Just as Yao Jiamin walked over and witnessed this scene, her mood became complicated. From the moment she first saw Hua Liuli, she felt that the other party was both delicate and weak, lacking the valor of General Wei. Although she was General Wei's daughter, she didn't possess her strength and integrity. She couldn't handle certain tasks and would even get teary-eyed during conversations.
Later, when Hua Liuli killed those bandits, although she claimed her dream was to become a famous sickly beauty in history, Yao Jiamin suspected that there was definitely something more to it than meets the eye.
As she spent more time with Hua Liuli, she gradually discovered that as long as she accepted Hua Liuli's unconventional behavior, she found her quite interesting. Hua Liuli was generous and wouldn't deliberately deceive anyone as long as there were no grudges or enmity in the future.
Overall, besides the little resentment that occasionally made her itch under her skin, there didn't seem to be any major flaws.
This uncomfortable little resentment disappeared completely when she saw Hua Liuli lighting the lamp of transcendence for the fallen soldiers. Yao Jiamin approached a Taoist priest and said in a low voice, "I want to light a lamp of transcendence too."
Seeing Hua Liuli looking over, Yao Jiamin said, "I'm not doing it because of you, don't overthink it."
"Junzhu's thoughts are pure and good, so it's natural that it's not because of me," Hua Liuli nodded, "So please rest assured, I won't overthink anything."
Looking at Hua Liuli, Yao Jiamin realized she had been overthinking just now. Her little resentment towards Hua Liuli was deeply rooted and couldn't be removed.
After lighting the lamp, Yao Jiamin paid her respects to the Three Pure Ones' statues. Once she was done and stood up, she noticed Ying Wang, who was standing in the corner, secretly stealing glances at Hua Liuli.
She thought she would be angry, but unexpectedly, she felt calm.
If she had known that she could easily let go of her liking for Ying Wang, she wouldn't have foolishly provoked Hua Liuli for no reason.
If she hadn't acted foolishly back then, she would still be the top-ranked female powerhouse in the capital. Unfortunately, she had quietly transferred the title of the top female powerhouse to Hua Liuli.
The Second Princess stood in the corner without saying a word. She glanced at Yao Jiamin, whose face looked unpleasant, and a pensive expression appeared on her face.
The matter of Yao Jiamin liking Ying Wang was known to her. It seemed that things between Yao Jiamin and Hua Liuli weren't as good as they appeared.
This was how things worked in the imperial family. They compromised on the surface for the sake of interests, but as long as there was enough temptation, that superficial disguise could easily be torn apart.
In the face of interests, everything could be abandoned.
But some people, due to jealousy, would lose their rationality.
The Second Princess turned and left the temple, smiling as she looked at the priests preparing the altar outside.
Before long, Abbot Qinghui, dressed in Taoist robes, arrived with several Taoist priests and greeted the Crown Prince, "Good Believers, the ceremony is about to begin. Please follow me."
Leaving the temple, under the guidance of Abbot Qinghui, they arrived at a spacious area outside.
"Good Believers, please take your seats," Abbot Qinghui invited everyone to sit down. Yao Jiamin was about to sit next to Hua Liuli, but someone else was faster and sat beside her in the blink of an eye.
Yao Jiamin stared at the Crown Prince for a moment, then turned around and sat next to the Second Princess.
In the presence of her cousin, the Crown Prince, she was never deemed worthy of having a name.
The Crown Prince placed a plate of pine nuts in front of Hua Liuli and whispered, "These pine nuts were fried in the Taoist temple. They taste pretty good."
"Have you tried them, Your Royal Highness?" Hua Liuli reached out and picked up a pine nut, starting to peel it.
"When Benwang had nothing to do in the past, Benwang would bring a plate of pine nuts and sit in the pavilion, drinking tea and daydreaming," the Crown Prince smiled, "But ever since Benwang started assisting Father Emperor with political affairs in the past two years, Benwang had less leisure time to be like that."
"Your Royal Highness... don't you play with other imperial princes in your free time?" Hua Liuli placed the pine nut she was about to put in her mouth into the Crown Prince's palm, "It's so boring to peel pine nuts alone."
The Crown Prince glanced at Hua Liuli and lowered his eyelids slightly, "Since Benwang is the Crown Prince, it's inevitable that my brothers would be more respectful around Benwang."
Even dignified imperial princes would play such petty tricks?!
Hua Liuli couldn't believe it. The lovely cute little Crown Prince was full of expectations as he approached his brothers, yet they all maintained polite but distant attitudes.
Would they become lively again once the Crown Prince left? Did their laughter cease when the Crown Prince appeared?
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli peeled several pine nuts and placed them into the Crown Prince's palm, "I'll play with you from now on."
"Alright," The Crown Prince held the pine nuts in the palm of his hand, ensuring not a single one fell out.
The ceremony was quite complicated. Taoist priests played celestial music and recited Taoist scriptures, creating a solemn atmosphere. Hua Liuli glanced back at the people attending the ceremony, noting that their status was not low. However, she couldn't be sure whether they genuinely believed in the deities or simply followed the Crown Prince's preference for the Taoist temple.
After the ceremony, during the donation phase, Hua Liuli was almost certain that most of those who were present truly believed in the deities, not just because of the Crown Prince.
She looked at the Crown Prince, who seemed indifferent to whether people believed or not.
"Would you like to eat?" Hua Liuli offered a small plate of peeled pine nuts to the Crown Prince, smiling at him.
