Chapter 121: Wanting to Take Care of Her and Her Sons

Hearing the Third Prince’s stern rebuke, Madam Zhao and Master Zhao immediately tucked their tails between their legs and fled.

Seeing them leave, Madam Zhou quickly shut the main door and pulled the Third Prince into the house.

Du Wanchun didn’t follow them inside. Instead, she took the opportunity to call Zhou Ruizhen, who had just come out after hearing the commotion, over to the side.

Now, inside the house, only Madam Zhou and the Third Prince remained.

“Your Highness, why have you come here? Has the Emperor already found out about us?” Madam Zhou asked anxiously, her face full of worry.

Seeing how distressed she was, the Third Prince quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry. The Emperor still doesn’t know that you’re alive. I came here on my own!”

Only then did Madam Zhou breathe a long sigh of relief. After a moment, she looked at him with confusion. “Then how did you know we were in Changliu Village?”

The Third Prince recounted everything that had led him to her, explaining it all in detail.

Madam Zhou suddenly understood and sighed with a touch of melancholy. “That birthmark on Feng’er’s hand… only you would still remember it.”

The Third Prince immediately said, “Of course, I remember! I have always seen Feng’er, Zhao’er, and Ruizhen as my own sons.”

His voice carried a trace of emotion as he spoke.

Madam Zhou lowered her head slightly, lost in thought.

In truth, she had known the Third Prince long before she met the Emperor. The three of them had grown up together.

However, Madam Zhou had been betrothed to the Emperor by the Empress Dowager before her passing. It was always fated that she would enter the palace.

Later, when the Emperor confessed his feelings for her, the Third Prince remained indifferent, showing no reaction. With no other choice, she accepted the Emperor’s affections and resigned herself to her fate, preparing to enter the palace.

But before she did, she had someone deliver a letter to the Third Prince, asking him: If I refuse to enter the palace, what will happen?

That letter had already been phrased in the most subtle way possible.

Unfortunately, the Third Prince never responded. No reply ever came.

And so, she entered the palace and became Empress.

Madam Zhou looked at him now, her voice calm but guarded. “Why have you come here to find us?”

At that moment, the Third Prince threw aside all formality. He strode forward, grasped her hands firmly, and said, “From now on, let me take care of you and your sons.”

Madam Zhou was stunned by his sudden confession, caught off guard. “Your Highness, let’s not even talk about the fact that I am your sister-in-law—right now, we are still fugitives!”

The Third Prince furrowed his brows, his expression serious. “What sister-in-law? The moment he abandoned you, your marriage with him was over!”

As he spoke, he glanced at the small brick-tiled house and continued, “Besides, right now, you are the wife of the Zhou family, and I am the man of the Zhou family. That makes you my wife!”

Madam Zhou looked at him in astonishment—this man really knew how to take advantage of a situation.

The Third Prince pressed on, “Don’t worry. The Emperor only thinks I’m here visiting relatives. When the time comes, I’ll come up with an excuse to brush it off. But what about you and Ruiyuan? What are your plans for the future? Do you really intend to spend your entire life in this small village?”

Madam Zhou lowered her gaze and looked to the side. “For now, I just want to live a good life. When the opportunity arises, I will seek justice for our Lu family.”

She spoke vaguely, cautious because the Third Prince had come from the capital, and she could not be certain where his true loyalties lay.

The Third Prince frowned, deep in thought for a moment before saying, “Zhou’er, since Ruiyuan is still alive, he is the rightful heir. One day, he will return to claim the throne. Even if the Emperor refuses, I will find a way to place him there!”

Madam Zhou was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.

The Third Prince took her hands again and said, “For years, I have been investigating the false accusations against your father. If my information is correct, the servant who slandered him back then is still alive. Don’t worry—with me here, I will make sure your father’s name is cleared.”

Hearing his firm, unwavering promise, Madam Zhou felt a mix of emotions surge in her heart. “Your Highness, you don’t have to do all this for my family.”

She couldn’t understand the Third Prince’s motivations. If he had feelings for her, why hadn’t he stopped her from entering the palace all those years ago?

Could it be that he was only doing this out of gratitude for her father’s kindness toward him? Was that why he treated her so well?

The Third Prince gazed at her shadowed, uncertain eyes and seemed to guess what she was thinking. He spoke with quiet resolve, “Zhou’er, I am not doing this for anyone else. I simply don’t want you to suffer.”

Madam Zhou’s heart trembled upon hearing his words. In that instant, she understood—
They were no longer the naive youths they once were. A confession like this was impossible to misinterpret.

“Your Highness…”

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.

Sensing her hesitation, the Third Prince slowly withdrew his hands and lowered his gaze slightly. “Don’t be afraid. I just want to take care of you. I don’t want to see you being mistreated ever again.”