Duanhua watched Yan Huisheng’s carriage depart in the distance until it was out of sight, then she turned back and headed for the Princess Residence. As she stepped through the gates, she was startled. "Father?"
Duanhua’s husband quickly covered her mouth, "Quiet, lest the Crown Prince hears you."
Duanhua widened her eyes in surprise, "Father, you startled me. What were you doing hiding behind the door? You look guilty, like you’ve done something wrong."
Her husband was taken aback, lost for words for a moment before asking, "Have you been to see the Crown Prince again?"
"No, on my way back from Eastern Fourth Hutong, my carriage broke down. The Crown Prince happened to be passing by, so he gave me a ride," Duanhua replied skeptically, "Father, why were you hiding behind the door?"
Her husband explained in a hushed voice, "I was about to enter our Residence when I heard that the Crown Prince was escorting you home. I wasn’t sure how to face him, so I hid."
Duanhua sighed, "Father, you also fear my cousin, the Crown Prince?"
"Who isn’t afraid?" Her husband said in annoyance, scrutinising his daughter, "Twice your carriage broke down on the road, and twice you were brought home by the Crown Prince. How is that possible?"
"Indeed, it’s almost as if I deliberately sabotaged the carriage to rendezvous with him," Duanhua sighed in frustration, "Only I’m falsely accused. The carriage was just moving along when it broke down. I was about to swap it for the guards’ carriage, but then my cousin, the Crown Prince, happened to pass by and gave me a ride."
Her husband sighed in return, "This explains it then... If it’s not your rotten luck, it must be that you and the Crown Prince share a strange connection."
Duanhua giggling, a sudden shift from her earlier gloom, "Right, I might just stop using the carriage in the future."
The two chatted while venturing further into the Residence.
Duanhua whispered, "Father, I’ve been avoiding coming home all day. Have you thought about how to explain this to my mother?"
Duanhua’s husband shook his head, "I haven’t figured it out yet."
Duanhua stared at him, her face expressing clear incredulity at his lack of planning. Her father grinned and poked her forehead, "I’ve been busy all day at the office; I didn’t have time to think about this. You’ve had the entire day off, did you come up with an explanation?"
Duanhua scratched her head, "Should we just tell her straight away? We’ll be there to support her, she’s been through a lot, she should be able to accept it. After all, it is my cousin, the Crown Prince who wants to marry me. It’s not as if you’re going to marry another concubine, she’ll certainly be able to accept that."
Duanhua’s husband was rendered speechless.
What yet were these nonsensical words!
The father and daughter arrived at the Main Courtyard, where Princess Qingping was waiting for them to have dinner. Seeing her husband and daughter return together, Qingping frowned at Duanhua, "Where have you been gallivanting off to all day?"
Duanhua stuck her tongue out, walked up to Qingping, and linked her arm through Qingping’s, "Mother, are you feeling unwell today?"
"Not at all, I’m feeling great," Qingping assured.
Relieved, Duanhua suggested, "Then let’s have dinner. I’m starving."
Princess Qingping nodded in agreement.
The family of three settled down at the table; Duanhua’s father watched as his worry-free daughter devoured her food. He thought to himself, was the Crown Prince really willing to marry such a girl, who he had a complete understanding of, at the stake of being his wife? He himself would never have the conscience to say she was suitable to hold the title of Crown Princess.
After dinner, Duanhua said while linking arms with Qingping, "Mother, father and I have something to discuss with you."
Qingping glanced at Duanhua’s father, then at Duanhua herself and hummed, "Go ahead."
Without beating around the bush, Duanhua reported, "My cousin, the Crown Prince, says he wants to marry me."
Qingping reacted with a surprised, "What?", and abruptly turned back towards Duanhua, "What did you just say?"
"I said the Crown Prince wants to marry me," Duanhua repeated.
Princess Qingping didn’t believe it and playfully pushed Duanhua away, "Go away, you naughty girl. This is not how one makes a joke. The Crown Prince marry you? You must be dreaming!"
Duanhua was speechless.
She expected her mother would be shocked, but not entirely unbelieving, as if she were talking nonsense. Duanhua insisted seriously, "But it’s true."
