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Perhaps it was really Emperor Wei’s warning that had an effect, as soon as they left the palace hall, the First Prince and the others hurriedly took their leave.
They were probably off to clean up the mess.
They left in such a hurry that Wei Yu was just thinking before he left whether he and the Eighth Prince would be targeted and ridiculed.
After all, out of the nine sons, only the two of them hadn’t been scolded by the old man, and they had even been given the opportunity to serve as scribes.
After the Eighth Prince came out, he didn’t hurry to leave. Instead, he glanced in the direction of the Third Princess and then said to Wei Yu, “Ninth Brother, you go back first, I’ll go speak with Jing’an.”
Wei Yu responded honestly, “Okay, I’ll go back and have someone prepare the meal. Eighth Brother, come back quickly.”
Wei Yu was only fifteen this year, while the Eighth Prince was already sixteen. If they were to count by their official ages, they could establish their estates.
Unfortunately, neither of them had any mothers to speak for them in front of the Emperor, nor did they have many people who paid attention to them. So, up until now, neither of them had received the decree to establish their estates.
The princes in the palace all resided in the Western Third Compound.
However, at present, only Wei Yu and the Eighth Prince lived there.
Their quarters were adjacent to each other and were not large.
In fact, the people in Wei Yu’s palace, including himself, added up to just the number of fingers on one hand.
It could be said that he was quite neglected.
Taking Xiao Anzi back to his small quarters, Wei Yu directly lay down on the rocking chair in the small courtyard.
The rocking chair was handwoven from bamboo and was not luxurious at all.
If it were used by an ordinary family, it would be nothing special, but it was being used by a prince.
However, Xiao Anzi and the two young eunuchs who were sweeping the courtyard didn’t seem to care, looking at it with calm expressions, as though they were used to it.
Wei Yu closed his eyes and rocked in the chair, while Xiao Anzi stood obediently beside him.
When Wei Yu opened his eyes and saw Xiao Anzi, he couldn’t help but feel a bit suffocated.
“Can’t you take the initiative to prepare the meal?”
He remembered he had said this in front of the Eighth Prince earlier, right?
Xiao Anzi innocently lowered his head and looked at him. “But Your Highness, three days ago, you told me not to prepare the meal for you proactively. You said that if the food was prepared too early, it would cool down and not taste good.”
Alright, he knew the little fool wasn’t very smart, so why bother arguing with him?
He decided to just give in.
Wei Yu asked Xiao Anzi to prepare the meal. After Xiao Anzi left, he lay back down in the rocking chair and called over the two young eunuchs who were silently sweeping.
“Hong Zhong, Bai Ban, come here and bring some melon seeds for your prince, and don’t forget to bring a pot of tea too!”
Life… lying comfortably while watching dramas and eating melon seeds—now that’s enjoyment.
Of course, it would be even better if someone could join him for a round of mahjong.
Not long after Wei Yu lay down and had just started eating melon seeds, an old eunuch arrived from outside the courtyard.
Hong Zhong, who had a slightly dark complexion, was holding a broom and about to leave when he saw the old eunuch standing at the entrance. He quietly approached Wei Yu.
“Your Highness, Eunuch Wang Xi from the kitchen has come.”
When Wei Yu heard the name Wang Xi, he quickly came to his senses and turned his head to look toward the entrance.
His smile hadn’t even fully formed when he saw Wang Xi standing there empty-handed. His first thought was, “Trouble again.”
Wei Yu sat up from the rocking chair and sighed imperceptibly.
He had asked Wang Xi to bring some osmanthus cakes yesterday, but now he was empty-handed, meaning something must have happened along the way.
He just wanted to lie down and relax today, why was it so hard?
In the palace, it was a very unpleasant thing to be alone.
It wasn’t just the influence of the various consorts and princes, even the ordinary palace maids and eunuchs would group together for warmth.
Wei Yu had known this since he was a child.
Although he had no other intentions, being a passive “fish” and an active one were completely different living conditions!
If he had to live like a completely neglected prince, eating nothing but scraps, could he endure it?
For the sake of a better life, he couldn’t stand it!
When you have a goal, you have to act.
Wei Yu was clear that he was an insignificant prince, so from the time he could walk and talk, even when facing an old palace servant with no background or power, he had never used his status as a prince to bully anyone.
When he was younger, relying on his natural status and his sweet words, he befriended and gained the favor of many influential palace servants.
As he grew older, he used his intelligence to help powerless palace servants, built connections, and gained a reputation, making some pocket money…
Alright, he was just the middleman making a profit!
All these years, although Wei Yu had no significant status among his elders and brothers, he felt that his standing in the eyes of the palace servants was still quite solid!
He had heard many times that palace servants secretly praised his kindness and good heart.
You still have to be low-key, low-key.
Otherwise, before he even officially entered the political world, he would already be labeled as someone who formed factions and sought personal gain.
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Wang Xi was a eunuch in the Imperial Kitchen, specifically in charge of procurement.
When he entered, he first greeted Wei Yu.
“Your Highness, may you be well.”
Eunuchs were usually lifelong palace servants, with an average age of seventy.
Wang Xi, who was fifty-five this year, was certainly older, but he appeared very lively.
Having grown up with a sense of respect for the elderly ingrained in him from his education, Wei Yu still couldn’t quite get used to elderly people bowing and kneeling before him.
He hurriedly had him stand up. “There’s no need for such formalities in private. If you have something to say, just speak.”
Wei Yu wasn’t a complete fool. If it were a public occasion, he would definitely follow the rules and behave properly.
He would kneel when required, bow when needed—there would be no defiance.
He wasn’t like the protagonists in novels who couldn’t stand the ancient system, thought it was feudal and corrupt, and wanted to overthrow imperial rule like some rebellious hero!
If he ever tried to talk about equality and freedom, his emperor father would probably be the first to chop off his head.
Freedom and equality…
Anyone who hasn’t personally witnessed the peaceful and prosperous era would never believe in it.
Wei Yu really didn’t have the courage to challenge the entire system and its rules.
Eunuch Wang Xi was someone who abided by the rules.
Even though every time Wei Yu saw him, he would say there was no need for such formalities, Wang Xi was always respectful and proper.
“Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.”
Wang Xi looked up and gave a wry smile to Wei Yu. “Your Highness, the osmanthus cakes you instructed me to prepare yesterday… I’m afraid I won’t be able to get them for the next three days.”
Wei Yu furrowed his brow. “Who gave the order?”
Osmanthus cakes weren’t a rare delicacy; most of the time, the harem ladies and princesses liked them.
However, since Wei Yu had a sweet tooth, he often asked Wang Xi to bring some for him, and he would keep them to enjoy with the Third Princess.