? ? ? ! ! !
He was thinking, "How could I ride such a small, docile horse?!"
But when he met her smiling, joyful eyes, the Thirteenth Prince forgot all his thoughts and his mood soared. He reached out and took her soft, white hand in his.
As he sat on horseback, with the petite and soft body of a young girl in front of him, the Thirteenth Prince felt awkward and uncomfortable, unsure of what to do with his hands.
Unaware of anything amiss, Heyue tightened her grip on the horse's flanks and rode out of the Fourth Prince's residence through the back gate. Only then did the Thirteenth Prince cautiously place his hand on Heyue's tender and soft waist, his whole body stiffening.
The horse stopped on a sparsely populated street. The street was wide and lined with shady trees on both sides, their leaves rustling. Behind them, the tall and magnificent gates of the Forbidden City could be vaguely seen.
Bathed in the warm orange glow of the setting sun, watching it gradually sink below the horizon, I felt a rare sense of peace and comfort.
Watching the sunset with someone for the first time was a wonderful feeling.
Like a warm current slowly flowing into a heart that has been lonely for a long time, bringing warmth and satisfaction.
"Thirteenth Master, thank you."
She took a deep breath, and her gentle eyes seemed to shine brightly, her lips curving into a joyful smile.
I don't know whether I'm grateful to him for giving me the horse, or grateful that he accompanied me to see such a beautiful view.
The Thirteenth Prince, however, thought she was referring to the gift of the horse. He looked down and saw her jet-black hair, her snow-white, jade-like face, and her curled eyelashes.
For some reason, the thirteenth prince thought of a phrase: "a beauty as beautiful as jade."
Although Heyue was just a child, it couldn't hide the bright light in her eyes.
"Do you know? The first time I received praise from Father Emperor was when I was six years old." The Thirteenth Prince spoke softly and slowly, his words light and cheerful. The girl in front of him seemed to give him endless strength, allowing him to pour out all the things he didn't want to tell anyone: "That time, I had an archery competition with Tenth Brother, and I won against him. Father Emperor praised me for it and even rewarded me with a jade ruyi. I was very happy."
Heyue listened carefully to his words, and from his tone, she could easily hear a son's deep affection for his father and the joy of winning at that moment.
She didn't understand why he would say these things to her, but she was curious, so she didn't interrupt him.
"Afterwards, my tenth brother came to me and we fought. The joy of victory vanished in an instant." The thirteenth prince's voice then lowered, and He Yue's heart tightened. Thinking of how young the thirteenth prince was at that time, yet he was treated like that, a feeling of heartache welled up in her heart.
"At that time, I didn't understand, I was just very unwilling. My fourth brother told me that in this palace, before you have the ability to protect yourself, you must know how to hide your talents and not be the one to stick your neck out. From then on, I never dared to stick my neck out again, and I never heard my father praise me again. The one who received my father's praise became my fourteenth brother, and other outstanding brothers."
"Over the years, I have never wanted to compete with my fourteenth brother, nor have I wanted to put my mother and fourth brother in a difficult position. But I have been feeling uneasy. Seeing how my father treats my fourteenth brother and eighth brother differently, I am very jealous. I clearly have the same abilities. Seeing my mother being bullied by other concubines, and seeing her pretending to be distant when she sees me, I often think, if I could also win my father's favor, would my mother be better off?"
"That day, I couldn't help myself. I beat my fourteenth brother. I was noticed by my father again. Seeing the praise and pride in his eyes, I realized that this was what I wanted: to be the pride of my father. So what if my other brothers were jealous? I wanted to have that praise and to face the envy and jealousy of the world with dignity."
“These days, I’ve found that I feel happy and joyful. You’re right, doing what you want to do is a happy thing. I’ve been wanting to tell you and share this joy with you because only you and Fourth Brother truly support me.”
It was rare to hear these words from the Thirteenth Prince.
Heyue had always thought that the Thirteenth Prince disliked and rejected her, but after hearing these words, she realized that the distance between them seemed to have narrowed considerably.
After what had just happened, Heyue felt that she was no longer so averse to the Thirteenth Prince.
She thought that perhaps even if she became the Thirteenth Prince's wife in the future, it wouldn't be so unacceptable.
Compared to the others, Heyue clearly preferred that the person be the Thirteenth Prince.
This is a simple, sunny, yet sensitive young man.
The two did not stay on the street for long.
After escorting the Thirteenth Prince back to the Fourth Prince's residence, Heyue rode her newly acquired chestnut horse, which she named Zaozi, back to the residence.
I remember Heyue sincerely saying to the Thirteenth Prince at the end: "Your wish will come true."
At that time, the Thirteenth Prince had a bright smile, and his eyes revealed a confident and radiant air.
He Yue's lips curled up slightly. "Isn't that right? In the future, he will become the most favored prince, receiving the attention and praise that others crave."
For some reason, she didn't want to see him one day in the future, losing everything and being trapped in a corner.
For some reason, she thought of that dream. The man's disheveled appearance in the dream gradually became clearer, transforming into the image of Thirteen.
His hands clenched quietly, his lips pursed slightly, and his eyes were resolute.
She absolutely would not allow that scene to happen!
※
As the weather in the Forbidden City grew increasingly hot, the emperor set off for the northern frontier, taking many of his princes with him.
That day, just as dawn was breaking, the Thirteenth Prince lifted the Fourth Prince's tent, called out "Fourth Brother!", and happily went inside.
The Fourth Prince had just washed his face and sat upright in his chair, taking a sip of tea.
The Thirteenth Prince relaxed and sat down on the other side: "Fourth Brother, I have arranged a match with Fourteenth Brother later. Fourth Brother, go see Father Emperor first, and I will follow later."
The Fourth Prince glanced at him, his brows furrowing slightly: "You still want to compete with him?" His words carried a hint of displeasure.
The Thirteenth Prince chuckled: "Fourth Brother, you know what the Fourteenth Brother is like. He lost to me last time, and he won't let it go until he gets his revenge. If I don't agree, who knows what will happen to him? I can't stand his persistence. I might as well agree and treat it as practice!"
What he said was true. In the past, the Thirteenth Prince was unwilling to compete with the Fourteenth Prince. But ever since the Thirteenth Prince gained Emperor Kangxi's favor, the Fourteenth Prince has seized every opportunity to challenge the Thirteenth Prince and vowed to win.
Now that the Thirteenth Prince's mindset has changed, he will no longer give way to the Fourteenth Prince, and the two have become estranged as a result.
Although the Thirteenth Prince was saddened, he was not one to give up easily. He accepted the other party's provocations time and time again, and the Fourteenth Prince never managed to gain any advantage over the Thirteenth Prince.
The Fourth Prince shook his head, already used to their jealousy and rivalry. He simply advised, "Enough is enough, lest Father Emperor be displeased. If Fourteenth Brother insists on persisting, I will go and persuade him."
"Fourth Brother, don't get involved in this. This is between Fourteenth Brother and me. If you go, it's bound to cause some unpleasantness between you and Fourteenth Brother." Thirteenth Prince said dismissively, pursing his lips.
What he didn't say was that the Fourteenth Prince was not only resentful of his father's favor, but also because of the Tenth Prince.
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