February 16th, the weather was sunny and the sun was shining brightly, with a warm and clear sky.
A woman with delicate features sat gracefully before a mirror, admiring her reflection. Her beautiful face was enhanced by a touch of maturity—the charm of a woman. The shyness of a young girl combined with the maturity of a woman created a unique allure that was irresistible.
The man's arm was wrapped around the woman's neck, and he affectionately rubbed the top of her dark hair, his tone doting. "Chang Le, you are so beautiful."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Changle smiled charmingly, turned around, and wrapped her arms around the Third Prince's neck, her breath sweet as orchids. At that moment, the voice of the Third Prince's steward came from outside the door.
"Master, there's an emergency." The steward of the Third Prince's residence was usually very steady and rarely acted in such a hurry. Upon hearing this, the Third Prince immediately lost interest, hurriedly pushed Jiang Changle aside, put on his coat, and went out the door.
"Master, the Emperor has just issued an imperial edict..." The steward was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, but he was dressed in rich clothes. He leaned close to the Third Prince's ear and whispered, his face flushed with anxiety.
The Third Prince's expression also changed constantly, like a palette of colors shifting continuously, and his years of honed patience almost crumbled.
"Since Father has already issued a decree to take a liking to that person, it's beyond our control. Tell Mother not to act rashly and to observe the situation. Go and investigate that person thoroughly to see what abilities he has."
The third prince's mind raced. His father, the emperor, had remained celibate for so many years, yet he had taken a liking to a young girl who hadn't even reached marriageable age—this was truly suspicious. What was so captivating about this girl, or had his father simply lost his mind?
He didn't know anything, the only thing he knew was that the other party couldn't be moved for the time being, so as not to displease his father and cause trouble for him and his mother.
Inside, Jiang Changle was being served by Rouge, who arranged her hair into a standard married woman's bun, with an exquisite gold hairpin slanted into her hair. She was dressed in a gorgeous concubine's formal attire, exuding elegance, sophistication, and nobility.
"How did things go with what I arranged yesterday?" Jiang Changle asked in a low voice, seeing that no one was around.
"Your Highness, rest assured, the messenger I sent reported that the person did not come out all night, so it seems he has succeeded." Rouge replied while she was putting a gold hairpin into Jiang Changle's hair, and received a satisfied look from her mistress, which put her mind at ease.
"Let's hurry out, lest we keep His Highness waiting." It's the second day after the wedding, and we should pay our respects to the Emperor and Consort Shu. We can't be late and displease His Highness and Consort Shu.
"Your Highness, what's wrong? We should go and pay our respects to Mother Consort." Jiang Chang Le, having finished her makeup, walked out of the courtyard with Rouge's help and greeted the two people at the door with a smile.
The Third Prince was about to say, "Go and pay your respects to your mother yourself," as he was in no mood for it. But the steward, quick-witted, immediately said, "Master, Consort Jiang is that man's sister."
Regardless of their relationship, they are sisters by blood, and they are always much better at getting things done than outsiders. If they could win that person over, it would undoubtedly give their master more leverage and make it easier for her to ascend the throne.
The Third Prince swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, looking thoughtfully at Jiang Chang Le. He was pleased with Jiang Chang Le's beauty and gentleness, and her powerful background was also noteworthy. However, he had been reprimanded by his father during the imperial concubine selection, giving him a somewhat negative impression of her before marriage. He had only planned to pamper her and then treat her like a decoration, but now…
"Alright, I'll instruct the steward to prepare a carriage right away. We'll be going to the palace to pay our respects to Mother Consort shortly." The Third Prince reached out and stroked Jiang Chang Le's smooth, long hair, his tone becoming even gentler.
Jiang Changle was unaware of the Third Prince's thoughts. She assumed that he doted on her and was completely captivated by her charms. While she appeared gentle on the surface, she became increasingly smug and determined to secure the position of the principal wife.
A magnificent carriage pulled up in front of the Ziyang City gate. A man in a black robe jumped off the carriage first, followed by Jiang Changle, who was dressed in her finest attire, and several other concubines.
Looking at the majestic palace, the Third Prince took a deep breath, pondering how to use Jiang Changle to build a good relationship with Wuyou. He glanced at Jiang Changle beside him without leaving a trace, and the inexplicable unease in his heart subsided considerably.
The sound of horses' hooves clattering on the bluestone floor was particularly crisp, and the group of people subconsciously looked toward the source of the sound and immediately saw the sign on the carriage.
A man in flowing white robes stepped down from the carriage, his matching white cloak adding to his ethereal beauty. His handsome face was adorned with a gentle smile, making him unforgettable.
Seeing the other man's appearance, Jiang Changle felt a surge of jealousy. What merit did that wretched Jiang Wuyou possess to deserve the favor of such an outstanding man? She was utterly unworthy. Fortunately, she had already taken action; Jiang Wuyou could forget about marrying the Fifth Prince.
"So it's the Fifth Prince. You've brought your concubine to pay respects to Mother today, haven't you?" The Third Prince was handsome, with sharp, hawk-like eyes.
The two brothers were equally handsome standing together, but women generally preferred the Fifth Prince, who was gentle and easy to get along with.
Based on the Fifth Prince's usual behavior in public, he should be gentle, polite, and reserved with his elder brother. But today, he pursed his lips, looking extremely displeased and anxious, and didn't even bother to give the Third Prince a glance.
"Third brother, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't say any more for now. We can talk later." The fifth prince gave a perfunctory bow and, without waiting for a response, hurriedly led his men into the palace, his face terribly gloomy.
"He's just a lowly person, yet he dares to speak to me like that. When I ascend the throne..." The Third Prince's face instantly darkened, and he lowered his voice, gritting his teeth. If it weren't for the fact that this younger brother of his had recently received considerable attention from their father, he wouldn't have bothered to exchange pleasantries with him. How dare he disrespect him?
In fact, given the Fifth Prince's cunning and understanding of the Third Prince, he naturally knew that doing so would easily offend people, but the matter at hand was more important.
He received the news early this morning that his father had issued an edict to bestow the title of Imperial Concubine upon Jiang Wuyou, a piece of news that came as a bolt from the blue for him.
Jiang Wuyou was the woman he had set his sights on after his rebirth, someone he thought was his for the taking. But even a cooked duck can fly away. How exactly did Jiang Wuyou get involved with his father? And how could his father possibly fall for a mere young girl? While Jiang Wuyou is beautiful and cunning, she shouldn't have attracted the cold-hearted emperor! After all, his father isn't some hot-blooded young lad.
Most importantly, he was reborn, and everything unfolded according to the trajectory of his previous life. He thought he had everything under control. But this event was a major turning point, something that had never happened in his previous life. What does this mean?
His advantage of being reborn is gone, and everything is developing in an uncontrollable direction. So, can he still ascend the throne as smoothly as he did in his previous life?
It was precisely because he had taken this into consideration that the Fifth Prince rushed to the palace to check the situation, completely ignoring the Third Prince, whom he considered a defeated opponent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
