Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Mother, I have decided to marry Cha Ying next week, the same day Brother Tianjie will marry Miss Song,” Qiu Mu asserted with a wide smile.

“What?” Xiuying exclaimed in shock.

“Hmm. I cannot delay my marriage with Cha Ying,” Qiu Mu said and smiled.

“But isn’t it too early, son?” Xiuying wanted him to stop marrying Cha Ying. The reason was simple. The Kang family had lost its reputation and she didn’t want them anymore to be related to them in any way. However, if she would say it directly to Qiu Mu, he might get upset with her.

“How is it early?” Qiu Mu inquired. “We were supposed to marry last month,” he said and lowered his gaze at the floor table before him. He picked up the sweet to taste it.

“Prince Mu, do not get angry, but I asked the hand of the Sui Family daughter for you,” Xiuying informed her son finally.

Qiu Mu looked at his mother in bewilderment. “Why?” The smile on his lips had already disappeared.

“Because I thought Miss Kang would not return,” Xiuying stated.

.....

“Now, she has returned, so Mother must refuse the Sui Family,” Qiu Mu replied.

“It will be a bit uncomfortable, Son. Also, Cha Ying lost her dignity after running away from home. Who knows what she did in the other city?” Xiuying remarked and it infuriated Qiu Mu.

“How could Mother say it?” He snorted at her. “I should not have come here.” Qiu Mu stood up in anger when Xiuying stopped him.

“I didn’t mean that, Son. The people—”

“Enough, Mother!” Qiu Mu snarled. “Does Mother think I am a fool? I know your thoughts well. I will marry Cha Ying next week and no one can change my decision. I have already informed the King about this,” he pronounced and turned around to leave.

“Do you no longer want your mother to take a higher position? The King got weak after losing all the strong support of ministers. He has new loyal ministers, but they aren’t as powerful as the old ones,” Xiuying tried to manipulate Qiu Mu’s thoughts.

He tilted his head over his shoulder to glance at his mother. “As if I care about this. I no longer intend to get a position higher than my current one. I am satisfied with what I have now,” he stated and walked out of the chamber.

Eunuch Dao followed him as he walked ahead in the corridor.

“His Highness doesn’t look in a good mood,” Eunuch Dao said.

“The palace is still filled with dirt,” Qiu Mu remarked.

“Pardon me, Your Highness?” Eunuch Dao ran behind Qiu Mu to match his pace.

“Call the Sui Family head. I would like to see him,” Qiu Mu ordered Eunuch Dao, who immediately followed the command of his master and bowed before going to the other side.

Qiu Mu continued walking until he encountered Mingquan.

“Brother Mu, I heard you found Miss Kang and brought her safely to the palace,” Mingquan said after greeting him.

“Yes.” “Where is Brother Mingquan heading to?” He asked.

“To see my mother,” Mingquan answered. “I need to give her an answer,” he added.

“An answer?” Qiu Mu was perplexed.

“She talked about my marriage with the Lin family’s daughter,” Mingquan replied.

“What’s Brother Mingquan’s answer then?” Qiu Mu was curious to know.

“I want to marry Miss Lin. However, it may take time since I need to understand her and at the same time, convince her,” Mingquan stated.

Qiu Mu tilted his head in bewilderment. “Did Miss Lin not agree to the marriage?”

“Yes,” Mingquan replied.

“That’s strange. Brother Mingquan’s personality is enough to attract women,” Qiu Mu stated.

