Chapter 63: The Prince's Miss

Everyone turned around and saw a young man wearing a lake-green cloak.

He looked to be about twenty years old, with a pair of peach-blossom eyes that held a watery tenderness when he looked at people. His brows and eyes carried a smile, making him appear very approachable.

Fan Xiao was taken aback at first: "It is the Heir Apparent... wait, we should call you the Prince of Andong now, right?"

"It has been a few years, but Brother Fan is still as dashing and straightforward as ever," Helian Xuan, the Prince of Andong, said with a smile.

"It must be three years now. We heard about your father's passing, but we were too busy during the New Year to offer our condolences. Please do not take offense," Fan Xiao said.

Helian Xuan smiled. "You all sent condolence money, for which my mother and I are very grateful. Thank you for your concern."

Cheng Zhao stood to the side, listening.

Helian Xuan seemed to have just noticed her and Madam Cheng. He stepped forward to bow. "Madam Cheng..."

Seeing Cheng Zhao, his tone hesitated for a moment before his smile returned. "Fifth Miss."

Cheng Zhao immediately replied coldly, "I am the Duchess of Chen. If the Prince does not respect me, he must at least respect my husband."

Zhou Yuanqi and Fan Xiao immediately looked over.

The curiosity and inquiry in the eyes of the uncle and nephew were exactly the same.

Madam Cheng patted the back of Cheng Zhao's hand and said with a smile, "What kind of madam brings up her official title all day long? You really have a child's temper."

She then smiled and asked the Prince of Andong, "Is the Dowager Princess well? She used to have some leg ailments in her earlier years and could not stand dampness. Your fiefdom is drier; has she recovered?"

"There is a renowned doctor in our fiefdom who cured my mother. She rarely suffers from flare-ups now. She even mentioned wanting to visit the capital when she has time, but she dare not enter without an imperial edict," the Prince of Andong said.

"What orders brought the Prince to the capital this time?" Madam Cheng asked with a smile.

"It is regarding the official horses. His Majesty summoned me to the capital to report," Helian Xuan said.

While they were talking, Cheng Zhao's eldest sister and brother-in-law walked out from the inner courtyard.

They exchanged greetings.

"...I didn't expect us to run into each other. No wonder the lamp wick kept popping last night," the eldest brother-in-law, Du Anli, said.

Everyone entered the courtyard.

The doors, windows, corridors, and pillars of the courtyard were all brand new. It was small, elegant, and exquisitely decorated.

The men went to the main hall of the outer courtyard to talk, while Cheng Zhao and her mother followed her eldest sister into the inner courtyard.

She first took out a handkerchief for Heng'er.

"...How adorable." Her eldest sister's eyes lit up. "Not only are your embroidery skills good, but your painting skills are also impressive."

Her mother also took it to look and praised her, "You have improved. I was always worried you would be too impatient for needlework, but to think you have practiced it to such proficiency."

Cheng Zhao forced a smile.

Heng'er was even more overjoyed.

She looked at it again and again, then threw herself into Cheng Zhao's arms. "Fifth Aunt, Heng'er likes you the most."

Cheng Zhao chuckled and pinched her little nose.

The wet nurse took her out to play.

Cheng Zhao's face darkened.

"Are you still angry?" Her eldest sister walked over and put an arm around Cheng Zhao's shoulders. "Life and death are determined by fate. His parents and sister have all forgiven him, so why must you hold onto it?"

"Wenliang was my guard; he sold himself into servitude. When he died, the Prince of An's estate played a trick, bringing Wenliang's parents over to play the victims, forcing Mother to return his indenture contract to them.

"They took the benefits from the Prince of An's estate and settled the matter. Wenliang's perfectly good life was just thrown away on Helian Xuan," Cheng Zhao said.

Madam Cheng sighed.

Cheng Zhao continued, "What makes me even angrier is that the Prince of An's estate was dishonest. Instead of apologizing to us, they went straight to Wenliang's family."

Madam Cheng then said, "I heard that the Heir Apparent was in a coma for three months at the time. It was the Prince and Princess of An who made the decision to seek out Wenliang's parents."

The Heir Apparent she mentioned was Helian Xuan.

Helian Xuan's father was the Prince of An.

