Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Knowing the Crown Prince was behind it actually calmed me down.
To kill a snake, you must strike its vital spot.
To avenge this, I had to make him feel pain.
Thus, at the very time the Crown Prince was supposed to take the disaster relief silver to the provinces to win over the people, he broke out in a full-body rash. Unable to endure even a breeze, he was forced to recuperate in his bedchamber.
This plum assignment fell instead to Consort Wan’s son-Second Prince Li Chengnian.
Because of Consort Wan’s death, the Second Prince had been frustrated and neglected by Emperor Father for years. Now, suddenly receiving such a task, he was moved to tears and repeatedly pledged his loyalty.
On the day he led the group out, he sat atop his horse with a dignified and spirited air, galloping south.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was covered in ointment, smashing things in his room while stark naked.
He claimed there was foul play and insisted on a thorough investigation.
But after all the searching, the trail led straight to Zhao Duanhua.
He was instantly silenced.
Zhao Duanhua cried, saying she was completely unaware. She claimed she had no idea there were lychees in the pastries, much less that the Crown Prince broke out in rashes after eating them.
This was Li Chengze’s private secret; in the entire palace, only Imperial Mother and Li Chengze knew. Even Li Cheng’en was unaware.
What could Li Chengze do? He had no choice but to forgive her.
Later, I met Zhao Duanhua at the welcome banquet held for the Second Prince’s return.
She smiled and whispered in my ear, “Sister, Brother Crown Prince knows you were the one pulling the strings. He has sent a grand gift for you; please, accept it with his compliments.”
A moment later, Imperial Mother pointed to a young gentleman in the men’s seating area and asked, “General Song’s third son looks quite extraordinary, with such pleasing features. Is he betrothed?”
General Song was overjoyed and hurried to kneel and answer.
My heart tightened.
General Song came from a family of military men. Likely having listened to some wandering charlatan’s warning that generations of military command would draw the Emperor’s suspicion, the Song family’s sons were split into two paths.
One group followed General Song to kill enemies on the battlefield and earn military merit; the other took the path of civil officials, entering the bureaucracy through the imperial examinations.
Song Sanlang had been poor at martial arts since childhood, so he could only take the scholarly route.
Unfortunately, he was no good at studying either. Instead, he had perfectly mastered the ways of a profligate playboy.
Imperial Mother had once sighed that the ruin of the Song family would likely begin with Song Sanlang. Now, she was actually praising his ‘pleasing features’?
Was she not afraid of being struck by lightning for such a blatant lie?
However, words even more shocking were yet to come.
Imperial Mother smiled and said, “My Nanping is also unbetrothed. General Song, would you be interested?”
My body went cold. I stood up, intending to refuse.
But Zhao Duanhua let out a soft cry and collapsed toward me. Subconsciously, I reached out to catch her.
She clung to me, smiling weakly. “Thank you, Sister. I just felt a bit dizzy.”
The crowd busily swarmed around us, making it impossible for me to step away.
With her interference, the matter was set in stone.
General Song knelt to give thanks, and Imperial Mother rose to leave the banquet with a satisfied smile.
I stared at Zhao Duanhua with icy eyes. I let go of my grip, letting her fall to the ground. With a sweep of my hand, I knocked the cups and plates off the table, letting them smash all over her.
She was stunned, so disheveled that she forgot to cry.
Luo Chen and Li Chengze strode over.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen took off his outer robe to cover the juice-drenched Zhao Duanhua and pulled her into his arms, glaring at me with fury.
Zhao Duanhua’s face was covered in tears as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Li Chengze took on the air of the Crown Prince and lectured me, “Nanping, apologize to Duanhua.”
This was the first time Li Chengze and I had a confrontation in public. In the past, no matter how we bickered within the palace, we presented a united front to the outside world. As Imperial Mother said, siblings are one entity; they share in glory and suffer in loss together.
But ever since the incident where the sign saying ‘The Crown Prince and Dogs are Forbidden’ was posted on my door, everyone knew the Crown Prince and I were at odds.
The crowd watched me.
I felt their malice and their pity.
I said coldly, “Don’t think you’ve won. Even if I die, I will not do as you wish.”
“As the Legitimate Eldest Princess, speaking of life and death at every turn-where is your decorum? Is marrying into the Song household such a grievance to you?” Li Chengze’s expression was one of disappointment, as if I truly were his beloved kin.
How ironic.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, your motives for arranging this marriage are as clear as day. I am ashamed of you!”
I left in a fit of rage.
I went to the inner palace, but as usual, I was blocked at the gates.
In that moment, the impulse to question Imperial Mother vanished.
I knelt toward the direction of Kunning Palace and performed three deep kowtows.
The first was for the grace of birth.
The second was for the grace of upbringing.
The third was for the grace of severing our ties, allowing me to break all bonds with a clear conscience.
I stood up and said coldly to the guards at the gate, “Tell Imperial Mother this for This Princess: Congratulations on getting exactly what she wanted. From now on, she has only one daughter-Zhao Duanhua.”
I stumbled away, feeling a strange sense of liberation.