Chapter 7 If the Prince of Yan does not agree to her selection, she will find a new husband. ...
The guard, dressed in a black hunting robe, carrying a bow and arrows and a long sword, was clearly a trusted confidant personally trained by the Prince of Yan. Just by looking at his demeanor, one could tell what a distinguished and charismatic figure the Prince of Yan was.
"What brings you here, sir?"
Ye Shu said calmly, "It concerns the marriage between His Highness and Miss."
Behind the screen, Yuan Chaolu gently closed her hands in her wide sleeves, then slowly opened them again.
“The Prince of Yan is already aware of Miss Yuan’s experiences in her youth. She wandered and drifted in Longxi during her childhood, and her life was full of hardships. Although the Prince of Yan feels pity for her, a marriage is based on mutual affection. This marriage was arranged by the elder brothers and sisters of both sides, but they have not informed each other, which may not be Miss Yuan’s true wish.”
Therefore, the King of Yan decided to nullify the marriage agreement.
His words were firm and resolute.
Ye Shu maintained his cupped-hands gesture, his posture upright like a pine tree: "Although our marriage is not possible, the Prince of Yan can grant any request you may have outside of the marriage. He can guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and honor."
"However, the Prince of Yan advised the young lady that if she insisted on this marriage, it would ultimately be a fleeting illusion, like trying to catch a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water, which would not last."
The courtyard was deserted, save for the dense chirping of crickets, sometimes short, sometimes long.
He Yi stood on the steps in front of the house, and upon hearing these words that showed no regard for feelings, she held her breath for a moment.
Yuan Chaolu said, "Then please convey my message to the Prince of Yan: Thank you for your kind words today."
Ye Shu raised an eyebrow. Before her stood a floor-to-ceiling screen, its intricately woven pattern of begonia branches like mist, separating the outer courtyard from the inner room. Though the figure behind the screen was hazy, her black hair was tied up high, and her silk skirt trailed on the ground, resembling a lady in an ancient painting, her silhouette faintly reflected on the plain silk screen.
"Second Miss?"
“I understand the Prince of Yan’s intentions. The marriage was never arranged, so how can it be called off?”
Ye Shu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. The words she had prepared caught in her throat. She had not expected that the second young lady of the Yuan family would agree so readily.
A few suppressed coughs came from behind the screen.
Ye Shu asked, "Is the Second Miss unwell?"
The voice carried a hint of illness: "Having just arrived in the capital, I am now living in a damp and low-lying area. My old ailment has flared up again these past few days..." Before she could finish speaking, she coughed again, as if forcing a smile, "I am still ill and look haggard. It is inconvenient for me to receive guests. I hope you will understand, sir."
"Not at all, Miss, you flatter me."
The young woman, frail and ill, spoke with such submissiveness that she readily agreed to the annulment of the engagement. The forceful document personally written by the Prince of Yan, which Ye Shu had hidden in his sleeve, now became a hot potato, impossible to retrieve.
"Does the Second Miss have any further words for me to convey to the Prince of Yan?"
"some."
“I knew that fate was predetermined, and marriage could not be forced. Your Highness possesses the grace and elegance of a dragon and phoenix, while my life is as fragile as morning dew, my body is afflicted with illness, and I have wandered since childhood. How can I be worthy of you? When I first learned of this marriage, I was restless day and night. Today, your words have actually relieved the heavy burden in my heart. However…”
"Just now, you said that the Prince of Yan would grant any request I make? I do indeed have a request that I cannot keep."
Ye Shu said, "Please speak, Second Miss."
"Please wait a moment while I go and fetch something for you to pass on to, sir."
The young woman went inside, and after a short while, He Yi came out of the house and presented a letter with both hands.
Her low, hoarse voice came from behind the screen: "My illness has been intermittent, sometimes better and sometimes worse. Now I have no other requests, I just need a few medicinal herbs. However, the herbs are too expensive. I am new to Luoyang and am really short of money. The Yuan family can hardly help me either. I wonder if you could find the herbs listed on the paper for me?"
He Yi's tone was slightly hoarse: "Yes, my young lady's illness is a result of the illness she contracted when she was orphaned as a child."
Upon hearing her mention of her childhood illness, Ye Shu's gaze darkened, and he looked at the paper, asking, "Does the Second Miss have any other requests?"
Yuan Chaolu said softly, "This is all we have."
Ye Shu bowed and said in a gentle voice, "I hope Miss will take good care of herself. I will personally present this item to His Highness."
"Thank you, sir."
The man in the black robe stepped across the threshold and strode away.
"Sister Heyi, has she left?"
