Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C021 pt3

Ever since Prince Wei returned from outside, Fusheng had been hiding like a quail, shrinking back into himself.

He stayed that way until Prince Wei called him in to dress and arrange his hair.

A snow-white undergarment, over which was a dark blue robe with gold embroidered round dragon patterns and a round collar. His waist was cinched with a jade-inlaid belt, and his black hair was neatly tied at the top of his head, secured with a double-dragon-playing-with-pearls crown made of red gold.

Prince Wei was tall and slender, a perfect figure for clothes. This attire quickly transformed him from a disheveled, lazy wanderer into a noble and handsome Prince Wei.

With that, Fusheng finally relaxed. He had been afraid that that ancestor was still around and would find something else to pick on him.

But Prince Wei had some trouble for him today as well.

"He's been wandering around at night these past few days, why didn't you stop him?"

Since returning to the capital, the night of peace Prince Wei had experienced was like a fleeting mirage. Song You had come to see him, and he now had medicine, but it could only maintain his condition, not alleviate the increasingly severe headaches.

The worsening headaches made it almost impossible for Prince Wei to handle affairs, yet the gauze skirt he had hidden away still weighed heavily on his mind. It had been dug out by Ji Yang, but it had no effect. As the fragrance faded, the gauze skirt was just a plain piece of fabric.

Ji Yang proposed to go find Mei Wushuang, but Prince Wei stopped him. Prince Wei had many reservations, but he never imagined that Ji Yang would go to Marquis Changyang's mansion while he was asleep and do such a thing.

Fusheng's face was full of distress. Though he didn't say it out loud, his meaning was clear—how could he dare to stop that ancestor, and besides, he couldn't stop him anyway.

"Do you know where he went last night!"

Fusheng's eyes darted around, unable to meet his gaze.

This time, Prince Wei was truly angered.

"It seems you all know, only keeping it from me."

Fusheng hurriedly explained, "It's not that this servant wanted to hide it from Your Highness, but Your Highness forbade me to speak of it. Besides, I only found out recently. The first two nights, An Yi didn't follow him. Later, An Yi did follow, but Your Highness warned him and stopped him outside the mansion. This servant only knows that Your Highness entered Marquis Changyang's mansion, but what he did inside, I don't know."

Actually, one could guess what he did. It must have been to see the young Princess Consort. In Fusheng's eyes, this was something that wouldn't harm Prince Wei, and he even welcomed it.

Prince Wei didn't know that in the eyes of old servants like Fusheng, who had been by his side for years, they all felt that the appearance of that ancestor was actually the embodiment of Prince Wei's subconscious. Their master had been suppressed for too long, remained calm for too long, and restrained himself for too long, so he created such a person to vent for him.

Like this time, with the master's personality, even if he wanted to get close to that young girl, he would calmly consider all the reasons why he shouldn't go, and then restrain himself. But that gentleman was different, he went wherever he wanted.

Prince Wei didn't know that Fusheng, on the surface, appeared afraid, but in his heart, he was thinking a lot.

He couldn't punish Fusheng for this, and he couldn't really do anything to that person either. He could only try to make amends.

"Prepare yourselves, this Prince is going to the palace."

Fusheng hurriedly responded with a "yes" and went to make arrangements.

Upon hearing that Prince Wei had arrived, Emperor Taihe dismissed the several ministers who were currently discussing matters, and had a eunuch summon Prince Wei.

This was the second time Prince Wei had entered the palace since returning to the capital.

Emperor Taihe found it rather strange. He had a fair understanding of his son's nature. He was indifferent to everyone, even his own father. His other sons were eager to enter the palace every day to show their filial piety, but he, unless absolutely necessary, would never set foot in the imperial palace.

For years, Prince Wei had been stationed at the border, either fighting wars or stationed abroad. In the past ten years, he had only returned to the capital a few times. Emperor Taihe had repeatedly summoned him back, but he had ignored them. Now, he suddenly came back. If Emperor Taihe said he didn't have any thoughts about it, that would be a lie.

After Prince Wei entered, he first paid his respects to Emperor Taihe. The two of them exchanged a few perfunctory words.

Seeing Prince Wei's eyes fixed on his nose, his nose fixed on his heart, seemingly respectful and courteous, but in reality, extremely cold, Emperor Taihe felt a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because he was getting older, handling state affairs had made him exhausted, and he didn't want to play any more games with his son.

"What brings you to the palace this time?"

As expected, Prince Wei didn't stand on ceremony with him, "The other day when I entered the palace, I mentioned my marriage to Your Majesty. Mei Zhan has been kind to me. Back then, I made a promise. Now that the second daughter of the Mei family has grown up, it's time for me to fulfill my promise."

"You mean the third daughter of the Mei family?"

Clearly, Emperor Taihe was not unfamiliar with this matter. He even knew Mei Wushuang's order of birth. It's worth noting that the daughters of the three branches of the Mei family were all ranked together. To know that she was the third daughter, for Emperor Taihe, who was busy with state affairs, was extremely unusual.

You must know that he might not even know how many junior members there were in the families of his ministers, important officials, or even some royal relatives.

"Although there was a promise, the lineage of Marquis Changyang's mansion is indeed a bit low," Emperor Taihe paused, then continued, "The Mei family's ancestors had illustrious military achievements, but in recent generations, apart from Mei Zhan, there has been no one else who stands out. You are my prince, with a noble status. A daughter of a marquis's secondary branch is truly not a suitable match for you."