"Thank you," the Crown Prince split a pine nut in half, "Shall we share them?"
"Sure," Hua Liuli nodded, and they started eating the pine nuts, looking like two unique white flowers among the enthusiastic donors.
No one dared to disturb them. They had experienced the Crown Prince's eccentricities. And it was also normal for Fushou Junzhu to prefer not to move around due to her poor health.
She was indeed the daughter of General Hua and General Wei, even the peculiar Crown Prince was willing to exchange a few words with her.
After the donation ceremony, the believers were satisfied with the talismans given by the Taoist priests. They enjoyed a meal at the temple before leaving contentedly.
"Eldest Brother, will you walk with me?" the Second Princess asked Ying Wang quietly.
"You go first; Benwang will stay a while longer," Ying Wang looked in the direction of the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli, seemingly determined to keep the Crown Prince company.
Following Ying Wang's gaze, the Second Princess glanced in the direction where the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli stood. Then she smiled at Ying Wang before turning to leave.
"Second Princess, please wait," Yao Jiamin called out to the Second Princess, "I'll walk with you."
"Aren't you here with Fushou Junzhu?" the Second Princess smiled at Yao Jiamin.
"I remembered there's something I need to do at home, so I'll go back early," Yao Jiamin thought to herself, leaving early might be best, lest the Crown Prince drives her away.
"In that case, it's perfect. I was worried I wouldn't have someone to accompany me," the Second Princess smiled and walked together with Yao Jiamin. As a princess who lost her birth mother early and wasn't valued by the Emperor, she had learned to be gentle and considerate.
Even though she suspected that Princess Shunan's estate might be leaning toward the Crown Prince, she couldn't find any flaws in Yao Jiamin's attitude.
"I recently heard that you have accompanied Fushou Junzhu in the Empress Dowager's palace. How was it in the palace?" Once they were in the carriage, the Second Princess poured a cup of tea for Yao Jiamin.
Yao Jiamin casually took a sip, "The Empress Dowager has been very kind."
"I heard you and Fushou Junzhu had been fishing and flying kites together. It looks like you had a great time. It puts my mind at ease," the Second Princess pursed her lips and smiled, "You're both young girls, it's not worth being unhappy over trivial matters. Isn't it better now?"
Yes, it's great for her to be oppressed unilaterally.
Not wanting others to know about this embarrassing matter, Yao Jiamin responded vaguely, "Well, I'm just playing along for the sake of the Empress Dowager."
The Second Princess smiled without saying anything. She knew that when it came to matters involving men, women could never be generous.
Yao Jiamin saw that the Second Princess didn't continue probing and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to admit that she actually had a good time during the days she spent with Hua Liuli in the palace.
When the atmosphere in the Taoist temple gradually quieted down, the Crown Prince suddenly said, "The butterfly you gave me last time flew away."
"Ah?" Hua Liuli felt a little embarrassed. She wasn't very skilled in the craft of weaving things with grass. When she saw the Crown Prince looking at her expectantly, she said, "How about... I weave a new one for Your Royal Highness?"
"That would be great," the Crown Prince turned and walked outside, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Hua Liuli followed in confusion.
"To find suitable grass," the Crown Prince turned back and smiled at her, "Can Liuli weave a little fox?"
"I can... to some extent?" Hua Liuli wasn't very confident in her own skill.
"Let's go," the Crown Prince reached out and held her wrist, leading her outside, "Let's try it."
"What about this bunch of grass?"
"It's too short."
"How about this one?"
"The branches are too thick, not suitable for weaving."
"This one is good," Hua Liuli bent down, plucked a few stalks of grass, pinched off the roots, and skillfully wove a butterfly.
This one looked better than the previous one, and it was also more sturdy.
The Crown Prince handed her a bunch of grass and asked, "Are these enough to weave foxes?"
When a handsome man, who was incredibly good-looking, looked at her with anticipation, even if it wasn't enough, it would be enough.
"More than enough," Hua Liuli nodded repeatedly. She then pulled the Crown Prince to sit on the stone table and began weaving.
Outside the flower bushes, Yurong whispered to Yuan Yi, "Don't you feel like we're particularly invisible today?"
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Yuan Yi's lips barely moved, "With a stunning beauty like the Crown Prince here, why would you think you have any presence?"
As a maidservant, even if you're as close as sisters to the mistress, you should be aware of your place.
As it turned out, when a woman wants to make a man happy, she becomes invincible.
Hua Liuli placed the grass-woven fox in the Crown Prince's hand, "It's a bit chubby and ugly. I'll try to weave a nicer one for Your Royal Highness next time."
"Will you continue to weave these little animals for Benwang in the future?" the Crown Prince held the grass-woven fox in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on Hua Liuli.
"If Your Royal Highness likes it, I will certainly continue to weave," Hua Liuli thought for a moment and added, "But when Your Royal Highness has a Crown Princess, I will have to avoid suspicion."
"If Benwang could happily be with a girl like Liuli for a lifetime, what does it matter if Benwang doesn't marry a Crown Princess?" the Crown Prince smiled gently, "There are countless women in the world, but there is only one like Liuli."
The smile on Hua Liuli's face froze as she stared at the Crown Prince for a moment. Uneasily, she asked, "Your Royal Highness, does that mean..."
The corners of the Crown Prince's lips twitched.