“Miss Lin is kind of a different person. It is tough for me to explain at the moment,” Mingquan said. They talked for a while before walking away.

~~~~~~~~

“Princess Ai Fen doesn’t like Commander Huang Xi?” Xiwan was shocked to learn the truth from Chang Shi, and then he gazed at Huang Xi.

“Why didn’t I know this?” Xiwan inquired. “When did it happen?”

“The day before Prince Lóng Wei left,” Huang Xi replied. “Because I behaved wrongly with her elder sister, she thought I’d treat any woman that badly. I never thought the woman I liked would think this way of me,” he let out a frustrated sigh. He sipped the wine and put the glass on the table.

“Don’t you like the Second Princess anymore?” Xiwan was confused if he heard Huang Xi wrong.

“I don’t. There was no use to keep liking her and telling myself I could win her heart. I am saying this because that look in her eyes clearly told me what she thinks of me,” Huang Xi stated.

“I hope you fall in love again,” Xiwan said. Huang Xi got irked and told him he didn’t want to hear that word.

“Ayee! Don’t whine like a kid. You are such a young man. Not falling in love doesn’t suit you,” Xiwan said and patted his back. He held the chopsticks and placed the dumpling on the plate before Huang Xi. “Eat it and throw your anger out.”

“I never disrespected any woman,” Huang Xi said and tears formed in his eyes.

“Why did a gentle woman like Princess Ai Fen say such a thing to me? That time Princess Jingfei’s acts made me angry at her. She thought ill of Prince Lóng Wei, that’s why I got angry at her,” he explained to them.

“Perhaps Princess Ai Fen isn’t the one for you,” Chang Shi said. “Don’t take it to heart. I have been hearing from the soldiers that you are again getting annoyed at them for no reason. For how long are you going to work this way?” He took the wine jar from him. It was the third jar that Huang Xi was supposed to empty.

“Taking too much wine isn’t good for you,” Chang Shi said with a worried look. He was anxious about Huang Xi’s work life because of all the tantrums he had been throwing for the past few days.

“Man! You are still in love with the Second Princess. You need to get out of her,” Xiwan stated.

“I am not into her. I am merely hurt,” Huang Xi said and asked Chang Shi to give the jar to him, who refused.

“You aren’t letting me take out my frustration. I miss Prince Lóng Wei. He left without giving me the solution,” he murmured and he lay on the floor with his hands spread out.

“Huang Xi, why don’t you go with us to a matchmaking agency tomorrow?” Xiwan suggested to him.

Huang Xi tilted his head and with a puzzled look asked him why he would do that.

“To remove Princess Ai Fen’s thoughts completely from your mind. If you meet a new woman, then things will be easier for you,” Xiwan opined.

“I am not interested,” Huang Xi said. “I want to stay far from women as much as I can. I don’t want another heartbreak,” he muttered.

“Are you going to marry?” Huang Xi asked Xiwan.

“I plan to. But for that, I need to find a match for myself,” Xiwan asserted with a smile.

“You look desperate to start your family,” Huang Xi said.

“I have already lived alone for so many years, so I need a family of mine,” Xiwan proclaimed with a smile.

“I hope you get a great match,” Huang Xi said and gazed at Chang Shi. “What about you?”

Chang Shi was stunned by the sudden question. He partly wanted a family, but at the same time, he was hesitant.

“He will also start a family,” Xiwan answered on Chang Shi’s behalf.

“Good for both of you,” Huang Xi said.

“Did you get any news from Prince Lóng Wei after that?” Chang Shi asked him.

“No. Prince Lóng Wei didn’t send any messages lately. I should have gone with him. At least, an experienced person like him had helped me fight these emotions,” Huang Xi said.

“Prince Lóng Wei didn’t get rejected though,” Xiwan said. Huang Xi beamed at him when he molded his words, “I mean Prince Lóng Wei didn’t give up on his love for Princess Consort Li Hua. His Highness had a firm belief that he would make a place in her heart.”

Chang Shi agreed with Xiwan and asked Huang Xi not to give up.

“I am not Prince Lóng Wei. I said this that day too,” Huang Xi pronounced.

“Then, the only solution is to find a new love,” Xiwan said and asked Huang Xi not to whine about getting rejected anymore. “It is only affecting you,” he added.

Huang Xi closed his eyes slowly and hummed. “I wish she liked me,” he mumbled while drifting off to sleep.