Qi Xiao walked around outside, gave a few instructions to Jiang Deqing, and then returned to his own palace. Qi Xiao didn't tell Bairen about these sordid matters, only joking with him as before.

In the next few days, whenever Bairen left Haiyan Palace, even if it was to go to Qianqing Palace to pay respects to the Emperor, Qi Xiao would follow along, claiming that the two of them were keeping each other company. Qi Xiao always acted cautiously, so Bairen didn't suspect anything and didn't ask further.

Qi Xiao kept a close eye on the person, putting his own mind at ease, but making others restless.

On the thirtieth day of the year, after Qi Xiao and Bairen finished their morning meal, they went together to Chengqian Palace to pay respects to the Emperor.

Empress Feng was also present in the hall. Seeing Bairen arrive, she smiled kindly and said, "I was just talking about you with the Emperor, Bairen. A letter has arrived from Lingnan, your father the King has already prepared all the dowry for your sister. After the fifteenth, arrangements will be made for Princess Roujia to come to the capital, probably arriving around the second day of the second month, the Day of the Dragon."

Bairen had learned this news from his spy a few days ago, so hearing it now didn't faze him. He just nodded. Empress Feng said with a smile, "It is my intention to have Princess Roujia stay in the palace when the time comes, what do you think?"

Empress Feng turned to look at the Emperor, a hint of regret in her eyes, "None of the princesses were raised by this concubine, this concubine has no daughter's fate, lacking what she desires. Seeing young girls makes this concubine happy. Letting the Princess keep this concubine company, and marrying out from the palace in the future, would give the Princess great honor. What does the Emperor think?"

Before the Emperor could speak, Bairen calmly said first, "This subject thanks the Empress on behalf of my sister, but the Lingnan Prince's Manor is not without men. Since this subject is here, naturally my sister should still marry out from the Lingnan Prince's Manor. Marrying out from the palace... this subject fears my sister cannot bear such great favor."

Empress Feng's face turned pale. The Emperor laughed and interjected, "Yes... of course she should marry out from the Lingnan Prince's Mansion. The Empress was just afraid that you, being young, would not be able to handle the great matter of marriage."

Bairen bowed his head, "The Emperor's grace is vast and profound, specially bestowing the Ministry of Internal Affairs to help handle the wedding. With the assistance of the officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I believe there will be no more improprieties."

The Emperor laughed, "If they do anything unsatisfactory, you just come back and tell me. This marriage has Princess Dunsu as the great matchmaker. If anything goes wrong, I won't be able to explain to the Princess."

Bairen nodded. Everyone chatted idly for a while longer before Qi Xiao and Bairen took their leave.

After leaving the great hall, when no one was paying attention, Qi Xiao lightly scratched Bairen's palm a couple times and laughed softly, "Did you see Empress Feng's expression... who knows how she'll scold you when she returns."

Bairen smiled faintly, "She already hates me anyway, offending her one more time makes no difference. Roujia doesn't have my resilience, entering the palace to stay by her side... I can't set my mind at ease."

Qi Xiao couldn't help feeling a bit jealous. He waved his hand, letting the palace servants who were bowing on the side rise. He turned to Bairen with a half-smile, "You are considerate and attentive to Princess Roujia. I wonder if the young prince could spread his kindness and share some of that thoughtfulness with this one?"

Every time Qi Xiao put on airs like this, Bairen wanted to laugh. He rarely teased back, "Is Your Highness acting spoiled?"

Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow, glanced around and seeing no one, lowered his head to kiss Bairen's ear, his voice low, "So what if I am? Have I stirred the young prince's compassion?"

The kissed ear instantly turned red. Bairen coughed uncomfortably, "Your Highness..."

Qi Xiao sneered, "With just this bit of skill, you dare to tease me?"

Bairen mumbled, not daring to say more, and obediently followed Qi Xiao back to Haiyan Palace.

In Chengqian Palace, Empress Feng sighed and gave the Emperor a bitter smile, "Bairen had a small falling out with Hua'er before, and still holds a grudge against this concubine and Hua'er. Did this concubine invite Princess Roujia to stay in the palace simply because she likes girls? It was just to give Roujia honor.

