Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1108 takes effect

Duan Chaopei had just fallen asleep when the Crown Prince arrived. She had no choice but to put on her clothes and get up again to greet him.

He Yucheng did not come empty-handed tonight; instead, he brought some books and a food box.

Duan Chaopei looked puzzled. When He Yucheng took out several dishes from the food box, she swallowed hard. They were famous dishes from Ruyilou Restaurant in the capital.

“I met Minister Duan during the day. He said that when you were still young, you loved to dine at Ruyi Restaurant with your sister. He didn’t know what you liked to eat, so he had someone buy some of your signature dishes. I also brought a small pot of sake. Would you like to try some?”

Duan Chaopei, who now eats with He Yinuo all the time, has developed a fondness for food. She simply put on her outer garment and came over to sit down with He Yucheng.

“This sweet and sour fish is my favorite. Many people think that fish doesn’t taste good when it’s sweet, so they don’t order it. But fried fish with a little sweet and sour sauce is really delicious. Your Highness, please try it.” Duan Chaopei picked up a piece of fish and put it into He Yucheng’s bowl.

He Yucheng can accept this taste because Tao Yanyan occasionally makes crispy fried fish with this flavor.

Duan Chaopei was overjoyed to see that the Crown Prince had eaten two pieces, not expecting that he had the same taste as him.

"I heard the chef at Ruyi Restaurant is from the south, and his cooking tends to be sweet. It's rare for someone like you, who grew up in the capital, to be able to eat like this." He Yucheng placed a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs on Duan Chaopei's plate.

Duan Chaopei smiled and said, "I spent a few years in Jiangnan when I was a child. At that time, most of the dishes cooked by my maternal grandparents were of this flavor, so I got used to it. My father was stationed in the northern border with my grandfather, and I also went to visit him with my mother. The beef and mutton in the northern border are also delicious. They drink wine from large bowls and eat meat in large bites. They are so carefree."

He Yucheng was surprised to find that she was also someone who had traveled all over the country, and couldn't help but take a second look at her.

Duan Chaopei seemed to have opened a floodgate, recounting many of her childhood experiences.

“We military families don’t have as many rules as aristocratic families. My sister and I weren’t raised in seclusion with restricted freedom. However, compared to my sister Nuo’er, I’ve been to far fewer places. At least I haven’t been to Xia Kingdom or Yan State.”

He Yucheng smiled, somewhat helplessly: "I've never been there either. You're better off than me. Back then, when my father and mother took my younger siblings on a long journey, I was left in the palace to handle official duties."

Duan Chaopei blinked and poured him a cup of sake: "Your Highness is the Crown Prince, so it is indeed inconvenient for you to leave the palace. However, I see many local gazetteers in the study, so I suppose Your Highness has also read about the local customs and culture of various places from these books?"

He Yucheng nodded and told her about the sights they had seen. Before they knew it, the two had finished a pot of sake and eaten most of the dishes.

Aunt Cui was outside the door, wondering if she should go in and tidy up, when she heard the Crown Princess cry out in pain, followed by the sound of a stool overturning. Aunt Cui didn't dare delay and rushed in to see what was happening. She found her Crown Prince lying on the ground, and the Crown Princess tried to help him up, but before she could, she fell down herself.

"This is... he got drunk after just one pot of sake?" Aunt Cui knew the Crown Prince's drinking capacity well and looked at the person lying on the ground with suspicion.

That shouldn't be the case.

Startled, Aunt Cui had a sudden realization and quickly said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to return to the main hall tonight. Two people, help the Crown Prince to wash up first."

Before Duan Chaopei could give any instructions, Aunt Cui and two palace maids had already helped the Crown Prince up and escorted him directly into the inner room.

Duan Chaopei panicked for a moment; there were no undergarments prepared for the Crown Prince to change into here.

A short while later, He Yucheng came out loosely wearing his inner robe and was helped onto the couch by a palace servant.

Aunt Cui then came to clear the plates and wine glasses from the table: "The Crown Prince is drunk and may not sleep well tonight. We servants will be outside. Please call us if the Crown Princess needs anything."

Duan Chaopei wanted to say that she should go to the main hall to get her clothes first, but before she could even speak, Aunt Cui and the others had already slipped out.

She sighed helplessly, thinking that Aunt Cui would surely prepare new clothes early the next morning, so she turned around, got into bed, and went to sleep.

There was only one quilt on the bed, just like in the early days of their marriage, the two of them sharing one quilt.

"Ugh, my head hurts~" He Yucheng groaned softly, and when he heard his own voice sound like he was being coquettish, he almost bit his tongue off.

Why did your voice suddenly become distorted?

That's shameful.

Duan Chaopei leaned over and massaged his temples, gently asking in a low voice, "How painful is it? Should we call the imperial physician?"

A soft, boneless hand touched He Yucheng's head, and he felt as if an electric current was running through his body, causing him to tremble slightly.

He slowly opened his closed eyes and looked at the person in front of him with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Duan Chaopei felt embarrassed by his gaze and lowered her eyes: "Why is Your Highness staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

He Yucheng gave a soft "hmm." Perhaps it was because the moonlight was beautiful tonight, or perhaps it was because he had been drinking, but his usual solemn expression softened, revealing a youthful exuberance. He steeled his resolve and said, "I've read that booklet."

Those few words startled Duan Chaopei, causing her to stop what she was doing and abruptly pull her hand back, only to be grabbed by He Yucheng and pressed against her chest.

Duan Chaopei swallowed hard, his mind in turmoil.

"I...I...I...that's not mine...it's...it's...Given to me by Aunt Cui..." Duan Chaopei explained, "I didn't look at it, I only looked at a few pages..."

"How many pages did you read?" He Yucheng raised an eyebrow and moved a little closer.

Duan Chaopei wanted to die, so she buried her head in the pillow, leaving only half of her face showing: "I didn't see it."

He Yucheng chuckled softly, and Duan Chaopei blushed and gently poked him with her fingertip: "Your Highness~ what are you laughing at?"

He Yucheng pulled her into his arms and held her tightly: "You're laughing at my Crown Princess. You clearly saw it, but you won't admit it."

"I didn't see it!" Duan Chaopei stubbornly denied it, her voice muffled as she hid in He Yucheng's arms.

He Yucheng gently patted her back, his movements slow and tender.

"It's alright, I'll teach you what I've learned." A gentle kiss followed from the tip of his ear to his lips, then continued downwards...

Aunt Cui was extremely busy that night, directing the palace maids to deliver water to the bedchamber three times.

He Yucheng didn't expect that, given his indecisive nature, it would take him some time before he could take things further with the Crown Princess, but in the end, they got together so quickly.

He ultimately attributed it to the method his mother had given him, which was truly effective through persistent pestering.

No wonder He Yinuo can succeed at anything he wants to do; it turns out this trick always works.

The next morning, the two of them woke up late. Aunt Cui was so excited that she forgot to get the Crown Prince a change of clothes, so He Yucheng couldn't get up after waking up and could only lie down.

Duan Chaopei had already hidden in the inner room, and only came out to meet He Yucheng after he had changed his clothes.

"Your Highness worked hard last night. Today, I had the kitchen prepare a lot of nourishing dishes. Your Highness should eat more to help your body recover." Aunt Cui and her servants served the two of them breakfast and lunch, a variety of dishes, all of which were nutritious.

Duan Chaopei ate his rice in silence, his ear tips so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

"Ahem, Aunt Cui, please move all my clothes over here today, and also move the study closer so it will be more convenient for me in the future."

Aunt Cui quickly agreed. The Crown Prince had finally come to his senses and wanted to live with the Crown Princess!