"Is Your Royal Highness thinking of following my example and not intending to marry?" Hua Liuli said softly in surprise, "Your Royal Highness, I am a useless and idle person with no skills. Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince of our country, you shouldn't imitate me."
"Why does Junzhu resist the idea of marriage so much?" The Crown Prince replied with a question, his serious attitude making it difficult for Hua Liuli to evade with vague answers.
"I remember mentioning to Your Royal Highness before that I have a weak constitution, unsuitable for bearing children or taking care of a family. I have no enmity with marriage; I just don't have fate with it."
"Junzhu is humorous, lively, and lovely. Even if your health is not good, you never pity yourself. Even if there was no offspring, so what?" The Crown Prince lightly caressed the grass-woven fox with his fingers, half serious and half joking, "If Junzhu is willing, Benwang is willing to marry you as the Crown Princess."
"Your Royal Highness, it's commendable to have benevolence and virtue, but being so soft-hearted to the extent of using a lifelong matter to console me is not a good thing," Hua Liuli realized that the Crown Prince was sympathizing with her weak health and uncertain lifespan, "Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince, Your..."
Your Royal Highness is the future Emperor of Great Jin, you can have vast territories and billions of subjects. It's not suitable for you to be with a fragile beauty like her.
Such words couldn't be spoken now. If they reached the ears of Emperor Changlong, it would be a big trouble, as it would imply that the Crown Prince was eager for the throne.
"Your Royal Highness, I have witnessed many separations and farewells in life, with loved ones separated by life and death. I have always held an attitude of observing from a distance and not playing with love," Hua Liuli smiled, "So, there's no need for Your Royal Highness to sympathize with me. It's a good thing for me to remain unmarried due to my weak health."
"Even if someone cherishes you, you still wouldn't change your mind?" the Crown Prince accidentally exerted too much force while caressing the fox, causing the chubby and ugly fox to topple onto the table.
He looked at the pitiful fox on the table but didn't pick it up.
"I probably wouldn't," Hua Liuli thought seriously and couldn't think of any man in the world who would make her change her mind.
She couldn't be a virtuous wife and loving mother, nor could she live a conventional life.
Having seen people who grieved to the point of breaking their livers and intestines for their loved ones, having seen people who died together with their beloved, she was both moved by such love and afraid of becoming that kind of person.
The Crown Prince stiffened his fingers and slowly picked up the chubby fox that had fallen on the table, "Benwang understands."
Hua Liuli noticed a small flower blooming beside the stone table. She bent down, plucked the flower with her fingertips, and placed it on top of the grass-woven fox's head.
"Here, a little flower to wear," Hua Liuli nodded in satisfaction, her eyes shining like stars when she smiled, "Now it looks beautiful."
The Crown Prince stared at the wildflower on the fox's head, then slowly looked at Hua Liuli, who was smiling gracefully. Suddenly, he smiled.
Seeing him smile, Hua Liuli held her face and smiled even more happily, "Your Royal Highness, do you also think it looks better this way?"
"No," The Crown Prince extended his finger and gently touched the small flower on the fox's head, "Benwang just feels that since even a fox can don a flower..."
So many impossible things in the world can also become possible.
"Your Royal Highness, Fushou Junzhu, what are you both doing here?" Ying Wang walked through the flowers and approached the two of them. He glanced at the grass-woven object in the Crown Prince's hand and scoffed, "Crown Prince, what are you weaving? A dog?"
"Your Highness, it's a fox, thank you," Hua Liuli's smile on her face became a bit stiff.
Ying Wang thought the Crown Prince had made it and said without hesitation, "So foxes look like dogs, huh? And why is there a flower on its forehead?"
"Eldest Brother," the Crown Prince hid the fox and butterfly in his sleeve, then said, "It's late, what brings you here?"
"Benwang came to find Fushou Junzhu," Ying Wang sat down next to Hua Liuli, "Junzhu, there's something important. Benwang would like to talk to you about it."
Hua Liuli maintained a neutral expression as she looked at Ying Wang. "Your Highness, I don't understand your words."
"What Benwang means is..." Ying Wang wiped the sweat from his palms and said, "Junzhu, are you willing to become my Wangfei?"
Ying Wang suddenly felt a gust of wind and before he could react, he was kicked off the stone bench. He clutched his painfully throbbing thigh and stood up from the ground, his face dark as he looked at the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, what is the meaning of this?"
"Apologies, Benwang just saw a nasty bug crawling on Eldest Brother's leg and got a bit excited," the Crown Prince's gaze turned as cold as ice, "Eldest Brother, marriage is a serious matter and not a child's play. Without consulting Father Emperor and Consort Xian, discussing marriage with a young lady casually is an offense to Fushou Junzhu."
"But back then, Benwang and Fushou Junzhu..." Ying Wang was interrupted by the Crown Prince.
"That was then, this is now," the Crown Prince interrupted Ying Wang, "Fushou Junzhu is a beauty beyond compare, there are countless suitors who want to marry her. Benwang advises Eldest Brother to go home and look in the mirror to calm down."
This dog of a Crown Prince was mocking his appearance again!
Ying Wang turned red with anger. He took two deep breaths and sneered, "Crown Prince, this is a matter between Fushou Junzhu and Benwang. Please refrain from interfering."
"As the Crown Prince, Benwang is a role model for all the princes. It is my duty to intervene when your behavior is improper," the Crown Prince smirked, "If you're dissatisfied, go and have Father Emperor depose me as the Crown Prince."
