Since entering the palace, the Fourth Prince had been feeling uneasy. Last night, although he circled the Xiao family's courtyard several times but didn't see anyone, he returned home. Today, when he entered the palace, for some reason, he went to inquire at the city gate tower about who had left before the palace gates were locked yesterday. Naturally, there were no records of relatives from Yonghe Palace. Therefore, he knew that she was still in Consort De's palace and hadn't left the palace yet.
When the palace staff were served lunch, the Fourth Prince ate a quick bite and then went out to digest. His office was in the Southern Fifth Palace, south of the Forbidden City, not far from the former Princes' Palace. The Fourth Prince strolled through the palace and unknowingly arrived at the Princes' Palace. Now, only a few underage princes, such as the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth, lived there; the others had already left the palace, established their own residences, and started their own families.
The princes' quarters were long and narrow, with each prince's courtyard being small and arranged neatly in parallel. The Fourth Prince's original courtyard was just in front. The Fourth Prince walked in, and the old woman guarding the gate, seeing that it was the Fourth Prince, quickly bowed.
"You're still guarding this place? It's quite clean, though." The Fourth Prince stood at the entrance of the courtyard and looked inside. After he moved out with his wife and family, only a few palace servants were responsible for guarding this place.
“This old servant is too old to go anywhere else. Fourth Prince, a lady just came by and is inside right now,” said the old servant, Granny Wu.
"Women? Who?" the Fourth Prince asked in surprise. Who else would come here?
"She's a woman from Consort De's palace, said to be Fourth Prince's cousin. This old servant dared not stop her." Before Granny Wu could finish speaking, Fourth Prince had already strode inside.
Wu Yawanru had changed her clothes; she wore a crimson cheongsam, her hair styled in a double bun, adorned with a tortoiseshell and gold-painted begonia flower in the center, and a plum blossom tassel necklace on each side. The moment Fourth Prince saw her, it was as if time had reversed by more than a decade. He was still the fifteen-year-old boy he once was, and Wu Yawanru before him was still the young girl with her first applied makeup.
"Wanru!" Fourth Prince couldn't help but call out, just like the moment he first confessed his feelings to her in the plum grove beside the Imperial Garden. Back then, she was also dressed in a crimson cheongsam, and it seemed she had the same hairstyle. Although Wuya Wanru was no longer in her youthful prime, she was only twenty-four years old at the time, exuding a mature charm. Coupled with her relatively young age, she seemed even more endearing than the naive girl she once was.
"Cousin." Uya suppressed the faint joy in her heart and called out as she had in the past.
Fourth Master felt as if he couldn't take his eyes off Wu Ya Wanru. After his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, he finally asked, "What are you doing here?"
Uya parted her red lips slightly and said, "Today I am leaving the palace. Wanru thought of the time she spent here with her cousin and couldn't help but want to come and see. At that time, Wanru was taken to the palace by her aunt for a short stay and also came to the Fourth Prince's residence to play painting and cricket fighting with her cousin."
The Fourth Prince recalled the wonderful times he had spent here with the woman before him. He was only fourteen years old then, having moved out of Consort De's quarters and into this Prince's residence. Among the first batch of princesses chosen by his father was Lady Song, and she was the first to serve him. When Uya Wanru entered the palace, the Fourth Prince was captivated by her delicate and pure face, but her humble origins made it too unfair to take her as a concubine. And so, they missed their chance.
"Cousin, I heard from Mother that the Xiao family is going to promote a concubine to a secondary wife, that's why you came back?" Fourth Master couldn't bear to see the woman he once loved so much in such a miserable state. She was an orphan and a widow, disliked by her husband's family, and her own family was snobbish. If a married daughter couldn't bring benefits to the family, who would care about her?
As the Fourth Master greeted her, a tear slid down Wuya's smooth, jade-like eyelids.
Seeing her tears, the Fourth Master's anger intensified. He had given up on their pure love because he couldn't offer her a better future. But seeing her now suffering such a terrible fate, how could he not feel heartache?
“It’s all Wanru’s bad luck. She only gave birth to a daughter after several years of marriage. Her husband also passed away from illness two years ago. I heard that the Fourth Prince is very capable in the court and is highly regarded by the Emperor. Wanru is really happy for her cousin when she hears this.” Lady Wuya picked up a clean white handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her eyes, then looked at the Fourth Prince with a look of relief.
"If you don't want to, you can divorce Xiao. With your mother's care, it shouldn't be worse than staying in the Xiao family. If not, I'll find someone from the Xiao family for you?" Fourth Master said, moved.
“No, thank you, cousin. They want to elevate Liu's status so that her son can also be elevated. I don't want him to die without descendants, so let them go. I just don't want to go back there.” Wu Yawan quickly said as she saw Fourth Master about to talk to the Xiao family. This was not what she wanted. Her goal wasn't to force the Xiao family to stop elevating the status of concubines. The Xiao family no longer had any reason for her to stay. Without a man, what use was the title of principal wife? Her goal was to become the concubine of this man before her. Once she became his woman, based on her past relationship and kinship, she could gradually become his princess, his secondary consort, and even…
Seeing Wuya's dejected expression, the Fourth Prince assumed she was heartbroken. After all, her husband had only been dead for two years, and his family was already trying to elevate his concubines and son to claim titles and property. She must have had enough of that kind of life.
"So what are your plans for the future?" Fourth Master asked.
"Wanru only asks for a place to settle down, to watch Man'er grow up, and after she gets married, Wanru will..." Wuya said, tears welling up in her eyes again. Actually, she had planned her visit today carefully yesterday. She guessed that the Fourth Prince would be unable to resist revisiting this place, and even if he didn't dare go to Consort De's palace to see her, he would definitely come here to see the place where they had shared laughter and joy.
The Fourth Prince clenched his fist, as if he could no longer suppress the pity he felt for her. He stepped forward and took Wuya's hand, saying, "Wanru, would you... would you be willing to be my princess?"
Well, in the Fourth Master's mind, he had so many women in his harem anyway, and there might be more in the future, so one more wouldn't make a difference. Since he wanted to take care of her, he should make her his woman so that he could take care of her completely, right?
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