Princess, Don't Run Away! The Prince Says He Wants To Mend His Ways - Chapter 6

After Gu Lingwan finished speaking, he realized the man before him was wearing white silk, narrow-sleeved training gear. When Xiao the Second had entered the palace with him, he had been wearing a black, wide-sleeved python robe. So…

“Lingwan greets Your Majesty.” Gu Lingwan offered a respectful and dignified bow to the man before him.

How could I have forgotten that Xiao the Second and his Imperial Brother are carved from the same mold?

Xiao Lanjie smiled. “It has been a while, but the Princess Consort has changed quite a bit!”

The tone he used to speak to his Sixth Brother just now lacked the usual spineless timidity, and his eyes were much brighter. His voice when greeting him was calm and steady, without a hint of fear.

Gu Lingwan lowered his eyes, displaying the proper respect for a monarch. “I have been reading, and I have gained much wisdom from it; it is a way to cultivate one’s character.”

Reading indeed cultivates one’s character and changes one’s demeanor. Since the original owner was lazy and hated books, it was perfectly normal that picking up a study habit would cause a noticeable change, and it would not arouse suspicion.

Xiao Lanjie said, “Princess Consort, you should head to the Honghua Hall. I will go change my clothes and join you shortly.”

The novel described this muddle-headed monarch as someone who loved martial arts and practiced daily in the training hall. This outfit was clearly what he wore while exercising. Gu Lingwan cupped his hands in a salute. “Yes.”

He stood frozen for a moment before turning to head toward the north.

“Where is the Princess Consort going?” Xiao Lanjie suddenly asked.

Asking this meant that the Honghua Hall was not in the north. Gu Lingwan was not the original owner, so how could he know where the banquet hall was? He stopped and respectfully answered Xiao Lanjie, “Lingwan is going to find the Prince to head to the Honghua Hall together.”

I am a loyal, dutiful spouse; you cannot ask anything more than that, can you?

“Sixth Brother went to pay his respects at the Empress Mother’s palace. You need to go to the Yongkun Palace to find him,” Xiao Lanjie replied.

Oh my god, please do not be so helpful. Just show some regal indifference and leave me alone. Gu Lingwan breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Thank you for the information, Your Majesty. Lingwan respectfully bids you farewell.” Please, just leave.

Xiao Lanjie stood by the door with no intention of leaving. “Princess Consort, no need for such formalities. You grew up by my side, and you are my brother’s spouse. Go on.”

Gu Lingwan could not disrespect the Emperor, so he slowly turned and headed south.

“The Yongkun Palace is in the north,” Xiao Lanjie reminded him. “Princess Consort, you are going the wrong way. How could you forget the location of the Yongkun Palace, a place you visited for over a decade?”

Gu Lingwan helplessly searched for an excuse. “Your Majesty, I wanted to find a restroom first.” He had seen an outhouse when he arrived earlier.

Xiao Lanjie watched him with great interest. “The Princess Consort has become quite mysterious!”

Hmph, I may have a new soul, but I am still in the original body, so I am not afraid of being suspected. Gu Lingwan offered a respectful smile. “I will take that as a compliment, Your Majesty.”

Xiao Lanjie’s interest deepened. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze shifted to something behind Gu Lingwan. Gu Lingwan turned around. It was Xiao Yingxun.

Xiao Yingxun stopped before them and bowed to Xiao Lanjie. “Greetings, Imperial Brother.”

Beside them, Gu Lingwan’s clear phoenix eyes quietly studied the two men.

Tsk tsk tsk. Whether it is their height or their features, they are just too identical. No wonder I did not recognize him at first and mistook the muddle-headed monarch for Xiao the Second.

Xiao Yingxun glanced at the young man who was mentally babbling away.

However, if you look closely, there is a difference. Xiao the Second’s eyes reveal a clear, foolish loyalty, while under the muddle-headed monarch’s gentle gaze lies a trace of imperceptible darkness.

Hearing these thoughts, Xiao Yingxun kept his expression neutral and carefully observed Xiao Lanjie’s eyes. Looking so closely, he unexpectedly noticed that Xiao Lanjie’s eyes were not entirely gentle. To avoid being caught by Gu Lingwan, who was currently scrutinizing them, Xiao Yingxun quickly looked away and continued listening to the inner thoughts.

