Chapter 534 The King Wants (5)
Huangfu Hao looked at Prince Rui inquiringly, while Princess Ming'an looked at him with some concern. She said, "Is Prince Rui okay? Is there anything wrong with you? Should we call the imperial physician to take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Hao's face darkened, and he glared fiercely at Princess Ming'an. Princess Ming'an might be spoiled on a daily basis, but now, in front of so many Mingqi princes, she was displaying her obsession with Prince Rui. Wasn't she just asking for trouble? Furthermore, Huangfu Hao was a man himself, and men understood men's minds best. The look Prince Rui gave Princess Ming'an was clearly one of impatience. If Prince Rui were magnanimous, it would be fine. But if he had a bad temper and truly grew tired of Princess Ming'an, and if the entire Daliang lost interest in Qin, he would be the only one to suffer.
Prince Rui ignored her words and instead looked at the last person sitting opposite him. Everyone noticed his gaze and looked over, and it turned out to be Prince Ding Fu Xiuyi.
Fu Xiuyi had always been the most obedient of the nine princes, but now Prince Rui was looking at him alone. The princes' gazes towards Fu Xiuyi changed slightly. Fu Xiuyi remained calm, not fazed by Prince Rui's gaze. He and Prince Rui looked at each other.
Prince Rui suddenly smiled and said, "Before coming to Mingqi, I had heard that the Ninth Prince was a young and talented man. Now that I see that his reputation is well-deserved, I wonder if he is married?"
Everyone was surprised by Prince Rui's sudden words, and their expressions suddenly became strange. Fu Xiuyi was also stunned for a moment, and replied, "Not yet."
Prince Zhou laughed heartily. He sat next to Fu Xiuyi and patted him on the shoulder. He said, "Our ninth brother is the only one among the brothers who has never married. How come Prince Rui is also interested in his marriage?"
Prince Rui's lips curled up beneath his mask, and he said leisurely, "There are many princesses of marriageable age in Daliang Palace. When I saw the Ninth Prince, I felt that we were very compatible and I wanted to marry him."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
Prince Rui's words unexpectedly implied a desire to become in-laws with Fu Xiuyi. If, as Prince Rui had said, marrying a princess from Daliang would mean more than just another concubine; it would also provide additional support from Daliang. If the previous leniency toward Fu Xiuyi stemmed from the fact that he had never expressed interest in the throne, Prince Rui's words now made it impossible for everyone to view him the same way. After all, if Fu Xiuyi married the princess of Daliang, he would become the strongest contender for the throne!
Fu Xiuyi's grip on the wine cup suddenly tightened, and he looked at Prince Rui calmly.
Is it really just as he said on the surface, that he wants to marry Princess Daliang to him? Fu Xiuyi didn't think so.
Prince Rui is not helping him, but harming him!
Fu Xiuyi had always adhered to the principle of keeping a low profile, never revealing his true colors until the very last moment. While Prince Rui's offer was tempting, if he truly had such good intentions, Fu Xiuyi would never have wanted to bring it up in front of all the princes. With just one sentence, the princes looked at him with wariness, practically putting him at the center of the storm.
No matter how tempted he was, there was no way he would agree. Fu Xiuyi gritted his teeth. He didn't know why, but he felt that this Prince Rui, with whom he had no connection, seemed hostile to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put him in such a difficult situation with just a few casual words.
He was wary of Prince Rui, but smiled shyly as he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, Prince Rui. However, I have no intention of marrying at the moment."
"Oh?" Prince Rui raised his lips. "But the Ninth Prince already has a woman he loves, so he doesn't want to be with you? This prince never does things that force couples to marry. If that's the case, I won't force it."
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