Noticing that Hua Liuli was feeling cold, the Crown Prince smiled and said, "It's cold outside, so go back with your Third Brother earlier," After speaking, he glanced back at the dagger that was taken away by the officials from the Ministry of Justice, his eyes gradually turning cold.
"Your Royal Highness, this humble servant bids farewell along with my younger sister," Hua Changkong didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne. He turned his head and signaled to his younger sister not to linger and to leave quickly.
Hua Liuli gave a slight bow to the Crown Prince and followed Hua Changkong towards the carriage.
"Junzhu," Tian Ruidong saw that Hua Liuli was about to leave and hurriedly caught up, "Junzhu, I have some medicinal herbs in my residence that can help nourish and strengthen the body. Shall I have someone send them to your residence tomorrow?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Second Young Master Tian, but my body has been suffering from chronic ailments for many years. It requires gradual recuperation," Hua Liuli smiled softly, "There is a saying that all medicine has its drawbacks. With my condition..."
She sighed and smiled again, "Forget about it, let's not talk about these trivial matters. Second Young Master Tian, I bid you farewell."
Tian Ruidong watched the siblings from the Hua family leave with a trance-like gaze. It took him a while to reluctantly return to the crime scene and ask, "What about the servant who wanted to kill me?"
The Crown Prince sighed when he saw Tian Ruidong's foolish expression. The Tian family really had a hereditary mental deficiency. He almost lost his life, yet he still didn't forget to show his attentiveness to the young lady.
The Hua family had a long-standing reputation for producing talented generals. Those who could lead troops into battle were all intelligent individuals, but the descendants of these two families were not suitable for each other.
Their backgrounds didn't match and their intellects didn't align.
"Tian Ruidong," the Crown Prince spoke, "Don't go out unless necessary. The next time Benwang sees you, let's hope it's not in the morgue of the Ministry of Justice."
Tian Ruidong trembled. He suddenly realized that if it weren't for Fushou Junzhu calling out to him just now, then he...
Thinking of this, Tian Ruidong broke out in a cold sweat and touched his own neck, tremblingly bowing to the Crown Prince, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Royal Highness."
"Your Royal Highness," Pei Jihuai whispered to the Crown Prince, "The poison on the dagger is a priceless lethal poison. It was applied on the arrowhead when the Great General shot and killed the enemy's top general a year ago."
The turning point that determined the outcome of the battle between Great Jin and the Kingdom of Jinpo was when the Great General released an arrow and killed Tuka, the renowned general of the Kingdom of Jinpo. Since then, the Kingdom of Jinpo had been retreating. Eventually, Jinpo's Second Prince, who was leading the troops was captured.
On the battlefield, releasing an arrow and killing the enemy's leader was the best way to boost the morale of soldiers. However, Tuka, as the finest general of the Kingdom of Jinpo, was fully armored from head to toe, with almost no skin exposed.
Except for his eyes.
In the midst of a huge battle, Hua Yingting was able to release an arrow and kill him with a single strike. What extraordinary archery skills!
Unfortunately, this formidable general was seriously injured during the siege of Kel City and couldn't return to the battlefield. The Crown Prince looked at the dagger enclosed in a wooden box with a cold tone, "The mastermind behind the scenes not only wants to provoke conflicts between Ying Wang and Ning Wang but also wants to make people suspicious of the Hua family?"
Pei Jihuai didn't dare to say whether it was true or not. He was just an investigator, all he could do was find the killer. He didn't dare to speculate recklessly.
One day later, various departments in the capital suddenly became tense. Pickpockets and thieves on the streets were apprehended. Even the streets and alleys of the Hua district were subjected to the strictest investigation.
"Young Master, please calm down."
"Calm down?" The man covered his chest and almost spat out blood, "In just one day, most of our people embedded in the capital were wiped out. If it weren't for you useless people repeatedly making mistakes and leaking traces, how could we have suffered so many losses?"
"Young Master, the people in the capital are very cunning. Half of our people were exposed by their denunciations," his subordinate advised, "Young Master, the situation is not favorable to us. Let's leave first."
Finally, the man couldn't hold back and vomited out the blood from his heart. No matter how he planned, he couldn't predict the unpredictable actions of the people in the capital. They smiled in front of others but secretly reported to the authorities. He couldn't even predict the unexpected occurrences in his plans.
In this place, the capital of the Great Jin, not only the imperial court officials but even the common people were adept at scheming, with hidden knives beneath their smiles, showing different faces.
"Send a message to all the undercover agents. Find an opportunity to leave the capital without arousing suspicion," the man wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and looked at the man standing in the corner. "Wu San."
