Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Lóng Wei!” Mingquan loudly pronounced his name and ran forward. Chang Shi and the royal inspector ran towards the forest to nab the shooter.

Mingquan prevented Lóng Wei from falling, while Feng Lao and Shui Xiaoqing were shocked to see that Lóng Wei got the shot. “Te-tell me about the na-me, you ba-” Lóng Wei said, in a meek voice. His eyelids turned heavy, and the next second, he fell unconscious. Mingquan got terrified and looked around. All the soldiers were already dead.

“Your Highness, let’s take the Prince to the palace quickly,” Feng Lao said. Chang Shi and the royal inspector arrived soon. They ran to the carriage and informed Mingquan that the shooter had run away.

“First, we must return to the palace. The Prince is severely injured,” Mingquan said. Chang Shi nodded his head and found the chauffeur was dead too. He decided to drive the carriage and asked the royal inspector to get in.

Chang Shi drove the carriage to the palace. The soldiers at the capital’s gate stopped the carriage when Chang Shi informed him about Lóng Wei. Mingquan opened the window and showed his royal seal to one of the soldiers, and they let the carriage pass through the gates.

“The Sixth Prince’s lips had turned bluish,” the Royal Inspector informed them. Mingquan looked at Lóng Wei’s face and gulped. He brought his fingers to his neck to feel the pulse that was turning weaker.

“The arrow seems to be poisonous,” Feng Lao stated, and told Mingquan to remove it before more poison spread in Lóng Wei’s body. Mingquan made Lóng Wei sit and asked Feng Lao to remove it. He hummed and pulled out the arrow from Lóng Wei’s back. He hissed in pain in his unconscious state.

Mingquan glanced at Shui Xiaoqing and asked him to give his name to them. “Because of you, my brother got injured. You would have died if the poisonous arrow had hit you. Just pay for your crimes and tell the truth to us,” Mingquan affirmed.

.....

Shui Xiaoqing downcast his eyelids when Feng Lao asked his father not to remain silent. “Tell me the name of the person who is behind all this,” Feng Lao repeatedly requested Shui Xiaoqing.

“I will tell you once we safely reach the palace,” Shui Xiaoqing promised his son. Feng Lao had no faith left in his father. He was disappointed in his father completely. His silence was killing Feng Lao. But more than that, he wondered why his father was so hesitant about not telling him the name of the person who involved the Shui family in his sins.

~~~~~

Li Hua’s sleep broke earlier than usual, and she found that Lóng Wei was not present beside her on the bed. “Did His Highness wake up early?” She mumbled and rubbed her eyes. She got out of bed and called in a servant.

She wore the thin small-sleeved silk coat and asked about Lóng Wei from her.

“His Highness didn’t leave the bedchamber,” the maidservant replied.

“What?” Li Hua was bewildered to hear her speak. “His Highness wasn’t present when I woke up. Go and check the bathhouse,” Li Hua told the maidservant. She turned to leave when Court Lady Hong came into the chamber.

Li Hua was surprised and delighted to see her. “Your Highness, did the Crown Prince go out of the palace, ignoring the King’s command?” The court lady looked worried while asking such a question from Li Hua.

“Pardon me, Court Lady Hong. Why would His Highness go against the orders of His Majesty? He must be in the bathhouse,” Li Hua answered.

“He is not in the palace. Even Prince Mingquan is absent. In the early morning, a strange rumour spread among the palace servants that Prince Lóng Wei went out of the palace in the early morning with F-Feng...” Court Lady Hong paused as she was unable to recall the name of Feng Lao.

Li Hua’s eyes widened, and she rushed out of the chamber. Court Lady Hong and the maidservant followed her, wondering where she was headed to.

Li Hua ran to the guest chamber where Feng Lao was staying. She pushed the door open and walked in. To her surprise, Feng Lao wasn’t present in the chamber. “Where did His Highness go?” She mumbled and knitted her brows in nervousness. For some reason, she started to get this uneasy feeling, and her heart raced with worry.

Before Court Lady Hong asked Li Hua why she came to this chamber, she ran out and went to the bathhouse to check. Probably, Lóng Wei shifted Feng Lap somewhere. He might be taking a bath.

Court Lady Hong saw the quilt on the bed and got confused. However, it was not the time to think about it. She followed Li Hua and asked the maidservant if anything happened on the last day.

“No,” the maidservant lied as per Lóng Wei’s instructions.

Li Hua pushed the bathhouse’s door. “Your Highness, are you bathing?” She asked and stepped forward. Pushing the curtain away, she found the water tub was empty. Li Hua turned away and walked out.

“Is His Highness outside?” Court Lady Hong asked.

Li Hua shook her head.

“That means the rumor is true,” Court Lady Hong said. She was anxious that Lóng Wei would be punished again.

“Your Highness!” They heard a masculine voice and looked in the direction of the sound. A soldier was standing in front of them.

“The Sixth Prince is heavily injured and is being rushed to the royal clinic. His Majesty has summoned the Princess Consort,” the soldier informed Li Hua.

Li Hua stopped blinking for a few seconds. She could not process her thoughts when she heard that Lóng Wei was injured. Her feet moved forward on their own, and she asked the soldier to show her where the royal clinic was.

Court Lady Hong and the maidservant also followed Li Hua.

“What happened to the prince? How did he get injured?” Li Hua asked the soldier.

“His Highness got shot by a poisonous arrow,” the soldier replied.

The floor beneath Li Hua’s feet slipped away. “Was Lóng Wei hit with a poisonous arrow?” She murmured. Her eyes were filled with tears and she curled her fingers.