"Okay, that's it!" The third prince rubbed his hands for a moment, carefully put the jade pendant back into the brocade box, picked up the brocade box, closed it, and put it in his arms, he didn't have the heart to look at the rest of these things anymore , lightly ordered Yuanfeng and Xiaoyizi: "Put away everything! I'm a little hungry, so pass the food on early!"
Yuanfeng and Xiaoyizi quickly agreed, and watched the third prince walk towards the bedroom contentedly.
"With so many good things, is it possible that they are not as valuable as those things? Your Highness doesn't even look at them!" Yuan Feng sighed.
Xiao Yizi gave him a blank look, but didn't say anything, thinking that looking at His Highness, she must be using that jade pendant to please some woman! Just you, forget it!
The next day, the third prince went out of the palace to look for Lu Xiaoshu, and still asked her to meet at the teahouse where they met last time.
Lu Xiaoshu was a little surprised when he heard that he had returned to Beijing. Since the Third Prince had an appointment with her, she naturally had no reason not to go.
"I reckoned in my heart that you've been away for a long time, and I thought you'd be back soon, but I didn't expect you to come back!" Lu Xiaoshu said with a smile, "When did you arrive in the capital?"
Hearing what she said, the third prince could see that he was thinking about him, and he was even more happy. His face was slightly red, and he looked at her with a pair of warm eyes and smiled, "I just came back yesterday..."
"Yesterday?" Lu Xiaoshu was taken aback, and looked at him with wide eyes in surprise. She didn't expect that he just came back, so he rushed to see her.
Lu Xiaoshu suddenly felt a little unsure of what it was like, he was both moved and—
The third prince's heart tightened: obviously she felt that she was a little eager to see her!
The third prince suddenly had a feeling that his thoughts were exposed in front of her. If it was someone else, such as Zhou Shizhi, who had admiration in his heart, he would have wished that Lu Xiaoshu would have known about it earlier, but the third prince was subconsciously a little scared. As if afraid that she would know his mind.
So he quickly explained: "Well, I, thanks to your instructions before I went to the disaster relief, I got things done and saved a lot of trouble. So, after I return to Beijing, I want to thank you..."
"Hehe," Lu Xiaoshu finally felt relieved. She smiled, but said with a smile: "You must have suffered a lot during the disaster relief days? Why didn't you take a good rest when you just returned to Beijing? In fact, I didn't help you with anything." Ah, even if you really helped me, you don't have to thank me so soon!"
Hearing this, the third prince cared about himself, his heart warmed up again, and he smiled and said: "It's okay, I'm not tired. Everything is done by the people below, and I'm just watching and patrolling! By the way, I, I brought you a present, I don't know if you like it or not!"
As the third prince said, he took out the small brocade box and gently pushed it in front of Lu Xiaoshu with a smile.
Lu Xiaoshu opened it with a smile, and saw it was a jade pendant.
Just by looking at it, she knew it was the best thing without even having to use her hands. She hurriedly closed the lid of the brocade box and pushed it back to him. She said with a smile, "I dare not accept such an expensive gift casually! I didn't help you either." What, how can you afford this! Well, if you want to thank me, just treat me to a meal!"
"Just accept it!" The third prince looked at her and said with a smile: "I have made meritorious service this time. Father is very happy and has rewarded me with many things. This jade pendant is just one of them! I took it out on purpose. What I came to give you is just a little thought, you must accept it, okay?"
Seeing that he was almost begging, Lu Xiaoshu looked at her with her eyes, as if she would do him great harm if she refused, how could she refuse? Then he smiled and said: "Since this is the case... then I will accept it! If you are not busy returning to the palace today, I will be the host at noon, and I will congratulate you, how about it?"
"That couldn't be better!" The third prince's eyes lit up, and he nodded with joy.
The two started chatting, and they were talking about the third prince's disaster relief. Lu Xiaoshu had never heard of this, and the two talked very harmoniously when they came and went.
When we left after lunch, the third prince mentioned that he would soon have his own mansion to move out of the palace, and said with a soft smile: "At that time, I can often talk to you, my mansion, too. You are welcome to be a guest!"
Lu Xiaoshu smiled and said "Congratulations" to him, and joked, "You should be married by then, right? Well, I don't know if your new concubine welcomes me or not!"
The third prince's eyes dimmed, and he smiled wryly, but he didn't say what he wanted to say.
Seeing him like this, Lu Xiaoshu thought it was because he felt sad that he had been neglected by his father for so many years. The fourth prince had already built a mansion to get married, and he was still living in the palace. It was only at this time that he—
"Now the emperor has valued you, everything should be done slowly, don't pay too much attention to the past." Lu Xiaoshu comforted him.
The third prince was slightly stunned, a little puzzled by Lu Xiaoshu's words: he didn't know what she meant by those words.
However, he naturally would not say no to what Lu Xiaoshu said, nor would he refuse, so he nodded in a confused way, "Yes".
