Princess Pingyang vs. Crown Prince Xiao Zhian 3

A nine-story ship floats on the moonlit waves, half in shadow and half in light.

When they reached the corner of the stairs, Xiao Zhian grabbed Princess Pingyang's sleeve and pulled her back to him.

He wanted to say that the incident happened suddenly and was not intentionally concealed, and that there was no need for siblings to hide anything from each other.

He wanted to say that inside was a capable little cat who had protected him, not a seductive vixen who had seduced him. They had no romantic entanglements. He wanted her but she didn't. Moreover, the little cat was seriously injured and needed medical treatment, so it was indeed not advisable for them to meet.

As for his sweetheart, Xiao Zhian didn't have time to think about that question. He could only confirm that the little cat's paw was indeed hanging over his heart. He was very willing to ask Pingyang what "playing hard to get" meant. Did girls like to talk nonsense when they were shy? Did that mean that he could be a little assertive and not be disliked?

Xiao Zhian cared about Princess Pingyang's feelings. He wanted to explain, and he could explain. He also wanted to ask his sister for advice on the little thoughts of a young lady.

It was just a small misunderstanding, nothing serious.

However, when he looked down, he saw that Pingyang's proud and stubborn face was covered with tears.

Pingyang, who was used to looking at people with her chin, lowered her eyelids, hunched her shoulders, and sobbed silently.

Pingyang wept.

Xiao Zhi'an's heart was broken.

He bent down and knelt down, frantically wiping away her tears.

But in Pingyang's eyes, it was as if a deep well was overflowing with tears, each drop falling onto Xiao Zhian's hand and scalding his heart.

He made Pingyang cry again.

He had promised his mother that he would take good care of Pingyang.

Fifteen years ago, he was too weak and insignificant to protect Pingyang, causing her to cry. Now, he is the powerful Crown Prince who can command the wind and rain. He has made up his mind that no matter the cost, he will never let Pingyang be sad and shed tears again.

But he broke his promise again.

Xiao Zhian was overwhelmed and flustered by Princess Pingyang's tears.

Lin Huaiyin's dark red blood seeped into his purple outer robe, gradually spreading and fading.

He disregarded everything else, picked up Pingyang, spun her down the ship, and carried her to the princess's residence in a carriage.

Princess Pingyang remained silent throughout the journey.

The night wind blew in through the carriage curtains, and Xiao Zhian gradually calmed down. He thought of Lin Huaiyin, whom he had abandoned on the ship, and smelled the blood of her on his body. His brows became increasingly sharp.

Pingyang.

He called to her, but she did not respond.

After a brief silence, Xiao Zhian said earnestly, "Go back and rest well. Tomorrow I will issue an urgent edict to lead all officials to Heming Mountain to hold the Golden Register Grand Fast for casting the Dragon Tablet. I will come back to see you in a few days."

Upon hearing this, a sinister glint flashed in Princess Pingyang's eyes.

The Golden Register Grand Fast was originally scheduled for three months later, and she was supposed to be the acting abbot.

According to the plan, Xiao Zhian should be critically injured today, and Shen Congyun will take control of the government. Then they will win over the court officials one by one.

If any refuse to submit, a list will be drawn up, and then, three months later, at the Golden Register Grand Fast, the White Lotus Sect will be led to Crane Cry Mountain to be completely wiped out. At the same time, killing two birds with one stone, Lin Cuiyue will be dismissed on the grounds of failing to protect the sect.

With Lin Cuiyue gone, they will replace him with one of their own to take charge of the capital's defenses, and the Lin family will be on the verge of collapse.

This is a complete plan, with each step interconnected and flawless.

Now that the assassinations have failed one after another, Xiao Zhian is sitting perfectly fine in front of him, and he even wants to bring forward the Golden Register Grand Fast.

The situation spiraled out of control, and what threw Princess Pingyang into complete disarray was that Xiao Zhian had fallen in love with someone.

He had a woman in his heart, his first woman, and this woman may very well have bled for him when he was assassinated.

Princess Pingyang understood the gravity of the situation and knew that once Xiao Zhian fell for her, he would no longer be obedient to her or unconditionally trust her.

Xiao Zhian's protection was her greatest asset in seizing power from beginning to end.

Pingyang knew very well that as long as Xiao Zhian was on her side, he would protect her even if things were exposed one day.

He is just that stupid, and he should always be that stupid.

We must not allow Xiao Zhian to become distracted.

Princess Pingyang wanted to cut off all possibilities.

She turned her face, looking at Xiao Zhian with a half-smile, and said, "If you think I'm in your way, it would be better to just throw me to Crane Cry Mountain. Why go through all this trouble, Your Majesty?"

She was still angry.

