Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

"Your highness, did you not have a good sleep?" Wang Hao asked as he saw Sheng Li was yawning. Sheng Li looked at Ying Lili and recalled how she disturbed him the entire night. 'The biggest mistake of his life- Bringing Ying Lili and Hu Jingguo on this journey' he realized.

Ying Lili was showing her neck to Hu Jingguo. "The herbal medicine you gave was very useful. They are no more there," Ying Lili said as she moved her hand over her neck.

"Thanks to my master who passed me all the knowledge of medicine. Do you want to study medicine? It may be useful to you. I will give you a notebook in which I have noted about various medicines," Hu Jingguo offered Ying Lili.

"Okay. You can give me that later," Ying Lili stated when Xiao Zhan came to her. "Your highness, please get into the cart." Ying Lili turned to him and nodded. She came towards the cart and got inside. Sheng Li was already waiting for her inside the cart.

Mu Zuheng handed a cloth bag in which there were lunch boxes for them. Wang Hao thanked him and told him to get rid of that rest house. He hopped on the horse after putting the cloth bag inside the cart.

"Let's go," Wang Hao commanded. Unlike the previous day, they were not speeding the horses. The coachman too started the cart, and they now left for the Southern Province. 

There was a pin drop silence between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Both did not utter a single word as they both were angry at each other. Sheng Li was feeling sleepy, so he closed his eyes. Last night was trouble for him because he was forced to sleep on the floor. 

Ying Lili glanced at him and found Sheng Li was sleeping. She twitched her lips slightly. "He should not have fought with me. How could he say I seduce everyone around me?" Ying Lili raised her hand to hit him but then stopped. Sheng Li's head rested against the sidewall of the carriage, which was slightly uncomfortable for him. 

Ying Lili gently placed her hand on the side of Sheng Li's head and brought it closer to her shoulder. A smile carved on her lips as Sheng Li's head rested on her shoulder without any disturbance. "But he looks cute while he is asleep," Ying Lili murmured and held his hand in hers. She intertwined her fingers with Sheng Li's. 

~~~~~~ 

Nianzu was coming from the court when Eunuch Chung informed him that a woman was asking about him at the Palace gates.

"What?" Nianzu exclaimed. "What did she say?" Nianzu questioned Eunuch Chung. 

"That she wants to meet the Prince who is the Advisor of the Emperor," Chung replied. Nianzu halted at his place and asked Chung if the woman showed something to the Palace gatekeepers.

"I do not know, your highness. The gatekeepers send her away," Chung informed Nianzu who nodded. 

"Eunuch Chung, I will see you later. I have some important work outside the Palace," Nianzu stated. 

"Your highness, please take some guards with you," Eunuch Chung said with concern, but Nianzu refused and left from there. Nianzu came to the stable, took a horse for him, and left the Palace. 

Nianzu pulled the horse in the village where he had come the other day with Lei Wanxi to drop Miss Chuntao home. Upon seeing the Prince there, the people bowed their heads to whoever saw him. Nianzu got down from the horse and started walking. 

The people there were wondering what the Prince was doing there. A place like theirs was not meant to be visited by a Prince. The news of the Prince's arrival in the village reached the ears of the Village Headman, Wuqing Pao who quickly left for the place where the Prince was heading to. 

"Where does she live?" Nianzu murmured and looked at one man who was going to the fields. 

Nianzu stopped the man and asked, "Do you know where Miss Chuntao lives?" The man first greeted the Prince and then told the directions to the Prince. Nianzu got confused with the directions when the man offered his help to him. 

Nianzu agreed with that and followed the man. Nianzu was asking the man about his work when he heard the sound of a speeding horse cart. He turned to look when the cart stopped a few meters away from him.

Wuqing Pao quickly came out of the carriage and greeted the Fourth Prince. "Your highness, you did not tell me about your sudden visit." Wuqing Pao then lifted his head and looked into the eyes of Prince Nianzu.

"I was here to meet someone, so I did not find it suitable to tell the Village Headman. Now, you have come, so I would like to meet you later in the evening. There is something I want to discuss with the Village Headman," Nianzu asserted.

Wuqing Pao nodded and told the Prince that he would come to the Palace.

"No, not the Palace. I will meet you at your residence. You shall leave then," Nianzu stated. Wuqing Pao bowed his head and left from there. Once the Village Headman had left, Nianzu told the man to continue walking.

Soon they reached outside the house of Chuntao. Nianzu noticed there was no one there, so he looked at the man who had shown him the directions. "Thank you for taking me here," Nianzu said, and took a pouch from inside his pocket. He forwarded it to the man. "It is to help me." The man thanked the Prince and left from there.

Nianzu tied the horse from a wooden railing made around the house and walked in. He found there was no one there, so he decided to wait for her. He sat on a bedstead there and looked around.

Almost an hour passed, but no one came to the house. He stood up and walked ahead when he saw Chuntao coming there. Chuntao was surprised to see a horse in front of her house when her eyes fell on the Prince.

She bowed her head and greeted the Prince. "Miss, sorry for coming inside the gate but I was informed that you came to the Palace to meet me," Nianzu politely said. 

"Yes, your highness. I wanted to pay you back, that's why I came to the Palace but I was refused entry there," Chuntao replied. Her eyes were still lowered. 

"You do not need to, Miss Chuntao," Nianzu stated. "Why didn't you use the tassel I had given you? It would have been easier to meet me then," Nianzu proclaimed.

"I thought it will not be good to use a tassel. Your highness, I really want to pay you back. I will pay my debt in monthly installments. Please do not refuse, your highness," Chuntao stressed her words.

Nianzu could not refuse her and agreed to that. "I will come here at the end of each month to take the money from you. The amount is less and I think you will clear your debts in a year. The Landlord had applied illegal interest rates on many people. You need to pay one hundred cents every month," Nianzu stated.

Chuntao agreed and thanked the Prince for agreeing with that. Nianzu smiled. "I shall take my leave then. Use the tassel next time if you want to meet me," Nianzu asserted, and left from there.