In the Chengqian Palace, the Emperor, Empress, and Concubine Xue were all present.

The Emperor maintained his usual benevolent demeanor and said with a smile, "I noticed you had lost some weight yesterday, which made me quite concerned. That's why I summoned you here to check on you."

Qi Xiao lowered his eyes and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Empress Feng, following the Emperor's lead, smiled and turned to ask Jiang Deqing about Qi Xiao's recent diet, sleep, daily routine, and other trivial matters.

Jiang Deqing answered everything, and Empress Feng nodded, "I can never stop worrying about Xiao'er when he's outside the palace."

Recently, there had been many affairs in the palace, and the imperial clan had reminded the Emperor more than once not to neglect the Empress, who held the esteemed position of the palace's mistress, as long as she had not committed any grave mistakes. To appease the imperial clan and avoid excessive criticism from the officials, the Emperor could no longer leave the Empress idle all day. Whenever there were matters to attend to, he would summon Empress Feng to handle one or two tasks.

However, Qi Xiao could clearly see the fatigue hidden in the corners of Empress Feng's eyes and brows, and he knew in his heart that the Emperor had completely grown tired of the Feng family. Now, his treatment of Empress Feng was merely a formality.

Qi Xiao always maintained his calm demeanor and nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Empress."

Empress Feng smiled, "Child... there's no need to be so formal. Oh, right, this is the deer antler your uncle sent yesterday, freshly brought from the north. Take it back and have them prepare a nourishing soup for you."

Qi Xiao bowed to express his gratitude. The Emperor sighed softly, "But even nourishment is of little use... Xiao'er doesn't have a proper person to take care of him outside the palace."

Qi Xiao inwardly chuckled, knowing the main topic had arrived.

Concubine Xue handed a cup of tea to the Emperor and smiled, "If Your Majesty is worried, why not find a few suitable people to serve the Crown Prince? The maid you bestowed upon Qi'er last time was excellent. She makes delicious soups, and not only Qi'er but even I adore her. After all, she came from Your Majesty's palace and is impeccable in etiquette and demeanor."

The Emperor seemed to recall something and said to Concubine Xue, "Indeed, speaking of which... I asked you to select a few outstanding newly-appointed palace maids to serve the princes. Many days have passed, and I nearly forgot. Have you chosen them?"

Concubine Xue smiled gracefully, stood up, and bowed, "The girls chosen to serve the princes must be exceptional in both appearance and character. The nannies and I sifted through them like gold, and in the end, we could only find a few who caught our eye."

The Emperor nonchalantly replied, "No matter, even one capable person is enough. Bring them in." He then turned to Empress Feng with a smile, "Nowadays, our children often dislike the ones we deem suitable. Last time, when I gave Xiao'er two maids, I heard he directly threw them into the backyard without even sparing them a glance."

Qi Xiao glanced at the Emperor without responding. Empress Feng paused, not understanding the Emperor's intention, but Concubine Xue, with her keen perception, smiled and pouted, "No wonder the Crown Prince acted that way. With a thousand people and a thousand eyes, when Your Majesty selects attendants for the children, naturally you prefer those with good temperament and serving skills. But when it comes to their own preferences... I'm afraid they prefer those whose appearance pleases their eyes."

The Emperor shook his head and laughed, truly resembling a doting father indulging his mischievous son. He said helplessly, "Forget it, I can no longer fathom your thoughts. Xiao'er, since you arrived first today, I'll let you have the advantage. You choose one, and the rest will be left for your younger brothers to pick."

As they spoke, the sound of beads and jades echoed from outside. Fu Hailu led seven or eight girls in, each with their unique charm. Qi Xiao's phoenix-like eyes shifted slightly as he scanned the group. When his gaze fell upon the last girl, his heart stirred, finally understanding the Emperor's purpose behind this grand gesture.

Qi Xiao deliberately refused to follow the Emperor's intention and lowered his eyes, saying, "Your son is foolish and does not understand the merits of servants. I leave the decision entirely to Your Majesty."