Xiao Zhian turned his head to gaze at her face. The palace lanterns inside the carriage swayed. There were still tear stains on Pingyang's face. Her eyes were red and she pretended to be willful, but in reality, she was resentful.

Xiao Zhian really couldn't understand what she was complaining about.

When asked, she remained silent.

“Pingyang, the reason I don’t want you to go is because you’ve had a hard day. The journey to Heming Mountain is long, and I don’t want you to suffer.” Xiao Zhian explained patiently, then asked again, “What’s wrong with you? Let’s talk it out, and I’ll agree to anything.”

"I said that it would only cause my brother displeasure."

Pingyang stared directly at Xiao Zhian. Their two pairs of phoenix eyes had similar contours, both exquisite and bright, reflecting each other's stunning beauty.

Xiao Zhian turned to face him directly, his eyes fixed straight ahead, and said, "Tell me, and I will not comply with your demands unless necessary."

“It doesn’t matter whether you agree or not.” Pingyang lifted the window curtain, squinted at the night breeze, and said, “I’m just envious. I envy that my brother can have someone he loves, I envy that he can have whoever he wants, and I envy that girl you protected who got the best man in the world.”

As she spoke, she turned her head slowly.

Their eyes met, and Xiao Zhian was about to say that it hadn't come to that point yet, but the little cat was very cunning and he hadn't figured it out yet. Pingyang chuckled and said in a low voice, "But what about me, Your Majesty? Look at me, look at me. I married the good-for-nothing Yuan Jie'e, and today I'm so tired I can't even move my legs, but he says he's never seen such a magnificent ship, that it only happens once a year, and begged me to bring him to see it. Your Majesty, comparing people is just too much."

She curled her lips into a sad smile, the moonlight falling on her profile, cold and eerie.

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Zhian looked at Pingyang's sorrowful eyes and thought of how exhausted she was being forced by Yuan Jie'e. He felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

Pingyang continued, "Brother, the singing and dancing were so noisy and chaotic. I was exhausted, so I came out for some fresh air. Suddenly, I saw Du Yu leading the guards and the imperial physicians to hurriedly board the ship. Brother, do you know, at that moment, my world collapsed. I ran to your door and saw Xuan Ge covered in blood. Brother, do you know how scared I was? Why didn't you open the door? Why didn't you see me? What girl do you cherish so much? I just wanted to see how you were doing. Don't I deserve it, brother?"

Princess Pingyang spoke with tears streaming down her face, her voice breaking as she finished speaking.

Xiao Zhian's eyes welled up with tears; he was heartbroken.

He was wrong, it was all his fault. Pingyang was worried sick about him, but he left her outside the door, only caring about playing with that annoying kitten. When he saw Pingyang, he even suspected that she shouldn't have appeared, and they almost developed a rift.

No wonder Pingyang was so heartbroken.

What Xiao Zhian found even more unacceptable was that, while he was completely unaware and preoccupied with the kitten, Yuan Jie'e was actually on the same ship, bullying his Pingyang.

How dare he?!

Xiao Zhian originally disagreed with Princess Pingyang's marriage.

He had already made arrangements for Pingyang, and Lin Shifeng was a very good candidate, but the timing was not yet right.

According to ancestral family rules, a prince consort must be a commoner and cannot hold an official position.

If Xiao Zhian insists on going his own way, he can either wait until his father passes away, then ascend the throne and abolish the ancestral laws to forcibly arrange the marriage.

Alternatively, after the southern expedition, Empress Pingyang, as the empress, would choose a new consort.

Xiao Zhian was waiting for an opportunity, as the original plan to conquer the south had been repeatedly postponed due to the White Lotus Sect.

Unexpectedly, Consort Hui suddenly recommended Yuan Jie'e, and the Emperor quickly issued an edict to grant them marriage.

Xiao Zhian refused to accept it. He looked down on Yuan Jie'e. He withstood the pressure and stood his ground. Unexpectedly, Pingyang accepted the imperial edict behind his back, saying that she did not want him to disobey his father. He was caught in a dilemma.

This matter had long been a source of anxiety for Xiao Zhian. He accelerated the southern expedition in order to free Pingyang as soon as possible, but he never expected that Yuan Jie'e would be so audacious as to bully Pingyang.

In Xiao Zhian's eyes, Yuan Jie'e was already a dead man.

Pingyang suddenly grabbed his sleeve and reminded him with great anxiety: "Your Majesty, you must not retaliate against Yuan Jie'e. He dared to be disrespectful to me because he is Consort Hui's man. Even the last time we went to the banquet at the Shen family, it was his idea to go. It seems that Consort Hui was promoting the Shen family. Your assassination attempt today is probably also related to Consort Hui. Your Majesty, I am so afraid that she will harm you again."

