nycdaug Chapter 145 Clash (2)
Chapter 145 Clash (2)
It's better that she moved away. That way, when she goes to the county town, she'll have a place to stay and won't have to stay in an inn. Although the road from Wuliping to the county town has been extensively repaired, there are still two dangerous sections.
After all, in this era, everything relies on manpower and simple tools; there are no bulldozers or excavators like in our dreams. Therefore, those two particularly treacherous sections of road are still somewhat dangerous. In the future, if there are delays on the way from Beijing to Wuliping, we can stay overnight in the county town and set off for Wuliping the next day!
The guards under Prince Duan learned that Lady Ying had come to see Zisu, but they didn't know what they had discussed. They dared not eavesdrop on Zisu's conversations with others, nor did they dare to investigate.
This is Prince Duan's order; Zisu must not be monitored in any way.
When Prince Duan received the message by carrier pigeon, learning that Lady Ying had gone to Wuliping, he immediately became anxious. He deduced that Lady Ying must have gone to ingratiate herself with Zisu because of Fang Heng. By the time he received the letter, it was already past Shenshi (3-5 PM), and if he rushed to Wuliping at that time, he would inevitably have to spend the night on the way.
They might have to camp in the wilderness, since the town gates would close after dark. Nevertheless, he quickly set off with his guards. Sure enough, they ended up having to spend the night in the wilderness. Fortunately, it was summer, so it wasn't a big problem, just a bit more mosquitoes.
Prince Duan remembered that Zisu had mentioned that mugwort could repel mosquitoes, so he and his guards picked a large amount and planted it around the campsite. Sure enough, the number of mosquitoes decreased significantly, and the guards were secretly amazed, admiring Zisu even more.
Princess Yulin is indeed a remarkable woman who knows everything from astronomy to geography. I wonder what she doesn't know? Sigh, such a wonderful woman, yet the Empress Dowager doesn't care for her at all, and is determined to have the Prince marry her pretentious niece.
Her niece from her maternal family is said to be very beautiful, but unfortunately, she's all show and no substance, too pretentious. The prince hates women like that who are two-faced! Princess Yulin is much better; she's straightforward, warm, simple, cheerful, and genuine. Being with Princess Yulin is always particularly pleasant and relaxing.
The next day, after passing through Zhangshu County, Prince Duan made a special trip to the county government office.
Fang Heng was reviewing past case files when a yamen runner came to report: "Sir, Prince Duan has arrived!"
Fang Heng felt a little irritated. What was this person doing here? He really didn't want to see him, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only say helplessly, "Please invite him in for a talk!"
Prince Duan walked in, his sharp gaze sweeping over Fang Heng before he spoke coldly, "I heard your mother went to Wuliping, and Princess Yulin was very unhappy after she left. Let me remind you, keep an eye on your mother and don't let her provoke Zisu again! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Fang Heng, not to be outdone, gave him a cold look: "You'd better take care of your own mother first, and don't let her cause trouble at the Protector General's Mansion again, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
Prince Duan said arrogantly, "I am a prince, how can you be so impolite? Besides, I will naturally discipline my mother, you don't need to worry about it!"
Fang Heng snorted coldly: "Tit for tat! We're both equally bad, so neither of us can say anything to the other! But there's one thing I need to remind you: Princess Yulin will never be a concubine, nor will she accept a man who already has concubines! If you want to get close to her, you'd better ask yourself if you're even qualified!"
Prince Duan smiled brightly: "Oh, you mean Song Wu? She's no longer my concubine. I've been ordered by the Emperor to divorce her! She's gone to Huangjue Temple to practice Buddhism!"
Fang Heng sneered, "Huangjue Temple? You're too heartless! What kind of place is that? How could you bear to send her there? A vicious person like you is not worthy of being with Princess Yulin!"
Prince Duan looked at him with amusement: "You're wrong, terribly wrong! I only gave her a letter of divorce, and then sent her and her dowry back to the Song family. It was her biological father who sent her to Huangjue Temple, but it has nothing to do with me!"
Fang Heng: "No matter what, Song Wu ended up like this because of you!"
Prince Duan: "Womanly compassion! If I don't send Song Wu away, am I supposed to leave her in the palace to grow old alone? Besides, if that happens, I won't be able to be with Princess Yulin. How can I face pursuing her if I don't resolve the issue of my concubine? Some decisions have to be made, there's no other way!"
To sacrifice his own happiness and his entire life for the sake of Song Wu, a man with a less-than-pure heart, is something only a fool would do! Even if he can't be with Zisu, he will never be with Song Wu, never even touch her. He needs to find a reliable life partner, no matter what.
Fang Heng: "Alright, so you came to me just to warn me? If so, you can leave now. I've received everything!"
Prince Duan: "You don't need to urge me on. I'm leaving now. I don't want to stay a moment longer where you are!"
Fang Heng: "Go quickly, don't bother seeing me off!"
Little brat, do you think you can do whatever you want just because you're a prince?
That makes sense, though. If this guy weren't a prince, he wouldn't have seen him. What's the point of seeing a rival in love?
