Today is the wedding day of Crown Prince Chu Chengli and Li Jingshu. The East Palace is decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, and the air is filled with a festive atmosphere.
Crown Princess Li Jingshu is a stunningly beautiful woman with a gentle and virtuous personality and elegant manners. She and the handsome and elegant Crown Prince Chu Chengli are a perfect match made in heaven.
At this time, the capital city of Shangjing was bustling with activity. Everywhere one looked, the streets were lined with red silk and flowers, like a vibrant sea of flowers. Palace attendants, bearing trays, rewarded passersby with handfuls of golden sunflower seeds when they came to congratulate the crown prince. For a moment, the air was filled with the rich fragrance of flowers and a joyful atmosphere.
As the melodious sound of a phoenix flute sounded, a group of dancers in gorgeous costumes appeared before the crowd, like fairies descending to earth. Their graceful dance moves were like a dream, enchanting and impossible to extricate oneself from the scene.
On the lake not far away, exquisite dragon boats were swiftly sailing across the water, with the oarsmen paddling vigorously, creating countless sparkling water splashes. The crowds watching on the shore erupted in cheers and applause, bringing the atmosphere of this grand wedding to a climax.
Such a spectacular scene attracted thousands of people to watch, and the entire Shangjing City became crowded. Everyone wanted to witness this rare and grand wedding with their own eyes.
Emperor Wen secretly handed a tightly sealed edict to the third prince when no one was paying attention, and repeatedly instructed him to personally deliver it to Zhang Ji. This edict actually pardoned Zhang Ji's exile and allowed him to return to his hometown with his father.
However, on the eve of the Crown Prince's grand wedding to Li Jingshu, a secret guard hurried to report the news. Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's joyous expression instantly darkened, his eyes gleaming with a cold glint. He clenched his fists tightly, gnashing his teeth as he whispered, "We must not allow Zhang Liu and his son to return home alive! Find a way to stage an 'accident', but do it cleanly and without leaving any trace!" His gaze grew even colder, as if he had already witnessed the tragic end of Zhang Liu and his son.
At the Crown Prince's wedding banquet, lights and decorations were blaring, and drums and music filled the entire palace. A joyous and peaceful atmosphere permeated the entire palace. However, amidst this clamor, two figures stood out: the Xian Wang and Xiao Jinghan, sitting side by side.
The virtuous king bowed his head slightly and said in a low voice to Xiao Jinghan beside him: "The prince has taken action!" His tone was filled with a hint of surprise and gloating.
Xiao Jing's cold, stern face remained expressionless, though a faint light flickered in his deep eyes. He took a sip of his wine and slowly replied, "Haha! It's indeed inappropriate to see blood on a wedding day. Does the Crown Prince really think that your Majesty's secret guards are just for show? We can only wait and see what happens. For now, let's just enjoy this fine wine and delicious food."
At this moment, the prince's wedding banquet was still bustling with laughter and blessings. However, in this joyous atmosphere, a nervous guard hurriedly walked up to Emperor Wen and whispered something in his ear.
Emperor Wen's smiling face instantly turned gloomy. He frowned, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. After listening to the guard's report, Emperor Wen stood up and without even a glance at the prince who was celebrating his wedding, he turned around and left, returning to the imperial study!
Seeing this, the Empress raised her eyebrows, her heart filled with displeasure. She was secretly furious: On the day of the Crown Prince's wedding, Emperor Wen, as his father, refused even a single glass of wedding wine. Wasn't this truly humiliating for the Crown Prince? Such behavior was truly disrespectful to her and the Li family!
Emperor Wen rushed back to the Imperial Study from the Eastern Palace with a furious look on his face. He was shaking with rage and roared at the air in front of him: "How dare Chu Chengli! How dare he send people to kill Zhang Liu and his son! He is simply lawless!"
The captain of the secret guards' face turned pale. He knelt on the ground trembling with fear, bowed his head and apologized, "Your Majesty, please calm down! It's all my fault. By the time I arrived with my men, it was too late..."
Emperor Wen suppressed his rage and calmed down a bit after taking a few deep breaths, but his voice was still filled with anger. "He's clearly determined to kill them all, leaving no chance for anyone else to survive! Zhang Liu has always been diligent and conscientious in his position as Minister of Justice, and has never made any mistakes. I wanted to show some leniency and let the Zhang family go, considering he is Consort De's brother and the Third Prince's uncle. But I never expected Chu Chengli to be so cruel and ruthless, determined to put them to death!"
The captain of the secret guard lowered his head, his body trembling slightly, and his voice sounded a little nervous: "Your Majesty! After careful investigation and tracking, those assassins acted extremely cautiously and did not leave any clues or traces. However, God will not disappoint those who work hard. Just when everyone was at a loss, we successfully arrested a key person, the liaison between the prince and the assassins!" After saying this, the captain of the secret guard secretly raised his eyes to observe Emperor Wen's reaction, but only for a moment before quickly lowering his head again.
Emperor Wen sat on the dragon throne and gently moved his right index finger, as if to indicate something. The captain of the secret guards understood and quietly and silently left the palace...
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and all was silent. However, a thrilling confrontation was unfolding in the shadows. Emperor Wen's secret guards appeared like ghosts, quietly handing the Crown Prince's men over to the Third Prince's staff.
Crown Prince Chu Chengli had been busy all day in the front hall, socializing with wedding guests. Now, slightly tipsy, he entered the bridal chamber. The red that filled his eyes burned like flames, stinging his eyes and intensifying the rage within him.
Chu Chengli suddenly reached out and ripped the red veil from the bride, Li Jingshu's head. His once-deep eyes now darkened, filled with uncontrollable rage. "Your father is, after all, the Prime Minister of a country! But look at how the Emperor showed him no mercy today? He just turned away without a second thought! If your father had been able to intimidate the Emperor in court, why would he be so presumptuous?"
His voice was cold and sharp, piercing the festive atmosphere. Li Jingshu sat quietly beside the bed, her beautiful face filled with shock and sorrow. She stared at the angry man in front of her with wide eyes, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Li Jingshu's heart sank, and she hurriedly comforted him, "Cousin! Daddy has been supporting you tirelessly!"
Chu Chengli, his face completely drunk, muttered to himself, "What's the point of being the Prime Minister, the head of all government? Without military power, what can he accomplish?"
Li Jingshu felt a tightness in her chest. "Your Highness! After we get married, you can choose a daughter of a military family to be your concubine. That way, my father won't be able to argue or stop me!"
Chu Chengli's eyes suddenly lit up, and his voice became unusually gentle: "Shu'er! How could your cousin do such a foolish thing? Don't worry, you are the one your cousin loves and cares about the most!"
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