Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Why will the people not like it?” Lóng Wei inquired.

Li Hua glanced at him, wondering what he was up to.

“I will not keep the Prince in the dark. People still think of him as a threat rather than a protector,” Qiu Zedong replied. “I do not want the people, especially the nobles, to rebel against my decision. I do not want any unrest in the capital. I will thoroughly think about what position I can bestow to Prince Lóng Wei,” he affirmed.

“What if I find out the person who tried to kill the Crown Prince? Will the answer of the Royal Father be the same?” He asked.

Qiu Zedong was amused to see Lóng Wei’s confidence.

“I know what the Royal Father has in mind. I am incapable in everyone’s eyes because all these years, I created chaos in people’s lives. But not anymore. I will prove to my Royal Father that I am more than capable to be the Governor of Qinping than the current Governor. I can find who sent the assassin to kill the Crown Prince,” Lóng Wei pronounced while being confident.

“Prince Lóng Wei doesn’t need to do that. General Hei Chengxi is investigating the matter,” Qiu Zedong refused Lóng Wei to do any such thing.

“I can find out about this in one day,” Lóng Wei stated.

.....

Qiu Zedong knitted his brows to hear his son’s statement.

“Don’t anger your father,” Li Hua said in a low voice to Lóng Wei.

“It’s important for me to become the Governor,” Lóng Wei replied, keeping his voice low.

“The Royal Father always wanted me to see working for the people. When I truly want to do that, he hesitates to even allow me to complete this small mission. I want to prove to His Majesty that I am indeed the child whom Yuze prophesied once. I have finally realized that I must do work for the Qiu Kingdom,” Lóng Wei affirmed in a firm tone.

A wide smile appeared on Qiu Zedong’s lips, and he allowed Lóng Wei to do so.

“However, I have a few conditions before allowing the Prince to look into this matter,” Qiu Zedong said.

“Yes, Royal Father,” Lóng Wei said.

“He will not demean any of his brothers. He will not either try to make his assumptions regarding Shui Xiaoqing’s statement. I don’t want any kind of chaos to happen in the palace,” Qiu Zedong stated.

“All right, Royal Father,” Lóng Wei agreed.He lifted his hands and bowed to thank his father. Qiu Zedong dismissed both of them and asked Eunuch Gao Bing to come closer.

“Keep an eye on both of them,” Qiu Zedong told him.

“The Sixth Prince doesn’t allow anyone in his manor except a few servants, Your Majesty.” If there was any task that was difficult for Gao Bing, then it was keeping an eye on Lóng Wei.

“Bring Fei Shuzhen to my private chamber,” Qiu Zedong ordered Gao Bing. He bowed and left the imperial court. Qiu Zedong curled his fingers and fiddled with them.

“I don’t want Lóng Wei to fall into danger,” Qiu Zedong murmured.

~~~~~~

Li Hua halted in the middle of the grand staircase that led to the imperial court. A step below her, Lóng Wei came to a halt. He tilted his head and asked her if she was tired.

“What is His Highness planning!?” Li Hua skeptically gazed into his eyes.

“Let’s go back first,” Lóng Wei said, and he extended his hand out. He gestured to Li Hua to hold his hand.

“I am angry with His Highness,” Li Hua said, and averted her gaze from him. She put her foot down, which got entangled in her long skirt.

“Ahhhhhhh!” She screamed in extreme fear of tripping down, but Lóng Wei had already held her tightly. He ducked her to the other side such that her back rested on his left arm.

“Why do you wear such a heavy and large skirt when you cannot even walk properly?” Lóng Wei asked and brushed the fringes away from her forehead using his right hand’s fingers. “You love to fall in my arms, right?” He asked with a smirk.

“It always happens when His Highness is around,” she said when a drop of rain hit the middle of her forehead. They both looked up at the sky. Lóng Wei helped her stand straight as the rain started to patter on the land.

He quickly removed his overcoat and put it above Li Hua’s head, thus covering her.

“Let’s go.” He held her hand and they ran towards the corridor, which was ten minutes away from them.

They both gasped for air as they reached the corridor. The rain had turned heavier and even lightning struck within the clouds. Li Hua removed her robe from her head and noticed Lóng Wei was completely drenched in the rain.

She took out the handkerchief from her pocket and started to wipe his face. Lóng Wei, who had his gaze on the ground, quickly shifted his gaze to Li Hua.

Once she was done, she lowered her hand.

“Come.” They both started to walk through the corridor to reach his manor. “We cannot stay here for long,” he stated as they continued to walk.

After a certain distance, Li Hua told him that she would ask a servant for umbrellas.

After the servant handed them two umbrellas, Lóng Wei returned one to the servant and asked Li Hua that they both would use only one.

Li Hua glanced at her with inquisitiveness as he dragged her along with him. His hand securely rested around her shoulder. He drew her close and they both descended the few stairs to reach the ground.

Lóng Wei used his umbrella to shield Li Hua from the rain, despite the fact that his left arm was soaked. “His Highness should not have returned the second umbrella,” she said.

“Isn’t it more romantic this way?” Lóng Wei asked as they stepped inside the door of the manor. Li Hua halted in the middle of the pavement and turned to look at him.

Her grip on the overcoat was still tight. She peered into his raven orbs.

The droplets hung on the small fringes that slid down his jawline. Her eyes again moved back to those orbs which were glued to her.

“His Highness can get sick. We shall go in,” she said and took a step back when Lóng Wei circled his arm around her and drew her close.