Chapter 94: Mingyue Gets Slapped
Princess Changle heard this and her eyes turned red instantly. "Prince, do you... do you really not believe me?" Her voice carried a hint of sobbing.
The pitiful look of Princess Changle might have stirred a man’s protective instincts but Zhao Zun remained unmoved, steering the topic back to Han Lei.
"It’s not that I don’t believe the Commandery Princess; however, this matter carries significant importance. If the Commandery Princess knows Miss Han’s whereabouts, I hope you can inform me."
Princess Changle looked down, not speaking. After a long while, she raised her head, the panic and grievance in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a decisive gleam.
"Prince, I swear, I truly do not know where Miss Han is."
Zhao Zun looked into Princess Changle’s determined eyes and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Princess Changle was devoted to him, which he could understand. But her hatred towards Han Lei borne from love was unacceptable to him. Yet Princess Changle outright denied it; she was of royal status, and without concrete evidence, he couldn’t take any action against her for the time being.
After some thought, Zhao Zun said coldly, "Commandery Princess, I was merely inquiring casually. If you truly have nothing to do with this matter, I will not trouble you. I will have someone send you back now."
After saying this, Zhao Zun waved his hand, gesturing for Princess Changle to leave. But after standing up, she remained there, refusing to move. She looked at Zhao Zun, her eyes filled with deep affection and reluctance.
"Does the Commandery Princess have any other matters?" Zhao Zun, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient.
Princess Changle bit her lip, finally summoning the courage to say, "Prince, I... I like you. I have liked you for many years, won’t you even consider me?"
She felt that she, being a noble Princess, had come all this way and confessed so humbly, Zhao Zun ought to be moved.
Yet Zhao Zun furrowed his brow, with an even colder voice said, "I hope the Commandery Princess will show some self-respect."
Upon hearing this, Princess Changle’s complexion turned pale instantly. She looked at Zhao Zun’s cold expression and felt a sharp pain in her heart.
She slightly bowed and, still trying to plead, "Prince, for you, Changle..."
But Zhao Zun truly couldn’t listen any longer. He stood up abruptly with a cold face and walked out the door directly, leaving Princess Changle speechless where she was, her words halted by his departure.
Zhao Zun left!
He actually left just like that?
Clearly, it was Zhao Zun who said he would host her, invited her here, and now left her, just like that? What about her initiative and humility?
A trail of humiliating tears suddenly rolled out from Princess Changle’s eyes. She felt deeply insulted, as if Zhao Zun was trampling her lofty dignity.
She stood there, dazed, unable to recover for quite some time.
As Zhao Zun passed Xiao Zhengfei, he gave him a look, which Xiao Zhengfei understood. After Zhao Zun left the room, he walked slowly to Princess Changle and gestured for her to leave.
"Commandery Princess, the Prince has already left. Let me escort you back." Xiao Zhengfei said respectfully.
Princess Changle turned to Xiao Zhenfei, her eyes filled with resentment and maliciousness.
The bitterly resentful Princess Changle couldn’t find anyone to vent her anger, and Xiao Zhengfei happened to approach, she yelled furiously at him.
"Get out! Get away! Who wants you to escort me? I can walk by myself."
After shouting, Princess Changle turned sharply, stomping her foot, dragging her extravagant attire angrily toward the exit. Her large group of maidservants and guards saw their master in such a rage and quickly lowered their heads and followed, not daring to utter a word.
Who did I offend?
Xiao Zhengfei shrugged, sighing inwardly: This Princess Changle, apart from her noble standing, truly stands no match to Miss Han. No wonder the Prince doesn’t bother to even look at her.
Princess Changle hurried her steps, each one seemingly pressing heavily upon her heart, the resounding bitterness echoing in the empty courtyard, painfully piercing.
She straightened her back, clenching her lips, her eyes reddened yet forcibly holding back tears. Once leaving the County Magistrate’s office, turning the corner of the street, tears finally flowed down her face.
"Someone!"
In the shadow beneath the wall, Princess Changle suddenly stopped, her eyes full of hate and resentment.
"Commandery Princess, what are your orders?" A servant quickly came forward, cautiously inquiring.
"Go, immediately send a message back to the capital. Inform Wei Chengchao, after he has had his fun with Han Lei, he must get rid of that bitch. Listen carefully, she must be eliminated." Princess Changle sobbed, gritting her teeth with anger as she instructed.
"Uh..." The guard hesitated, but upon seeing their master’s furious expression, dared not say more and bowed in response, "Yes! I comply."
After speaking, the attendant bowed gently, walked hastily, disappearing into the night.
Behind Princess Changle was her close maid Mingyue, who had served at her side for long, thus having some attachment. Seeing Princess Changle suffer such grievance tonight, her heart couldn’t help but ache.
"Commandery Princess, please don’t be too upset. King of Cangzhou may... he may just not yet understand your intentions." Mingyue carefully chose her words before stepping forward to cautiously ease her.
Unexpectedly, Princess Changle suddenly gave Mingyue a slap across the face.
"What do you mean by not understanding my intentions? His heart was long filled by that vile woman. Where is there room for me? If that vile woman is not eliminated, my heart won’t rest. If I can’t have Zhao Zun, that vile woman should even less expect to have him."
After saying this, Princess Changle painfully closed her eyes, choosing not to speak further. In the darkness, only her angry heavy breathing could be heard.
Mingyue, who had genuinely tried to comfort her, got slapped. She, well aware of Princess Changle’s temper, didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, only falling to the ground with a thump, apologizing incessantly.
"Commandery Princess, calm down, Commandery Princess calm down. It was my mistake, I’m wrong."
Mingyue’s cheek burned with pain, yet she did not dare to touch it, the other maidservants and guards, witnessing this, also knelt in fear, trembling, and bowed repeatedly in apology.
"Commandery Princess calms down, Commandery Princess calms down!"
Princess Changle has always been harsh with her servants, now even her chief maid Mingyue was struck; the heads of these ordinary servants could be lost at any time.
After quite some time, Princess Changle finally opened her red eyes. Possibly because her anger finally quelled a bit, she condescendingly glanced at the maids and attendants kneeling on the ground, snorted, then stepped into the darkness. Only then did the maids and attendants rise relievedly, closely following.
Once Princess Changle’s procession walked away, Xiao Zhengfei’s figure emerged from around the corner.