The Black Emperor's Runaway Bride

The Loneliest Palace Wallflower

Today marks the hottest day in the Wu Kingdom with the sun blazing to its fullest upon the land. Two maids were seen in a hurry carrying two boxes containing food supply and clothes from the Empress as they passed through a barren courtyard. The older maid scoffed, "Seeing this cursed place, people will think that this place is abandoned, but indeed, the loneliest wallflower still lives here."

Her long sigh caught the younger maid's attention, "What do you mean Han-jiejie?" Her curiosity peaked up and she glanced at the big placard above the gate, labelled Four Seasons Manor, such a funny name for a barren place.

"Have you heard about the cursed Kunze Prince? No one has ever met him, but he lives just beside the Empress palace, under her highness care."

"I have heard about him when I first entered the palace, but never encountered the prince personally, everyone says he is cursed but no one knows the reason."

"He is actually the youngest prince of our Yellow Emperor, born 25 years ago on the coldest day in the year of the Goat. The prince's mother was the lowly Concubine Chen, she was banished to the Cold Palace by the Empress Dowager when she was just two months pregnant due a conspiracy involving the concubine, no one knew about her pregnancy at that time. She suffered alone for 7 months, surviving just to keep the baby alive. The baby was born on the day the strongest storm hit the capital. Coincidently, the Yellow Emperor was taking shelter from the storm near cold palace with his eunuch when suddenly a baby wailing was heard from far away".

"The baby was found in dead Concubine Chen's embrace, the poor mother was saving her last body heat to keep her child warm. No one knows exactly when she gave birth or when she even died. The emperor was shocked, and immediately saved the poor baby, who later got adopted by our Empress Li, Concubine Chen's cousin."

"Fifteen years later, to the emperor's embarrassment who always spoke highly of his other 12 Qianyuan Princes, the child identified as the only Kunze prince. Apart from his first seasons of rain and dew when he presented as Kunze, the prince never got any of his seasons after that, then people started spreading rumours that he is the cursed barren Kunze, born by an outcast mother who died because of him, then was abandoned by his own father due to his Kunze status."

"So why is he here in this barren place then? 10 years have already passed, and still, no one knows how he looks?"

"My older sister works as the Empress attendant, sometimes the Empress sends food and clothes to the prince, so she had the chance to get a glimpse of him. She said to me that the prince has soft lush locks of black hair reaching down his slender waist, tied in a loose bun with a white ribbon, his skin is fair and unblemished, perfect oval face with gentle eyes, button nose and thin lips, two beauty marks under his right eye, and one on his left cheek, delicate and graceful. She felt like she saw a heavenly fairy."

"You mean, the prince is a beauty? Will we get to meet him today?"

"You can say that, but only few people have actually seen his real face. He never comes out when the Empress attendants send supply to this mansion. I don't think we can even meet him; I am not courting death early in my life. Unless... Unless the Yellow Emperor decides to reveal him to the people. My bet, that day will never come."

"Hurry up, or else we will be late sending these supplies and we'll get scolded by the Empress' Head Eunuch," both maids put the boxes in front of the courtyard and quickened their steps, leaving Four Seasons Manor.

The younger maid cast one last look at the courtyard, and she could swear she saw someone watching them from afar, someone almost similar to the older maid's description, yet in a blink of an eye, the person disappeared.

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All his life, Zhou Zi Shu has been alone. As early as he can remember, he has been staying in Four Seasons Manor. A place once full of beautiful ever-blooming peach blossoms, now harbours one single tree. Ever since he stayed here, the only peach blossom in the courtyard only bloomed once- the year he presented, then shed all its flowers, crying for Zhou Zi Shu's fate. However, he never failed to water the tree in hopes it will bloom for him again, vowing that the day the tree blooms, his life will change. As much as far-fetched and impossible this dream was, he was still hopeful.