Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Your Highness, Monk Yuze has come to see you,” the maidservant informed her. Li Hua was astonished to find that Yuze was in the manor. She inserted the needle into the fabric and walked out.

Upon entering the guest chamber, she bowed to him and then sat on the chaise. “Prince Lóng Wei has gone outside, Monk Yuze,” she informed him.

“I am not here to see the prince,” Yuze stated.

Li Hua was perplexed and asked him if he would like to have tea. Yuze politely refused.

“I met with His Majesty earlier,” Yuze said. “He is happy to see Prince Lóng Wei’s growth. Before his marriage, he would always be punished and sent to the cold palace. A big change we all got to see in Prince Lóng Wei after Princess Consort Li Hua entered his life,” Yuze said, keeping a smile on his lips.

“Monk Yuze has helped in this too,” Li Hua stated.

Yuze shook his head. “It is heaven and destiny, Princess Consort. I was only a medium,” he asserted. “I found from His Majesty that he has given you a task to find why Prince Lóng Wei killed his mother,” he finally said for what he had come to see Li Hua.

“Yes,” Li Hua replied.

.....

“I want the Princess Consort not to tell anything to His Majesty if Prince Lóng Wei tells her the reason,” Yuze advised her. She was shocked to know that Yuze didn’t want her to tell the truth to the King. Although she had already made up her mind that she would not tell the truth to anyone, Yuze’s sudden request and advice confounded her.

“May I know why, Monk Yuze?” Li Hua was curious to know.

“Because Prince Lóng Wei had not done such a thing without any reason. Let it stay between you both,” Yuze suggested to her. Li Hua acknowledged his suggestion.

“Monk Yuze has told me that day His Highness’ mother was forcefully brought to the palace. That was the reason for her coldness towards her own child which always confused everyone. Does Monk Yuze anything more about His Highness’ mother?”

Last time, Yuze didn’t tell her many things that happened in the past. But hearing her question, Yuze realized that Lóng Wei her something related to his mother’s death.

“The past was complicated, Princess Consort. I will you tell some other day about this,” Yuze stated and rose to his feet. Li Hua also got up and saw the monk off to the giant doors of the manor.

She was sure now that Yuze knew something. She had to take out time to meet Yuze alone.

“A complicated past,” she murmured and went back to her chamber.

~~~~~~

Lóng Wei and Feng Lao silently drank the wine while Huang Xi, Mingquan, and Xu Zifan continued to talk with each other.

Huang Xi was praising Lóng Wei’s intelligence and he seemed to be drunk.

“It took me,” Huang Xi paused and raised his hands to show them eight numbers with that, “eight years to convince Prince Lóng Wei to be my friend.”

“It took me more than eighteen years to convince Brother Lóng Wei that I am his well-wisher,” Mingquan said and brought the cup to his lips. He gulped the wine and wiped his lips from the back of his palm.

“Why did it take eight years to convince His Highness to be your friend?” Feng Lao dropped honorifics as he asked question from Huang Xi.

“I do not know,” Huang Xi said and picked up the jar. “Answer, Prince Lóng Wei,” he urged. His cheeks were slightly red and so were his ears.

“I wasn’t in a state to become someone’s friend,” Lóng Wei replied and put the cup on the table. His answer bewildered three of them except Mingquan. He poured the wine into the cups and wondered what Lóng Wei would say further.

“Why wasn’t His Highness in a state to make any friends?” Feng Lao asked and glanced at him with inquisitiveness.

Lóng Wei picked up the wine cup and looked at the flower pattern that was made on it. All of them curiously waited for Lóng Wei’s reply.

“I was annoyed and upset probably,” Lóng Wei replied and gulped the wine in a single shot. He squeezed his eyes shut and plonked the cup on the table.

“That’s an excuse,” Huang Xi said in a low voice to Feng Lao.

“It’s the truth,” Lóng Wei affirmed.

“I never annoyed His Highness. I was a young kid at that time,” Huang Xi stated.

“I hated people, I think. I hated everyone around me. I wanted everyone to be dead. Is this enough to end your curiosity?” Lóng Wei arched his eyebrow.

Huang Xi was confused to hear Lóng Wei’s answer while Xu Zifan and Feng Lao looked at each other.

“I wonder why His Highness thinks that way? He must have been going through something bigger,” Feng Lao concluded and picked up the wine jar this time. He peered at Lóng Wei and then poured the wine into the cup for him.

“I won’t answer any more questions,” Lóng Wei said and told them to have fun.

“Is His Highness already leaving?” Huang Xi asked.

“No. I am going out to have some fresh air. I will be back soon,” Lóng Wei replied and went out of the room.

“Did you all see? The Prince walked out before we could ask any more questions,” Huang Xi complained. He didn’t like every time Lóng Wei would ignored this way.

“Brother Lóng Wei’s childhood and teenage years were not like a normal child,” Mingquan said. “Inside him, a disturbed child is still present who only wanted one thing: the love from his mother.”