Xie Peizhi led Cai Ruolan to the garden where the emperor and empress were already seated.
The garden looked very beautiful to Cai Ruolan, it looked like paradise to her, colorful birds and butterflies flew around the place, the small lake seemed to be filled with diamonds as it was glimmering when the sun rays blinded it.
There was also a large round white table, surrounded with white chairs where the emperor and empress were already seated. On top the table were teacups, jugs and also desserts. It made Cai Ruolan wonder how many time she was eating that morning.
Nevertheless, she kowtowed to the emperor and his wife as soon as she got closer to them. She was relieved and glad when she never saw the crown prince seating with them.
“You may seat my dear” empress Gu Zongying instructed, and she sat beside her.
“Cai Ruolan, we sent for you” the emperor began after not deciding to waste much time. He still got meetings to attend, and Cai Ruolan would also need to spend some time with her husband since they just got married.
Cai Ruolan lowered her head, she was forced to wonder what on earth the emperor wanted to tell her. ‘Better not be about my life’ she thought to herself.
“You said that the emperor’s first wife is your mother right?” emperor Xie Mingze asked her, his voice laced with a tone of seriousness.
“Y… yes your majesty” Cai Ruolan replied stuttering.
“Tell me only the truth dear. Lying degrades a person status, not to talk of been a princess and my daughter-in-law. You must speak nothing but the truth” he warned looking very stern.
“Yes your majesty” she swallowed her saliva and had answered in fear.
“You also said that a nanny had raised you, Where is she?” the emperor probed.
Cai Ruolan looked up at him then answered weakly “S…She died some days ago your majesty”
The emperor and his wife were taken aback. They never knew about this, otherwise, they wouldn’t have forced Xie Yuxuan to get married to a young bereaved girl. But it wasn’t his fault, the emperor of Zhangqian never mentioned any nanny, he said Cai Ruolan was empress Hu Melien’s oldest daughter.
“I’m sorry my dear. I can feel what you’re going through” empress Gu Zongying patted Cai Ruolan’s shoulder.
“And before then?” the emperor inquired.
Cai Ruolan decided to tell them about the little she knew about herself.
“Nanny Wang Eumeh raised me at the lotus palace, she was the only family I had. Her brother does teach me archery and martial arts while she taught me dancing, singing and calligraphy. It was more like we were abandoned there, but my father does pay her. So she buys what we needed with her earnings” she paused, trying to hold her tears. She would start to cry whenever she recalled any of the kind things Wang Eumeh had done for her in the past.
“I was never allowed to leave the lotus palace, so I stayed indoor all days to study. Nanny Wang Eumeh died five days ago, I woke up but couldn’t find her at the kitchen, I met her dead in her room” tears cascaded down her white face.
The emperor felt tricked and cheated. “What kind of father is he?” he asked in frustration.
Empress Gu Zongying helped cleaned Cai Ruolan’s tears with a little white sash she was holding in. Her left hand.
“How about his other children?” she asked Cai Ruolan while sipping a hot tea.
“They lived with him at the main castle” Cai Ruolan responded.
Emperor Xie Mingze stood up in a frown. “I shall take my leave now, I’ll be heading to the throne room. I will also send for others. This partnership must be canceled” he concluded while walking away from the garden.
Cai Ruolan lowered her head and sobbed quietly, she doesn’t like this type of life. She knew well that her father hated her and was looking for a way to get rid of her, but this was just too heartless of him.
There was no matchmaker, and even if there was one, he would obviously be fake and would only work with the emperor because of money.
She wished of not returning to Zhangqian, especially now that she got nothing left over there.
But she also wished to go home, she liked and was grateful for the emperor, empress, and the princess kindness but she was just not happy been with someone she doesn’t like.
Cai Ruolan felt very sure that if her nanny was alive, she would have escaped from the crown prince and go back to Zhangqian, even if the emperor and his wife were more kinder.
But going to Zhangqian would add nothing but salt to her injuries.
She never even realized that the empress was still seating beside her sipping a hot tea from her cup.
Cai Ruolan cleaned her tears and raised her head up to seat well on her chair.
The empress flashed a sweet smile at her, she helped pour another tea on Cai Ruolan’s cup which made her very shy to take it.
“You don’t have to do that your majesty” she said shyly, her pink lips in a smile
“Of course I must, you’re my daughter-in-law and also my daughter” the empress glanced at Xie Peizhi.
Xie Peizhi laughed. “What is it mother?” she asked, already knowing what her mother wanted to say.
“I thought you were jealous” the empress replied.
“Why would I be? She’s brother’s wife” Xie Peizhi rolled her eyes before they all broke into laughter.
Meanwhile, Xie Yuxuan stepped inside his room. It wasn’t his any longer, it was ‘theirs’.
The beautiful scent of Cai Ruolan’s hair rose oil assailed his nose, the scent filled the entire room.
Xie Yuxuan sat down on his reading table, grabbing nothing but a piece of brown paper.
He felt like seeing Cai Ruolan. Initially, he didn’t wanted to marry her, but ever since he saw her for the first time at the wedding, he was sure that this was the kind of bride he would like.
He also knew that the girl doesn’t like him as much as she liked his mother and sister, it made him wonder why.
Or she actually believed the rumors that he do kill girls?
He wanted to find more, and know more about her.
Xie Yuxuan drummed his fingers on the table as he thought of a way, suddenly, his eyes fell on the chest of drawers he saw Cai Ruolan shoving something on in the morning.
Xie Yuxuan stood up, walked towards the drawer and opened it.
Nothing but an old book!
‘Made sense’
The book looked so old to the extent that it irritates him, but in the end, he thought that if Cai Ruolan could hold it, then he could.
He picked up the book, opened the first page which was very soft, it could tear any sooner. The name and first word drew his attention.
Wang Eumeh. 11 years old
‘Diary, you wouldn’t believe that some people captured our kingdom, and took me away from father and granny….’
‘Interesting’ Xie Yuxuan closed the book, and went out of the room.
‘I’ll read it’