Chapter 101 Garden
Sima Jun said nothing and walked quickly towards the garden.
Cao Song followed behind and heard soft laughter before entering the courtyard.
When I walked in, I saw the prince and princess strolling among the flowers, chatting and smiling at each other. The sun was warm, and the gentleman and beautiful woman were a real treat.
Sima Jun walked forward without saying a word.
When the prince saw him coming, his eyes fixed on him, and then he smiled at Sun and said, "Just when we were talking about Ziheng, he came back."
Sun Wei had his back to this side and when he turned around, he saw Sima Jun walking towards him.
When their eyes met, she thought of the unpleasantness of last night and her smile faded slightly.
"I didn't know Your Highness was coming, and I apologize for not welcoming you." Sima Jun withdrew his gaze from Sun Wei's face and bowed to the Crown Prince. "Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"Ziheng, there's no need to be so polite," the prince said. "I was just passing by and on a whim, I decided to come in and take a look."
He smiled and said, "I was just telling the princess about your childhood. When you were five years old, you were stung by bees in this garden. Your head was covered with lumps. It was so swollen that you couldn't even open your eyes. You cried and asked me to kill the three tribes of bees. Do you remember?"
Sima Jun glanced at Sun Wei.
She lowered her head slightly, but couldn't hide her raised lips.
"I don't remember." Sima Juan smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness is visiting me, I wonder what's the matter?"
"I just want to ask Madam for a fortune," the prince said. "If you have something to do, go ahead. You don't have to accompany me."
Sima Jun said: "In that case, I should accompany you."
"Oh?" the prince asked, "How do you mean?"
"After what happened yesterday, I think it's best to be cautious," Sima Jun said seriously. "I happen to be free right now, so I'll stay by your side. If anyone continues to talk nonsense, I can serve as a witness for Your Highness."
The prince knew that he was referring to the eldest princess's slander in front of the empress dowager, and smiled.
He said to Sun Wei, "Princess, look, my cousin is indeed the most prudent in his actions."
Sun smiled slightly, met Sima Jun's gaze, and pursed her lips.
"It's a good thing that Ziheng is cautious," the prince said, "but this is your house. Everyone knows that you rule with strictness. Is there anyone who dares to gossip about you?"
"Even under your Highness's nose, a traitor can appear. I cannot guarantee that I will be completely safe. I beg your forgiveness."
"The prince is also thinking about your highness." Sun Wei said, "With the prince beside me, others will not suspect that I am talking nonsense. Your highness should agree to the prince's request."
The prince smiled and said, "Princess, you are right."
In the pavilion in the center of the garden, the eunuchs had already prepared tea and snacks.
Sima Jun led the two men to sit down and said to the Crown Prince, "I wonder what Your Highness would like to ask?"
The prince asked, "Does the princess know the former princess?"
Sun Wei looked surprised.
"I know." Sun Wei replied, "The former Crown Princess was from Jingzhou, her surname was Huan, and she passed away last year."
The Crown Prince nodded, then said, "Did the late Crown Princess really die of illness?"
Sun Wei was stunned and couldn't help but look at Sima Jun.
"I'm afraid Your Highness knows this matter better than I do," she replied.
The prince still looked at her: "I just want to ask the princess."
Sun Wei pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, the former Crown Princess did die of illness. However, as the saying goes, misfortune comes from the mouth. It was a disease that was fed to her."
Sima Jun was secretly shocked.
But the prince looked calm.
"Princess, are you saying that the former Crown Princess was murdered?"
"Exactly."
The prince was speechless.
"I wonder why Your Highness asks about this?" Sima Jun couldn't help but ask.
The prince smiled bitterly, "Another person from the Huan family has come, crying that the death of the former Crown Princess was suspicious and they want to perform an autopsy on her."
Sima Jun understood.
Ever since the death of the Crown Princess, the Huan family had been clamoring about this matter, so it was nothing new. However, the matter had never been made public, and not many people knew about it.
