"Fifth Prince is really...obsessed with painting," said Yuan Yi as she stared at the departing figure of the Fifth Prince. She whispered, "Junzhu, it's almost noon."
"It's not good to let the Crown Prince wait," Hua Liuli snapped back to reality, turning and walking towards the direction of the Eastern Palace. It was the time when spring blossoms were in full bloom, and vibrant flowers could be seen everywhere, even on the long palace path, where meticulously trimmed potted plants were placed.
The brilliant and colorful peonies bloomed extravagantly. Hua Liuli saw a few eunuchs trimming the flower branches and stopped. She called out to a young eunuch, "Hey, young eunuch."
The young eunuch appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old. He didn't know Hua Liuli's identity but recognized the senior eunuch leading the way ahead. That senior eunuch served in the Eastern Palace, so he quickly put down his pruning shears and approached, bowing respectfully, "Greetings, esteemed person."
"I want a few peony branches that were trimmed. Can you help me choose?" Hua Liuli stood amidst a bunch of peonies, mesmerized by their beauty.
"Please wait, esteemed person," The young eunuch quickly selected a few peonies that were in full bloom. After tidying them up, he wrapped the flower branches in a clean handkerchief and carefully handed them to Hua Liuli.
"Thank you." Hua Liuli held the flowers and had Yuan Yi reward the young eunuch. Then she continued walking, clutching the flowers in her arms.
"Miss, it seems that person over there is Fushou Junzhu," A maidservant next to Xie Yao noticed a group of people heading towards the Eastern Palace and whispered, "From the way she looks, it seems like she's going to meet the Crown Prince."
Xie Yao's face darkened as she watched Hua Liuli's departing figure. She took a deep breath and followed along.
"I could see someone holding a bouquet of flowers from afar, but I didn't expect it to be Fushou Junzhu."
Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the approaching person and she held the peonies even more tightly. These were meant to be a gift for the Crown Prince; if this Xie girl appeared, nothing good would happen.
"These flowers are indeed beautiful, but once Junzhu picks them, they will only have a fleeting beauty left. What a pity," Xie Yao looked at the bouquet of peonies and smiled insincerely, "Junzhu, as a young lady, you should cherish and pity flowers more."
Hua Liuli remained silent as she glanced at Xie Yao.
"They say women are like flowers. Their blooming period is short, so they just want to stay on the branches a little longer..."
"Perhaps it's because I see myself as a big tree and can't empathize with flowers," Hua Liuli was in a hurry to have lunch at the Eastern Palace and had no interest in discussing flowers and branches with Xie Yao, "Miss Xie, I have something else to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
"Wait," Xie Yao stopped Hua Liuli, "Junzhu, are you heading to the Eastern Palace?"
"What does it have to do with Miss Xie?"
"The Crown Prince is unmarried; Junzhu is also yet to be married. It might not be appropriate for you two to meet alone," Xie Yao's emotions surged in her eyes, but her lips curled up, "If rumors were to spread, it would harm Junzhu's reputation, wouldn't it?"
"Aren't palace maids and eunuchs considered people? How can it be considered alone?" Hua Liuli furrowed her brows. Xie Yao's actions seemed to be prying into the Crown Prince's beauty.
With this thought, she felt strange and even more reluctant to talk to Xie Yao, so she turned around and walked away.
"Junzhu," Seeing Hua Liuli in a hurry, Xie Yao didn't want her to leave, or rather, she couldn't tolerate Hua Liuli being alone with the Crown Prince, "Junzhu, don't you want to talk to me?"
"Liuli?"
The Crown Prince walked out from a side door, "Gu waited for you for almost half a day. Gu thought something happened to you, but it turns out you're here."
"Oh, Miss Xie was discussing cherishing flowers with me, which delayed me for a while," Hua Liuli stuffed the flowers into the Crown Prince's embrace, "I remember there's a blue vase in Your Royal Highness's palace, it will be just right for these peonies."
"It's beautiful," The Crown Prince lowered his head to look at the flowers in his arms, "Gu really likes it."
Xie Yao's eyes turned slightly red. She told Hua Liuli that it was not good to pick flowers, but the Crown Prince said he liked these flowers. She was the Crown Prince's cousin and had admired him for many years, so why did he slap her face like this for an outsider?
"Do you have something else to do?" the Crown Prince finally glanced at Xie Yao.
"Cousin, I have nothing else to do," Xie Yao looked at the Crown Prince expectantly, hoping he would invite her to the Eastern Palace as well.