After everyone had gone far away, Yuan Chaolu slowly walked out from behind the screen. She had fair skin and red lips, and a rosy complexion. There was no sign of illness at all.
He Yi grabbed her arm and presented her sweaty hand to her.
"You didn't even discuss this with me. Who is that guard? I'm really afraid of being exposed in front of him. Look closely, see how much sweat I'm breaking."
Yuan Chaolu chuckled lightly: "Sister, didn't you notice that the guard's tone immediately softened a bit when he heard that I wasn't feeling well?"
He Yi asked, "Why did you pretend to be sick?"
"There must be another reason. You said that the Prince of Yan's men came in a menacing manner to annul the engagement, only to learn that I, an orphan, am seriously ill. How will His Highness the Prince of Yan react?"
Hearing this, He Yi finally realized what was happening.
"However, His Highness the Prince of Yan really showed no mercy, breaking off the engagement so directly and decisively."
Unexpectedly, Yuan Chaolu chimed in, "Really? I think His Highness the Prince of Yan is quite remarkable."
She walked to the flowerbed, half-squatted down, picked up a water ladle from the bucket, and watered the seedlings. Her tone was gentle: "The Prince of Yan is clearly not one to be bound by rules; he has a free and unrestrained personality. If he were to simply accept whatever comes his way, without any resistance and readily accepting the arranged marriage, he would truly lack any backbone. I would think he couldn't handle anything. How could one rely on such a husband?"
Yuan Chaolu paused, then snorted softly, "But he is indeed too arrogant. Even if the engagement is to be annulled, he shouldn't have sent a guard. He must have been extremely pampered growing up, which is why he acts so recklessly."
In front of me, hydrangeas and crabapple blossoms were in full bloom.
A few months after my sister left, these flower seeds, left unattended, did not wither but instead grew wildly, their branches and clusters overflowing the flower bed.
It is vibrant and dazzling, bright as mist.
Now she is pruning and nurturing the flowers again, which can be considered as living up to her sister's hard work.
She gently stroked the petals and said, "My elder sister wants me to marry the Prince of Yan, but I also need to understand his character before I can marry him with peace of mind. Sister Heyi, you should see how the Prince of Yan handles the matter of seeking medicine."
If he treats her perfunctorily, then he is not someone she can entrust her life to; if he shows arrogance and contempt for her past, then he is of the utmost despicable character, and she should cut ties with him and look for other powerful and wealthy men.
But what if he really did send someone to deliver the good medicine...?
That means they are cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and actually have a kind heart.
No matter how powerful her husband is, it depends on whether she can handle him.
Before the words were finished, footsteps could be heard on the path outside the courtyard.
The person who came was the teacher who taught Yuan Chaolu etiquette.
During her month in Luoyang, Yuan Chaolu did not dare to slack off for a single day. However, the skills that the noble ladies seemed to be born with were all incredibly troublesome for her.
Even the choice of words and phrases requires a long period of careful consideration.
Yuan Chaolu really disliked those boring lessons, but her elder sister had said that she hoped she could establish herself in Luoyang, and she would try her best to do so. In addition, Heyi kept an eye on her every day, so she really didn't waste a single day.
Yuan Chaolu stood up and bowed to the woman walking towards him, saying, "Teacher."
**
As dusk approached, Ye Shu, after visiting the Yuan residence, hurried to the palace. He stopped outside the vermilion palace gates and waited there for His Highness the Prince of Yan, as agreed.
The glow of the sunset cast a shadow on the imperial road leading to the palace gate, and a graceful figure could be seen walking from afar.
Prince Xiao Luozhi of Yan had just returned from the training ground on horseback. He was dressed in a dark purple military uniform, with a sword hanging at his waist. His robes fluttered in the wind, and his face was illuminated by the swaying sunset, making him appear even more handsome and dashing.
As is customary, His Highness the Prince of Yan, after descending from the training ground, should enter the palace for His Majesty to examine what he has learned that day.
Today, however, His Highness the Prince of Yan was clearly somewhat uneasy.
As soon as the Prince of Yan arrived, he unfastened the sword from his waist and threw it into Ye Shu's hand, asking, "You went to the Yuan family and met the young lady of the Yuan family? What did she say to you?"
He demanded that his subordinates investigate every detail, including the young lady's appearance, speech, character, demeanor, and the furnishings of her residence, and report everything truthfully.
Ye Shu recounted everything he had seen and heard that day.
The Prince of Yan wiped his sleeve with his hand, then paused slightly when he heard the last part: "She agreed?"
"Yes, the second young lady did not react much and agreed almost immediately, which was really beyond my expectations."