The two give off different vibes. Xiao the Second is cold and detached, as if everyone owes him money, holding onto that air of arrogance. The muddle-headed monarch is gentle and warm, always smiling, looking like a neighborly big brother, but he is actually a tiger hiding behind a smile.

Xiao Lanjie walked up to Xiao Yingxun and leaned in, whispering in a voice only they could hear, “Sixth Brother, your Princess Consort is secretly sizing us up.”

Xiao Yingxun replied, “I did not notice.”

Xiao Lanjie raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Sixth Brother must have noticed something off about your Princess Consort by now, right?”

Xiao Yingxun said, “Perhaps he has simply grown more mature and steady with age.”

Gu Lingwan: What are these two yapping about?

Xiao Yingxun’s mouth twitched. That inner thought is truly unpleasant.

Xiao Lanjie asked him, “Sixth Brother, do you really trust him that much? Do you not suspect he is an impostor?”

Xiao Yingxun replied, “Everything must be based on evidence.”

Xiao Lanjie’s gaze remained fixed on Gu Lingwan’s picturesque, breathtakingly beautiful face. “I have a way to prove whether he is a fake consort or not.”

Xiao Yingxun turned to look at him darkly.

Gu Lingwan: Are you two ever going to stop? He thought, Let me tell you, if you do not stop, I will go out and spread rumors that you two brothers are so intimate because you are having an affair.

Xiao Yingxun moved away from Xiao Lanjie in a fit of irritation.

At the same time, Xiao Lanjie said, “The Princess Consort is a Green Dragon.”

A Green Dragon meant he was completely hairless in the places where hair should be. Hearing this, Xiao Yingxun frowned and asked, “How would Your Majesty know this?”

Xiao Lanjie replied, “He used to live in the palace, remember? I heard it from the eunuchs who bathed him. When the banquet ends today, I will have him stay overnight in the palace. When he bathes, Sixth Brother and I will come to verify the truth.”

Xiao Yingxun replied, “Imperial Brother, he is my consort. It would be unethical for you to watch.” He then stepped toward Gu Lingwan. “Imperial Brother, it is time for the banquet.”

Xiao Lanjie’s curiosity was doused by a bucket of cold water. “Very well. You two go ahead; I will go change.”

Xiao Yingxun bowed to Xiao Lanjie, grabbed the fabric of Gu Lingwan’s sleeve, and pulled him away. Xiao Lanjie’s eyes remained fixed on Gu Lingwan’s retreating figure.

Gu Lingwan looked up at Xiao Yingxun. “Your Highness, I haven’t offered my formal leave-taking to the Emperor yet.”

“I have already bowed for both of us,” Xiao Yingxun replied, releasing his grip on the sleeve.

Gu Lingwan stayed silent but thought, You certainly know how to play the we are one act.

The two of us are one? Xiao Yingxun repeated those words to himself. It had been a year since they married, yet he still had not quite adjusted to the fact that he was a married man.

Xiao Yingxun seemed to remember something. “Do not wander around the palace.”

Gu Lingwan had not wanted to wander; he had just been lost. “Understood.”

A few moments later, they arrived at the Honghua Hall. Because it was a private family banquet, there were not many people. But Gu Lingwan did not recognize a single one of them. What was worse, Xiao the Second once again abandoned him to talk to other princes.

Gu Lingwan looked at the people in the hall and muttered to himself, This really is a Royal Best-Of selection; everyone has stunning looks and impressive height!

“It has been a year, little Lingwan, you have grown taller.” A man of about thirty walked up and ruffled Gu Lingwan’s hair with a rough hand. “In the past, whenever my brother bullied you, you would come to me crying.” He remembered how annoying that had been.

Gu Lingwan was not the original owner, so he had no idea who this was. Before he could think of a perfect response, another man in his twenties walked over. “Little Lingwan, that winter when you fell into the water, I was the one who called the servants to save you. So many years have passed since then!” If I had known it was him back then, I would not have bothered calling anyone.

Gu Lingwan was about to speak when he saw a man in red walking toward him. Suddenly, his mind involuntarily flashed to the image of the assassin who had tried to kill Xiao Yingxun two days ago and had sworn vengeance on him.