Chapter 384: A Mixed Bag Of Truths and Lies
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Prince Yu was stunned. His entire body froze in shock. He furrowed his brows deeply and viciousness overflowed from his eyes. However, he still forced himself to put down his hand.
Princess Pingling was the youngest daughter of the monarch of the Nan State. Her biological mother was the Imperial concubine of the Nan State’s monarch. When she first came here, Princess Pingling did not intend to get into a marriage alliance with the Chu State. However, after seeing the Chu State experience a change of dynasty, she changed her mind.
Xiao Jin was young, promising, capable, and ambitious. Such a person was worthy of her.
However, Su Ying was troublesome. She felt that Su Ying was a fool who only knew how to wield a spear and a sword. As long as she played some little tricks, she would definitely be able to gain Su Ying’s trust, which was why she had put on that show.
When Su Ying handed her the jade token, Princess Pingling already felt that she could succeed. However, she had never imagined that Su Ying would actually play a trick on her and give her a eunuch’s jade token. She even caused her to become the Third Prince’s fiancee.
Princess Pingling became even angrier when she thought of the Third Prince. How could a brat who was still wet behind the ears and whose mother’s clan was not strong enough be worthy of her!
“Then what do you think we should do now? You’ve already accepted the Imperial edict that bestowed the marriage. You cannot refuse to marry even if you want to.”
Princess Pingling suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with killing intent. “I’m the Princess of a great state. Would 1 marry a dead man?”
Prince Yu was startled and instantly understood.
“Don’t tell me the Chu State still dares to make me be a widow to a dead person?” Princess Pingling said ferociously.
“Are you crazy? This is the Chu State. Do you think you can sneak into the palace and kill people without anyone finding out?”
Princess Pingling sneered. “What’s so difficult about that?”
Meanwhile, the Imperial edict to bestow marriage was also delivered to the Third Prince.
When the Third Prince saw the Imperial edict, he froze in shock. He had heard Consort De talk about his marriage before, but he did not expect that the day would come when he would be asked to marry a princess of an enemy state!
He was not old, but he knew that if the Nan State and the Chu State fought again, he would be stuck between a rock and a hard place!
“I… I’m still young. That… that Princess of the Nan State is already so mature. I’m not marrying her.”
Zhang Shuming’s upturned lips sank slightly. “Your Highness, it’s better if you don’t act willfully. This is a marriage bestowed by His Majesty. If Your Highness doesn’t marry, then are you defying the Imperial edict?”
The Third Prince’s eyes darted around. No matter how reckless he was, he knew what defying the Imperial edict meant. “I… 1 want to see Consort Mother. 1 want to see Consort Mother!”
The two of them were separated on the second day after they were grounded for causing a ruckus at the mourning hall.
When Consort De learned that her son had been bestowed a marriage with Princess Pingling, she was so anxious that she almost jumped up.
She had already thought about who her son would marry in the future. Although it had not been decided yet, the bride must definitely not be a princess of an enemy state!
“Open the door! Open the door for me! 1 want to go out!” Consort De was so furious that she banged on the hall doors and shouted, but the guards keeping watch outside remained unmoved.
When she saw that the other party did not react, Consort De’s expression changed at once as she clutched her stomach in pain and cried out in anguish.
Although the Imperial Guards outside the door knew that Consort De might be pretending, they still opened the hall doors just in case.
“My stomach hurts unbearably. What are you waiting for? Quickly summon the Imperial Physician here to check on me.” Consort De clutched her stomach and held onto the table with an expression of anguish. It seemed like she was really unwell.
One Imperial Guard took a look and went to look for the Imperial Physician.
At the same time, the matter was also reported to Su Ying.
Su Ying wasn’t surprised at all when she heard this. The relationship between the Nan State and the Chu State was very delicate right now, and marrying an enemy state’s princess wouldn’t benefit her son in anyway, so of course the mother and son wouldn’t be willing. “Send the Imperial Physician there. And tell her that if she falls seriously ill, 1 will quickly arrange the marriage between the Third Prince and Princess Pingling. This is in case she dies and the Third Prince has to observe a mourning period for her and end up delaying the marriage with the Princess.”
Aunt Zhao secretly gave Su Ying a thumbs up. Su Ying had directly grabbed Consort De by the neck to prevent her from playing dead.
Consort De lay on the bed and wailed endlessly. She was just waiting to act pitiful and make Xiao Jin agree to let the Third Prince come over to take care of her.
After the Imperial Physician checked her, he only said that Consort De was too angry and the anger endangered her heart. It was not a big problem and he told her to rest well and not think too much, so as to prevent the internal body’s aggravation from causing serious illness.
“I don’t have a caring person by my side to serve me. You guys go and tell His Majesty that 1 need the Third Prince to come and serve me.”
The young eunuch who passed on the message immediately spoke up when he heard this, “Consort De’s health is good and will recover in no time. Her Imperial Highness said that if you really feel that you are about to die, she will get someone to arrange the marriage between the Third Prince and Princess Pingling as soon as possible to avoid any complications.”
Consort De jumped up from the bed when she heard this. She was downright furious!
However, she also knew that if she continued to cause trouble, she might not simply be grounded!
“I am definitely very happy that the Third Prince is able to marry Princess Pingling. It’s just that the Third Prince is still young and doesn’t understand many things. 1 only want to call him to my side and instruct him properly.”
“Consort De need not be anxious. It’s not too late to teach the Third Prince properly after you have fully recovered.”
Consort De felt as if her heart was blocked up by anger. She couldn’t swallow her breath or exhale it. That breath of air went straight up to her head and made her black out.
When Consort De woke up again, it was already dark outside. She propped herself up and called her trusted aide in.
“What instructions does Consort De have?”
Consort De gritted her teeth and said, “Go. Send a letter to my father. Tell him that even if my son must marry her, she must not be the primary consort!” Her son’s primary consort must be from a prestigious family in the capital!
“Consort De, don’t be anxious. Your servant will go now.”
In the Imperial study, Xiao Jin was going through the memorials that had been submitted today.
A moment later, Zhang Shuming pushed open the study door and walked in. “Your Majesty, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards requests an audience.”
Xiao Jin didn’t even raise his head. “Let him in.”
A moment later, Jiang Yang entered the inner hall. He was now the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards.
“Your Majesty, 1 managed to pry open that black-robed person’s mouth. He said that he was bribed by Consort De to stir up trouble in the mourning hall to cause panic and then slander Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jin paused momentarily before raising his head. “You believe him?”
Jiang Yang licked his lips and said, “1 don’t believe him, but 1 think his words must be a mixed bag of truths and lies.”
Xiao Jin put down the memorial in his hand and said, “Only those who know of the existence of the late Emperor’s secret guards can order them around.”
Emperor Kangze had a paranoid and cautious personality. How could he let Consort De, a concubine who was not considered to be favored in the Imperial harem, know such a secret?
“Go and ask him where he hid whenever he came to meet the late Emperor in the past.”
It was impossible for a person to walk around the palace without being noticed by others when the palace was filled with spies. If he did not want others to know, there must be an unknown passage.
The realization hit Jiang Yang at once. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll go now.”
“Wait a minute.”
“Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?”
“Send more people to watch the palace for temporary stays.”
Jiang Yang frowned. “Your Majesty thinks that the people from the Nan State will make some unusual moves?”
Xiao Jin said, “The Nan State is ambitious. It’s better to be careful.”
“Then your subordinate will send more men to guard the place.”
“Mm-hmm..”