Chapter 171 The Noble Young Master of a Marquis's Family (Part 10) The Noble Young Master's Revenge and Love Story...

The Second Prince, Zhao Xuanhong, recently acquired a stunningly beautiful woman named Lü Zhu from the Cangchun Pavilion, a woman renowned for both her looks and talent. The news quickly spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys. Everyone said that Lü Zhu was more beautiful than a celestial being, and every smile and gesture was captivating. Even a nobleman like the Second Prince was deeply enamored with her charms.

At that time, in the study of the Second Prince's residence, seven or eight advisors were gathered together. They all bowed respectfully to Zhao Xuanhong, who sat in the main seat.

"No need for formalities, everyone. Please sit down," Zhao Xuanhong gestured.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Everyone thanked him in unison before taking their seats.

As soon as he finished speaking, a staff member dressed in gray walked to the center of the study, bowed, and asked, "Your Highness, what do you intend to do with that young lady, Green Pearl?"

"Dispose of it?" Zhao Xuanhong frowned slightly. "What does Mr. Zhou mean by this?"

Mr. Zhou straightened his back, looked directly at the Second Prince, and said solemnly, "Your Highness, your great cause is not yet accomplished. Why ruin your reputation and invite criticism because of a woman? When you achieve success in the future, what kind of woman will you not have? That Green Pearl is nothing but a courtesan. Your Highness must not forget your own status."

Zhao Xuanhong's face darkened upon hearing this. He usually respected the staff and guests in his mansion, but that did not mean they could reprimand him so bluntly.

Seeing Zhao Xuanhong's displeasure, Mr. Shi quickly stepped in with a smile to smooth things over, "Mr. Zhou, she's just a young woman. Your Highness has lofty ambitions and must already have plans in mind. Let's not dwell too much on such romantic affairs."

"A mere young lady?" Mr. Zhou sneered. "Sir, do you remember why the previous dynasty was destroyed?"

Mr. Shi was speechless for a moment and remained silent.

"The calamity that led to the downfall of the previous dynasty was caused by the emperor bringing a prostitute into the palace and making her his favorite concubine! From then on, not only the concubines in the harem, but even the ministers of the previous dynasty had to bow to that vile concubine. Later, that vile concubine became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She then attempted to stir up trouble in the court, depose the empress's legitimate son, and install her own son as the crown prince! I don't need to say more about what happened next, do I? That vile concubine eventually succeeded, and the son of a prostitute truly became the crown prince! It was because of this incident that the previous dynasty was thrown into turmoil, and our dynasty's founding emperor was able to ascend the throne in accordance with the will of the people!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanhong's expression went beyond just being ugly. He had merely taken a woman as a concubine, so why were these people making such a fuss about it? Suppressing his anger, he said expressionlessly, "Lüzhu is gentle and kind, and never interferes in court affairs. You are too kind, sir."

"Your Highness! Right now, she is certainly wonderful in every way, but don't forget what her status is! Such a woman who is not fit for the occasion will inevitably become a handle for the Crown Prince's faction to attack you! If you offend His Majesty because of a woman, your years of hard work may be ruined! I hope Your Highness will think it over carefully!"

Zhao Xuanhong gripped the armrest tightly, but still maintained a composed demeanor: "I have my own plans for this matter, sir, there's no need to say more. If things succeed in the future, I assure you, this woman will not have any official status, how about that?"

“Your Highness is absolutely right! As long as that woman isn’t given a title, everything is fine. She’s just a way to relieve loneliness, Mr. Zhou doesn’t need to worry too much.” Another aide chimed in.

Seeing that Zhao Xuanhong had gone this far, Mr. Zhou could only manage a forced smile: "It's good that Your Highness understands."

Seeing that no one in the hall spoke, Mr. Shi had no choice but to stand up again and cough twice to break the deadlock: "Your Highness, the Eastern Palace has been making frequent moves in the court recently. I'm afraid they will hold a grudge against the Ministry of Works for the disaster relief funds from last month."

