Baby, don't be afraid, I'll accompany you to the heavens and the seas!

"Haha, what an innocent young man~"

Qing Tingmu's eyes were full of smiles as he waved to Yin Fengtu and said, "Come here!"

Yin Fengtu knelt on the ground, slowly bending his body as he approached the young prince from the capital.

"May Your Highness be well!!"

Seeing that the local students were having a pleasant conversation with Prince Mu, Pang Er spoke up.

"Haha, Prince Mu is a young prodigy! He recognized Lord Yin at a glance!"

"This Lord Yin is a renowned scholar on the Apricot Blossom List, known for his noble character and exceptional virtue!"

Pang Er fawned over him, then gestured to the standing male prostitute to come forward and serve him.

"Oh, I see!!"

Qing Tingmu feigned innocence, using the handle of her fan to prop up Lord Yin's overly bony chin.

"Haha, Lord Yin, there's no need for such formalities. I simply didn't recognize you and wanted to get a good look at your handsome faces!"

"Go away!" The crown prince waved his hand, dismissing the man.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!"

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Crown Prince!" Yin Fengtu kept his head down, not daring to look directly at the imperial nobles inside the curtain.

"Your Highness, General Luo has arrived!"

Mei Zifeng steadied herself, slid down to her knees outside the curtain, and spoke, interrupting the cheerful laughter and chatter of the women at the table.

Pang Er and Gong Tongbai exchanged thoughtful glances after hearing Mei's message.

Yin Fengtu had just sat down when he heard that General Luo had also arrived, and he felt both happy and worried.

"What?!" Qing Tingmu propped her head up and pouted impatiently.

“Your Highness, General Luo is acting on the Empress’s orders to come and fetch His Highness the Crown Prince to return to the palace!” Mei Zifeng added.

"Hmm~ Her Majesty the Empress's order?!"

Qing Tingyu lowered her voice and slowly pushed away the male prostitutes who were embracing her on either side: "Hmm~ It's really kind of Your Majesty to have such a concern!"

"Your Highness, we shall take our leave now. Please have a proper conversation with General Luo!"

Pang Er tactfully dismissed the songstress and led the rest of the group away, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, we shall take our leave now!" Gong Tongbai left behind to handle the aftermath.

"Yes, make sure the students are safe!" Qing Tingyu said coldly, giving the eldest son of the Gong family a meaningful reminder.

"Yes! This servant obeys. Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise!"

After the area was cleared out, the once bustling rooftop seating area was now empty except for the Crown Prince and Prince Mu.

"Cousin, General Luo is such a spoilsport!"

"What? Why now of all times are you looking for someone!"

Qing Tingmu smacked her lips and impatiently tugged at Qing Tingyu's sleeve.

At that moment, Qianqianluo appeared before the two of them with Lin Zhuzhu.

"Your Highness, Prince Mu, are you both alright?!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Lin Zhuzhu lifted the curtain to go forward and check on the situation.

When Qing Tingmu saw that the Empress's niece had also come along, she realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Pearl? Pearl?!"

Qing Tingmu called out a few times with suspicion, becoming even more afraid that his father would find out about him taking the crown prince out to fool around.

"Brother Mu, the Marquis of Yu is worried about you!" Lin Zhuzhu's words shattered Qing Tingmu's last hope.

"Ahhhhh!!"

"I, I shall take my leave now. You all, make your own arrangements!"

Qing Tingmu panicked and looked nervous, and slipped out of the top floor in a flash.

"Huh? Brother Mu, slow down!" Lin Zhuzhu was confused and could only remind him.

"Let's go! Don't keep the Empress waiting!"

Qing Tingyu opened her mouth, exhaling warm breath still carrying the aroma of wine, and walked out of the top floor without looking back.

"Hey! Your Highness, wait for Zhu'er! Your Highness!!" Lin Zhuzhu lifted her skirt and carefully followed.

Qianqian had been ignored for a long time. She was awkwardly staring at Mei Zifeng in the corner when she said, "Hi!"

"Hahaha, General Luo, the Crown Prince has had some wine and is probably drunk. He didn't see you clearly!"

"Don't overthink it and upset yourself!" Mei Zifeng said awkwardly with a smile on his face.

"It's alright, as long as the Crown Prince is well!"

Qianqianluo and Mei Zifeng walked side by side, chatting about various trivial matters.

……

3:45 AM (卯时三刻)

The prince still carried the intoxicating smell of alcohol and the lingering scent of women from his past relationships.

Qianqianluo and Mei Zifeng stood behind the Crown Prince, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

The outer hall of Tingyu Palace was brightly lit.

Empress Lin sat high in the hall, looking very tired as she raised her hand to cover her mouth and cough.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!" Qing Tingyu bowed respectfully, her tone indifferent.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had finally returned to the Eastern Palace, Empress Lin felt a mix of emotions: "Well, it's good that he's alright!"

"Ahem, Bai Si, instruct the kitchen to prepare a hangover soup and calming tea for His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Empress Lin was pale, but still worried, and gave further instructions.

"Good! Your Majesty, you have already given the order, and the kitchen is preparing it!" Bai Si stepped forward to help Empress Lin, who was about to leave.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!"

"Zifeng, go to the inner treasury and fetch some ginseng and snow lotus for health!"

Qing Tingyu stared at Empress Lin's frail appearance with amusement, finding it extremely ironic.

"Cough cough cough, no need! These things, still, cough cough cough..."

Lin Qinrou was still coughing incessantly, and now she lost her footing, slipped, and fell to the ground.

"Ahhhhh!!"

"Your Majesty the Empress!!!"

"Your Majesty the Empress!!!"

Upon seeing this, Bai Si and the other palace maids disregarded their decorum and rushed forward to help Empress Lin, who had fallen to the ground, up.

"Find the imperial physician to treat her!" Qing Tingyu commanded Qian Qianluo, his eyes darkening.

"Yes, I obey!" After receiving the order, Qianqian took off running towards the Imperial Hospital.

The Eastern Palace is bustling with activity tonight, brightly lit, and filled with a false sense of insincerity, with ghostly wails and howls.

……

The main hall for the morning court session;

The Prime Minister has impeached the Crown Prince!

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is utterly absurd!"

"In the dead of night, he actually lingered in brothels, indulging in romance and pleasure!"

"What face does this leave our Emperor?! What does this do to the very foundation of the nation and the dynasty?!"

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!!"

Gui Ningyu grew angrier the more he thought about it. Finding women was one thing, but to go and find low-class male prostitutes?!

This is intolerable! What is intolerable?!

"Hahaha~ Prime Minister Gui, are you all so angry that the Crown Prince frequents brothels?!"

"Or is he still standing up for his own daughter?!" the powerful man said sarcastically.

"Outrageous!! As the crown prince, it's one thing to disregard ethics and moral principles, but how can you allow the future emperor to be distressed and suffer from chronic illness?!" Minister of Rites Li Zongzhi also spoke up to protest.

Qing Tingmo sat on the dragon throne, silently listening to the ministers below making a cacophony of accusations.

"Alright, matters of the harem are for others to handle!"

"The previous dynasty should have managed its own affairs, so why did it extend its reach into the inner palace?!"

The supply control was a veiled attack, a veiled criticism of the Yang family and their faction.

"Hmph! So Lord Gong knows he can't extend his reach into the inner palace?!"

"Truly, Heaven has no eyes! Since when have thieves started crying 'stop thief'?!" President Li sneered.