Long Fengying was frantic with anxiety, yet unable to move a muscle. In short order, she was drenched in sweat from head to toe, her heart filled with hatred for everyone present.
Little did she know, everyone else felt an intense loathing for Long Fengying as well.
Grand Prince spoke to Yang Mengchen, "Jiujiu, have your Maid take her to the palace gate to wait for us."
Although a fair number of people were aware of the situation, aside from them, no one else had seen the true faces of the two involved. They hoped that changing the narrative later could minimize the scandal’s negative impact on the Royal family.
Long Fengying had a unique status, and among the ladies, only Jiujiu’s two Maids knew martial arts, which would enable them to sneak Long Fengying out without a trace.
Yang Mengchen glanced at Mo Mei, who stepped forward, picked up Long Fengying in a princess carry, leapt up, and in a blink of an eye, vanished without a trace.
"Let’s go," said the Grand Prince. As soon as he had finished speaking, they saw Prince Jing hurrying over in a rush. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Their faces were calm, but inwardly, everyone sneered. Prince Jing’s timing couldn’t be more impeccable.
On his own wedding day, neither the Imperial Uncle nor the Royal Uncle attended and stayed away from the main hall without a word— a clear sign of disrespect. A flicker of shadow crossed Prince Jing’s eyes, but in an instant, he asked with concern, "Imperial Uncle, have you gotten to the bottom of this matter?"
After a penetrating look at Prince Jing, the Grand Prince nodded. "Without rules, there can be no circle. It’s time to put your house in order."
Long Fengying had never been close with Prince Jing, and Ma Tiankun was an outsider. Both went to Jing Prince Mansion on Prince Jing’s wedding day, yet the servants failed to report their presence to Prince Jing in a timely manner. Claiming that they were too busy and had forgotten, who would believe that?
"You are absolutely right, Imperial Uncle!" Prince Jing’s attitude was sincere, but inside he was seething with resentment and bitterness.
Yang Mengchen, in a soft voice, said, "The wedding ceremony has concluded, Imperial Uncle, and you are unwell. Let us return."
"Why did you not inform your nephew if you were unwell, Imperial Uncle? I would have sent for the Imperial Physician immediately to have you well attended to," said Prince Jing, taking the opportunity to glance at Yang Mengchen before quickly shifting his gaze away. He suppressed the fire in his heart and looked at the Grand Prince with concern and self-reproach.
"No need, I just need to rest when I return and I’ll be fine," the Grand Prince waved his hand. "Today is your day of great joy. Go on with your affairs."
Prince Jing insisted on escorting the Grand Prince, Long Xuanmo, Yang Mengchen, along with Long YiXuan and Princess Kang to the mansion’s entrance.
The other members of the Royal family returned to the wedding feast.
Yang Mengchen, Princess Ning, and Princess Kang were about to take the carriage back to the mansion when the two guards escorting Ma Tiankun and the Maid abruptly returned, looking disheveled as they knelt before the Grand Prince. "Your Highness, several masked assailants suddenly appeared and took away Ma Tiankun and the Maid. We failed in our duty. Please, Your Highness, punish us!"
"Spread the word, we must search for Ma Tiankun throughout the Capital immediately! Remember, do not let a word leak out!"
The two guards respectfully responded, "Yes!" and then left.
The faces of the four from the Grand Prince’s party were somber: Who had taken Ma Tiankun, and what was their purpose?
"Who does the princess suspect rescued Ma Tiankun?" Not only Hai Tang, but Sister Jin and Qing Hen, at the carriage reins outside, were equally curious.
"Ma Tiankun," Yang Mengchen said with a faint smile, upon seeing Sister Jin and Hai Tang’s surprised faces. "Long Fengying is a princess of the Royal family. If she were caught in the act with another man, unless that man held an exceedingly high status, the man would be executed immediately for the sake of the Royal family’s honor. Ma Tiankun knew this well. He did not wish to die, so he would have made foolproof plans. Even if Long Fengying didn’t save him, I believe his own people would have rescued him in time."
Hai Tang shook her head. "Ma Tiankun could’ve exposed their relationship at any time, yet he chose Prince Jing’s wedding. Now, with no one having seen their faces, even if rumors spread, no one will believe them. It’s all been in vain."
"Logically, the guests should have been in the main hall for the ceremony. How did it happen that those gentlemen were coincidentally in Ziyu Pavilion?" Yang Mengchen reminded them.
Sister Jin and Hai Tang pondered for a moment and then realized, "Your Highness means that Ma Tiankun did this deliberately."
"As the saying goes, ’Three men make a tiger,’" Yang Mengchen said meaningfully. "Even though the gentlemen may not have seen their faces, with all the commotion caused by the Maid, it’s enough to make people believe it— largely, at least. Just wait, this matter will soon spread throughout the Capital."
All the Imperial Uncle’s painstaking efforts were in vain, in the end.
While Hai Tang and Qing Hen were somewhat okay with it, Sister Jin sighed inwardly. The Emperor would surely be thunderously enraged, and it was unknown how many would suffer as a consequence.
Upon returning to the Prince Mansion, Yang Mengchen went directly to the main courtyard. Along the way, the servants all had expressions of concern, indicating the news had already spread. However, the mansion’s servants did not gather to gossip, which pleased Yang Mengchen.
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