Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

465 My affection for you

Tianjie reached the Chen residence, where he was given a warm welcome. Yesterday, Tianjie could not come as the court session went long after a heated argument between Kang Xi and Xiaoming started.

“Your Highness, my wife and I are pleased to serve you today. Please come this way,” Chen Lizhen humbly requested, motioning his hand to his left.

Tianjie followed them to the guest room, where they were all seated.

“I would like to thank His Highness to take out time today,” Chen Lizhen said and turned his head to look at his wife. “When will our daughter come?” he asked.

“She is...” Before Lady Chen could finish her words, her daughter Chen Yunyi entered the room, followers, by two servants.

She had her hands in front of her naval, her eyes were low and she bowed at Tianjie. “Greetings to the Third Prince. This is Chen Yunyi,” she introduced herself and slightly bent on her knees before standing straight.

Her parents smiled to see her.

Tianjie stood up and greeted her formally. He brought his hands up to the shoulders and bowed at her. “This is Qiu Tianjie, Miss Chen.” They both raised their heads and looked at each other.

Tianjie settled on his seat while Chen Yunyi turned slightly to gaze at the servant. She came forward and Yunyi picked up the teacup along with the saucer. She placed it before Tianjie and poured the tea into it.

.....

Tianjie found it was Oolong tea. He let it get colder while Yunyi served the tea to her parents.

“Miss Chen shall take her seat,” Tianjie humbly said. She sat on the broad chair across Tianjie and a servant poured the tea for her.

Tianjie picked up the cup and sipped the tea, followed by the others present in the guest room.

He looked at Chen Lizhen. He told him that his father and mother had sent some gifts for them. Eunuch Shi Rang walked out of the room to bring the betrothal gifts for Chen Yunyi. The palace servants came one by one.

“Please accept these gifts, Miss Chen,” Tianjie stated.

Chen Yunyi stood up and she touched those gifts one after the other while the servant led the palace servants to the other room where the gifts were to be put.

“His and Her Majesty has sent a lot of gifts,” Chen Lizhen stated while laughing in between the words.

“That was necessary as a part of the betrothal ritual,” Tianjie stated. They had a conversation for some time. Chen Lizhen asked her daughter to show around the residence to Tianjie, she complied with her father. She rose to her feet and then left with Tianjie.

After a tour of twenty minutes, they stopped by the garden when Yunyi’s personal maid informed Tianjie how Yunyi grew all those flowers.

Yunyi smiled as Tianjie complimented her on her gardening skills. She asked the maid to leave them alone as he wanted a private moment to talk with Yunyi.

After the maid left, Tianjie turned to Chen Yunyi. “Miss Chen’s father told me two days ago that she wants to meet me. I wonder what she has to ask me that she personally asked for me,” Tianjie asserted.

“Your Highness, I wanted to see my future husband before marrying him. Forgive me if I wasted your precious time,” Yunyi asserted.

“Please don’t be apologetic. I am here to see my future wife too. However, I thought Miss Chen asked for my visit for a special reason,” Tianjie stated and looked at the flower bed.

Seeing the hibiscus (China Rose) flowers, Tianjie recalled Song Jia. That woman was imprinted deep inside his mind, heart, and even soul.

He vividly remembered the day Song Jia danced in the Dragon’s Castle. Her hair bun had hibiscus flowers as the ornaments.

“Your Highness!”

Tianjie came out of his thoughts and looked at her. “Forgive me,” Tianjie said. He realized that he needed to stop all these feelings.

However, he had no idea how to put an end to them. He would marry soon, but he knew that Song Jia would still remain in his heart.

He recalled Xiaoming’s words, who told him that Lóng Wei already predicted what Tianjie would choose in the end– a political marriage instead of his happiness.

Three days ago, when he met Lóng Wei, he also remarked on his way of loving. For him, social status was more important than being happy.

“Miss Chen, I should take my leave. I have some work to do,” Tianjie said. Chen Yunyi nodded her head and with her parents, she saw Tianjie off.

Tianjie told them that they should wait for the King’s next message regarding the marriage before hopping on the horse.

After covering a certain distance, he told the Eunuch and the soldiers to leave for the palace, who obeyed his command.

Tianjie rode the horse to the residence where Song Jia stayed. A gatekeeper descended the stairs and asked about Tianjie’s identity.

He got down from the horse and handed him his royal identity token. The gatekeeper bowed at him after he recognized the identity and bowed.

“I want to see Song Jia,” Tianjie stated.

The gatekeeper nodded his head and told the prince that he would inform Lady Song about it.

“Just tell her that a man she met at Qijiang wants to see her,” Tianjie told the gatekeeper. He went inside and delivered the same message to Song Jia.

She got puzzled to hear that statement. She met a lot of men in Qijiang. Who could be this man who followed her to Qinping?

“Please take him in,” Song Jia said and let go of the zither strings. She had been playing it for two hours for some reason. The servant got on her knees to take the zither away when Song Jia asked her not to do so.

“I want to play it for some more time,” Song Jia stated.

The maid nodded and stood up. She went back to her place and heard the door slide.

Song Jia looked toward the door and the smile from her lips vanished. She stopped blinking and continued to stare at Tianjie, who looked straight at her left hand which was above the zither.

“I am glad that you wore the ring and accepted my affection for you,” Tianjie said and again peered into her eyes.