After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

As the crown prince, he naturally lived a life of luxury, with the best food in the imperial kitchen always going to him first. But he had never tasted such delicious radishes before. Not only the radishes, but also the other cold dishes, every bite was so unique, completely different from the imperial meals he had eaten.

Lu Zhiyuan, unfazed, said to the Crown Prince, "The Imperial Kitchen is particular, and their methods differ. For example, they wouldn't dare let you eat cold dishes casually, in case you get sick. That would be a capital offense. Every vegetable has its own natural flavor—some are sweet, some are sour, some are bitter, and some are astringent. Different cooking methods can neutralize or amplify these flavors. For example, bitter melon, after blanching, can be stir-fried or served cold. It has a bittersweet taste and is good for clearing heat and reducing internal fire, but they wouldn't dare make it for you."

The boy opened his eyes wide, puzzled, and asked, "Why?"

Lu Zhiyuan spread her hands: "Because before the bitterness dissipates, the nobles will have them dragged away and beheaded, suspecting them of plotting against them. So even if bitter melon exists, even if the imperial chefs dare to make it, they will use various methods to make it taste completely bitter, so you can't tell it's bitter melon. Radishes are the same; after the imperial chefs racked their brains to refine them, they have long since lost their radish flavor."

The young man nodded.

Indeed, the imperial chefs' dishes were always reliable; they were delicious, but they always felt a bit repetitive. Occasionally there would be something new, but after one or two times, it would disappear.

The young man longed to stay and dine with them, but as the Crown Prince, his presence would make everyone feel restrained and uncomfortable. Moreover, with his grandmother's passing, it would be disrespectful for him, as the Crown Prince, to be out in the palace to eat and drink instead of keeping vigil or performing his duties. If word got out, it would become a handle for others to use against him, and countless memorials would surely pile up on his father's desk.

Adopting the airs of the Crown Prince, he gave a few symbolic instructions before leaving Ronghua Palace. Xiao Yebai followed closely behind, stopping at the palace gate: "Now that Your Highness has come out, you should go and see the Empress. The Empress and the Empress Dowager were like mother and daughter. With the Empress Dowager's passing, the Empress must be grieving. As her son, you should go and comfort her."

The young man turned to look at Xiao Yebai: "I've heard that the situation in Southern Chu is unstable, with the Southern Chu royal family engaged in open and covert struggles. I wonder if Your Highness, the hostage, has any intention of returning to Chu?"

Xiao Yebai's eyes were dark and unfathomable. He lowered his head slightly and said in his usual voice, "Yebai's surname is Xiao. From the moment he was born, he was deprived of his right to inherit the Southern Chu royal family. They will not let Yebai go back, and they will not allow Southern Chu to have a Southern Chu king with the surname Xiao."

He said "they won't let Ye Bai go back," not that Ye Bai didn't want to go back. For the Southern Chu royal family, the Prince of Xiao might be a humiliation, but for Northern Liang, he's the best option. The Prince of Southern Chu, with Northern Liang royal blood, might bring a century of peace to both Southern Chu and Northern Liang.

The young man lowered his head, pondered for a moment, then looked up and stared directly into Xiao Yebai's eyes, saying, "On New Year's Eve, Your Highness might as well accompany Miss Lu for a walk outside the palace. New Year's Eve in our Northern Liang is quite lively."

Xiao Yebai looked into the boy's eyes but remained silent for a long time.

The young man who left Ronghua Palace went to the Empress's palace. He understood Xiao Yebai's meaning. As the Crown Prince, it was easy for people to speculate if he went to Ronghua Palace rashly, even if he only stayed for a moment. But if it was the Empress's instruction, others would not dare to say anything even if they had some guesses. Everyone knew that the Empress liked Lu Zhiyuan and was entrusted by Xie Chaoyun to take care of Lu Zhiyuan.

