Hua Shao shook his head and said, "We found you in the carriage. The Fourth Prince has been missing since last night."
"Quickly, save the prince! He's in danger!" Chu Xiyin struggled to get out of bed, but after taking only a few steps, she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Mu Jing frowned and asked.
Green Butterfly looked at the Fourth Prince with a puzzled expression and said, "We've already given him the antidote, but why hasn't he woken up yet? Logically speaking, even without the antidote, he should have woken up by now."
"Xiyin, don't go, don't leave me..." the Fourth Prince murmured in his dream.
Mu Jing's eyes flashed with anger as she waved her hand at Green Butterfly and said, "You can go now!"
Green Butterfly glanced at the Fourth Prince, sighed softly, and left the room.
Mu Jing gently sat down on the edge of the bed, her long fingernails tracing across the Fourth Prince's face, wiping away the tear stains remaining at the corners of his eyes. "What's so good about that woman? Everything she could give you, I can give you too. From today onward, I want you to forget her, to forget her completely!"
Her fingernails lingered on his lips, gently caressing them. Slowly, she pulled a packet of blue liquid medicine from her bosom and poured it into his mouth. Watching him swallow the liquid, she smiled slightly and said, "Get a good night's sleep. In seven days, you will be the consort of my third princess."
Mu Jing leaned down and planted a deep kiss on his lips.
Chapter 43: From Prince to Imperial Son-in-Law? (Part 1)
In recent days, everyone in the Twilight Kingdom has been talking about these three prince consorts. They all say that he is not only handsome and elegant, but also a legendary figure who has fought on the battlefield and is brave and unparalleled. However, no one knows what the identity, status, or background of these three prince consorts are.
Unbeknownst to them, these discussions about the three prince consorts reached the ears of the soldiers of the Ziling Dynasty stationed on the border of the Twilight Kingdom.
That day, several soldiers were secretly discussing it among themselves.
"I heard that the Third Princess of the Twilight Kingdom has found a husband. Do you think it might be our Fourth Prince?"
"I think it might be our Prince! He's been missing for days now, and neither Lord Qi nor Lord Hua have given us any definite news. What if those brats from the Twilight Kingdom launch a sneak attack, and the Prince isn't here? Sigh..."
"I think the prince might really have gotten together with that woman from the Twilight Kingdom. Look at those seductive eyes of hers... they're fucking bewitching!"
"What are you guys talking about?" Qi Yu glared angrily at the soldiers and demanded.
"Lord Qi... Lord Qi!" The soldiers trembled with fear.
"This is a military camp, not a place for you to gossip. If I ever hear you talking about the Fourth Prince behind his back again, watch your heads!" Qi Yu's two vertical eyebrows were quite intimidating.
Several soldiers swallowed hard, wiping their throats, and nodded repeatedly, promising never to act recklessly again.
"Alright, you can go now!" Qi Yu said, glancing at them.
Upon hearing the order, the soldiers hurriedly ran away.
Qi Yu sighed heavily, preoccupied, and was about to turn and leave when he inadvertently glanced at a woman's foot behind the tent.
"Who's there?" Qi Yu shouted.
The person behind the tent hesitated for a moment before slowly emerging from behind the tent.
"Chu Xiyin!" Qi Yu exclaimed in surprise.
"Lord Qi!" Chu Xiyin stared intently at Qi Yu. "Is the Fourth Prince really going to marry the Third Princess?" She had heard every word the soldiers had said earlier.
Qi Yu frowned, looked at Chu Xiyin, and hesitated to speak.
“Does your silence mean it’s true? But I don’t believe the Fourth Prince would marry her! I’m going to the Kingdom of Twilight to find out the truth about this,” Chu Xiyin said earnestly.
"Qi Yu..."
Chu Xiyin turned around upon hearing the sound and saw a person wearing a bamboo hat and dressed in black, with a slender figure resembling a woman.
The man in black walked to Qi Yu's side, looked at him with a hint of allure in his eyes, then carefully examined Chu Xiyin before coldly curling his lips and saying, "Isn't this the Fourth Princess Consort?"
"Who are you?" Chu Xiyin did not recognize the man in black in front of her.
