The peerless and dark princess

Chu Wange was somewhat bewildered by Nanny Chen's sudden urging for childbirth. She pondered to herself that she had yet to truly experience the feelings of being a wife. Although she and Zuo Ci had been married for nearly a year, it felt as if they had never truly connected. Her married life had become even more uncomfortable than before, and she couldn't quite articulate the reason.

What Chu Wange didn't know was that Zuo Ci would quietly come to her side every night after she fell asleep. Shiqi and the other maids had initially urged him to do so, but now, they had stopped talking. It was simply because these two masters were too slow and self-conscious about matters of the heart. No matter how frantic they were, their relationship remained the same. They could only sigh helplessly, with no other options.

"Qingyu, you are no longer my servant, and you no longer need to serve me," Chu Haolin said softly to Qingyu. In Chu Haolin's heart, he had always regarded Qingyu and Jiang Lin as playmates, not mere servants or guards. However, these two people's stubbornness was exactly the same as Shiqi and others.

Now that Qingzhu had married Zhuo Li, it was logical that Qingyu should live with Zhuo Li in the small courtyard near the palace. Besides, he was almost ten years old, already a grown-up boy, and it shouldn't be difficult for him to take care of himself. Besides, Prince Heng's palace had other servants.

"Sir, I have promised the princess that I will follow you for the rest of my life." Qingyu responded respectfully.

"Even if you don't serve me, you can still stay with me as a friend for the rest of my life. Besides, I have never regarded you and Brother Jiang Lin as ordinary guards or servants." Chu Haolin explained patiently.

"Qingyu understands, but I must not disobey the Master's rules." Qingyu remained stubborn. Deep down, he had long since decided that rather than striving for fame and honor in the imperial examinations, he would simply stay by the Master's side. He knew that the Master would avoid the examinations because his sister had become a princess. Jiang Lin, though usually taciturn, would quietly accompany the Master wherever he went, protecting him except during the time of revenge.

"Never mind. I'll just do as you and Jiang Lin wish." Chu Haolin sighed helplessly. Honestly, they didn't need to do this. Back then, everyone had trained with Sister Jiu. While his own skills weren't as good as Jiang Lin, Sister Jiu's apprentice, they were still slightly better than Qingyu's. In Chu Haolin's eyes, Qingyu's character and temperament were perfectly suited for the imperial examinations. Gentle and elegant like bamboo and pine, he must have been a promising talent. Unfortunately, Qingyu only wanted to follow him.

Chu Haolin knew deep down why he had been chosen as the Crown Prince's companion. It was simply because the Crown Princess mistakenly believed the Crown Prince was interested in his sister, Chu Wange. Furthermore, because His Majesty Chen Yu also admired his sister, the Crown Princess assumed that His Majesty would demote her to a concubine in order to make her the Crown Princess. After all, his sister's family background made her worthy of the position. Power truly is blinding. Recall that the cheerful Crown Princess Minzhou had been blinded by power during her years in the Eastern Palace. How could she have known that her position as Crown Princess was stolen, and even Chen Siran's position as Crown Prince was stolen. In terms of bloodline, his sister was the legitimate royal bloodline. If it weren't for the criticism and insults his mother, Chu Wanran, would have been exposed, he would have wanted to make his sister's life story public.

Naturally, the Crown Princess's actions were all observed by Emperor Chen Yu. However, as both the Emperor and the Crown Princess's father-in-law, he could not openly embarrass his daughter-in-law. In desperation, he secretly summoned Crown Prince Chen Siran to the Imperial Study and admonished him. He also requested the Empress Dowager to intervene and warn the Crown Princess to prevent her from disturbing the peaceful lives of Chu Wange and Zuo Ci.

Chen Yueyao had originally believed the Crown Princess's sister-in-law would be easy to get along with. However, as time went on, she realized that her sister-in-law, who came from the fiefdom of Minzhou, had been completely transformed by power. Her former cheerful and bright demeanor had long since vanished, replaced by a calculating and brooding mind. It wasn't until she accidentally learned the hidden secrets behind Chu Haolin's selection as the Crown Prince's tutor that Chen Yueyao's attitude toward the Crown Princess's sister-in-law subtly shifted. She gradually distanced herself from her, no longer as close and cordial as before. Fortunately, her wedding was only six months away.

Chu Haolin's status was arguably the most distinguished of his companions. As the brother-in-law of Prince Heng, grandson of the Prince of Yan, only Chen Minzheng could rival him. Chen Minzheng had long studied alongside Chen Yu and Chen Siran, and his personality resembled theirs. Perhaps because of this, he developed a special fondness for Chu Haolin, constantly pestering him whenever he had a moment's free time in the Shangshu Garden.

"Lin'er, are you doing okay in Shangshu Garden lately?" Chu Wange asked with concern.

"Sister, everything is fine, but I always think of you in my heart." Chu Haolin responded with a smile.

"Since you miss me, why don't you come to see me? Now you have grown up and we don't live in the same courtyard. If you don't come to see me, how can I know how much Lin'er misses you?" Chu Wange pretended to be angry.

"Sister, if my brother-in-law knew, he would be unhappy." Chu Haolin pretended to refuse, but deep down, he really wanted to see his sister, Chu Wange, every day. In this world, his sister was the only one who shared the same blood with him and was the person closest to him.

"Hehe, why would your brother-in-law care about these things. Besides, I am his princess now, and my brother is naturally his brother as well. How could he not be happy?" Chu Wange thought to herself, now that the entire palace was under her management, how could a person like Zuo Ci be so stingy that he even stopped her from seeing her brother.

"But he is a man after all." Chu Haolin still had some concerns.

"You are not even ten years old yet, you are clearly just a child. Besides, there are already few people in this palace, and it will be even more deserted after your sister Yunxin gets married. From now on, we don't have to have dinner together every day like other families. What do you think?" Chu Wange suggested, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Your sister is right. There are not many people in our family. Come and have meals with us someday." Zuo Ci's voice suddenly came from behind, startling both Chu Wange and Chu Haolin.

"Brother-in-law!" Chu Haolin shouted hurriedly.

"Lin'er, you don't need to feel like a dependent in the palace. This is also your home. Like you, I have lost my parents and I long for the company of my family. I married your sister, so you are also my family." Zuo Ci's tone was sincere and warm, and his eyes showed real concern.