"This concubine had only good intentions, but Bairen... Forget it, consider it this concubine's misplaced devotion. It's just that Bairen is too young and has too big a temper, to act like this in front of the Emperor..."

"Empress." The Emperor set down his tea cup and gave Empress Feng a deep look, saying lightly, "Anything overdone is as bad as not done at all."

Empress Feng paused, then slowly her face turned purple with anger. The Emperor was a bit impatient in his heart. He was clearer than anyone what Empress Feng was thinking. It was nothing more than deliberately acting extremely nice to Bairen in front of him because of the previous matter. But unfortunately her skill was lacking, neither pleasing him nor winning over Bairen.

The Emperor actually had quite a bit of affection for Empress Feng, his first wife. Empress Feng had married him when he was still a prince. Over the years, Empress Feng and the Feng family had helped him a lot. The Emperor was aware of this, so he always had a bit more patience with Empress Feng.

It was just a pity that in recent years, probably because the other princes had all grown up, Empress Feng had become more and more impetuous. The things she did could never satisfy the Emperor. Not only could she not share his burdens, she wanted him to take care of everything for her instead.

The Emperor was displeased and didn't bother to mince his words, "You mean well, but having Roujia marry out from the palace, where does that leave the Lingnan Prince's Manor? The King of Lingnan is far away in Lingnan, but he has a manor and a son in the capital. On the wedding day, will the Lingnan Prince's Manor be empty?"

"Besides, Roujia is just a princess. If you really have her marry out from the palace, from which gate do you intend to have her exit on the wedding day?" The Emperor cared most about face. Thinking about how Empress Feng had said such inappropriate things in front of Qi Xiao and Bairen just now, he couldn't help getting angry. His tone grew even more indifferent, "The Empress is usually the most proper. How were you so muddled earlier?"

Empress Feng was already holding back anger in her heart. Being so sternly reprimanded by the Emperor in such a tone, she felt even more aggrieved. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said softly, "This consort... this consort truly had only good intentions. The idea of having Roujia enter the palace came up on a whim, so I didn't consider it fully. It... it is this consort's fault."

If it were a young girl with a tear-stained face, the Emperor might have felt a bit of pity. Unfortunately, Empress Feng's face was no longer novel in the Emperor's eyes. The Emperor didn't want to hear more of her explanations. He sighed, "I know you mean well... Forget it, you still need to handle the evening banquet. Go first."

Empress Feng pressed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief to hold back the tears and said softly, "Your Majesty can rest assured, the evening banquet and opera troupes are all prepared."

The Emperor nodded. Empress Feng straightened her clothes and left.

Empress Feng's heart was filled with resentment as she slowly walked out, supported by her palace maids. From a distance, she saw Concubine Xue's sedan chair approaching. Empress Feng turned to her trusted palace maid and said coldly, "Didn't I ask her to take care of the evening banquet matters?"

A palace maid beside her hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Your Majesty... early this morning, the Emperor summoned Concubine Xue and told her to come over after finishing her morning meal. It should be around this time."

Empress Feng suppressed the anger in her heart with great effort and let out a cold laugh as she boarded her sedan chair.

"After the evening banquet, we will go to Qinghe Hall to watch the opera. I have already made arrangements. You will sit with me," Qi Xiao said with a smile, gently fiddling with the jade pendant at his waist. "Every year, it's the same few operas. There's nothing really worth listening to."

Bairen put down the book in his hand, looked up in confusion, and said, "Sit with you? Aren't I supposed to sit below with those princes?"

Previously, Bairen didn't have such a strong sense of it, but after staying in the palace for a year, he truly realized how precious the identity of the "Crown Prince" was.

Not to mention that the other princes had to bow and greet Qi Xiao when they saw him, even the grand princes had to get off their sedan chairs to pay respects to Qi Xiao when they encountered him. Regardless of how the Emperor viewed Qi Xiao, as the Crown Prince, Qi Xiao's status was indeed second only to the Emperor.