"Since you have nothing to do, then leave the palace early," the Crown Prince said expressionlessly, "Gu has something to discuss with Fushou Junzhu, so Gu won't accompany you."
Xie Yao: "..."
Is your discussion just about having a meal?
We are already at the doorstep of the Eastern Palace. Inviting one more person to eat, would it break the Eastern Palace?
Xie Yao watched the departing figures of the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli, feeling both aggrieved and angry. She didn't know how to vent her resentment.
The first thing the Crown Prince did upon returning to the Eastern Palace was to put the flowers into the vase that Hua Liuli had mentioned.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, he arranged the bouquet of flowers and turned to look at Hua Liuli, "Gu thought you wouldn't come today."
"Why would Your Royal Highness think that?" Hua Liuli leaned on the table and peered at the Crown Prince.
"Because these past two days, you haven't said much when you met Gu," the Crown Prince placed the vase of flowers in a prominent position and smiled with a hint of sadness, "Gu thought Gu did something wrong and made you dislike Gu."
Hua Liuli felt a little guilty. She had indeed hurriedly walked away when she saw the Crown Prince two days ago at the Chengyang Palace, but it wasn't because of any issues with the Crown Prince; it was her own guilty conscience.
The Crown Prince treated her so well, but she had wicked thoughts because of his beauty. So whenever she saw the Crown Prince, she felt guilty.
She stayed at home and copied scriptures for two full days, feeling that her soul had been cleansed and uplifted, allowing her to meet the Crown Prince with a clear conscience today.
"Your Royal Highness, you misunderstood. Your Royal Highness hasn't done anything wrong; it's my own problem," Hua Liuli timidly withdrew her head.
"Is it because of the incident with the envoy from the Daimao Kingdom?" the Crown Prince walked over and sat next to Hua Liuli, gently explaining, "You don't have to worry. The Ministry of Justice has thoroughly investigated the entire case, it has nothing to do with your family."
"Fortunately, Your Royal Highness was with me on that day. Otherwise, whatever the people from the Daimao Kingdom said would be taken as the truth," Hua Liuli quickly continued on this topic, "I just don't know who would plot against our Hua family like this."
"Whoever it is, both Father Emperor and Gu believe that none of the Hua family members wouldn't stoop to such petty actions," the Crown Prince hesitated and reached out his hand, lightly touching Hua Liuli's head, "So, you don't have to worry."
Feeling the palm on her head, Hua Liuli instinctively reached out to touch it and accidentally held the Crown Prince's finger.
As the soft fingers grazed her palm, she uncomfortably released his hand and cleared her throat, "It's an honor for me and my family to have the trust of His Majesty and Your Royal Highness."
"You don't need to be so polite in front of me, Liuli."
A palace maid brought water; the Crown Prince washed his hands in the basin. He said while wiping his hands, "Is it still because of Gu's status that you're concerned?"
Good-looking people can captivate one's mind with just a frown or a downcast look. Hua Liuli realized that she couldn't bear to see the Crown Prince unhappy.
She sighed. What could she do about the Crown Prince?
After washing her hands, Hua Liuli wiped off the water droplets from the back of her hand and suddenly remembered Xie Yao's strange expression earlier. Unable to hold back, she reminded, "Your Royal Highness, I feel that Xie Yao is acting a bit strange. Considering your noble status, it's better not to be alone with Xie Yao."
"Thank you for your reminder, Liuli. Gu will remember."
Liuli didn't like other women getting close to him. It seemed that he wasn't just a bundle of joy. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile again.
Seeing the Crown Prince's smile, Hua Liuli's heart started playing the guqin once again. It seems she didn't copy enough scriptures. When she returns home, she would continue copying, copying more, genuinely copying.
She couldn't let her claws reach the Crown Prince.
When Xie Yao returned to the Princess's estate, Royal Princess Leyang had already arrived home. She looked at Xie Yao entering the hall with a very unpleasant expression, "What's the use of raising you? You can't even capture a man's heart."
Today, she met with Consort Xian and Consort Rong. Consort Xian's attitude, that despicable woman, need not be mentioned again. Unexpectedly, even the usually unnoticeable Consort Rong had rejected her marriage proposal.
The Second Prince, the Crown Prince's half-brother, born and raised under Consort Rong's knee, had a brain like an idiot. Among all the princes, he was the only one who didn't possess any outstanding talent or remarkable martial skills, yet Consort Rong dared to refuse her proposal?!
