"You want to take Princess Bai out," Sheng Li arched his eyebrow.
Wang Hao nodded his head. "Yes, Your Majesty. I want to prove my loyalty towards her," he proclaimed.
"Princess Bai might refuse to go out," Sheng Li answered. "She does not want to marry anyone. She has come to meet me in the morning and told me that it's her sincere request not to pair her up with anyone," Sheng Li asserted.
Wang Hao was saddened to hear it. "Why don't you meet her in the Palace? That would be better, I think," Sheng Li suggested to him.
"Can I meet her in her private chamber, Your Majesty?" Wang Hao asked him.
Sheng Li nodded his head. "I will be glad if you two marry each other," he smiled at him. Wang Hao bowed and left to meet Bai Yaling. Nianzu encountered him and the two greeted each other.
"General Wang, aren't you supposed to prepare for your marriage?" Nianzu's question bewildered Wang Hao.
"I did not get the words of the Fourth Prince," Wang Hao replied.
"Brother Wanxi told me that General Wang is supposed to marry the daughter of the Prime Minister," Nianzu clarified his words.
"I am not marrying the daughter of the Prime Minister, Prince Nianzu," Wang Hao answered. The smile from Nianzu's lips disappeared as he could see troubled expressions on Wang Hao's lips. Before he could ask him, Wang Hao walked away. Nianzu moved the sheets in his hand and went inside the Emperor's office.
"Your Majesty, the annual economic reports from every province are here," Nianzu informed him and handed the bundle of sheets to Xing-Fu. He walked to Sheng Li and placed them on the table. "I have thoroughly checked them. The maximum revenue is generated from the Lands where the great Yellow River flows. The farmers are happy with the new taxation system and the other benefits they were provided with. The Imperial seal needs to be stamped over them," Nianzu stated.
Sheng Li nodded his head.
"Your Majesty, I met General Wang earlier. He seemed disturbed. Is everything good from his end?" Nianzu asked Sheng Li. "He is not even marrying the Prime Minister's daughter. I was shocked for a second," he said.
Sheng Li could not tell him as Wang Hao had kept it hidden too.
"Is it so? I will ask him later," Sheng Li acted as if he did not know.
"Your Majesty, I heard from the First Brother that you had found out about the person who was blackmailing Princess Xue. Did His Majesty forgive her? And if not, then why?" Nianzu asked him.
"I cannot forgive her. She shared such an important piece of paper with someone outside the Royal Family. Luckily, I had asked the Late Emperor to punish the bodyguard of her father, else things might have worsened," Sheng Li asserted.
Nianzu nodded his head. "Princess Xue is scared of the Emperor in a terrible way. Since we all are one family, then it shouldn't happen," Nianzu stated. "She fainted thinking the Emperor would kill her. His Majesty shall forgive her. She was a naive woman when she did those sorts of things, but now she has changed," he stood for Xue Yu-Yan.
"I had talked to her during the time when the First Brother's wife was alive. Princess Xue told me this is the way she was built in her house. Her father, her mother, and everyone around her to be the best in everything. That's why she even chose wrong things to fulfill her desires," Nianzu explained to Sheng Li.
Sheng Li didn't say anything to him and it was enough for Nianzu to understand that Sheng Li's views regarding Xue Yu-Yan could not change easily. Nianzu took his leave while Sheng Li got busy with work.
~~~~
Wang Hao halted outside the chamber of Bai Yaling and told the maidservant to inform the Princess that he wanted to meet her. After a few seconds, she came out and said, "Princess Bai does not want to see General Wang."
Wang Hao realized that Bai Yaling had actually made up her mind that she would not want to marry anyone.
"Tell Princess Bai that I will stay here until she permits me to come inside," Wang Hao passed her an order. The maidservant quickly walked in, to inform Bai Yaling.
"Send him in," Bai Yaling replied.
The maidservant informed Wang Hao about this, who was delighted to hear it. Without wasting any second, he went inside the chamber. He found Bai Yaling was on the chaise, listening to the poetries.
"Could you all give us some privacy?" Bai Yaling asked the servants and the Royal poet, who was present in the chamber. Upon the orders of Bai Yaling, they slowly moved out of the chamber.
"Why is General Wang doing this? I already told the Emperor my decision about the marriage," Bai Yaling said in a fit of rage.
"Forgive me, for troubling you, Princess Bai. However, there was no other way to meet you," Wang Hao replied.
"This is the last time I am talking to General Wang," Bai Yaling affirmed.
"Then, this time is a crucial part of our lives. Why did Princess Bai not want to marry me? Is it because I am many years older than her? I need a good reason to pause my feelings for Princess Bai," General Wang stated.
"There is no reason," Bai Yaling replied and averted her gaze from him.
"Princess Bai is tricking me. Every cause has a reason. If she cannot give me a good reason, I will think that she also has feelings for me," Wang Hao said and smiled. Bai Yaling widened her eyes and shook her head.
"I don't see you as a man," Bai Yaling finally answered.
~~~~~~~
Hello Dear Readers,
Sorry for yesterday. I couldn't give any chapter because I have caught Covid. This chapter I wrote with a lot of difficulties. I may get irregular in giving updates this week.
Thank you.