Prince Duan turned around and laughed heartily: "I dare not trouble the third-ranked scholar, I will be leaving now!"
You little brat! I, a prince, will rely on my power and status. What can you do to me? Let alone a mere county government office, I'd dare to storm even the prefectural governor's office. The only reason I haven't stormed the county government office today is out of respect for Zisu, to give you a little face!
Since she's Zisu's friend, I naturally won't bully her, lest she look down on me. However, if you're thinking of making a move on Zisu and marrying her, you won't succeed! Now that I'm back and have made up my mind, I won't let you get away with it!
Watching Prince Duan stride away, Fang Heng felt a complex mix of emotions. His manly intuition told him that Prince Duan was very interested in Zisu and determined to have her.
Originally, the situation seemed very favorable, and Zisu would most likely choose him. However, her mother's outburst at Wuliping drastically changed everything, turning their advantage into a disadvantage. Now, Zisu's impression of her mother is probably worse than her impression of Prince Duan's mother.
After all, she probably never had any expectations of Prince Duan's mother, yet she must have once had very high expectations of her own mother. Now, her mother's actions must have deeply disappointed and saddened her! As a result, she has absolutely no advantage over Prince Duan!
On the contrary, they not only did not have an advantage, but were actually at a disadvantage!
Mother, oh Mother, you've given your son a huge problem!
Fang Heng's mood was extremely bad. Seeing the promising situation turn into this mess, his heart felt like it was being pierced by needles, the pain unbearable. The thought that Zisu might never choose him again made him feel as if the world had turned dark, as if there was no longer any sunshine, rain, moon, flowers, or anything else.
This future holds no hope; there will be no joy or happiness. Mother, oh Mother, you have killed your son!
After leaving the county office, Prince Duan was in a slightly unhappy mood.
Fang Heng appears handsome and refined, exuding a noble and elegant air, yet also possessing a warm and scholarly demeanor. His abilities are not to be underestimated!
No wonder Zisu was moved by him. If Fang Heng's mother hadn't caused trouble in Wuliping, and if Marquis Zhongxin had been even slightly more reliable, perhaps he wouldn't have had the chance to win Zisu's heart, to move her, and ultimately to overcome all obstacles.
However, this is just a hypothetical scenario. The reality is that Fang Heng's mother caused trouble at Wuliping, and Marquis Zhongxin is also a very unreliable person. Therefore, Prince Duan firmly believes that as long as he is sincere, earnest, and hardworking enough, he will eventually be able to move Zisu, make her fall in love with him, and stay with him for life.
With this mindset, Prince Duan rode swiftly and happily toward Wuliping. His heart had already flown to Wuliping, to Zisu's side.
However, what he didn't expect was that his mother was once again holding him back in the Prince's mansion in the capital.
Her son was gone, and his whereabouts were unknown. Consort Qin was filled with sorrow and regret. If she had known this would happen, she would never have agreed to Consort Shu's request to make Song Wu her son's concubine. Now, it was all too late.
She was sitting by the window, gazing blankly at the crabapple tree outside, when a maid came to report: "Your Highness, Miss Cousin has arrived!"
"Which cousin?" Consort Qin remained seated. Of all the cousins, she only wanted to see that one.
Maid: "It's Miss Rainbow!"
Consort Qin's face was beaming with joy: "What are you all standing there for? Quickly, invite them in!"
This niece was exactly the person she wanted to see, and the one she wanted her son to marry. This niece was obedient, sensible, and understanding, always doting on her. Many years ago, she had already chosen this niece as her daughter-in-law. Her husband had died young, and the household was filled with the tyrannical and domineering Lady Lu; her daughter-in-law had to be loyal to her. Otherwise, life would be unbearable!
She never considered what would happen to her son if he married a woman he didn't like. Would he even be able to live a normal life? In her mind, she had given birth to him, so he should accommodate her and obey her every whim. Otherwise, he would be unfilial!
"Aunt, Rainbow is here!" Qin Rainbow rushed in and threw herself into the arms of Consort Qin, affectionately hugging her waist, just like a mother and daughter, very warm and friendly.
"Good child, you've finally arrived! If you had come sooner, you could have met your cousin!" The Dowager Consort Qin spoke to her niece very kindly, but couldn't help feeling a little regretful. If her son had met her, he would surely have been captivated by her.
Rainbow is now fifteen years old. She's grown up and is no longer the skinny, blond-haired girl she was five years ago. Her son hasn't seen her for over five years, which explains why he doesn't want to marry her. Five years ago, Rainbow was quite unremarkable, far from beautiful. Five years have passed, and Rainbow has blossomed into a stunning beauty. While Shangguan Zisu is also good-looking, she's still a cut below Rainbow!
If my son saw the rainbow, he would be amazed and would surely forget about Shangguan Zisu. It's a pity my niece arrived too late; my son might have gone to that Wuliping place again to see Shangguan Zisu. I wonder if, on that trip, he and Shangguan Zisu might fall in love and develop deep feelings for each other.