When Emperor Taihe mentioned the low lineage of Marquis Changyang's mansion, Prince Wei's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything. He maintained his original posture. Even after Emperor Taihe finished speaking, he remained silent, his composure remarkable.

He was too calm!

Emperor Taihe sighed in his heart, "You are indeed not young anymore. It's time to take a princess consort. Your brothers have all had children, but you still have no offspring. I wanted to arrange a marriage for you earlier, but you refused. Back then, you were eighteen, and she was only five. I know you made that promise because you didn't want to mention marriage again, but many years have passed. Now that you have the desire to get married, you should consider a suitable candidate."

"What constitutes a suitable candidate?" Prince Wei suddenly asked.

Perhaps it was the coldness in Prince Wei's gaze, a piercing clarity like a lake reflecting one's image, or perhaps it was the lingering guilt in his heart, but Emperor Taihe found himself momentarily speechless.

"This woman is suitable for this son, and since the promise has been made, there should be no intention of breaking it. Your Majesty once suggested two suitable candidates for this son, but his fate is too strong, and he has disappointed your expectations."

This last sentence left Emperor Taihe completely speechless.

Time can wash away many things, but it cannot erase memories. The memories of the past caused Emperor Taihe to rub his forehead, forcing him to swallow the words he wanted to say in admonishment.

"You haven't paid your respects to the Empress Dowager since returning to the capital, have you? She is getting old, and as a junior, you should show your filial piety."

Prince Wei's eyes flickered at Emperor Taihe's sudden change of subject.

"I will go after I take my leave."

Emperor Taihe nodded. "Then go."

It wasn't until he left the Zichen Hall that Prince Wei furrowed his brow.

Could it be that Father is avoiding the issue, and mentioning Cining Palace is because of the Empress Dowager?

As Prince Wei left Cining Palace, a young woman in fine attire emerged from a side chamber.

She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with bright eyes, pearly white teeth, and a delicate, beautiful face. As she ran out, she nestled beside the Empress Dowager, calling out "Empress Dowager" with a shy and timid voice.

The Empress Dowager looked at her with a helpless smile, her eyes filled with affection.

"He is much older than you, and his reputation is not good. In the capital, when daughters of noble families mention Prince Wei, they turn pale. Yet, you are a stubborn girl."

The young woman pouted and whined, "Why is Prince Wei's reputation so bad? Don't you know, Grandmother? On the battlefield, one must be brave and kill the enemy, inevitably causing bloodshed. But those who stand by and talk without experiencing it will gossip. As for the two Princess Consorts who died, they say he killed them. You even mentioned this to me, saying that some people are destined for misfortune, but you couldn't control it. We all know what happened, so why bring it up again?"

Seeing the young woman defending him with a sweet voice, the Empress Dowager sighed inwardly.

If one were to say that Minghui was "stubborn," it was also her fault. She was not the emperor's biological mother, and after becoming Empress Dowager, she never interfered with matters of the court or the palace. However, having spent so long in the palace, she had seen too much and couldn't help but talk about it with those around her.

Minghui was the only daughter of her short-lived daughter, and after losing her mother at a young age, she was raised by the Empress Dowager. Inevitably, she overheard some things and developed feelings for Prince Wei.

If the Empress Dowager were to find fault with Prince Wei, she couldn't really find anything. He was handsome, had no bad habits, and even avoided women, not even having a concubine. Except for a headache, which was said to have been cured long ago.

But who was the Empress Dowager? She had witnessed the brutal struggle for the throne during two dynasties. It could be said that the reason she was able to ascend to the position of Empress Dowager was because the high-ranking concubines with sons had either died or been deposed, leaving only her, who had no son.

Now, the emperor was getting older year by year, and the position of Crown Prince remained vacant. Prince Wei had been stationed at the border for many years, and his sudden return to the capital suggested that he had some plans.

These were things the Empress Dowager wanted to avoid at all costs. However, Minghui had been thinking about Prince Wei since before his return, and she hadn't stopped talking about him since he came back. The Empress Dowager had loved Minghui for many years and couldn't bear to see her heartbroken, so she could only pour cold water on her hopes.

"But I heard that Prince Wei has a betrothed. I mentioned this to the emperor before, and he also mentioned this woman."

As soon as this was mentioned, 

Commandery Princess Minghui's face immediately turned pale.

"The woman you speak of, Your Majesty, I know her. She is the orphaned daughter of the second branch of the Marquis Changyang's family. They say she is timid and cowardly, and not even pleasing to look at. The Marquis Changyang's title should have been revoked long ago, but His Majesty, seeing that her father had saved Prince Wei, allowed it to be passed down for one more generation. How could the daughter of such a family be worthy of my brother, Prince Wei?"

"But you said he saved him. Her father did indeed have a debt of gratitude to Prince Wei."

"Even with a debt of gratitude, one shouldn't trifle with Prince Wei's lifelong happiness," she said, pouting. "Grandmother, please have pity on me. I'm throwing away all my pride, begging you like this. Please grant my wish."

"Prince Wei has always had his own mind. This is not something I can decide on my own. Alright, alright, stop pestering me. I'll find some free time and mention it to the Emperor. Let's see what he thinks." The Empress Dowager said helplessly.

Only then did Commandery Princess Minghui burst into laughter, wiping away her tears.