"Young Master?" The subordinate who was called looked up at the man.
"Do you remember my command from yesterday?" The man's face turned serious, "You stay in the capital and find a way, by any means necessary, to capture that Junzhu of the Hua family for me."
If it weren't for this person, he wouldn't have failed multiple times in a row.
At this point, only by handing her over to the Master could they appease his anger.
"Yes," Wu San replied, "Please rest assured, I have already made preparations."
Upon hearing the words "rest assured," the man spat out another mouthful of blood. When was the last time he felt at ease in the past month?
"The people in the capital, they eat well and have too much free time. They always come up with conspiracies and tricks when they have nothing to do," Yuan Yi arranged the phoenix hairpin in Hua Liuli's hair, "Junzhu, be careful when attending the palace banquet today."
"It's alright. I am a delicate and weak person. Whatever others say, I will take it as it is. I won't argue with them," Hua Liuli touched the hairpin on her brow and accepted the silver-threaded noodles brought by her maid, finishing them, "Did Third Brother eat already?"
"Junzhu can rest assured, Third Young Master knows what to do," Yuan Yi helped Hua Liuli touch up her makeup, "It's getting late, Junzhu. We should leave."
What they could eat at the palace banquet was not important; what mattered was if they could attend. It represented status and position. Some fallen imperial relatives and nobles try every means necessary to have their names included in the invitation list to maintain their superficial glory.
The road leading to the palace had already been cleaned with clear water. The Imperial Guards were neatly arranged on both sides of the road, ensuring the safety of everyone entering the palace.
This was Hua Liuli's first time attending the palace's New Year's Eve banquet, so she felt a little curious and excited inside.
Carriages of officials were not allowed to travel within the palace. After entering the palace, Hua Liuli got off the carriage. She looked up at the colorful lanterns around her, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Watch your step," Hua Changkong reached out to help her down from the carriage. A eunuch came to guide them to the main hall where the banquet was being held.
On ordinary days, Hua Liuli didn't feel the grandeur of the palace, but tonight, she experienced the hazy beauty of the night. Exotic flowers and plants were faintly visible in the candlelight, and graceful palace maids carrying palace lanterns moved around, occasionally accompanied by the sound of string and woodwind instruments, creating a surreal atmosphere.
"Your Highness, it seems that Third Young Master Hua and Fushou Junzhu are ahead," a palace attendant noticed someone up ahead and carefully identified them before informing Ying Wang, "Your Highness, should I call them?"
Upon hearing the commotion behind them, Hua Liuli turned her head and saw Ying Wang and the Fifth Prince. She smiled politely at them.
A gust of wind blew, swaying the lanterns hanging from the nearby tree branches. The flickering light added a touch of ethereal charm to the young girl beneath it.
Ying Wang stared blankly at the scene as a literary phrase flashed through his mind --
-- Suddenly looking back, the person had disappeared into the dim light of the lanterns.
Before he could regain his senses, he found himself standing in front of the Hua siblings.
"Greetings to Your Highness Ying Wang; Greetings to Your Highness the Fifth Prince," they greeted respectfully.
"No need for formalities," Ying Wang snapped back to reality, noticing the intertwined floral embroidery on Hua Liuli's cloak. Though not as dazzling as peonies or roses, it possessed a gentle and captivating beauty.
In the past, he had found such embroidery patterns too plain.
"Since we happened to meet, let's walk together," Ying Wang invited the two siblings to join him, occasionally asking about the lives of soldiers in the camp to show his closeness and concern.
The Fifth Prince followed behind Ying Wang with a smile, displaying elegance and grace, as beautiful as jade and moonlight.
On the way, they encountered the calm and reserved Fourth Prince and Ning Wang. The four princes gathered together and had a significant presence.
At first glance, Hua Liuli couldn't tell what each of these four princes was thinking. Even the hot-tempered and impulsive Ying Wang had a considerate and brotherly appearance.
Passing through the palace path, Hua Liuli saw a spacious area outside the main hall. In the distance, a group of palace attendants carrying palace lanterns and sedan chairs were heading towards the entrance of the main hall.
In the entire palace, only three people could ride in a sedan chair without any reservations: the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince.
Hua Liuli glanced sideways at the four princes. Their expressions were indifferent, and in their gazes towards the approaching group, there was an emotion she couldn't understand and didn't want to understand.
Oh my, who would have thought that these princes would form small cliques and engage in such exclusionary behavior?
