Faced with this scene, even the usually composed Consort Wen could not hold back, her eyebrows furrowed in anger and her eyes burning with rage!
Wen Chan looked at her aunt's face, then at the Crown Prince's disdainful face, and wished she could run to the edge of the cliff and jump into the lake.
However, this crazy thought only flashed through her mind for a moment, and she was mostly at a loss.
Consort Wen felt that all her efforts today had been in vain, and she had even lost face. Furious, she beckoned to Granny Yu, who helped her back to her palace.
After the Imperial Concubine left, a eunuch from the Eastern Palace took the opportunity to whisper something to Zhu Haogan. A smile immediately appeared on Zhu Haogan's cold face, and then he went to the back mountain with great enthusiasm.
To get from the shooting range to the back mountain, one must first descend the mountain and detour around it. Therefore, when Zhu Haogan passed by, someone in the plum garden excitedly exclaimed, "His Highness has descended the mountain! Could it be that he is coming to the plum garden?"
At her suggestion, all the noble ladies perked up, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. Only Wei Shuwan remained calm, even showing a hint of displeasure.
She had only accepted the invitation from the Imperial Concubine and was forced to go through the motions; she did not wish to have any close contact with the Crown Prince.
However, Wei Shuwan's expression quickly relaxed because she realized that His Highness the Crown Prince was not going to the Plum Garden, but only to the back mountain.
The noble ladies immediately deflated, their faces turning dejected.
Wei Shuyao was also momentarily dejected, but she quickly came up with an idea: if the Crown Prince wasn't coming here, she could go to his side! There were no imperial guards on Fanshan Mountain, so it shouldn't be difficult to get close to him.
Having made up her mind, Wei Shuyao took advantage of Wei Shuwan's distraction and quietly moved away from her. Then, using the plum trees as cover, she quickly ran towards the back of Qixiu Mountain.
After climbing several stone steps, and seeing the pavilion's pointed roof hidden among the rocks, Wei Shuyao sensed that His Highness the Crown Prince was inside. So she stopped, hid behind a rock, wrapped her feet up again, and carefully put her silk shoes back on.
Just as she was about to go out to create an opportunity for a chance encounter, she suddenly heard a clear and melodious voice: "Sister Yun'er! How long have you been waiting for me here?"
Wei Shuyao followed the sound and looked through the crack in the stone, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she could see His Highness the Crown Prince and Sheng Yun.
Sheng Yun was sitting on a smooth rock, resting his chin on a protruding, strange stone. He yawned and said wearily, "I slept like the dead of night. I thought I wouldn't see my Crown Prince brother until tomorrow."
Faced with Sheng Yun's jokes, Zhu Haogan did not put on airs as the crown prince. He casually lifted his robe and sat down on the rock, with only the strange rock protruding between them, resembling a tall, slender table.
At this moment, Zhu Haogan was completely different from the stern-faced man he had been at the shooting range. He smiled gently and said, "Father asked the Imperial Concubine to choose a consort for the young Prince Qiaochuan. I sat with her for a while, which is why I was delayed. Please don't be angry."
"Is today the day for choosing a consort for the young Prince Qiaochuan? I thought it was for choosing a consort for my elder brother, the Crown Prince!"
Sheng Yun was just joking, but unexpectedly Zhu Haogan's smile vanished, and his expression became much more serious. "Sister Yun'er, Father Emperor will probably not choose any more concubines for me."
Sheng Yun was about to get down to business, but his question piqued her curiosity, and she quickly asked, "Why is that?"
“Because…” Zhu Haogan turned to look at her seriously: “Because I have already informed my father of my intentions, and I have already chosen a candidate for the Crown Princess.”
"Huh?" Sheng Yun jumped to his feet, looking shocked, his gossip instincts surging into his throat: "Quickly, tell me, whose daughter is she?"
She was secretly furious at Zhu Hao for his disloyalty. The two of them were like siblings, and she had already told him that she liked Ah Xiu, but he kept her feelings a secret!
Zhu Haogan also stood up, looked directly into Sheng Yun's eyes, and solemnly said, "The Sheng family."
"The Sheng family?" Sheng Yun looked bewildered, frowning as he carefully sorted through the mansions in the capital that shared his surname. Although there were several, they either lacked young women of marriageable age or were too low-ranking to be of royal interest. He pondered for a long time but still couldn't come up with an answer.
"Which Sheng family exactly?"
"Your esteemed residence." Zhu Haogan's eyes darted between hers, carefully observing her subtle emotions.
While Sheng Yun was still completely bewildered, Wei Shuyao, who had overheard the conversation from behind the rocks, had already grasped the secret. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were as big as copper bells.
His Highness the Crown Prince actually likes Sheng Yun?!
Wei Shuyao could hardly believe her ears! After all, from the moment she arrived in Shengjing, she had always assumed that Wei Chengxiu and Sheng Yun were childhood sweethearts, and that she would marry Sheng Yun as soon as she came of age.
Unexpectedly, such a change occurred; Sheng Yun is to become the Crown Princess…
Wei Shuyao was both shocked and jealous. Why did such good things always fall on other people's heads? Du Xun felt this way, and so did the Crown Prince.
Sheng Yun, who had finally regained some clarity under the pavilion, stared at Zhu Haogan in disbelief. "Crown Prince, you know perfectly well that I love Ah Xiu."
"Am I really inferior to a blind man?"
"You're not allowed to talk about him like that!"
The word 'blind' seemed to have touched a nerve with Sheng Yun, and the usually clever and lovely girl suddenly became somewhat irritable.
Zhu Haogan frowned deeply. This was the first time he had ever seen his sister Yun lose her temper with him, all because she had accidentally said something about Wei Chengxiu.
"You...you're willing to defy me for Wei Chengxiu's sake?"
“If Your Highness believes I am guilty, you may punish me.”
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