Chapter 285 (2/2)
---
Pengyue had her chin propped up in her hands as she contemplated for a long time until Nie Sangyu came into the room to get her.
”Your Highness, do you still want to visit Luoyan PaG.o.da?”
Returning to her senses, Pengyue pursed her lips and said, ”No, I don't need to go there anymore. Sangyu, let's go back to the palace.”
Why did she want to go the palace? While Ji Man was feeling baffled, Pengyue energetically tugged her down the stairs with her.
---
After paying the empress and the imperial n.o.ble consort respect, Pengyue made a beeline towards Yinxue Palace.
Yinxue Palace was a place for concubines and consorts that had lost favor with the emperor. The second prince's mother had been living here before she died. During their recent conversation, Zhao Li had happened to mention this, and Pengyue couldn't resist the impulse to pay this place a visit.
There usually weren't many people in this desolate palace, but today, there was an older palace servant weeding the area, then kowtowing.
Without even thinking, Pengyue went over to ask that older palace servant questions. This older palace servant used to be Consort Hui's personal servant girl. Even though this princess was an unfamiliar young woman, the servant actually told her everything about Consort Hui and the second prince's past.
Weeping, the older palace servant said, ”Someone had poisoned Her Highness, that's why the second prince was born a cripple. Since the second prince was born like that, the emperor had never paid any attention to him. Consort Shu had only raised the second prince until he was seven years old before leaving to live her life at a prince's estate. Who know how much that child had suffered...”
Feeling upset, Pengyue clutched her whip and said, ”It's okay. I'll protect him in the future.”
Ji Man's lips twitched. ”Your Highness, how will you protect the second prince?”
”I'll just marry him.” Pengyue indifferently said, ”Anyways, I haven't met anyone here that caught my interest, and Zhao Li looks pretty good. Since he's a cripple, he won't be able to go out and live a life of debauchery. When I'm in a bad mood and unwilling to push his wheelchair, he can only look at me. Isn't that wonderful?”
Ji Man didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This type of reasoning was simply too tough.
If Pengyue decided to marry the second prince, then the first prince and third prince didn't need to compete anymore for this princess. After all, Zhao Li didn't have much power to compete with them. Both sides would feel at ease with this decision.
And yet, thinking of Ning Mingjie's behavior today, Ji Man suddenly thought that the second prince wasn't as simple as he appeared.
---
As she was accompanying Pengyue for the remaining two days, they seemed to encounter the other princes frequently. On the third day of Pengyue's visit, when Ning Mingjie was leaving the capital, Pengyue went to inform the emperor of her decision. There wasn't anyone else. She only wanted to marry the second prince. The entire imperial court was dumb struck.
---
When the news spread to the harem, even the imperial n.o.ble consort was feeling shocked as she tried to persuade her, ”Your Highness, don't make a decision that you'll regret...”
Standing by Zhao Li's wheelchair and swinging her whip, Pengyue smiled brilliantly. ”He's the one that I want as my husband. In the future, if anyone dares to bully or insult him, it'll be the same as bullying or insulting me. Since he can't walk, I'll push his wheelchair for him.”
Everyone else was speechless, but Ji Man couldn't stop herself from clapping.
True love was truly something that was rarely seen in this world.