Ying Wang felt like he was on fire and this dog of a Crown Prince kept adding fuel to the fire, almost causing him to explode.
"Your Highness Ying Wang," Hua Liuli tilted her head in confusion, wearing an innocent and ignorant expression, "Have you forgotten that when I first arrived in the capital, I fell ill from being frightened by the carriage? Your Highness asked my third brother to save face and not pursue the matter?"
Ying Wang: "..."
"Your Highness is handsome and extraordinary. I, as a fragile and sickly young lady, do not possess the skills to manage a household and am unfit to be a Wangfei." Hua Liuli curtsied to Ying Wang, "Your Highness's joke is truly amusing."
After speaking, she ignored Ying Wang and turned to leave.
"Fushou Junzhu," Ying Wang tried to catch up, but the Crown Prince, with malicious intent, tripped him with his long leg, causing him to fall to the ground.
Covered in leaves, Ying Wang struggled to get up, but Hua Liuli had already walked far away, with the Crown Prince following behind her.
"Your Highness," the eunuch attendant by Ying Wang's side quickly stepped forward to brush off the dirt on his body, "Your Highness, from what this old servant can see, the Crown Prince also has an interest in Fushou Junzhu. Otherwise, why wouldn't he want Your Highness to propose to Fushou Junzhu?"
"That's not necessarily the case," Ying Wang shook his head, "Whenever there is something that makes Benwang unhappy, Ji Yuansu is more than willing to do it. Let's forget Fushou Junzhu who is sickly and weak, when even the most famous beauties in the capital approached him, he ridiculed them as mountain chickens. It's because he clearly sensed Benwang's interest in Fushou Junzhu that he deliberately approached her to make me unhappy."
"Besides, with his personality, if he truly liked Fushou Junzhu, he would have already asked Father Emperor for their betrothal. Why would he endure until now?"
What has the Crown Prince lacked since childhood?
If he had known that he would develop feelings for Fushou Junzhu, even if he was scolded to death by his mother, he would never have agreed to her suggestion.
A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy foresight; there is no medicine for regret in the world.
Ying Wang felt a bit disheartened and kicked the grass on the ground in frustration.
This shameless dog of a Crown Prince even resorted to using grass-woven animals to please young ladies!
Most importantly, he wove them so poorly that they were ugly.
The Crown Prince caught up with Hua Liuli's pace and said, "Liuli, Ying Wang spoke and acted rashly. Please don't take it to heart."
"It's fine," Hua Liuli smiled, her mouth tugging at the corners, "Ying Wang is an Imperial Prince, while I am just a subordinate. Even if Ying Wang's words were inappropriate, it is because I, as a subordinate, haven't done well enough."
"What's wrong with you?" The Crown Prince reached out and took the opportunity to rub Hua Liuli's head, "Benwang has witnessed Ying Wang's temper countless times since Benwang was young. Benwang is used to it. If he dares to say anything disrespectful to you in the future, just tell me, and Benwang will take care of it for you."
"Your Royal Highness, there's no need to make a fuss with Ying Wang over a trivial matter concerning a subordinate like me," Hua Liuli advised, "Your Royal Highness, don't worry, I won't be wronged."
"When has Benwang ever gotten along well with Ying Wang?" The Crown Prince chuckled lightly, "The whole capital knows that Benwang is an intolerant person and that Benwang will make a fuss if provoked."
"They're all spreading baseless rumors," Hua Liuli took a deep breath, "Your Royal Highness, you don't need to pay attention to their words."
"Benwang is used to it, so how could Benwang take it to heart?" the Crown Prince pretended to smile resolutely, causing Hua Liuli's heart to ache.
"Benwang just hit Ying Wang earlier, do you think Benwang was too rude?" the Crown Prince asked.
"Your Royal Highness is unparalleled in handsomeness, graceful in demeanor, where could there be any rudeness?" Hua Liuli shrugged, "I didn't see anything."
The Crown Prince smiled bitterly at her words, "It's because Benwang likes you...r little animals. When Benwang heard Eldest Brother say they weren't good, Benwang couldn't control myself. Eldest Brother has never been good at appreciating fine things. He only likes things that are either bright red or bright green. But these were specially made by Junzhu for Benwang, so they're naturally different from other things."
"Your Royal Highness did well!" After saying these words, Hua Liuli saw the Crown Prince smiling at her and coughed, "What I mean is, Your Royal Highness shouldn't always tolerate others."
"Benwang is the Crown Prince. If there are places where Benwang has acted inappropriately, it's fine for others to criticize me a few times," the Crown Prince replied gently and magnanimously, "It's alright."
Such a gentle, considerate, and tolerant Crown Prince, and yet there are still people who say he holds grudges and is petty?
Where is their conscience?
"It's getting dark. Benwang will escort you back to your estate," the Crown Prince revealed a beautiful smile as he walked side by side with Hua Liuli on the stone steps. The evening sun cast a golden hue on them.
"It's truly beautiful," Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the long shadows trailing behind them. Finally, the shadows disappeared together under a cluster of trees.
Descending the stone steps, almost all of the small vendors at the foot of the mountain had already left, leaving only a few merchants packing up their stalls.
Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse came from a distance. A man wearing a eunuch's robe shouted loudly, "Make way for the Princess's passage, no one is allowed to hinder."
Hua Liuli was somewhat surprised. Which princess had such a pompous personality?
Even when His Highness the Crown Prince goes out, there is never such a display of grandeur.
