34. You brought this trouble upon yourself.

The Benevolent Heart Hall, Prince Jun’s Residence

Today, Prince Jun’s residence also received an imperial edict from Xuanyuan Ren. The old princess, perplexed, asked Zhao Chengxian, “Who is Hui Yue’er? Is she related to Hui Qinghui?” She didn’t even know who her adopted daughter was. In truth, the old princess had already guessed why Xuanyuan Ren wanted her to take an adopted daughter—he must have taken a fancy to a girl and simply wanted a pretext to bring her into the palace. Such things were hardly rare in the royal family. But wasn’t the Hui Escort Agency Hui Qinghui’s family? Was this Hui Yue’er somehow a relative of Hui Qinghui? She had no idea that Hui Yue’er was actually the maid called Crescent living in Prince Jun’s residence.

Zhao Chengxian, his mood low, glanced at the old princess and replied, “Mother, you’ve known her for a long time. She is our little Crescent, the maid in our residence. In fact, she’s Hui Qinghui’s younger sister. I had her become a maid because I feared their family might abscond, but I never expected she’d meet the emperor. The emperor likes her greatly and asked me to recognize her as my sister, so she could conveniently enter the palace for the selection.” He worried about how Hui Yue’er would react once she knew, for he was well aware she had no wish to be a royal consort—she only longed for freedom. Yet, life rarely allows one to fulfill their desires. Zhao Chengxian only hoped Hui Yue’er wouldn’t blame him for pushing her into a fiery pit—that would be enough.

Lady Qin interjected, “I told you so, that little Crescent is no ordinary girl. See, even the emperor fell for her!” As soon as she spoke, Zhao Chengxian glared at her. Lady Qin was merely envious; if she could become a royal consort, she would never settle for being a prince’s concubine. If one must be a concubine, it’s better to have a higher position, after all.

At that moment, Hui Yue’er barged in, ignoring the servants’ attempts to stop her. One servant entered, trembling, and said to Zhao Chengxian, “We truly couldn’t hold back Miss Crescent. Please forgive us, Your Highness!” Zhao Chengxian waved for the servant to withdraw. Hui Yue’er stared fiercely at him, saying nothing, but her gaze was truly intimidating, though no one else could sense it. Zhao Chengxian saw the barely restrained fury in her eyes. Neither spoke. To the bystanders, the two seemed intimate, but they failed to see that Hui Yue’er had come to demand an explanation.

Lady Yu, trying to break the awkward silence, stood and smiled at Hui Yue’er. “Congratulations, Sister Yue’er! From now on, you’ll be the Princess of Prince Jun’s residence, and we’ll all be one family.” They could rest assured now—no new rival for the position of royal consort, and Lady Yu stood the best chance of securing that title. Vanity, truly.

Hui Yue’er ignored Lady Yu completely, leaving her embarrassed and silent. The old princess raised her voice at Hui Yue’er, “Don’t think that just because you’re soon to be a royal consort you can disregard everyone. It’s not easy to be a royal consort, and you might need our help in the future!” They all assumed Hui Yue’er was overjoyed and had started to look down on others.

Upon hearing the old princess’s words, Hui Yue’er turned and gave her a cold stare, making even the worldly old princess shudder. Hui Yue’er sneered, “Indeed, thank you for Prince Jun’s assistance. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have become the future royal consort. Thank you, Prince Jun…” She spun around and landed a string of fierce blows on Zhao Chengxian, who dodged quickly. The two started fighting, startling the others who fled toward the door. Outside, everyone looked on anxiously. Soon, the guards entered at the old princess’s command.

Yet Zhao Chengxian called out loudly, “No need to come in!” The guards had to remain outside the Benevolent Heart Hall. Zhao Chengxian, facing the furious Hui Yue’er, fended off her attacks while explaining, “You’re mad, but you can’t blame me for this. You brought it upon yourself. Do you really not know the emperor? That former bodyguard was the ruler of the Kingdom of Radiant Sun. You met him first—how can you blame me?” Facing Hui Yue’er’s relentless accusations, Zhao Chengxian could only lay out the truth.

Hui Yue’er finally calmed down a little, stopping to mutter to herself, “Had I known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have saved him in the first place!” Seeing the fight had ceased, those outside relaxed.

Zhao Chengxian, seeing Hui Yue’er had cooled, helped her to a seat and sat beside her, gently advising, “Now the imperial edict has been issued, and there’s no way to avoid entering the palace. Tomorrow night, come to Prince Jun’s residence as Princess Silvery Moon, stay the night, and then enter the palace the day after. Whether you can leave afterward depends on you.” Usually, girls who failed to be chosen as royal or princely consorts could leave the palace. But Hui Yue’er had been handpicked by Xuanyuan Ren, so her chances of not being chosen were slim. Still, if she could make Xuanyuan Ren lose interest in her, there might be hope. It would depend on how Hui Yue’er handled it.

Hearing this, Hui Yue’er realized there was no way to change her fate—the only question was whether she could escape. She rose silently and walked out of the Benevolent Heart Hall, leaving Prince Jun’s residence under everyone’s gaze. Zhao Chengxian watched her departing figure with aching heart.

Ladies, gentlemen, old and young, and those neither old nor young—quickly shower me with gold medals, red envelopes, and gifts. Don’t hold back; let the storm rage even fiercer!