Jiang Deqing took the teacup, took a sip, nodded and said, "That's good then. He will probably come looking for you in a day or two. Be smart about it, and don't be too easy to talk to. Going too far is as bad as not going far enough. If he senses something amiss, it won't be good. You know the Crown Prince's temper - he wants everything to be perfect. If there's the slightest hitch, I won't be able to explain it to him."

"Master, rest assured. Let alone there being no hitches, even if Cen Chaoge notices something, so what? This is his only chance to return to Lingnan. Even if he knows it's a trap set by the Crown Prince, he'll still have to walk into it." Xi Xiang couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Cen Chaoge's expression upon hearing that he would find a few people to accompany him back to Lingnan. "Master, you don't know, but he's so eager to fly back now that he wishes he could sprout wings."

Jiang Deqing was exasperated. "Who's talking to you about that person surnamed Cen? Let me ask you, why did the Crown Prince go to such great lengths to have you put on this show?"

Xi Xiang was stunned for a moment and said blankly, "To... naturally it's to make the young prince obediently comply..."

"Exactly. If the young prince knows that this was arranged by our Crown Prince and not schemed by that surnamed Cen himself, the young prince might not blame the surnamed Cen, but instead hate the Crown Prince for breaking up the couple!" Jiang Deqing shook his head. "You're in your thirties now, and you're in charge of the huge Department of Internal Affairs. How can you still be like when you were young, unable to think things through without constant reminders? With a single oversight, there will always be trouble..."

Xi Xiang smiled and said, "Isn't that why I have you to guide me often, Master? With you here, you won't let me stumble over that one 'oversight'."

Jiang Deqing couldn't help but laugh. He waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. You're even better at flattery than I am now. Alright, I still need to hurry back to the palace to report to the Crown Prince. I don't need to say more about what comes next, right?"

Jiang Deqing stood up. Xi Xiang agreed and wanted to step forward to support him, but Jiang Deqing patted his hand and shook his head. "I'll leave through the back door. Don't see me out, in case someone sees. If the Crown Prince wasn't worried, I wouldn't have made this trip at all..."

Xi Xiang had no choice but to nod in agreement.

In the Crown Prince's palace, after hearing Jiang Deqing's report, Qi Xiao nodded and smiled. "Xi Xiang is quite useful. Although he's now favored by the Emperor and has become the Chief Steward, he hasn't changed his heart. He's still respectful to you, which shows he has a conscience, remembering your kindness to him when he was young."

"Oh, it's not that he remembers this old servant's little bit of kindness. When Xi Xiang was young, his family got into trouble and he was sent into the palace as a eunuch as a result. Originally, he was helping out in the small kitchen of Fenghua Palace, bullied by the kitchen servants every day, like a little frozen kitten..."

Jiang Deqing said as he tidied up the desk. "It was also his great fortune that on that day, Empress Xiaoxian wanted to personally cook rice porridge for the previous Emperor. Xi Xiang fell asleep while tending the fire inside, and the cooks forgot to chase him out. Empress Xiaoxian happened to see him, only about ten years old, as thin as a little chicken. In the middle of winter, he was only wearing a thin padded jacket, and his ten fingers were frozen like radishes..."

"Empress Xiaoxian had a kind and merciful heart, how could she bear to see it? She didn't say anything at the time. When she came to Chengqian Palace to deliver the porridge to the Emperor, she called me over and gave me a gold ingot, saying there was such a child and that I must take good care of him and not let him suffer anymore..."

Speaking of the events during Emperor Wu's reign, Jiang Deqing's face was full of emotion. "Empress Xiaoxian was truly a compassionate bodhisattva. She knew that if she immediately dealt with those who bullied Xi Xiang, it would be even harder for Xi Xiang to survive in the palace in the future. She didn't say anything on the surface, but secretly arranged for this little one, letting him become my apprentice. Heh...