The Huan and Wang families, each occupying their own eastern and western territories, were sworn enemies. The Crown Prince's marriage had also experienced many twists and turns, ultimately marrying a daughter of the Huan family. Wang was quite dissatisfied. Until last year, when the former Crown Princess suddenly passed away.
Huan's entanglement in this matter was directed at Wang. However, since it was the former Crown Princess's fault, it naturally fell on the Crown Prince's head first.
"In your opinion, Madam, how should this trouble be resolved?"
Sun Wei said, "Han's intention is not to expose this scandal. If His Highness marries another daughter of the Huan family as a concubine, Huan's anger will be alleviated."
"The Queen Mother and Wang Han will not agree." The Crown Prince shook his head. "I'm afraid that if I reveal my intention, it will only hasten my marriage to Wang."
Sun Wei thought for a moment and said, "That's not a bad idea. As I said before, are the Huan family really going to expose this? If they do, they will not only break off relations with the Wang family, but also with the royal family and the imperial court."
"Given the Huan family's arrogance, they won't tolerate it."
"The Huan family holds the military power of Jingzhou, so they shouldn't be underestimated," Sun Wei said. "But by then, Your Highness and Wang Pushe will become family, and Wang Pushe will do his utmost to protect Your Highness. With his prestige, he'll be able to rival the Huan family."
The prince smiled sadly, "That's true. But in the end, I can only choose between Wang and Huan."
Sun Wei said regretfully: "Judging from the current situation, it is indeed the case."
The prince looked at Sima Jun and said helplessly, "How useless I am as a prince. I can't even marry the woman I love. How pathetic."
Sima Jun asked in surprise, "Does Your Highness have a favorite woman?"
The wind blows gently, bringing a refreshing fragrance.
The prince hummed softly, as if in the wind.
"Princess, why don't you tell me another fortune?" he asked, "Can I still marry that woman in this lifetime?"
"I wonder who is the woman the prince likes?" Sun Wei asked.
The prince looked at her calmly and said, "I am not in a position to reveal her name. However, I once gave her a jade."
Sun Wei's gaze fixed, and her mind flashed through the garden of the Chu residence in Jingkou, where the prince placed a jade in her palm.
"Your Highness, please give up this idea." Sima Jun said suddenly.
The prince looked at him.
Sima Jun's expression was serious. "The meaning of marriage is the union of two families. Therefore, since ancient times, both nobles and commoners have followed the words of matchmakers and respected the wishes of their elders. Your Highness, as the crown prince, your marriage is a matter of state and destiny, and cannot be done arbitrarily. If your choice of a partner is not motivated by these considerations, it will inevitably lead to endless trouble. Please reconsider."
The prince looked at Sima Jun for a while, and suddenly showed a look of emotion.
"In the past, you always cared the least about rules," he said. "I never thought that today, the first person to persuade me to obey the rules would be you."
Sima Jun said: "As a minister, I dare not neglect my duty."
The prince looked deeply.
"Forget it." After a while, he smiled at Sun Wei, "There's still a long way to go."
He spoke lightly, as if what he had just mentioned were just some ordinary trivial matters.
Sun Wei hurriedly said, "Your Highness is wise."
The prince chatted with Sima Jun about some affairs of the Eastern Palace, then stood up and left.
Sun Wei and Sima Jun escorted the prince out the door. Sun Wei stood there for a long time, lost in thought, as he watched the carriage and horses leave.
"Is lunch ready?"
Sima Jun's voice suddenly came to my ears.
I saw him looking over there, but I didn't know whether he was talking to Sun Wei or someone else.
Cao Song hurried forward and replied, "Your Highness, it's already prepared."
Sima Jun said "hmm" and turned to walk towards the mansion.
He took only two steps before turning back, glancing at Sun Wei and saying calmly, "Madam, don't you want lunch?"
Sun Wei was stunned.
Without waiting for her to answer, Sima Jun went straight to the hall.
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