Chapter 87 Reminder
When the group arrived at the inn and settled down, Zhou Chang had already fallen asleep exhausted.
Princess Wanshou sent Ruan back to have dinner and sat alone by Zhou Chang's bed, in a daze.
In the outer room, a maid brought in a eunuch. Princess Wanshou glanced at him, gestured for silence, and tiptoed out.
The eunuch was a servant of the eldest princess. Although she had not seen him for many years, Princess Wanshou recognized him.
Upon seeing Princess Wanshou, the eunuch's face lit up with joy and he quickly bowed, "I greet the Princess. The Princess was overjoyed to hear the news about the Princess and immediately sent me to deliver a message."
"Oh?" Princess Wanshou sat down and asked, "What message did the princess send?"
"The eldest princess said that ever since the Queen Mother heard about the princess from the Crown Prince, she has been talking about the princess in her dreams. The eldest princess said that the princess must return to the palace to make the Queen Mother happy."
Princess Wanshou smiled after hearing this.
"Go back and tell the Princess I'll be back soon. Tell the Queen Mother to rest well. When I return, I will definitely come to the palace to pay my respects to her."
The eunuch agreed and took out a letter from his sleeve: "This letter is from the eldest princess to the county lady."
Princess Wanshou took the letter, sent the man to rest, and then returned to Zhou Chang's bedside.
The eldest princess asked her how she was in the letter and then asked her about something.
When Princess Wanshou saw the words "Prince Yuzhang's Consort Lu", her gaze fixed.
The letter stated that the eunuch accompanying the emperor to Donghai had reported that the consort of Prince Yuzhang was engaging in improper behavior, often spending time alone with men, and that the Empress Dowager was deeply enraged. The eldest princess, in her letter, urged Princess Wanshou to monitor whether the consort and the Crown Prince were overstepping boundaries. She also hinted that the consort had compromised Wang Han's plans and should not remain. She pleaded with Princess Wanshou to provide her full support for the Wang family.
Although Princess Wanshou had left the palace for many years, she could sense something unusual.
She knew that the Concubine had ruined Wang Han's plan to seize power in the Northern Palace. And judging by the letter, Wang Han still bore a grudge and intended to eliminate the root of the problem and cut off the Crown Prince's influence.
That's why the concubine went to Yuzhou at great trouble to seek her as a guarantor.
"Oh? Is the Princess going to do something bad again?"
Princess Wanshou was startled and turned back.
Zhou Chang woke up at some point, his eyes fixed on the letter on her lap.
Princess Wanshou immediately accepted the letter and angrily asked, "Why are you peeking at other people's letters, old man?"
Zhou Chang turned his gaze slightly and looked towards the top of the tent.
"Who could come up with such a scheme to spread rumors about someone's stepmother and stepson? It's so despicable and shameless."
Princess Wanshou had nothing to say, so she stood up and burned the letter.
"You've been in the officialdom for thirty years, after all. Don't say such childish words." Princess Wanshou said, "How many of those who are good at scheming are clean?"
Zhou Chang said calmly, "Then why did you bring me back? Just to make me watch these dirty shows and cause me trouble?"
"You've been watching it for thirty years, don't say you can't watch it now."
"I can watch, but I can't do anything. I can only watch. It's like I'm being abused."
Princess Wanshou felt uncomfortable.
She knew his torment, but she was determined not to be alone again.
"That depends. Who asked you to marry me?"
After she said that, she stood up and left.
"Aci." Zhou Chang suddenly called out.
Princess Wanshou suddenly stopped.
She hadn't heard this call in many years.
"Don't help the evil anymore." Zhou Chang whispered.
Princess Wanshou said nothing, and after a while, she walked away.
After leaving Zhou Chang's house, she felt mixed emotions.
When she was young, juggling between her mother's family and her husband was her daily routine.
She cried countless times for this.
At her age now, she finally realized that this was her fate.
Although it is painful to be involved in this, it is better than being alone.
There were faint sounds of conversation coming from the courtyard. She followed the dim light of the lantern and saw that it was Lu and her maid talking.
Her voice was pleasant, and when she laughed, it was as clear as a silver bell. Princess Wanshou suddenly remembered that this concubine, who spoke so calmly and insightfully, was still very young.
Seeing Princess Wanshou coming, Sun Wei stopped talking and saluted her.
Princess Wanshou looked at her for a moment and said, "Princess, haven't you rested yet?"
Sun smiled and said, "I ate too much at night, so I have some indigestion. I came out for a walk."
Although this inn is not big, it has a small courtyard for entertaining distinguished guests.
When Sima Jun and his group arrived, they could barely find three groups: Princess Wanshou and Zhou Chang in one group, Sima Jun in another, and Sun Wei in another.
Princess Wanshou's and Zhou Chang's were bigger, while Sima Jun's and Sun Wei's were next to each other, separated only by a fence and a bamboo gate.
In addition, there is a small garden, which is enough to help digest food after a meal.
Princess Wanshou suddenly said, "I heard that the Crown Prince was taken away by the county magistrate. Is the Princess waiting for him to come back?"
Sun Wei said, "The prince has his own business, so it's normal for him to leave early and return late. There's no rule in the palace to wait for the prince to return."
Princess Wanshou was merely testing her. Her expression was frank as she spoke, and it didn't appear that she had any other feelings for Sima Jun.
She nodded and asked, "How old is the princess this year?"
"My lord, I am seventeen years old."
Princess Wanshou nodded: "I remember that the Crown Prince is about to come of age this year. Is he three years older than you?"
Sun was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "What does the princess want to say?"
"I think you're a woman who knows when to advance and when to retreat. But today, for the sake of the Crown Prince, you've cornered the Grand Tutor, leaving him speechless. It's not an exaggeration to say you're eager to protect him." Princess Wanshou looked at her. "You've only been in the mansion for a short time, and you really treat the Crown Prince like your stepson?"
Sun Wei chewed over Princess Wanshou's words.
This statement itself is quite profound. Is he suspecting that she has ulterior motives towards Sima Jun?
"Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know what the princess is referring to," Sun Wei asked. "I am the Crown Prince's stepmother, and he is his stepson. He is usually very filial to me. Seeing him being wronged, I selfishly favor him. This is normal. I was disrespectful in front of Grand Tutor Zhou today, and it is my fault. As for the Crown Prince, I naturally treat him as my own son."
Princess Wanshou remained silent, saying, "You are a smart person, don't do foolish things."
Is this a reminder to her?
Sun Wei was stunned.
But why did she remind him? She asked herself if she had overstepped the bounds.
She looked at Princess Wanshou, but she had a blank expression, showing no emotion, and clearly didn't want to explain any further.
Sun Wei bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess, for the reminder."
"What are your plans for the future?" Princess Wanshou continued. "You are only seventeen years old. Being a widow at such a young age, won't it be difficult for you to be alone in the future?"
Sun Wei said, "I have received the late king's kindness, and I dare not have any other intentions. When the prince gets married and has children, I will be a grandmother and enjoy the happiness of family life, which is also very wonderful."
Princess Wanshou sneered, "Once the Crown Prince's mourning period is over, his marriage will be settled. Having a child will only take a year or two, and you'll be in your early twenties by then. You'll be young enough to be a grandmother."
Sun Wei also smiled: "That is all thanks to the prince. I am looking forward to it very much."
As he was speaking, he suddenly heard someone outside say, "The prince is back."
Sun Wei looked over and saw Sima Jun walking towards them, the moonlight falling on his body like a layer of silver frost.
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