Lu Jinchen seemed even more handsome than usual tonight. As he walked over, he gently brushed away the osmanthus flower from Gu Liyue's hair and gave her a soft smile. "Liyue, would you like to go with me?"
Gu Liyue was a bit dazed. "Aren't you supposed to attend the Emperor?"
Lu Jinchen's voice was different from his usual cold tone. There seemed to be a special tenderness in it. "It's the Lantern Festival today. I've informed the Emperor, and he's allowed me to be with the woman I love."
The woman he loved?
Gu Liyue's face flushed instantly. There were so many people around, men, women, and children, and even many noble ladies who looked down on her to some extent. Was he being so reckless regardless of the occasion?
But somehow, she felt happy and sweet.
A naive child clapped and laughed. "Daddy, look, they're a loving couple."
Then came the gentle voice of a woman. "Yes, it's the Lantern Festival today. Lovers will finally get married."
Lu Jinchen turned around and pointed to another tall building. "The Emperor is there. Come with me to meet him?"
Gu Liyue was quite nervous. Although he was asking, it felt more like an order. And he was so gentle, as if leading her step by step, leading her into that tall building and into his heart.
The noble ladies who had been talking earlier huddled together. Some were jealous and envious, while others were excited.
When Lu Jinchen walked past them with Gu Liyue, he paused for a moment. Then he reached out and picked off another osmanthus flower from her hair. He said with a soft smile, "Liyue, I understand that the Gu family is reluctant to let you marry early. But no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. In this life, I'll only wait for you."
Gu Liyue blushed and lowered her head. She was surprised and didn't understand why he suddenly said such things.
But Lu Jinchen was unhurried. Without even glancing at those ladies, he led Gu Liyue away.
"Wow, my god, did you see that? Young Master Lu... he, he, he actually confessed in public!"
"I always thought that Young Master Lu just wanted to marry a weak, oh no no no, a gentle woman. Isn't Gu Liyue the gentlest and easiest to talk to? I didn't expect Young Master Lu to..."
"Exactly. Have you ever seen Young Master Lu being nice to any lady before? Not even his own younger sister got a second look from him. Even Qi Manyan, the most beautiful lady in the capital, couldn't even talk to him. Ah, what did I see today? I saw Young Master Lu smiling at a woman!"
The excited voices of the noble ladies were not soft. No one noticed that the window of the elegant room upstairs was gently closed. Qi Manyan was sitting inside. Her face was as pale as a ghost. She took a deep breath and her whole body trembled slightly.
Lu Jinxuan was sitting opposite her. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Miss Qi, haven't you figured it out yet? My elder brother and Gu Liyue have known each other for a long time. I'm afraid they've already secretly promised to marry each other."
Qi Manyan glanced at him and gently bit her lips. "I'm the legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke of Qi. Even if I enter the palace, I'll at least be a noble concubine! If I marry a prince, I'll only be the main wife, never a concubine."
Lu Jinxuan poured a cup of wine. "The Emperor doesn't show much interest in women and has long refused to hold a beauty contest. As for the adult princes, they all already have their main wives. Miss Qi, don't you know this better than me? If you come with me, in the future, when I become the Prince of Liang, you'll be the Princess of Liang. How much worse could that be?"
Qi Manyan said coldly, "The Prince of Liang? The Emperor loves Lu Jinchen so much. What makes you think you can be the prince?"
There was a hint of anger in Lu Jinxuan's eyes. He just sneered. "Yes, the Emperor loves Lu Jinchen the most. Look, the Emperor's favorite nephew is now taking the woman he loves to meet the Emperor. He's taking her there himself."
Qi Manyan almost dropped the teacup she was holding. Her eyes were red and her whole body trembled. It took her a long time to ask, "What... am I inferior to that country woman?"
Lu Jinxuan got up and walked in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Qi Manyan struggled hard, but Lu Jinxuan didn't let go. Instead, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.
"How could you be? What does that woman have besides her looks? Manyan, you're the most charming. There are so many people in the world who would be crazy just to see you smile."
Tears streamed down Qi Manyan's face. She was very beautiful, and even more so when she was crying. She slightly opened her mouth. "And you?"
Lu Jinxuan frowned slightly. He gently wiped away her tears with his other hand. "In this situation, I love you the most."
He kissed her, and she was too weak to resist.
Gu Liyue was in a daze. She followed Lu Jinchen to meet the Emperor and the Empress. The Empress even bestowed a pair of oriental pearls on her, and the Emperor also nodded, looking very satisfied with her.
But when she saw the Prince of Liang, the prince's smile was very forced.
Gu Liyue was a bit scared, but she still forced herself to bow. "Your Highness, the Prince of Liang."
Just as the Prince of Liang was about to speak, Lu Jinchen had already helped Gu Liyue up and led her to the other side. "The Princess Royal is over there, and A Jie is there too. I'll take you there."
The Princess of Liang couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Lu Jinchen and Gu Liyue. She subconsciously reached out and grabbed the prince's sleeve. "Your Highness..."
The Prince of Liang frowned. He drank up the wine on the table in one gulp. Then he looked around and asked, "Where's Jinxuan? How could he not serve the Emperor when the Emperor is on a tour?"
The Princess of Liang quickly called her daughter over. "Jinxuan is feeling a bit unwell. Xuan'er, come and pour wine for your father."
The Prince of Liang was even more unhappy. He waved his hand. "Forget it. Let her go and play with the other ladies."
The Prince of Liang was right next to the Emperor. Naturally, the Emperor could hear everything clearly. He didn't say anything. Instead, he glanced at Lu Yunxi. "Yunxi, come here."
Lu Yunxi was rubbing something in the corner. When she heard the Emperor call her, she walked over coyly and bowed.
The Emperor immediately noticed that her hand was hidden in her sleeve. He asked, "What's in your hand? Let me have a look."
Lu Yunxi's face changed slightly. She shook her head and said, "No... it's not okay..."
The Emperor raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why not? I order you to take it out."
"That... Uncle Emperor, you told Yunxi to take it." Lu Yunxi was coy. Although she said so, her hand still shrank and she didn't want to take it out.
The Emperor frowned tightly. "You're usually so bold. Why are you being so coy when you see me today? Take it out."
Lu Yunxi smiled brightly. She suddenly put the thing on the table in front of the Emperor.
A live frog finally got its freedom. It immediately jumped up, croaking. It almost jumped onto the Emperor.
Even though the Emperor was prepared, he was still startled by this sudden living thing. The Empress and the concubines had already screamed and run away. But the Prince of Liang immediately drew out his dagger and stabbed it into the frog's neck. The frog struggled a few times and then stopped moving.
Lu Yunxi was originally clapping and laughing. But she didn't expect that in such a short time, the frog she had worked so hard to catch was gone. She immediately changed her face and cried loudly. "My frog, Uncle Emperor, that was my frog! I want you to compensate me, I want you to compensate me!"