Chapter 50

No one paid attention to Consort Li, so she could only quietly find a place to sit down.

She watched as the Crown Prince and Consort Xiao flirted and bickered, and a wave of jealousy surged in her heart.

She had originally thought she had come to terms with it.

Even if the Crown Prince summoned other women to his bed, it didn't matter, as all the women held the same status in his heart.

But now, seeing with her own eyes how the Crown Prince interacted with Consort Xiao, she suddenly realized that his attitude toward Consort Xiao was completely different from how he treated the other women.

When facing other consorts, the Crown Prince was always cold and distant, unwilling to say even a single extra word.

But now, with Xiao Xixi, he indulged in her harmless jokes, tolerated her small whims, and even actively sought her opinions.

This was definitely not a good sign.

Consort Li felt a strong sense of crisis.

She had even forgotten the purpose of her visit, her mind now filled with how to regain the Crown Prince's attention from Consort Xiao.

She couldn't let the Crown Prince and Consort Xiao continue to develop their relationship.

She had to find a way to stop it!

The palace maids brought the dishes to the table one by one.

Since the dishes were prepared by the small kitchen, they were not as elaborate as those from the imperial kitchen, just simple home-cooked meals, with most ingredients coming from the vegetable garden behind the Qingge Hall.

Consort Li looked at the dishes in front of her, her brows furrowed. "Consort Xiao, is this what you're giving the Crown Prince to eat?"

Xiao Xixi asked in confusion, "What's wrong with these dishes?"

"There are rules in the palace. The Crown Prince should have at least twenty dishes for lunch, including twelve hot dishes, four cold dishes, two hot soups, and two desserts. Look at what you have here—only eight dishes in total, and just one soup. Where are the cold dishes and desserts? It's an honor for the Crown Prince to dine here, and you should not be so negligent. Even if you are favored, you shouldn't act this way. You are truly excessive and have no sense of propriety!"

Consort Li was very angry, her gaze full of condemnation as she looked at Xiao Xixi.

But Xiao Xixi ignored her, turning directly to the Crown Prince with a tone filled with envy and jealousy.

"Your Highness, you can have twenty dishes for lunch? What kind of divine life are you living?"

Consort Li sneered, "Don't think you can change the subject and get away with it. You must give the Crown Prince an explanation for this lunch!"

Luo Qinghan said coolly, "If you don't like the food here, you can leave."

Consort Li's sneer froze on her face.

She then reddened her eyes, speaking in a委屈 (wronged) tone, "Your Highness, I am speaking up for your sake. Why are you saying such things to me?"

Luo Qinghan replied, "What I eat is my own choice, and I don't need others to meddle."

At this, Consort Li couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said in a choked voice, "Your Highness, I was wrong. I didn't mean to meddle. I just care about you too much. Please don't be angry with me, okay?"

Luo Qinghan looked at her tearful, wronged appearance and then at the food in front of him. The irritation he had barely suppressed surged up again.

He just wanted to have a quiet meal, why couldn't even this wish be fulfilled?

Why couldn't these people be more composed?

He looked at Consort Li coldly, his tone icy.

"Since you think there are too few dishes, then you will eat all of them now, not leaving a single bite."