Chapter 302 The Ninth Prince
The Ninth Prince scoffed, "We've already heard about what you're saying. What's the big deal? It's only a matter of time before you two get married. Besides, Liu Zijun likes you quite a bit, as you know."
The Eighth Prince said, "But Sister Chongyang also likes Huo Ran very much. I heard that she had a fight with Father Emperor about this a few days ago. By the way, Huo Ran, do you like my sister or that Liu Zijun?"
Huo Ran's expression grew increasingly grim. He decided to take this opportunity to make things clear: "Both of you are wonderful young ladies, but I am not good enough for you. I hope you can find better partners."
As soon as Huo Ran said this, everyone naturally understood what he meant. It seemed that Huo Ran hadn't taken a liking to either of the two girls.
The Ninth Prince asked curiously, "Your standards are really too high. If you said you didn't like Liu Zijun, that would be one thing. That woman is weak and self-righteous, and I don't really like her either. But my Chongyang sister is so good, why don't you like her either?"
Huo Ran said expressionlessly, "It's not that I don't like her, it's that I'm not good enough for Princess Chongyang. She deserves better, and I already have someone I love, so naturally I can't hinder Princess Chongyang's bright future."
"So that's how it is!" the crowd exclaimed. "No wonder you've always disagreed with this marriage. It turns out you've found someone you like. Tell us about her, so we can see what kind of person she is that has caught the eye of the Prince of Ning's son."
Huo Ran wouldn't reveal Jiang Mi's existence too early. After all, these people were shrewd and might take a liking to Jiang Mi. If they snatched her away, Huo Ran would have nowhere to cry.
"Our plans haven't been finalized yet, but you'll find out in time. Let's enjoy the feast first, everyone."
Seeing Huo Ran's attitude, everyone knew they wouldn't get any more information and had to give up. However, they were very curious about the woman Huo Ran was talking about. What kind of woman was she?
The banquet began, and Princess Chongyang wore a yellow dress embroidered with chrysanthemums, showing her great fondness for the flowers, which were gifts from everyone.
The gifts were almost all related to chrysanthemums. Princess Chongyang was very happy today, especially when she saw Huo Ran was also present, she smiled even more happily.
"It's rare to see Princess Chongyang smile so happily," Zhao Zhilan said quietly.
Liu Zijun was in a bad mood. She had gone to her father to ask him to help her get a bar of chrysanthemum soap, but her father, who always doted on her, gave her a lecture.
It's just a bar of soap, why is everyone fighting over it like this? Even her father isn't helping her anymore, he's criticizing her for fighting over such a small thing, accusing her of being brainless. How is she brainless?
“Princess Chongyang is naturally delighted that the heir of the Prince of Ning is here today,” said Zhang Rulan, daughter of the Minister of Personnel. She knew Liu Zijun’s thoughts, but how could Liu Zijun compare to Princess Chongyang? Sure enough, upon hearing this, Liu Zijun immediately searched for Huo Ran in the crowd. When she saw Huo Ran at the banquet, she pouted unhappily, “So what? The Emperor bestowed a marriage upon me and Brother Huo Ran, but not upon Princess Chongyang. This shows that the Emperor still thinks Brother Huo Ran and I are more suitable. Besides, Brother Huo Ran hasn’t shown any affection for Princess Chongyang. Your words will only make Princess Chongyang more unhappy.”
Zhang Rulan's face fell. She got up and walked to Princess Chongyang's side, whispering a few words in the princess's ear. Princess Chongyang then glanced at Liu Zijun, her disdainful look only lasting a moment before she no longer paid any attention to her.
Liu Zijun was actually feeling uneasy. Even though she and Princess Chongyang were rivals in love, Princess Chongyang's status made her no match for her. Moreover, she didn't dare to confront Princess Chongyang directly.
Zhao Zhilan noticed that Liu Zijun was upset and deliberately provoked her: "Sister Liu, don't be angry with Princess Chongyang. After all, she is a princess and a descendant of the royal family. We can't compare to her. Besides, the Emperor bestowed the marriage on you and the young master, not on Princess Chongyang. Why do you care so much?"
That's true, but Huo Ran has always shown that he doesn't like her. If Huo Ran likes Princess Chongyang, then she is too much of a rival. There is probably no one in the entire capital who can compare to Princess Chongyang.
"How can I not care? Brother Huo Ran doesn't want to marry me at all. I've been trying to win his favor all these years, but he's been cold to me. If others find out, they'll definitely laugh at me. How am I supposed to face people in the capital after that?"
Zhao Zhilan chuckled to herself, not daring to let Liu Zijun see. It was truly rare to see Liu Zijun so embarrassed. However, on the surface, she spoke up for Liu Zijun: "How could that be? There are plenty of women who like the young master. At least you, Sister Liu, have been favored by the Emperor and have the opportunity to be married to the young master. Others don't even have that opportunity."
These words made Liu Zijun feel a little better. Her expression softened, and she got up to head towards Huo Ran's direction, only to find that Princess Chongyang had also walked over.
Seeing Liu Zijun hesitate, Zhao Zhilan deliberately provoked her: "Sister Liu, why don't you hurry up and go? Everyone knows about Princess Chongyang's infatuation. If the young master is moved by her, what will you be doing?"
Liu Zijun was initially hesitant, but Zhao Zhilan's words immediately made her feel a sense of crisis. She quickly walked over, and as soon as she reached the two of them, she saw Princess Chongyang, who had previously had a cold expression, speaking to Huo Ran in a very gentle manner.
“I specifically asked the chef to make this dish. I remember you used to love this dish and would always eat a lot of it. So many years have passed, I don’t know if your taste has changed. You haven’t been in the capital all these years, and it’s been difficult for me to see you sometimes.”
Princess Chongyang and Huo Ran had a happy time together when they were young. At that time, they were both very young and did not understand anything. However, Huo Ran did not treat Princess Chongyang the way he does now. Later, Princess Chongyang was taken to a temple by the Empress Dowager and spent a few years there. Huo Ran also went to war with the army and was almost never at home. Therefore, the two rarely saw each other after that.
When Princess Chongyang mentioned him like that, he seemed to recall the past. His tone softened a bit: "Yes, it's thanks to the princess that I still remember my preferences. But so many years have passed, and my tastes have indeed changed."
The radiance on Princess Chongyang's face faded slightly.
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