Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

It was late at night and the palace was quiet. Lanterns in the corridors of Prince Duan's Mansion were dimly lit, and occasionally groups of guards would patrol the roads.

Ruliu Courtyard also fell into silence. It was already 11 o'clock and everyone had gone to bed.

In the silence, the door on the left side of the main room quietly opened, and a tall figure in neat clothes walked out and gently closed the door.

Chu Shiyu knew that the past could not be retrieved. It was fine when he went to visit the capital with Liu Rusi and the others during the day, and it was also fine when they had dinner together. But when he was alone in the dim room at night, those thoughts kept churning and refused to calm down!

What if she had entered the Golden Wind Jade Dew Pavilion? Even if there were so many people in the Golden Wind Jade Dew Pavilion and the chance of being able to be with him was small, there was still a chance, wasn't it...

Walking out of Ruliu Courtyard slowly, he was still struggling with two thoughts in his mind. One was that he should stop exploring the possibilities of the past, as it was useless. The other was that he wanted to know if there was fate, and whether he had missed her without knowing it...

"Your Majesty!"

The patrolling guards exclaimed, and then all five of them bowed their heads in salute.

Chu Shiyu felt relieved for the moment. How could there be an accurate answer to a fate that had not yet happened? So what was the harm in just asking?

"Which courtyard does the woman from the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion live in?" He had never cared about these women before and had never even asked their names... If she really entered Prince Duan's Mansion, would he ignore her like this?

The guards looked at each other, obviously not knowing where those women came from.

Chu Shiyu changed the topic and asked, "Which courtyards do the three...concubines live in?"

The guards suddenly realized and began to imagine things in their minds. They whispered, "Your Highness, are you asking about the three concubines? They all live in the courtyard in the northwest corner. Concubine Su Qing lives in Luohua Courtyard, Concubine Su Xiao lives in Liushui Courtyard, and Concubine Du Ruo lives in Ruyi Courtyard."

Behind his back, Liu Rusi had told him that everyone in Shuiyubingtai had the surname Su, so that was Du Ruo. After getting the information, Chu Shiyu turned around and headed straight for the northwest corner of the palace.

After walking for a while, Chu Shiyu discovered that he was not very familiar with Prince Duan's Mansion. For example, it seemed that he had never been to the northwest corner since the mansion was established.

This northwest corner seems to be relatively remote, and there are no lanterns hanging on the road. Even with the starlight today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify the road.

Another team of patrolling guards passed by, and Chu Shiyu took a lantern from them directly. He didn't pay attention to the guards' strange looks, and just said: "The patrol duty is a group of five. If there are fewer people, the people on the assigned shifts should make up for it."

As Chu Shiyu walked towards the northwest corner, his mood became much calmer. No matter what, his intentions towards Liu Rusi would not change.

"Ah!" A man walked out of the woods nearby, obviously frightened by Chu Shiyu, and then immediately came to his senses and saluted: "Your Highness, I greet you!"

"Yisan, what are you doing here?"

Chu Shiyu narrowed his eyes. This was his close bodyguard, who had accompanied him all the way back to the capital. At the Baitian Temple, this dark-skinned bodyguard had even received a note.

"I just went to the bathroom..." Yisan looked nervous.

Chu Shiyu's face darkened immediately, and he said in a cold voice: "This is the backyard! Guards must be in groups of five. You are my close attendant, so you don't have to patrol!"

Yisan immediately knelt down, sweating profusely, and muttered, "I am... filling in for someone else... I just went to the bathroom, and will be back in the group soon!"

At this time, the patrol team whose lanterns had just been stolen came back and knelt down upon seeing this, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! We didn't go far just now. We were just waiting here for Brother Yi to come back from the bathroom!"

Chu Shiyu snorted coldly and said, "After the patrol, go and get twenty sticks, B three, and fifty."

"Yes, I know I was wrong!" Yi San bowed his head and thanked him. Fifty strokes of the cane is not much, he can hold on...

Chu Shiyu turned around and continued walking forward. The yard in the southwest corner should be here.

"Your Highness! Why...you come out so late without anyone around you?" Yi San shouted with concern.

"This is the palace. If you walk around here, you will need someone to follow you. What's the point of you patrolling?" Chu Shiyu said without even turning his head.

After walking about ten steps, Chu Shiyu saw the gate of the courtyard, and the first one he saw was Ruyi Courtyard.

"Your Highness, can I knock on the door for you?" Yi San followed.