Zhao Xuanhong's eyes sharpened, and he temporarily put the matter of Green Pearl aside. Minister of Works Lou Yi was his confidant; although some of the funds had been embezzled, nearly half had been used for dredging the waterways. As long as the dikes could be completed before the rainy season, it wasn't a major mistake. However, if the Crown Prince used the disaster victims as leverage, it would indeed cause some trouble…

“Your Highness, why don’t we have Lord Lou write a memorial exaggerating the extent of the disaster, and also explain in detail the difficulties of the river project to Your Majesty?” suggested one of the advisors, surnamed Li.

“Mr. Li is right, let’s do it this way!” Zhao Xuanhong stood up and paced around, saying to the crowd, “Send some more people to keep a close eye on the Eastern Palace and find a way to plant a few spies there.”

"Yes, Your Highness."

The advisors then analyzed the current situation and the trends in the court. The meeting finally ended after more than an hour.

On the other side, Green Pearl, dressed in an elegant dress, sat gracefully before her dressing table. The woman in the bronze mirror wore no makeup, yet her delicate and innocent beauty was undeniable. However, upon closer inspection, a hint of unyielding hatred and contempt could be seen lurking within her beautiful eyes.

Ever since the Second Prince carried her into the mansion, she had been settled in this quiet and beautiful courtyard. These days, Zhao Xuanhong often came over and doted on her. Seeing that she was gaining favor, the servants in the mansion all rushed to curry favor with her... Thinking of this, a strange smile appeared on Green Pearl's lips.

As she was pondering, she heard steady footsteps outside the courtyard. Her expression sharpened, and she quickly composed herself, flashing a charming and expectant smile.

"Is that His Highness?"

Green Pearl stood up somewhat hastily and opened the door with light, graceful steps. Just then, Zhao Xuanhong walked to the door, and the two almost bumped into each other.

"Your Highness..." Green Pearl blushed and tried to back away, but Zhao Xuanhong grabbed her wrist.

"Pearl, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Are you hoping to see me?"

Upon hearing this, Green Pearl blushed deeply. She first shook her head, then pursed her lips and nodded gently.

"Yes... Your Highness, Pearl misses you so much."

Zhao Xuanhong laughed loudly and took Green Pearl into the house.

"Your Highness, I learned how to make a calming soup from Mama Feng in the kitchen. Would you like to try it and see if it suits your taste?"

Zhao Xuanhong's expression was unreadable. He lifted Green Pearl's chin and asked with a smile, "Why did you decide to cook the soup yourself, Pearl?"

“I…I heard from Lord Huaijing that Your Highness has been preoccupied with state affairs these past few days and looks tired. I think you must be exhausted. Zhu’er is a woman and cannot share Your Highness’s burdens, so I can only do what little I can…”

Before Green Pearl could finish speaking, Zhao Xuanhong raised his hand and pressed down on the back of her head, then kissed her incessantly chattering, bright red lips deeply.

"Um...Your...Your Highness..."

After a long while, Zhao Xuanhong finally released Lüzhu, put one arm around her, and lifted the lid with the other. The steam carrying the aroma of medicine filled the air. He personally scooped up a spoonful and first held it to Lüzhu's lips. Seeing her drink it with a puzzled look on her face, he couldn't help but pinch her cheek and take a sip himself.

The slightly bitter calming soup had a hint of sweetness, clearly indicating that a lot of honey had been added.

For the first time, Zhao Xuanhong was lost in thought because of a bowl of calming soup.

If anyone said he loved Green Pearl, he would scoff. He, Zhao Xuanhong, loved no one but himself. He brought Green Pearl back to his mansion only to compete with others, and since she was so beautiful, he took her as his concubine.

At first, Zhao Xuanhong suspected that Lüzhu was putting on an act, and even sent two female guards to monitor her day and night. But the only news they got was that she had embroidered a few purses for herself that day, or learned to make some of his favorite pastries from the cook; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So many days had passed, and they hadn't even discovered a single outrageous thing.

Zhao Xuanhong was still uneasy and sent men to thoroughly investigate Green Pearl's background. What he didn't know was that Green Pearl's identity had already been arranged by Song Ce in advance, and what Zhao Xuanhong's men found out was naturally all false information.

