Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 237 The Prince Consort Returns
In mid-November, the emperor issued an edict to marry Princess Changshan to Lu Zhaolin, the proofreader of the Hongwenguan, and preparations for the wedding began immediately.

Since Princess Changshan recovered from her illness, she often went out of the palace to play, and often held literary and wine gatherings with Princess Xincheng.

She has a gentle personality and has no princess airs, and is very popular among the scholars in Chang'an.

Furthermore, Princess Changshan is the only princess waiting to be married, and the oldest of the other princesses in the palace is only nine years old.

There will be no new prince consort for at least seven years.

As soon as the news came out, Lu Zhaolin immediately became the most envied and jealous person in Chang'an City.

Even Du Yijian was envious of his friend, let alone others.

Lu Zhaolin had to endure countless cold stares when he went to and from the yamen every day. Even Yuan Wanqing, who worked in a side hall, would give him a cold look every time he saw him.

Lu Zhaolin was open-minded by nature and didn't mind it at all. He even wrote several poems to express his joy.

Before we knew it, it was December.

While the people of Chang'an were still envious of the new prince consort, another prince consort, Changsun Quan, had already quietly returned to Chang'an.

Changsun Quan had been away from Chang'an for almost three years. When he came back again, he felt as if he was in another world.

He stood in a daze at the city gate for a quarter of an hour before finally leading his horse back to the princess's mansion.

Along the way, he walked very slowly, and did not walk on the main street, but passed through the neighborhoods, just to feel the fireworks of Chang'an City again.

On his way, he naturally heard all kinds of news, including the war on the front line, the land system reform, the emperor's tour, and the princess's marriage.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the princess's mansion.

When he left the mansion gate, everything was exactly the same, as if he had left just yesterday.

However, there were two more rows of armored and sword-wielding guards outside the mansion gate, and the security was much tighter than before.

In the past, there were no armored slaves outside the princess's mansion. Changsun Quan just thought that his wife lived there alone, so he strengthened the guards and did not think much about it.

Unexpectedly, the guards looked at him viciously, as if signaling him to leave.

Changsun Quan didn't pay any attention to them at all. He stood quietly outside the door, staring at the gilded plaque, a mist flashing in his eyes.

Seeing that he still didn't leave, a leading guard said coldly, "This is a restricted area in the Princess's Mansion. No one is allowed to stay. Leave immediately!"

Zhang Sunquan glanced at him and said sullenly, "The princess has always been gentle and never drives away anyone who takes shelter at the door. Was this the princess's order, or did you act on your own initiative?"

The guard was furious. With a clang, he drew his sword and shouted, "Who are you? Tell me your name."

Zhang Sunquan frowned secretly, thinking, "Why did the princess choose such a group of domineering guards? Where is the original Zhang Dianxiao?"

Just as he was about to speak, a man came running out with a group of guards, shouting, "Wait a minute!"

Chang Sun Quan recognized the man. He was Zhang Dianxiao from the Princess's Mansion. The guards behind him also had familiar faces to Chang Sun Quan.

Chang Sunquan felt relieved and said, "So Zhang Dianxiao is still here."

He had changed so much that Zhang Dianxiao was unable to confirm his identity for a moment and looked at him with suspicion.

Chang Sunquan smiled and said, "Zhang Dianxiao, don't you recognize me?"

Zhang Dianxiao opened his eyes wide, circled around him, and asked in astonishment, "Are you really the prince consort?"

"What do you think?" Changsun Quan said with a smile.

When he left Chang'an, he was still a handsome and elegant young man.

In less than three years, his skin had turned brown and his fair face seemed to be covered with a layer of yellow mud. Only his eyes were still full of sharpness.

Zhang Dianxiao said in surprise, "It really is the Prince Consort. You are finally back. That's great."

When the two rows of guards heard that the person before them was the prince consort, they were all surprised. They looked at each other for a while, then all bowed to him and said, "Please forgive us for offending the prince consort."

Chang Sunquan glanced at them and said, "Zhang Dianxiao, are these guards new?"

Zhang Dianxiao hurriedly said, "Please calm down, Prince Consort. These people are not guards from the Princess's residence. They are..."

"What is it?"

Zhang Dianxiao smiled bitterly and said, "My dear Prince Consort, please forgive me for not being able to tell you. You should ask Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Changsun Quan was stunned. They were just a few guards, why couldn't they tell him? Could they be the inner guards?
He said no more, stepped through the gate and crossed the courtyard.

Along the way, all the servants they met looked at Changsun Quan in surprise, wondering who this man was and how he got in.

However, seeing Zhang Dianxiao following behind him, no one dared to ask more questions.

Chang Sunquan asked Zhang Dianxiao, "Where is the princess?"

Zhang Dianxiao said, "Her Royal Highness the Princess is in the back garden."

Changsun Quan nodded and said, "You don't have to follow me, I'll go there by myself." Then he walked towards the back garden.

When passing through a moon gate, I suddenly felt hit by something soft.

The thing was very elastic and bounced back immediately after hitting him. When he was about to fall to the ground, he was supported by several palace servants behind him.

Chang Sunquan turned his head and saw that it was a little girl.

Although I don't know what this girl looks like, judging from her clothes, she must be of high status.

She rubbed her forehead, stared at Changsun Quan with her big, watery eyes, and said, "Hey, who are you and why did you bump into me?"

Chang Sunquan said with a smile, "It was obviously you who ran too fast and bumped into me. Well, I'll just apologize to you."

The little girl hummed, "That's better. This princess forgives you!" Chang Sunquan was stunned for a moment and said, "Are you a princess?"