Just as Yao Jiamin walked over and witnessed this scene, her mood became complicated. From the moment she first saw Hua Liuli, she felt that the other party was both delicate and weak, lacking the valor of General Wei. Although she was General Wei's daughter, she didn't possess her strength and integrity. She couldn't handle certain tasks and would even get teary-eyed during conversations.
Later, when Hua Liuli killed those bandits, although she claimed her dream was to become a famous sickly beauty in history, Yao Jiamin suspected that there was definitely something more to it than meets the eye.
As she spent more time with Hua Liuli, she gradually discovered that as long as she accepted Hua Liuli's unconventional behavior, she found her quite interesting. Hua Liuli was generous and wouldn't deliberately deceive anyone as long as there were no grudges or enmity in the future.
Overall, besides the little resentment that occasionally made her itch under her skin, there didn't seem to be any major flaws.
This uncomfortable little resentment disappeared completely when she saw Hua Liuli lighting the lamp of transcendence for the fallen soldiers. Yao Jiamin approached a Taoist priest and said in a low voice, "I want to light a lamp of transcendence too."
Seeing Hua Liuli looking over, Yao Jiamin said, "I'm not doing it because of you, don't overthink it."
"Junzhu's thoughts are pure and good, so it's natural that it's not because of me," Hua Liuli nodded, "So please rest assured, I won't overthink anything."
Looking at Hua Liuli, Yao Jiamin realized she had been overthinking just now. Her little resentment towards Hua Liuli was deeply rooted and couldn't be removed.
After lighting the lamp, Yao Jiamin paid her respects to the Three Pure Ones' statues. Once she was done and stood up, she noticed Ying Wang, who was standing in the corner, secretly stealing glances at Hua Liuli.
She thought she would be angry, but unexpectedly, she felt calm.
If she had known that she could easily let go of her liking for Ying Wang, she wouldn't have foolishly provoked Hua Liuli for no reason.
If she hadn't acted foolishly back then, she would still be the top-ranked female powerhouse in the capital. Unfortunately, she had quietly transferred the title of the top female powerhouse to Hua Liuli.
The Second Princess stood in the corner without saying a word. She glanced at Yao Jiamin, whose face looked unpleasant, and a pensive expression appeared on her face.
The matter of Yao Jiamin liking Ying Wang was known to her. It seemed that things between Yao Jiamin and Hua Liuli weren't as good as they appeared.
This was how things worked in the imperial family. They compromised on the surface for the sake of interests, but as long as there was enough temptation, that superficial disguise could easily be torn apart.
In the face of interests, everything could be abandoned.
But some people, due to jealousy, would lose their rationality.
The Second Princess turned and left the temple, smiling as she looked at the priests preparing the altar outside.
Before long, Abbot Qinghui, dressed in Taoist robes, arrived with several Taoist priests and greeted the Crown Prince, "Good Believers, the ceremony is about to begin. Please follow me."
Leaving the temple, under the guidance of Abbot Qinghui, they arrived at a spacious area outside.
"Good Believers, please take your seats," Abbot Qinghui invited everyone to sit down. Yao Jiamin was about to sit next to Hua Liuli, but someone else was faster and sat beside her in the blink of an eye.
Yao Jiamin stared at the Crown Prince for a moment, then turned around and sat next to the Second Princess.
In the presence of her cousin, the Crown Prince, she was never deemed worthy of having a name.
The Crown Prince placed a plate of pine nuts in front of Hua Liuli and whispered, "These pine nuts were fried in the Taoist temple. They taste pretty good."
"Have you tried them, Your Royal Highness?" Hua Liuli reached out and picked up a pine nut, starting to peel it.
"When Benwang had nothing to do in the past, Benwang would bring a plate of pine nuts and sit in the pavilion, drinking tea and daydreaming," the Crown Prince smiled, "But ever since Benwang started assisting Father Emperor with political affairs in the past two years, Benwang had less leisure time to be like that."
"Your Royal Highness... don't you play with other imperial princes in your free time?" Hua Liuli placed the pine nut she was about to put in her mouth into the Crown Prince's palm, "It's so boring to peel pine nuts alone."
The Crown Prince glanced at Hua Liuli and lowered his eyelids slightly, "Since Benwang is the Crown Prince, it's inevitable that my brothers would be more respectful around Benwang."
Even dignified imperial princes would play such petty tricks?!
Hua Liuli couldn't believe it. The lovely cute little Crown Prince was full of expectations as he approached his brothers, yet they all maintained polite but distant attitudes.
Would they become lively again once the Crown Prince left? Did their laughter cease when the Crown Prince appeared?
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli peeled several pine nuts and placed them into the Crown Prince's palm, "I'll play with you from now on."
"Alright," The Crown Prince held the pine nuts in the palm of his hand, ensuring not a single one fell out.
The ceremony was quite complicated. Taoist priests played celestial music and recited Taoist scriptures, creating a solemn atmosphere. Hua Liuli glanced back at the people attending the ceremony, noting that their status was not low. However, she couldn't be sure whether they genuinely believed in the deities or simply followed the Crown Prince's preference for the Taoist temple.
After the ceremony, during the donation phase, Hua Liuli was almost certain that most of those who were present truly believed in the deities, not just because of the Crown Prince.
She looked at the Crown Prince, who seemed indifferent to whether people believed or not.
"Would you like to eat?" Hua Liuli offered a small plate of peeled pine nuts to the Crown Prince, smiling at him.
