The cruel little princess

After the plum blossom viewing banquet, business at Rui'an County Lady's Rejuvenating Herbal Food Shop reached a new high! The shopkeeper was grinning from ear to ear. It was simply because he'd counted the silver until his hands cramped! It felt so good!

After returning, the Fifth Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Rui, thought about it and decided to take the initiative to avoid being snatched away by his brothers who had not yet married to marry the Princess of Rui'an.

The next morning, after leaving court, His Royal Highness Prince Rui did not leave the palace immediately. He went to the palace of his mother, Concubine Shu.

"Mother, you must help your son this time!" Prince Rui began to wail before even entering the room. His voice was filled with a hint of urgency and anxiety, making people curious about what was going on.

"What's going on? No matter what happens, I'm still here! I'll take care of everything for you!" Concubine Shu was dressing in front of the mirror when she heard her son's cry. She quickly put down her hairpin and walked out of the inner room. Worry and concern filled her face as she quickly walked to the door to greet her son.

"Zizhu." Concubine Shu signaled her trusted maid to take the outsiders out, then she sat gracefully in the main seat. Her movements were elegant and noble, showcasing her majesty and temperament as a Concubine Shu.

"Mother! I've fallen in love with a girl! You must ask Father to grant me a marriage! I want her to be my principal wife!" Prince Rui, like a child, tugged at Consort Shu's sleeve and shook her coquettishly. His expression was filled with anticipation and longing, his eyes gleaming with genuine emotion.

Concubine Shu's gaze suddenly changed, a flicker of light flickering in her eyes. But soon, she concealed her emotion, her eyes softening again. She gently stroked her son's hand and said with a smile, "Xing'er, (Prince Rui's name is Chu Shenxing) tell me, which girl do you like? How did you meet her? Did she show any interest in you?" Her tone revealed her concern and support for her son's love life.

"Mother, I've taken a liking to Shen Youyou, the daughter of the state-guarding general! I went to...went to...Chun Man Lou a while ago and ran into...into some trouble. It was Miss Shen who helped me detoxify, and it was Miss Shen who vouched for my innocence!" Prince Rui was completely defenseless against his mother. In this ruthless harem, a mother's status depends on her son, and a son's status depends on his mother. He and his mother were each other's strongest support and backing!

Concubine Shu narrowed her eyes slightly and asked softly, "Shen Youyou? Why does this name sound so familiar?"

His Royal Highness Prince Rui quickly explained, "Mother, she is the Princess of Rui'an, the daughter of General Shen, who was personally appointed by His Majesty some time ago!"

Concubine Shu suddenly realized that it was the woman who had attracted so much attention. She secretly wondered what the connection was between this Miss Shen and her son.

"Oh? It's her?" Concubine Shu's casual expression suddenly turned serious. She knew that Miss Shen had a special status and the power behind her should not be underestimated. Her son's infatuation with her would undoubtedly complicate matters.

Concubine Shu frowned slightly, lost in thought. She needed to carefully consider how to deal with this situation, without offending General Shen and ensuring her son's happiness.

Seeing Concubine Shu's expression, Zizhu, who was waiting nearby, could not help but advise, "Your Majesty, since His Royal Highness Prince Rui likes Miss Shen, why not let them be together? After all, Miss Shen is a good girl. Didn't His Majesty praise her as a role model for the women of our Golden Dragon Nation some time ago?"

Concubine Shu glared at Zizhu and said unhappily, "What do you know? This matter concerns Xing'er's future. We can't make a rash decision."

Prince Rui was a little anxious when he saw his mother's resolute attitude, but he didn't dare to refute her rashly. He knew that everything his mother did was for his own good, so he could only wait silently for her decision.

"Mother, is there something wrong with her? Or is there any connection between you and her?" His Royal Highness Prince Rui asked nervously.

"Okay, have you forgotten that when you were little, you were playing with that little bastard, and Shen Youyou helped the little bastard to get involved, and he beat you up. But didn't you say that Shen Youyou was a fool at that time? What? He's not a fool now?" Concubine Shu snorted coldly.