"Siqi, go back to your original state!" Qi Yu said softly.
Siqi glanced at Qi Yu ambiguously, then abruptly threw off her bamboo hat, revealing a cascade of long, black hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She gave a graceful curtsy and said with a smile, "Siqi greets the Fourth Princess!"
"I am no longer the Fourth Princess Consort," Chu Xiyin said calmly.
Siqi paused, looked at Qi Yu, and then said, "Actually, Siqi has already met the Fourth Princess Consort."
Chu Xiyin pondered for a moment, but had no recollection of the beautiful woman before her.
Siqi chuckled softly and said, "It seems my disguise skills are really quite good! Now that I think about it, Chunhua really is a carbon copy of the Princess!"
"Siqi, don't talk nonsense," Qi Yu gently scolded.
"What's the big deal? She'll find out sooner or later. The Fourth Prince risked execution for deceiving the Emperor for her sake, and Chunhua had to live in a body that wasn't her own because of her. Not only did she feel no guilt, but she left without a word. Now, the Prince is trapped in an enemy country to save her! Shouldn't I let her know all this?" Siqi was a straightforward woman and couldn't stand Qi Yu's protection of Chu Xiyin.
Chu Xiyin was stunned. Siqi's words made her realize that it was indeed all her fault. She walked closer to Liang Siqi, looked into her eyes earnestly, and said, "I want to ask you for a favor!"
"What?" Liang Siqi was a little taken aback by her sudden approach.
Chu Xiyin smiled faintly and said, "Come to my tent tonight."
Liang Siqi looked at her, completely bewildered.
Chu Xiyin gave a strange smile to the bronze mirror. It must be said, Siqi's disguise skills were indeed superb; in just half an hour, she had transformed herself from a young woman in her early twenties into a completely white-haired old woman.
"Are you really going to do this?" Liang Siqi asked with a worried expression. "Actually, I was just saying those things casually, you don't need to take them to heart. The Fourth Prince went through so much to rescue you, if..."
“Even if you hadn’t said those things, I would have done the same thing,” Chu Xiyin interrupted, looking at Liang Siqi through the bronze mirror.
"Why?" Liang Siqi thought she was just saying that to put her mind at ease.
“It’s very simple, just one word—love. I love the Fourth Prince, so no matter what, I will go to save him,” Chu Xiyin said firmly.
"If, as the rumors say, the Fourth Prince has fallen in love with the Third Princess, what will you do?" Liang Siqi gently placed her hand on her shoulder.
"I..." Chu Xiyin couldn't answer. She had never imagined that the Fourth Prince would fall in love with another woman.
If he truly fell in love with her, perhaps she would choose to leave! Chu Xiyin sighed, then suddenly seemed to remember something, turned around, and looked at Liang Siqi, saying, "By the way, please keep this a secret from Lord Qi and Lord Hua."
Siqi nodded and patted her shoulder, saying, "Don't worry! I won't tell them."
At night, a half-moon hung in the sky, illuminating two thin figures running under the moonlight.
Tonight, the soldiers on guard were somewhat distracted. Although the camp had repeatedly forbidden the spread of rumors about the Fourth Prince becoming the consort of the Twilight Kingdom, the soldiers couldn't help but secretly discuss it among themselves.
Liang Siqi led Chu Xiyin past the patrolling soldiers and headed straight for the city of Twilight.
"I can only take you this far. If Qi Yu and the others find out, I'm afraid..."
"I know, you can go back now!" Chu Xiyin released her hand and said with a smile. However, at this moment, her smile was not as charming as usual, because the cluster of wrinkles made her smile look somewhat frightening.
Liang Siqi took out several packets from her bosom and handed them to Chu Xiyin, saying, "I have a few packets of poison powder here. You can use them for self-defense if you have to resort to it."
Chu Xiyin accepted the poison powder, thanked her, and only turned and walked towards the city wall after Liang Siqi's figure disappeared into the moonlight.
The earthen city wall is about 8 meters high, and the soldiers on the wall patrol back and forth, watching for any movement outside the city.
Chu Xiyin looked up, gazing helplessly at the high city walls and tightly closed gates. "Looks like I'll have to spend the night outdoors!"