"When Xi Xiang came to my side, he fell into a pot of honey. Someone personally entrusted by Empress Xiaoxian, how could I dare let him do anything? With me... the leftover snacks in Qianqing Palace could stuff him to death. In less than half a year, he was fattened up white and plump. When Empress Xiaoxian saw him, she said this was much better. Ah, Your Highness, look at how fat Xi Xiang is now, like a dog. That layer of fat started growing back then..."

On the noble consort's couch, Qi Xiao leaned against the soft pillow, quietly listening while holding a book. He had heard these words more than once.

Qi Xiao was usually the most annoyed by nagging, but as long as it was about Empress Xiaoxian and Emperor Wu, no matter how many times Jiang Deqing repeated it, he was willing to listen. Qi Xiao had lost his parents when he was an infant, and his impression of them gradually became clearer through Jiang Deqing's repetition over the years.

"Later... later the world changed. The new emperor removed me from my position as the Chief Steward of the Department of Internal Affairs. Princess Dunsu told me to serve Your Highness with peace of mind. At that time, I was afraid that Xi Xiang would be implicated, so I sent him to my senior apprentice brother early on and no longer associated with him in front of others. He was fortunate that over the years, he actually became the Chief Steward.

"Haha... Fortunately, he has a conscience and wholeheartedly remembers Empress Xiaoxian's great kindness and virtue. I still remember when Empress Xiaoxian... when Empress Xiaoxian passed away, Xi Xiang didn't dare to cry during the day. At night, he returned to his room, covered himself with a quilt, and cried until his whole body trembled.

"Your Highness doesn't know, but at that time, he came to find me and even secretly took a look at Your Highness. As soon as he entered, he kowtowed towards Your Highness's small bed, tears in his eyes, gritting his teeth and vowing to repay Empress Xiaoxian's kindness to Your Highness in the future..." Jiang Deqing sighed slowly.

"It's just a pity... At that time, Your Highness was in Princess Dunsu's palace, held by the princess. Xi Xiang didn't know and kowtowed and made vows to your empty bed curtains, tossing and turning for nearly half an hour. This servant hasn't had the heart to tell him even now, afraid of disheartening the child..."

Qi Xiao finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. Jiang Deqing had been talking to himself for a long time. Seeing Qi Xiao laugh, he also laughed, "Your Highness, it's late. Reading too much under the lamp hurts the eyes. You should rest early."

Qi Xiao shook his head, paused for a moment, then sat up and said, "There's one more thing. In a couple of days, go and take care of it..."

Jiang Deqing approached, bowed down and listened. After hearing it, he was stunned. "Your Highness, this... is really asking for the young prince's life..."

"If I'm not ruthless enough, how can I subdue him?" Qi Xiao lay back on the couch and said with a smile, "They need to truly sever their relationship."

Jiang Deqing secretly clicked his tongue and said with a dry laugh, "Yes, the young master's precious body is not something that a mere illegitimate son like Cen Chaoge can taint."

"That's not what I meant... The one breaking up the couple is not me, but Cen Chaoge himself who can't hold out." Qi Xiao leaned against the soft pillow with a contemptuous smile. "Besides, even if I don't give him this path, Cen Chaoge won't guard Bairen for a lifetime. Deep down, he doesn't have that kind of fortitude."

Jiang Deqing hurriedly agreed, "Yes, yes, in fact, that Cen fellow is just a rich young master who is used to throwing his weight around in his own manor. He thinks everywhere in the world is like that. Isn't it obvious that he showed his timidity as soon as he stepped out the door? How can he compare to Your Highness, who has the ability to protect the young master so well."

Hearing this, Qi Xiao laughed at himself, "You don't need to say this to comfort me. This time, I indeed snatched away someone else's beloved, but so what?" Qi Xiao stood up and let Jiang Deqing remove his regular clothes.

As he walked towards the inner chamber, he said indifferently, "The one at fault is not me, but this world where the strong prey on the weak..."