05 The Victory Cry
Liu Hanxue was furious after being slapped twice. She wanted to retaliate but gritted her teeth and held back, constantly telling herself: "I must endure this. I can't ruin the whole plan because of a moment of impulse. These two slaps won't be for nothing. When the prince arrives, with these marks, the real show will begin!" Just wait, Liu Hanruo, you dare to hit me? You'll pay the price!
In this oppressive environment, the entire courtyard was silent. No one dared to breathe loudly, for fear of being struck by lightning and becoming the target of the two women's quarrel.
One was filled with resentment, as if he wanted to rush up and bite someone, while the other had an arrogant expression. The two were locked in a stalemate until the doctor reappeared, which slightly eased the tension. Glancing at the two men, the doctor, being the personal physician of the Prince's residence, was well aware of the complexities of the inner workings of the Prince's household. He also understood that curiosity could kill. Adhering to the principle of doing more and saying less to avoid mistakes, he hurriedly gave some instructions and fled as if running away, even forgetting to collect his consultation fee.
Liu Hanxue calculated the time and felt it was about right. She took a few deep breaths, composed herself, and calmed her emotions. When she saw the purple robes faintly visible, she immediately put on a tearful expression, looking utterly pitiful.
"Sister, you beat me in front of so many servants today. If these slaps can restore your health, I would gladly accept them! If you really miss the Prince, I can beg him to come and see you. But you are still recovering from your illness. The doctor said you must avoid emotional ups and downs. If you are still not satisfied, please continue to hit me. I can bear it..." Liu Hanxue suddenly knelt down in front of Liu Hanruo and said.
"Sister, I only ask one thing of you: please let me save my last bit of dignity. Don't apologize to the maid who insulted and even beat me. Sister, think about it, if I really do that, what will the servants think? How will I have the face to manage the inner quarters in the future? Please, sister, grant my request." Liu Hanxue felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and tears streamed down her face.
Looking at Liu Hanxue kneeling on the ground, performing with such skill, Liu Hanruo understood everything. She had once coldly observed the power struggles among a group of women in the backyard of the Prime Minister's mansion. Looking at Liu Hanxue, whose expression changed so quickly, she smiled slightly and wanted to see how Liu Hanxue planned to perform this act.
As expected, not long after, a magnetic voice came from behind Liu Hanruo, authoritative and dignified.
"Xue'er, I thought that by entrusting the management of the inner court to you, I could focus on state affairs without any worries. But I never expected that you couldn't even handle such a small matter. You have truly disappointed me!"
"Your Highness, Xue'er also wanted to do a good job... but... Xue'er is useless... causing Your Highness to suffer..." Liu Hanxue lowered her head after speaking, letting her tears fall.
Seeing Liu Hanxue's aggrieved face, the Carefree Prince sighed helplessly, stepped forward to help her up, and gently comforted her:
"I didn't mean to blame you entirely. I know you've been wronged. I'll handle this matter. Get up."
Then the carefree prince looked at the princess opposite him, his words accusing her and showing great displeasure.
"I have a general understanding of the matter. What is the Princess Consort doing, beating and scolding me like a shrew for a lowly servant? If this gets out, where will I put my face?"
It was at this moment that Liu Hanruo finally faced the carefree king directly. Although the man before her had a face full of anger, he could not hide the heroic spirit between his brows. His features were delicate yet masculine, and his purple robes made him look noble while adding to his mystery. He seemed to be a masterpiece of heaven, with no more or less than perfect. No wonder he had become the dream lover of countless young girls.
Having waited a long time for a reply, the carefree king's brows furrowed more and more, and he gradually became impatient, raising his voice slightly.
"Your Highness! I am asking you a question, why are you not answering?"
“Your Highness, as a high-ranking official, you should understand that listening to only one side is a great taboo. Now, Your Highness has concluded that I have lost face based solely on Liu Hanxue’s one-sided account. I think Your Highness is being too hasty.” Liu Hanru bowed and argued her case with reason and conviction.
"Does the Princess Consort mean to accuse me of being biased and unable to distinguish right from wrong?" Prince Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow and said noncommittally.
"I dare not! I only hope that Your Highness will not be swayed by one-sided opinions, as this will only affect your judgment. You should know that sometimes what you see in front of you is not necessarily the truth."
"Hmph, it's been months since I last saw you. I didn't expect your eloquence to have improved so much, but your temper is still so unpleasant. How dare you question me! You have quite the nerve!" Prince Xiaoyao sneered, his words icy. "Since you think I'm biased, then even if I did, what could you do? Liu Hanruo, you should understand that you are my concubine. I can grant you the title of princess, and I can also depose you. If you still want to hold onto your position as princess, I advise you to think twice before you act, just do your duty. Don't covet what isn't yours, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Your Highness, how could you..."
"Guards, the Princess Consort is unwell. Help her back to rest and recuperate. She can come out again when she has recovered. Leave the affairs of the inner court to Xue'er. You don't need to interfere anymore!" Prince Xiaoyao gave Liu Hanruo no chance to argue and made his decision directly.
Who would dare disobey the orders of the Carefree King? Several maids half-dragged, half-pushed Liu Hanruo back to the master bedroom. Before leaving, Liu Hanruo saw Liu Hanxue raise a victorious smile, her face full of smugness, as if to say: "You defeated opponent, you're far from being able to fight me!"
Liu Hanruo gave a bitter smile. In the Prime Minister's residence, she was used to seeing the concubines lower their postures just to please their father, the Prime Minister. In the Prince's residence, she saw Liu Hanxue putting on airs, making the Prince of Xiaoyao believe her side of the story without even giving her a chance to explain herself. He even warned her that if she wanted to keep her position as Princess Consort, she should be careful with her words and actions.
Do all men in the world like this kind of thing? Must women live so humbly and without dignity in order to protect so-called love?
Just like her in her past life, in order to cater to his preferences, she hid her own, but she couldn't give up her pride. In the end, it was this pride that prevented her from protecting her love, which led to the deaths of her and her family.
Yes, she couldn't go on like this. She had to take revenge, and she would stop at nothing to achieve it. If she truly had to humbly worship her husband to protect her position as princess, then she was willing to abandon all her pride and dignity. As long as she could kill her enemy, even if it meant humiliating herself before the carefree prince, even if her hands were stained with blood, even if she would be condemned to the deepest hell after death, she didn't care!
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