Having accumulated a bellyful of anger in the palace, Royal Princess Leyang became increasingly dissatisfied with her daughter, Xie Yao, "If your sister were still alive, I wouldn't have to endure all this frustration."
The eldest daughter surpassed the second daughter in both temperament and appearance by a large margin. If she were still alive, with her looks, she would have easily won over these princes. There would be no need for her to lower her dignity and negotiate with people she used to look down upon.
Upon hearing her mother mention her deceased sister again, Xie Yao lowered her head, concealing the chill in her eyes, "Mother, the Crown Prince and Ying Wang have both fallen under the spell of Hua Liuli. Your daughter has no way to deal with it."
One is the Eldest Prince and the other is the Crown Prince, both were the most notable among the princes, but unfortunately, both of them, as if blinded, took a liking to the fake and pretentious Hua Liuli.
Xie Yao didn't care who Ying Wang likes; all she cared about was how much the Crown Prince truly likes Hua Liuli.
Expressionless, she watched Royal Princess Leyang, who kept complaining, and silently retreated to her own courtyard. She retrieved an emerald-green token.
"Father said that with this token, one can mobilize assassins from neighboring counties," Xie Yao caressed the token and let out a mocking laugh, "Cousin, since you are so heartless towards me, don't blame me."
"After all... only a dead man cannot provoke other women, right?" She seemed to have thought of something delightful and burst into laughter, "Say, if you die, and I marry your memorial tablet, I will still be your wife, isn't that right?"
"Junzhu, weren't you saying a few days ago that you should keep your distance from the Crown Prince? Why did Junzhu have a meal with him today and made plans to go horse riding in three days?" Yuan Yi handed a digestion pill to Hua Liuli, "This puts us, little maidservants, in a difficult position."
"Yuan Yi, don't blame me for lacking determination. The Crown Prince is just too good-looking. Whenever he furrows his brows, I feel inclined to agree to anything he asks. Not to mention going for an outing, even if he wants me to don armor and go to the battlefield, I would nod right there."
"The word 'lust' can be a double-edged sword. How long has it been since Junzhu looked at other men?" Yurong handed water to Hua Liuli. Although the carriage rocked unsteadily, not a single drop of water spilled from her hand.
"With someone as good-looking as the Crown Prince around, how other men even fall into my eyes?" Hua Liuli raised her head and drank the water.
"But," Yurong took the cup back, looking at Hua Liuli with sympathy, "The Crown Prince will marry a Crown Princess sooner or later."
Hua Liuli fell silent, and the entire carriage became quiet.
"Junzhu," Yuan Yi looked at Hua Liuli's face that was devoid of a smile, unable to bear it, "If you like the Crown Prince, you can marry him. The two generals won't oppose it."
"Who said I wanted to marry the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli held her face in her hands, "I'm just thinking about who would be more suitable to be the Crown Princess."
"Has Junzhu thought of anyone?"
"No," Hua Liuli shook her head honestly, "No one is worthy of the Crown Prince."
Yurong and Yuan Yi nodded in agreement, "Junzhu is right."
Anyway, since no one is worthy, that's fine.
Three days later, amidst the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, with clear skies above, Hua Liuli led the horse given to her by the Crown Prince out of the stable. When she stepped out of the estate, the Crown Prince was already waiting for her.
The Crown Prince, wearing a jade crown and a light-colored silk robe, stood there, looking as if he had descended from the heavens.
"Today is a good day," the Crown Prince mounted his horse, "Liuli, why don't we ride outside the city."
"Okay."
Hua Liuli nodded. Fine, fine, whatever you say.
Inside the city, to avoid startling the horses and causing harm, the grooms held onto their reins until they left the city. Only then did the Crown Prince allow them to loosen their grip.
The two of them, accompanied by guards, rode for a while when suddenly a swarm of wasps came from nowhere, causing the entire group to panic.
"Your Royal Highness, be careful!" Hua Liuli saw an arrow heading towards the Crown Prince's horse and quickly reached out, pulling the Crown Prince onto her own horse.
Startled by the commotion, the horse beneath them neighed and galloped wildly.
Hua Liuli turned her head and glanced at the guards who were surrounded by a group of unidentified individuals. She lowered her voice and said, "Your Royal Highness, someone wants to kill you."
Krish728
Author's Note:
The Crown Prince: Gu has nothing to say.
Translator's Note:
This chapter's original title is "Assassins". Since this is the third chapter of this novel to be titled "Assassin/s", I took the liberty to change the title of this chapter to "Peonies".
