"Ying..." Seeing the piercing gaze of Grand Prince Shang sweep over, Ma Tiankun immediately corrected himself, "Your Highness, please don’t! It would be a commoner’s lifelong honor to receive such deep affection and friendship from Your Highness, and I would die without regrets, but I plead with Your Highness to live well. That way, even in the netherworld, I would rest in peace! I pray that in the next life, I may continue our love with Your Highness!" His voice was gentle and resolute, his eyes brimming with undying tenderness and reluctance.
Long Fengying shook her head desperately, tears falling in large drops, as pitiful and plaintive as pear blossoms in the rain, completely devoid of her usual arrogance and dominance, "No! I only want to love and be with you in this life; I don’t want a next life!"
"Blame it on the commoner for having deep affections but a shallow fate with Your Highness." Ma Tiankun sighed.
How could Long Fengying accept this, having finally found such a gentle and affectionate man like Ma Tiankun, only for their happy time to be so fleeting?
"You promised to cherish and take care of me for a lifetime; you can’t break your word!"
"The commoner wishes to... Alas, Your Highness, please let go, don’t make it difficult for the Prince and the others!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com
"I’d rather die than let go!" Long Fengying suddenly stood up, drew the long sword from the guard’s waist on her right side, held it to her neck, turned to face everyone, and declared with determination, "If Imperial Uncle wants to kill Tiankun, then kill me along with him. If I must die, I will die together with Tiankun!"
The faces of the onlookers darkened like the gloom before a storm, disgusted as if they had swallowed a fly, looking at Long Fengying who was threatening them with death.
If Yang Mengchen hadn’t known earlier about Ma Tiankun’s intentions, he might have been moved by Ma Tiankun’s ’true affection’ for Long Fengying, and perhaps he would’ve even helped them be together.
However, Yang Mengchen was somewhat puzzled; surely Long Fengying couldn’t be so stupid as to not suspect that Ma Tiankun had ulterior motives in approaching her, after he had indirectly caused his family to fall apart not long ago?
Furthermore, after Ma Tiankun design took advantage of Long Fengying, why didn’t she immediately kill him? Instead, she planted deep roots of love for him in such a short time, and now she was even willing to die with him. Could Long Fengying really believe that Ma Tiankun was her ’true love’?
Well, even if it really were ’true love’ and Long Fengying truly wanted to be with Ma Tiankun, she could have simply pleaded with the Emperor, either using the pretext of being ’barren and without posterity’ (Long Fengying had injured herself during the birth of Magistrate Jiayang and could not bear children in the future), or citing a fractured relationship with her husband (an open secret in The Capital), to ask the Emperor to decree a separation from Prince Consort Shang, then remarry Ma Tiankun, thus gaining a good reputation and a legitimate marriage to Ma Tiankun.
Now, not only has Long Fengying ruined her own reputation, but she has also embarrassed the Royal Family. The Emperor would surely not let her off lightly.
Seeing that Grand Prince Shang remained unmoved and the others cold and silent, Long Fengying started to panic.
She was still waiting for her brother to ascend the throne, not only to enjoy wealth and honor but also to take harsh revenge on all those who had bullied her. She didn’t want to die, but if she didn’t do this, Tiankun would be executed. Torn between the love for her partner and the pursuit of power and status, what should she choose?
Long Fengying was indecisive, biting her lips so hard that traces of blood oozed out. After a long while, she turned to look at Ma Tiankun and, seeing the worry and urgency in his eyes, her love for him overcame everything. She turned back to stare at Grand Prince Shang, gripping the sword a bit more firmly, and a trickle of fresh blood instantly seeped from her soft, pale neck.
"I beg Imperial Uncle to spare Tiankun; otherwise, I will commit suicide right now! Then Imperial Uncle can take my body back to the palace and report to Father Emperor!"
"Your Highness, please don’t..." Ma Tiankun cried with a hoarse and anxious voice, his handsome face full of pained tenderness.
Catching a fleeting glint of cruelty and satisfaction in the deep recesses of Ma Tiankun’s eyes, Yang Mengchen raised an eyebrow and shot Long Xuanmo a suggestive look.
Long Fengying was, after all, the daughter of the Emperor. If they pushed her too hard and she really committed suicide on the spot, the Emperor would inevitably blame them afterward, especially Imperial Uncle. It would be better to leave the matter to the Emperor to deal with. After all, the Emperor was bound to be harsh on Long Fengying, and Ma Tiankun would not let her off either; Imperial Uncle need not play the villain.
There were other members of the extended Royal Family present, and as a daughter-in-law of the Royal Family, it wasn’t appropriate for Yang Mengchen to speak out of turn.
As if understanding the hidden meaning in his beloved wife’s look, Long Xuanmo said indifferently, "Imperial Uncle, why not detain these two first, take Long Fengying back to the palace, and let Father Emperor decide their fate."
Grand Prince Shang nodded, his right hand suddenly sweeping, unexpectedly knocking the sword from Long Fengying’s hand and striking her acupoints, then he ordered the guards to secretly take Ma Tiankun and the maid away.
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