Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The First Prince was the legitimate son of Empress Yuan.

After Empress Yuan passed away, the First Prince suffered a spinal injury during military training, leaving him partially paralyzed.

He was originally destined for the path of Crown Prince and, eventually, Emperor.

Now, he could only travel by wheelchair, making him the least likely candidate to succeed the throne.

Yet, it was this very man, dismissed by everyone, who became the decisive figure in the capital’s power struggles during my previous two lives.

Unfortunately, he was ill-fated.

In my first life, he died young in the cold desolation of Prince Li’s Mansion.

In my second life, he died in far-off Ansai.

In both lives, I never managed to see him one last time.

I always felt that such a good man shouldn’t have died so meaninglessly.

After my Rebirth, I took the opportunity to arrange a chance encounter with the First Prince. I spoke to him of the past, the future, the world, and the people’s livelihoods. I spoke of the plight of women confined to their chambers and the grand ambitions one feels for the vast mountains and rivers of our land.

I spoke with great emotion, but he seemed to see right through me.

He said, “Out of respect for the time we have spent together, if you have a request, you may speak plainly. There is no need for this elaborate performance.”

What could I possibly want? I simply wanted to live well and do something meaningful.

I said, “I wish to ask Your Highness for a marriage. I wonder if Your Highness is willing?”

He remained silent for a very long time before ordering his men to throw me out of the mansion.

His steward told me with a humble yet firm expression, “Miss, please do not joke with His Highness. Given His Highness’s condition, no noble family would dare marry their daughter to him, let alone the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.”

I knew his situation well.

Empress Yuan came from a family of distinguished generals. When she married His Majesty-who was the Crown Prince at the time-her family was a powerful asset in his ascent to the throne.

But once the Crown Prince became Emperor, that asset became a source of pressure hanging over his head.

Later, Empress Yuan died, and her father and brothers fell on the battlefield. Even her son, only sixteen at the time, was left a cripple.

Everyone knew the First Prince had long been abandoned by His Majesty.

Over the years, many had proposed matches for him, but none were suitable. The legitimate daughters of the great clans were unwilling to come, and the daughters of lowly families were unworthy of the First Prince’s status.

His Majesty ignored the matter, and with no other elders to advocate for him, his marriage remained in limbo.

In my previous two lives, he remained unmarried until the day he died.

In this life, my father is still that same man who favors his concubine’s daughter and is blinded by greed. He won’t let any opportunity to cling to imperial power slip through his fingers.

I don’t want to marry the Sixth Prince, nor do I want to marry the Ninth Prince.

The First Prince, however, is an excellent choice.

Moreover, he is the most restrained, self-possessed, and gentlemanly person I have ever met.

If I must marry into the imperial family to reach a position of influence, why shouldn’t I marry the most lovely and untainted one among them?

I had the steward pass a message to the First Prince on my behalf:

“Yaoguang is not joking. If Your Highness is willing to wait, you will see that day with your own eyes. I only hope that in the future, when my reputation is ruined and I am cursed by ten thousand people, Your Highness will still remember the Gong Yaoguang who once asked to be your wife.”

Later, His Majesty bestowed a marriage between me and the Sixth Prince. I knew that what I sought to avoid was ultimately unavoidable; perhaps I am simply destined to fight Gong Qiuyue for men.

First the Sixth Prince, then the Ninth Prince.

I deliberately accelerated my plans, hoping everything could end as soon as possible. I wanted my life to get on the right track, to reach the heights I desired, and to travel to the distant places I longed to see.

The day before the Empress Dowager went to pray to Buddha, I sent Liu Cui to the First Prince’s Mansion with a message:

“Yaoguang’s reputation has fallen to such a state. Does Your Highness still remember the Gong Yaoguang who once asked for your hand in marriage?”

I thought I would have to wait a long time, but I didn’t expect him to come today, even going so far as to make the Sixth Prince apologize to me in public.

I lowered my gaze to hide the smile in my eyes.

“Your Highness, are you worried about me?”

He barked out the word “Presumptuous,” but his ears turned red.