He paused, then continued, "...My brother's salary isn't high either; this is what he's saved up."
His salary was not only low, it was practically meager.
Always upright and honest, he refused to accept bribes from court officials and even used his own money to help the poor, so it was already rare for him to do so.
Princess Zhaoyang opened the box and found several ingots of silver inside. She had always been deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress, so this was not a large sum for her, but she still couldn't hold back her tears.
Seeing his younger sister crying, the Fourth Prince assumed she thought it wasn't enough and scratched his head awkwardly, "Zhaoyang, how about I ask my elder brother to borrow another one..."
Before he could even utter the word "些", Princess Zhaoyang interrupted him.
She wiped away her tears, a smile playing on her lips, though her eyes were still red: "Brother, thank you."
The fourth prince looked around sheepishly and said, "N-nothing."
“Royal brother,” Princess Zhaoyang called out to him again.
Fourth Prince: "Hmm?"
She pursed her lips and cautioned, "Be careful of your other brothers, don't trust them too easily, especially the eldest brother."
The eldest prince is the most kind-hearted of all the princes, so why should we be wary of him? The fourth prince was somewhat confused, but still nodded obediently: "I understand."
At this moment, the coachman reminded her from the front: "Princess, it's time to set off."
Princess Zhaoyang and the Fourth Prince both fell silent. After a moment, she smiled nonchalantly at the Fourth Prince, her tone playful: "Brother, Zhaoyang is leaving."
Seeing her feigned nonchalance, the Fourth Prince felt a pang of discomfort, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat. Forcing a smile, he said, "Go, and take good care of yourself."
Princess Zhaoyang nodded, then took another deep look at the two large characters "Shangjing" on the city gate, lowered her eyes and said to the coachman, "Let's go."
...
As the carriage drove further and further away, slowly disappearing from sight, the Fourth Prince finally looked away. Turning his head, he saw Qin Qi standing on the city wall, smiling charmingly, with Lu Huai standing beside her with his hands behind his back, looking at her with great affection.
They were a perfect match, a couple that drew envy from everyone around them. He couldn't help but be stunned.
Feeling the Fourth Prince's gaze, Qin Xi lowered her eyes, her curled eyelashes trembling slightly.
Princess Zhaoyang had long harbored ill intentions towards her, so she certainly hadn't come to see her off, but rather to watch her make a fool of herself.
Seeing that only the Fourth Prince came to see her off, Qin Xi felt relieved.
She was incredibly popular at the poetry gathering, and even the daughter of the Grand Tutor fawned over her. Now, however, she was utterly destitute, with hardly any relatives or friends willing to visit her.
Qin Xi couldn't help but feel sorry for her, shook her head, and then laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Lu Huai asked.
She stuck out her nimble tongue, winked playfully, and said, "The annoying person is finally gone, shouldn't I be happy? I not only want to laugh, I want to tell the whole world!"
She stood with her hands on her hips, showing no trace of the demeanor of a well-bred young lady, but Lu Huai was absolutely smitten with her adorable appearance.
He reached out his large hand and ruffled her fluffy head: "If you want, then announce it to the world."
As he spoke, he turned to the people below the city gate and said, "Ayu, have someone write a few notices and post them before nightfall today."
"No, no," Qin Xi said, pulling him back with a wry smile. "I was just kidding, and you actually took it seriously."
Lu Huai turned to look at her, his eyes deep: "I'll believe whatever you say, so don't lie to me, okay?"
Qin Xi's eyes flickered, and she smiled, "As long as you don't betray me, I will never lie to you."
Lu Huai looked at her deeply, cupped her soft cheeks, and kissed her. Sensing his unease, Qin Xi disregarded the presence of others, wrapped her arms around his neck, and passionately entrusted her heart to him.
Everyone else wisely turned their heads away and didn't look at them.
Except for... the Fourth Prince.
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