Volume 1 Chapter 6 Sharing a Bed

When Xiao Deyan emerged from the Crown Prince’s mansion, he was so utterly lost and dejected that he could not even find the direction where his carriage was parked.

An elder of the Crown Prince’s household hurriedly reached out to assist him. "Master Xiao, this way, please... Master Xiao, regarding what you mentioned earlier, I have considered it carefully, and let’s just drop it."

*Huh?*

Xiao Deyan was so infuriated he nearly fainted on the spot.

Even if he hadn’t managed to bring down the Crown Prince, he had at least hoped to keep the household elder on his side to plant a seed of discord within the mansion. He never expected that even the elder would change his mind.

He had failed to accomplish anything, suffered a loss of wealth, and now, upon returning, he would surely be punished by Prince Li Tai. At the thought of this, Xiao Deyan felt his strength drain away entirely.

Li Chengqian, however, couldn't be bothered with him. He was busy toying with the bottle of golden sore medicine Xiao Deyan had left behind, clicking his tongue in wonder. As a son of the Emperor, everything he used was of the finest quality, so he was naturally familiar with the grades of various medicines—especially golden sore ointment.

His father, Li Er, was the world-renowned "Heavenly Khan." Not only did he personally lead troops into battle, but he had famously faced a hundred thousand Turkic soldiers alone, slaughtering a white horse at the Wei River Bridge to confront the Turkic Khan face-to-face. The Li family’s bellicose spirit was well-known to all. Since golden sore medicine was an essential item for the wounded, Li Chengqian, as the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, naturally understood its worth.

This was the absolute finest of the fine. That old fox Xiao Deyan was indeed shrewd to have prepared a backup plan, though he was likely fuming with rage now. Li Chengqian took a small amount and applied it to his face. Unlike the ointment he usually used, this one felt strangely hot and tingling.

"Your Highness." A moment later, Su Chan'er returned and handed him a list. "Take a look. These are the people who have been in contact with Chengxin."

Li Chengqian recognized most of the names on the list, but there were three he had never heard of: Yang Tai, Si Zhengqi, and Li Feiyu. He held the list, tapping it against the table in deep thought. Chengxin had indeed been a male favorite kept in secret by Li Chengqian. After being caught, he had betrayed Li Chengqian in court out of fear of death. Who, then, was the person pulling the strings behind the scenes? Whoever had sent someone to secretly contact Chengxin must have gathered a great deal of evidence. There was certainly more to this than met the eye.

He needed to find a way to make contact with these three individuals.

"Your Highness, it is getting late. Shouldn't you rest?" It was already midnight, and seeing the Crown Prince injured, Su Chan'er felt a pang of worry.

Li Chengqian agreed and accompanied her to the bedchamber. Su Chan'er had long been accustomed to sleeping in separate beds, knowing that the Crown Prince had no interest in women. After settling him in, she prepared to leave.

*Hiss...*

How could he sleep apart from such a stunning beauty? It would be a total waste of heaven's gifts!

Li Chengqian reached out and pulled her back. "Stay tonight."

Although Li Chengqian had not yet fully adapted to having a physical relationship with the Crown Princess—it felt somewhat awkward for him, having transmigrated into this body—he had no objections to holding her at night.

Su Chan'er froze, thinking she had misheard him. Li Chengqian felt a bit awkward. "If you are unwilling, then never mind."

Su Chan'er shook her head repeatedly. Although they did not undress, the simple act of lying in the Crown Prince's bed was something entirely new. She was also secretly astonished; didn't the Crown Prince despise women? How had he changed so much? Regardless of her thoughts, she climbed into the bed.

A soft fragrance drifted to Li Chengqian’s senses, intoxicating him. In his dazed state, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drifted into a deep sleep.

Just as Li Chengqian fell asleep, a servant who had only recently joined the household crept to the door and peered through a crack. Seeing that the Crown Prince was embracing the Crown Princess rather than a man, the servant frowned slightly, turned, and disappeared into the night.

The next morning, at the Wude Palace, Prince Li Tai was incensed. He kicked Xiao Deyan to the floor in a fit of rage. Su Xu had given him sound advice the day before, even suggesting he meet Li Chengqian personally, which was what Li Tai had intended. But this good-for-nothing had insisted on taking the task upon himself, and now, he had ruined everything.

"Your Highness, please, spare me!" Xiao Deyan wept uncontrollably, terrified that Li Tai might execute him in his fury.

"Su Xu, what do you think of this?"

Su Xu looked at the hysterical Xiao Deyan and let out a soft sigh. "Your Highness, if you are looking for a solution, I have another plan. We could pay a visit to the Crown Princess's grandfather."

"Oh?" Li Tai looked puzzled. "Su Gui?"

Su Chan'er’s family had been high-ranking officials since the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Her great-grandfather, Su Wei, was a key official in both the Northern Zhou and Sui dynasties. Her grandfather, Su Gui, served as the Minister of the Court of Foreign Relations in the Sui Dynasty, and her father held a position in the Secretariat under the Tang. The influence of the Su clan was undeniable.

Initially, Su Gui had been quite fond of Crown Prince Li Chengqian. However, after Li Chengqian began keeping a male favorite, Chengxin, and was secretly impeached, followed by Chengxin’s betrayal before being executed, Su Gui lost all respect for the Crown Prince. According to the maids in his household, Su Gui had privately cursed himself for being blind.

"Exactly," Su Xu said with a sinister tone. "Su Gui detests Li Chengqian. We can use him to petition the Emperor to approve a divorce between the Crown Princess and Li Chengqian."

"A divorce?" Li Tai was bewildered. "Speak plainly. What is your reasoning?"

Su Xu offered a wicked smile. "There are two reasons. First, the Su family is a powerful, influential clan. As long as Su Chan'er supports the Crown Prince, they will not abandon him. But if we break the Su family's ties, the Crown Prince's faction and the court officials will inevitably shift their allegiance to us. Second, Su Gui holds deep resentment regarding this marriage, and by doing this, we can win the favor of the Su family."

Li Tai began to pace. "This... will it work? Even if it is a divorce, it damages the Su family's dignity, and wouldn't Su Chan'er's reputation be ruined? Would the old patriarch agree? Might it backfire?"

Su Xu laughed. "Naturally not. With their status, even if Su Chan'er is a woman and divorced, countless people will still come seeking her hand, regardless of whether she remains a maiden. Besides, with the Crown Prince favoring a male lover, who knows if the Crown Princess is even still a virgin?"

"If that is the case, it would be an even greater blow to him."

This scheme was truly vicious.

*Clap!*

Li Tai clapped his hands. "I will follow your plan. You are truly my lucky star, hahahaha!"

"I will discuss the detailed plan with Xiao Deyan and then report back to you. Your Highness, you haven't slept all night; please go and have a meal and rest."

Only then did Li Tai look at Xiao Deyan, who was still kneeling on the floor. "Hmph! I will spare your miserable life for the sake of Su Xu."