Chu Shiyu raised his head, and Yi San immediately understood. He stepped forward and knocked on the door, shouting, "The prince has arrived. Open the door and welcome him!"

There was a noise in the courtyard, and soon the gate was opened. The maid who opened the door first looked at the two people in shock, and then immediately knelt down and shouted: "This servant greets the prince!"

"Where's Du Ruo? Call her out. I have something to ask you." Chu Shiyu noticed something strange, but he didn't want to bother with these trivial matters. He only wanted to know the possible relationship between Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion and Liu Rusi...

"Aunt Du has fallen asleep. I'll go call her right away!" The maid hurried into the room.

He didn't want to go into the house, so he walked to the stone bench in the yard and sat down to wait. But just as he sat down, Chu Shiyu stood up with a frown. The stone bench was warm, which meant someone had just sat on it.

Chu Shiyu suddenly asked the person standing outside the courtyard gate: "Yisan, why don't you leave?"

"I...will guard the courtyard for the prince."

Ruifeng's eyes revealed a little coldness in the night, and he said with a hint of sarcasm: "It may take all night, so there is no need to guard."

The figure standing by the gate seemed to be frozen, and after a few breaths of silence, he responded, "Yes, I will take my leave then."

Du Ruo quickly ran out in a hurry, knelt down when he was still five feet away from Chu Shiyu, and shouted in surprise: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Get up and come closer." Chu Shiyu's eyes became colder and colder.

Du Ruo got up stiffly and walked forward slowly, but stopped when he was two feet away.

Chu Shiyu didn't ask her to come closer, but said coldly: "Look up."

The thin woman didn't move for a long time, with her head hanging down and not raising it.

He could already guess what was going on.

I didn't expect that I would find myself cheated when I just came to ask something... It was impossible for me not to be angry at all. It had nothing to do with whether I liked this concubine or not. This was equivalent to trampling on his dignity.

However, his personal guards and his concubines were involved in this matter, which was surprisingly similar...

And Liu Rusi said...it can't be considered his biological mother's fault. His father was not good to his biological mother, and there is someone else who shares the same feelings with him, so why should he remain a virgin?

"Do you agree to take one hundred taels and leave the house?" Chu Shiyu asked without emotion.

"Well... I will move out tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." Du Ruo said in a low voice.

"Before you leave the house, you are not allowed to see each other again."

Looking up at the stars above his head, Chu Shiyu felt that he was pretty good the way he was. Except for Liu Rusi, there seemed to be nothing that he could not accept.

Du Ruo seemed to think he had heard it wrong, and was stunned for a few breaths before suddenly looking up in shock! He was filled with fear and surprise, and opened his mouth slightly, unable to say a word!

"I came here to ask you about something related to the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion."

Chu Shiyu glanced at him from the side. No wonder he hadn't looked up just now. It turned out that his lip was bitten. Yi San was really willing to use force. He was so angry the day before that he wanted to punish Liu Rusi, but he didn't want to do it...

Realizing that his thoughts had gone astray, Chu Shiyu quickly closed his eyes and regained his senses. He could not get close to Liu Rusi as he wished, as it was very rare for her to feel that she was in the wrong.

It took Du Ruo a long time to come back to his senses, and he quickly said eagerly: "What does the prince want to ask? I will tell you the truth!"

"How old are you?" Chu Shiyu decided to start one by one.

Du Ruo's enthusiasm faded a little, and he lowered his head a little and said nervously: "After the frost, it will be twenty-one."

For example, she was nearly a year younger. Chu Shiyu looked at the lanterns in the corner of the courtyard and asked, "How old are the people who came out with you?"

"Generally, they will marry at the age of fifteen, but because they have to be trained in the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion for at least three years, some will enter the pavilion later, at the age of sixteen or seventeen, but no older than eighteen. The pavilion only accepts those under fifteen."

If Liu Rusi hadn't met Qin Lie... She was thirteen years old at that time. If she had entered the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion, she would have been sixteen when she graduated. She should have been in the same batch as Du Ruo...

"How many people from the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion entered the imperial family with you? Where were you before the royal father rewarded you?"

"The royal family only accepts ten people every two years. Only two people from the Golden Wind and Jade Dew Pavilion were selected. They will wait in the Anxiu Palace in the palace before being rewarded..."

"So how were you three picked out... for me?"

"That time was quite special. First of all, they had to be familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics. Only five people were selected. After the emperor reviewed them, he picked out the three with the best looks..."

