Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“I do not trust your apology either,” Qiu Mu said and asked him to take a seat. Kang Xi stood up and sat on the broad chair across from Qiu Mu.

“Kang Xi, you have seen how father died. If Brother Lóng Wei wanted, he could have killed you and your son too. But he didn’t. I hope you will reflect on your mistakes. Moreover, you need to apologize to your daughter, who was mentally affected by the pressure from all of you.”

Qiu Mu didn’t want to malign his relationship with the Kang Family as they would be his in-laws. It was Cha Ying’s family and he didn’t want to disrespect any of them.

“Cha Ying lived like men in Dongqing. What if I could not find her? She used to carry loads on her back. Can you imagine your daughter doing such work? She slept on the floor. The Kang family is one of the well-off families in the Kingdom, yet its daughter had to undergo all the worse things,” Qiu Mu pronounced which brought tears to Kang Xi’s eyes.

Kang Xi could not hold them anymore and started crying. “I am ashamed of my actions, Your Highness. I should not have thought about my position and been greedy because of that,” he said while crying. Kang Xi was grateful to Prince Mu for finding and bringing his daughter back. He assured the Second Prince that he would not give him any chance to complain.

“I will marry Cha Ying next week. The Royal Astrologer has set a date. The same day Prince Tianjie will also marry. I want you to cherish and pour all the love on your daughter for the few days she is here,” Qiu Mu asserted.

Kang Xi was happy and sad at the same time. He didn’t become a good father to Cha Ying. By the time he realized his faults, his daughter would be married off. Kang Xi expressed his gratitude towards Qiu Mu for bringing his daughter back.

“Now, you don’t need to cry,” Qiu Mu said. “Start the preparations for our marriage,” he said and rose to his feet.

.....

Kang Xi wiped his tears and saw Qiu Mu off. These past few weeks were difficult for him and he truly repented for his mistakes.

Qiu Mu hopped on the horse and left for the palace. The first big news he got from the palace was that Queen Dowager left the palace on the King’s order.

“But why did it happen?” Qiu Mu asked his loyal servant, Eunuch Dao.

“The Queen Dowager tried to poison His Majesty,” Eunuch Dao replied.

“What?” Qiu Mu was shocked to hear him and took the glass of water from the tray, which a servant was holding.

“Yes, Your Highness. The King has even fainted yesterday as His Majesty didn’t take any food and water yesterday morning,” Eunuch Dao narrated the matter to Qiu Mu.

“His Majesty must be upset,” Qiu Mu said and knitted his brows together. He sipped the water before placing the glass on the tray. The servant left the chamber while Qiu Mu removed his round collar robe.

“Is the bathhouse ready?” Qiu Mu asked.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Eunuch Dao said.

“Hmm. Inform my mother that I will visit her after an hour,” Qiu Mu ordered Eunuch Dao before leaving for the bathhouse.

~~~~~~~

Mingquan told Lin Wujian not to worry about his daughter.

“Your Highness, I do not know how to express my gratitude. My daughter is my lifeline. If she gets even a small scratch, it hurts me,” Lin Wujian said.

“Miss Lin acts naively. I would like to know from State Minister Lin Wujian, why his daughter refused to marry me. Is there any prior reason behind it?” Mingquan asked.

Earlier, when he brought Lin Jiao to her home, she said in front of her father she didn’t intend to marry Mingquan. So, he was curious to know her father’s answer.

“She says she is young and wants to enjoy her life,” Lin Wujian replied and lowered his head. “I apologize for the inconveniences His Highness has to face because of my daughter,” he said with an upset tone.

“I would like to marry your daughter,” Mingquan delivered his decision to Lin Wujian, which was unexpected to him. “However, I want the State Minister to keep it a secret from his daughter and son,” he asserted.

Lin Wujian was astonished by the Fourth Prince’s request.

“Is His Highness serious? I mean, my daughter creates a lot of trouble. I do not want His Highness to remain worried for her all the time,” Lin Wujian was honest with Mingquan.

“I am serious about it,” Mingquan said with a smile. “I like Miss Lin Jiao. I would like to know more about her and at the same time, I will convince her to marry me.” He looked confident and it delighted Lin Wujian.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I cannot express my happiness over this matter,” Lin Wujian widely smiled.

“Please do not scold Miss Lin. She will get more rebellious,” Mingquan requested him.

“Sure. I won’t do it, Your Highness,” Lin Wujian immediately acknowledged the Fourth Prince’s request.

“I would like to know if Miss Lin turned this way after her mother passed away?” Mingquan’s question was personal, but he wanted to know the reasons to get close to Lin Jiao to understand her better.

“I guess so. I didn’t look after her because of my duties. She hated the fact that men got more freedom than women from a young age. She even beat up boys whenever she used to go out to play. I also failed to know the reasons for my daughter’s this kind of behavior,” Lin Wujian affirmed.

“Miss Lin is different,” Mingquan said and chuckled. “I am impressed to hear all such things about her. Thank you for sharing with me all these things,” he stated and smiled at Lin Wujian.