Chapter 5 The Crown Prince

Chapter 5 The Crown Prince

Her heart swirled with conflicting emotions, unsure whether to feel joy or fear.

After all, this was the same young man who had once cherished her dearly, sharing months of tender affection with her!

Even a day of love creates a lasting bond—it was impossible to claim she held no feelings for the Crown Prince at all.

His appearance here, at this very moment, at least proved he had not abandoned her. He simply couldn’t protect her.

A Wu took comfort in this, her eyes even glistening with tears.

The Crown Prince had only just learned of A Wu being sent away to become a nun. In a frantic rush, he burst out of the inner court without regard for consequences, determined to stop her.

Now, having defied all orders to storm through the city gates, he caught sight of A Wu standing on the other side of the moat—delicate in the evening wind, biting her lip as she gazed at him with tear-filled eyes.

His heart felt as though struck by a heavy stone.

His A Wu!

Yet, just as his horse was about to step onto the drawbridge, the bridge began to rise!

He shouted, "Halt!"

But it was already too late.

The drawbridge lifted, the portcullis dropped, and a series of iron bars blocked the path across the moat, while a wall of halberds blocked the Crown Prince's way.

The Crown Prince yanked sharply on the reins, his horse rearing high with a shrill neigh.

On the opposite bank of the moat, A Wu’s eyes glistened with tears.

The Crown Prince commanded, "I am the Crown Prince of this dynasty! I order you, lower the drawbridge!"

The commander wavered, unsure—how could he verify this man’s claim?

Just then, the Crown Prince’s personal guards arrived in haste. One of them flashed an ivory token and declared to the commander, "I am Qin Jian, commander of the Crown Prince’s personal guard. The Crown Prince stands before you—stand down!"

As he spoke, chaos erupted at the city gates.

The capital of Great Hui had nine gates, four of which remained open during the day for public passage. Each gate was guarded by thirty gatekeepers, supported by a hundred soldiers. In emergencies, bronze bells would quickly signal alarms to summon reinforcements.

Now, with the Crown Prince forcing his way through, the bells rang in rapid succession, and nearby garrison troops rushed to the scene. In moments, the area before the gates lined with spears and halberds, while archers atop the walls stood ready with drawn bows.

The commander surveyed the situation before striding forward and kneeling on one knee before the Crown Prince.

Then, with neither subservience nor defiance, he announced, "I am Peng Zhao, fifth-rank gate commander under the jurisdiction of the Inner Nine Gates Commander. Currently on duty, I dare to request that Your Highness present the bronze token. Only then may I lower the drawbridge and respectfully escort Your Highness beyond the city."

At these words, those nearby tensed.

Great Hui enforced strict laws, and the Inner Nine Gates followed even stricter protocols. Unless bearing a bronze token personally granted by the Emperor, once the drawbridge was lowered, it could never be raised again.

Guards crowded both sides of the moat, yet no one dared utter a word—the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

The Crown Prince’s gaze swept painfully over the assembled soldiers, then over the arrowheads gleaming in the sunset upon the walls.

As the Crown Prince of Great Hui, he knew full well that his actions today were enough to invite his father’s anger. If he pressed forward and clashed with the moat’s defenses, he risked the historians’ censure, further inciting his father’s displeasure—and worse, pulling A Wu into the fray.

He feared nothing—but A Wu could not survive the Emperor’s rage.

His gaze crossed the moat, glistening with ripples, and rested on A Wu.

The evening clouds spread across the sky, merging crimson and amber, bathing everything in a golden glow. He saw a strand of dark hair by A Wu’s ear, gently brushing against her delicate cheek.

Even under the sunset's light, he could still see the faint pallor of her small face, her clear eyes shimmering with glistening tears.

She was delicate as porcelain, rare as jade, with a fragile frame that should have been carefully sheltered in the inner courtyard, cherished in every way.

Yet now, she had been forcibly cast out, taken away by common guards, enduring who knew how much hardship.

He wanted to hold her in his arms, to comfort her, to tell her not to be afraid—but the waters of the moat barred his path.

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl were separated by the Milky Way in the heavens, and he and his A Wu were divided by this man-made moat.

He reached out in vain toward the opposite side, his gesture futile.

From the moment he first saw A Wu, he had been completely enchanted. He had once promised her tenderly that he would protect her for a lifetime, yet now he was powerless.

His lips moved slightly as he uttered bitterly, “A Wu, I’ve failed you…”

Across the moat, A Wu’s lashes trembled, and she bit her lower lip, gazing at the Crown Prince.

Of course, she liked him—he was handsome, who wouldn't?

But now, no matter which way she looked at it, she could no longer have any connection with him.

Especially today, when she had seen the Crown Princess.

She had known before that the Crown Prince had a proper wife, a Crown Princess, but she'd turned a blind eye. Now, having seen the Crown Princess with her own eyes—this noble, dignified wife—she could no longer accept it.

The Crown Princess had looked at her with disdain and contempt, and she could not argue, because she truly was the seductress who had ensnared the Crown Prince, beneath contempt!

But in truth, she hadn’t wanted this!

Why would she go chasing after a married man?

If she were to seduce anyone, it should be an unmarried man!

At this moment, the Crown Prince spoke again, “It’s my fault for not protecting you well, letting you suffer such humiliation.”

A Wu sighed softly, “Your Highness, A Wu does not blame you. It is my fault. That night… I should never have left Huancui Garden…”

That was where all her troubles began.

The Crown Prince shook his head, murmuring, “It’s not your fault. You were naive about these matters—how could I blame you? I only blame myself for not arranging things properly, letting you fall into someone else’s trap.”

