Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

286 Forced to be the concubine

Li Hua halted outside Yuze’s place and caught her breath. She always wanted to meet Yuze after she returned from Xinshui, but she could not find the right time to see him.

She stepped forward and gradually walked forward. Her eyes fell on Yuze, who had a bamboo basket in his hand. She quickly rushed to him and took the large basket from him. “I will help, Monk Yuze,” Li Hua humbly said, and looked into the basket. There were many herbs inside it, and some flowers too.

“What is the Princess Consort doing here?” Yuze was astonished to see her and asked her not to trouble herself with his work.

“Monk Yuze, such a tiny piece of work will not tire me out,” Li Hua said, and she asked him where to put that basket. Monk Yuze showed her the patio on the left side of the hut. She was mesmerized by the sight of a water system. A tiny fountain was located at the center and the water was dropped into it using bamboo sticks. Many orchids were planted in the garden, along with some fruit trees.

“Have a seat, Princess Consort,” Yuze told her, and she turned to look at him. She sat on the floor chair when he asked her if she would like to drink the tea.

“Thank you, but I do not want to,” Li Hua replied. “Forgive me for coming unannounced, Monk Yuze,” she apologized first.

Monk Yuze smiled and asked her not to apologize. “It seems the Princess Consort has many questions to ask,” he said, while keeping a tiny smile intact on his lips.

“Monk Yuze didn’t tell me that he had seen me when I was a young child,” Li Hua said. “I am here to know why Monk Yuze came to Xinshui. I am afraid, but my father never told me about it, nor did he tell my eldest brother. My Elder Brother ended up hearing Monk Yuze’s conversation with my late father, so he told me that you had already predicted that I would marry Prince Lóng Wei’s son.”

“Xu Guang Li asked me to visit Xinshui,” Yuze said. “Your father learned medicine from me,” he revealed the secret that had been kept hidden for years.

.....

Li Hua was shocked to learn the truth from Yuze. Her father learned medicine and acupuncture from Yuze! He never shared this with anyone.

“It is admirable that his daughter learned acupuncture from him and saved the life of Prince Lóng Wei,” he stated.

“Why didn’t Monk Yuze use acupuncture on Prince Lóng Wei that day? I might have done something wrong which could have risked Prince Lóng Wei’s life,” she opined.

“I had faith in the Princess Consort’s skills. Most importantly, I knew my pupil would have trained his daughter well,” Yuze explained to her. Li Hua was unable to react to that.

“Monk Yuze, could you please tell me what you have told my father?” Li Hua requested him.

“Sure. Your stars are perfectly synchronized with the stars of Prince Lóng Wei. I predicted that in the near future, both of you should marry, as you were his chosen bride,” Yuze stated.

“However, Xu Guang Li never wanted to send his precious daughter to the palace. He decided to keep it a secret from everyone. Then, after some years, as Prince Lóng Wei grew up, the discussions about him were prevalent in every part of the Kingdom. Xu Guang Li decided not to ever make you marry him. Destiny played its role and you are both together now.” Yuze made her aware of the reason why Xu Guang Li kept it hidden.

“Father never let me leave the residence alone. I hardly used to meet people outside my residence. Was there any reason behind it?” Li Hua was suspicious that her father kept her within the four walls of the residence for some reason.

“I believe so. I had not met Xu Guang Li in sixteen years. So, I didn’t know what was on his mind,” Yuze replied.

“Prince Lóng Wei has retrieved Xu Guang Li’s personal diary where it is mentioned someone from the palace knows about it. I believe that your father has shared the prophecy with someone in the palace. Because I had no intention of revealing it until destiny would have brought you two together.” Yuze was also searching for who could be the person, who found out about the prophecy. The mysterious murders in the Xu family were done for a bigger purpose.

Li Hua could not understand whom her father could tell about the prophecy. Why would he share it with someone when he never wanted to send her to the palace?

“Monk Yuze, thank you for answering my questions,” Li Hua said and bowed to him.

“Anytime, Princess Consort,” Yuze said.

“Monk Yuze, may I ask something related to Prince Lóng Wei?” She hesitated a bit because she feared that Yuze might refuse to tell. When Yuze allowed her, she immediately asked him.

“What was Prince Lóng Wei’s mother like? I know I should ask all such questions of the Prince, but he gets furious and upset. When he told me that his mother never wanted him to be born into this world, I realised how difficult it was for him. So, I refrain from asking Prince Lóng Wei,” she asserted. She was curious to know about Concubine Jun.

“Princess Consort, Concubine Jun entered the palace against her wish. She wanted to end her life, but could not as she was pregnant. It was a tough time for her. Prince Lóng Wei hates her maybe because of this reason because she blamed him for her existence,” Monk Yuze explained to Li Hua. This was something new to her. So, she was forced to become a concubine. But it was not right to blame Lóng Wei. It was not his fault.

“Princess Consort, with time, Lóng Wei will definitely tell you the remaining secrets about himself as well. Be patient with him,” Yuze stated.

Li Hua hummed and again thanked Yuze for giving out some of his precious time to her.