76 Crown Princess

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"Ji An, what are you thinking?"

Xu Ji An turned his head and saw his mother walking towards him.

"Er' Chen[1] greets mother." Xu Ji An half kneeled and greeted his mother.

Empress Wei smiled and helped Xu Ji An stood up.

"Silly child! We are inside our palace. No need to be formal in front of your mother. Tell mother why you are here outside? What are you thinking?"

Xu Ji An smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing, MuHou[2]. Er' Chen was only looking at the moon."

Empress Wei laughed. She did not believe her son's words. She knew something was disturbing his mind.

"Ji An ah… do not lie to mother. Mother knows you best… tell mother, what is it?"

Xu Ji An hesitated. It had been two days since he saw her but he could not forget her face. The way she frown, the way her eyes glare at him… every move she made during that brief encounter they had at the banquet.. all of it kept on reappearing at Xu Ji An's mind as if he was being bewitched by her.

That's right!

He must have been bewitched by her!

Looking at her son's hesitating face, Empress Wei grabbed Xu Ji An's hands and patted it slowly.

"Ji An ah… always remember that the only one you can rely on is mother. Among all the people around you, the only one you can trust is no one but mother. Between us, mother and child, there should be no such thing as 'secrets' and 'lies'. Now tell mother, what is it?"

Looking at the woman who gave birth and raised him for eighteen long years, Xu Ji An sighed. He opened his mouth and spoke.

"Father's upcoming Imperial Birthday Banquet, was it really for the selection of the princes' future brides?"

When Empress Wei heard, Xu Ji An's words, her expressions darkened.

"Indeed. That is true. Although the banquet is made in order to celebrate the emperor's natal day, the main purpose of it is to search for the imperial princes' prospect brides including you, my child. Tai Fei[3] Niang Niang will also return from the monastery in order to celebrate your Imperial Father's birthday banquet and to participate on the selection."

Xu Ji An nodded his head when he heard his mother's words. regarding to his Imperial Grandmother, he had a small recollection of her since she seldom visit the capital and would always stay at the monastery. It had been known that the Tai Fei Niang Niang was one of the first women in the previous Emperor's harem. Many people thought that she would become the next Empress when the first Empress died but it did not happen. When the Emperor returned from the boarders, he brought a pregnant woman who was said to be a royalty from a faraway place outside the country and crowned her as the new Empress. After the crowning, he named her Empress Shen. It was also well known around the entire continent that the woman was even younger that the current emperor, Xu Ji Mo[4]. Many opposed but the previous emperor was adamant to make the woman the new empress. The previous emperor made sure that those people who tried to oppose him either died in sickness or died in accident.

Even when Empress Shen died, the previous emperor did not appoint any other female as the new empress, leaving the seat vacant. When the previous emperor died, he made an Imperial Edict, stating that the current emperor's birth mother, Imperial Concubine Guan would never become the Empress Dowager even if the current emperor succeeds the throne because by law, the seat of the empress had been given to the deceased Empress Shen.

"Why are you asking about the upcoming Imperial Birthday Banquet?"

Empress Wei felt like her son was really hiding something from her. She could not help but feel uneasy. A silly thought suddenly passed on her mind.

"Ji An…. You…*sigh* tell mother truthfully, was the reason why you were asking about the upcoming Imperial Birthday Banquet was because you had taken a fancy to a maiden and wished that she would be selected as your future Crown Princess?"

When Xu Ji An heard his mother's words, XuanRong's face suddenly appeared on his mind. He inwardly shook his head and mocked himself.

Although he fancied XuanRong, he did not want his plans to be interrupted just because of a woman. Although he was currently the Crown Prince, the battle of the crown was very fierce. His, Xu Ji An's woman should not only satisfy his needs as a man but should also be able to support him to get the throne. Although XuanRong was into his liking and had the XiangFu and Chen Fu as backing, she was a ticking bomb. The Chen family already holds a great military power. His Imperial Father would definitely be alerted once one of the princes get tied with their family. Xu Ji An knew his father. He was a paranoid man who was always suspicious towards other people, even he and his siblings had to be careful in terms of wielding political power. If he would get involved with XuanRong, it would bring him more harm than benefit.

"What is MuHou saying? Er' Chen was just curious. MuHou, rest assured, the woman that will become the future Crown Princess will be a woman that could help Er' Chen reach the throne."

Hearing Xu Ji An's words, Empress Wei sighed in relief. She did not want her only child to self-destruct and become foolish due to love.

---------

In a huge tree outside the Chen's residence, two silhouettes were standing on its branches.

Shadow had been crying inside since morning. He looked at His Lordship who was standing like a statue while facing the residence's gate. His Lordship had been standing like this since morning. He neither took a small break to pee or eat nor move from his original position.

'Is he still human?'

Shadow inwardly cursed his luck.

He was a spy for heaven's sake!

Since His Lordship did not leave, he, his shadow, could only accompany him!

He wanted to scream and beg for this great ancestor to leave and return to the residence. Once that man finds out that His Lordship once again disappeared, for sure, he would flip the entire country!

Shadow remembered Yue Shin's instructions. He must not let His Lordship act willful like what he did inside Lady Xuan's bedroom.

Heavens! What happened that night almost killed him! Yue Shen got angry to the point that his lowly self could only crawl out of the punishment tower.

*sob* *sob*

"Your Lordship, this servant thinks that Lady Xuan will stay in Chen Fu----"

Before Shadow could even finish his sentence, XuanRong's carriage left the Chen residence. Shadow immediately turned his head to look at his great ancestor and found out that the man was already missing.

'Oh Fuck.'

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[1]. 'This Child'

[2]. 'Imperial Mother'- what imperial children would call to the empress regardless whether she is their birth mother or not.

[3]. (Imperial Concubine Dowager)- an Imperial Concubine of a previous Emperor while 'Tai Hou' means (Empress Dowager).

[4]. Pedophilia is very common in ancient times (because a fifty years old ojisan looks like a thirty years old hot oppa). That is the reason why Xu Ji Mo is way older than Xu Fei Yi and why Xu Ji An is only two-three years younger than the ML.

[Unedited Chapter]