"Thank you," the Crown Prince split a pine nut in half, "Shall we share them?"
"Sure," Hua Liuli nodded, and they started eating the pine nuts, looking like two unique white flowers among the enthusiastic donors.
No one dared to disturb them. They had experienced the Crown Prince's eccentricities. And it was also normal for Fushou Junzhu to prefer not to move around due to her poor health.
She was indeed the daughter of General Hua and General Wei, even the peculiar Crown Prince was willing to exchange a few words with her.
After the donation ceremony, the believers were satisfied with the talismans given by the Taoist priests. They enjoyed a meal at the temple before leaving contentedly.
"Eldest Brother, will you walk with me?" the Second Princess asked Ying Wang quietly.
"You go first; Benwang will stay a while longer," Ying Wang looked in the direction of the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli, seemingly determined to keep the Crown Prince company.
Following Ying Wang's gaze, the Second Princess glanced in the direction where the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli stood. Then she smiled at Ying Wang before turning to leave.
"Second Princess, please wait," Yao Jiamin called out to the Second Princess, "I'll walk with you."
"Aren't you here with Fushou Junzhu?" the Second Princess smiled at Yao Jiamin.
"I remembered there's something I need to do at home, so I'll go back early," Yao Jiamin thought to herself, leaving early might be best, lest the Crown Prince drives her away.
"In that case, it's perfect. I was worried I wouldn't have someone to accompany me," the Second Princess smiled and walked together with Yao Jiamin. As a princess who lost her birth mother early and wasn't valued by the Emperor, she had learned to be gentle and considerate.
Even though she suspected that Princess Shunan's estate might be leaning toward the Crown Prince, she couldn't find any flaws in Yao Jiamin's attitude.
"I recently heard that you have accompanied Fushou Junzhu in the Empress Dowager's palace. How was it in the palace?" Once they were in the carriage, the Second Princess poured a cup of tea for Yao Jiamin.
Yao Jiamin casually took a sip, "The Empress Dowager has been very kind."
"I heard you and Fushou Junzhu had been fishing and flying kites together. It looks like you had a great time. It puts my mind at ease," the Second Princess pursed her lips and smiled, "You're both young girls, it's not worth being unhappy over trivial matters. Isn't it better now?"
Yes, it's great for her to be oppressed unilaterally.
Not wanting others to know about this embarrassing matter, Yao Jiamin responded vaguely, "Well, I'm just playing along for the sake of the Empress Dowager."
The Second Princess smiled without saying anything. She knew that when it came to matters involving men, women could never be generous.
Yao Jiamin saw that the Second Princess didn't continue probing and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to admit that she actually had a good time during the days she spent with Hua Liuli in the palace.
When the atmosphere in the Taoist temple gradually quieted down, the Crown Prince suddenly said, "The butterfly you gave me last time flew away."
"Ah?" Hua Liuli felt a little embarrassed. She wasn't very skilled in the craft of weaving things with grass. When she saw the Crown Prince looking at her expectantly, she said, "How about... I weave a new one for Your Royal Highness?"
"That would be great," the Crown Prince turned and walked outside, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Hua Liuli followed in confusion.
"To find suitable grass," the Crown Prince turned back and smiled at her, "Can Liuli weave a little fox?"
"I can... to some extent?" Hua Liuli wasn't very confident in her own skill.
"Let's go," the Crown Prince reached out and held her wrist, leading her outside, "Let's try it."
"What about this bunch of grass?"
"It's too short."
"How about this one?"
"The branches are too thick, not suitable for weaving."
"This one is good," Hua Liuli bent down, plucked a few stalks of grass, pinched off the roots, and skillfully wove a butterfly.
This one looked better than the previous one, and it was also more sturdy.
The Crown Prince handed her a bunch of grass and asked, "Are these enough to weave foxes?"
When a handsome man, who was incredibly good-looking, looked at her with anticipation, even if it wasn't enough, it would be enough.
"More than enough," Hua Liuli nodded repeatedly. She then pulled the Crown Prince to sit on the stone table and began weaving.
Outside the flower bushes, Yurong whispered to Yuan Yi, "Don't you feel like we're particularly invisible today?"
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Yuan Yi's lips barely moved, "With a stunning beauty like the Crown Prince here, why would you think you have any presence?"
As a maidservant, even if you're as close as sisters to the mistress, you should be aware of your place.
As it turned out, when a woman wants to make a man happy, she becomes invincible.
Hua Liuli placed the grass-woven fox in the Crown Prince's hand, "It's a bit chubby and ugly. I'll try to weave a nicer one for Your Royal Highness next time."
"Will you continue to weave these little animals for Benwang in the future?" the Crown Prince held the grass-woven fox in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on Hua Liuli.
"If Your Royal Highness likes it, I will certainly continue to weave," Hua Liuli thought for a moment and added, "But when Your Royal Highness has a Crown Princess, I will have to avoid suspicion."
"If Benwang could happily be with a girl like Liuli for a lifetime, what does it matter if Benwang doesn't marry a Crown Princess?" the Crown Prince smiled gently, "There are countless women in the world, but there is only one like Liuli."
The smile on Hua Liuli's face froze as she stared at the Crown Prince for a moment. Uneasily, she asked, "Your Royal Highness, does that mean..."
The corners of the Crown Prince's lips twitched.
"Is Your Royal Highness thinking of following my example and not intending to marry?" Hua Liuli said softly in surprise, "Your Royal Highness, I am a useless and idle person with no skills. Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince of our country, you shouldn't imitate me."