After his father passed away, he inherited the title at a lower rank and was titled the Prince of Andong.

He and the current Emperor were cousins.

"They treated me like a fool," Cheng Zhao said. "I told the Heir Apparent of An over and over again that the old fishermen said there would be strong winds and the boat would capsize. He refused to listen. So many people died, and he was the only one who survived, taking my guard down with him."

Cheng Zhao's father was an official in Fengzhou; the Prince of An was the Emperor's biological uncle, sent by him to Fengzhou to oversee the transportation of official salt.

The two government offices were very close, so Cheng Zhao and Cheng Chao used to play together with the Heir Apparent of An.

They fell out within a couple of days because neither would yield to the other.

At home, relying on her grandfather's doting and being her parents' youngest daughter, Cheng Zhao thoroughly dominated her fourth brother, Cheng Chao.

Upon arriving in Fengzhou, Cheng Chao colluded with Helian Xuan. The two fools actually managed to turn the tables on Cheng Zhao.

Cheng Zhao could not stand their smugness.

The two self-righteous boys always wanted to boss Cheng Zhao around, rushing ahead of her in everything and forbidding her from doing this or that.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zhao felt that they lacked both intelligence and foresight, and were not even qualified to be her followers. Paying attention to them was a pure waste of time, yet they still hung around her all day.

Just looking at them was annoying.

In short, Helian Xuan led Cheng Chao in a rebellion against Cheng Zhao, and from then on, Cheng Zhao was at odds with them.

Wenliang was Cheng Zhao's attendant, a Fengzhou local who was a strong swimmer and very enthusiastic. Whenever Cheng Zhao took her maids out to play, Wenliang always led the way.

Helian Xuan wanted to go look for sea pearls, and secretly used Cheng Chao to poach Wenliang away.

The boat capsized that very day.

Wenliang and seven attendants from the Prince of An's estate all died; Helian Xuan barely escaped with his life.

One of the deceased was a servant of the Cheng family, yet the Prince of An's estate did not first visit to apologize or discuss compensation. Instead, they sought out Wenliang's parents and had them step forward.

Madam Cheng was also furious at the time.

This matter was handled very poorly.

It showed neither self-respect nor respect for the Cheng family.

Madam Cheng went to the Prince and Princess of An and righteously reprimanded them.

The Princess of An cried, saying that the Heir Apparent, Helian Xuan, had not yet awakened and his life hung in the balance.

As a result, Madam Cheng, who should have been in the right, ended up looking like she was throwing a tantrum.

Madam Cheng valued her demeanor the most. After returning to the manor, she found herself in an awkward position, unable to advance or retreat, feeling incredibly stifled.

A few years later, Madam Cheng was no longer angry. She would even ask about Helian Xuan's mother and comfort Cheng Zhao a little.

"...Forget it, it is all in the past," her eldest sister gently hugged Cheng Zhao. "I heard that Wenliang's sister is still in the Prince of Andong's estate today."

"I do not want to care about that."

Cheng Zhao stood up and went out for some fresh air, taking the opportunity to find her niece to play with.

After she left, Madam Cheng whispered to her eldest daughter, "When the Prince of An passed away, the imperial court granted the Princess of An special permission to return for her investiture.

"She met with Her Majesty the Empress and even had lunch in the Empress's palace. Not long after, the Empress bestowed a marriage upon Zhao-zhao."

She added, "I was always afraid that Zhao-zhao was too wild and would ruin her reputation as a noble lady, so I did not let her socialize. How did the Empress know about Zhao-zhao? It is hard for me not to suspect the Dowager Princess of An."

Cheng Han smiled.

Madam Cheng sighed, "Back then, I thought the two of them were a good match. I almost made a misstep, but fortunately, I did not let anything slip."

Cheng Han lowered her voice, "My little sister is competitive and has not yet opened her heart to romance. The Dowager Princess of An really overthought things."

She continued, "Losing the Cheng family as an in-law, she will not even have time to cry before realizing she can never find anyone better than the Chengs. It shows how narrow-minded she is. Mother, do not stoop to her level."

She also said, "Our little sister married quite well now. The Duke of Chen is handsome and elegant. In terms of looks, family background, and bearing, he does not lose to the Prince of Andong in any way."