Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Your Royal Highness, today Miss Cha is coming to the palace. Her Majesty will get angry for defying her orders,” Eunuch Lishi presented the concerns before the Crown Prince.

“This is more important for me,” Xiaoming said and looked out of the carriage’s window.

“I may get punished, Your Royal Highness.” Eunuch Lishi knew that Queen Zhu Liling would ask to punish him with floggings. Also, if the matter goes to the King, then no one could save Xiaoming from his wrath.

“I won’t let you get punished,” Xiaoming said. His words comforted Eunuch Lishi.

“But what about the Crown Prince? The Prime Minister will surely inform His Majesty if the Crown Prince fails to meet Miss Cha today. His Majesty may punish the Crown Prince,” Eunuch Lishi anxiously said.

“Eunuch Lishi, let me ask you something,” Xiaoming said, and he tilted his head to focus on Eunuch Lishi. He was ready to listen to the Crown Prince.

“Have you ever seen me happy?” Xiaoming asked. “I may smile in front of the others, but I am not like the others. I want to fight for my happiness. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to this crown. If I can let my parents wait for four years, I can convince them too,” he stated. Confidence shone in his voice.

“Will His Royal Highness find a suitable woman for him within these few weeks?” Eunuch Lishi asked. “The Crown Prince must not judge Miss Cha because of the Prime Minister. She’s a lady with all the qualities that the Crown Prince is looking for.” He tried to convince Xiaoming to meet and converse with Miss Cha once.

.....

Xiaoming sighed and averted his gaze from him. Soon, the carriage stopped outside the market, at a place, which was restricted to everyone except the royals. Xiaoming got out of the carriage while Eunuch Lishi stepped out after him.

Xiaoming had taken a disguise to make sure that no one would recognize him while he would easily do his work.

Xiaoming had already mapped the shops, and where they would head to. Since she robbed those jade jewels from him, she would never visit those shops which are meant for nobles. Such jewelers would be suspicious of her and might have reported her to the royal inspector.

Xiaoming and Eunuch Lishi visited four shops in an hour, but could not find anything about the woman.

“In my opinion, the Crown Prince shall hand this work to the royal inspector. The Crown Prince doesn’t need to trouble himself.” He didn’t want Xiaoming to trouble himself in the scorching summer heat. Also, he was worried about how the Queen would react upon finding the Crown Prince.

“I cannot do that,” Xiaoming said and halted outside an antique shop. He read the letters on the board hanging at the top of the door.

Xiaoming stepped foot into the shop and found a few people surrounding the table, where he supposed the owner was seated. Eunuch Lishi also entered and found that the shop wasn’t clean. Xiaoming looked around and found many old things in the shop.

“Does the young master need anything?” he heard a voice and turned to look. A middle-aged man with a wooden box was standing behind him.

“I want to inquire about something,” Xiaoming said and the man asked him to speak.

“Do you accept jade jewels in exchange for money?” Xiaoming asked.

Eunuch Lishi whispered in his ear, “Your Royal Highness, it is an antique shop.” Xiaoming gestured to him to stay quiet.

“Of course. We accept them too,” the middle-aged man answered and put the box on the table, which was surrounded by a few people. They turned to look at them and checked them out from top to bottom.

“However, you look from a well-off family. Why do you need money?” The middle-aged man inquired and turned to look at Xiaoming.

“Did a young woman come here yesterday with a jade necklace and three jade rings?”

Eunuch Lishi thought to reveal the truth about his identity when he heard the middle-aged man say, “many come here. If you are specifically to know about a woman, then you are at the wrong place. Yesterday no woman visited this shop.”

Xiaoming was disappointed to hear him.

“But a man had come with a jade necklace and three jade rings. I think you are being robbed. These days young men are into robbery because of lack of work,” the middle-aged man said and opened the box which he had put on the table.

“Please check it once if these are yours,” the middle-aged man asked Xiaoming, who stepped forward, and to his surprise, they were the same jewels that he handed to that woman.

“You can take them if you want to, but you need to pay me,” the middle-aged man said.

“Are you sure it was a man?” Xiaoming asked.

“Yes. It was a man,” he replied.

Xiaoming was bewildered to know about this. He clearly remembered her voice, her eyes, and even that slight touch on him. It was definitely a woman. Probably she sent her brother to sell those jewels so that he would not be able to find her.

“Clever,” he mumbled and looked at the jade rings. “How much did you give him?” Xiaoming asked him.

“100 silver coins,” the middle-aged man replied.

Xiaoming realized that the man exaggerated the amount. Though, the value of those jewels was even higher than that. Since, he wanted them back, so he decided to pay him.

“I will give you 70 silver coins. I know that you have given even less to the man who sold them to you,” Xiaoming said and put the silver coins on the table.

He grasped the box and was ready to leave when the man said, “I polished them a few minutes ago. 30 silver coins for my hard work, Young Master.”

Xiaoming chuckled and looked at the necklace which indeed was shining. He asked Eunuch Lishi to pay them and walked out of the shop.

“Is she a part of a gang? That’s why she didn’t come here. Instead, she sent someone,” Xiaoming concluded the second possibility. Eunuch Lishi was happy to see that they finished the work earlier than expected. Now, they would return to the palace, and the Queen would not be angry anymore at them.

In the carriage, Xiaoming didn’t utter a word, and it troubled Eunuch Lishi. Was he not happy after getting his things back?

“Why does the Crown Prince still seem lost?” Eunuch Lishi asked.

“Nothing,” Xiaoming said. Eunuch Lishi understood that the Crown Prince didn’t want to share anything with him. He remained silent, and soon they reached the palace.

Eunuch Lishi got out of the carriage, holding the wooden box in his hands. He waited for Xiaoming to step out when the door closed.

Xiaoming opened the window and looked at Eunuch Lishi, who was on the ground.

“Tell the Royal Mother that the Crown Prince cannot see Miss Cha today. He has an important matter to look into,” Xiaoming instructed him and ordered the chauffeur to take back the carriage, where they had headed earlier.

“Your Royal Highness,” Eunuch Lishi before could complete his words, the chauffeur complied with the Crown Prince’s orders.

Eunuch Lishi stepped back immediately as the carriage turned again to the main gates of the palace and, with lightning speed, it vanished from his eyes.

“Her Majesty will severely punish me,” Eunuch Lishi murmured.

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