"This servant doesn't know much either. I only know that he is the twelfth son of the current emperor, Prince Rong, and was sent to his fiefdom when he was eight years old."
"Sent there at such a young age?"
"Yes, Prince Rong's mother was of low birth and not favored by the emperor. She made a mistake and was disliked by the emperor, who also disliked Prince Rong, so they were sent away together."
Zhong Muyu sighed, "That's really pitiful, and it's amazing that he can still live such a positive life after going through all that."
"This is also a good thing for His Highness Prince Rong. In his fiefdom, no one will bully him or look down on him. He can live freely."
"Yes, that makes sense."
The two ate and drank to their hearts' content in the room, whispering sweet nothings and enjoying themselves immensely. However, Lu Ziyuan's sudden appearance shattered this blissful moment.
Seeing this, Zaochun gave Zhong Muyu a look that said "good luck" and quietly left.
Seeing Lu Ziyuan's resistant expression, Zhong Muyu responded with a look of disdain: "If you're so unwilling, you can go find your Rou'er. She's probably feeling very lonely right now."
"Rou'er has already retired for the night. Besides, it is only natural for me to come and see the Princess."
Lu Ziyuan gave a vague reason, but in reality, he was afraid of gossip, especially in a place so close to the capital. If rumors spread that he was spoiling his concubines, he wouldn't have an easy time these next few days.
He knew Su Zhirou was sad, so he comforted her for quite a while.
Zhong Muyu gave an amused look: "Don't pretend. I know my limits in front of outsiders, but since it's just you and me here, don't put on this attitude."
She carried the quilt to the couch outside where she read and drank tea, and gestured towards the bed with her chin: "The bed is for you."
"What kind of impression do you make when outsiders see this?"
"Outsiders? Where are the outsiders? The people we brought know our situation inside and out. Are you afraid they'll see us? If you're so concerned about saving face, go back to your Su Zhirou."
Zhong Muyu didn't want to waste any more breath arguing with him, so she carefully arranged the blankets and went to sleep. The place was a bit small, but it would do.
Unexpectedly, Lu Ziyuan simply picked her up.
What are you doing?!
"Keep up the act for me these next few days, and I can grant you one request when we get back, as long as I can keep it. Of course, divorce is out of the question."
Zhong Muyu was about to get angry, but when she heard this condition, she suddenly became interested: "Okay, you said it yourself, so I'll reluctantly play along with you."
Zhong Muyu pouted and reluctantly took the blanket back to bed.
She didn't sleep well at all that night.
When Zaochun woke up in the morning, she was startled to see the dark circles under her eyes: "Your Highness, did you not sleep all night?"
"Pretty much. Who could sleep soundly sharing a room with someone like that?"
Zhong Muyu yawned and let Zaochun wash and dress her.
Zaochun said, "Actually, you don't need to be so wary of the prince. I heard from Chengfeng that the prince is also a gentleman. When he captured enemy dancers during the war, he didn't keep any of them. Instead, he arranged for people to send them home."
“That’s different. I have a grudge against him now.”
“What grudge could there be? In my opinion, the prince’s attitude toward you has improved a lot recently. Perhaps you could try to accept him.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Muyu immediately refused: "Even if he treats me exceptionally well, I don't want to accept him. What's the point of accepting him? To compete with that Su Zhirou for his affections? To share a husband? I can't do that. Besides, he doesn't care about me at all. I don't want to be his face-saving princess, his vase princess."
"But you can't get a divorce now, so are you just going to leave it like this?"
"There's always a way. I'll just commit one of those seven grounds for divorce and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I'll run away. I'll just run away to a foreign country and see how they catch me!"
Just then, an untimely cough sounded from outside the door.
The two immediately fell silent, and then Lu Ziyuan entered with a gloomy face.
It must be said that Zhong Muyu's words were quite treasonous and would not be tolerated by most people in this era.
Zhong Muyu quickly put on an awkward smile: "Why is Your Highness here again?"
"It's time for us to set off."
"Oh, Your Highness, please wait a moment."
Zhong Muyu straightened her clothes and walked to Lu Ziyuan's side, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Lu Ziyuan said in a low voice, "It's best not to say those things again, and don't even think about doing those things, or you won't be able to bear the consequences."
This is advice, and also a warning.
Zhong Muyu swallowed hard: "I... I just said it casually, just pretend you didn't hear it, don't hear it."
Seeing those sharp, piercing eyes, Zhong Muyu quickly pulled her arm back, lowered her head, and left.
Early Spring also shrank back and followed him out. Just now, the prince's eyes looked like he wanted to kill someone, and she suddenly regretted talking to Zhong Muyu about those things.
Sigh, as expected, once they leave the palace, they really let loose.
...
After leaving the post station, the group arrived at Yuanqi's capital, Yuanjing, in just half a day.
As the capital of a country, its prosperity goes without saying. People come and go in an endless stream, and even the carriages slow down.
Zhong Muyu curiously peered out through the gap in the carriage curtain. The original owner had always lived in the palace and had never had the chance to see the outside world. Her childhood memories were also vague.
Seeing that she was still so carefree, Zaochun couldn't help but remind her, "Your Highness, when we arrive at the Royal Villa, you must be careful with your words and actions. You can't be as casual as you are at the Prince's residence."
"The Royal Villa? Are we staying there for the next few days?"
"Yes, apart from the Crown Prince, the royal relatives who return every year for various reasons stay there. Your Highness, you can take this opportunity to get to know the other princes and princesses."
Zhong Muyu thought about it. She wasn't sure if those people were easy to get along with, so it seemed she would have to be careful with her words and actions these next few days.
Soon, the group arrived at the Royal Villa, a large complex of buildings adjacent to the residences of some court officials, resembling a noble community.
As soon as they got off the carriage, many guards and servants came up to greet them, taking turns carrying their belongings and leading them to their lodgings.
Compared to Lu Ziyuan, Lu Ziqing was all alone and carried less stuff. He walked past the group and went straight to Lu Ziyuan's side: "Seventh Brother, since it's only for a few days, I'll stay with you!"
Lu Ziyuan remained calm: "Why?"
"Of course, it's because we haven't seen each other in so long and I wanted to chat! Also, I'd like to spar with you more. I'm not the same as before, so you definitely can't beat me within three moves!"
Lu Ziyuan revealed a hint of helplessness: "I have a lot to do since I came back this time, and I don't have time to fool around with you. Instead of thinking about this, you should think about how you should answer when Father asks you about the governance of your fiefdom."
After saying that, Lu Ziyuan ignored him. Zhong Muyu saw Lu Ziqing's smile freeze on his face, followed by panic.
"Oh no! I completely forgot about it! What should I do, Seventh Brother? I wasn't prepared at all!"
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