Oh dear, this is really worrying!
Rainbow felt a pang of regret after hearing her aunt's words, but she remained confident. She was very confident in her looks; in the entire Western Liang Kingdom, there were probably very few women who could rival her beauty. Her cousin had been stuck in that godforsaken Northwest for five years, and had likely seen very few women. She was certain that the moment her cousin saw her, he would be instantly captivated!
She was deeply in love with her rumored cousin and dreamed of marrying him! No, she would be willing to be his concubine! As his cousin, he could have one principal wife, two secondary wives, and be a concubine of lower status, with no limit on the number of concubines he could have.
Therefore, even though her cousin already had a beloved woman and was determined to marry Princess Yulin as his concubine, she didn't care much. Now that Concubine Song had been divorced, the position of concubine was vacant again. She couldn't be the principal wife, but her aunt would definitely fight for her the position of concubine! Even if she couldn't be a concubine, she could still be a secondary wife, or even a maidservant!
She was very confident in herself. With her looks and temperament, even if she became a concubine, she would one day be able to climb to the position of secondary consort! Once she gave birth to her cousin's smart and lovely children, and with her aunt's strong support, how could she not be afraid of driving Princess Yulin off the position of primary consort?
One day, she will become his principal wife, the only woman by his side! This has been her long-cherished wish, her goal in life, and no one can stop her. Otherwise, she will slay gods and Buddhas alike!
She smiled gently at Consort Qin and said, "Aunt, I've heard about Princess Yulin's situation. If my cousin insists on marrying her, please don't oppose him anymore. Otherwise, he'll run away from home again for several years, which wouldn't be good!"
Consort Qin affectionately stroked her niece's hair: "Good child, what will you do if your cousin marries Princess Yulin?"
Rainbow: "Aunt, I can make do with being a concubine! Or even a secondary concubine! There are four spots for secondary concubines. I'm sure my cousin is so filial to you, Aunt. He wouldn't refuse to give Rainbow even the title of secondary concubine!"
Consort Qin couldn't help but shed tears: "What a wonderful child! It's a pity your cousin is so blinded by greed that he can't see your goodness! Only a child as good as you is truly worthy of your cousin. What a pity, what a real pity!"
Sigh, should I really agree to let him marry Princess Yulin? Oh well, once Princess Yulin enters the Prince's mansion, she can do whatever she wants to Princess Yulin. First, I'll give that vixen a sterilization drug. After she can't have children for two years, I'll divorce her and let Rainbow take her place! Then, as long as Rainbow gives birth to lively and adorable children, I refuse to believe that this unfilial son Hao'er will still be devoted to that vixen!
Rainbow: "Aunt, please don't talk about my cousin like that. Princess Yulin is both beautiful and talented. It's normal for my cousin to be attracted to her. Besides, my cousin and I haven't seen each other for more than five years. Maybe he doesn't even remember what I look like."
Consort Qin said, "Since you're here, stay. Don't leave until you see your cousin. When he returns, your aunt will create more opportunities for you two to be alone. I believe that your cousin will fall in love with you the moment he sees you!"
If all else fails, try drugging your son. Once the deed is done, see how he can refuse to marry Rainbow as his principal wife. Judging from his temperament, he'll definitely take responsibility for Rainbow, or at the very least, give her the status of a concubine. He won't be making a fuss, insisting on having only Princess Yulin as his woman and refusing to even take a maid.
Rainbow nodded vigorously: "Auntie, don't worry, my cousin was very good to me when I was little! I'm his cousin, and I'm so cute, he would never have the heart to neglect me! When he comes back, I'll follow him around every day under the pretense of wanting to learn martial arts from him!"
Once I'm a little more familiar with my cousin, I'll find an opportunity to drug him and force myself on him. If I become his woman, he'll definitely marry me, or at the very least, give me the title of concubine!
That's it, that's the decision! In short, happiness is something you have to fight for! Becoming my cousin's woman and giving birth to his eldest son as soon as possible is more important than anything else! Not being the primary wife at the beginning isn't that important; what matters is having the last laugh!
On his way back to Wuliping, Prince Duan met the Eldest Princess, who was with Yue'er and Hua'er.
Upon seeing Prince Duan, Yue'er was overjoyed: "Brother Hao, what are you doing here?"
Prince Duan teased her, "I'm going to Wuliping, what are you doing here, little one?"
Yue'er: "Oh my, what a coincidence! I'm going to Wuliping too! By the way, are you also going to see Sister Zisu?"
Prince Duan: "Yes, you're right!"
Yue'er reached out her hand to him: "Brother Hao, I want to ride a horse too!"
"Alright, no problem!" Prince Duan lifted her up with one hand and placed her in front of him. "Sit tight, hold on to the horse's mane, don't fall off!"
Yue'er: "I'm not that useless! Back in Xiaoxi Village, I often rode horses on the grassland with Sister Zisu!" She suddenly lowered her voice and asked mysteriously, "By the way, Brother Hao, do you like Sister Zisu?"
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