Cheng Simian's temples throbbed faintly. The Crown Prince's voice wasn't exactly soft, and it made her head buzz.
It was even harder for her to think.
The Crown Prince at this moment looked like an irate big dog.
She didn't understand what had upset him this time.
It was said that emperors were unpredictable, and serving beside them was like being with a tiger.
Working under the future emperor was truly no easy task.
Suddenly, she remembered Wan Chu's jest, telling her to praise the Crown Prince to his face and see if he'd be happy.
An irate big dog did need some gentle strokes to soothe it.
She looked into the Crown Prince's eyes and gave a charming smile.
"I, your humble servant girl, don't know where I've offended Your Highness. Please forgive my ignorance. Moreover, Your Highness is a magnanimous, elegant, and gentle person. Even if I said something wrong, you wouldn't take it to heart, right?"
The Crown Prince looked into those innocent and confused eyes. His anger didn't subside completely, but he couldn't bring himself to raise his voice.
He didn't even notice that the corners of his mouth had already lifted high.
He pressed her head back onto his shoulder and rested his chin on her forehead.
"Didn't I say that you'll be the only Crown Princess by my side?"
"There's only one Crown Princess, but there can be four concubines of a lower rank, six maidens of good virtue, and there's no limit to the number of concubines and maids for bed service..."
Cheng Simian murmured to herself. Her head was dizzy, and she rubbed against the Crown Prince's chest a few times, finding the most comfortable angle to rest her head on his shoulder.
Her shallow breaths intertwined with the man's slightly heavy ones.
The atmosphere in the carriage grew increasingly ambiguous.
The Crown Prince's body began to heat up faintly. The few gentle rubs completely diverted his anger.
He lowered his head and looked at the half - drunk beauty in his arms.
Her beautiful eyes were half - closed, her red lips slightly parted, and her body was tinged with the smell of alcohol, making her even more delicate than usual.
He considered himself a gentleman, but at this moment, he had the urge to steal a kiss.
His voice grew even hoarser.
"Was my statement not clear enough? Mianmian, listen well. You'll be the only woman by my side, now and in the future."
Maybe it was his inner uneasiness that held him back. He didn't dare to blurt out that he wouldn't even want a harem in the future, and that just having Mianmian as his empress would be enough.
It would scare Mianmian.
Cheng Simian was only slightly drunk. Such a solemn promise, especially coming from the Crown Prince, made her sober up a bit more.
The love of an emperor was both dangerous and alluring. How many women in the world resorted to all kinds of means and schemed against each other, just hoping to receive a night of the emperor's favor.
The Crown Prince would never lack women, yet he seriously said that he only needed her.
They were just supposed to maintain a husband - wife relationship for a while. He didn't have to make such a promise at all.
She never minded that there would be other women serving in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Why did the Crown Prince keep emphasizing that he only needed her?
She lifted her head, sat up straight, and tried to find some clues from the Crown Prince's face.
"Does every promise Your Highness makes count?"
The Crown Prince thought Cheng Simian was referring to the promise of having only one woman by his side. He said happily, "My words are as good as gold."
But Cheng Simian's mind was on something else.
At first, the Crown Prince found her and asked her to be the Crown Princess so that the world could see his magnanimity and wouldn't be afraid of him because of his purge of the Princess Chang's power, thinking he was a ruthless ruler.
He also clearly stated that it was a deal.
She proposed that she would be able to go to the south of the Yangtze River after the deal was done, and he agreed.
If this promise also counted, wouldn't it contradict what he was saying now?
Did the Crown Prince still remember his original promise?
Just as Cheng Simian was about to ask, she suddenly heard a gentle and respectful male voice outside the carriage.
"Your younger brother comes to greet you, elder brother."
The carriage door was tightly shut, and there was also a curtain outside. Lu Siming lowered his eyes and bowed to the carriage.
He seemed not to know that Cheng Simian was also in the carriage.
The Crown Prince's eyes darkened a bit.
"What a coincidence. You're willing to go out for a stroll, second brother?"
Lu Siming was a noble and talented scholar in the eyes of the world. Most of the time, he lived in a villa, making friends with poets, hosting banquets for guests, and doing all kinds of elegant things.
He didn't like to play or show himself in public.
The Crown Prince's "What a coincidence" clearly had some deeper meaning.
Seeing that the Crown Prince didn't lift the curtain to meet him, Lu Siming casually glanced at the carriage.
"Elder brother is busy with state affairs. We rarely get to see each other. I'm honored and delighted that elder brother is willing to grace my famous painting banquet tomorrow. Thank you here."
"We're brothers. There's no need for such courtesy," the Crown Prince said indifferently. "Mr. Mingxi is a great master of our time. Her paintings are yearned for by literati. I also want to see the style of this great master."
He was extremely fond of *Collection of Poems by Mingxi*.
He also strongly desired to meet Mr. Mingxi in person and ask for her guidance.
But he had searched fruitlessly.
Being able to admire Mr. Mingxi's paintings was also a kind of consolation.
Maybe he could also find some clues to look for her from her paintings.
By saying this, he was clearly telling Lu Siming that he was only coming for Mr. Mingxi's sake.
As for what his younger brother was up to, he didn't care at all.
Lu Siming squinted his eyes and looked at the closed carriage. His pupils grew darker.
"Elder brother, your younger brother is bold enough to make a suggestion. Miss Cheng is also extremely talented in calligraphy and painting. I'm sure she has admired Mr. Mingxi for a long time. Since she's the future Crown Princess, it's reasonable for her to appear with you, elder brother. But I'm afraid it would be rude to directly invite Miss Cheng, so I'd like to trouble elder brother to invite her on my behalf."
Cheng Simian was utterly confused. How did the topic turn to her?
The Crown Prince looked at her with a somewhat strange expression.
This time, Cheng Simian was truly innocent.
Lu Siming's words sounded above - board.
It was just for the elegance of the literati.
But upon closer inspection, it felt ambiguous.
It seemed that Lu Siming knew her well and was sure that she would want to see Mr. Mingxi's paintings.
Such words would definitely sound different to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince's tone turned a bit colder.
"How do you know that she'll definitely like Mr. Mingxi's paintings? You're not Mianmian."
Lu Siming quickly replied, "Among literati, there are always some common hobbies. If elder brother thinks it's inappropriate, then don't invite her. I don't want to ruin Miss Cheng's reputation because of a momentary whim."
"It's just an invitation to admire paintings. How could it be related to reputation? If I don't accept the invitation on her behalf, it would seem that I'm being petty, as if I don't allow my Crown Princess to be seen by others."
Cheng Simian's eyes widened in surprise.
No way. The Crown Prince just agreed?
"In that case, thank you, elder brother," Lu Siming said with a smile on his face. His tone also became a bit lighter. "Miss Cheng has a high level of attainment in calligraphy and painting. I'm sure with her participation in the famous painting banquet, the tone of the event will be elevated to a higher level."
Hearing the compliments about Cheng Simian from another man, the Crown Prince's expression grew even colder.
Lu Siming was clearly doing it on purpose.