The next day, Bairen and Qi Xiao went to the palace together to pay their respects to the Emperor. While waiting in front of Chengqian Palace, Qi Xiao, feeling bored, kept whispering to Bairen about the customs of celebrating the New Year in the capital.

"Today, Empress Feng will lead the concubines to 'sweep the dust'. After the sweeping, the Empress will bring the concubines, princes, and princesses to the front. Except for those concubines with lower ranks, the rest will go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices together."

Seeing that it seemed Qi Hua was coming from afar, Qi Xiao frowned slightly and said slowly in a low voice, "You don't need to go. Just stay in my palace. I've asked them to prepare fruits and snacks for you in advance. Sit for a while, and we'll be back after noon."

Bairen also saw Qi Hua, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. Hearing Qi Xiao's words, he lowered his voice and said, "Go to your palace?"

Qi Xiao nodded, "The Shuiyun Palace where you rested before has already been cleaned up in preparation for the fifth prince to move in after the New Year. Besides..."

As palace servants passed by, they bowed to Qi Xiao, who waved his hand and glanced at Qi Hua, who was walking towards them. He said in a low voice, "Besides, nowhere else can be trusted... Hehe, second brother, no need for excessive courtesy."

Qi Hua had seen the two of them talking intimately from afar. When he approached, he indeed found them chatting affectionately. Until now, Qi Hua still thought that Qi Xiao and Bairen had become close because of what happened in the side hall of Qianqing Palace.

He became even more resentful in his heart. He had originally wanted to teach Bairen a lesson, but not only did he fail and embarrass himself, he also brought these two together.

Qi Hua smiled insincerely and turned to Bairen, "Greetings, Young Prince."

Bairen smiled faintly, "Greetings, Second Prince."

Bairen turned his head to look at Qi Xiao with a smile, "Sweeping the dust and offering sacrifices are on the same day? In Lingnan, we sweep the dust on the 24th and offer sacrifices on the 25th, somewhat different. What do you do here on the 26th?"

Qi Xiao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Why don't you first tell me about the customs in Lingnan on the 26th, Young Prince?"

The two chatted and laughed as if they didn't see Qi Hua. Qi Hua's face alternated between red and white. In the end, it was the Fourth Prince who came and exchanged a few words with Qi Hua, saving him from complete awkwardness.

Qi Xiao looked at Qi Hua from a distance and sneered, "He has been flattering the Emperor a lot recently. If nothing goes wrong, the Emperor will probably let him enter the court again after the New Year."

Bairen frowned slightly. Qi Xiao comforted with a smile, "It's the New Year, let's not talk about these things. I wasn't joking with you earlier. From today on, we probably won't be able to leave the palace for a while. In previous years, I always entered the palace on the 23rd. This year, it's already late. As for you... The Emperor will definitely say that you are young and have no relatives in the Imperial City, so he will keep you in the palace for the New Year... Don't worry, I will let you stay in my palace."

Bairen thought for a moment and shook his head, "It's better to... find another place."

Qi Xiao chuckled, "Don't worry, this is in the palace. The Emperor may summon you at any time. I dare not do anything. What if I make you limp when you go to have an audience... Hehe, if this gets out to Lingnan, the King of Lingnan will have an excuse to send troops."

Bairen was stunned for a moment before realizing what Qi Xiao meant. His face instantly turned red, and he lowered his voice anxiously, "What I mean is... Qi Hua is still holding a grudge and wants to harm me. Staying in your palace will inevitably implicate..."

Bairen found it even harder to continue. He didn't dare to look at Qi Xiao and said in a low voice, "I'm just... taking precautions."

Qi Xiao looked around. It was a pity that there were too many people around. Otherwise, he really wanted to hold Bairen in his arms and kiss him. He could hardly hide the smile on his face and said softly, "Is it not good to implicate me? If I die, you can also..."

"Your Highness!" Bairen was angry, "You clearly know that I... I have never thought that way. It's the New Year, jokes are jokes, but why do you have to keep mentioning life and death?"

Qi Xiao smiled and apologized, "Yes, yes, I won't say it anymore."

Bairen was still indignant, "Nothing is taboo."

Just as they were talking, Fu Hailu, the Emperor's personal eunuch, came out from inside. He bowed to Qi Xiao to pay his respects, then greeted the princes and the Crown Prince of Lingnan in turn before saying, "The Emperor summons the Crown Prince, the princes, and the Crown Prince of Lingnan into the hall."

Everyone followed Fu Hailu into the main hall. Inside, the Emperor and Empress had just finished their morning meal. Empress Feng put down her tea cup and said with a smile, "The ground is cold, quickly get up. Xiao'er... you haven't entered the palace for two days. Did you offer sacrifices to the stove in your residence on the 23rd?"