The four of them gathered together but didn't interact with the Crown Prince. Now, when they saw the person, they had expressions that seemed to say, 'We are beyond your reach; we won't play with you.'
Young men, do you know that envy makes people ugly?
Hua Liuli coughed and covered her mouth, then quickly walked with Hua Changkong to stand before the Crown Prince, "Greetings to Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."
She, Hua Liuli, would never stoop to the level of these clique-loving individuals.
"Little girl, you're dressed up today?" The Crown Prince saw her and chuckled as he descended from the sedan chair, "It's your first time attending a palace banquet, so there are many things you don't understand. Later, you'll sit beside the Empress Dowager."
Hua Liuli asked, "Will I be overstepping my boundaries?"
"The Empress Dowager is the grandmother of the people of this nation. It's not against the rules for a granddaughter to accompany her grandmother," the Crown Prince turned his head and seemed to notice his four brothers who were bowing to him, "There's no need for excessive formalities among our own brothers."
The four princes claimed to be unworthy but still insisted on completing the courtesy before standing beside the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince ignored them and leaned down to ask Hua Liuli in a low voice, "Did you listen to Benwang's words before coming?"
Hua Liuli hesitated for a moment and then understood the Crown Prince's meaning. She nodded slightly.
"When we go in later, there's no need to speak. Just follow Benwang's arrangements," the Crown Prince watched Hua Liuli's swaying hair and couldn't help but extend his hand to put the hood of her cloak over her head.
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli widened her eyes, "My hair will be messed up."
"It's fine. When you sit beside the Empress Dowager later, no one will dare to look at you," the Crown Prince cleared his throat and obediently withdrew his mischievous hand behind his back.
Hua Liuli carefully took off the hood and stepped back towards Hua Changkong.
Certain things can be negotiated, but the hairstyle must not be messed up.
Ying Wang looked at Hua Liuli's fair face and his fingers inexplicably itched. The group entered the main hall, and after everyone paid their respects, Ying Wang walked to the side of Consort Xian and whispered, "Mother, your son thinks that the girl from the Hua family..."
"Don't even think about it," Consort Xian didn't even lift her eyelids, "I will not agree."
She knew her own son's character very well. When she first saw Hua Liuli, she knew that with her son's character, he would be attracted to her.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: Most men are shallow-minded, including my son.
Crown Prince: Do you all remember my name?
Noticing that Hua Liuli was feeling cold, the Crown Prince smiled and said, "It's cold outside, so go back with your Third Brother earlier," After speaking, he glanced back at the dagger that was taken away by the officials from the Ministry of Justice, his eyes gradually turning cold.
"Your Royal Highness, this humble servant bids farewell along with my younger sister," Hua Changkong didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne. He turned his head and signaled to his younger sister not to linger and to leave quickly.
Hua Liuli gave a slight bow to the Crown Prince and followed Hua Changkong towards the carriage.
"Junzhu," Tian Ruidong saw that Hua Liuli was about to leave and hurriedly caught up, "Junzhu, I have some medicinal herbs in my residence that can help nourish and strengthen the body. Shall I have someone send them to your residence tomorrow?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Second Young Master Tian, but my body has been suffering from chronic ailments for many years. It requires gradual recuperation," Hua Liuli smiled softly, "There is a saying that all medicine has its drawbacks. With my condition..."
She sighed and smiled again, "Forget about it, let's not talk about these trivial matters. Second Young Master Tian, I bid you farewell."
Tian Ruidong watched the siblings from the Hua family leave with a trance-like gaze. It took him a while to reluctantly return to the crime scene and ask, "What about the servant who wanted to kill me?"
The Crown Prince sighed when he saw Tian Ruidong's foolish expression. The Tian family really had a hereditary mental deficiency. He almost lost his life, yet he still didn't forget to show his attentiveness to the young lady.
The Hua family had a long-standing reputation for producing talented generals. Those who could lead troops into battle were all intelligent individuals, but the descendants of these two families were not suitable for each other.
Their backgrounds didn't match and their intellects didn't align.
"Tian Ruidong," the Crown Prince spoke, "Don't go out unless necessary. The next time Benwang sees you, let's hope it's not in the morgue of the Ministry of Justice."
Tian Ruidong trembled. He suddenly realized that if it weren't for Fushou Junzhu calling out to him just now, then he...
Thinking of this, Tian Ruidong broke out in a cold sweat and touched his own neck, tremblingly bowing to the Crown Prince, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Royal Highness."
"Your Royal Highness," Pei Jihuai whispered to the Crown Prince, "The poison on the dagger is a priceless lethal poison. It was applied on the arrowhead when the Great General shot and killed the enemy's top general a year ago."
