After some time, the three teachers closed their books. The Grand Preceptor announced, “Today’s morning lesson ends here. Please enjoy your meal, and return to the study at noon.” Everyone stood up, bowed in unison, “Yes!” Only after the teachers had left did they dare to sit down and pack up. Indeed, it was orderly and respectful. As Qing Qing and Ya Fu were about to leave, the Crown Prince approached, smiling, “Since it’s your first time in the palace, why not dine at my Eastern Palace, allowing me to fulfill the duties of a host?” The two quickly responded, “We wouldn’t dare trouble the Crown Prince.” Miss Yu Zhen stepped forward, “The Crown Prince wants to host? What delicious food have you prepared?” The young Seventh Prince and Eighth Princess, being small, had already been taken away by eunuchs and maids. The youngest, the Fifth Princess, upon hearing of good food, quickly dropped her textbook and ran over to pull at Li Qin’s hand, “Second Brother, what are we eating? I want some too.” Everyone laughed. Li Qin, looking at Ya Fu, tentatively suggested, “Why don’t we all dine at my Eastern Palace today? I’ve already had it prepared.” Qing Qing and Ya Fu, unable to refuse, bowed in acceptance. Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince, who hadn’t spoken, was playing with a piece of jade when everyone turned to look at him. He slowly said, “I won’t be going,” and walked away without another word. Li Qin’s face fell slightly. Ya Fu, sensing the awkwardness, quickly softened the atmosphere with a laugh, “I suppose the Fourth Prince has other matters to attend to. Let’s go and enjoy the hospitality of the Crown Prince; I’m quite hungry.” It was well-known that the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince didn’t get along, but Ya Fu’s smile glossed over it. Her smile was beautiful, not just her eyebrows and eyes but her entire being. Li Qin immediately felt much better, as perhaps all young men would when seeing a beautiful woman they admired smile so warmly.
At the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince had indeed arranged for a lavish meal. On the large pearwood round table was an array of dishes, and eunuchs and maids entered in procession, silently setting down the food and then quietly withdrawing. Today’s meal was a royal banquet, mimicking the dining habits of the Zhou Dynasty, with six grains — rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, barley, and water oats; six beverages — water, fruit juice, rice wine, vinegar, cold tea, and barley water; six meats — beef, lamb, pork, dog, goose, and fish; and one hundred and twenty kinds of delicacies, with one hundred and twenty jars of sauces. Not just Qing Qing, even those as privileged as Yu Zhen and Ya Fu had never seen such a lavish feast. The Fifth Princess was left speechless in awe, exclaiming, “Brother, you’re so biased!” At her words, Li Qin caught a glimpse of the smile in Ya Fu’s eyes.
Ya Fu, of course, would smile; which woman wouldn’t appreciate a man’s attentiveness, especially when that man is the most noble in the land? Li Qin looked quite proud, asking, “How about it?” The women sighed in admiration, but Qing Qing felt both sorrow and pain. How could she see this as the same Crown Prince who had once spoken to her by the river about “diligently governing the people”? “Please, take your seats,” Li Qin said, oblivious to Qing Qing’s discomfort, only focused on the admiration in Ya Fu’s eyes. Speaking of beauty, Ya Fu couldn’t compare to Yu Zhen, and Li Qin had known her longer, yet for some reason, he found himself drawn to the still childlike Ya Fu. Suddenly, Qing Qing said coldly, “The Crown Prince’s hospitality is too grand for me; I must take my leave.” Watching Qing Qing about to leave, Li Qin’s earlier joy vanished instantly. He asked, “In what way has this Prince failed in his hospitality to offend Miss Lin?” Qing Qing remembered her father’s words from the night before, not daring to overstep any bounds further. Seeing that the Crown Prince seemed quite displeased with his disdain and even showed a hint of contempt, Qingqing could no longer hold back. She pulled a cold smile at the corner of her mouth and said, “Your Highness, you spend gold like dirt and waste precious things. Have you forgotten the large number of refugees outside the city?” Li Qin, instead of getting angry, laughed, “Should I, the dignified Crown Prince, compare myself with refugees? You must understand, in the future, the entire world will be mine, let alone a few simple meals?” His expression was arrogant, subtly exuding the aura of a monarch.
Qingqing laughed, “Your Highness, do you know that this ‘simple meal’ of yours could feed an ordinary family of three or four for a year?” Li Qin seemed somewhat surprised, his tone turning cold as he said word by word, “I am the Crown Prince.” Yafu and Yuzhen turned pale with fear, signaling her not to say more, even pulling at her sleeve. But Qingqing ignored them, retorting, “Indeed, to the people, the Crown Prince is like heaven. But remember this saying – water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. A ruler who is ignorant of the people’s suffering is not a good ruler.” Her words were a grave offense, and Yafu quickly knelt down with a thud, “Please calm your anger, Your Highness. My elder sister spoke thoughtlessly; please do not take it to heart.”
Qingqing, however, said, “I spoke with sincerity, not thoughtlessly.” Li Qin was indeed furious; being of noble birth, even the Emperor hadn’t spoken harsh words to him, let alone received such direct admonishment. Although he realized he was wrong, he wouldn’t admit it and, forgetting his upbringing, snapped, “It’s not your place to criticize the matters of this prince. Get out, you ugly woman.” Since learning she looked like “Zhong Wuyan,” Qingqing most detested the term “ugly woman.” She hadn’t expected that her well-intentioned advice would lead to such a harsh insult. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, she ran out in tears.
Yafu was worried about Qingqing wandering around the palace and causing trouble that might implicate herself, but she was more concerned about Li Qin’s lingering anger, so she stayed behind with Yuzhen to console him, not even touching the meal.
Qingqing ran for a while, her vision blurred by tears, and she got lost. Her heart was still heavy, remembering Li Qin’s earlier words of encouragement, “As long as you work hard, as long as you are brave, you will shine brighter than anything a ‘master’ could own.” Yet now, he called her an “ugly woman” when she tried to advise him. The more she thought about it, the more ashamed and angry she became, not even noticing when she bumped into someone.
Upon realizing she had bumped into someone, Qingqing quickly prepared to apologize, but the person said, “Miss Lin?” Qingqing looked up in confusion to see it was the Fourth Prince. She hurriedly wiped away her tears, bowed deeply, and said, not knowing whether she was defiant or genuinely apologetic, “This humble girl has rudely bumped into you, I deserve death.”
The Fourth Prince, seeing her tear-streaked face and pitiful appearance, felt a surge of sympathy, and his feelings towards her warmed slightly. He smiled and said, “What grievance has Miss Lin suffered? Why not share it with me?” Although he was the same age as Qingqing, being a bit taller, he spoke as if he were an adult consoling a child.
Qingqing couldn’t help but find it amusing, which lessened her anger. She shook her head, “It’s nothing, I overstepped my bounds and offended the Crown Prince.” The Fourth Prince’s brows furrowed slightly, “My second brother is usually amiable, not so petty.”
Hearing this, Qingqing felt even more wronged and began crying again. The Fourth Prince, who seldom spoke to women and didn’t have Li Qin’s charm with princesses and palace maids, was flustered by her tears. He quickly said, “I just spoke casually; Miss Lin, please don’t mind. Perhaps my brother was also at fault.”