She sat on the ground, arms wrapped around her knees, gazing at the crescent moon. Thinking of the Fourth Prince, she couldn't help but sigh, "The moon is half full, songs sung, flowers weep; mountains and rivers separate us, we meet in a foreign land. My heart is clear, Heaven can bear witness; but who knows the heart of my lord, who can understand its deceit?"
Chuan, what should I do if you really fall in love with her?
Chu Xiyin buried her head between her knees and began to sob softly and pitifully.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.
The sound of hooves was exceptionally clear in the quiet night. Seated on horseback was a handsome young man in a blue robe, his eyes fixed intently on the city gate, a smile on his face; he seemed to be in a very good mood.
The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as the young man stood at the city gate, reined in his horse, took a token from his waist, and shouted loudly towards the top of the city gate, "I am Mu Ming, the second prince of Mu Ai Kingdom! Open the city gate at once!"
The soldiers guarding the city cautiously looked down from the city wall, and only after confirming the boy's identity did they hurriedly run down the city wall.
Mu Ming tucked the token back into his waistband when he suddenly heard a sob. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a frail old woman squatting on the ground, pitifully sobbing softly. He jumped off his horse and went up to her, asking, "Old lady, why are you squatting alone at the city gate in the middle of the night?"
Chu Xiyin paused, remembering she was now an old woman. After a moment's hesitation, she imitated an old woman's voice, saying, "I...it's all my heartless son's fault. He married a wife and abandoned his mother. His wife is domineering and arrogant, despising me for being old and useless. So she conspired with my son to kick me out of the house." Chu Xiyin paused again. She seemed to recall the young man saying he was the second prince of the Twilight Kingdom. Mu Jing must be his sister. If she could make good use of him, perhaps she could meet the Fourth Prince. Then, she covered her face and sobbed, "I'm just an old woman with nowhere to go. I might as well die..."
"Grandma, don't be sad. How about this, I have some silver here, you can take it!" Mu Ming was generous and took out a bag of silver from his pocket and handed it directly to Chu Xiyin.
Chu Xiyin swallowed hard, pushed back the silver offered to her, and said with tears in her eyes, "If you don't mind, young master, could you take in this useless old man? I can do everything, from laundry to cooking..."
“This…” Mu Ming hesitated.
"Could it be that the young master, like my son, despises this old woman?" With that, Chu Xiyin began to sob again. Fortunately, the emotions she had just felt for the prince were still present; otherwise, she would never have been able to force so many tears!
Mu Ming was somewhat at a loss, and said in a flustered manner, "Old man, you...you misunderstand. I don't mean to look down on you. It's just that working in the palace inevitably involves suffering grievances, and I'm afraid that you're too old to bear them!"
"As long as you give me food and a bed, I can endure any hardship!" Chu Xiyin said, holding Mu Ming's hand tightly.
At this moment, the city gates were opened, and the soldiers guarding the city respectfully came forward to welcome Mu Ming into the city.
Mu Ming straightened up, stared at Chu Xiyin, and said helplessly, "Then you shall come to the palace with me!"
Chu Xiyin was overjoyed and jumped up from the ground, laughing, "Thank you, Second Prince!"
Mu Ming stared blankly at her, suddenly feeling like he had been deceived.
Chapter 44: From Prince to Imperial Son-in-Law? (Part 2)
Looking at Chu Xiyin's overly "straight" posture and her pair of dark, bright eyes, Mu Ming felt that she didn't look like an old lady at all.
"Isn't the Second Prince leaving yet?" Chu Xiyin asked, turning around.
“You plan to walk into the palace? That’s a long way off!” Mu Ming said, whistling. Hearing the whistle, the majestic black horse obediently ran up to him.
Mu Ming smiled, gracefully leaped onto his horse, and gentlemanly extended his hand to Chu Xiyin, saying, "Come on, get on the horse!"
Chu Xiyin used his strength to lightly leap onto the horse's back.
Mu Ming chuckled mischievously, "The old lady's skin is quite smooth. I suppose she hasn't done much housework at home?"
Chu Xiyin hurriedly withdrew her hand and lowered her head, saying, "Second Prince, please don't make fun of this old woman!"