Bairen sat up upon hearing this, ignoring the itchiness, and said excitedly, "Really?"

Jiang Deqing laughed, "Absolutely true. Princess Dunsu has already received the news, and it was the Princess who sent the message here. Your residence must have also received the good news."

Bairen quickly got dressed and off the bed. Qi Xiao smiled at Jiang Deqing, "The young prince can't wait to return to his residence. Go to the warehouse and pick some good tonics, and also select a pair of white jade ruyi. Pack them well for the young prince to take with him."

Bairen turned to look at Qi Xiao, his heart filled with sweetness. Qi Xiao chuckled, "Alright, it's not convenient for me to accompany you there. Please convey my regards."

In the inner hall of the He residence, Roujia leaned on the noble consort couch, her legs covered with a small embroidered wool blanket. She said with a smile, "Princess Dunsu coming over really makes me feel uneasy..."

"Child, you've been married for several months, yet you're still so formal with me. I've told you many times to call me grand aunt." Princess Dunsu patted Roujia's hand with a smile, "If you really feel uneasy, then quickly give me a chubby grandson. Oh my... Elder sister-in-law, you are truly blessed. Although my niece-in-law looks delicate and weak, she is good at bearing children."

Madam He had been widowed for many years, with only her son He Zichen. Now that a grandson was on the way, she seemed to have become ten years younger, her face glowing. Upon hearing this, she said with a joyful smile, "Rou'er only looks thin, but her foundation is very good. The young couple is also harmonious, so isn't this quick?"

Madam He turned to Princess Dunsu with a playful smile, "I'm blessed? Fen'er has given Lord Bo'an two grandsons in three years. That is truly being blessed!"

Princess Dunsu was delighted by this timely compliment, shaking her head with a smile, "It can't compare, it can't compare. No matter how good, she belongs to someone else's family now."

Madam He laughed, "That's not the point. Fen'er manages the inner quarters and external affairs in her in-laws' family, handling everything well, and her womb is so productive. I heard... now quite a few families are waiting for her younger sister to come of age."

He Fenhua came from a noble background and had good looks. More rare was that she was not just pretty but useless. With such a good reputation, the value of Princess Dunsu's younger daughter had skyrocketed.

Princess Dunsu still harbored thoughts of marrying her younger daughter to Qi Xiao, so she didn't respond. She pursed her meticulously coiffed hair and smiled, "Alright, let's not talk about this for now. Sending a message to the in-laws is the proper thing to do first."

At the mention of the Lingnan Prince's Manor, the smile on Madam He's face faded a little. She immediately concealed it and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, someone will be sent to the south right away."

Princess Dunsu had heard about the recent events. Seeing this, she smiled faintly without saying anything. She just secretly rejoiced that initially when she wanted to choose a concubine for Qi Xiao, she had been hesitating between Roujia and Kangtai. Fortunately, Qi Xiao had chosen Roujia, leading to the subsequent events.

At that time, the illegitimate branch of the Lingnan Prince's Manor controlled the inner palace, suppressing the legitimate-born Roujia. Who knew the tides would turn? In just a year's time, the two illegitimate ones had fallen to such a fate, while the two legitimate ones were becoming more and more proper. This not only aligned with Princess Dunsu's intentions - evil cannot suppress the righteous - it was the same in the Lingnan Prince's Manor and the imperial family.

Princess Dunsu's gaze towards Roujia became even more kind. If she had been muddleheaded back then and brought Kangtai... Princess Dunsu sneered in her heart. Even without Qi Xiao taking action, she would have dealt with her first, to prevent that calamity-bringing thing from defiling the floor of Qi Xiao's room.

Just as they were talking, it was announced that the maternal uncle had arrived. Madam He quickly had someone invite him in. After the two sides greeted each other, Princess Dunsu could tell that Bairen had something private to say to Roujia.

She turned to Madam He with a smile, "I brought a few bolts of infant satin for you. The niece-in-law can't move easily. Come with me to take a look and make a couple of undergarments for her to wear. Pregnant women are all delicate. Although plain satin is comfortable for undergarments, it's not form-fitting. Young Master, please have a seat first."

Madam He repeatedly agreed and went with her with a smile.

