Chapter 552 The Crown Prince's Anger and Resentment
He smiled apologetically, "What did the old lady just ask me?"
"You're only fourteen, not even of marriageable age yet, you probably won't get married so early, right?"
He actually smiled and nodded in reply: "Yes, His Majesty's idea is to arrange the marriage first, and then hold the wedding ceremony after I come of age next year."
"That puts my mind at ease." Qiao Qinghe nodded and said with a smile, "I'll prepare a dowry for you then, please don't mind."
He readily nodded in agreement: "Then thank you very much, Madam."
He didn't stay with Qiao Qinghe for long before heading back.
After everyone left, A-Shuang asked, "Is the old lady really worried about Miss Huanzhen? She doesn't seem very happy."
Qiao Qinghe sighed and frowned slightly. "I always felt that Zhen Gu agreed to the marriage with the Prince of Chu, and his motives were not pure."
Ah Shuang also thought of Min Pan'er, "Does the old lady mean that Miss Huanzhen wants to avenge Ah Jiu? That's why she agreed to this marriage?"
Qiao Qinghe did not answer directly, but her brows furrowed even more.
***
The news that the Princess of Chu had betrothed the fourth daughter of the Marquis of Yongning quickly spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
The servants in the Crown Prince's residence have been keeping quiet these days, walking, talking, and doing everything with extreme caution, for fear of making a loud noise and angering the Crown Prince.
On this day, the Crown Prince returned to his residence after court and kicked the gatekeeper, seriously injuring him, as soon as he entered the gate.
"Useless thing! How dare you block my way! Drag him away and beat him to death with sticks!"
The guards dared not disobey, and fearing being caught in the crossfire, they quickly dragged the servant who had fallen to the ground away.
When Zhong Liuniang heard that the Crown Prince had returned to the mansion, she hurried out to greet him and happened to witness this scene.
"etc!"
Zhong Liuniang quickly stepped forward and gently comforted the Crown Prince, asking, "What has caused Your Highness to be so angry?"
"He's just an ignorant servant. Just throw him onto the estate. Why tarnish His Highness's reputation for him?"
The Crown Prince frowned in displeasure, but still nodded to give Zhong Liu Niang face, and coldly ordered, "Do as the Crown Princess wishes."
"Yes." As the two guards dragged the person away, their eyes were filled with gratitude and relief.
In the past two years, the Crown Prince's temper has become increasingly unpredictable. Fortunately, the Crown Princess is still able to persuade him.
The Crown Princess followed the Crown Prince back to the inner courtyard.
Once inside, the Crown Princess personally helped the Crown Prince change his clothes and then served him tea. After the Crown Prince sat down and drank the tea, the Crown Princess asked, "Why were you so angry today? Did something happen in court?"
The Crown Prince slammed the teacup on the table with a bang, his face grim, and said in a cold voice, "Isn't this all because of the Fifth Prince!"
"What's wrong with the Prince of Chu?" the Crown Princess asked softly. "The Prince of Chu is Your Highness's own younger brother, born of the same mother. Surely he wouldn't oppose Your Highness in court affairs?"
"Ha, he doesn't dare now, but soon he will!"
The Crown Prince grew increasingly furious, and said angrily, "I originally thought the third prince was troublesome, but I never expected the fifth prince to be the one who was hiding the deepest secret!"
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
"You know that the fifth prince's official wife is Yu Zhenhuan from the Yongning Marquis's mansion, right?"
The Crown Princess nodded: "Of course. It is said that this candidate was suggested by the Empress Dowager."
The Crown Prince scoffed, "This isn't someone the Empress Dowager chose; it was clearly Fifth Prince who chose her himself!"
"Really?" The Crown Princess was somewhat incredulous. "How could the Prince of Chu possibly interfere in such a matter?"
"Heh, so you still underestimated Fifth Brother!"
The Crown Prince said with a forced smile, "He not only chose Yu Huanzhen as his principal wife, but also gained the Yongning Marquis's family, which holds military power as his wife's family."
"Not content with that, the Emperor and Empress Dowager proposed that the Fourth Miss Yu be married first, citing her young age as the reason that she should not be able to get married."
"What!?" The Crown Princess was shocked. "The Prince of Chu has not even entered the household yet, and the Prince of Chu already wants to take a concubine?"
"Heh, he's not just going to take a concubine, he's going to marry the legitimate daughter of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice!"
"How is this possible?!" The Crown Princess was shocked again.
"The legitimate daughter of a third-rank official is going to become a concubine of the Prince of Chu?!"
"The term 'concubine' sounds nice, but she's still a concubine!"
"How could the Zhou family possibly demean their eldest daughter like this?"
"Heh, you think this is an insult?" the Crown Prince scoffed. "But others might see it as a road to heaven!"
The Crown Princess's heart skipped a beat. She knew what the Crown Prince meant, but she still forcibly ignored the deeper meaning and insisted on asking, "Then can the Marquis of Yongning's mansion agree?"
"If the concubine enters the household first, the eldest son of the Prince of Chu's mansion will likely be born from her womb. It's hard to guarantee that a dispute between the legitimate and illegitimate heirs won't arise in the future."
"Isn't the Marquis of Yongning's mansion at all worried?"
The Crown Prince laughed, "The Yongning Marquis's family is willing to marry their daughter to the Prince of Chu, which means they are determined to side with him! What are concubines? What about the eldest son of a concubine?"
"When that day comes, with the Yongning Marquis's mansion holding a large army, Lady Yu will be invincible!"
"Your Highness, please watch your words!!"
The Crown Princess quickly warned, "Be careful, walls have ears."
The Crown Prince sneered dismissively, "I know there are people from the Emperor's household here, but so what?"
"I want my father to know that I have seen through his intentions!"
"I know he's unhappy with me; he gave up on me a long time ago!"
"He's paving the way for the fifth son! I know it all!"
"But why?"
"What heinous crime have I committed? What terrible mistake have I made that he would treat me like this?"
"First it was the third son, and now it's the fifth!"
"Father really doesn't care about my feelings at all!!!"
"I am his eldest son! I have been the crown prince for a full twenty-six years!"
"Why should he abandon me just like that?"
"Why? Why?"
"Sixth Sister, I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!"
Zhong Liuniang stepped forward and embraced the Crown Prince, her heart also filled with unbearable pain.
In her heart, the Crown Prince was confident and flamboyant, noble and proud, and outstanding, shining like the sun.
But the current crown prince is capricious, easily irritable, and plagued by anxiety and fear. He is a completely different person from the one he used to be.
"Your Highness, don't be afraid, you're still here with me! And there's the Zhong family! And your maternal family, the Marquis of Yongchang's mansion!"
The prince gently reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll go home tomorrow."
"I will also try to win over the Yongchang Marquis's family for you!"
"Don't worry, I will do everything I can to help you!"
No one can take your position as crown prince away from you. What is rightfully yours will always be yours!
"Sixth Princess! You truly are the person who cares about me the most in this world!" The Crown Prince hugged his Crown Princess tightly, his voice filled with emotion.
"Sixth Sister, I swear, I, Li Chengjun, will never betray you in this lifetime!"
"If I break this oath, may a thousand arrows pierce my heart!"
Zhong Liuniang smiled and covered the Crown Prince's mouth, "Your Highness, please don't say such things. Everything I've done for Your Highness is of my own free will. Even if Your Highness betrays me in the future, I won't blame you! I only ask that when that day comes, Your Highness will set me free!"
"That day will never come! Never!"
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