Chapter 32 He's Going to Find Yunzhu
What a light and airy sentence.
We don't need to look for her anymore.
Xiao Mingzhang stared intently at his father, clearly knowing what he had heard.
"Should we stop looking for her?" Before he could speak, Xiao Ming'an interjected, "Father, what do you mean by 'stop looking for her'? She's a princess from the Western Regions. If she's lost..."
Xiao Ming'an wanted to say more, but then she thought about it and suddenly fell silent.
Yes, the princess from the Western Regions is gone, so their family will no longer have a princess consort from a foreign tribe, right? Without a princess consort from a foreign tribe, doesn't that mean…
Suddenly, Xiao Ming'an was filled with a chilling fear. She stared wide-eyed at her father in disbelief.
"Father, Father, did Yunzhu really walk away on her own?" she asked cautiously.
Xiao Shao glanced at Xiao Ming'an. Although he had never had any hope for this daughter since she was a child, he didn't want her to be too stupid.
It seems that at least she can still use her brain.
Xiao Shao didn't speak, so Xiao Ming'an assumed that he had tacitly agreed.
She immediately covered her mouth, followed by a barrage of questions, the most pressing of which was Yunzhu's life...
Xiao Ming'an thought that if her father was determined to seize the throne, then there were some things he might be capable of doing...
"Father, Father King... that Yunzhu, she should still be alive..." Her voice grew softer and softer, the sound coming from under her fingernails, as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
But Xiao Shao and Xiao Mingzhang both heard it clearly.
Xiao Mingzhang's expression changed instantly. Seeing that he was about to rush forward, Xiao Shao finally said, "Alright, why are you asking me this? I did want to do it, but it really wasn't me who did it."
Not so?
Xiao Ming'an was at a loss and confused. She looked at her father and then at her brother, wondering what the situation was.
What exactly happened? Why did Yunzhu leave? What did they all know?
Xiao Mingzhang's steps faltered halfway. Xiao Shao stared at his undisguised gait and finally, instead of facing Xiao Mingzhang directly, she turned to face him directly.
"I think you should know why she left." He had no expectations for Xiao Ming'an, but he still had high hopes for Xiao Mingzhang.
Xiao Mingzhang pursed his lips, stood still, and didn't say a word.
Xiao Shao didn't need his reply, and continued, "Since you can't make a choice, then your Crown Princess is quite obedient and has already made the choice for you. Mingzhang, I think you won't disappoint her, and you won't disappoint me either..."
"What if I want to go find her?" Xiao Mingzhang asked.
"You dare!" The gentle breeze and drizzle of moments before instantly turned into a torrential downpour of thunder. Xiao Shao glared at him coldly, and those two words alone were enough to startle Xiao Ming'an once again.
She was completely at a loss, utterly unaware of what her father and brother were trying to say.
She tried to mediate between the two, but Xiao Shao quickly added in a stern, authoritative tone, "Xiao Mingzhang, you know I've waited three years for this opportunity. The reason I'm giving you time is because I value you. But you must also know that I can have more than one son in my life. If you insist on going to her this time, then from this day forward, you will no longer be the heir of the Huan Prince's Mansion! You will have absolutely no connection with the Huan Prince's Mansion!"
What kind of talk is this? Why are we suddenly bringing this up?
Xiao Ming'an felt like a headless fly, caught between the two people, not knowing what to do.
But Xiao Shao's words were so harsh that she clung to Xiao Mingzhang's arm and said without waiting for a reply, "Brother, apologize to Father first. What's going on between you two? I don't understand a word you're saying, but brother, please apologize to Father quickly..."
"..."
"elder brother?"
"elder brother?!"
Xiao Mingzhang remained silent, which made Xiao Ming'an increasingly anxious. Tears welled up in her eyes again, but Xiao Mingzhang did not utter a single word of reassurance.
Suddenly, he looked down at Xiao Ming'an and said gently, "Congratulations, Ming'an, you'll soon have a well-behaved little brother."
What kind of talk is this?! What kind of talk is this?!
