"yes."
Prince Qing readily admitted it, a smile on his face.
Why?
Gu Yaoniang sighed inwardly: "What is it about me that the Prince loves?"
She was somewhat puzzled. If we're talking about romantic love, it's nothing more than initial attraction and love that grows over time. But Gu Yaoniang thought it over and over, and still felt that she didn't fit either category.
Prince Qing's overtures clearly indicate that he genuinely has feelings for her.
Gu Yaoniang naturally had the vanity of a woman, and she felt a hidden joy at being admired.
But she was no naive young lady; she had experienced the annulment of her engagement and was now struggling to survive in the marketplace. Even a poor man like Qin Yuxiu, who had suddenly risen above his station, still looked down on her, his childhood fiancée.
Moreover, what about a prince like Prince Qing, who was born into a noble royal family? She didn't believe in such true love, and even if it did, she didn't believe she would encounter it.
Moreover, she is now a schoolgirl who only wants to earn money for the princess.
If it was out of affection, she couldn't understand it; if it was out of self-interest, that was even more of a fantasy. This was the only prince of Dacheng. Although people often said that the emperor favored Princess Ruining, the princess herself had no intention of competing with the many civil officials and ascending to that supreme position.
Not to mention the emperor's thoughts, who can know them? It seems that Prince Qing is still destined to ascend the throne in the future, so what could he possibly want from her?
Prince Qing seemed somewhat surprised: "What's the big deal about matters of the heart?"
Gu Yaoniang sighed: "Does Your Highness know about my past?"
"What happened before...?"
Prince Qing then realized that he seemed to have overheard his advisors talking about it. Gu Yaoniang's family and Qin family lived close by, and the two of them had grown up together. It seemed that Gu Yaoniang had some feelings for Qin Yuxiu when she first fell in love.
But so what? Ultimately, nothing ever happened to them. Who hasn't had a youthful infatuation?
He said, "Could you be referring to you and Lord Qin?"
Prince Qing's words were vague, which surprised Gu Yaoniang. Qin Yuxiu had truly devoted herself to Prince Qing's household, even reporting such a matter as annulment of the engagement to him?
Prince Qing spoke vaguely, and Gu Yaoniang was also reluctant to directly reveal that she had deceived the Emperor. Neither of them knew the truth of what they knew.
Gu Yaoniang wondered why Prince Qing seemed completely unconcerned. Could it be that young people in Shuojing not only marry later, but also take a more open-minded view of engagements and annulments?
Seeing that Qin Yuxiu's matter had not swayed Prince Qing, Gu Yaoniang asked again, "Your Highness, what are your plans for me?"
Prince Qing was surprised by Gu Yaoniang's sudden directness. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "I will welcome you with the courtesy due to a concubine. I assure you that although I cannot give you the position of principal wife, you will still be the most honored mistress of my household, and no one will dare to treat you with disrespect."
"Why should I?" Gu Yaoniang smiled gently.
Prince Qing was taken aback. What right? Who has the right?
Gu Yaoniang's face blossomed into a beautiful smile, like spring flowers blooming in the winter.
She asked, "If I listen to Your Highness, I am nothing more than a concubine. Why should I be the most honored?"
"It is according to my own will!"
Prince Qing dismissed it, saying, "Who dares to defy me? I am the ruler of the Prince's mansion. Whoever I promote becomes the most honored woman in the mansion."
"What about the prince's wife? Is it fair to her?"
Since Your Highness is so decisive, why can you only grant me the position of a concubine? If I enter the Prince's residence, will Your Highness allow me to go out? Or will you make me live my life confined to the four corners of the mansion all day long?
Doesn't Your Highness think there's a contradiction in what you're saying?
Prince Qing was speechless when asked the question.
Gu Yaoniang stood up and bowed deeply to him, then looked earnestly at Prince Qing: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I am just an ordinary woman from the city. I do not understand the three obediences and four virtues, nor do I know how to stay at home, and I am unwilling to share my husband with others."
I am but a humble willow, how could I possibly ascend to such a high position? Besides, all I want now is to earn more money. How could the Prince's mansion have a concubine like me, whose heart and eyes are only set on money?
"Please, Your Highness, do not mention it again."
Prince Qing looked at Gu Yaoniang kneeling on the ground. Although she was beautiful, there were women in Shuojing who were a thousand times more beautiful than her.
Her eyes were clear and stubborn, her back straight. Though she was kneeling on the ground, uttering self-deprecating words, she showed no shame whatsoever; her face was filled with pride.
He felt he couldn't quite understand this woman.
"Don't you want money? Now the Gu family can rival the Lu family. If you follow me, your Gu family's business will reach new heights."
Prince Qing's voice was slow and deliberate, full of seductive meaning.
"Does Your Highness mean that I can treat our marriage as a transaction?"
Gu Yaoniang countered with a question.
Prince Qing chuckled, "Yao Niang, I didn't mean that. I heard your younger brother has also come to Shuojing to prepare for the imperial examination. With me as his brother-in-law, his future career will be smoother. Isn't that a good thing?"
Gu Yaoniang refused again: "Your Highness, I am unwilling."
She lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions within.
Prince Qing's expression gradually turned ugly. No man likes being rejected, especially one who has almost never been rejected.
His voice was devoid of emotion: "Aren't you afraid of regretting it?"
"Your Highness, we are worlds apart, and your attention will not be focused on me. You are an eagle, with your own world. I also have my own world, and I cannot be content to always stand behind you."
Even if I regret it, that's my fate. I accept it.
Gu Yao remained calm. Prince Qing stared at her intently, but from his angle, he could not see her face. He could only see her long, black hair neatly tied back, smooth and without a trace of disorder.
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