The Emperor gently rubbed the thumb ring on his left hand and calmly challenged, "There's no need... I chose for you, but if they don't suit your taste, they'll end up as mere decorations in the backyard again. There's no need to be embarrassed. Just directly pick the one you like."

Qi Xiao raised his eyes and quietly looked at the Emperor. Suddenly, he smiled, turned his head, and pointed to the girl he had been staring at, saying, "This one then."

The Emperor had not previously communicated with Empress Feng, who had been sitting there in a daze. Upon seeing Qi Xiao's choice, she glanced at the girl and exclaimed in surprise, "This... this maid..."

Concubine Xue smiled, "Empress, you also find this maid familiar, right? When I first saw her, I was puzzled too, thinking I had seen her before. Later, I realized that her appearance... somewhat resembles the Lingnan young prince."

Qi Xiao sneered inwardly. It was more than just a resemblance; her eyes and nose bore a seven or eight-tenths similarity to Bairen. He had to give credit to the Emperor for managing to find such a person.

The Emperor looked at Qi Xiao, his smile carrying a profound meaning, "So Xiao'er likes this type."

Concubine Xue quickly called the girl forward and said with a smile, "The Crown Prince claimed not to understand the merits of servants, yet with one pick, he chose the most outstanding one. This maid is called Ze Pei. She entered the palace before the new year and has good etiquette. Among these maids, her needlework is the best."

The Emperor was pleased and said with a smile, "Since she's the best, Xiao'er should quickly take her back. In a moment, your younger brothers will arrive. We can't let them see and become envious, or they'll pester me about favoring you again."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Xue, the 'flower of understanding', quickly joked, "That's not others' fault... Your Majesty indeed favors the Crown Prince more. But... Your Majesty can't be blamed either. Even I as Qi'er's birth mother would have to admit that among these princes, the Crown Prince is indeed the most outstanding and deserving of affection."

Empress Feng felt greatly displeased upon hearing these words. She glared at Concubine Xue and said with a forced smile, "Indeed... even Hua'er falls far behind Xiao'er. How can anyone complain about the biased affection?"

Qi Xiao quietly observed their verbal sparring and smiled faintly, "Then I thank Father Emperor."

Qi Xiao took the person and left the palace. Jiang Deqing, who had been holding back for a long time, finally said bitterly in the carriage, "Your Highness... this is clearly a trap. Why did Your Highness insist on falling into it? That Ze Pei, her appearance is clearly..."

"I know," Qi Xiao interrupted Jiang Deqing's words. "Even if I didn't choose her, would the Emperor forget about my relationship with Bairen?"

Jiang Deqing was at a loss for words. Qi Xiao coldly laughed, "He's merely using this maid to warn me and make me restrain myself. Heh... he really thinks I treat Bairen as a catamite. So be it. It's better for him to think that way, saving me a lot of trouble."

Qi Xiao looked at the Emperor's self-satisfied appearance just now and sneered: "In the past year or two, he has suffered quite a few losses from me. Finally getting such a handle, naturally he wants to make a good show of it."

Jiang Deqing nodded: "Yes! Just now, the Emperor's eyes never left Your Highness, eager to see Your Highness in a state of panic and disarray. Peh! Your Highness is well-prepared, knowing long ago that he had inquired about it!"

Qi Xiao gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist and slowly said: "This time I was careless, defeated by those two marks, but also fortunate to have those two marks, letting the Emperor only think that I treat Bairen as a plaything. You'll see... in a day or two, the Emperor will definitely have more to say to Bairen, hinting that he need not fear me... and instead rely on him to deal with me."

Jiang Deqing laughed with satisfaction: "He made the wrong bet from the start, and even made such a self-righteous scene, all in vain!"

Qi Xiao mocked lightly: "In the end... it's his own fault for being muddled. He actually doesn't believe I would have genuine feelings for Bairen."

Jiang Deqing first smiled with relief, but then felt a bit worried. In his heart, he sighed. It was good that the Emperor couldn't grasp the key weakness, but to be honest, Jiang Deqing also didn't want Qi Xiao to truly develop such feelings.

After returning to the residence, Qi Xiao originally wanted to have someone send a message to Bairen, but unexpectedly, before he could put pen to paper, Princess Dunsu arrived.