Qi Xiao lowered his eyes, "Thank you for the Empress's concern. The sacrifices have been offered."

Empress Feng nodded with a smile, "That's good. I was just afraid that you children might not think it through. Bairen, I had long wanted to summon you to the palace to spend the New Year together, but I forgot amidst the many things to do during this time of the year. Since you are here today, stay for now and return after the first day of the New Year."

Bairen bowed and said indifferently, "Thank you for the Empress's kindness."

The Emperor looked at Empress Feng with satisfaction, "The Empress is indeed thoughtful..."

After sitting for a while, everyone was about to set off for the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Qi Xiao left Jiang Deqing behind, and Bairen followed Jiang Deqing to Haiyan Palace.

"The Crown Prince has instructed that Your Highness can do as you please." Jiang Deqing let Bairen into the inner chamber and smiled, "If you want anything to eat or play with, just tell this old servant."

Bairen shook his head and casually picked up a storybook to pass the time. Jiang Deqing accompanied him for a while. Seeing that Bairen had no orders, he went down.

Bairen sat until noon, only getting up when Jiang Deqing called him for lunch. As Jiang Deqing served Bairen's meal, he said with a soft laugh, "Your Highness can really sit still. All morning... Although it's good to study hard, reading books all day long is too damaging to the eyes."

Bairen smiled faintly, "What studying? I was just reading some biography books."

"Your Highness, why don't you take a walk in the courtyard after lunch?" Jiang Deqing smiled, "The plum blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom."

Bairen paused and looked at Jiang Deqing, "When I came earlier, I saw a patch of plum blossoms in full bloom on the west side of the courtyard. Is that also part of Haiyan Palace?"

Jiang Deqing's face showed hesitation. He smiled, "The ones outside are not as beautiful as the ones in the palace. Your Highness will know when you see them later. Besides, the snow in the flower grove has never been cleared properly. The snow accumulated over this winter has turned into ice. Slipping and falling is no joke."

Bairen understood and smiled faintly, "This is probably also the Crown Prince's order, right? I can't even go out to the courtyard?"

Jiang Deqing paused and smiled apologetically, "Your Highness... It's cold outside. The Crown Prince is just afraid that you might catch a cold. Isn't it good to stay inside? If you feel bored, you can walk around the courtyard. That's quite nice too."

Bairen chuckled, "It's alright. Since he doesn't want me to go out, I won't."

Jiang Deqing was sweating nervously, but seeing that Bairen wasn't angry, he relaxed and smiled: "After all, you are the Prince, the one who understands the Crown Prince's intentions the best. Your Highness, please try this top-grade bear paw... The Crown Prince specially asked the kitchen to prepare it for you before he left. It's the best nourishment in winter..."

After finishing lunch, Bairen didn't even go out the door. He stood by the window for a while and then went to the inner room to take a nap. When he woke up again, Qi Xiao was sitting beside him.

Bairen looked out the window: "You're back so early..."

The charcoal fire in Qi Xiao's bedchamber was always burning vigorously. Bairen's face was flushed from sleeping, looking particularly lovely. Qi Xiao looked at him and chuckled: "Jiang Deqing said you stayed in the room all day?"

Bairen nodded, hesitated for a moment and said softly: "With me here, you have to bear some responsibility. Even if you don't tell Jiang Deqing, I won't go around causing trouble for you."

Qi Xiao felt extremely gratified in his heart and said softly: "I'm not afraid of trouble, it's just that you really scared me that time in autumn. You were injured by that Qi Hua in just a moment I didn't see you. I wasn't in the palace for half a day, who knows if someone would recklessly come to provoke you again."

Bairen felt warmth in his heart and joked intentionally: "Your Highness should actually rest assured, the Second Prince also went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Qi Xiao laughed and started chatting with Bairen about the customs for the younger generation in the palace.

In Fenghua Palace, Empress Feng smiled and talked with several Imperial Concubines for a good while. After everyone left, she immediately dropped her smile, entered the inner chamber and said coldly: "So... he didn't leave Haiyan Palace for the whole day?"

Empress Feng's trusted palace maid forced a smile: "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. This... indeed he didn't come out. Let alone leaving the courtyard, His Highness the Prince didn't even leave the room. This servant has been taking the two ladies for a stroll outside, but never got to see His Highness the Prince.

"This servant also didn't dare to get too close... Your Majesty knows, the servants in Haiyan Palace don't have mouths, but they all have a dozen eyes. This servant was afraid they would notice something, and also afraid the two ladies would become suspicious, so had no choice but to bring them back first."

"Useless!" Empress Feng was furious, "All useless! Qi Xiao is not here, what a great opportunity, yet you accomplished nothing!"