"Why does Junzhu resist the idea of marriage so much?" The Crown Prince replied with a question, his serious attitude making it difficult for Hua Liuli to evade with vague answers.
"I remember mentioning to Your Royal Highness before that I have a weak constitution, unsuitable for bearing children or taking care of a family. I have no enmity with marriage; I just don't have fate with it."
"Junzhu is humorous, lively, and lovely. Even if your health is not good, you never pity yourself. Even if there was no offspring, so what?" The Crown Prince lightly caressed the grass-woven fox with his fingers, half serious and half joking, "If Junzhu is willing, Benwang is willing to marry you as the Crown Princess."
"Your Royal Highness, it's commendable to have benevolence and virtue, but being so soft-hearted to the extent of using a lifelong matter to console me is not a good thing," Hua Liuli realized that the Crown Prince was sympathizing with her weak health and uncertain lifespan, "Your Royal Highness is the Crown Prince, Your..."
Your Royal Highness is the future Emperor of Great Jin, you can have vast territories and billions of subjects. It's not suitable for you to be with a fragile beauty like her.
Such words couldn't be spoken now. If they reached the ears of Emperor Changlong, it would be a big trouble, as it would imply that the Crown Prince was eager for the throne.
"Your Royal Highness, I have witnessed many separations and farewells in life, with loved ones separated by life and death. I have always held an attitude of observing from a distance and not playing with love," Hua Liuli smiled, "So, there's no need for Your Royal Highness to sympathize with me. It's a good thing for me to remain unmarried due to my weak health."
"Even if someone cherishes you, you still wouldn't change your mind?" the Crown Prince accidentally exerted too much force while caressing the fox, causing the chubby and ugly fox to topple onto the table.
He looked at the pitiful fox on the table but didn't pick it up.
"I probably wouldn't," Hua Liuli thought seriously and couldn't think of any man in the world who would make her change her mind.
She couldn't be a virtuous wife and loving mother, nor could she live a conventional life.
Having seen people who grieved to the point of breaking their livers and intestines for their loved ones, having seen people who died together with their beloved, she was both moved by such love and afraid of becoming that kind of person.
The Crown Prince stiffened his fingers and slowly picked up the chubby fox that had fallen on the table, "Benwang understands."
Hua Liuli noticed a small flower blooming beside the stone table. She bent down, plucked the flower with her fingertips, and placed it on top of the grass-woven fox's head.
"Here, a little flower to wear," Hua Liuli nodded in satisfaction, her eyes shining like stars when she smiled, "Now it looks beautiful."
The Crown Prince stared at the wildflower on the fox's head, then slowly looked at Hua Liuli, who was smiling gracefully. Suddenly, he smiled.
Seeing him smile, Hua Liuli held her face and smiled even more happily, "Your Royal Highness, do you also think it looks better this way?"
"No," The Crown Prince extended his finger and gently touched the small flower on the fox's head, "Benwang just feels that since even a fox can don a flower..."
So many impossible things in the world can also become possible.
"Your Royal Highness, Fushou Junzhu, what are you both doing here?" Ying Wang walked through the flowers and approached the two of them. He glanced at the grass-woven object in the Crown Prince's hand and scoffed, "Crown Prince, what are you weaving? A dog?"
"Your Highness, it's a fox, thank you," Hua Liuli's smile on her face became a bit stiff.
Ying Wang thought the Crown Prince had made it and said without hesitation, "So foxes look like dogs, huh? And why is there a flower on its forehead?"
"Eldest Brother," the Crown Prince hid the fox and butterfly in his sleeve, then said, "It's late, what brings you here?"
"Benwang came to find Fushou Junzhu," Ying Wang sat down next to Hua Liuli, "Junzhu, there's something important. Benwang would like to talk to you about it."
Hua Liuli maintained a neutral expression as she looked at Ying Wang. "Your Highness, I don't understand your words."
"What Benwang means is..." Ying Wang wiped the sweat from his palms and said, "Junzhu, are you willing to become my Wangfei?"
Ying Wang suddenly felt a gust of wind and before he could react, he was kicked off the stone bench. He clutched his painfully throbbing thigh and stood up from the ground, his face dark as he looked at the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, what is the meaning of this?"
"Apologies, Benwang just saw a nasty bug crawling on Eldest Brother's leg and got a bit excited," the Crown Prince's gaze turned as cold as ice, "Eldest Brother, marriage is a serious matter and not a child's play. Without consulting Father Emperor and Consort Xian, discussing marriage with a young lady casually is an offense to Fushou Junzhu."
"But back then, Benwang and Fushou Junzhu..." Ying Wang was interrupted by the Crown Prince.
"That was then, this is now," the Crown Prince interrupted Ying Wang, "Fushou Junzhu is a beauty beyond compare, there are countless suitors who want to marry her. Benwang advises Eldest Brother to go home and look in the mirror to calm down."
This dog of a Crown Prince was mocking his appearance again!
Ying Wang turned red with anger. He took two deep breaths and sneered, "Crown Prince, this is a matter between Fushou Junzhu and Benwang. Please refrain from interfering."
"As the Crown Prince, Benwang is a role model for all the princes. It is my duty to intervene when your behavior is improper," the Crown Prince smirked, "If you're dissatisfied, go and have Father Emperor depose me as the Crown Prince."
