moreover, because of that concubine, every time Bairen chose maids, he only dared to choose some who were taciturn and honest. There were only a dozen maids in his courtyard in total, and none of them were outstanding in appearance. Naturally, there was no such thing...

Qi Xiao could see it without Bairen saying it. He became even more satisfied in his heart. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Bairen's, lowering his voice, "What about with Cen Chaoge, have you done that kind of thing?"

Bairen was secretly annoyed. He looked at Qi Xiao with anger in his eyes. If he told the truth, it would make Qi Xiao too complacent. If he lied... Qi Xiao knew that he had been tricked by Cen Chaoge. If he told Qi Xiao that he had done that with him... wouldn't it make himself look even more foolish?

Qi Xiao looked at Bairen's resentful appearance and found it interesting. He was actually just teasing Bairen. Whether Bairen had been intimate with others or not, Qi Xiao didn't care.

But looking at this appearance... could it be that he had really picked up a big bargain?

Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh, "You haven't, right?"

Bairen tried his best to maintain his pitiful self-esteem and said coldly, "Sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness, but I have."

Qi Xiao laughed in his heart, but on the surface, he looked as if he believed it.

He asked a series of private questions. The more he asked, the more Bairen couldn't say it. Qi Xiao found it interesting and kept asking until Bairen's face turned red and he was at a loss for words. In the end, Qi Xiao lightly tapped Bairen's head and laughed, "You dare to lie to me. You don't know any of these things, yet you dare to say you had a good time with Cen Chaoge."

Bairen had his old debts exposed and his face was a bit unsightly. Qi Xiao was still smiling and gently coaxed, "Forget it, I just wanted to cheer you up since you were angry today. If you're not upset anymore, I'll have them prepare a table of food for you first. Eat and go to bed early."

Bairen didn't expect Qi Xiao to still remember this. He was stunned for a moment and nodded. Only then did Qi Xiao let him go and turned to call out, "Jiang Deqing."

"This servant is here." Jiang Deqing had been waiting in the outer room. Hearing Qi Xiao call him, he quickly responded, "Does Your Highness want to go to the front?"

Qi Xiao said, "No hurry. Go and have the small kitchen prepare some light dishes. The young master needs to avoid certain foods, so let them be mindful."

Jiang Deqing responded and Qi Xiao glanced at Bairen's thin body and added, "Also... don't make it too light. Make a bowl of beef soup, stewed until tender. And... I remember they pickle quail very well. Open a jar and get some good ones."

Jiang Deqing kept responding and left. Qi Xiao turned around and smiled at Bairen, "I'm afraid you won't be able to eat well with me here. I'll go first."

Just now he was still acting like a rogue, but now he was as gentle as an older brother. Bairen really couldn't understand him and could only nod, watching Qi Xiao turn and leave.

Compared to the warm and lingering atmosphere in Haiyan Palace, the inner hall of Qianqing Palace was now experiencing thunder and rain.

When the emperor was punishing Qi Hua, the current Empress Feng was exchanging pleasantries with the newly entered palace concubines. Although they came for Princess Dunsu, they had to pay their respects to the empress first according to the rules.

Empress Feng had been dealing with them all day and was already tired. Just as she was looking for an excuse to send the concubines to see Princess Dunsu, she received the news. She was momentarily shocked and dismissed the concubines while maintaining her demeanor. She then took a sedan chair and headed straight to Qianqing Palace.

Empress Feng hurried as fast as she could but couldn't save Qi Hua in time. It was only twenty strokes, and it was done in a short while. By the time the empress arrived at Qianqing Palace, Qi Hua had already been carried back to Zhaoyang Palace.

The empress's heart ached terribly. After carefully inquiring and learning that it was only a flesh wound, she felt slightly relieved. She turned and entered the inner hall to apologize to the emperor.

Empress Feng's apology was fake, but her questioning was real. If it were any other time, the Emperor would have probably brushed it off with a few ambiguous words.

But today, the Emperor was truly angry. He let out a cold laugh and said, "Empress, there's no need for self-blame. The greatest fault lies with me for raising such a son. I was just thinking of finding a suitable day to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to apologize!"

The Empress was stunned by the Emperor's words, her brows slightly furrowed. "Your Majesty... why do you say this..."

