Prince Yong pondered for a long time in Chensong Courtyard, staring at the babbling water under the waterside pavilion until his eyes were dazzled, before finally saying, "Bi Qiao, prepare a carriage for me."
Fuxi waited by the side, not surprised to hear the prince call Biqiao. She was used to it; the prince didn't recognize people, even though she had been by his side for over ten years.
"Yes," he said, then went down to instruct people to prepare a carriage.
After preparing the carriage, they summoned Uncle Fu and Bi Qiao, and the group left the Yongwang Mansion in a grand procession and headed to the Huo Residence.
Huo Baichuan was not there, and Huo Guxian had gone to the academy and had not returned home. Now only Huo Danlan was at home. Zhao Shu was somewhat surprised that she did not follow the Prince of Yong.
She had originally planned to have the steward come out to greet him, explaining that Huo Baichuan was not at the residence and was too busy to entertain him, and that if Prince Yong was polite, he could leave on his own. However, Prince Yong directly requested to see her.
After thinking it over, she decided to meet with Zhao Shu. Ever since she made that decision, she had felt guilty and didn't know how to face Zhao Shu. In fact, she also had some things she wanted to say.
The meeting place was arranged in the courtyard. When Prince Yong was led there by the magpie, what came into view was the crape myrtle, described as "greenery obscuring the eyes in the height of summer, this flower filling the hall with red," and the crape myrtle with its abundant and vibrant spikes, all in full bloom in the summer heat.
Huo Danlan, dressed in a bright lotus-green brocade dress, her face veiled by a light gauze, her eyes sparkling like stars, stood by the pond in the garden, which was filled with water lilies.
Large, green lotus leaves float on the water, forming a continuous expanse, interspersed with pure and delicate lotus blossoms, truly embodying the saying, "The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, an endless expanse of green; the lotus blossoms, bathed in sunlight, are a uniquely vibrant red."
Whether the person is more beautiful or the flower is more beautiful is a matter of comparison. At this moment, Prince Yong felt that the person was more beautiful. However, he was not presumptuous, nor did he stare at her with infatuation. He simply bowed from afar and said, "Miss Huo."
Huo Danlan turned around and gave a slight curtsy, saying, "Greetings to Your Highness."
All emotions vanished in that single greeting.
"I have come to explain something to you, young lady." He was a gentleman, and his manner was very subtle and polite.
However, Huo Danlan interrupted him, saying, "Your Highness, please return."
Before Prince Yong could even begin to speak, how could he be leaving? Just as he was about to say something more, the magpie handed him a piece of paper, folded into the shape of a water lily, and helped Huo Danlan away. It seemed that this meeting was merely a final farewell, and held little significance for Prince Yong.
He stood beneath the crape myrtle tree, silent for a long time. There were words on the water lily in his hand; he unfolded it and read: "Gulls, egrets, and mandarin ducks share a pond, yet their wings are not suited to each other. The Lord of Spring does not favor the flowers; why not let their intertwined branches never grow?"
After reading it, he felt a sense of relief, though he didn't know where this feeling came from. It was somewhat inexplicable. In fact, he had been a little afraid that Huo Danlan would agree to his request after hearing what he said.
His coming was largely due to his daughter's wish, and had little to do with ****. Admiring someone or having feelings for them doesn't necessarily mean romantic love. A hasty marriage might turn them into a resentful couple. Fortunately, he has never overstepped his bounds over the years.
Ah Jun likes it, and I don't dislike it either, so my feelings are extremely conflicted about coming here.
As they were leaving the Huo residence, they ran into Xiao Xingyuan. Xiao Xingyuan had come in a hurry, but upon seeing Prince Yong, he couldn't help but frown. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, why don't you come to my residence for a drink?"
Prince Yong, who had just been rejected and didn't know how to explain it to his daughter, thought that having a drink was a good suggestion, so he readily agreed and went to the Xiao residence.
Upon arriving at the Xiao residence, Xiao Xingyuan had his servants place a few small dishes and two cups of wine on the table. He toasted Prince Yong with three cups, and after drinking them, his face was slightly flushed, and he was already drunk.
He stood up, holding his wine glass, and recited: "Drawing a sword to cut water only makes it flow more; raising a cup to drown sorrow only makes it more bitter. Life in this world is full of disappointments; tomorrow I'll let my hair down and drift away in a small boat."
Upon hearing this, Prince Yong felt that Xiao's disappointment was much greater than his own, so he comforted him, saying, "How about I write you a letter of recommendation? Brother Xiao is exceptionally talented, and the Emperor will surely give him an important position."
Xiao Xingyuan reluctantly put down his wine cup. "What is Your Highness doing at the Huo residence?"
Being rejected was too embarrassing to admit, so Prince Yong awkwardly drank a cup and mumbled, "Go see Xian'er."
"Xian'er went to the academy, didn't you know?" Xiao Xingyuan pressed on, judging from Prince Yong's expression that he had been rejected, but he wanted to hear the truth from Prince Yong himself.
"I don't know," Prince Yong stubbornly replied, and then drank another cup.
Xiao Xingyuan and Xiao Xingyuan drank one cup after another, and before long, two jugs of wine were gone. The two disheartened men began to pour out their hearts to each other.
"I've waited for her my whole life," Xiao Xingyuan began, drunkenly.
“My daughter, Ah Jun, is fifteen.” Prince Yong was almost in tears.
"She's going to marry someone else." Xiao Xingyuan was heartbroken and devastated.
"I wonder which brat will benefit from this." Prince Yong said through gritted teeth, barely managing to echo Xiao Xingyuan's words.
Xiao Xingyuan, in a daze, poured a cup of wine for Prince Yong and him, saying, "I shouldn't have taken her to Taiyuan back then."
"I want to find a son-in-law." Prince Yong finished his wine. "What Taiyuan?" he asked in his dazed state, subconsciously feeling that it was a very important place.
Xiao Xingyuan glanced at her with his hazy eyes and said indistinctly, "I met Jiang Di by chance in Taiyuan back then. She was there too. But Jiang Di was unrestrained and flamboyant, while she was much more reserved. You just didn't notice. You only had eyes for Jiang Di, but unfortunately, she only had eyes for you. However, she was suffering from a serious illness and never showed it. She didn't even dare to appear in front of you. You are a lucky person."
His tone was sarcastic. After hearing this, Prince Yong tried hard to recall, but after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't remember seeing Huo Danlan in Taiyuan. However, those eyes did give him a sense of déjà vu.
"It's pitiful that she cared so much for you. Knowing that you loved Jiang Di, she even tried to imitate Jiang Di's mannerisms. But you don't remember her. She was the person A Qing couldn't let go of the most. Back then, when the layman disagreed with Jiang Di marrying you, it was she who mediated between you. You must not know this, and neither did Jiang Di. The layman was right. A Qing is gone, and Jiang Di is gone too. Your Zhao family is a graveyard that takes lives."
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