The Emperor noticed curiosity rather than disgust in her eyes, and gently pushed the Fourth Prince forward. "As I was passing by the Koi Pond, I saw palace servants tormenting him, forcing him to eat dog food on the ground. I brought him along. The palace is unsafe tonight, and he is still my son after all. My beloved, please help me look after him for the night. I'll send him back tomorrow."
Jiang Xinyue nodded. Perhaps due to her pregnancy, she felt quite fond of this soft little radish head.
Unable to move easily, she simply took the Fourth Prince's other hand to comfort him: "Baby, come with Concubine Zhen. Concubine Zhen has tasty food."
The Fourth Prince's dull eyes lit up at the word "baby." He suddenly turned his head to look at his dearest Qian Sheng, as if saying: Grandpa, this beautiful lady called me baby!
Qian Sheng smiled at him and nodded, indicating he had heard.
Xuanwu Emperor watched the three of them enter, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
He had lied to Concubine Zhen...
Actually, before coming to Hexi Palace, he had already sent palace servants to Yikun Palace to ask if Empress Zhu could take in the Fourth Prince for the night. But the Empress refused, claiming she was too busy caring for the Fifth Prince to manage another child.
It was just an excuse, of course.
With so many servants in Yikun Palace, how could they not manage one more five-year-old child?
Besides, they didn't even need to care for him. With Qian Sheng around, the Fourth Prince didn't need anyone else.
It was simply because the Fourth Prince's birth mother was from a criminal family, and she had used underhanded means to conceive him, hiding the pregnancy from the Emperor. She had even lost her life because of it.
The Emperor himself disliked this son who was conceived through trickery, leaving him to fend for himself. He had barely seen the boy since his birth.
Empress Zhu considered the Fourth Prince useless and was unwilling to bother with him.
Consort De was willing to take him in, but the Emperor felt her palace already had two children, and the Third Prince used to bully the Fourth Prince, so he didn't consider Consort De.
Thinking that Concubine Zhen had the Black Armor Army here, and that she was kind-hearted, the Fourth Prince would likely receive good care, so he brought him over.
Mainly, it was because when the Emperor suddenly looked at the Fourth Prince today, he realized how much the boy resembled himself as a child, which stirred some compassion in him.
If Empress Zhu knew the reason, she would surely regret her decision bitterly.
Throughout history, which father doesn't favor the child who looks most like himself?
The Fourth Prince's status might be unsuitable for the public eye, but his resemblance to the Emperor could be used to support the Fifth Prince's claim to the throne!
Jiang Xinyue hadn't thought that far. She simply believed that a child who couldn't protect himself shouldn't bear the consequences of adults' mistakes.
She hadn't intervened before because she was unsure of the Emperor's intentions and didn't dare act without permission. If she angered the Emperor, she would be in danger herself.
Now that the Emperor had brought the boy to her, and she had gained some influence, she naturally wasn't afraid anymore.
Perhaps due to not having bathed for so long, both the Fourth Prince and Eunuch Qian Sheng emitted an unpleasant odor.
The servants in the outer courtyard held their noses as the two passed by, their eyes showing disgust.
Jiang Xinyue was displeased. Frowning, she said, "Jiang Chuan, those who covered their noses just now, have them scrub the latrine buckets for a month."
Qian Sheng had certainly noticed too. As he grew anxious, Concubine Zhen said, "Eunuch Qian, there's a bathing pool behind my chambers. Take the Fourth Prince there to wash up, and ask for anything you need. Now that he's here with me, I'll do my best to care for him. You needn't be so formal, old sir. He is the Emperor's son, a noble prince."
She was telling him not to be afraid, that she would support them. In Hexi Palace, no one would be allowed to mock the Fourth Prince.
Qian Sheng, unaccustomed to such kindness, initially doubted Concubine Zhen's sincerity, thinking she might just be putting on a show due to the Emperor's instructions.
But even if it was just for show, Qian Sheng was grateful.
The Fourth Prince could enjoy a comfortable hot bath, without Qian Sheng having to collect rainwater and figure out how to heat it. That water always turned foul, along with the wooden tub, making it impossible to get truly clean.
Concubine Zhen provided snow-white, fragrant washcloths, and had Eunuch Jiang Chuan bring in soap, said to be a precious tribute from foreign lands, with only a few bars available.
After bathing, food was prepared – not rich meats, but light porridge and side dishes.
A thick, sticky white porridge made from millet exuded the aroma of lean meat, though no meat was visible. Eunuch Jiang Chuan explained, "Our mistress instructed the imperial kitchen to mince the meat and cook it into broth. This porridge contains not a drop of water; it's all cooked in meat broth. Eunuch Qian, please eat some with the Fourth Prince. Our mistress specifically consulted the imperial physician, who said you and the Fourth Prince shouldn't eat greasy foods yet, or your stomachs won't be able to handle it. After a few more days of recuperation, our mistress will arrange for more sumptuous meals."
It was then that Eunuch Qian Sheng realized this Concubine Zhen seemed different from the other ladies in the palace.
In the years he had cared for the Fourth Prince, many ladies had tried to display their kindness through them, clearly aiming to stand out among the beauties in the Emperor's eyes.
Even the normally compassionate Consort De was no exception.
That year when the Fourth Prince was injured by the Third Prince, Consort De sent servants to apologize and bestowed upon them a table full of chicken, duck, fish, and meat.
It was the most lavish meal the Fourth Prince had seen since his birth. He ate too much, and by evening he was vomiting and having diarrhea. Qian Sheng even thought Consort De had poisoned the food and risked his life to seek help from Eunuch Wang, who served the Emperor.
Eunuch Wang, seeing how pitiful they were, secretly called for an imperial physician to examine the Fourth Prince. The physician indeed said the Fourth Prince was malnourished, with no nutrients in his system.
Suddenly eating such rich food had upset his stomach, causing the vomiting and diarrhea.
Concubine Zhen, she truly cared.
"Grandpa..." The Fourth Prince, with his big, watery eyes, looked expectantly at Eunuch Qian Sheng. "Grandpa, can we live here from now on? Grandpa, I... I like Concubine Zhen."
Despite being bullied since childhood and never having known a good day, the Fourth Prince's gaze was clear, his doe-like eyes full of happiness. "Grandpa, you can stay here too. With Concubine Zhen protecting us, you won't be beaten anymore, Grandpa."
The words "We still have to leave tomorrow..." just couldn't be spoken.
Tears in his eyes, Qian Sheng hugged the sweet-smelling, soft Fourth Prince and patted him. "Fourth Prince, wanting to stay here isn't up to us. It depends on whether Concubine Zhen is willing."
He was reluctant to teach the boy things he shouldn't, but... for the sake of survival, he had no choice but to encourage the Fourth Prince to win Concubine Zhen's favor.
This wasn't something a noble prince should have to learn.
But...
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
A splash of bright red stained the white handkerchief.