Although Qi Xiao had never entered the Eastern Palace, the officials belonging to the Eastern Palace were all present, and the Crown Prince's personal guards numbered up to a thousand. According to Qi Xiao, this number was not limited to that.

Bairen increasingly understood why the princes all wanted to fight for the position of the heir. They were all princes, but just because of this one title, their power and status were as different as clouds and mud.

Previously, when he was in Lingnan, although Bairen was also designated by the King of Lingnan and personally conferred as the heir by the Emperor, compared to his three younger brothers, he only received a few more taels of monthly allowance. He had never enjoyed any other tangible benefits.

Qi Xiao had plans after the evening banquet. He was suspicious and would never let his guard down before achieving his goals. It was better to keep people by his side to put his mind at ease, but there was no need to tell Bairen about these things.

Qi Xiao gave Bairen a faint smile and said, "It's the first year that the heir of the King of Lingnan has entered the capital. Inviting the heir to sit with me shows the importance attached to him, and it's justifiable."

Bairen bit his lower lip and shook his head, saying, "Forget it. If people see it, they will inevitably say that you are acting willfully and recklessly again..."

"The Emperor has already spread this reputation of me being spoiled and willful. It can't be changed anyway. I might as well prioritize my own comfort in everything. You don't know those princes, so why sit with them like a fool?" Qi Xiao looked at Bairen with a smile and raised his eyebrows. "How come I find that... now you think of me first in everything?"

Bairen was most afraid of Qi Xiao saying such things. He quickly pretended not to hear and lowered his head to continue writing the calligraphy.

"I asked you to write a plaque for the study, but you have been putting me off for the past few days and haven't written it yet." Qi Xiao walked over to Bairen's side and casually picked up the calligraphy that was drying on the side, saying, "This one is very good..."

Bairen shook his head, "No, the character 'Xuan' is not well written... I haven't practiced calligraphy properly for several years, so my skills are rusty. I'm afraid I won't be able to write it well at first."

Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh, "You still can't write it? Your Highness, after today, you will have been writing for two years. I won't listen to your excuses. Hurry up and write it out. Tomorrow, when I leave the palace, I will have someone engrave it."

Bairen was both amused and helpless, "This really can't be rushed. Why don't... Your Highness do it yourself? Your Highness's brushwork is actually much better than mine."

Qi Xiao shook his head, "My calligraphy is not as good as yours. Come..."

Qi Xiao hugged Bairen from behind and held his hand with a smile, saying, "I'll lend you some strength..." This action was no different from teaching a child to write. Bairen couldn't help but want to laugh, and his hand became even more unsteady. Qi Xiao laughed, "Don't laugh, don't laugh. When you laugh, your hand shakes..."

Bairen nodded and tried his best to steady the brush. Qi Xiao looked at his slightly flushed cheeks, his mind wandering. His right hand lightly supported Bairen's hand, while his left hand slid down inconspicuously and gently stroked Bairen's waist, saying softly, "It's tied so tightly. Isn't it uncomfortable?"

Bairen's attention was entirely on the paper. Upon hearing this, he shook his head, "It's not tight..."

Qi Xiao sighed softly, "You're still too thin..." His hand continued to slide down and he laughed softly, "Only here still has some flesh..."

Bairen's face instantly turned red, and he said urgently, "Your Highness! You..."

"Shh..." Qi Xiao's hand didn't stop, gently caressing as he said with a smile, "Keep your voice down. Others might think an assassin has entered. Don't get distracted. I just want a few characters. Be careful... Even if you write it badly, I will still have it engraved."

Qi Xiao no longer supported Bairen's hand, but instead wrapped his arm around Bairen's waist, not allowing him to move. He took liberties with one hand while gently coaxing, "Be good and write it out nicely."

Bairen gritted his teeth, his face flushed, and dipped the brush in the ink to continue writing. Qi Xiao took advantage of the situation until Bairen's legs became so weak that he could no longer stand steadily. Only then did Qi Xiao carry him to the couch.

This time, he had really bullied Bairen too much. It took a good while of coaxing before Bairen would speak to him again. However, since Qi Xiao had obtained tangible benefits, he didn't mind these things.