Ying Wang felt like he was on fire and this dog of a Crown Prince kept adding fuel to the fire, almost causing him to explode.
"Your Highness Ying Wang," Hua Liuli tilted her head in confusion, wearing an innocent and ignorant expression, "Have you forgotten that when I first arrived in the capital, I fell ill from being frightened by the carriage? Your Highness asked my third brother to save face and not pursue the matter?"
Ying Wang: "..."
"Your Highness is handsome and extraordinary. I, as a fragile and sickly young lady, do not possess the skills to manage a household and am unfit to be a Wangfei." Hua Liuli curtsied to Ying Wang, "Your Highness's joke is truly amusing."
After speaking, she ignored Ying Wang and turned to leave.
"Fushou Junzhu," Ying Wang tried to catch up, but the Crown Prince, with malicious intent, tripped him with his long leg, causing him to fall to the ground.
Covered in leaves, Ying Wang struggled to get up, but Hua Liuli had already walked far away, with the Crown Prince following behind her.
"Your Highness," the eunuch attendant by Ying Wang's side quickly stepped forward to brush off the dirt on his body, "Your Highness, from what this old servant can see, the Crown Prince also has an interest in Fushou Junzhu. Otherwise, why wouldn't he want Your Highness to propose to Fushou Junzhu?"
"That's not necessarily the case," Ying Wang shook his head, "Whenever there is something that makes Benwang unhappy, Ji Yuansu is more than willing to do it. Let's forget Fushou Junzhu who is sickly and weak, when even the most famous beauties in the capital approached him, he ridiculed them as mountain chickens. It's because he clearly sensed Benwang's interest in Fushou Junzhu that he deliberately approached her to make me unhappy."
"Besides, with his personality, if he truly liked Fushou Junzhu, he would have already asked Father Emperor for their betrothal. Why would he endure until now?"
What has the Crown Prince lacked since childhood?
If he had known that he would develop feelings for Fushou Junzhu, even if he was scolded to death by his mother, he would never have agreed to her suggestion.
A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy foresight; there is no medicine for regret in the world.
Ying Wang felt a bit disheartened and kicked the grass on the ground in frustration.
This shameless dog of a Crown Prince even resorted to using grass-woven animals to please young ladies!
Most importantly, he wove them so poorly that they were ugly.
The Crown Prince caught up with Hua Liuli's pace and said, "Liuli, Ying Wang spoke and acted rashly. Please don't take it to heart."
"It's fine," Hua Liuli smiled, her mouth tugging at the corners, "Ying Wang is an Imperial Prince, while I am just a subordinate. Even if Ying Wang's words were inappropriate, it is because I, as a subordinate, haven't done well enough."
"What's wrong with you?" The Crown Prince reached out and took the opportunity to rub Hua Liuli's head, "Benwang has witnessed Ying Wang's temper countless times since Benwang was young. Benwang is used to it. If he dares to say anything disrespectful to you in the future, just tell me, and Benwang will take care of it for you."
"Your Royal Highness, there's no need to make a fuss with Ying Wang over a trivial matter concerning a subordinate like me," Hua Liuli advised, "Your Royal Highness, don't worry, I won't be wronged."
"When has Benwang ever gotten along well with Ying Wang?" The Crown Prince chuckled lightly, "The whole capital knows that Benwang is an intolerant person and that Benwang will make a fuss if provoked."
"They're all spreading baseless rumors," Hua Liuli took a deep breath, "Your Royal Highness, you don't need to pay attention to their words."
"Benwang is used to it, so how could Benwang take it to heart?" the Crown Prince pretended to smile resolutely, causing Hua Liuli's heart to ache.
"Benwang just hit Ying Wang earlier, do you think Benwang was too rude?" the Crown Prince asked.
"Your Royal Highness is unparalleled in handsomeness, graceful in demeanor, where could there be any rudeness?" Hua Liuli shrugged, "I didn't see anything."
The Crown Prince smiled bitterly at her words, "It's because Benwang likes you...r little animals. When Benwang heard Eldest Brother say they weren't good, Benwang couldn't control myself. Eldest Brother has never been good at appreciating fine things. He only likes things that are either bright red or bright green. But these were specially made by Junzhu for Benwang, so they're naturally different from other things."
"Your Royal Highness did well!" After saying these words, Hua Liuli saw the Crown Prince smiling at her and coughed, "What I mean is, Your Royal Highness shouldn't always tolerate others."
"Benwang is the Crown Prince. If there are places where Benwang has acted inappropriately, it's fine for others to criticize me a few times," the Crown Prince replied gently and magnanimously, "It's alright."
Such a gentle, considerate, and tolerant Crown Prince, and yet there are still people who say he holds grudges and is petty?
Where is their conscience?
"It's getting dark. Benwang will escort you back to your estate," the Crown Prince revealed a beautiful smile as he walked side by side with Hua Liuli on the stone steps. The evening sun cast a golden hue on them.
"It's truly beautiful," Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the long shadows trailing behind them. Finally, the shadows disappeared together under a cluster of trees.
Descending the stone steps, almost all of the small vendors at the foot of the mountain had already left, leaving only a few merchants packing up their stalls.
Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse came from a distance. A man wearing a eunuch's robe shouted loudly, "Make way for the Princess's passage, no one is allowed to hinder."
Hua Liuli was somewhat surprised. Which princess had such a pompous personality?
Even when His Highness the Crown Prince goes out, there is never such a display of grandeur.