Xiao Luozhi had prepared a foolproof plan to deal with the persistent pestering, but he didn't expect the other party to react like this. He frowned slightly and asked, "She only told you to find medicine? Did she say anything else? What is the illness?"
"She only instructed her subordinates to find the medicine. The Second Miss has an old ailment from childhood that has not yet healed. After arriving in Luoyang, she suffered from acclimatization problems, which has exacerbated her illness. That is why she could not appear today. Her subordinates have also verified that since the Second Miss arrived in the capital a month ago, she has frequently visited various pharmacies to seek medical treatment and medicine."
Xiao Luozhi seemed somewhat uneasy as he rode slowly along the palace corridor and asked, "Did you see what she looked like?"
Ye Shu shook his head: "No, it was getting dark at the time. The Second Miss was standing behind the screen, and I could only vaguely see a slender figure. She was tall and graceful, and her speech and manners were composed and measured. She was not as vulgar and rude as Your Highness was worried about."
“But…” Ye Shu changed the subject.
"But what?"
"The Second Miss lives in a small, low-lying, damp courtyard in the southeast of the Yuan residence. The window frames are dilapidated, and she has only one maidservant by her side. It seems that she is not valued by the people of the Yuan residence."
The Prince of Yan frowned and looked up at the lights gradually illuminating the palace walls. "Is that so... If she had mentioned marriage to me to the Yuan family, things wouldn't have come to this..."
The night was deep, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed crisply on the road in the silence.
"Oh, right!" The Prince of Yan seemed to remember something, and pulled on the reins to stop. "Did you deliver that letter to her?"
Seeing his anxiety, Ye Shu quickly said, "Of course not. I know Your Highness, the letter is still in my sleeve."
The Prince of Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good then."
Ye Shu smiled and said, "But there is something I don't know if I should say. Today, the Prince sent me to the Yuan residence to break off the engagement without consulting His Majesty. This matter cannot be left unreported. If His Majesty finds out, I'm afraid he will be displeased."
He lowered his voice: "Furthermore, this marriage agreement was left by the late Emperor, Your Highness..."
The King of Yan said, "I am the one who decides my own life's most important matter. How could I possibly marry a woman I have never met?"
As he spoke, his eyebrows shot up, and his youthful vigor shone through his eyes.
"Even if it's my third brother, he should understand me."
That's why, as soon as he heard about this marriage, he immediately sent someone to the Yuan family to visit the second young lady.
Ye Shu said, “But the current situation is delicate. His Majesty is currently looking for a successor. Although Your Highness enjoys great favor, you must be cautious in every move before the position of successor is decided. Moreover, His Majesty is decisive and clear about the distinction between public and private matters. A few days ago, His Majesty secretly went to Longxi, and that captain, who was a cousin of both of you, was also dealt with by His Majesty according to military law. His Majesty only returned to the capital a few days ago and immediately brought up your marriage agreement with the Yuan family, which shows how much His Majesty values it…”
Xiao Luozhi pondered for a moment: "It's getting late, and the palace gates are already locked. I'll stay in the palace tonight, and I'll find a suitable time to talk to Third Brother later."
Ye Shu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that Your Highness has figured it out. When we enter the palace later, I will bring this up with His Majesty. How about that?"
Xiao Luozhi said in a low voice, "It's alright. Third Brother has always been kind and generous to his brothers and sisters, so he will surely understand me. Besides, he has been on the throne for three years and has not had a single woman in his harem. All the court officials have advised him for so long, but he himself will not marry. Why would he insist that I marry that Yuan family girl..."
Even so, Xiao Luozhi was not entirely confident.
The sound of horses' hooves ceased; they had reached the depths of the Forbidden City.
Xiao Luozhi dismounted and straightened his clothes.
Just as the lanterns were being lit, the ram's horn lanterns were illuminated in the corridors, making the exquisite palace rooms shine brightly.
The palaces of the new dynasty were extremely magnificent. Backed by mountains, the corridors and corridors were winding and overlapping, resembling the undulating tides of the sea. When the moonlight fell at night, it was as if a light veil was swirling between the palace walls, and from a distance, it was a magnificent sight.
Tonight, Xiao Luozhi found the palace lanterns particularly glaring.
Perhaps it was because he was thinking about what he was about to say, or perhaps it was because he was thinking about his brother’s increasingly stern and cold manner, but he felt anxious even before he went inside. He raised his hand and pressed his brow bone.
Before the Zhangde Hall, a palace attendant bowed and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time and summons you to the hall immediately."
A note from the author:
----------------------
The Prince of Yan: I sent someone to say those things to Chaolu. I should slap myself in the middle of the night. I deserve to die.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