"Fifth Prince is really...obsessed with painting," said Yuan Yi as she stared at the departing figure of the Fifth Prince. She whispered, "Junzhu, it's almost noon."
"It's not good to let the Crown Prince wait," Hua Liuli snapped back to reality, turning and walking towards the direction of the Eastern Palace. It was the time when spring blossoms were in full bloom, and vibrant flowers could be seen everywhere, even on the long palace path, where meticulously trimmed potted plants were placed.
The brilliant and colorful peonies bloomed extravagantly. Hua Liuli saw a few eunuchs trimming the flower branches and stopped. She called out to a young eunuch, "Hey, young eunuch."
The young eunuch appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old. He didn't know Hua Liuli's identity but recognized the senior eunuch leading the way ahead. That senior eunuch served in the Eastern Palace, so he quickly put down his pruning shears and approached, bowing respectfully, "Greetings, esteemed person."
"I want a few peony branches that were trimmed. Can you help me choose?" Hua Liuli stood amidst a bunch of peonies, mesmerized by their beauty.
"Please wait, esteemed person," The young eunuch quickly selected a few peonies that were in full bloom. After tidying them up, he wrapped the flower branches in a clean handkerchief and carefully handed them to Hua Liuli.
"Thank you." Hua Liuli held the flowers and had Yuan Yi reward the young eunuch. Then she continued walking, clutching the flowers in her arms.
"Miss, it seems that person over there is Fushou Junzhu," A maidservant next to Xie Yao noticed a group of people heading towards the Eastern Palace and whispered, "From the way she looks, it seems like she's going to meet the Crown Prince."
Xie Yao's face darkened as she watched Hua Liuli's departing figure. She took a deep breath and followed along.
"I could see someone holding a bouquet of flowers from afar, but I didn't expect it to be Fushou Junzhu."
Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the approaching person and she held the peonies even more tightly. These were meant to be a gift for the Crown Prince; if this Xie girl appeared, nothing good would happen.
"These flowers are indeed beautiful, but once Junzhu picks them, they will only have a fleeting beauty left. What a pity," Xie Yao looked at the bouquet of peonies and smiled insincerely, "Junzhu, as a young lady, you should cherish and pity flowers more."
Hua Liuli remained silent as she glanced at Xie Yao.
"They say women are like flowers. Their blooming period is short, so they just want to stay on the branches a little longer..."
"Perhaps it's because I see myself as a big tree and can't empathize with flowers," Hua Liuli was in a hurry to have lunch at the Eastern Palace and had no interest in discussing flowers and branches with Xie Yao, "Miss Xie, I have something else to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
"Wait," Xie Yao stopped Hua Liuli, "Junzhu, are you heading to the Eastern Palace?"
"What does it have to do with Miss Xie?"
"The Crown Prince is unmarried; Junzhu is also yet to be married. It might not be appropriate for you two to meet alone," Xie Yao's emotions surged in her eyes, but her lips curled up, "If rumors were to spread, it would harm Junzhu's reputation, wouldn't it?"
"Aren't palace maids and eunuchs considered people? How can it be considered alone?" Hua Liuli furrowed her brows. Xie Yao's actions seemed to be prying into the Crown Prince's beauty.
With this thought, she felt strange and even more reluctant to talk to Xie Yao, so she turned around and walked away.
"Junzhu," Seeing Hua Liuli in a hurry, Xie Yao didn't want her to leave, or rather, she couldn't tolerate Hua Liuli being alone with the Crown Prince, "Junzhu, don't you want to talk to me?"
"Liuli?"
The Crown Prince walked out from a side door, "Gu waited for you for almost half a day. Gu thought something happened to you, but it turns out you're here."
"Oh, Miss Xie was discussing cherishing flowers with me, which delayed me for a while," Hua Liuli stuffed the flowers into the Crown Prince's embrace, "I remember there's a blue vase in Your Royal Highness's palace, it will be just right for these peonies."
"It's beautiful," The Crown Prince lowered his head to look at the flowers in his arms, "Gu really likes it."
Xie Yao's eyes turned slightly red. She told Hua Liuli that it was not good to pick flowers, but the Crown Prince said he liked these flowers. She was the Crown Prince's cousin and had admired him for many years, so why did he slap her face like this for an outsider?
"Do you have something else to do?" the Crown Prince finally glanced at Xie Yao.
"Cousin, I have nothing else to do," Xie Yao looked at the Crown Prince expectantly, hoping he would invite her to the Eastern Palace as well.