After confirming that Green Pearl's identity was correct, Zhao Xuanhong finally felt relieved.

To show his favor, Zhao Xuanhong gifted Lü Zhu many fine clothes and jewelry, but Lü Zhu didn't seem to like them. She usually preferred to wear plain-colored dresses and her hair was simply tied into a single bun. The only piece of jewelry she wore was a pearl hairpin that he casually ordered the steward to give her on the first night he served her.

Green Pearl was like a pure and innocent girl, sheltered in her boudoir and unaware of sorrow, devoted only to him. While feeling smug, Zhao Xuanhong also felt a pang of pity.

What wrong had she done? She was just a little woman who depended on him and loved him deeply. That night, Zhao Xuanhong naturally stayed in Green Pearl's courtyard as well.

The next morning, Zhao Xuanhong had just finished breakfast with Lüzhu when Huaijing rushed over, saying that someone from the Empress Dowager's palace had come and wanted to summon the Second Prince to the palace immediately. Zhao Xuanhong ordered Huaijing to quickly prepare a carriage, and after changing his clothes in his inner room, he went to the Cirong Hall to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.

Inside the Cirong Hall, the atmosphere was heavy. The Empress Dowager sat high in the main seat, listening to the whispers of the eunuch beside her, and looked at Zhao Xuanhong, who was kneeling and bowing, with displeasure.

The Empress Dowager is fifty-five years old this year, but because she takes good care of herself, she looks no more than forty years old.

"Hong'er, I recently heard that you brought a woman into the manor from outside?"

Zhao Xuanhong's heart tightened, and he touched his forehead to the ground, replying loudly, "Grandmother, it is true. But I have not given her any official title; she is merely a playful maid."

After hearing this, the Empress Dowager rubbed her forehead and said wearily, "I didn't want to interfere in your household affairs, but that woman's identity is really inappropriate! What kind of beauties don't we have in the palace? If you like, I will give you a few. Why go to that filthy place outside to seek pleasure?"

"Grandson knows his mistake, Grandmother is right to teach him a lesson."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's expression softened. She personally pulled him to sit beside her and said gently, "As a prince, you are growing older now. You should share more of your father's burdens. In time, the Emperor will see your worth. If you become successful, I will have no regrets even if I pass away."

Zhao Xuanhong, looking terrified, knelt at the Empress Dowager's feet and choked out, "Grandmother is in good health and will surely enjoy a long and blessed life."

"Good child, get up quickly..."

If Zhao Xuanhong was not born of the legitimate wife, and his mother's background was not prominent, why did the Empress Dowager care so much for him? It was simply because his appearance did not resemble the current emperor, but rather bore a striking resemblance to the Empress Dowager's youngest son who had died young. Out of affection for the deceased, the Empress Dowager poured all her love and affection into Zhao Xuanhong.

After the Empress Dowager intervened in Lü Zhu's affairs, Zhao Xuan Hong outwardly restrained himself, but he still spent most of the month at Lü Zhu's courtyard. As time went on, Lü Zhu became increasingly attentive. Every time Zhao Xuan Hong came, she would either prepare homemade snacks or tenderly massage his shoulders and back. Under this gentle onslaught, Zhao Xuan Hong became increasingly dependent on her.

While the two were deeply in love, Sun Qing'er gritted her teeth, picked up her pen, and wrote a letter inviting Zhao Xuanhong to meet her. The agreed meeting place was naturally Yunding Temple.

In her eyes, Zhao Xuanhong might not love her, but she would never allow him to betray her and fall in love with someone else. After all, she had given so much for him, almost everything. Now that a woman of the night had interfered, how could she stand by and watch her years of planning go to waste?

Soon, news of Sun Qing'er's meeting with Zhao Xuanhong was secretly relayed back to the Marquis of Weiwu's residence by Yueying.

Song Ce chuckled as he held the short, secret letter. Sun Qing'er had finally lost her composure. With that, his long-planned scheme could now proceed smoothly.

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Author's Note: [Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose]