The morning sun warmed Lu Hua's back as she carefully poured rice into a villager's worn bowl. Even though the Empress wanted her to show her face, Lu Hua felt safer with her silver mask on. It felt like protection, especially with so many strangers around. Li Beihe was by her side, giving out warm clothes while palace guards watched over them. The air was filled with soft thanks as people got their food and clothes.
"Blessings upon the Princess," an old woman said with a warm smile as she took her clothes.
"May good luck be with you," Lu Hua answered quietly, feeling less tense now. She went to the next person, a man with a hat who held out his bowl. She filled it with rice.
"Thank you, Princess," he said in a gruff voice. As he walked away, his eyes lingered on her mask a little too long, making her uneasy. He sat on a stone wall, watching without eating.
Lu Hua felt a bit worried. Who was this man? She used her special system, like a secret tool in her mind, to find out more about him, but it didn't work.
Analyzing...
Error: No Data Found.
This was odd. Her system always found something, but not this time. There was something familiar about him, but she was sure she'd never seen him before. He was too still, like he didn't want to be noticed.
The peace was broken by a loud, mean voice.
"Look, girls! Here's the famous Princess Chun with the peasants!" It was Lin Daiyu, her voice sharp and mocking. She walked into the clearing, her fancy silk dress out of place among the simple villagers' clothes. She sneered as she stood in front of Lu Hua.
"Still wearing that mask? Smart," Lin Daiyu said loudly for all to hear. "You don't want to scare them, right? It's why no one wanted to marry you. Too ugly!" She laughed cruelly, and her maids laughed too, though they seemed nervous.
Whispers spread through the crowd. Some villagers looked away, embarrassed, while others frowned at Lin Daiyu's rudeness.
Leaning closer, Lin Daiyu whispered but made sure others could hear, "And your husband? The one who can't walk right? He must be as ugly as you to take you. How's it feel to finally have a husband, even if he's broken?"
Lu Hua stayed calm, her voice steady, "Lady Lin, you speak to the wife of the Sixth Prince, a Princess of the Empire. Think carefully. Insult me if you wish, but insult my husband, and you'll lose your tongue."
The villagers gasped, talking louder about Lin Daiyu's disrespect.
Lin Daiyu's face turned red with anger. Before she could say more, Rong Xianzong showed up.
"Daiyu! Come on!" He grabbed her arm and led her away. "The carriage is waiting."
Lin Daiyu pulled away but followed him. Rong Xianzong looked at Lu Hua, unsure what to do.
Li Beihe stepped in, "Young Master Rong, show respect! This is Princess Lu Hua."
Rong Xianzong bowed deeply, "Your Highness, forgive my cousin. She's impulsive. Congratulations on your marriage. Your family must be very proud."
"They are," Lu Hua replied, her voice polite but cool. "They're proud their daughter is married to a prince."
Rong Xianzong nodded awkwardly and left with Lin Daiyu.
Lu Hua looked where the strange man had been, but he was gone, leaving her feeling uneasy.
In the carriage, Rong Xianzong scolded Lin Daiyu, "What were you thinking? Insulting her like that in public?"
"She deserved it!" Lin Daiyu argued.
"Stop! She's royalty now. You insulted the prince too! The Empress could punish us!" Xianzong was worried. "The Chun family has a lot of money. If I hadn't broken off the marriage..."
Daiyu looked away, "It's done. She's married to that cripple now."
Xianzong focused on their money problems, "When is your father sending the money we need?"
"Soon," Daiyu said without looking at him. "I'll write to him tonight."
Xianzong felt uneasy but needed to believe her. Both their families were in trouble, but they didn't know it.
In another carriage, Li Beihe was still upset, "That Lin Daiyu! She should say sorry!"
Lu Hua was calm, eating a pastry. Then the carriage stopped.
"There's trouble ahead, a fight," a guard said.
"Go around," Lu Hua told him.
"It's blocking the whole road. Bandits are fighting some people," the guard explained.
"Deal with it," Lu Hua ordered.
The guards fought, and soon the road was clear. The guard reported, "The bandits are gone. The young master is hurt but alive."
Li Beihe gasped, "My lady, it's Shen Yizhou!"
Lu Hua didn't recognize him at first. "Your second ex-husband!" Beihe reminded her.
Shen Yizhou, looking beat up, saw the royal carriage and tried to thank them, but Lu Hua just said, "Drive on."
As they started to leave, Shen Yizhou called out, "Your Highness, please wait!"
The carriage stopped. He limped over, helped by a guard, and bowed, "Thank you for saving us. Why is royalty here?"
Li Beihe answered, "Princess Chun Lu Hua was helping with Winter Relief for the poor."
Shen Yizhou was shocked. He bowed again, "Of course, forgive me. Thank you again."
"The Princess is tired and wants to go," Beihe said.
"Of course," Shen Yizhou replied, moving aside.
As the carriage passed him, a breeze lifted the curtain, and for a moment, Shen Yizhou saw Lu Hua's face - beautiful, calm, and distant. Then the curtain fell, hiding her again.
Shen Yizhou stood frozen in the middle of the dusty road as the carriage moved away. His heart, already racing from the fight, now thumped wildly in his chest, a new kind of panic gripping him. His face, bruised and battered, felt like it was on fire. That face he had seen for just a moment was stuck in his mind, so beautiful it was hard to believe.
The carriage was now far down the road, leaving behind a trail of dust. Shen Yizhou watched it go, his mind spinning in confusion. The name Beihe had mentioned kept ringing in his ears: Princess Chun Lu Hua.
Quickly, he turned to the guard who had supported him, the one who seemed to know more about palace gossip. "The Princess," Shen Yizhou asked, his voice tense and urgent, "What was her name again? Her family name?"
The guard, busy cleaning a cut on his arm, looked taken aback. "Eh? Didn't her maid say? Princess Chun Lu Hua, young master. From the Chun merchant family. She married the Sixth Prince not long ago." He shrugged, focusing back on his wound. "Lucky she was passing by, huh?"
Shen Yizhou didn't catch the last bit. His world felt like it was spinning.
Chun Lu Hua.
The color drained from his face, leaving him pale under the grime and bruises. His mouth was dry, and he felt dizzy. The aches from his fight with the bandits were there, but they were nothing compared to the shock he was feeling.
That beautiful woman in the carriage, the Princess, was Lu Hua.
His ex-wife.
The one he had divorced without thinking twice, believing the nasty rumors Rong Xianzong had spread. The one he had sent back to her family in shame after only one day, thinking she was too ugly to look at.
He had just seen her true face. She was breathtaking, a real Princess. And she had just saved him.
Shen Yizhou wobbled on his feet, his one good eye wide with shock and horror. He stared blankly at the empty road where the carriage had disappeared, the dust settling around him. The only sounds were his heavy breathing and the soft moans of his injured men. The sun was setting, making the air feel chilly.
His mind couldn't grasp it. Lu Hua, the woman he had dismissed without a care, was now someone so high above him he could hardly comprehend it. And she had shown him kindness when he needed it most, without even a word of recognition. The realization was a heavy weight on his chest, mixing guilt with a profound sense of loss. He had let go of something precious, something he had never truly seen or understood.
As the reality settled in, Shen Yizhou felt a deep, cold regret. He had missed out on so much more than he had thought, and now, there was no going back. The woman he had once deemed unworthy was a vision of grace and beauty, and she was far beyond his reach. The road was empty, his men were tending to their wounds, and he was left standing there, the weight of his past decisions pressing down on him as the light faded from the sky.