"Get out," Qingping waved her away.
At a loss for words, Duanhua turned to her father, "Father, say something please."
Duanhua’s husband also hadn’t expected this reaction. He looked at Princess Qingping and explained, "It is true. She has been constantly pestering the Crown Prince about the royal decree for a husband selection, and the Crown Prince, unable to bear her annoying behavior, finally relented and said he would marry her."
Princess Qingping was silent.
She looked at Duanhua’s father in astonishment, "Is the Crown Prince joking?"
"According to your daughter, he was not joking," Duanhua’s husband clarified.
Princess Qingping cast a skeptical look at Duanhua, "And can you be trusted?"
Duanhua exhaled in exasperation, "Mother, just how much do you distrust me? It’s true that the Crown Prince wants to marry me. He wanted to come home with me to discuss it with both of you. But I mentioned about you being pregnant and didn’t want to frighten you, and that’s why he didn’t come."
Princess Qingping, half-believing half-doubting, asked, "What happened exactly? Explain it from the beginning."
A drained Duanhua then repeated the whole story from the beginning: how she pestered Yan Huisheng, how he initially refused but then, overwhelmed by her persistence, suggested he just marry her to resolve the issue.
She finished her tale, and Princess Qingping was silent for a while.
"Mother? You’re not shocked speechless, are you?" Duanhua asked, holding tightly onto Princess Qingping’s arm.
Princess Qingping pinched Duanhua’s face.
With a pained gasp Duanhua yelped, "Mother, why are you pinching me?"
"I’m trying to figure out why you’re considered marriage material." Qingping drew back her hand, looking a little dazed as she regarded Duanhua’s father, "Is it really true?"
"I would say it’s at least 90% certain. I did see the Crown Prince deliver her personally in his carriage."
"Delivering her home along his way doesn’t affirm anything," Qingping reasoned.
Shaking his head, Duanhua’s father said, "Yet your daughter wouldn’t dare joke about this."
After thinking about it, Princess Qingping agreed. She looked back at Duanhua, who was rubbing her pinch-bruised cheek, and made up her mind, "Let’s go. Come with me. We’ll go to the Eastern Palace right now."
"Isn’t it too late for that?" He questioned.
But Qingping didn’t think so, "This is a major issue. I have to hear the answer from him directly, instead of relying on the nonsense our daughter is uttering."
Duanhua’s husband attempted to stop her, "We should go tomorrow."
"No. We’re going right now," Qingping refused to wait until the following day, let alone a moment longer.
Duanhua’s husband sighed, "But you’re pregnant."
"I’m only newly pregnant; you’ll be with me, we’ll be fine," Qingping was determined as she pulled Duanhua’s father up, "Let’s go. Hurry up."
Duanhua’s father gave in, "Alright then, let’s go."
Duanhua was appalled, "Father, you can’t always give into mother like this, she’s pregnant. It would be better to send someone to bring the Crown Prince here."
Qingping glared at her, "Are you questioning me? The Crown Prince isn’t someone you can simply summon."
She frowned, "Absolutely ridiculous."
Stamping her foot, Duanhua said, "Alright then, I’m coming too."
"You’re not needed," Qingping decisively refused, "Your father and I are sufficient. Moreover, I’m afraid once you see the Crown Prince, you’ll stick to him like a leech before we even begin to talk."
Duanhua was exasperated, "I will not."
"No matter what, you have to stay at home," Qingping urged Duanhua’s father, "Let’s go now."
Duanhua’s father managed to stop her, "Hold on, there’s no need to rush. It’s chilly at night, you should put on a warm cloak."
Qingping agreed and promptly had someone fetch a cloak.
Duanhua watched from the sidelines, reminding them in a tone of warning, "Mother, you’re in such a hurry to fetch the Crown Prince in the middle of the night... It’d be quite embarrassing if people find out."
Qingping rolled her eyes, "If the Crown Prince really does marry you, I won’t mind people laughing at me. I’ll stride across Capital City confidently. Who would dare laugh?"
After making her point, she ordered Duanhua to stay home, then pulled Duanhua’s father off to the Eastern Palace.
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