The trouble once again turned to Consort Hui.

Xiao Zhian listened without comment.

He believed that Pingyang was genuinely afraid and worried about his safety, but Consort Hui was only pregnant, and the possibility of having a prince or princess was still unknown. There was no need to be so impatient. Even his father, Emperor Xiao Zhian, did not believe that he would be so foolish as to depose the heir apparent because of Consort Hui.

Indeed, a sinister pressure was palpable in the imperial court, a feeling that was about to erupt. Xiao Zhian had long sensed it, but he had not yet found any clues. The mastermind was not in the palace, so he had already ruled out that option. As for the person who had the ability and ambition to seize power from him, Xiao Zhian had not yet seen anyone.

Perhaps the hope for breaking the deadlock should be placed on that little cat with its claws outstretched.

Xiao Zhian had a vague premonition of this.

The matter was still unresolved, and he didn't want to say too much and frighten Pingyang. He simply gently held her shoulders to comfort her: "Since that's the case, if you're not afraid of hardship, you can preside over the Golden Register Grand Fast. Let the palace and the court see clearly that Princess Pingyang is as precious as gold and jade, sharing the fate of the country, and is no less than my Crown Prince."

Upon hearing this, Princess Pingyang's eyes lit up, and she nodded with a sob in her voice: "Yes, Your Majesty."

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her eyelids drooping naturally. She thought to herself: By presiding over the Golden Register Grand Fast, her status in the hearts of the court officials will rise. On the contrary, the court officials will be dissatisfied with the Crown Prince for indulging her in her monopoly of power.

This trip will take at least half a month, enough time for her to win over the court officials. When the White Lotus Sect comes to besiege the mountain, they can still break through Lin Cuiyue's imperial guards, eliminate disobedient officials, and turn Heming Mountain into a bloody hunting ground. Of course, the premise is that Shen Congyun can get Lin Cuiyue's imperial guards deployment map from Lin Huaiyin.

Very good. Princess Pingyang could guess that Xiao Zhian's arrangement was for a secret rendezvous with the hidden wild woman. She was extremely grateful that she had risked climbing through the window and taking a detour to block the door tonight. Otherwise, if Xiao Zhian set off directly tomorrow, she would not have had time to make any arrangements, and she might not even have been able to go.

This is good enough. She can purge the court officials as planned, and also find Xiao Zhian's bastard woman and throw her into the mountains to feed the snakes.

Xiao Zhian's doting had no limits. Princess Pingyang was certain that his heart still belonged to her, and finally her worries turned to joy. She got off the carriage with peace of mind and returned to the princess's residence to lay out her conspiracy.

The bright moon hangs high, the drumbeats sound far and wide; it is almost the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

Xiao Zhian abandoned the carriage, spurred his horse and turned back, with the Eastern Palace guards protecting him on his side.

Halfway there, they encountered Du Yu who came to report.

"Your Highness, General Xuan Ge personally escorted Madam Shen—cough cough—" Du Yu coughed, his face flushed, thinking to himself that Xuan Ge had only revealed the woman's identity to make it easier to send people. He had to swallow this matter and dared not risk death by falsely referring to her as Madam Shen in front of His Highness.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing again, "General Xuan Ge is currently guarding the young lady personally. May I ask who Your Highness wishes to send to replace him?"

"No need to replace him, just let him guard it."

Xiao Zhian answered without hesitation, while Du Yu and the guards were dumbfounded.

His Highness has just been assassinated, which is extremely dangerous. This is the time when he needs the most vigilance and protection. How can you send the commander of the personal guards and the strongest fighting force in the Eastern Palace to protect a young lady?

Who is that girl, that His Highness would risk his own safety to protect her?

Is the Crown Prince's Palace about to have a Crown Princess?

The guards looked at each other, gradually becoming excited.

Du Yu, the only one who knew that the girl was Shen Congyun's wife, looked distressed and worried for his master. There were countless women in the world, so why did His Highness treat Madam Shen differently?

Du Yu clenched his fist. Xiao Zhian glanced at him coldly, then looked at the imperial physician whose hair was disheveled from the horse's swaying and asked, "How are your injuries? What kind of poison did you get? Is it easy to cure?"

The imperial physician, his face contorted with grief, bowed and replied, "Your Highness, please forgive us. The young lady wouldn't allow any lamps to be lit, wouldn't allow us to examine her, only asked for some medicine to be applied, and wanted to leave as soon as she was wrapped in gauze. She tried to climb out the window, and General Xuange and I were unable to stop her, so we had to send her away first—"

"You bastard!"

Xiao Zhian spurred his horse and galloped into the night.