The turning point that determined the outcome of the battle between Great Jin and the Kingdom of Jinpo was when the Great General released an arrow and killed Tuka, the renowned general of the Kingdom of Jinpo. Since then, the Kingdom of Jinpo had been retreating. Eventually, Jinpo's Second Prince, who was leading the troops was captured.
On the battlefield, releasing an arrow and killing the enemy's leader was the best way to boost the morale of soldiers. However, Tuka, as the finest general of the Kingdom of Jinpo, was fully armored from head to toe, with almost no skin exposed.
Except for his eyes.
In the midst of a huge battle, Hua Yingting was able to release an arrow and kill him with a single strike. What extraordinary archery skills!
Unfortunately, this formidable general was seriously injured during the siege of Kel City and couldn't return to the battlefield. The Crown Prince looked at the dagger enclosed in a wooden box with a cold tone, "The mastermind behind the scenes not only wants to provoke conflicts between Ying Wang and Ning Wang but also wants to make people suspicious of the Hua family?"
Pei Jihuai didn't dare to say whether it was true or not. He was just an investigator, all he could do was find the killer. He didn't dare to speculate recklessly.
One day later, various departments in the capital suddenly became tense. Pickpockets and thieves on the streets were apprehended. Even the streets and alleys of the Hua district were subjected to the strictest investigation.
"Young Master, please calm down."
"Calm down?" The man covered his chest and almost spat out blood, "In just one day, most of our people embedded in the capital were wiped out. If it weren't for you useless people repeatedly making mistakes and leaking traces, how could we have suffered so many losses?"
"Young Master, the people in the capital are very cunning. Half of our people were exposed by their denunciations," his subordinate advised, "Young Master, the situation is not favorable to us. Let's leave first."
Finally, the man couldn't hold back and vomited out the blood from his heart. No matter how he planned, he couldn't predict the unpredictable actions of the people in the capital. They smiled in front of others but secretly reported to the authorities. He couldn't even predict the unexpected occurrences in his plans.
In this place, the capital of the Great Jin, not only the imperial court officials but even the common people were adept at scheming, with hidden knives beneath their smiles, showing different faces.
"Send a message to all the undercover agents. Find an opportunity to leave the capital without arousing suspicion," the man wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and looked at the man standing in the corner. "Wu San."
"Young Master?" The subordinate who was called looked up at the man.
"Do you remember my command from yesterday?" The man's face turned serious, "You stay in the capital and find a way, by any means necessary, to capture that Junzhu of the Hua family for me."
If it weren't for this person, he wouldn't have failed multiple times in a row.
At this point, only by handing her over to the Master could they appease his anger.
"Yes," Wu San replied, "Please rest assured, I have already made preparations."
Upon hearing the words "rest assured," the man spat out another mouthful of blood. When was the last time he felt at ease in the past month?
"The people in the capital, they eat well and have too much free time. They always come up with conspiracies and tricks when they have nothing to do," Yuan Yi arranged the phoenix hairpin in Hua Liuli's hair, "Junzhu, be careful when attending the palace banquet today."
"It's alright. I am a delicate and weak person. Whatever others say, I will take it as it is. I won't argue with them," Hua Liuli touched the hairpin on her brow and accepted the silver-threaded noodles brought by her maid, finishing them, "Did Third Brother eat already?"
"Junzhu can rest assured, Third Young Master knows what to do," Yuan Yi helped Hua Liuli touch up her makeup, "It's getting late, Junzhu. We should leave."
What they could eat at the palace banquet was not important; what mattered was if they could attend. It represented status and position. Some fallen imperial relatives and nobles try every means necessary to have their names included in the invitation list to maintain their superficial glory.
The road leading to the palace had already been cleaned with clear water. The Imperial Guards were neatly arranged on both sides of the road, ensuring the safety of everyone entering the palace.
This was Hua Liuli's first time attending the palace's New Year's Eve banquet, so she felt a little curious and excited inside.
Carriages of officials were not allowed to travel within the palace. After entering the palace, Hua Liuli got off the carriage. She looked up at the colorful lanterns around her, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Watch your step," Hua Changkong reached out to help her down from the carriage. A eunuch came to guide them to the main hall where the banquet was being held.
On ordinary days, Hua Liuli didn't feel the grandeur of the palace, but tonight, she experienced the hazy beauty of the night. Exotic flowers and plants were faintly visible in the candlelight, and graceful palace maids carrying palace lanterns moved around, occasionally accompanied by the sound of string and woodwind instruments, creating a surreal atmosphere.
