He Xuejian walked towards him, saying, "It's been years since I last saw you, and you've become even more handsome than before!"
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Crown Prince and all the princes!" He Xue said, bowing to the Crown Prince who walked up to her.
The Crown Prince stopped and looked at He Xue. He saw that He Xue's joy vanished without a trace because of her words, "He Xue and he have become estranged!"
"Second Brother?" the Third Prince whispered to the Crown Prince, reminding him that Xueke was still bowing.
The Crown Prince then came to his senses. "Get up quickly! Why is He Xue acting so distant with her Crown Prince brother?"
"Your Highness, etiquette must not be disregarded. I was young and ignorant before and did not understand etiquette. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!" He Xue said with a smile.
The Crown Prince felt extremely uncomfortable, his anger simmering. What did it mean to be young and ignorant of manners? If being knowledgeable of manners meant becoming estranged from him, then it was better to have no manners at all.
Did someone say something to He Xue? Why is He Xue being so polite to him?
The Crown Prince looked on with a sullen expression as He Xue walked up to the Fourth Prince.
"Fourth Brother!" He Xue called out happily.
"You're back!" The Fourth Prince said with a smile to He Xue. "Go back to the manor first to see your aunt and uncle. I'll come pick you up later. Your mother misses you very much!"
“Okay, I miss my aunt too!” He Xue said.
He Xue bowed to the Crown Prince again and said, "Your Highness, this humble woman takes her leave!"
The crown prince remained silent.
He Xue glanced at the Crown Prince, then got up and left. "What's wrong with you today, Crown Prince? You're acting strangely."
Hearing He Xue's words, the Crown Prince thought to himself, "Isn't my strange behavior all because of you, you heartless little brat? Why didn't I see you showing any manners to your fourth brother? Were all your manners prepared for me?"
"He Zhu, long time no see!" He Xue said to He Zhu as she passed by.
"Princess...Princess, it's been a long time!" He Zhu replied, his heart pounding with fear.
He Zhu was almost in tears. Why was Princess Xue ignoring the Crown Prince and greeting him instead? Didn't she see how much the Crown Prince was glaring at him? Princess, if you truly care about your servant, please ignore me!
The Crown Prince glanced at He Zhu with displeasure, and He Zhu quickly gave the Crown Prince a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Second Brother, let's go back!" the Fourth Prince said to the Crown Prince.
"Hmm!" the crown prince replied expressionlessly.
The Fourth Prince looked at the Crown Prince's appearance. His Second Brother was perfectly fine when he arrived, so why was he acting like this now, as if someone owed him money?
After hearing what the guards said, Kangxi was unsure of the Crown Prince's true attitude towards Hexue. He was quite happy when he didn't see Hexue, so why was he unhappy when he saw her?
Does this mean even the Crown Prince cannot approach He Xue? Kangxi still considered He Xue his last hope; has even that last hope now been shattered?
No, he had to verify it himself. He remembered that the Imperial Noble Consort had said she would bring He Xue to the palace that night. He would also summon the Crown Prince to Chengqian Palace to see for himself how the Crown Prince and He Xue got along before drawing any conclusions.
He Xue returned to the General's Mansion, where Su Hetai, Tongjia Shi, and others were already waiting at the door.
"Father, Mother, I'm back!" He Xue saw Su Hetai and Tongjia Shi running all the way.
Tongjia held Hexue's hand and looked her over carefully, tears welling up in her eyes as she gazed at her.
"Mother, I'm back. You should be happy!" He Xue wiped away Tong Jia's tears.
"Mother, I'm so happy!" Tongjia said with a smile.
"Madam, let He Xue return to the manor first! We'll talk about it once we're back!" Su Hetai said.
"Alright!" Lady Tongjia led He Xue into the General's Mansion.
After returning to the General's Mansion, He Xue stayed by Tong Jia's side until the Fourth Prince came to take her to the palace. Only then did He Xue separate from Tong Jia and go to the palace with the Fourth Prince.
After He Xue arrived at Chengqian Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort inquired about her with concern. He Xue leaned on the Imperial Noble Consort's shoulder, feeling that it was wonderful to have someone care about and worry about her.
Not long after, Kangxi brought the Crown Prince to Chengqian Palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor! Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" He Xue rose and bowed to Emperor Kangxi and the Crown Prince.
"It's been several years since I last saw her, and He Xue has grown into a beautiful young woman!" Kangxi said, looking at He Xue.
Over the years, the Imperial Noble Consort had been able to guess Kangxi's intentions. Kangxi had also revealed his desire for Hexue to marry the Crown Prince. Although she had known the Crown Prince's intentions for a long time, she did not expect that the Crown Prince would wait until now.
The Crown Prince was indeed somewhat unexpected to her. She had heard the rumors circulating in the palace, but she didn't know if they were true or just excuses the Crown Prince had come up with for Deng and Xue.
If those words were true, she would never agree to Xue marrying the Crown Prince.
If it's fake, she might consider it, but it mainly depends on He Xue's opinion.
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