bayedsolid Chapter 159 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (63)
Chapter 159 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (63)
Lu Liruan wanted to see if he would force his way in if she insisted on not letting him in, and whether the Emperor would remain unresponsive.
The Second Prince was clearly furious at Lu Liruan's obstruction. He had come today to find fault with Ji Shumin, so how could he be stopped by a woman!
"Has the Crown Princess considered the consequences of stopping me today?" The Second Prince lowered his voice, his expression sinister, clearly threatening Lu Liruan.
Now that you are so protective of the Crown Prince, have you thought about what will happen to you and your family if the Crown Prince falls from power?
The second prince practically had "You'd better know your place..." written all over his face.
"I don't know why there will be consequences. Second Brother, have you thought about the consequences of forcibly breaking into Songjing Garden today?" Lu Liruan threw the question back at him directly.
Have you thought about how you would handle it if your arrogant behavior today went unnoticed and you failed to catch the Crown Prince of his alleged crimes?
When Lu Liruan revealed the outcome that the Second Prince least wanted to think about, the veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
impossible!
This must have been done by the Crown Prince!
The crown prince's mind was twisted because of his physical disability. He couldn't see his father appointing other princes to take over his duties, so he deliberately sabotaged the process so that he would be scolded and rejected by his father, while he himself could obtain a lot of good things from the robbery.
This wasn't something I discovered by myself!
The father and son from the Dali Temple were so upright and incorruptible, yet they were involved throughout the entire affair. If it really wasn't the Crown Prince's doing, how could they have remained indifferent?
It was He Pingyan who personally led the people to the Marquis of He'an's residence... there must be no mistake!
Even if something goes wrong, the Crown Prince will definitely not be able to get away with it, after all, he has made backup plans for the Marquis of He'an's residence.
There is absolutely no way things will go wrong today!
The second prince told himself that success or failure hinged on this moment. As long as he could expose Ji Shumin's actions in front of his father today, he would be the prince with the most face in front of his father!
Overwhelmed by excitement and the seemingly within-the-box power, the Second Prince disregarded everything else. His pupils contracted: "What does the Crown Princess, a mere woman, know? I don't want to fight with you!"
He sneered, "You'd be better off worrying about the Marquis of He'an's mansion. Colluding with the Crown Prince, disrupting the court, and robbing government funds—be careful you don't lose your head!"
He stopped pretending at all.
Seeing Lu Liruan's eyes widen instantly, as if she was so shocked by the news that she didn't know what to say, the Second Prince felt a surge of pleasure.
That's it. He will never be overshadowed by the Crown Prince again. After today, the Crown Prince will no longer be an insurmountable obstacle in his path!
"How could my father possibly..."
"If this prince says he has it, then he has it. Crown Princess, what, are you still going to stop me now?"
Lu Liruan intended to make him even more arrogant, preferably so arrogant that he would lose his mind and say something detrimental to him, just like now, when he uttered arrogant remarks that suggested he could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.
In the palace, there are ears behind the walls.
Lu Liruan didn't believe that no one else was involved or secretly watching today's events!
No matter who it is, they probably all have their ears perked up and their eyes wide open, right?
"That's all I have to say, Your Highness, please." The Second Prince revealed a smug smile, speaking politely, but with a wave of his hand, he signaled the guards to forcibly drag Lu Liruan away.
Little Xizi rushed to Lu Liruan's side, shouting, "Who, who dares to touch Your Highness!"
Qinghe also stood beside Lu Liruan, and the two of them looked somewhat different from usual.
Normally, when Xiao Xizi was by Ji Shumin's side, he was so timid that he didn't even dare to breathe loudly. But now, facing the Second Prince, he straightened his back, which had been bent over, and put one hand behind his back.
A cold glint flashed at Qinghe's fingertips; anyone who dared to touch Lu Liruan's clothes would be taught a lesson.
Since His Highness the Crown Prince is still unconscious, the Empress is the sole mistress of Songjing Garden, and no one can disobey her. This is a rule that His Highness the Crown Prince established long ago.
When you see the Crown Princess, treat her as you would see me; you must not be negligent.
The guards approached, trying to make Lu Liruan back down, but Lu Liruan stood there. If she stepped back, she would be letting the Second Prince trample on the Crown Prince.
Just as the guard reached out his hand...
"Who dares to cause trouble here?" A voice, chilling as if piercing to the bone, came from behind Lu Liruan.