"Since you have nothing to do, then leave the palace early," the Crown Prince said expressionlessly, "Gu has something to discuss with Fushou Junzhu, so Gu won't accompany you."
Xie Yao: "..."
Is your discussion just about having a meal?
We are already at the doorstep of the Eastern Palace. Inviting one more person to eat, would it break the Eastern Palace?
Xie Yao watched the departing figures of the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli, feeling both aggrieved and angry. She didn't know how to vent her resentment.
The first thing the Crown Prince did upon returning to the Eastern Palace was to put the flowers into the vase that Hua Liuli had mentioned.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, he arranged the bouquet of flowers and turned to look at Hua Liuli, "Gu thought you wouldn't come today."
"Why would Your Royal Highness think that?" Hua Liuli leaned on the table and peered at the Crown Prince.
"Because these past two days, you haven't said much when you met Gu," the Crown Prince placed the vase of flowers in a prominent position and smiled with a hint of sadness, "Gu thought Gu did something wrong and made you dislike Gu."
Hua Liuli felt a little guilty. She had indeed hurriedly walked away when she saw the Crown Prince two days ago at the Chengyang Palace, but it wasn't because of any issues with the Crown Prince; it was her own guilty conscience.
The Crown Prince treated her so well, but she had wicked thoughts because of his beauty. So whenever she saw the Crown Prince, she felt guilty.
She stayed at home and copied scriptures for two full days, feeling that her soul had been cleansed and uplifted, allowing her to meet the Crown Prince with a clear conscience today.
"Your Royal Highness, you misunderstood. Your Royal Highness hasn't done anything wrong; it's my own problem," Hua Liuli timidly withdrew her head.
"Is it because of the incident with the envoy from the Daimao Kingdom?" the Crown Prince walked over and sat next to Hua Liuli, gently explaining, "You don't have to worry. The Ministry of Justice has thoroughly investigated the entire case, it has nothing to do with your family."
"Fortunately, Your Royal Highness was with me on that day. Otherwise, whatever the people from the Daimao Kingdom said would be taken as the truth," Hua Liuli quickly continued on this topic, "I just don't know who would plot against our Hua family like this."
"Whoever it is, both Father Emperor and Gu believe that none of the Hua family members wouldn't stoop to such petty actions," the Crown Prince hesitated and reached out his hand, lightly touching Hua Liuli's head, "So, you don't have to worry."
Feeling the palm on her head, Hua Liuli instinctively reached out to touch it and accidentally held the Crown Prince's finger.
As the soft fingers grazed her palm, she uncomfortably released his hand and cleared her throat, "It's an honor for me and my family to have the trust of His Majesty and Your Royal Highness."
"You don't need to be so polite in front of me, Liuli."
A palace maid brought water; the Crown Prince washed his hands in the basin. He said while wiping his hands, "Is it still because of Gu's status that you're concerned?"
Good-looking people can captivate one's mind with just a frown or a downcast look. Hua Liuli realized that she couldn't bear to see the Crown Prince unhappy.
She sighed. What could she do about the Crown Prince?
After washing her hands, Hua Liuli wiped off the water droplets from the back of her hand and suddenly remembered Xie Yao's strange expression earlier. Unable to hold back, she reminded, "Your Royal Highness, I feel that Xie Yao is acting a bit strange. Considering your noble status, it's better not to be alone with Xie Yao."
"Thank you for your reminder, Liuli. Gu will remember."
Liuli didn't like other women getting close to him. It seemed that he wasn't just a bundle of joy. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile again.
Seeing the Crown Prince's smile, Hua Liuli's heart started playing the guqin once again. It seems she didn't copy enough scriptures. When she returns home, she would continue copying, copying more, genuinely copying.
She couldn't let her claws reach the Crown Prince.
When Xie Yao returned to the Princess's estate, Royal Princess Leyang had already arrived home. She looked at Xie Yao entering the hall with a very unpleasant expression, "What's the use of raising you? You can't even capture a man's heart."
Today, she met with Consort Xian and Consort Rong. Consort Xian's attitude, that despicable woman, need not be mentioned again. Unexpectedly, even the usually unnoticeable Consort Rong had rejected her marriage proposal.
The Second Prince, the Crown Prince's half-brother, born and raised under Consort Rong's knee, had a brain like an idiot. Among all the princes, he was the only one who didn't possess any outstanding talent or remarkable martial skills, yet Consort Rong dared to refuse her proposal?!
