Outside the room.
Xia Siheng stood frozen in place.
He did not quite understand why Liu Wan had carried the child away.
Pan Chun reminded him, "Prince, perhaps this is an inconvenient moment for Miss. You..."
Xia Siheng raised a hand slightly. He stood up to leave, but caught sight of the winter plum tree.
He asked, "This variety is uncommon, and I find it beautiful, too. Where was it bought?"
Pan Chun said, "I don't know. I entered the Minister's Residence when Miss was ten, but this winter plum has been growing in the Imperial Son-in-Law's courtyard ever since I arrived."
"The Imperial Son-in-Law has taken great care of it. It only flowered this year! If you would like one, Prince, I could ask for you."
"No need." Xia Siheng waved a hand and left.
After taking a look at Zi Xing's progress in his training, he vaulted over the wall and returned to his own private residence next door!
He had worked up a light sweat, so he bathed and changed his clothes.
He summoned Jing Wu. "Prepare a carriage."
"Where are you going, Prince?" Jing Wu asked, so he could choose a carriage suited to the occasion.
"To the Princess's Residence!"
Yet when he arrived at the Princess's Residence, Liu Ye already had tea prepared and was waiting for him.
"Go ahead and ask!"
He dispensed with formal greetings, too. In the future, he would be the Ninth Prince's brother-in-law!
Xia Siheng sat down and said, "Did you plant that winter plum? Do you know that variety grew only in my birth mother's palace? Only the Eastern Lin Imperial House was allowed to grow it!"
His birth mother had been a princess of the Eastern Lin Imperial House.
Later, the Ruler of Eastern Lin had used her,