Lu Liruan was startled and hurriedly turned her head. She saw Ji Shumin leaning weakly against the wheelchair, his face pale. He only managed to say one sentence before breathing heavily, and the veins on his slender neck were bulging.
The second prince's smile froze instantly. He stood still, only his eyes moving, slowly landing on Ji Shumin, as if incredulous: Wasn't it said that the crown prince was critically ill and unconscious?
How come she looks weak now, but she's still perfectly fine?
His gaze met Ji Shumin's; one's expression was uncertain, the other...
The Second Prince felt that Ji Shumin's gaze was like a venomous tongue, penetrating his body through his eyes, cold and sinister to the extreme, causing him to feel a chill and stinging pain inside his body.
If we can't kill Ji Shumin today, he will absolutely, absolutely turn around and bite us to death!
The thought that crossed the Second Prince's mind sent a chill down his spine, and he found it difficult to even move his fingers when he tried to clench his fist.
"How did you..."
"Does Second Brother think I'm dead and want to come and see me off?" Ji Shumin said sarcastically, his chest rising and falling slightly.
“I was ordered to search Songjingyuan. My father ordered me and the Dali Temple to investigate this case at all costs. Surely the Crown Prince is qualified to do so?” The Second Prince squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
Regardless of Ji Shumin's life or death, he has completely broken ties with him, and he is determined to search Songjingyuan today!
"Search for what?" Ji Shumin asked casually, not at all frightened by him, as he spoke to the Second Prince, but he kept looking towards Lu Liruan.
Lu Liruan did not respond to him.
When she entered the room, if she hadn't placed her finger in front of Ji Shumin's nose and could still feel a faint breath of air, Lu Liruan would have almost thought he was dead.
As she reached out, Lu Liruan trembled uncontrollably. She had never imagined that she would worry so much about the safety of others, as if she were tied to him. Otherwise, why would she care so much?
Lu Liruan placed her hand on his forehead.
The temperature of his forehead was not as warm as the warmth of her palms. Lu Liruan ran her fingers through his hair a couple of times and pulled the blanket up a little higher.
"You... don't scare me. If you die like this, I'll never be able to get over the lie you told me..." Lu Liruan murmured.
Lu Liruan closed her eyes, suppressing the rising soreness, and gripped his hand tightly, so tightly that her own knuckles ached, and she squeezed Ji Shumin's hand until it bled.
wake up.
She asked for nothing else but to wake him up, Lu Liruan silently prayed in her heart.
Lu Liruan was unsure if it would work.
Ji Shumin's body was like a sheet of rice paper soaked in water, light and incredibly fragile. It might tear apart with just a light touch, or even break on its own without any warning.
The longer they spent together, the more Lu Liruan felt that perhaps one day he would leave silently, or even before he was supposed to die.
This vague and oppressive feeling made Lu Liruan feel suffocated, while Ji Shumin's indifferent attitude made her feel indignant.
Why should I care more than he does?
Ji Shumin's gaze went unanswered. His Crown Princess stood there, her back ramrod straight, as if a new barrier had been erected between them.
Ji Shumin suddenly felt panicked. He had never felt this way before, and he wanted to ignore everything else and just talk to her. Nothing else mattered.
The second prince noticed their flirtatious exchange and gritted his teeth: "Search them!"
Ji Shumin did not speak up to stop it this time.
Instead, he remained calm and composed, standing at the doorway and coldly watching the guards swarm in from both sides of him like insects emerging from their burrows.
Lu Liruan glanced at Ji Shumin with a questioning look. Ji Shumin shook his head at her, indicating that it was alright. He wanted to say something to Lu Liruan, so he waved.
Lu Liruan didn't even respond to him. She stood there, coldly glancing at him before continuing to look in the direction the guards were searching.
Ji Shumin put his hand down and began grinding the prayer beads one by one with his fingertips. The smooth beads were so hard that they hurt under his pressure.
"Come here." Ji Shumin looked up, raised his voice slightly, and then coughed.
Lu Liruan lowered her eyes and looked at him indifferently, without feeling any pity or concern, and even seemed not to be angry.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"solitary……"
"Your Highness, please take care of yourself." Seeing that he was having difficulty speaking, Lu Liruan interrupted him without waiting for him to finish, and curtsied.
Ji Shumin was stunned, his heart clenched, and he didn't even know what to say. But he knew that he didn't want Lu Liruan's attitude towards him.
Lu Liruan didn't go over, so Ji Shumin used all his strength to move the wheelchair towards Lu Liruan.