Having accumulated a bellyful of anger in the palace, Royal Princess Leyang became increasingly dissatisfied with her daughter, Xie Yao, "If your sister were still alive, I wouldn't have to endure all this frustration."
The eldest daughter surpassed the second daughter in both temperament and appearance by a large margin. If she were still alive, with her looks, she would have easily won over these princes. There would be no need for her to lower her dignity and negotiate with people she used to look down upon.
Upon hearing her mother mention her deceased sister again, Xie Yao lowered her head, concealing the chill in her eyes, "Mother, the Crown Prince and Ying Wang have both fallen under the spell of Hua Liuli. Your daughter has no way to deal with it."
One is the Eldest Prince and the other is the Crown Prince, both were the most notable among the princes, but unfortunately, both of them, as if blinded, took a liking to the fake and pretentious Hua Liuli.
Xie Yao didn't care who Ying Wang likes; all she cared about was how much the Crown Prince truly likes Hua Liuli.
Expressionless, she watched Royal Princess Leyang, who kept complaining, and silently retreated to her own courtyard. She retrieved an emerald-green token.
"Father said that with this token, one can mobilize assassins from neighboring counties," Xie Yao caressed the token and let out a mocking laugh, "Cousin, since you are so heartless towards me, don't blame me."
"After all... only a dead man cannot provoke other women, right?" She seemed to have thought of something delightful and burst into laughter, "Say, if you die, and I marry your memorial tablet, I will still be your wife, isn't that right?"
"Junzhu, weren't you saying a few days ago that you should keep your distance from the Crown Prince? Why did Junzhu have a meal with him today and made plans to go horse riding in three days?" Yuan Yi handed a digestion pill to Hua Liuli, "This puts us, little maidservants, in a difficult position."
"Yuan Yi, don't blame me for lacking determination. The Crown Prince is just too good-looking. Whenever he furrows his brows, I feel inclined to agree to anything he asks. Not to mention going for an outing, even if he wants me to don armor and go to the battlefield, I would nod right there."
"The word 'lust' can be a double-edged sword. How long has it been since Junzhu looked at other men?" Yurong handed water to Hua Liuli. Although the carriage rocked unsteadily, not a single drop of water spilled from her hand.
"With someone as good-looking as the Crown Prince around, how other men even fall into my eyes?" Hua Liuli raised her head and drank the water.
"But," Yurong took the cup back, looking at Hua Liuli with sympathy, "The Crown Prince will marry a Crown Princess sooner or later."
Hua Liuli fell silent, and the entire carriage became quiet.
"Junzhu," Yuan Yi looked at Hua Liuli's face that was devoid of a smile, unable to bear it, "If you like the Crown Prince, you can marry him. The two generals won't oppose it."
"Who said I wanted to marry the Crown Prince?" Hua Liuli held her face in her hands, "I'm just thinking about who would be more suitable to be the Crown Princess."
"Has Junzhu thought of anyone?"
"No," Hua Liuli shook her head honestly, "No one is worthy of the Crown Prince."
Yurong and Yuan Yi nodded in agreement, "Junzhu is right."
Anyway, since no one is worthy, that's fine.
Three days later, amidst the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, with clear skies above, Hua Liuli led the horse given to her by the Crown Prince out of the stable. When she stepped out of the estate, the Crown Prince was already waiting for her.
The Crown Prince, wearing a jade crown and a light-colored silk robe, stood there, looking as if he had descended from the heavens.
"Today is a good day," the Crown Prince mounted his horse, "Liuli, why don't we ride outside the city."
"Okay."
Hua Liuli nodded. Fine, fine, whatever you say.
Inside the city, to avoid startling the horses and causing harm, the grooms held onto their reins until they left the city. Only then did the Crown Prince allow them to loosen their grip.
The two of them, accompanied by guards, rode for a while when suddenly a swarm of wasps came from nowhere, causing the entire group to panic.
"Your Royal Highness, be careful!" Hua Liuli saw an arrow heading towards the Crown Prince's horse and quickly reached out, pulling the Crown Prince onto her own horse.
Startled by the commotion, the horse beneath them neighed and galloped wildly.
Hua Liuli turned her head and glanced at the guards who were surrounded by a group of unidentified individuals. She lowered her voice and said, "Your Royal Highness, someone wants to kill you."
Krish728
Author's Note:
The Crown Prince: Gu has nothing to say.
Translator's Note:
This chapter's original title is "Assassins". Since this is the third chapter of this novel to be titled "Assassin/s", I took the liberty to change the title of this chapter to "Peonies".
