บท 144: Pity

While Jun Hua is staying outside, Yamin who dressed as Jun Min walks around the hall. She didn't encounter many people who know Jun Min personally except Yan who is busy making a ruckus. She didn't bother with him and walks towards the table to take a glass.

At that time, a girl came to his side and to her surprise, it is Lan Gao Ya. The girl is smiling brightly towards 'Jun Min'. She takes up a glass.

"It's nice to meet you again, Prince Min."

'Jun Min' feels a bit uncomfortable around this girl, but she forced a smile out as naturally as possible. Her instinct as an assassin warns her that this girl is dangerous and she should stay away from her. No matter how innocent Lan Gao Ya act, she knows that there is something far deeper inside this seemingly frail girl.

"Lady Gao Ya."

Lan Gao Ya smiled back. She noticed that looking from up close that Jun Min is shorter than her by a bit, but that gaze on his eyes are clear. He looks even more handsome today, it seems that the boy had dressed up for this event.

"Are you busy, Prince Min?"

"Not really, there are only some matter which is easy to deal with," 'Jun Min' answered leisurely. She started to walk with Lan Gao Ya followed after her towards the garden.

"Will you have any ceremony upon reaching adulthood?"

Women have their ceremony when they are 15 while men have it when they are 18. Since Jun Min is only 15, he hadn't had the ceremony yet. Jun Hua had never told Yamin about it, but Yamin could guess that her Miss must have her own plan.

"Probably later," she answered.

Lan Gao Ya didn't mind the answer Jun Min gives her. She looks at this man feature and somehow, she feels that this man is truly amazing. Unfortunately, she cannot admire this face for a longer time because someone had suddenly appeared.

"Gao Ya, didn't I tell you to stay away from him," Lan Ping only moves his eyes for a moment and this girl had already disappear from his gaze. When he found her again, she was beside the man whom he hated so much. How can he stay calm?

Lan Gao Ya looks towards her cousin with glare on her eyes. She was trying to use this change to get close with Jun Min, why does he need to interrupt her? She truly wished that her cousin can just forget about her and think about his wife instead!

"Lan Ping, do you want another match?" 'Jun Min' smiled coldly. "Do you think you can beat me?"

Lan Ping indeed wants to have another match with Jun Min, but he doesn't have the courage that he can beat the other party. All this time, he keeps on the losing end and compared to the two of them, he becomes the weakest. There is no way he could accept it. How can he, after receiving that much help, still lost? These two should have stayed on the back and not him.

"I can."

"Really?" 'Jun Min' sneered. She had seen Lan Ping ability and it's still far weaker compared with Jun Hua. Only an idiot would want to challenge a battle they know they couldn't won unless he had a good strategy. However, this person in front of her could never do that with his damaged brain.

"You!" Lan Ping wants to beat Jun Min even more.

Lan Gao Ya stepped forward and glared towards Lan Ping. Her eyes seem like giving him warning that if he didn't go right now, he will regret it. Lan Ping obviously that Lan Gao Ya is not an ordinary girl after living in the same residence for years. After all, she didn't survive through sheer luck.

He had seen part of her true face that she unintentionally showed because he was pestering her continuously. But since then, he found it harder to get close with the other party.

Lan Ping does want her, but at the same time he just doesn't want his cousin in the hand of the man he hated so much. If Lan Gao Ya were to marry any other good man, preferably an official, he wouldn't feel anything. But, this man is the one whom he had hated so much and the one the emperor had once set to kill before changing his plan and let the boy defend Ming Kingdom thus bringing them victory in the latest battle.

"Gao Ya…"

"Cousin, could you please leave me alone?" Lan Gao Ya said slowly. Her eyes are still looking towards him fiercely.

'Jun Min' wants to stop them, but then they heard the sound of splashing.

SPLASH!

"Princess Hua falls to the pond!"

…

A few minutes before

Jun Hua attitude of not acknowledging her own father makes the officials once again remember the history of the girl before them. They cannot say that she's an unfilial daughter because she had almost no contact with her father all these years. She only meets with him for a couple of weeks before had to go because of an incident in Lin family.

They could see that Lin Tang face is no good and that man is already on the verge of explosion, but there is nothing they could do. The difference between a princess and people like them is big. Besides, Lin Tang brought it all upon his self. With his previous conduct, can they say that he didn't have any problem with his attitude?

They didn't dare to talk about it and most of them moved a step back from Lin Tang. Given that he already has some bad relation with an imperial family member, it will be wiser to maintain their distance towards him and didn't stay close with him.

Although Jun Hua has a different surname with the imperial family, she is still the member of imperial family and their power is not to be looked down into. If they're said to go against imperial family because of their friendship towards Lin Tang, who can they blame?

Seeing those officials and nobles back off by themselves, Jun Hua eyes flashed with pity. The man in front of her never knows the real relationship with others as he could only think about himself. It's truly pitiful. A relationship based on money alone would never last long. Unfortunately, most relationships in this era is based on money and power, so she cannot really blame them.

It's just the man in front of her didn't even have a single one person he could call as friend. They all distanced themselves from him and no one dare to stand with him. Indeed, with them only coming for the power Lin Tang held, there is no way they want to bear the burden of him having a problem with an imperial family member.

That look of pity on Jun Hua eyes had somehow made Lin Tang remember that woman. The woman whom he did not love, but he marries her in order to gain even more connection. When he told her to leave, the woman didn't grieve, but she stared at him with the same look of pity. Those eyes, he hates them so much.

As the only son born in the Lin family, he has long known that the Lin family is only powerful in name. Unlike the three families who have resources on their own, the Lin family didn't. Because of that, the only way for him to get more money is through marriage. Besides, with the marriage, he can get the girl and relation with her family, so it's a win-win situation for him.

Although at first he only does it because he's interested in the woman, he comes to enjoy it more and more as times passed by. Anyway, by choosing a powerful wife, he can gain more support to uphold his position as the Prime Minister of Ming Kingdom. Through this position, he has power and ability to control the lives of many people.

He has everything, but that woman look at him with pity as if he didn't have anything. He didn't need that kind of look towards him, especially not from those whom he hates so much.

Jun Hua noticed Lin Tang emotional struggle and sneered inside.

"Please excuse me, Prime Minister Lin Tang. I will be going now," Jun Hua said and try to walk from the side.

The nobles are all looking towards Lin Tang with complicated looks. It seems the rumor about the poor conduct of the children from the Lin family may have some connection with this man. Not only Chun Maora, even the husband is a bit problematic. The person who is strong as a prime minister is in truth was awful in terms of teaching his children.

Jun Hua walks by the side of the pond and somehow, when Lin Tang wants to give way, he slipped. Jun Hua avoided the stumbling man, but from other people eyes, it looks as if Lin Tang pushed Jun Hua towards the pond.

By the side, Lin San screamed, "FATHER!"

SPLASH!

"Princess Hua falls to the pond!"