The trusted palace maid cried endlessly about the hardship. If Bairen doesn't come out, could she go drag him out herself?

Empress Feng also knew she couldn't blame others. She let out a long sigh and said coldly: "Forget it, anyway he will be in the palace these few days, we'll think of another way."

The trusted palace maid kept agreeing, and Empress Feng's tone changed: "But if there's still no progress after the first day of the lunar new year... you know, according to the ancestral laws, after the fifteenth the Emperor can go to the concubines' palaces. If the Emperor really favors those two at that time... don't blame me for being heartless."

"Yes, yes, this servant will definitely think of every possible way in the next few days." The trusted palace maid knelt on the ground with a thud and said bitterly, "I will definitely relieve Your Majesty of worries."

Empress Feng closed her eyes, waved her hand in disgust: "Go."

In the warm hall of Haiyan Palace, Qi Xiao looked at the few large characters Bairen wrote and nodded: "Not bad, it's just this 'shou' character..."

"Crown Prince." Jiang Deqing bowed with a smile, "Prince Rong and Prince Rong's son are here, the Emperor asked the Crown Prince to go over."

Qi Xiao paused for a moment, turned his head and smiled at Bairen: "I'll go sit for a bit and come right back. Don't slack off, finish writing the plaque before I return, I need to use it right away."

Bairen nodded, changed a sheet of paper and continued writing earnestly. Qi Xiao turned and followed Jiang Deqing out of the warm hall.

"What's the matter?" Prince Rong had entered the palace at noon, and Qi Xiao had already met him. Using this as an excuse now, naturally there was something he wanted to say while avoiding Bairen. Qi Xiao put on his fur coat and walked out of the courtyard, frowning, "Is it about Lingnan..."

"No, it's Empress Feng." Jiang Deqing signaled with his eyes to the little eunuch following behind him. The little eunuch hurriedly ordered everyone to follow at a distance. Only then did Jiang Deqing lower his voice and say, "Empress Feng wants to take advantage of the Prince entering the palace these few days to harm him."

Qi Xiao sneered: "What does she want to do?"

"Before the twelfth lunar month, Empress Feng had her maiden family send two girls into the palace. The two girls don't have much family background, but are extremely beautiful. Empress Feng has been keeping these two girls by her side, carefully teaching them etiquette.

"Although she didn't say it explicitly... but everyone knows, they must be prepared for the Emperor. Your Highness knows, in order to vie for favor, the concubines sometimes keep a few such girls in their own palaces."

Qi Xiao frowned: "Then what does that have to do with Bairen?"

Jiang Deqing lowered his eyes: "It's all this old servant's lack of foresight. Previously, I only knew that the Feng family sent two maids into the palace. This old servant just thought it was a little trick the Empress used to win over the Emperor's heart, so didn't take it seriously and tell Your Highness. Who knew... Empress Feng's real intention is not about that, she is planning to use these two maids to deal with the Prince."

"Empress Feng doesn't have the magnanimity to let others have them. She never intended to present the girls to the Emperor, only let the Emperor see them once. The Emperor was very satisfied, and both sides understood. But Empress Feng previously kept saying the two ladies' etiquette was not well-learned and they were not fit to serve the Emperor, so it didn't happen.

"The timing was too perfect. When their etiquette was learned well, it was already the lunar new year. The Emperor couldn't be intimate with the concubines anymore, so the matter was put aside for now."

"Just now, the spy from Fenghua Palace said that Empress Feng's original intention... was to let the Prince meet one of these two maids during the new year, then have the palace maids find a way to make it look bad, and... and let people say that the Prince coveted the maid's beauty and imposed on them."

Qi Xiao's footsteps stopped. Jiang Deqing paused, carefully looked at Qi Xiao's expression and continued: "It's said... today Empress Feng's original plan was to have her palace maids take the ladies out for a stroll. When they encounter the Prince, they would push a lady into the Prince's arms, saying she slipped or something else... anyway, there must first be some incident. Then they would take that lady back to the palace and strangle her... to the outside, they would say that the lady couldn't bear the humiliation and hanged herself.

"This way... no matter how far-fetched it was before, the matter of the Prince taking liberties with the concubines would become real. Even if the Emperor doesn't believe it, he would believe it. This way, there's no need to present that lady to the Emperor anymore, and it can also smear the Prince. Your Highness knows, such scandalous matters... spread the fastest."

A glint of viciousness flashed in Qi Xiao's eyes. He sneered: "Before... I really underestimated Empress Feng."

Jiang Deqing lowered his voice: "Because of the previous matters in the side hall of Qianqing Palace and Academy's Alley, Empress Feng has long hated the Prince to the bone."

Qi Xiao lightly pursed his thin lips and laughed coldly: "Good... if she wants to compete in schemes with me, I'll play along with her."