Chapter 248
Qi Heng frowned, his face was solemn, and his eyes were full of vigilance as he stared intently at the person who was approaching him step by step.
Tao Tao, shielded behind him, couldn't see who it was. She grabbed his arm and asked in a melodious voice, "Who is it?"
She first looked at his face, then turned to see the person she hadn't seen for several days. His handsome face was slightly ferocious, and his eyes, which had always looked at her gently, now revealed a cold murderous aura.
She froze on the spot, her body stiffening, a chill suddenly rising up her spine, and her scalp tingling instantly.
Duan Gan's eyes flickered slightly as he stared intently at the hand that was gripping his arm. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and she was so dependent on him. A burning jealousy surged up from the depths of his being.
His pupils turned crimson as he looked at her, and a searing pain of betrayal from his beloved surged from his heart, causing him to catch his breath and gasp for air.
He had never seen her like this before. He was the one who should have seen her in her wedding dress, but another man beat him to it.
His emotions were too turbulent, and he couldn't help but feel a metallic taste rising in his throat, but he pursed his lips and swallowed it down.
He couldn't possibly humiliate himself in front of her and Qi Heng.
An eerie silence spread among the crowd, and no one uttered the first word.
However, this was the Prince's residence, and Murong Huai Shi had to give an explanation to the guests. He slowly stepped forward and tried to smooth things over.
"Lord Duan must have come to attend His Highness's wedding banquet, and he brought so many people with him. But we can manage to squeeze in a bit."
He was indirectly reminding Duan Gan that it was the Crown Prince's wedding banquet, and that he should be careful with his words and actions.
However, Murong Huai Shi was unaware that the Privy Council's actions could not be anything but legitimate, especially since they had brought the Imperial Guards with them this time.
"The Emperor has issued an edict."
As soon as he finished speaking, Murong Huai Shi was the first to kneel down with a thud, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and shouted, "Your subject receives the decree."
Then everyone knelt down, and voices rose and fell.
For a moment, only Qi Heng and Tao Tao were standing there.
This imperial decree is probably not easy to accept. She thought to herself.
Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, and a light drizzle began to fall.
Qi Heng finally knelt down, even though he knew that Duan Gan's visit was ill-intentioned and that this imperial edict would put him in danger.
But since he arrived so quickly, it's possible that his uncle might escape unscathed.
After hesitating for a moment, Tao Tao knelt beside him, head down, not daring to look into his burning gaze that seemed to want to strangle her.
She kept wondering why he would come back at this time, and suddenly she remembered the person who had been hiding in the shadows a couple of days ago, whose name was something like Leng.
Could it be that he reported her? But he's been protecting her from the shadows the whole time; he's never left her side.
She was dumbfounded. Someone from the Privy Council must have other ways to send messages. If she had known, she should have had Leng Qiao secretly tie him up. Now, Duan Gan would definitely not let her go.
Thinking about this, she was filled with remorse and regret.
As they listened to the imperial edict being proclaimed from above, the more they heard the contents, the more terrified they became, their hearts churning like a tidal wave.
Intending to rebel, depose the crown prince, and demote him to the mediocre prince? Which mediocre prince? Probably not the mediocre prince of mediocre people.
She recognized every single word, but no matter how they were put together, they all felt unfamiliar to her.
Tao Tao's face turned pale. She bit her lower lip, her mind racing, trying to figure out what to do next.
Not only her, but also Murong Huai Shi, who originally planned to take advantage of the Crown Prince's influence to go up, fell down halfway and was crippled.
He looked up, panicked, and cried out, "Lord Duan! Lord Duan! Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with the Prince's Mansion. Xiao Tao hasn't even had her wedding ceremony yet, so this marriage doesn't count!"
Fortunately, Tao Tao had not yet boarded the wedding carriage or gone to the East Palace to pay her respects; otherwise, this would have definitely implicated the Prince's Mansion.
Lu Shuqing realized what was happening and hurriedly chimed in, "Yes, yes, the marriage isn't finalized yet, so don't bring the Crown Prince's rebellion into the Prince's residence! My lord."
Qi Heng looked at her pale face, reached out and grasped her cold hand, all she could hear were those voices that were kicking her when she was down.
His complexion didn't look too good either, but he still put her first and comforted her in a low voice, "It's alright, luckily we haven't left the Prince's mansion yet, so it won't implicate you."
"I'm sorry, Xiaotao, I'm the one who's wronged you."
Tao Tao seemed to only then come to her senses, feeling him holding her hand tightly, as if giving her strength.
But she is Tao Tao, who has seen everything in funerals and sealed up countless dismembered corpses. She is mentally strong enough and does not need others to give her strength.
She smiled sweetly and was about to pull her hand away when she noticed that the burning gaze that had been away from her had returned to her because of his movement.
She didn't shy away from looking directly at him, and no matter how angry he was, she could face him calmly.
Duan Gan was stunned; he probably hadn't expected her to look back at him so confidently.
Within seconds, someone came over and, without any regard for the fact that Qi Heng was still the Crown Prince, roughly pinned his hands behind his back and led him toward the door.
Their intertwined hands were forced apart. Tao Tao sensed his reluctance to part, looked up at him, and suddenly saw his slightly red eyes and furrowed brows.
A pang of pity welled up in her heart. With Duan Gan around, she should have kept it hidden, but it unconsciously showed itself.
Jealousy was like a venomous snake, constantly spewing venom that corroded his heart. It wasn't just a burning pain; it felt as if a large chunk of flesh had been ripped out, leaving his heart empty yet constantly throbbing with pain.
When Qi Heng encountered him, she saw his ugly face, consumed by jealousy.
He thought to himself that he had previously thought it was his imagination, that Duan Gan was only attracted to Xiao Tao and had not developed any romantic feelings for her. It turned out that Duan Gan had also fallen in love with Xiao Tao.
That's why he rushed back so urgently. But it's rare that he even had time to go to the palace to ask for an imperial edict to put him to death.
But did his father really see the so-called evidence? Or did he simply believe Duan Gan's words and not even give his own son a chance to argue?
That's really laughable.
He lowered his eyes, a bleak smile appearing on his usually gentle lips.
Tao Tao couldn't help but stand up. She had just taken a step when Wu Mama grabbed her arm from behind and whispered in her ear, "Princess, you should think things through. The Crown Prince is no longer of any use."
"You must not further provoke Lord Duan."
Upon hearing this, she suddenly came to her senses, clenched her fists, and did not do anything out of line again.
"Keep a close eye on Princess Huaimin. If she steps out of the manor, I will hold you responsible!"
Although he was speaking to Murong Huai Shi, Duan Gan kept his eyes fixed on Tao Tao, seemingly observing the expression on her face.
Everyone was surprised to hear this. They didn't know why, but Murong Huai Shi did, and he secretly rejoiced.
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