Chapter 110 Yongqi Admits His Mistake

"Okay, I promise you! But we both have to be honest. When something happens, we'll talk it out and solve it together. Don't try to pull that 'pushing me away is for my own good' trick! If I find out, we're completely finished!"

Xiao Yanzi's words were very serious, not at all like a joke, but Yongqi still nodded obediently, "I'll listen to you."

He sacrificed himself for love but didn't say it. That's not something he would do, let alone push Xiao Yanzi away for her own good.

For Little Swallow, the greatest hurt must come from her family, friends, and loved ones!

He was well aware that the harm done by outsiders only hurt Xiao Yanzi physically, but the harm done by her relatives and loved ones could cause her to have a mental breakdown.

Yongqi looked at Xiaoyanzi seriously, "We two need to keep an eye on each other and make sure we do it. We can't hide anything anymore!"

Xiao Yanzi was satisfied with Yongqi's attitude and then asked, "Alright, then tell me, what happened here while I was away these past few years?"

"In the past few years, apart from the usual promotions and demotions of officials, nothing particularly noteworthy has happened. Father Emperor's attitude is clear, and no one else dares to oppose me or maliciously slander me, except for the remnants of Consort Jia, of course. However, before anything even reaches me, it has already been dealt with..."

"Are you sure?" Xiao Yanzi looked closely into Yongqi's eyes, trying to tell if he was lying.

"In such a vast court and harem, nothing particularly noteworthy has really happened?"

Why couldn't she believe it? Even if there weren't any in the harem, there would always be one or two treacherous people in the court, wouldn't there?

Even if it wasn't directed at Yongqi, it was still a power struggle between officials. As a prince, how could Yongqi not have noticed it?

"You're not trying to tell me that every one of the Emperor's ministers is a good person, are you?"

“…” Yongqi fell silent. “Alright, you’re really smart.”

"In recent years, although nothing has been done against me, my ministers have been framing and opposing each other. Some are unable to resist the charms of beautiful women, while others are like fathers who are good friends, yet their sons are fighting each other..."

"The most interesting thing was the year before last..."

"It was probably around the time of the Qixi Festival. The sons of the Ministers of Justice, War, and Revenue all fell in love with the same girl. I forget her name and where she came from, but she was from a brothel..."

"Those three ministers' sons all say that the girl only likes them, and they think the other two are lying and trying to drive a wedge between them!"

"Then one day, the three young men received a message from the girl inviting them out, so they went out one after another. When they arrived at their destination, they saw the girl with another young man of unknown origin. The three young men couldn't stand it and rushed over to ask what was going on. They found out that the girl didn't like the three of them at all; she was only after their money. She wanted to use their money to save her own sweetheart..."

Little Swallow listened with great interest and pressed for an answer: "And then what happened?"

"Later, the three young masters reported it to the authorities, feeling they had been deceived and tricked, so they wanted their money back. But the other two ran away, and the three young masters are still holding a grudge to this day..."

Little Swallow asked curiously, "Who sent them that letter? Could it be someone who likes their young master?"

Yongqi laughed and said, "Yes and no. Two of them are the young master's older sisters, and one is his younger sister. The three sisters like each other's brothers, so they got together to expose the girl's true colors..."

Did those three young masters know that the girl worked at a brothel?

Yongqi shook his head. "They all met that girl outside, and they all thought she was a respectable woman, which is why they felt sorry for her. They never expected that the girl was only after their money. She used all sorts of tricks, like acting cute and weak, to get a lot of money from them..."

"That's tragic. What lessons can their stories teach you?"

Yongqi paused for a moment, then said, "If you encounter a strange woman, keep your distance. If she needs help, have your men handle it. Avoid direct confrontation if possible."

If he gets entangled with someone or misunderstood, that would be terrible! In his past life, when Cailian sold herself to bury her father, it almost cost him his life!

He will never do such a good deed again! Even if he really wants to help, he won't use his real name or show his true face!

After their lake tour, they left Wuxiang Valley and returned to the palace via the same route.

After Yongqi escorted Xiaoyanzi back to Shufangzhai, he leisurely returned to Yonghe Palace.

"Yongqi, you're back. You've sent Xiaoyanzi back." Consort Yu habitually looked behind Yongqi, but she didn't see the person she wanted to see, and felt somewhat disappointed.

"Yes, we sent her back." Seeing Consort Yu's expression, how could he not feel the same way?

"Yongqi, what did the Emperor and the Empress Dowager say?" Consort Yu knew about Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi's plans, so she couldn't wait to ask him when he returned.

“It’s not a problem with Father Emperor, but the Empress Dowager’s idea is that if we really want to get married early, Xiao Yanzi will have to have a child, but Xiao Yanzi herself is still a child… So the Empress Dowager’s idea is that since Xiao Yanzi’s name is already on the imperial register, she will get married sooner or later, so I don’t need to rush.”

Consort Yu said irritably, "You want to get married so early, but you don't want to have children like this. It's obvious what you're planning to do by getting married so early. No wonder the Empress Dowager is angry."

"Whether you are an ordinary prince, a prince of the blood, or you sit on that throne, you must learn to restrain your desires and not go overboard. Otherwise, your body will not be able to take it, and neither will Xiao Yanzi's body!"

"Mother, of course I know my limits. I just want to get married as soon as possible so that Xiao Yanzi's status is more legitimate, and also to give Xiao Yanzi an extra layer of protection!"

"With Xiao Yanzi's current status and abilities, who can do anything to her? You've known Xiao Yanzi for so long, don't you understand her character and how to conduct herself? What she wants is to walk alongside you, to move forward side by side, not for you to protect her behind you!"

"You want to marry her, firstly for your own desires, and secondly for the safety of your so-called Xiao Yanzi. But when you had this idea, you already assumed that Xiao Yanzi was weaker than you, which is why she needs your status as the Fifth Prince's wife for protection!"

After Consort Yu finished speaking, Yongqi realized what she meant and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Mother. I understand now!"

"Good that you understand. Don't do anything foolish like that again. If I tell you to wait, then wait patiently. During this time, just do what you're supposed to do and help your father with his worries. Don't think about anything else all day long. Otherwise, even if I don't beat you, Little Swallow will beat you up!"

"Then Mother, you should rest early. I'll go back and think about how to appease Little Swallow..."

Although Xiao Yanzi didn't say it aloud, she probably thought so too. He definitely had to apologize; she couldn't let this cause any rift between them.

Back in his room, Yongqi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. At the same time, Xiaoyanzi in Shufangzhai was doing the same thing, wondering, "Yongqi/Xiaoyanzi, what should I do?"