"Mother, don't say that. I think Miss Shen is very well-behaved. If you meet her, you will definitely like her!" When His Royal Highness Prince Rui thought of Shen Youyou, he felt his lower abdomen tighten and couldn't help but speak well of her.

"As for her, don't even think about it! Your father has already issued an edict to allow her freedom to marry, and even praised her as a remarkable woman from our Golden Dragon Kingdom! I think you have completely forgotten all this! All you do every day is flirt with other women and sleep with willows and pretty girls. If you have this in mind, why don't you come to your father more often and ask for some serious work to do?" The Concubine Shu pointed her finger at the forehead of His Royal Highness Prince Rui, looking very disappointed.

"Mother!" Prince Rui tilted his head slightly to avoid the slender fingers of Concubine Shu, feeling a little unhappy. He felt that he had tried hard enough, but Concubine Shu was still not satisfied. Moreover, his feelings for Shen Youyou were not that simple. He really liked her and wanted to marry her. However, Concubine Shu always opposed them being together, which made him feel helpless.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Have you visited your father recently?" Empress Shufei changed the subject.

"Yes, my father has been very busy lately, and I didn't dare disturb him for too long." His Royal Highness Prince Rui answered truthfully.

"Well, that's good. You should pay more attention to your father and let him feel your filial piety. Also, you should communicate more with the counselors in your palace, ask them for advice on how to govern the country, and learn more about the direction of the court. Don't just think about having fun all day long, you should be a little motivated. Your mother can't care about state affairs in the harem, and can't share the burden for you. In your Prince Rui's Palace, you still have to rely on yourself." Empress Shufei taught earnestly.

"Mother, I understand. I'll try my best." Prince Rui nodded perfunctorily, but in his heart he didn't agree. He felt that he had done well and didn't need to change anything. He just wanted to live his life the way he wanted, without being bound by others.

"It's because my father favors that bastard, Old Nine, that he always asks him to do everything, and I'm so happy!" His Royal Highness Prince Rui thought to himself, but he didn't dare to show it at all. He was afraid that his mother would blame him for no reason.

Now, he had thought he could ask his mother for help in pleading with his father, who would then grant him Shen Youyou as his principal wife. But it turned out Shen Youyou was the remarkable woman his father had previously granted him the freedom to marry! Apparently, the arranged marriage path wasn't going to work. He could only rely on himself and see if he could make things happen, or create more opportunities for Shen Youyou to fall for his charm and agree to marry him!

The thought of Shen Youyou becoming his future wife made His Royal Highness feel a surge of heat, especially in his abdomen, which felt tight, as if all his strength was concentrated in that area. He quickly turned sideways and gently tugged at his robe, trying to hide the barely noticeable change between his legs.

Thinking of this, His Royal Highness Prince Rui believed that he still needed to rely on his own efforts to achieve his goal, so he stood up and said goodbye to his mother.

As soon as His Royal Highness Prince Rui left, Consort Shu immediately displayed her fury. She suddenly extended her delicate hand and, with a powerful swing, toppled the precious imperial bone china tea set on the table to the ground, sending a resounding shattering sound. Then, she slammed the table, her forehead veins bulging, clearly in a state of extreme rage.

Concubine Shu said angrily, "Humph! How dare anybody dream of becoming my daughter-in-law? It's just a foolish dream! No one except Yuyan can take the position of Princess Rui! No, I must ask the Emperor to issue an imperial decree as soon as possible to allow Xing'er and Yuyan to get married! To prevent any more trouble!"

However, she seemed to have completely failed to consider a possibility - perhaps Shen Youyou had no interest in her precious son at all, and might even want to avoid him as much as possible!

"Zizhu, help me to redo my makeup, and send someone to call the imperial physician and tell him that I am not feeling well. Then go and invite the emperor!" Concubine Shu gave the orders in an orderly manner.

Then, with Zizhu's help, she returned to the inner room to dress in front of the mirror. The shattered tea sets in the outer room lay quietly on the floor, still displaying the owner's wrath. Soon, a palace maid arrived to clean up the broken tea sets. Peace returned to the palace, as if nothing had happened.