Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Sheng Li raised his brow upon hearing the command of the Empress. "Crown Prince, please talk to His Majesty and bring your Fourth Brother back," Deng Hui requested to Sheng Li.

"Imperial Mother, I am afraid, but I cannot go against the words of the Father," Sheng Li replied.

"Crown Prince, His Majesty listens to you. If you talk to His Majesty then he will contemplate. Think about the condition of my son. We do not know how he is living. As a mother, it tenses me every second," Deng Hui worriedly said.

"Crown Prince, Prince Nianzu always supported you in the toughest times. It is your time to show your brotherly love for him," Consort Ju intervened and said.

"Imperial Mother, Consort Ju, I had conversed with the Father.. However, he has refused to take back his order. Conversing with the Father over this matter would not bring anything," asserted Sheng Li. "Also, the Fourth Brother has married a commoner. If he comes back, then the Ministers will oppose his marriage. The Fourth Brother will not like this, and the situation might get worse," Sheng Li affirmed.

Consort Ju Fen looked at Deng Hui to notice her reaction.

"The Crown Prince may leave. I am thankful that he gave his time to me," Deng Hui stated and passed him a smile.

"It is my duty, Imperial Mother." Sheng Li stood up from the chaise. He bowed his head before leaving the chamber.

"I think the Crown Prince lied to us, Sister Hui. Did you notice the frowns on his forehead? He did not want the Fourth Prince to return to the Palace," Ju Fen filled the ears of Deng Hui. "He can raise his voice for giving the rights to his woman in the court, but he cannot raise his voice for the Fourth Prince! This is suspicious, Sister Hui," asserted Ju Fen.

Deng Hui fell into her deep thoughts. After Gu Zhenya's death, Deng Hui had no idea what she should do. The Empress didn't even know how to find out the men of Gu Zhenya, who were searching for Nianzu. The only way she could bring Nianzu to the Palace was to talk to the Emperor about this and persuade him by hook or crook.

"Sister Hui, what are you thinking?" Ju Fen questioned.

"Ahh, nothing," Deng Hui replied. "I need to eat my breakfast," she stated. Ju Fen stood up and left the chamber. Deng Hui called Eunuch Zhen inside and asked him to bring the breakfast.

"Your Majesty, are you concerned about the Fourth Prince?" Eunuch Zhen suddenly asked. Deng Hui nodded her head.

"Your Majesty, I saw the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince together that day when the Fourth Prince left Luoyang," Eunuch Zhen revealed the truth to Deng Hui, who widened her eyes.

"Why did Eunuch Zhen not tell me earlier?" Deng Hui queried.

"I thought her majesty already knows," Eunuch Zhen answered.

"Did you hear what they spoke about?"

"Forgive me, your majesty. I could not hear that. I was far away from them," Eunuch Zhen replied.

"Where did both of them converse?" She asked another question.

"Your Majesty, they were in the graveyard of the Crown Prince's mother," replied Eunuch Zhen. "They conversed with each other for almost half an hour, your majesty," he added. Deng Hui knitted her brows. She could not believe that Sheng Li did not tell her all this. Why? What was the reason? Why did his son meet Sheng Li and forget to meet his own mother?

~~~~~

Nianzu dipped the brush into the ink and started copying the material from the book on Governance. "Nianzu, you write incredibly fast. It seems you studied at the Civil Services academy. I have observed that you write sometimes without even looking at the book," stated his colleague, Ye Fang. "You also work in the Police Bureau, then why do you have to work here?" Ye Fang was a little curious.

"I have been doing this work for a year. Maybe that's the reason. Also, I am in dire need of money. Working in the Police Bureau is not enough for livelihood as I have no rank and villagers hardly come to file complaints," Nianzu told him.

"We have been doing this for three years, still could not remember these words," replied Quan Bo, another colleague of Nianzu, who faintly smiled.

"Why did you not take the Civil Services exam? You might have been a rank 6th or 7th officer in the Government," Quan Bo affirmed.

"I could not qualify," Nianzu told another lie. His speed slowed as both Ye Fang, and Quan Bo asked him a few other questions.

"There is a feast in the house of the Village Headman. We all are invited with our family," stated Ye Fang excitedly.

"Try not to take your wives there or sisters," suddenly they heard the voice of another copyist, Luo Hai, who came with a few textbooks in his arms. Ye Fang helped him, and they placed the books on the table.

"Why?" Nianzu asked curiously.

"I almost forgot that the village headman eyes the young women," Ye Feng said and scratched his forehead.

"It does not matter to him whether they are married or unmarried," stated Luo Hai.

"What about the Police Bureau? Does the Royal Inspector not take action?" Nianzu asked them.

Quan Bo laughed, so did the others. Their laughs befuddled Nianzu. Quan Bo stopped to laugh and said, "Nianzu, the Royal Inspector does nothing. The village headman has more power than the Royal Inspector. Also, the village headman has a good relationship with Luoyang's Governor."

Nianzu was shocked to learn about that. He never heard from Jian Guozhi about this village. "Are you sure? The First Prince is the Governor of Luoyang, and this village is far from Luoyang. How could the village headman know the First Prince?" Nianzu queried him.

"Village Headman Ha has met the First Prince numerous times. You know that this village is a source of major crops and grains for the Han," asserted Quan Bo. Ye Fang and Luo Hai agreed with him. Quan Bo leaned closer to the ear of Nianzu and whispered, "Ha Doji has many resources." He leaned back and looked at Ye Fang and Luo Hai.

"Do you two remember the incident when he asked for the wife of a villager and when the man refused, he flogged to death?"

"That was one tragic incident. Poor man! His woman and five-year-old kid are now slaves in his residence. However, this is not the only incident," Luo Hai asserted.

Nianzu tightened the grip around the brush. He still had a page left to write. He quickly finished that, but the truth about the Village Headman was worrying him.

"Ye Fang, let's finish our work as well," Quan Bo stated, who nodded. The three also went to their respective desks and started to jot down the words.

Nianzu dipped the brush into the ink, but his focus was now completely on that incident. He wanted to punish the Village Headman, but how? He was no more a Prince, and also, he could not reveal his identity. 'I shall ignore this. I cannot risk the life of my wife by disclosing my identity. Moreover, my identity is no longer useful as my father stripped me of the Prince's title,' Nianzu thought.