The two were not far apart, about five steps apart, and the wheels of the wheelchair made a soft rustling sound as they hit the ground.
Ji Shumin frowned slightly, and fine sweat appeared on his forehead. He woke up from his coma, feeling completely weak. His arms trembled with every movement.
Neither Xiao Xizi nor Qinghe dared to step forward to help him push, after all, the Crown Princess didn't seem to want anyone to help her, and His Highness himself didn't seem to need it either.
Finally, we were about a step away.
Just as Ji Shumin reached out, his fingertips trembling, to carefully touch the hem of Lu Liruan's clothes.
Lu Liruan took a few more steps back, and Ji Shumin's hand stopped in mid-air and fell to the ground.
"Ruan Ruan..." he called softly.
He rarely called Lu Liruan that; he usually addressed her as Crown Princess, as if that was a constant reminder of her identity—that she was his Crown Princess.
Only in the quiet, secluded nights, when he was tormented by illness and curled up in Lu Liruan's lap, being gently stroked by her, would he murmur, vaguely calling her "Ruanruan".
Lu Liruan always felt a pang of sadness when he called her that, but at this moment, perhaps because she was angry, Lu Liruan hardened her heart and was not moved in the slightest.
"Ruan Ruan."
Ji Shumin wasn't annoyed; he simply continued moving towards Lu Liruan. The wind blew across his sweaty forehead, making him shiver.
"Your Highness, you should worry about what the Second Prince might find first." Lu Liruan walked to the other side, leaving Ji Shumin standing there.
"Why are you back?" Ji Shumin pursed his lips and asked softly.
“If I hadn’t come back, how would I have known the extent of the disaster Your Highness had brought upon the Marquis of He’an’s mansion?” Lu Liruan’s eyes swept over him. “Your Highness has truly kept everyone in the dark. I don’t even know how my parents and sisters died.”
Lu Liruan was indeed furious. Apart from everything else, the Marquis of He'an's mansion was her Achilles' heel. Ji Shumin had dragged the mansion into this without saying a word beforehand, which Lu Liruan could not tolerate.
"No, it won't." Ji Shumin gripped his right wrist tightly with his left hand, trying to stop it from trembling, but to no avail.
Lu Liruan looked into the courtyard. The Second Prince was probably worried that they wouldn't find anything, so he went to supervise the search himself.
Xiao Xizi had been following behind him since earlier, remaining silent and inseparable.
"You dog servant! Who gave you permission to follow me!" No matter how fast or slow the Second Prince walked, Xiao Xizi followed him like a ghost, and the distance between the two never changed.
He kept his head down, and the second prince couldn't even see his face clearly, yet he didn't perceive him as humble.
"This servant obeys His Highness the Crown Prince's orders," said Xiao Xizi.
"roll!"
Xiao Xizi remained silent, completely ignoring him.
The second prince, enraged, kicked out. He was certain to hit the target, but missed. He lost his balance and stumbled sideways, nearly falling over.
When he looked up in a fit of rage, he found Xiao Xizi standing behind him, still in the same position, still at the same distance.
“This servant is…yes, His Highness the Crown Prince’s servant.” Xiao Xizi’s voice was low and his body was hunched over.
For some reason, the second prince felt a chill run down his spine. The wind had picked up here, and the weather had turned gloomy at some point. The leaves were rustling loudly, and dust was swirling on the ground, making the motionless Xiao Xizi look even more terrifying.
They're all sick! Everyone in this courtyard is sick! He suddenly realized.
"Search carefully, don't miss an inch!" He'd dig three feet into the ground if he had to find something!
The house was ransacked. When Lu Liruan went in, she found a small balcony with a coffee table, blankets, and cushions, covered with muddy footprints.
Even confiscating property isn't this bad!
Lu Liruan watched as the cabinet behind the study was moved aside, revealing the wall.
With several heavy impacts.
"Your Highness, a secret room has been discovered here!"
The second prince's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over.
Sure enough, with the forceful hammer blow, a door-shaped mark, about two people wide, appeared on the seemingly smooth and uniform wall.
This brutal method, though simple, was extremely destructive. Lu Liruan watched as several paintings and calligraphies she and Ji Shumin had completed together, hanging nearby, fell to the ground and were trampled on.
Just as the door was broken open, a voice came from outside the courtyard: "The Emperor has arrived!"
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and knelt down to greet him. A figure in bright yellow dragon boots walked slowly in, and the Emperor's majestic voice rang out: "What's going on here? Who can explain this to me?"