The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 138

Song Jin found the Crown Prince’s words strange. Why did it seem like the Crown Prince had some animosity towards his ancestors?

As Song Jin and the Crown Prince whispered, the Second and Third Princes frowned at them. In fact, it wasn’t just the Second and Third Princes; nearly everyone was subtly glancing at the pair. After all, the scene was quite bizarre.

The Emperor also felt perplexed. He couldn’t understand how the Crown Prince had suddenly become close to the Fourth Prince. When had the Crown Prince started getting close to the Fourth Prince? It seemed that ever since the Fourth Prince returned from Yuzhou, things had changed. Another thing that changed after his return was the Heavenly Hound becoming sentient.

This matter lingered in the Emperor’s mind. He tried to push it to the most concealed corner of his thoughts, attempting to ignore it and treating the Heavenly Hound’s sentience as normal since he was the legitimate Emperor. However, every unexpected or unusual occurrence would prick at his conscience, reminding him of the Heavenly Hound’s sentience and its previous attacks on him.

Few people at the banquet were actually focused on it. Consort Li was especially distracted. Her venomous eyes were fixed on Song Jin, her hands tightly clutching a handkerchief. With the downfall of the Duke’s Estate, she looked terribly pale, and her face was contorted with anger.

The Crown Prince, with a faint smile, glanced at Consort Li. According to the script of a storybook, after a dance performance and the palace maids served wine and food, Consort Li’s people should arrive.

As he was thinking this, he suddenly noticed someone out of the corner of his eye, and his expression tightened as he turned to look at Song Jin. She was engrossed in staring at the… pastries in front of her.

The Crown Prince asked, “Want to eat?”

Song Jin snapped her head around and glared at him. “What’s it to you?”

The Crown Prince chuckled. “Of course it matters to me. If you eat well, you’ll have the energy to do things for me!” He paused and then said gently, “If you want to eat, go ahead. They’re meant to be eaten. Look, even Princess Li Yang and Consort Qi are enjoying themselves.”

Song Jin didn’t know who Princess Li Yang or Consort Qi were, but if others could eat, so could she. She had been hungry since last night when she couldn’t sleep. She had planned to have a hearty breakfast, but this damned Crown Prince had disrupted her plans, leaving her to travel on an empty stomach.

She scooped a piece of pastry with a spoon and put it in her mouth. The pastry melted in her mouth, smooth and slightly sweet and sour, tasting wonderful. Song Jin couldn’t help but squint her eyes in pleasure. But then she caught herself. Oh no, she almost forgot she was a man now! Men squinting in pleasure while eating might look strange. She had never observed men systematically, but it felt odd if she really did that.

Awake to this, Song Jin ate the pastry with a cautious mind. The Crown Prince, looking at her, found it amusing. He tugged at Song Jin’s sleeve. “You see, even three-year-old Princess Li Yang doesn’t enjoy her food as much as you.”

Song Jin’s hand trembled. Three years old? She looked across the hall. She couldn’t see clearly through the dancing sleeves of the performers, but she vaguely saw a three-year-old being fed small bites of snacks.

Song Jin turned back to the Crown Prince and glared at him. “You did this on purpose!”

The Crown Prince laughed gleefully. “I’m just helping you out. Seeing you want to eat but not daring to makes me feel bad for you.”

Song Jin…

The frequent interaction between Song Jin and the Crown Prince intrigued the onlookers even more. How could someone who was once so despised suddenly become so close?

As the music ended, palace servants brought in delicious food and drinks. It was Song Jin’s first time attending a palace banquet, and she gazed at the beautifully presented food, drooling.

The Crown Prince chuckled, “Don’t worry, everything is safe to eat.”

Song Jin… How annoying!

The Crown Prince ignored her glare. “If you want to eat, do it quickly. Otherwise, there might be nothing left later.”

Just as the Crown Prince finished speaking, a young eunuch rushed in. Initially, he intended to bypass the masters and head towards the eunuch steward behind the Emperor. However, either tripping over something or being too flustered, he stumbled right after stepping over the threshold and fell with a loud thud, startling the Emperor.

The hall fell silent. Song Jin even heard the sound of her gulping down pigeon soup. The Emperor frowned in displeasure.

The eunuch steward’s face darkened. “Insolence! How dare you rush in front of the Empress Dowager and His Majesty! Guards…”

Before the steward could finish, the young eunuch crawled forward on his knees. “Your Majesty, the Imperial Study is on fire! The fire is quite large! I was in a panic just now, so…” He glanced at Song Jin and quickly lowered his head. “This servant deserves to die.”

Song Jin… A bad feeling suddenly swept over her.

The Crown Prince had just said, if she didn’t eat quickly, there would be no food left. Could it be…

Song Jin turned suspiciously to the Crown Prince, but he ignored her, looking elsewhere.

The young eunuch’s report about the fire in the Imperial Study shocked the consorts, Princesses, and princes, causing them to gasp. That was the Imperial Study!

The Emperor, shocked, stood up abruptly. “What did you say?”

The eunuch quickly explained, “Two moments ago, the Fourth Highness went to the Imperial Study looking for Your Majesty, saying Your Majesty summoned him. By then, Your Majesty was no longer there. This servant tried to stop the Fourth Highness, but before he could leave, the Imperial Study caught fire. At that time, there was no one inside.”

Song Jin… She was just sitting here, and trouble came from nowhere?

As the eunuch spoke, low murmurs filled the hall. The whispers seemed distant, unreal, yet they were undeniably present.

The Emperor’s angry gaze shot towards Song Jin. She glared hatefully at the Crown Prince. Well played! She stood up respectfully. “Reporting to Father Emperor, I did receive a summons from a eunuch. The Crown Prince was there when it happened.”

The Crown Prince glanced at Consort Li. Seeing the darkness in her eyes, he sneered. It turned out her plan included him as well. Understandable, since he was also involved in the Duke’s case.

After Song Jin spoke, the Crown Prince stood up. “Father, at that time, I was with Fourth Brother, preparing to come to the banquet hall. Suddenly, a eunuch came saying Father summoned Fourth Brother, so we parted ways.”

The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince, his eyes dark. His favorite son was now so close to this son whose fate clashed with his!

Ignoring the Crown Prince, the Emperor asked the young eunuch, “The fire started two moments ago, why are you only reporting it now?”