The Emperor briefly recounted what had just happened. When he got to the part about Qi Hua's clamoring, the Emperor became enraged again.

He slammed the table and said furiously, "Is he afraid that not enough people know about what happened back then? Qi Xiao is growing more and more like him every day, that appearance, those eyes... just like a mold carved out of my elder brother! In recent years, quite a few senior officials have begun to help Qi Xiao intentionally or unintentionally! At such a critical time, Qi Hua, he..."

Empress Feng inwardly cried bitterly. She had come in a hurry, only knowing that there had been a conflict with the Crown Prince of Lingnan, but she didn't expect that Qi Hua would actually say such important things. She hurriedly persuaded, "Your Majesty, calm your anger, your dragon body is of utmost importance... As for Hua'er... he... he just spoke without thinking for a moment..."

"Spoke without thinking?!" The Emperor laughed coldly. "Are these words that can be casually spoken? Moreover, he is not very familiar with Bairen, yet he can 'speak without thinking' while with Bairen. Who knows how many times he has already spoken without thinking to others!"

The Empress was also angry at Qi Hua's frivolousness, but seeing the Emperor like this, she could only do her best to make up for Qi Hua. She said softly, "Hua'er is still young and not very steady... Your Majesty has also punished him. With this lesson, Hua'er will definitely be more careful in the future. Let him apologize to the Crown Prince later, and this matter will be over. If not... I'll have someone select some fine items to send to the Crown Prince to appease him..."

"The most deadly thing is not Bairen." The Emperor frowned tightly, recalling the calm and unperturbed face of Qi Xiao when Bairen mentioned those things earlier. "I'm worried about Qi Xiao... from the looks of it, he has known for a long time."

The Empress was not surprised by this. No matter how she and the Emperor tried to block the news, they couldn't seal the mouth of Dunsu, the eldest princess. As for Qi Xiao's background, Empress Feng knew from the beginning that it couldn't be hidden. It was just a matter of delaying it as long as possible.

On the surface, Empress Feng had never mistreated Qi Xiao. In the eyes of outsiders, she treated Qi Xiao even better than Qi Hua. She wasn't worried at all that anyone could criticize her for anything.

The Emperor sighed, "Empress... I'm not talking about Qi Xiao's background, but... my elder brother's decree back then, and also... the matter of Empress Xiaoxian."

At the mention of Empress Xiaoxian, Empress Feng's face instantly changed color. She forced a smile, shook her head and said, "Your Majesty is overthinking. The things back then... even Princess Dunsu doesn't know, so how could Qi Xiao be clear about it..."

"There are no walls in the world that don't let wind through. It was my negligence. I only thought that Qi Xiao was like my elder brother, born cold and indifferent. But I never thought... he might have known everything since he was young. I always didn't believe it, thinking that if he knew, it would definitely show on his face. Who would have thought he had been pretending for so many years..."

The Emperor thought of Qi Xiao's calm demeanor earlier, and then thought of Qi Hua. The Emperor rubbed his eye sockets wearily and said slowly, "An unworthy son..."

Empress Feng's heart skipped a beat. An unworthy son... The Emperor didn't only have Qi Hua as a son, but the Empress only had this one son born of the first wife.

Empress Feng felt a chill in her heart. She was no longer young, and although the Emperor respected her, his love was lacking. It was impossible for her to have another prince.

The Emperor was in his prime, and the number of sons born of concubines would increase one by one. Empress Feng didn't think the Emperor would have much attachment to this son born of the first wife. After all... the Emperor himself was born of a concubine.

Empress Feng closed her eyes for a moment, casting aside the heartache she felt, and said softly, "Your Majesty, don't worry. When Hua'er recovers, I will definitely educate him strictly and will not let Your Majesty down again."

But the Emperor was not so optimistic. Qi Hua was already sixteen years old. If he was still like this at sixteen, the Emperor didn't think he would have much of a future. Even if he improved slightly, he would still be far inferior to himself and Qi Xiao.

Seeing the Emperor's indifferent attitude, Empress Feng felt colder and colder... It was time to give Qi Hua a good talking-to, and by the way... she also needed to warn those concubines who had given birth to princes, lest they become muddled by greed and harbor thoughts they shouldn't have.