"Foolish—," he called out.
As Zheng Congyuan began to speak, he suddenly caught sight of the tears in her eyes and stopped abruptly, a fleeting emotion stirring within his chest. He wanted to say something, but nothing seemed right.
"Nian Ru, I hope you are truly happy," Zheng Congyuan reached out, wanting to wipe the tears from the girl's face. His hand halted mid-air and did not retract, Zheng Nianru firmly grasped the hand that Zheng Congyuan never had the courage to extend in their previous life.
"I am only happy when I see you," Zheng Nianru insisted stubbornly, her family, the Zheng Imperial Family, the common dawn people— in her previous life all these had mattered more to him, things he cared about and refused to let go. Thus, she hated it to her core and conspired to rebel, wanting to see him free from those hesitations, free from those burdens of moral obligations.
Yet, Zheng Nianru knew that she had a place in his heart. Being the Crown Prince, he hadn't married despite being over twenty, nor had there ever been any woman unduly close to him. Even after she repeatedly sabotaged his marriage arrangement with the Crown Princess Consort Ximen Yuyan, he had never truly punished her.
Thus, he must have felt for her. In her previous life, she had never asked, and would this life be just as blurred with no definite answer?
Yes, she wanted an answer as compensation for the past life.
Her sleeve was slightly tugged back as Zheng Nianru held on, clenched in her hand.
"Brother Crown Prince, do you not want to see me?" Zheng Nianru gazed at him with hurtful eyes, the blush wet with tears, like a sprite lost in the woods, a deer without guidance.
Zheng Congyuan thought of his servants acting on their own, thought of the words she must have heard in his absence. That was why she hesitated, that was why she felt so aggrieved.
"I didn't know seeing you would annoy you. If that is truly the case, I shall forever..." the girl's lips trembled, her grievances almost taking a tangible, clear form, silently accusing the one before her, pricking at the conscience, her face too innocent to doubt.
In her last life at this age, she couldn't control such force. To cry was just to cry, it was crying for what she couldn't have.
"No, of course not..."
"You can come to the Crown Prince's Mansion anytime you want; no one will stop you anymore," Zheng Congyuan spoke in a turmoil, what was he saying. He should keep his distance, he could clearly sense that Nian Ru's feelings for him vastly exceeded what he had anticipated, she was his cousin, the sole offspring of his Fifth Uncle.
Zheng Nianru smiled wryly within, look, how simple it was now to demand an answer, unbattered by later events, his unexhausted mind yielding so easily to her subtle manipulations, retreating as a way to advance was a tactic she was adept at.
But what about after the compromises? But now, she still had to coax him, Zheng Nianru broke into a laugh through her tears.
"Alright, then I shall come whenever I wish." And then, she would slowly begin to fade from your sight, and if she ran into Ximen Yuyan again, perhaps she could be more generous.
"I will also take away the people from the outer court; I will find someone to treat them, it's not suitable to keep them in your courtyard," Zheng Congyuan seemed to have regained his composure, his thoughts back in line, almost forgetting his initial purpose.
"Alright." In this life, she didn't want anything to do with Nanmen Yu anyway.
Outside the Qishun Building, Zheng Congyuan waited to lead the people away, but Qi Jin hurried out from the outer court.
"Your Highness, they have already left, should we..." Qi Jin came forward to report. The people of the Qishun Building didn't know when they had left, but as they were the hostages from Nanmen State and somewhat related to the Commandery Princess, should they be cautious and issue a warning?
"Leave him be," Zheng Congyuan turned and walked away, it was good they had left, knowing he was a trouble was enough.
Qi Jin dared not speak. Was His Highness angry?
Angry at whom? He seemed quite fine when he had just left Qishun Building.
…
Eunuch Kang Ning found a moment when Noble Consort Wen was in a good mood, preparing to speak.
Bushou Palace, in the hierarchy of the Imperial Palace, was second only to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. As the Empress Dowager had aged and had long ceased to manage harem affairs and the Empress immersed herself in Buddhism and attended to nothing, Noble Consort Wen, a former military general, had ruled the harem with a fierce and domineering hand for five or six years, without meeting any rival.
The state of affairs in Nanzheng State was declining. Yet, the military general maintaining stability at Nanzheng's borders was the Wen Family, which was stationed year-round on the Northwest frontier, holding back the coveting neighboring states.
Eunuch Kang Ning cautiously stepped forward, skilled in the duties of close attendance, and even more so in the art of massage. At this moment, he waved the palace maids away and took over personally.
Noble Consort Wen had just woken from her afternoon nap, looking languid. Her long black hair was simply done up, secured at the top of her head with just a hairpin, without any decorative hairpins. Though she was over thirty and had given birth to two sons and one daughter, her skin was still moist, fair, and radiant.
Eunuch Kang Ning applied a gentle force starting from her neck, skillful with his technique. The seated Noble Consort Wen let out a comfortable moan. The palace maids kept silent, and the wooden tub filled with roses emitted a misty steam.
"Kang Ning, you seem very busy these days," Noble Consort Wen said with her eyes closed, her voice lazy.
"This servant is Your Highness's servant, even if busy, he is busy with Your Highness's matters," Kang Ning deftly replied as he moved his fingers from her neck and shoulders up to behind her ears, eliciting another contented sigh.
Kang Ning felt it was time to speak out.
"Your Highness, do you know that the Fourth Prince has made quite some progress these days? The other day, he even mentioned that he was going to visit the Empress Dowager."
"Why bother visiting that old witch?" Noble Consort Wen snorted, although she admitted that he indeed had improved quite a bit lately, at least he wasn't messing with those frivolous things anymore.
"You are right, Your Highness, I don't know much, but seeing the Fourth Prince happy makes me happy too," Kang Ning said.
Upon hearing this, Noble Consort Wen opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Kang Ning. Happy about what? Was that boy happy to see the Empress Dowager?
"You sly servant, speak quickly. Why did Fu Gong go to see the Empress Dowager?" Noble Consort Wen's eyes, already straightforward by nature, were now sweeping towards Eunuch Kang Ning with a hint of anger.
Eunuch Kang Ning immediately stepped back and knelt down.
"This servant dares not conceal anything from the Empress Dowager, but this matter involves the Empress Dowager and is also related to the hostage from Nanmen State; thus, this servant had no choice but to be cautious and secretly watched on Your Highness's behalf for several days."
Noble Consort Wen frowned and gestured to Kang Ning to come closer; she trusted him although he was not a domestic-born servant of the Wen Family, but his loyalty was true, proven many times before she favored him.
"Your Highness, do you remember that there is a Commandery Princess in the Empress Dowager's residence?" Kang Ning's words surprised Noble Consort Wen again. Very few people in the entire Imperial Palace knew about this, so how did Kang Ning know?
Never mind knowing that, but that Commandery Princess is practically invisible, rarely showing her face. How come she is now involved with such a person?