His gaze fixed intently on A Wu, he said, “A Wu, bear with this a while longer. Once this blows over, I will come for you. Rest assured, this time I will arrange everything properly. I won’t let you suffer any more humiliations!”

A Wu's breath caught.

Through the sunset’s crimson mirrored in the moat, she saw the sincerity in the Crown Prince’s dark eyes.

He was dead serious.

Once again, he was making her a promise.

But A Wu did not want to hear it. She did not want to return.

So she looked at the young man with his earnest gaze and shook her head firmly. “Your Highness, there’s no need. I will take holy vows and become a Taoist nun. Once I do, I will no longer be bound to this mortal world. Please, do not come for me.”

Upon hearing this, pain flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes: "A Wu? Are you... angry with me?"

As the two spoke, the Crown Prince’s guards, the city gate sentries, and Nie San, among others, all held their breaths and averted their gazes, pretending they weren’t there.

But A Wu couldn’t care less. She had nothing to be ashamed of—in fact, she thought it was good to clarify things in front of so many people.

To set the record straight, she was not some scheming temptress who trapped the Crown Prince. She hadn’t clung to him—it was he who had pursued her.

So she lifted her chin and declared loudly, "I’m not angry with you. I’ve finally realized—we were meant to cross paths, not walk the same road. Let us part ways here."

The Crown Prince frowned, staring at A Wu as he spoke word by word, "How could you say that?"

In the past, the Crown Prince had always been gentle, at least in front of A Wu—he had never shown temper. But now, his refined face turned stormy, exuding an intimidating aura.

A Wu steeled herself. After all, this was the Crown Prince of a nation. His tenderness toward her didn’t mean he was easily manipulated.

She stammered, "I won’t be your concubine anymore. After seeing Her Highness the Crown Princess—so noble and dignified—I..."

The crowd around them remained silent, yet they were all ears.

The Crown Prince kept his gaze fixed on her, waiting for her to continue.

The river rushed by, and a bird flapped its wings overhead.

A Wu steeled herself again. Clenching her fists, she announced loudly, "You are the Crown Princess’s husband, not mine! Leave me alone!"

Her words rang out clearly, heard by everyone present.

Nie San frowned, casting a puzzled glance at A Wu. Two maidservants froze in confusion, unsure what to make of what they had just heard. The others, too, stared at A Wu in confusion.

They had never seen a woman like her—standing there with effortless grace, yet speaking such outrageous words!

And the key point... she had said this to the Crown Prince.

She had told the Crown Prince—the future emperor—to leave her alone.

The onlookers gaped.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince’s dark eyes flashed with displeasure at her words. "A Wu, what nonsense is this?"

Under his piercing gaze, A Wu shrank slightly, and tears welled in her clear eyes.

She averted her gaze and whispered, "Your Highness, I didn’t know any better back then. But now I know—I refuse to be a concubine!"

The Crown Prince went rigid.

He truly had no rebuttal to her words.

Having spoken her mind, A Wu felt her conviction grow stronger.

Clenching her fists tighter, she declared even louder, "Though I come from humble origins, I, too, wish to be a proper wife. If I stay with Your Highness, I’ll only ever be hidden away—what’s the damned point? You’ve sweet-talked me so much, yet in the end, you shut me away in Huancui Garden, never letting me see the capital or the countryside. I couldn’t breathe!"

The Crown Prince’s expression turned grim, his fists balled until his knuckles cracked.

Seeing this, A Wu’s bravado wavered. They’d shared a bed once; she didn’t want to end things on bad terms.

A clean break was best.

She would become a Taoist nun at Yanxiang Temple, which was still a royal Taoist temple. If she ever faced difficulties in the future, she might need his favor someday.

She softened her tone and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this unworthy one bids you farewell. I shall kowtow to you now. Once I enter Yanxiang Temple, I will recite scriptures daily, praying for blessings upon Your Highness and the Crown Princess. May you enjoy eternal happiness, longevity as boundless as the skies, and may your noble selves live in perfect harmony, treating each other with respect, remaining devoted till old age and never parting."

With that, she dropped heavily to her knees and kowtowed three times firmly toward the Crown Prince across the river.

The Crown Prince's jaw tightened as he silently watched A Wu kowtow to him.

Before so many witnesses, she pressed her forehead to the ground with devout reverence. Her jet-black hair spilled onto the dirt, gathering dust, yet she paid it no mind.

After finishing her kowtows, she rose without even glancing at him, turned, and walked away.

Nie San hurriedly followed with several attendants in tow.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince commanded, "Halt."

A Wu stopped in her tracks.

But the Crown Prince turned his gaze to Nie San instead. "Who are you?"

Nie San immediately dropped to one knee and announced, "I am Nie San, a guard assigned to the prince’s outer retinue, tasked with escorting the lady to Yanxiang Temple."

The Crown Prince stated without inflection, "Nie Qianfei, courtesy name Wenbo, left orphaned as a child. Taken in by the Duke of Yingguo’s charity, adopted by Sun Yue, the centurion guard commander of the Duke's household. Later entered my household in the Crown Princess’s retinue."

Nie San stiffened.

The Crown Prince had long since uncovered every detail about him.

A Wu was also surprised.

The Crown Prince had always been tender and accommodating toward her, occasionally tolerating her whims—she had never seen this aspect of him before.

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes. "Nie San, at dawn tomorrow when the city gates open, I will send men to Yanxiang Temple. I will hold you accountable for her safety. Should any harm befall her—"

His voice grew heavy as he slowly concluded, "I will hold you responsible."

Nie San bowed his head respectfully. "As you command."