Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

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Li Hua looked at the flowers, which were swinging along with the breeze. The beautiful sight delighted her heart. Lóng Wei, who seated beside her, was only gazing at her.

“Your Highness, let’s talk about the rules we have to follow in this marriage,” Li Hua initiated the conversation and tilted her head to peer at him.

“What rules do you want to make? I already told you to exclude two things: not to ask me not to touch you, and we will sleep together,” Lóng Wei affirmed.

“Those are the ones, which I wanted the most to follow,” she asserted.

“I know. That’s why I excluded them,” Lóng Wei said and smirked. He laid down on the grassy ground and looked at the tree above him. He gazed at Li Hua, who looked troubled. He grasped her wrist and pulled her down.

“Ahh.” A low scream escaped her mouth as she fell over him. Her hand rested on his chest while her face hovered above his. Before she could get away, Lóng Wei held her hand, which was on his chest, and pulled her down.

One side of her face rested on his chest while her wrists were in his grips. Her eyes grew big as she heard his heartbeat. It was racing, and it made her wonder if it was because of her.

.....

“Your Highness, could you please let me go?” Li Hua requested.

“I don’t want you to run away,” Lóng Wei stated.

“I won’t,” Li Hua assured him.

He let go of her wrists, and she lifted her body on the support of her palms. She got away from him when Lóng Wei asked her to lie down. He stretched out his arm, “put your head over my arm.”

Li Hua stared at him for a while, before lying down, keeping a short distance between them.

“It is a pear blossom tree,” Li Hua said as her eyes fell on the leaves and the tiny, white flowers.

“Hmm.” He shifted to her, his left knee was in the air while his right leg was lying flat on the ground. She narrowly gazed at him and moved a little away from him.

“Why don’t you want to touch me?” His question made Li Hua glance at him. “I am not like those kinds of men, who like to harass women. I respect you and always be careful around you. Holding hands, hugging you, and kissing you, are all sorts of affection that I want to show you from my side. Neither I ever forced it nor will I ever in future,” Lóng Wei asserted with authenticity.

Her eyes closed when a flower petal fell over one of the eyelids. Lóng Wei picked the petal while she opened her eyes. His calloused pointer finger was now on her cheek, stroking it. “Do you hate it?” He asked.

Li Hua shook her head. “But I do not like it either,” she replied.

Lóng Wei lifted his finger from her cheek. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Li Hua answered and gulped.

“Tell me how you spend your days as an orphan? You met the old lady in the village near Xinshui town. Then, what happened? Not everyone is kind in this world. I am surprised to see that she took you in,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Why is His Highness suddenly interested in knowing that?” Li Hua was perplexed.

“To know your life,” Lóng Wei replied.

Li Hua bit her lower lip before licking them. “I missed my family. I made a few friends but eventually lost them. Grandma was indeed a kind lady to take me in.” Li Hua made up a story.

“What about His Highness? Did he always go to the Cold Palace after troubling others?” Li Hua was inquisitive.

“My childhood was good. I was sent to the Cold Palace first when I killed her,” Lóng Wei affirmed. Li Hua was a little shocked to hear it. So, he indeed killed his mother. She found he didn’t even flinch while saying such a thing.

“Then, I became a regular at the Cold Palace,” he said and smiled.

“Why did His Highness smile? It is not a good thing, I suppose,” Li Hua opined.

“The Cold Palace is in Xinshui Town which is known for its hills and lakes. Though, I was the only one, who lived in the Cold Palace along with a few servants in my service,” Lóng Wei stated.

Li Hua was shocked to hear that the Cold Palace was in Xinshui Town. How come she never found it out? How would she? Her father and brothers never told her what happened outside. She was only allowed to go out during the day and had limited communication with girls from the other noble families.

“No one knows where the Cold Palace is except the people in the Imperial Palace. If I were ever sent to the cold palace, my powers as the Prince would be taken away, including the Royal Seal that I earlier took from Gao Bing,” Lóng Wei explained to her.

“Was His Highness allowed to come out of the Cold Palace? During the day?” She was interested to learn more. He might have known about what happened two months ago in Xinshui. He must be aware of her. That was why, he continuously asked her to tell him why she had entered the palace.

“Li Hua, why do I hate the Cold Palace?”

“Eh?” Li Hua was puzzled to hear him.

“Once you enter the Cold Palace, you cannot come out unless the King orders you to,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Oh.” Li Hua found out that Lóng Wei was locked for five months in the Cold Palace, so there was no chance that he knew about the deadly incident that occurred two months ago.

“What did His Highness do that he had to go to the Cold Palace for five months?” She curiously asked.

“I beat the Prime Minister’s son and even burned a residence. Kang Xi is a close friend of my father, so the Royal Father punished me,” Lóng Wei said with annoyance. “I also need to teach a lesson to Kang Xi,” he muttered.

“Your Highness, you are not supposed to beat anyone randomly for no reason,” Li Hua urged him.

“I beat him for a reason. He tried to kill the woman who he left pregnant,” Lóng Wei stated.

“WHAT???” Li Hua was thunderstruck for a second. “Then, why did His Highness get punished? Shouldn’t the son of the Prime Minister be punished?” She was bewildered.

“I didn’t tell because she had requested me to keep her identity hidden,” Lóng Wei stated.

“That’s not right. Your Highness, you should have told his Majesty about the wrong he did. How could he do something like this? And you got punished for no reason. His Highness could have told the Crown Prince. His Royal Highness would have helped the Sixth Prince,” Li Hua stated.

“Li Hua, I get irked when you praise the Crown Prince in front of me. Do not do it again. Kang Huijuan would have plainly refused that he ever knew that woman. She was from a poor family, working as a servant in the residence. Do you think it is easy to bring justice? It is all written in books, but it is too tough to implement. Moreover, Kang Xi and Kang himjuan had forced the woman to lie. Later, they might have killed her. So, I used my method to punish him. His right hand is still not healed,” Lóng Wei said and smiled with pleasure.

Li Hua was surprised to hear the thoughts of Lóng Wei. He was a thoughtful person. Then, why did everyone call him selfish!?

“Where is that woman now?” Li Hua queried him.

“She is somewhere safe,” Lóng Wei answered.

“How will she bear everything alone? People may ask her about the child’s father. Then, what will she say?” Li Hua looked troubled. She was anxious for the woman.

“A woman can do anything for her child, no? She will survive. Don’t worry about her,” Lóng Wei stated.

“His Highness must tell it once to the King,” Li Hua suggested him. “What if he tries to do it with another woman? We cannot let it happen, Your Highness,” Li Hua said, desperate to punish Kang Huijuan.

“Do you want to punish him my way? Father won’t be able to punish him because of Kang Xi. It will be fun,” Lóng Wei said with an amusing smile. “After our marriage, we can do it,” he said.

“But if the King or anyone found out, then we both will get punished,” Li Hua expressed her concern.

Lóng Wei clicked his tongue. “No one will find out. But you won’t step back. Because this time, I will punish him severely. One, for abandoning the woman he left pregnant, and second, to send me to the cold palace,” Lóng Wei said with a grin.