Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Greetings to the Royal Father,” Lóng Wei bowed.

“Ahh, Prince Lóng Wei!” Qiu Zedong was surprised to see his son. He hardly used to come to the royal garden. “What is the Prince doing on this beautiful evening? Isn’t he supposed to be with his wife?” Qiu Zedong asked him.

“I saw the Royal Father, so I thought of having some conversation with him,” Lóng Wei replied. Qiu Zedong was surprised by his son’s words. Gao Bing also was astonished because Lóng Wei hardly come to converse with his father. It was the King, who used to call him for the conversation.

“However, I want it in private,” Lóng Wei stated and glanced at Gao Bing, who upon the King’s gesture walked away. Qiu Zedong started to walk while Lóng Wei followed him. They both went to the bridge over the lake and stood in the middle of it.

“I never thought that Lóng Wei would personally come to me to have a conversation. This marriage indeed did something to him,” Qiu Zedong said and smiled.

“I always wanted to converse with the Royal Father alone, but I could not get an appropriate time,” Lóng Wei stated. “The Royal Father may assume that I made an excuse,” he added.

“I know Lóng Wei’s nature. So, I won’t assume that he made an excuse,” Qiu Zedong affirmed. Both of his hands were behind his back. Locked. “So, what does Lóng Wei want to talk about?” He waited for his son’s answer.

“I want to ask the Royal Father why he asked Li Hua to find out the reason that I killed my mother.” The King promptly turned his head to gaze at Lóng Wei and wondered how his son found out. Probably Li Hua ended up telling him. He might have threatened her.

.....

“Because my son trusts Li Hua more than anyone. He loves her and I thought that Lóng Wei will tell her the reason behind the murder. That one mistake of his turned him into a Sinned Prince in everyone’s eyes. I still do not believe that Lóng Wei can kill his own mother,” Qiu Zedong said.

“Did Father ever care about her?” Lóng Wei arched his brow. Showing such expressions to the King was considered rude and insulting. However, Lóng Wei didn’t care about it.

“A King is taught to distribute his love equally to all of his concubines,” Qiu Zedong stated.

Lóng Wei sneered as he was not satisfied with the answer of his father. “I only ended her pain. I don’t care if I committed the biggest sin,” Lóng Wei stated. Qiu Zedong was dubious about his son’s reply.

“I urge the Royal Father not to tell Li Hua to look into my past. I don’t want my beast to unleash by recalling a woman whom I still hate,” Lóng Wei requested Qiu Zedong. The anguish in his voice could be felt.

“Why do you hate your mother? What crime did she commit?” Qiu Zedong didn’t hesitate to ask. “If Lóng Wei doesn’t want Li Hua to look into it, then he must answer me,” he demanded the answer once again from his son. He already had asked Lóng Wei numerous and every time he got disappointed.

“I shall leave. Li Hua must be waiting for me,” Lóng Wei said and bowed. “Thank you for giving me your precious time, Royal Father.” He didn’t forget to express his gratitude before leaving.

“Why does he hate her?” Qiu Zedong murmured and sighed.

Mingquan greeted Lóng Wei, who ignored him and walked past him. It bothered Mingquan and he walked after him. “When someone greets, then the person must return the greetings,” Mingquan told him.

“Stop lecturing me,” Lóng Wei’s anger outburst at him and he halted. Mingquan was not surprised to see this behavior of Lóng Wei.

“Forgive me, if I angered Brother Lóng Wei,” Mingquan said. “May I know the reason behind his anger?” He asked.

“Don’t annoy me, Fourth Prince. I am not in a good mood,” Lóng Wei warned him and walked away.

“What happened to the Sixth Brother? Even after marriage, he hasn’t changed,” he muttered and left to meet Qiu Mu.

~~~~~~

Jingfei didn’t find anything worthy to buy in the market and decided to return to the palace. The one thing that kept bothering her was that Huang Xi didn’t utter a single word. She tried many times to converse with him, but he ignored her.

She had heard whispers when she passed through the main street about her beauty. The streets were cleared for her and people remained standing on both sides of the streets.

During the return journey to the palace when she came near the palanquin, Jingfei mistakenly twisted her foot. Lin Jie asked him if she was alright.

“I think I am unable to walk using this foot,” Jingfei said. Her expressions showed that she was in pain. She glanced at Huang Xi, who looked at her foot.

“Let’s hurry back to the palace. The Royal Physician can examine the foot of the First Princess,” Huang Xi opined and asked Lin Jie to help the First Princess. Jingfei somehow got inside the palanquin and on Huang Xi’s instructions, they returned to the palace.

On the main grounds of the palace, Jingfei stepped out of the palanquin. “Commander Huang Xi, it will be good if you escort me back to the chamber,” Jingfei stated.

“I would love to if the First Princess’s attendant wasn’t present here. I need to go back as my working hour is over, Your Highness,” Huang Xi crisply replied. “Also, the First Princess shall act better from the next time,” he stated and left the palace ground.

Jingfei was shocked to hear what Huang Xi said to her.

“Commander Huang Xi always forgets that he is standing in front of the First Princess. He doesn’t respect her at all,” Lin Jie said in annoyance.

Jingfei clutched the edges of her dress and angrily went to her chamber. Lin Jie was surprised to see her mistress walking straight.

“First Princess, wasn’t your foot got twisted?” Lin Jie scrunched her brows.

“No. I lied, thinking Huang Xi would show concern for me. But I was wrong,” she said with a displeased look.