Wang Xipei married the fifth prince, and everyone said it was a match made in heaven. The two of them looked very well-matched.

Wang Xipei felt bitter. Is there really a destiny in this world? She wanted to avoid a certain fate, but she still fell into it.

Luo Yunyan’s divination is so accurate.

The high priestess girl Luo Yunyan, Wang Xipei and the fifth princess have been as close as one since they met. Because of their age and personality, the fifth princess is closest to the fifth prince among her brothers.

Because Luo Yunyan was the high priestess from the Gu tribe, Xuanyuan Hao instructed the Fifth Prince to play the role of host.

During that period, the four of them were often together. The fifth prince was very considerate and attentive in taking care of the three little girls, and it was rare that they could play together.

He got along especially well with Wang Xipei. Both were adept at kneeling as punishment, one in the side hall, the other in the ancestral hall, and they shared their experiences with each other, a kind of sympathy and mutual admiration.

The two of them also supported each other's dignity. The Fifth Prince was good at riding, shooting, swordsmanship, and horsemanship, while Wang Xipei, as the head of the civil officials and the daughter of the Prince's tutor, was quite knowledgeable in the classics, poetry, and songs.

During the royal hunting trip in autumn, Wang Xipei was teased by a hostile little girl and was unable to draw the large bow with ox-tendon string. It was the Fifth Prince who stood beside her, held her hand, and shot three arrows in succession. Every arrow hit the bull's eye. The three arrow feathers, which looked like blooming petals, were all stuck in the bull's eye. This was probably the first time that the little girl's heart was moved.

Xuanyuan Hao and three great scholars held a "Winter Fireside Gathering" at Luming Academy. It was part exam, part play, with the royal family members, civil officials and military officers secretly competing with each other. Seeing that the fifth prince was lagging behind the royal family members and was about to be punished, Wang Xipei's maid handed the fifth prince's servant a cheat sheet.

Wang Xipei composed two poems and one verse for him, and the Fifth Prince was overjoyed and hurriedly copied them out and handed them in. It was rare for Wang Xipei to submit poems under her own name, as they showed the tenderness of a young girl, while those written for the Fifth Prince were grand and elegant.

This greatly disappointed the scholars who had been waiting to see the Fifth Prince embarrass himself, and even several great scholars nodded in praise, stating that such writing skills and broad-mindedness were rare. Concubine Chen's reputation was also saved, and even Xuanyuan Hao couldn't help but look a few more times at his troubled son.

The Fourth Prince stepped up his efforts to propose to Wang Xipei, as it had been taking too long.

After the Spring Banquet of the previous year, the Fourth Prince selected Wang Xipei's name and submitted it. It took several months for the imperial decree to come down, granting marriages to his two uncles, Prince Qing and Prince Yu.

The marriages of the two princes would be discussed after the weddings of the two uncles. The two uncles were marrying their principal wives, and after completing the three letters and six ceremonies, it took until the spring of the following year for them to set their respective wedding dates and get married.

Then, a little girl from the Yunnan Gu tribe's chief priestess came to Kyoto, and her father designated the fifth prince to accompany her. This little girl, Luo Yunyan, was very good friends with the fifth princess, Wang Xipei, and they were often together.

At that time, the Fourth Prince had already regarded Wang Xipei as his future daughter-in-law. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. He felt that it would be a great blessing in his life if he could have Wang Xipei and Xue Yinzhu as his wife and concubine.

Seeing his fifth brother and his future wife often together, he naturally felt very uncomfortable.

Therefore, he often encountered her by chance. Wang Xipei was very polite to him, not as close as she was to her fifth brother. Every time he saw his frustrated expression, his fifth brother was very happy.

Later, his mother said to him, "I'm afraid the Wang family knows that you refused the marriage proposal for Xue Yinzhu. You are the king and he is the minister. If you didn't harbor resentment, you wouldn't let your daughter be with your fifth brother."

Although your fifth sister and the Gu tribe priest are still here, Wang Xipei is still an unmarried girl, and you've already made your arrangements. Anyone who is truly interested in this marriage wouldn't be so careless.

Considering the Wang family's current status among the civil servants, His Majesty's reliance on Wang Suwen, and your troublesome matter of marrying a concubine, I'm afraid your father will not support you.

I've also inquired about it. Your fifth brother didn't choose a wife after the last Spring Festival Banquet. If he wants to compete with you, I'm afraid you won't be able to win."

The Fourth Prince had indeed "married a wife for his concubine" and even "rejected marriage for his concubine", but when that person became Wang Xipei, he felt aggrieved: "Mother, I really like Xipei. She has a good temperament, is talented, and is beautiful. I don't like Miss Ren. I married Xipei, not for my concubine."

Concubine Su said, "Who would believe you if you said that now? Son, let's change someone. Mother also likes Xi Pei. She has a good family background, a good temperament, good talent, and is cheerful and lovely. Which mother wouldn't like such a lovely girl?

However, the one you are competing with is also the prince, and the Wang family is highly regarded. What you did a few years ago also hurt the reputation of the Queen and His Majesty. You should let go of this matter as soon as possible."

The Fourth Prince was still determined to marry Wang Xipei, just as he had refused the marriage proposal in the first place.

He even went to ask the Empress Dowager for help, but the Empress Dowager did not grant the marriage rashly. Instead, she called Queen Zhang Ru to the palace for questioning.

Then the Empress Dowager politely declined: "Grandmother, I am old. Your marriage is decided by your father, the Emperor, and your mother, the Empress Dowager. If you like a girl, you can convince her with your own ability."

The Fourth Prince had no choice but to kneel before Xuanyuan Hao Palace once more, as Wang Xipei had refused him a thousand miles away. Emperor Mingzheng knew the Fourth Prince had a mistress, Xi Yinzhu, but he didn't think it was a problem. His son wasn't allowed to have a wife or concubines, but he had been foolish in rejecting the marriage.

However, he was rejected at first, but now he is begging. Xuanyuan Hao feels that he knows exactly what his son wants and what he doesn't want.

He just felt a little uncomfortable when he thought about how he had once thought about it… After he stopped thinking about it, he no longer got angry when he saw the dozen or so similar items from time to time. After seeing them so many times, it became normal.

Unexpectedly, the fifth brother also came kneeling, asking for the same girl.

Xuanyuan Hao was in a dilemma and directly summoned Minister Wang, saying, "Let the Wang family choose between my two sons."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!