In the side room, Princess Dunsu sat down and took a sip of tea. She lowered her voice, "Now that the niece-in-law is pregnant, you must keep a close eye on the maids in the courtyard and not let them have any crooked thoughts. I made a military pledge in front of the Crown Prince back then. If your family gets Roujia, you must cherish her like the apple of your eye.

"Now she's pregnant right after marrying in. There may be some bold maids who want to share the burden for their mistress. If this gets out, not to mention me losing face in front of the Crown Prince, even Bairen won't be able to give you a good explanation."

Madam He repeatedly said, "You know me well. I never interfere in the young couple's affairs. Now, the only maids who can serve Zichen are Rou'er's own dowry maids. Those few girls are only average-looking but quite honest. Since you've mentioned it, I'll go back and instruct Zichen. But... you know your own nephew well. Now his whole heart is devoted to Rou'er. How could he have eyes for anyone else?"

Princess Dunsu smiled, "I know. I'm just reminding you to prevent future troubles. You've also seen that Bairen's position as the heir is quite secure now. He only has this one legitimate elder sister. Who else can he support in the future if not Zichen? As long as you treat Roujia well, you can't go wrong in the future."

Madam He was out of the loop and didn't quite understand. Upon hearing this, she lowered her voice, "So... is it true that the in-laws' second son is useless?"

Princess Dunsu made an "en" sound and frowned slightly, saying in a low voice, "He's fundamentally damaged. In the future, he'll be no different from a cripple. It's impossible for him to be granted a title."

Madam He's heart suddenly panicked. She covered her mouth and said, "I've heard a bit about the affairs in the in-laws' residence. I heard that the favored concubine consort is quite capable. Now that this has happened, if she becomes desperate... and secretly sends someone to harm the young prince in order to make her own son the heir, what should we do?"

Princess Dunsu couldn't help but laugh, "My good sister-in-law, you don't understand. Let's not even mention how difficult it would be to take action against the young prince. If they somehow succeeded, the Emperor could use the excuse of the Lingnan King having no heir to diminish his fief. Not to mention anything else, he would first be stripped of his honored status that is passed down without end!

"Another son? You mean Concubine Xia's young son? A illegitimate son and a second son - they themselves wouldn't dare to bring it up. Throughout history, emperors have been eager to diminish fiefs. As long as they're not stupid, they wouldn't dare to risk their clan's honor."

Only then did Madam He put her mind at ease. She shook her head with a smile, "I am just a woman and don't understand these things. Princess, you have a much clearer perspective..."

Princess Dunsu smiled to herself. Roujia had married into the He family and was now pregnant. She no longer feared that Bairen would not support the He family or help Qi Xiao in the future. That one mistake back then had truly been a good move.

In the inner chamber, Roujia leaned on a soft pillow, holding Bairen's hand and said softly, "I've never been as clever as you, but I know one thing. Always leave a way out so that we can meet again in the future. Now that they're like this, they've already gotten their retribution. Don't kick them while they're down and force them too hard. It's not that I pity them, but even a cornered rabbit will bite. You and I may be fine, but Mother is still in Lingnan."

Bairen smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. They brought this upon themselves. I'll just watch the show. As long as they don't make trouble, I won't provoke them."

Roujia smiled with relief and gently stroked her belly, saying softly, "I don't ask for anything else now. I just hope to safely give birth to this little one and reunite with Mother someday, letting her enjoy the blessing of grandchildren."

Bairen placed his hand on the back of Roujia's and said quietly, "Definitely." He glanced around and smiled, "These Indian peonies are blooming beautifully. Did your husband find them for you?"

At the mention of He Zichen, Roujia blushed and lowered her eyes, smiling, "Isn't it the Qiqiao Festival? The Hanlin Academy held some poetry appreciation event and gathered many rare flowers. Your brother-in-law saw how well these flowers bloomed and shamelessly asked his superiors for them. There are only these two pots. I've never even seen these flowers before, but you recognized them right away. Have you seen them in the palace?"

Bairen looked very uncomfortable. He naturally knew that Indian peonies were precious and rare, with lush, pleasing blossoms. But there was another benefit that most people didn't know about - they could invigorate blood and remove stasis.

Bairen had delicate, fair skin that easily bruised. Even when Qi Xiao was careful during their intimacy, it was no use. Familiar with medicinal properties, Qi Xiao later had Indian peony added to Bairen's bath water. For convenience, the rear courtyard of the crown prince's estate now grew a large patch of these flowers, tended by a dedicated old gardener.

Seeing Bairen's unusual expression, Roujia asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Bairen coughed and shook his head, "No, I'm just moved by how considerate your husband is, knowing you love flowers and going to the trouble of getting them for you." Roujia blushed even more and said softly, "He's very thoughtful..."

Bairen smiled and continued chatting intimately with Roujia for a while longer until He Zichen returned from the office. They all dined together, after which He Zichen pulled Bairen aside to talk for quite some time before properly seeing him off.

During the meal, Bairen had a few extra drinks and felt dizzy and heavy. He originally intended to return to his estate, but suddenly remembered Roujia's earlier words "Isn't it the Qiqiao Festival?" Bairen counted on his fingers and realized that today was indeed the Qiqiao Festival.

The Qiqiao Festival was a day for young ladies to pray to the Weaving Maid for blessings, good needlework skills, and good marriage prospects. Bairen hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now he couldn't help but take note. Qiqiao, the Qiqiao Festival, was also the Qixi Festival when the Cowherd and Weaving Maid could meet once a year.

In a daze, Bairen touched the gold chain around his neck and murmured, "Go to the crown prince's estate."

The He estate was far from the crown prince's estate, and Bairen's entourage didn't command the same respect as Qi Xiao's where everyone made way. By the time they arrived at the crown prince's estate, it was already dark. Qi Xiao had assumed Bairen wouldn't return today. Hearing that he had come, Qi Xiao's heart warmed and he quickly summoned him in.

As soon as Bairen entered, Qi Xiao could tell he had drunk quite a bit. Qi Xiao chuckled, got up to support him to the arhat bed. Worried he might vomit, Qi Xiao didn't let him lie down, just removed his outer robes and let him lean against his embrace, gently rubbing his back.

Drunk, Bairen's cheeks were flushed, eyes hazy with charm, even more alluring than usual, and more obedient too. Qi Xiao was delighted and took full advantage, hugging and kissing him.

Qi Xiao felt distressed that Bairen's face was burning up uncomfortably and had the maid bring a cool cloth to wipe his face. He laughed lightly, "You're really beside yourself with joy, aren't you? Forgot your alcohol tolerance? If you're drunk, why not just rest at your nearby estate? Why come all this way? Didn't you feel sick from all the swaying?"

Bairen shook his head, glanced around, leaned close to Qi Xiao's ear and whispered, "I wasn't going to come originally, but...I suddenly remembered, today is the Qixi Festival."

Qi Xiao's heart nearly caught fire from Bairen's words. Suppressing his surging desire, Qi Xiao asked softly, "What about the Qixi Festival?"

Though drunk, Bairen was still extremely shy. Hearing this, he lowered his head with a smile and said quietly, "It's a day for girls to make wishes, a good day...I came back to make a wish with you."

Qi Xiao's heart swelled with complex emotions. One moment he wanted to devour Bairen alive, the next he wanted to cherish him in his palms and love him to the bone.

As long as nothing went wrong, they could start poisoning the emperor next month. In a year, victory or defeat would be clear. At that time...once he ascended the throne, without any reservations, he could dote on Bairen however he pleased. Qi Xiao could even expel all the imperial concubines, princes and princesses from the palace, keeping only Bairen by his side, exhausting the world's resources to provide for him alone. No one could ever hurt him again.

Qi Xiao closed his eyes, forcefully suppressing the countless crazy thoughts surging in his heart. He coaxed gently, "Alright, make your wish. I don't know if the Old Man Under the Moon will grant it, but as long as it's within my power, I'll definitely satisfy you."

Bairen smiled, leaned forward and lightly kissed Qi Xiao's lips, whispering, "First wish...may the crown prince live a thousand years."

Qi Xiao's heart warmed and he nodded. Bairen kissed his lips again and continued, "Second wish...may you always be in good health."

Qi Xiao's throat tightened and he nodded again. Bairen smiled shyly and slowly said, "Third wish, may we be like swallows on the beam, together year after year."

Qi Xiao lowered his head until their foreheads touched and said hoarsely, "Alright, I promise you everything."