Chu Shiyu turned to look at Du Ruo again. She also had the usual frail and vulnerable look. In terms of appearance alone, she was a little bit inferior to Liu Rusi... Even if he had the blessing of a loving eye, objectively speaking, the difference should not be much.

He was seventeen at that time, and Liu Rusi was three months older than him, not yet eighteen. She should still be in Anxiu Palace. With her intelligence and eagerness to learn, it would not be difficult for her to have a basic understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics... Is it possible that she... will also be chosen?

"What if... you are not chosen?"

"If they are not distributed after they reach the age of eighteen, they will be returned to their original place and sold at a low price..." Du Ruo had a look of relief on his face.

Chu Shiyu was stunned and asked in a murmur: "If it is returned to its original place... where will it be sold?"

"It's hard to say. If you're lucky, they might be sold to ordinary rich and powerful people, but if they're over 18, they're considered old, so most of them will be sent to brothels..." Du Ruo was obviously very disgusted with this consequence.

"But... I heard that King Kang will give some people who are about to retreat a choice. As long as they are willing to become deaf and dumb, they can follow King Kang. Many people will choose that path."

So there is such an inside story? Is King Kang a better choice?

Her Adam's apple moved slightly. If she fell into this situation, what would she choose? Chu Shiyu didn't want to consider this possibility... His voice was slightly hoarse: "Then what were you going to do in Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion and Anxiu Palace?"

...

Zi and Chou alternate.

Chu Shiyu walked out of Ruyi Courtyard in a daze.

They might have missed each other. If Liu Rusi hadn't met Qin Lie back then, they would have most likely met...but the possibility in between is so hard to accept.

And when she was in Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion and Anxiu Palace, she spent those days like a bird in a cage. With Liu Rusi's personality, she should have tried every possible way to escape, right?

Why not just follow the current trajectory? It’s already good now…even though I may have missed four years…

A dark-skinned guard was waiting by the woods not far outside the courtyard. When he saw Chu Shiyu coming, he walked up to him, knelt down, and bowed his head to the ground.

"My lord..."

As a close attendant, Yi San knew exactly how clever his master was, so he didn't dare bet on the possibility that the prince hadn't noticed...

The chaotic fate seemed to have changed the trajectory of many people. Looking at the dark and indistinguishable road ahead, Chu Shiyu asked indifferently: "What did you write on the note you got from Baitian Temple that day?"

Yi San looked up in astonishment. He didn't know what the prince was thinking, and the content of the note...

"Say!"

"Yes, the note says..." Yi San hesitated for a few breaths, and finally reported the truth: "See Liu Dedu..."

"Hahaha..." Chu Shiyu suddenly laughed.

It's true, seeing Liu Dedu... If it weren't for Liu Rusi, he wouldn't have noticed these three women at all, and Du Ruo would probably be locked up in the palace for life. Or, until their affair was exposed, then even if it was just for the face of the palace, the two of them would not be able to escape death.

Yi San looked at him blankly. His master laughed and turned to leave. His worries were not yet resolved. He couldn't help but speak anxiously: "Your Majesty, your subordinate..."

"Leave the capital within seven days. It would be best if you could go to Baitian Temple to fulfill a wish."

Hearing the order gradually fade away, Yi San was confused and ecstatic at the same time! Although he didn't know why the prince did this, it meant to let them go!

The tall figure outlined by the lantern light was no longer visible, but Yi San kowtowed three times respectfully behind him.

The thin woman hurried over and knelt down with Yi San. She said anxiously, "The prince just asked some questions! He didn't touch me..."

The conversation was interrupted by a hug, but they soon separated. Yi San smiled with white teeth showing and said: "I don't care, you were stolen by me!"

"Then you just now...refused to leave outside the yard." Du Ruo complained timidly.

"I'm just worried that the prince will find out that you're missing... and punish you." Yi San pulled Du Ruo up together.

"I'm leaving the house tomorrow. Can you pick me up outside?" Du Ruo's eyes were full of joy.

"Okay!" Yi San gradually stood further away. He couldn't let anything go wrong before the end. He said softly, "See you tomorrow then."

In the Punishment Hall, five guards who were off duty all lay on the floor and reported the number of punishments they had received.

After the four people reported twenty, Otosaburo said, "One hundred."

The people around him immediately exclaimed: "Brother Yi San! The prince said fifty!"

"I'll add fifty more myself." Yi San said with a smile. He was not at ease if he got what he wanted with only fifty hits.