Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Why should I respect her? That evil witch asked me to tell her what type of woman would you prefer in the bed as a concubine. Can you imagine how disgusted I feel that time? She even slapped me, Xiaoming,” Jin Yu said and rested her hand on her right cheek.

“What? She slapped you!” Xiaoming was shocked to learn about it.

“Yes. That is what escalated my anger more. You did not come to see me the entire day. Instead, you sent a message from Eunuch Sun Fuguo telling me to have lunch. What kind of work you were into that you did not even come to me?” Jin Yu complained to him.

“Forgive me, Jin Yu,” Xiaoming apologized to her again. He did not tell her that he was busy searching for Li Zixuan’s past. That was the main reason he could not come to her and had lunch with her. She was so engrossed in going through the documents that he had gathered in the day that he even forgot that it was evening.

“Prince Lóng Wei never misses a chance to be with Li Hua. She is such a lucky woman. He always surprises her and she told me that how he orders the royal chefs to make special dishes for her,” Jin Yu stated. “My husband is not romantic at all,” she pouted her lips.

“Does he? But he has less work than me, Jin Yu. Brother Lóng Wei does not need to come to the imperial court unless he has to present an important work unlike me. By that time, he completes the majority of his work in the Governor’s office on that particular day,” Xiaoming elucidated to his wife.

“You are making excuses, Xiaoming,” Jin Yu said and stood up to leave when Xiaoming held her hand.

She pulled it away, but he did not let it go. He rose to his feet and stood in front of her. “You should have come to me when she slapped you. Why did you not come to me?” Xiaoming suddenly changed the topic of their conversation.

.....

“I was angry,” Jin Yu stated. Xiaoming hummed and took her with him.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“To the Noble Consort’s manor,” he answered. “She must apologize for what she did to you,” he stated.

“Will she even apologize to me? I was never slapped. I felt like pulling her hair out, but I refrain. Your mother is much better than her. His Majesty did wrong by giving the inner palace power to his noble consort,” Jin Yu asserted. She wanted Xiuying to die after what she did to her today and played with her feelings for Xiaoming.

She did not stop Xiaoming because he had to show Xiuying that his authority is more than hers.

Soon, they reached the manor of Xiuying. Xiaoming was stopped by the senior court lady in the manor from stepping into the main chamber of the Noble Consort. However, when he glared at her, she lowered his head.

“Forgive me, Your Royal Highness. At this hour, the Noble Consort is with His Majesty,” the senior court lady informed Xiaoming.

“That is better. Father must know what his consort do today. Tell Father that I want to see the noble consort. I will not move an inch away if I do not meet his noble consort tonight,” Xiaoming sternly instructed the senior court lady. She had no other way except to acknowledge the order of the Crown Prince.

She glanced at a maidservant, who bowed and went to the chamber to inform the King and the Noble Consort about the Crown Prince’s massage.

Qiu Zedong put on the overcoat when he heard that Xiaoming wanted to see him. Xiuying cursed Xiaoming internally and wondered why he had come at this hour to her manor.

“Let the Crown Prince in,” Qiu Zedong said and sat on the broad chair in the living room. Xiuying sat next to him. She was stunned to see both Xiaoming and Jin Yu as they walked in. They bowed before them first.

“Why did the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess come at this hour? I suppose it was an important work that they come here,” Qiu Zedong asserted and rested his hands on his knees.

“Father, I am here to ask the second mother to apologize to the Crown Princess,” Xiaoming stated.

Qiu Zedong scrunched his brows to hear those words and turned his gaze to Xiuying.

“What happened? Will the Noble Consort tell me?” Qiu Zedong questioned her.

“I have no idea, Your Majesty,” Xiuying replied in her soft, gentle tone.

“She slapped my wife when she rebelled against her. The Crown Princess was called in the day and the Second Mother talked with her about selecting a concubine for me. Despite the order of the Father, she tried to do something which I never allowed, Royal Father,” Xiaoming explained the matter to his father.

“I think that the Crown Princess lied to the Crown Prince,” Xiuying stated.

“I did not lie,” Jin Yu instantly spoke. She clenched her fists and her blood boiled in anger.

“The Crown Princess never lies. I told the Second Mother in the morning that I will not be taking any concubine, yet he called my wife and insulted her. Royal Father, I merely demand justice for the Crown Princess. The Second Mother is not supposed to use her power this way. My life is mine and she cannot control it. She should focus on strengthening the inner palace in noble ways. Bullying the Crown Princess and creating insecurities in her mind is not the ideal way of working in the inner palace.”

Jin Yu was overwhelmed to hear her husband’s words.

“The Crown Prince should not tell me how the inner palace works,” Xiuying said with a stern tone.

“I will if she does not stop abusing her power,” Xiaoming sounded challenging her.

Qiu Zedong cleared his throat and they all looked in his direction. “I would say that we men should not get involved in the inner palace.”

Jin Yu did not like the decision of the King. She wanted to speak against it, but then the King said something which made her stay quiet.

“The Noble Consort cannot go against my orders. I hope she will not try to get into the Crown Prince’s matter. He has already talked with me about this matter. So, the Noble Consort must apologize to the Crown Princess for slapping her wrongly,” Qiu Zedong gave out his decision.

“But Your Majesty, the Crown Princess raised his voice at me. That is why I slapped her,” Xiuying ended up saying the truth.

“How can the Second Mother be so hypocritical? She lied earlier in front of the Royal Father about not slapping the Crown Princess. I can sense how much wrong things she will do with this inner palace power,” he stated.

Qiu Zedong narrowly gazed at Xiuying and asked her to apologize to the Crown Princess. She complied with the King’s command.

“Forgive me, Crown Princess, for my earlier behavior,” Xiuying said.

Jin Yu did not say anything. Xiaoming thanked his father and left with Jin Yu.

“I will go back to my manor,” Qiu Zedong stated when Xiuying stopped him. He glared at her in anger and then, walked out of the chamber. Xiuying punched at the bolster that was next to her and pledged to take revenge for this apology.