Princess Dunsu, bored as a matchmaker in the residence, suddenly remembered that Roujia's marriage was imminent, but the accompanying fortune lady had not yet been selected. She was accustomed to busying herself with such matters and had many candidates in mind. Coincidentally, there was nothing to do in the residence, so she simply sought out Qi Xiao to go together to the Lingnan Prince's Manor. Qi Xiao inwardly chuckled, getting just what he needed.

Princess Dunsu originally only cared about Roujia's affairs for Qi Xiao's sake, but who knew that after dealing with her for these two months, she actually came to truly like this gentle and modest little princess, wishing she could teach her all the skills of managing a household that she had learned over the years. The two had only been apart for a few days, but once seated, their conversation was endless.

While Princess Dunsu and Roujia were talking in the rear courtyard, Qi Xiao dismissed everyone in the study in front and roughly explained the previous events to Bairen. He said in a low voice: "If the Emperor seeks you out, just keep pretending to be afraid. You don't need to deliberately act as if nothing happened. Such things are not uncommon in the imperial family. If I were his biological son, he might have intervened, but for someone like me... at most, he's plotting against you, wanting to use your hand to harm me. It's no big deal."

Bairen frowned tightly: "Really, it's okay? I..."

"I'm not just trying to ease your mind, it's really not a big deal." If the Emperor knew that the two were deeply in love, it might indeed be more troublesome, but now it seemed everything was under control. Qi Xiao smiled apologetically, "It's all my fault. I just had to make things difficult for you, leaving behind such a handle."

Bairen's face reddened slightly. He was not someone who hadn't experienced great storms. Thinking carefully, he also put his mind at ease. Suddenly, he remembered the girl Qi Xiao mentioned and blinked: "That person really... looks so much like me?"

Qi Xiao nodded: "The eyes are about 70-80% similar... nothing else."

Bairen's heart sounded a loud alarm. He probed: "Is she good-looking?"

Qi Xiao casually said: "Not bad."

But Bairen didn't quite believe it. Qi Xiao had always been picky. His "not bad" was probably equivalent to others' "very good". Bairen couldn't help feeling a bit unsettled and said softly: "Will you have lunch here?"

Qi Xiao shook his head: "Aunt still has to go to the Hongan Prince's Manor at noon. She said... their family's second young lady is coming of age? I can't quite remember."

Bairen pursed his lips, feeling a bit anxious: "Then... what about you? Someone else's young lady is coming of age, and you're going too?"

Qi Xiao looked at Bairen and suddenly laughed, deliberately saying: "No, I'm going back to the manor. I came to accompany my aunt in the first place. With my aunt leaving, what would I stay for?"

Hearing this, Bairen felt even more uncomfortable. Usually, if he didn't drive Qi Xiao away, Qi Xiao definitely wouldn't leave. Moreover, Qi Xiao had just said that now they couldn't deliberately avoid suspicion, lest it make the Emperor even more suspicious. Since that was the case, why the rush to go back?

Bairen couldn't help thinking of the girl the Emperor had just bestowed upon Qi Xiao, making him feel even more uneasy. He just didn't know what to say, so he could only reply dryly: "Then... then go."

Seeing Bairen's awkward appearance, the bit of gloom in Qi Xiao's heart instantly vanished. He deliberately laughed: "So I'll go?"

Bairen hesitated repeatedly, slightly frowning: "My head doesn't feel very well..."

Qi Xiao held back his laughter and didn't say anything. Bairen rubbed his brow and softly groaned: "Probably caught a cold..."

Qi Xiao pretended to be concerned: "Shall I summon a physician?"

Bairen still looked very uncomfortable, shaking his head: "No... no need to go to such lengths. I'll find someone to massage it for me."

Qi Xiao readily agreed: "Shall I massage it for you?"

Bairen was delighted in his heart and nodded: "Then I'll trouble Your Highness."

The Crown Prince, whose schemes others could never see through no matter how hard they tried, was actually trapped by this clumsy little trick, his feet entangled, unable to leave. Qi Xiao smiled and embraced Bairen into the inner chamber.