"Your Highness, it seems that Third Young Master Hua and Fushou Junzhu are ahead," a palace attendant noticed someone up ahead and carefully identified them before informing Ying Wang, "Your Highness, should I call them?"
Upon hearing the commotion behind them, Hua Liuli turned her head and saw Ying Wang and the Fifth Prince. She smiled politely at them.
A gust of wind blew, swaying the lanterns hanging from the nearby tree branches. The flickering light added a touch of ethereal charm to the young girl beneath it.
Ying Wang stared blankly at the scene as a literary phrase flashed through his mind --
-- Suddenly looking back, the person had disappeared into the dim light of the lanterns.
Before he could regain his senses, he found himself standing in front of the Hua siblings.
"Greetings to Your Highness Ying Wang; Greetings to Your Highness the Fifth Prince," they greeted respectfully.
"No need for formalities," Ying Wang snapped back to reality, noticing the intertwined floral embroidery on Hua Liuli's cloak. Though not as dazzling as peonies or roses, it possessed a gentle and captivating beauty.
In the past, he had found such embroidery patterns too plain.
"Since we happened to meet, let's walk together," Ying Wang invited the two siblings to join him, occasionally asking about the lives of soldiers in the camp to show his closeness and concern.
The Fifth Prince followed behind Ying Wang with a smile, displaying elegance and grace, as beautiful as jade and moonlight.
On the way, they encountered the calm and reserved Fourth Prince and Ning Wang. The four princes gathered together and had a significant presence.
At first glance, Hua Liuli couldn't tell what each of these four princes was thinking. Even the hot-tempered and impulsive Ying Wang had a considerate and brotherly appearance.
Passing through the palace path, Hua Liuli saw a spacious area outside the main hall. In the distance, a group of palace attendants carrying palace lanterns and sedan chairs were heading towards the entrance of the main hall.
In the entire palace, only three people could ride in a sedan chair without any reservations: the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince.
Hua Liuli glanced sideways at the four princes. Their expressions were indifferent, and in their gazes towards the approaching group, there was an emotion she couldn't understand and didn't want to understand.
Oh my, who would have thought that these princes would form small cliques and engage in such exclusionary behavior?
The four of them gathered together but didn't interact with the Crown Prince. Now, when they saw the person, they had expressions that seemed to say, 'We are beyond your reach; we won't play with you.'
Young men, do you know that envy makes people ugly?
Hua Liuli coughed and covered her mouth, then quickly walked with Hua Changkong to stand before the Crown Prince, "Greetings to Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."
She, Hua Liuli, would never stoop to the level of these clique-loving individuals.
"Little girl, you're dressed up today?" The Crown Prince saw her and chuckled as he descended from the sedan chair, "It's your first time attending a palace banquet, so there are many things you don't understand. Later, you'll sit beside the Empress Dowager."
Hua Liuli asked, "Will I be overstepping my boundaries?"
"The Empress Dowager is the grandmother of the people of this nation. It's not against the rules for a granddaughter to accompany her grandmother," the Crown Prince turned his head and seemed to notice his four brothers who were bowing to him, "There's no need for excessive formalities among our own brothers."
The four princes claimed to be unworthy but still insisted on completing the courtesy before standing beside the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince ignored them and leaned down to ask Hua Liuli in a low voice, "Did you listen to Benwang's words before coming?"
Hua Liuli hesitated for a moment and then understood the Crown Prince's meaning. She nodded slightly.
"When we go in later, there's no need to speak. Just follow Benwang's arrangements," the Crown Prince watched Hua Liuli's swaying hair and couldn't help but extend his hand to put the hood of her cloak over her head.
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli widened her eyes, "My hair will be messed up."
"It's fine. When you sit beside the Empress Dowager later, no one will dare to look at you," the Crown Prince cleared his throat and obediently withdrew his mischievous hand behind his back.
Hua Liuli carefully took off the hood and stepped back towards Hua Changkong.
Certain things can be negotiated, but the hairstyle must not be messed up.
Ying Wang looked at Hua Liuli's fair face and his fingers inexplicably itched. The group entered the main hall, and after everyone paid their respects, Ying Wang walked to the side of Consort Xian and whispered, "Mother, your son thinks that the girl from the Hua family..."
"Don't even think about it," Consort Xian didn't even lift her eyelids, "I will not agree."
She knew her own son's character very well. When she first saw Hua Liuli, she knew that with her son's character, he would be attracted to her.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: Most men are shallow-minded, including my son.
Crown Prince: Do you all remember my name?
