Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

Mingquan smiled to see her reaction. He had no interest in teasing people, but with Lin Jiao it was different.

“Where is the Fourth Prince taking me? It’s not the route to my house,” Lin Jiao said after peeking out of the window.

Mingquan stood up from his place and quickly sat next to her. She jolted and confusedly peered at him. “Why did you come here?” She asked.

Mingquan gripped her chin and brought his face to her level. “Lin Jiao, do you trust men this easily?” He inquired her.

“What do you mean?” She asked him for clarification.

“You agreed to go with me. What if something happens between us?” Mingquan asked and looked down when Lin Jiao quickly crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Prince Mingquan is scaring me. He is the one, who lifted me in his arms and–” she pushed him away when she found him smiling.

Mingquan laughed and asked her why she acted bravely when she got scared easily.

.....

“Anyone would be scared with the way His Highness spoke,” Lin Jiao stated.

“Was it that scaring?” Mingquan asked.

“Yes.”

“I think I wasn’t that scary,” Mingquan replied.

“I am hungry,” Lin Jiao said and asked Mingquan to stop the carriage.

“I cannot. Wait a little,” Mingquan told her. “Also, don’t make excuses to run away from me.”

“Who made excuses?” She huffed and looked straight.

After a while, the carriage came to a halt. Mingquan stepped out first and he helped Lin Jiao to get down.

“Why are we at the palace?” Lin Jiao was completely shocked. She had not expected to come there when Mingquan closed the door of the carriage.

“I thought you have been bored in the house,” Mingquan said and he started to walk. He asked Lin Jiao if she could walk, or else he would again lift her in his arms.

“No, I can walk,” Lin Jiao pronounced and walked behind him. Mingquan halted so that she would be next to him.

“I think I am not supposed to come to the palace,” Lin Jiao said.

“Why?” Mingquan asked the reason from her behind that statement.

“Because outsiders are not allowed in the palace except officials, and soldiers,” Lin Jiao replied.

Mingquan hummed. “Your father is here. Brother Mu has a meeting with them. Before lunch, it will not get over. I thought instead of dropping you home, I should bring you here,” He asserted.

“What? My father is here!” Lin Jiao didn’t expect that. She panicked a little because her father would scold her again.

“Please don’t tell my father that I ran out of home,” Lin Jiao said.

“I don’t want to lie to him. Moreover, the servants in your house will definitely inform your father. What will you do about that?” Mingquan asked.

“Ahh,” Lin Jiao had almost forgotten about it.

“You love to break rules,” Mingquan remarked.

“Because they restrict me every time I want to do something,” Lin Jiao asserted.

“You are like Brother Lóng Wei,” Mingquan chuckled as he suddenly recalled Lóng Wei.

“The Sixth Prince?” Lin Jiao suddenly turned a bit uncomfortable to hear that name. She had heard all such strange rumors about Lóng Wei. She could not be like him. She was different from all.

“What happened? Why is that strange expression?” Mingquan asked.

“I heard Prince Lóng Wei isn’t a good person. I don’t want to be compared with him,” Lin Jiao said in a low voice and looked around, “please don’t tell him.”

Mingquan sighed and could not believe that many still had no idea what kind of person Lóng Wei was.

“Why did you say that? Did you not hear what the previous king do to him?” Mingquan questioned her.

Lin Jiao shook her head. “Did something happen here?” She asked as they reached the palace grounds. A group of servants dressed in white was heading to the royal garden to clean it.

Mingquan realized she was unaware of the situation from days back. “Do you not know why my eldest brother take over the throne? Don’t you know why my father was removed from the throne?” He asked her.

“No. When did all these things happen?” Lin Jiao was completely unaware of all this. There was a day’s mourning event after the King passed away, but she didn’t know the reasons neither her father nor brother told her.

“That’s strange. You roam all day around the capital. How could you not know all this?” Mingquan muttered.

“Perhaps no one wanted to talk about it,” Lin Jiao stated.

“Brother Lóng Wei is a great person,” Mingquan said. “He is the reason this kingdom survived, we survived and the people are leading a happy life,” he asserted.

It confused Lin Jiao. How? She asked the reason behind them.

Mingquan briefed her mainly because she would be his wife soon, so he wanted her to know all such things.

“That’s such big news!” Lin Jiao was shocked to find out about Lóng Wei’s past. They reached Mingquan’s chamber soon, where he asked the servant to call Physician Peng Yuxian.

“His Highness manor is so large. He can play all around,” Lin Jiao said as she scanned her eyes everywhere in the large chamber. She looked at the large window from which one could see the small garden.

“We don’t play at this age,” Mingquan said and handed a glass of water to Lin Jiao. She held it with her both hands and drank the water. She placed it on the small circular table beside the chaise and wiped her lips.

Mingquan got on his knees and held Lin Jiao’s right foot lightly. He removed her shoe and said, “You are a grown-up lady, Lin Jiao. For how long do you have planned to play?”

“What is His Highness doing?” She gripped her skirt tightly.

“Checking your wound. Your friend said earlier you have hurt your knee again,” He said and pushed the skirt up. The wound had opened again and the entire bandage turned blood red.

He looked into her eyes with an inquisitive gaze.

“It all happened be-because Bai Jue dragged m-me,” Lin Jiao stuttered and blinked quickly in nervousness.