Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

Gao Bing nodded and stood up. He bowed and left the room. Lóng Wei picked up the wine jar and continued drinking.

A few minutes later, Xiwan entered the room and bowed to Lóng Wei. “Eunuch Gao Bing has left,” he informed Lóng Wei and took the seat on the cushion in front of him.

“Why did Prince Lóng Wei not tell Eunuch Gao Bing everything?” Xiwan queried.

“He is not with us. He came to me on Father’s order. I didn’t send Feng Lao anywhere,” Lóng Wei asserted while sipping the wine and scrunching his brows. “Father is disappointing me,” he muttered and plonked the teacup on the table.

“How can His Highness be this sure?” Xiwan questioned.

“I know my father better than anyone. He cannot kill Feng Lao if he lives in the same house as Xu Zifan and neither can kidnap him. After all, his dear daughter is married to Xu Zifan. He will not try to do anything which can take away Jingfei’s life too,” Lóng Wei affirmed.

“Eunuch Gao Bing has been looking for the previous King for a long time. I think His Highness is mistaking his intentions,” Xiwan proclaimed.

“Gao Bing is not loyal to Qizhen. I can vouch for that. Instead, he is loyal to Father. Father desperately wants to catch Qizhen and he knows other than me, there is no way to find him. Gao Bing said one thing in the end: Father holds the last message of my mother and he will use me according to that message. I am no longer interested in that message,” Lóng Wei stated.

.....

Xiwan hummed and knitted his brows together. “His Majesty will try to find his brother. His Highness has to do something. If he is caught, then His Highness will be in trouble because he holds no power to prevent the mishap,” Xiwan worriedly said.

Lóng Wei chuckled. “Xiwan, you still haven’t fully understood me. Until I want Qizhen to be caught, it will not happen. Father knows it well,” he said with a confident tone.

“Prince Lóng Wei, I am worried for you and the Princess Consort. Don’t you think you need to do something? Do you have to stay quiet and see His Majesty making his moves?” He asked.

“Stay quiet,” Lóng Wei told him. Xiwan lowered his head and let Lóng Wei continue drinking. Lóng Wei ordered two more jars of wine when Xiwan tried to stop him.

“Go to Xu Zifan’s house. The spy must be around there. I need his sketch,” Lóng Wei commanded Xiwan. He nodded his head and swiftly left for Xu Zifan’s house.

Lóng Wei leaned back on the mattress. He rested his elbow on the pillow behind him. This time he gulped the wine directly through the porcelain jar filled with wine. The flashbacks from his past appeared before his eyes and his eyes turned red.

When he finished it, he threw the jar away and it smashed into pieces. “Father, you should have trusted me,” he murmured and clenched his fist before slamming his hand on the table next to him.

He stood up and left to see Yuze. He wanted to take guidance from Yuze. Because he was the only one who could help him out from this difficult phase, where he was stuck between choices.

While climbing the hill, Lóng Wei found he was getting more exhausted than usual. Perhaps that was because of the large wine intake. Somehow, he reached the hilltop where Yuze resided and gasped for air upon reaching outside the hut.

When his breath came to normal, he walked in and looked for Yuze.

He didn’t find Yuze outside the hut, so he walked into the hut to Yuze’s room.

As he pushed the door, he saw Yuze seated on the floor mattress with his back towards Lóng Wei.

“Why is my life like this? I want to leave peacefully. Why am I forced to do something, which I don’t want to do?” Lóng Wei questioned Yuze while frowning. He was too furious at the way things were turning in his life. He didn’t want to fight with Qiu Zedong, but his destiny didn’t want that.

“Yuze, why are you quiet?” Lóng Wei approached him and touched Yuze’s shoulder when he fell to the floor.

“Yuze,” Lóng Wei called his name in a low voice and immediately got on his knees and shook Yuze’s arm.

“Yuze!” This time he took the monk’s name a little loudly.

Lóng Wei didn’t want to believe it when a tear rolled down his cheek.

Yuze was dead!

~~~~~~

“I have told what His Majesty asked me to,” Gao Bing said while keeping his head down.

“Did he tell you about Qizhen?” Qiu Zedong asked.

“No, Your Majesty. Prince Lóng Wei doesn’t consider him as his father. He calls His Majesty his father,” Eunuch Gao Bing informed Qiu Zedong. He smiled to hear that and sat on the broad chair with his hands on the two bolsters on his sides.

“I cannot let Qizhen survive. He might influence Lóng Wei,” Qiu Zedong stated. “Feng Lao will answer my every question. The mistake of not killing Qizhen twenty years ago, I cannot repeat the same mistake again,” he pronounced.

“Yes, Your Majesty. What if Feng Lao refuses to confess? He is the person who will die, but not speak anything,” Gao Bing stated.

“Feng Lao loves Li Hua. We can use Li Hua. As long as I have to keep Lóng Wei in my claws, I will use any method,” Qiu Zedong affirmed.

“I am afraid, Your Majesty. But how will we use Princess Consort Li Hua?” Gao Bing got confused.

“Feng Lao was supposed to marry Li Hua. I can make it possible for him,” Qiu Zedong stated and gave out a victorious smile.

“By tomorrow morning, I will get the good news. Lóng Wei will not try to fool me anymore,” Qiu Zedong muttered and continued to smile.