met free Chapter 410 Longing
Chapter 410 Longing
Chapter 410
"Who the hell is Wang Lao Er? How can he be compared with the Third Prince? It's just that this matter is somewhat similar."
"Oh? How are they similar? Tell me about it." The man became interested immediately after hearing it. Anyway, he was free today, so it would be nice to listen to something new and interesting.
Hearing someone flatter him, the man began to tell the story vividly: "Wang Laoer was married to a wife in his early years through a matchmaker. Although the woman was smart and capable, and a good housekeeper, she was not very attractive to Wang Laoer because of her plain appearance. In the second year after their marriage, she suffered a sudden hemorrhage during childbirth and ultimately died at a young age. After becoming a widower, Wang Laoer was depressed for a long time before gradually recovering from his grief. To make a living, he took up a stall and became a peddler from street to street."
One day, Wang Laoer traveled to Xinghua Village outside the town and met a widow. This woman had a difficult life. On their wedding night, the groom, drunk as he was, accidentally tripped and fell into a cesspool, drowning. Her happy occasion had turned tragic. Her stepmother was mean and unkind, treating her harshly. Her husband's family even blamed her husband's sudden death on her "hard fate" and would often beat and scold her. Wang Laoer, seeing that she was alone and helpless, often offered his help. After several interactions, they gradually fell in love.
Seeing that he was listening intently, the man deliberately picked up the teacup and took a sip, shaking the teacup slowly, keeping him in suspense.
Until the other party was so anxious that he kept urging: "What happened next? Tell me in detail!"
The man then put down his teacup, cleared his throat, and continued, "After Wang Laoer and the widow secretly fell in love, he had originally planned to find an auspicious day to marry her. But who would have thought that when the widow's husband's family heard about this, they gathered a group of people and blocked Wang Laoer's way as he was delivering the goods. They said that the widow belonged to their family and that he was not allowed to remarry. During the argument, the two sides almost came to blows..."
"Later, Wang Lao Er gritted his teeth, took out all his savings, and persuaded the widow's husband's family to buy her back. The widow was also a virtuous woman. Since her marriage, the couple lived in harmony and prosperity. In just a few years, Wang Lao Er went from being a street vendor to owning a grocery store, and they even had a son. Just as their lives were prospering, the widow, perhaps from years of overwork, fell seriously ill and eventually passed away."
Wang Laoer was devastated and lost his appetite for days. He took his anger out on his only son. Whenever he got drunk, he would beat and kick his son, often leaving him nearly dead. When he sobered up, he would hug the child and cry bitterly. But when he drank again, the pain of losing his wife would be vented on the child by beating him. This vicious cycle nearly cost the child his life several times.
"Until one day, the widow's family heard the news and rushed over, trying to take the child away under the pretext of fleeing. Wang Laoer, upon seeing this, grabbed a sickle and chased the widow's brothers for several blocks. If no one had stopped them, they would have been killed. Strangely enough, after this incident, Wang Laoer seemed to suddenly come to his senses. He slowly gave up his alcoholism and began to treat his son well. From then on, he gave his all to his son, raised him up, helped him start a family, and bought him land. Gradually, life began to settle down for him and his son."
The man told the whole story in one breath, his mouth dry, and he gulped down another big gulp of tea. The person listening to the story was even more surprised and said, "Oh, Wang Laoer is famous in our town for doting on his son. Everyone knows it. But I never thought he could be such a jerk in his early years."
The man nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and said slowly, "That's right, who would have thought. People's hearts always change."
"So, the third prince's current situation is quite similar to that of Wang Laoer's son back then. Maybe that person really took his anger out on the third prince because of this." The man stretched out his finger, pointed to the sky, and spoke in a low voice.
"That's natural. Nothing happens without a smoke or mirror."
The man lowered his voice with a mysterious look on his face. "I've also heard from the caravan that the capital is now conducting strict inspections. It seems this is no ordinary situation. Perhaps His Majesty can't accept the news that the Third Prince has been in trouble, or perhaps the Third Prince is not dead at all, but simply found an opportunity to escape. His Majesty, filled with regret, is sending people to search for him and bring him back to the palace."
"But if what you said is true, then why did Your Majesty announce to the world that the Third Prince died in a sea of fire?" One person asked with a puzzled look on his face and a frown.
The person who had been listening quietly without interrupting finally spoke up, tapping the table lightly. "You don't understand. When the prince is away from home, how many people can protect him? What if someone with ulterior motives threatens him, or even threatens his life? If I were Your Majesty, I would act similarly."
When the others heard this, they all felt that this explanation made sense and nodded secretly.
Lu Zhaozhao listened to every word, her heart churning with shock and delight. Shocked that she had only been away from the capital for a short time and had no idea such a commotion had erupted there; delighted that if the rumors were true, the man she had just seen was most likely the Third Prince himself!
She naturally wouldn't believe these rumors, but she had other plans in mind.
If she returned to the Lu family now, even if her grandmother showed consideration for the relationship between them, she would simply be arranged to marry an ordinary man and live a mediocre life. At her age, there were very few men of similar age and family background who matched her; most were already engaged or even married. Furthermore, even the most talented young men in Ping'an County were not even considered by her mother. If it weren't for the unexpected incident, her mother would have personally sought a suitable match for her in the capital this year. Now, how could these mediocre men still be worthy of her?
She had originally wanted to accept her fate, give up the struggle, and find another way out. But now it seemed that fate had a purpose and hadn't been too cruel to her. And now, a golden opportunity lay before her.
While their words were absurd, one line hit the nail on the head—there were only a few adult princes in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Third Prince was criticized for his mediocre talent and reckless behavior in his early years, and now he was assigned to guard the imperial mausoleum, making him essentially out of the running for the throne. The Fifth Prince was too weak to handle the responsibility, and the Sixth Prince was still young. Given the current situation, if he could seize the opportunity, no matter what happened next, once the storm subsided, the Third Prince would most likely be the undisputed choice for the throne.
And if the Third Prince ascended to that position, how could he treat her unfairly, since she had shared the joys and sorrows with him? Lu Zhaozhao thought, her lips curling up. She envisioned a glorious return to the capital someday. Then, what would the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and Luo Shuiyao mean to her? They would all be at her feet, living at her beck and call.