Marriage to the Royal Prince's Uncle

C75. Blooming into Adulthood at Twenty.

Chapter 75

The biting winter winds had howled incessantly, but in the days leading up to the New Year, they had calmed down. The sky was clear, the sun shining bright, and a gentle breeze graced the evenings.

The two carriages of Duke Dingguo made their steady journey towards the imperial city.

Cao Shao followed his brother on horseback, his eyes alternating between his brother's relaxed yet dignified posture and the neighboring carriage.

A sense of guilt gripped him.

Though he typically concealed from his brother and mother that he still held Yunzhu in his heart, he had just now lost his composure and nearly stumbled. He felt as foolish as a naïve adolescent.

The image of Yunzhu's radiant presence in a vibrant red shirt with billowing sleeves was deeply etched in his mind, akin to a resplendent full moon slowly ascending in the night sky on a Mid-Autumn evening or the soft glow that emanated upon opening a pearl-adorned casket within a nocturnal chamber.

Cao Shao had once overheard inebriated young men at a banquet discussing women, opining that girls of fifteen or sixteen were delicate blooms, the loveliest and most endearing. As they wed, however, they gradually lost their allure, their beauty fading with time, becoming ordinary and uninspiring compared to newer arrivals.

Yunzhu would turn twenty after tonight, yet Cao Shao believed that such talk did not befit her. In his eyes, Yunzhu was infinitely more dazzling than a young girl of fifteen or sixteen. Had he encountered the present Yunzhu earlier, perhaps Cao Shao would not have dared to court her, despite being viewed as a noble and exceptionally talented individual by others.

While some women were beautiful yet vulnerable, subject to mistreatment by others, Yunzhu's beauty was such that, in her eyes, men were mere pawns she effortlessly manipulated.

By now, Cao Shao had long realized that Yunzhu likely harbored little affection for him from the start. The issue lay in the fact that she had willingly acquiesced to his advances initially. Nonetheless, he would not regret it, and if presented with the opportunity, he would seize it wholeheartedly, refusing to let it slip away again.

Regrettably, he knew that such an opportunity might never present itself again, given that she was his sister-in-law.

*

As Yunzhu and her companions arrived at the imperial city, they strolled along the lengthy palace road toward Qianqing Palace.

In attendance were Emperor Qianxing, Empress Dowager Cao, and the esteemed Concubine Xian and Concubine Hui, mothers to the eldest prince An Wang and Princess Yi'an, respectively.

The lower-ranking childless concubines were not summoned to the evening's palace banquet.

Empress Dowager Cao engaged in quiet conversation with Concubine Xian and Concubine Hui, while Emperor Qianxing sat, diligently reviewing Princess Yi'an's studies. Although only two years her senior, he was typically governed by his mother, yet tonight he deliberately teased his sister. Whenever Princess Yi'an misspoke, he playfully affixed a note to her face.

Princess Yi'an harbored no fondness for her brother, the emperor—yet she and her mother relied on his favor, obliging her to play along with his antics.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the uncles and grandmother have arrived," a voice announced.

Emperor Qianxing, momentarily distracted, turned his attention to the palace entrance. Empress Dowager Cao warmly welcomed the guests inside.

Seizing the opportunity, Princess Yi'an swiftly removed the note from her face while Emperor Qianxing was preoccupied.

Leading the group was Yunzhu, accompanied by Cao Xun and Cao Shao, entering the grand hall behind Pan Shi.