However, after the two parted, sitting in the carriage back to the palace, thinking about what she said about the "new princess", he was still a little secretly disappointed.
The new princess? Judging by her appearance, she seems to very much hope that he will marry the new princess!
She didn't know at all that the new princess in her mind was her!
If I can marry her as a princess in this life, and stay with her day and night, always; I can see her clean smile every day, and I can hear her voice; in the future, I will have a few more children together...
If there is such a day, even if it is given to an emperor, he will not do it...
The third prince thought about it, and felt a little infatuated. If this is really possible, that would be great!
He sighed softly: what's the use of his thoughts? She didn't care at all. He could see that she regarded him as a friend, that's all.
But maybe I misunderstood what she meant
The third prince insisted on self-confidence: Maybe she said that just to test herself? In fact, she also has a heart? Otherwise, why is she talking about "new princess"
Thinking of this, the third prince immediately regained his spirits: he still has hope! As long as she hasn't betrothed to others, there is still hope for him!
Just after returning to the palace, I heard that the queen invited him to talk.
The third prince hurriedly changed his clothes and cleaned his face, and hurried over.
The queen's kindness to him can be described as unusually great, and he is sincerely grateful in his heart. Moreover, subconsciously, he is also very willing to get close to the queen, as if she is a very loving elder.
The queen chatted with him for a while, then asked with a smile: "The palace sent someone to call you earlier, but the servants replied that you left the palace early in the morning. I don't know where you went? What did you do?"
The queen's words were an ordinary question, but the third prince's heart skipped a beat when he heard it: it seemed that the queen had spied on some secret. Subconsciously lowered his head, faltering and hawing.
"You - did you go to meet the second girl of Changping Hou Mansion?" The queen couldn't help asking with a smile when she saw this.
Where did the third prince think that the queen's guess was so accurate, he was even more taken aback, nodded subconsciously, and then shook his head hastily: "No, no! My son, my son is just going out for a stroll..."
According to his thinking, if the empress punishes Lu Xiaoshu for "not obeying boudoir precepts", her reputation will be ruined! How could he harm her
"Even if it is, there's nothing wrong with it." The queen smiled lightly and said, "As long as the general rules are good, it's fine! Then the second girl of the Lu family is polite at first glance, let alone you! Jingzhong These young aristocratic men and women occasionally get together for outings or banquets on weekdays, which is very rare and common."
The third prince immediately let go of his heart, and smiled at the queen, which was tantamount to acquiescing.
The queen laughed and said, "You will soon open a government office and build a mansion, um, your wedding should be almost here! Do you like that girl from the Lu family?"
The third prince suddenly raised his head to look at the queen, the eagerness in his eyes was not concealed at all, and his heart jumped with joy.
like? He didn't just like her, but he was looking forward to a love that would last a lifetime.
"Mother..." The third prince's voice trembled slightly.
The third prince was about to stand up and beg the queen to help her, when the queen said with a smile: "That girl is indeed very good, she has a bright temper and treats people with justice. Well, being a side concubine is more than enough!"
Concubine? The third prince was stunned, and half of his joy disappeared in an instant. He looked at the queen in a daze: How could it be the side concubine
"What? You don't want to?" the queen asked with a smile.
The third prince's joy and disappointment the queen could clearly see in her eyes, but she remained calm and didn't make it clear. She wanted the third prince to understand.
She wanted him to understand that it was impossible for a young lady like Lu Xiaoshu who returned to Beijing halfway to be a concubine. Because, he will definitely be the emperor in the future - she is sure of this! His main concubine would naturally also want to be a queen.
Lu Xiaoshu is still a little short.
"My lord, my lord has not thought about getting married yet... It's not too late to wait!" The third prince didn't know how to answer the queen's words, so he forced a smile and mumbled.
It is impossible for him to let Lu Xiaoshu be a side concubine, that would be too wronged for her.
When he thought of her curtseying and bowing to the so-called "concubine" in the future, he felt uncomfortable for no reason.
How can a woman like her stand the grievances? Firstly, he couldn't bear it, and secondly, he knew she wouldn't agree—although he never asked her, he just knew she wouldn't agree.
What's more, he has never thought about the main concubine or side concubine. In his opinion, as long as there is a woman he really likes by his side and the two of them live happily together, that's enough!
Therefore, the queen's words made him not know what to do.
"Wait any longer? You can't wait any longer!" The queen said with a smile, "You are not young anymore, how can you wait any longer? Well, if you hadn't been silent all these years, I'm afraid you would have become a father long ago Yes, I still want to wait! It won’t be long before the emperor will give you a marriage! There are many good girls in the rich and noble families in Beijing, so you should pay attention to them when you have time to see if you like them! Even though the emperor bestows a marriage, you still have to like it in your heart, and it will be more perfect in the future if you are harmonious and beautiful!"