Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Don’t kill him, Brother Lóng Wei,” Mingquan urged. “You are not supposed to do anything that will land you in the cold palace again.”

Lóng Wei pushed Mingquan away, dismissing his suggestion. He realized that Lóng Wei would not stop, so he unsheathed his sword as well.

Mingquan’s sword whistled through the air as he parried Lóng Wei’s attack. “Brother Lóng Wei, stop it! You are the one who has decided not to take the law into your own hands. Before doing anything, think about the sister-in-law. It’s not solely about Brother Lóng Wei anymore,” Mingquan said. Xu Zifan also supported the words of Mingquan and told Lóng Wei to calm down.

“What if Feng Lao is speaking the truth!? What if that night he saved the Sister-in-law from getting killed? Brother Lóng Wei is far smarter than all of us present here. He should think with a calm mind instead of losing his temper,” Mingquan advised him, and with a swift moment, he snatched the sword from Lóng Wei’s hand.

“I didn’t do anything that could harm anyone from the Shui family,” Feng Lao again said. “Fourth Prince, please tell them to listen to me once,” he requested.

“Why did you not accept that you and your family were present at the Xu residence that night? Why did you not reveal the truth about that night?” Lóng Wei demanded the answers from Feng Lao.

Feng Lao became silent upon hearing Lóng Wei. He walked past Mingquan and grabbed Feng Lao by the collar of his robes. “Shall I answer you?” Lóng Wei glared into Feng Lao’s eyes.

“That night, you let Li Hua live because it was all a part of the plan. You didn’t rescue her because you loved her, but because you were told to do that,” Lóng Wei concluded.

.....

“That’s not true, Your Highness,” Feng Lao said.

“Then, what’s the truth?” Mingquan asked. “Why did no one in Xinshui town know that the Shui family was also present that night? Why were only the people from the Xu family found dead but nothing happened to your family?”

“He will not answer until his father, his mother, and his wife die with my sword. I will kill all of you,” Lóng Wei firmly voiced. “I must take him to the prison and make him see the hell. He made Li Hua’s and Xu Zifan’s hell. Li Hua still gets nightmares of that night. I must show you what nightmares Lóng Wei can give.” His words came out as a threat, hatred, and anger.

“There’s only one thing that I can never do,” said Feng Lao, and put his hands on Lóng Wei’s hands, which were on his collar, “your Highness. Li Hua is not merely a name to me. She is an emotion for me. Everything about her is imprinted on my heart. I never betrayed her. I loved her and still do.”

Lóng Wei made a shaky motion with his head. “You never loved her. If you had, then you would have saved not only her but her family too. You would not have taken her to the forest that night. You would not have left her alone. Stop telling me that you love her. It makes me madder,” he stated.

Their gazes fixated on each other.

“You got married to Yang Mei, impregnated her, and then you say that you love my sister. At least, say things while being sensible,” Xu Zifan said with a frustrated expression.

“Feng Lao, is there someone who has threatened your family?” Mingquan asked. “Is that the reason you cannot tell us why your family lied to everyone?” He inquired.

“He won’t answer this way. Until I cut his one hand, his mouth would not open,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Brother Lóng Wei, calm down. You are not supposed to act this way,” Mingquan reprimanded him again. He stepped up and let Lóng Wei’s hands be removed from Feng Lao’s robes. “Let him hear first. Who knows he is telling the truth,” he opined.

“Yang Mei was pregnant before the marriage, Xu Zifan. I married her because my father told me to,” Feng Lao said, and looked at Xu Zifan. “If I had known that you were alive, then I would not have ever married her. You know my feelings for Li Hua. I won’t ask for your apology because I indeed made a mistake,” he said and clenched his fists.

“Will you stop calling her Li Hua? She’s no longer yours. She is my wife,” Lóng Wei said as he got infuriated.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” Feng Lao said and downcast his eyelids. “I got injured while fighting with the assassins that night. I could not let them go behind Li Hua, so I tried my best to stop them. For two days, I didn’t wake up. When I woke up, the first thing was the search for Li... Pardon me for my slip of the tongue. I searched for Princess Consort, but I didn’t find her. I thought she was no more.” Feng Lao’s eyes turned misty.

“Why didn’t the people in Xinshui know that your family was in our house that night?” Xu Zifan asked him again.

“Father has his hands in it. He never told me, but he told me that if I said it to anyone, then we would all be dead,” Feng Lao answered.

“And you accepted it without knowing the reason?” Lóng Wei furrowed his brows.

“Everyone loves their family,” Mingquan stated, and looked at Lóng Wei.

“Really? If I have to choose between the family and the person whom I adore more than my life, I will choose that person,” Lóng Wei stated and looked into the eyes of Feng Lao.

“But not everyone will choose that,” Mingquan countered Lóng Wei’s statement. “For Feng Lao, the Princess Consort was already dead. So, he must have to protect his family,” he asserted.

“Why? Isn’t everything related to Li Hua imprinted in your heart? Isn’t she an emotion for you?” Lóng Wei inquired while staring into the eyes of Feng Lao.

“Shall I show the mirror to you? You never loved her. If you had, then you would have searched for her. So, never say in front of me that you love her. I am a crazy person, Feng Lao. Shui Xiaoqing helped the enemy of the Xu family to save himself from his wrath, but who will save you all from me?” Lóng Wei interrogated him.

“I will ask the King to let me kill all of you. I didn’t even flinch when I killed my own mother. So, it’s easier for me to kill the others too,” Lóng Wei said and snickered at him.

Mingquan caught Lóng Wei’s arm and dragged him out of the chamber. Lóng Wei told him not to interfere in that.

“Feng Lao isn’t lying, Brother Lóng Wei. Someone powerful is behind all this. So, listen to him and do not threaten him. If the royal father finds out, you’ll be in trouble. Also, if word goes out that the sister-in-law used to have feelings for someone, then only you both will get into trouble,” Mingquan advised Lóng Wei.

He punched the wall beside him and took deep breaths. “Fine. I will remain calm as long as he cooperates,” Lóng Wei stated.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, for intruding into your conversation. His Majesty has summoned all the princes in the Crown Prince’s manor,” a maidservant informed them.

“Why?” Mingquan asked.

“Someone tried to kill the Crown Prince,” the maidservant replied.

Lóng Wei furrowed his brows and refused to leave.

“Brother Lóng Wei, we have to go,” Mingquan said. “Let’s not spread the news that Feng Lao is here,” he suggested.

“Li Hua is unconscious. I need to be by her side. A maidservant is with her. If she wakes up, she will look for me” Lóng Wei said.

“The Sister-in-law will not like to see you getting punished. Also, she will not wake up this early. We will be back soon,” Mingquan stated, and walked inside the chamber again to tell Xu Zifan to keep Feng Lao with him.