The little girl raised her chin and said, "Yeah, doesn't it look like it?"

Changsun Quan was immediately confused. This was the princess's mansion, but the princess should be his wife. How could there be another little princess here?

"Hello, who are you?" asked the little princess.

It would be a bit presumptuous for Chang Sunquan to say that he was the prince consort at this time. After a moment's thought, he bowed and said, "I am Chang Sunquan, and I am honored to meet Princess Yiyang."

The little princess chuckled and asked, "How do you know I'm Princess Yiyang?"

Chang Sunquan smiled and said, "In Chang'an City, there are only two princesses your age: Princess Yiyang and Princess Gao'an. You seem very smart, so I'll take the liberty of guessing that you are the older Princess Yiyang."

The little princess was so overjoyed that she said to the eunuchs and palace servants behind her, "Hey, did you hear that? He treats me like his sister!"

This little princess was Princess Gao An. She was very happy to see that Changsun Quan recognized her as his sister.

A palace servant said, "Your Highness, this is the consort of the eldest princess. You should call him uncle."

Princess Gao An was stunned for a moment, then she looked at Zhang Sunquan with her eyes wide open and asked, "Are you my uncle?"

Chang Sunquan smiled and said, "In terms of kinship, yes."

Princess Gao An nodded, bowed to him as a junior, and said, "Gao An greets uncle."

Chang Sunquan saw that although she was a bit lively, she was not lacking in etiquette. He nodded secretly and said, "Princess, there is no need to be so polite. Are you here to play?"

Princess Gao An slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, no, I was too busy talking to you, uncle. I have something urgent to do. I have to leave first." Then she ran away.

Changsun Quan looked at her receding back, shook his head and smiled, walked through the moon gate, along a flower path, and soon arrived at the water pavilion of the princess's mansion.

From afar, the water pavilion was surrounded by green gauze curtains. The voices of women could be heard from behind the curtains, and the figures of three women could be vaguely seen.

Changsun Quan saw that there were outsiders present and was wondering whether to go over directly. Suddenly, he saw the gauze curtain being lifted, and a woman walked out of the water pavilion and looked at him intently. It was Princess Xincheng.

From such a distance, I couldn't even see people's faces clearly, let alone Changsun Quan's appearance had changed so much.

However, Princess Xincheng seemed to have a strange ability and recognized him at a glance.

The two looked at each other for a long time, and Princess Xincheng came running towards them with her long skirt lifted up.

Changsun Quan strode over, picked her up, and the two hugged each other tightly.

"You, why didn't you inform me in advance when you came back today?" Princess Xincheng waved her pink fist and hit Changsun Quan on the shoulder.

Chang Sunquan smiled and said, "Isn't it because I wanted to give you a surprise? Princess, how did you recognize me?"

"You're just talking nonsense. You're my husband, how else should I acknowledge you?"

“But I’ve changed so much…”

Princess Xincheng looked up at him, a smile in her tears. She stretched out a hand and gently stroked his beard, saying with a smile, "You are indeed worthy of being my consort. You are more manly now than before."

Changsun Quan felt warm in his heart and lowered his head to kiss her snow-white neck.

Princess Xincheng blushed and whispered, "Don't do it here. My sister and Madam Xiao are watching over there."

Changsun Quan looked up and saw two women standing in the water pavilion, looking at this side and talking and laughing in low voices.

He recognized the young woman as Princess Changshan, but he did not recognize the other woman who was in her thirties.

Princess Xincheng pecked him on the cheek and said with a smile, "Wait for me here." She quickly returned to the water pavilion and said something to the two women.

After a while, he came back, took Changsun Quan's hand, and said with a smile, "Let's go inside and talk."

The two of them came to the back bedroom, sat side by side on the couch, and expressed their feelings of parting.

After chatting for a while, Chang Sunquan suddenly remembered something and said, "Princess, why are there so many guards outside our mansion?"

Princess Xincheng smiled and said, "That's not our guard, it's someone from the Xiao Mansion."

"Xiao Mansion?"

Princess Xincheng smiled and said, "Yes, it's quite a coincidence that you returned today, just in time for Xiao Shuren to come..."

Li Zhi once issued an edict allowing Princess Xincheng and Princess Yiyang to see Xiao Shuren once a month.

At first, the two went to the Xiao Mansion to meet Xiao Shuren. Later, Xiao Siye submitted a memorial, saying that the princess was of noble status and should not condescend to go to the Xiao Mansion. He hoped that Xiao Shuren could enter the palace to see the princess.

Although Li Zhi did not agree, he agreed to change the location and let the mother and daughter meet at the Princess's Mansion in Xincheng.

In this way, although Xiao Shuren could not enter the palace, he could go out, which could be considered a blessing.

Because this matter was not made public, Zhang Dianxiao did not dare to reveal the identity of the guards in the Xiao Mansion.

The two little princesses came over early in the morning.

Princess Gao An couldn't sit still and didn't want to wait in the house, so she ran to the back garden to play.

After learning that A Niang had arrived, he hurried over and bumped into Chang Sun Quan at the Moon Gate.

Zhang Sunquan finally understood everything and said with a smile, "I was wondering why there was a little princess in the mansion."

Princess Xincheng also remembered a puzzlement and asked, "My dear, my brother asked you to come back so that he could do him a big favor. What is that favor?"

Zhang Sunquan's expression straightened, and he said in a deep voice, "If I'm not mistaken, Your Majesty intends to abolish corvee labor throughout the country."

(End of this chapter)