After finishing her porridge distribution today, Madam Ying went to the refugee camp that had been temporarily set up by the government. While she was comforting the people, she heard about Yunzhu's news.
She rushed back to the Prince's mansion, only to overhear the conversation between the father and son as soon as she entered the house.
She rushed forward and slapped Xiao Mingzhang across the face.
"You bastard!"
On her way home, Ying had prepared many words to comfort Xiao Mingzhang, but she never expected that the first thing she would say to him after arriving home would be a furious roar.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" she said sharply. "The person is gone, what's the point of looking for them? There are already so many problems in the Prince's mansion, aren't you already having enough trouble? What brother? Just how much do you want to push your father to?!"
force?
Was it all because he was forcing his father to do this?
Xiao Mingzhang's cheek was turned to the side by Ying's slap, and the red handprint on his usually innocent face stung with pain.
He touched his upper and lower lips together and suddenly let out a very soft chuckle.
Yes, it has always been him who has been pressuring his father.
His father wanted the throne and wanted the Huanwang Mansion to return to its former bustling state, but he, out of womanly compassion, was unwilling to sacrifice his wife for his great cause.
Yes, it's his fault, it's all his fault.
It was his fault to learn about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom; it was also his fault to learn about the principles of being a ruler and a subject.
For the past three years, it's all his fault.
If a few days ago Xiao Mingzhang was still hesitating about whether or not to sacrifice Yunzhu in exchange for a possible opportunity, then at this moment Xiao Mingzhang only wanted to go back to a few days ago and slap himself hard.
What was he really thinking? Would he really want to sacrifice Yunzhu?
His indecisiveness prevented him from truly understanding his own heart for so many years, and in the end, it led him to lose the woman he loved most.
At this moment, Xiao Mingzhang realized with absolute clarity what he truly desired more than the world and Yunzhu.
"In that case, I also wish that my mother will have a son who is even more obedient and sensible than I am." He finally straightened up again, his eyes filled with indifference and nonchalance.
Ying was utterly astonished.
She looked up at Xiao Mingzhang, utterly bewildered. How could he say such a thing? How could he possibly say something like that? He was her son; how dare he say such a thing?!
Seeing Xiao Mingzhang about to leave, Ying hurriedly grabbed his clothes in a panic.
But Xiao Mingzhang didn't even look at her, and simply shook her off.
Ying had no choice but to immediately seek help from Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao gave a cold snort, and immediately, a group of guards surrounded the hall in front of them.
They were like crows lurking in the dark night, suddenly descending from the sky, each with a taut face and an incorruptible demeanor.
Xiao Mingzhang stopped, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the guards one by one. He quickly noticed that these guards, who used to obey his orders, would immediately turn against him and begin to besiege him at the slightest command from the Prince of Huan.
He turned around angrily to look at Xiao Shao, at the figure that was clearly not as tall as him, but was still more solid and powerful.
This was the first time since Xiao Mingzhang came of age that he felt as if he had returned to his youth.
In his youth, he always viewed Xiao Shao as an impregnable city wall.
"Who exactly is in charge of this Prince Huan's mansion? I think you should reflect on that."
Xiao Shao looked at Xiao Mingzhang expressionlessly. As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped out. The guards automatically made way for him. After he left, they immediately surrounded the hall, making it impossible to move, as if they wouldn't let a single fly escape.
This is the day Yunzhu left the Huan Prince's residence.
Of the three remaining people in the hall, some cried, some were stunned, and only Xiao Mingzhang was conscious, but he stood silently in place, unable to put up any resistance.
Xiao Mingzhang clenched his fists, watching Xiao Shao's back. Never before had he realized more clearly that in this mansion named after the Prince Huan's residence, in this city named after the Prince Huan's fiefdom, no one's power could surpass that of the Prince Huan himself.
He was the heir apparent of King Huan, but in the end, he was just an heir apparent.
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Author's Note: Here it comes! This chapter is about the internal strife within our Prince Huan's mansion, hehe. Princess Baby will make her appearance tomorrow!
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