The Empress had already gone to bed, but upon hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived, she hurriedly got up and had him invited into the palace. Although they were mother and son, they hadn't had many moments together. The royal family was not like ordinary families; the Crown Prince had been taken away by his wet nurse shortly after birth, and at just over two years old, he was still struggling to speak and was engrossed in his books. She rarely had the chance to see him, yet she couldn't bear to disturb his studies.

He knew he wasn't smart enough, but he firmly believed that diligence could make up for it. He also knew that he was not only the Crown Prince, but also the hope of the entire Jiang family. If he fell, the Jiang family would fall, and if the Jiang family fell, he and his mother would face a difficult situation in the deep palace. For his mother and for the Jiang family, he could only do his best to become the Crown Prince.

The moonlight was soft, and the mother and son strolled slowly in the garden like ordinary people, with palace servants following at a distance, none of them disturbing them. The moonlight cast their shadows long and thin. After reminiscing about their childhood and asking about the Crown Prince's studies, the conversation naturally turned to Lu Zhiyuan.

"The Empress Dowager wants her to be your Crown Princess. What does the Crown Prince think?"

“She’s only eight years old. How can she be my Crown Princess? Even if we’re going to choose someone from the Xie family, she should be someone my age.” The young man smiled and said, “I know Mother’s concerns and Father’s wariness of the Xie family. I remember that General Xie’s eldest son has two daughters, who are about the same age as me. The eldest son of the Xie family is a merchant, so Father should approve of him marrying a merchant’s daughter as Crown Princess. As for the concubines, one should be the daughter of a civil official, and the other the daughter of a military general. If necessary, we can also choose one from the close relatives of the Jiang family.”

"Don't you want to choose someone you like?" the Empress asked. "That position is not easy to hold. The longer you sit there, the fewer close people you'll have around you, and you won't even have anyone to talk to. If I had a choice, I would rather you be a prince with a carefree life. But you are the Crown Prince, the hope of the entire Jiang family. I hope that while you are the Crown Prince, you can choose a woman you truly like, who also likes you, as your concubine. At least she can sincerely accompany you during your time as Crown Prince, and you can live a life like an ordinary young couple."

The young man shook his head: "Being in the royal family, there are gains and losses, I understand, but I have my own considerations."

The Empress took his hand: "What is the Crown Prince worried about?"

A gust of wind came, and the night insects chirped incessantly, causing the flowers in the garden to sway in the breeze. Amidst the sounds of the wind and insects, the young man said softly, "Those who are truly sincere to their children, their children may not be able to repay them with sincerity in return."

The Empress remained silent for a long time, but still insisted on her own idea: "I still hope that you can consider my suggestion and marry Lu Zhiyuan, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, as your principal wife. As for the selection of the concubine, the Crown Prince can decide for himself."

The young man, puzzled, frowned slightly and looked at his mother's face through the faint moonlight: "Your subject knows that her status is different and that she has some abilities that ordinary people do not possess, but she is not the best candidate for the Crown Prince's consort, much less the best candidate for the future mother of the nation. Your subject does not understand, why must it be her?"

The Empress sighed: "She will die young and won't be able to restrain the Crown Prince, but he can use her status to control the Xie and Lu families, especially the Xie family. As long as she is the Crown Princess, everything the Xie family has can be used by the Crown Prince. No matter how unwilling the Xie family is, they will become the Crown Prince's faction in name and in fact. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, before there is a suitable Empress, the position of Empress can be left in name only."

The young man understood the Empress's good intentions, but the words "her life is short" still stung a nerve. Could such a lively, lovely, and radiant young girl truly not live past her coming-of-age ceremony? Thinking of the Xie family's high regard for her, the different treatment she received from the Commandant's Office and the Garrison Command, and the way Xiao Yebai looked at her in Ronghua Palace, the young man's heart stirred slightly. He took a step back, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject obeys Your Majesty's wishes. Your subject wishes to marry Lu Zhiyuan, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, as your Crown Princess."

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief: "After all, she is still a bit young. Let's settle her status first, on the night of the New Year's Eve palace banquet."