บท 132: Jealousy and Glory
Any accusations made are easily defended against. The anger in Xianyue's heart ignited, surging upward with fervor. Before she could voice her objections on behalf of Lanyi Xuan, Gong Shaohua, who had been seated beside Lanyi Shaochen, suddenly stood up and advanced toward Lanyi Xuan, raising his hand as if to strike her.
Furrowing her brow, Xianyue quickened her pace, positioning herself protectively in front of Lanyi Xuan. She tightly clasped Lanyi Xuan's hand, pulling her close and forcefully pushing backward.
Caught off guard by Xianyue's sudden intervention, Gong Shaohua stumbled back several steps, only to be caught by Xu Mama and a few others.
"Young Lady!" Xu Mama exclaimed, supporting Gong Shaohua while glaring at Xianyue with a sharp reprimand.
"Why are you shouting so loudly?" Ya'er rushed to Xianyue's side, her wide, watery eyes glaring fiercely at Xu Mama with one hand on her hip. "Isn't she just an old maid? Our princess is someone you can shout at?"
In an impulsive act, Yilan stepped forward, raising her hand high. Xu Mama instinctively recoiled, lowering her head and suddenly losing her bravado.
"Yue'er, what are these people doing?" Xianyue approached Gong Shaohua, positioning herself between Xu Mama and Yilan, effectively separating the two. "Mother, I understand your grief, but there are some things that should not be done, and certain words that should not be spoken."
She remained unaware of who had acted against Lanyi Shaochen, but she was certain that Lanyi Xuan, with his capabilities, would never have left Gong Shaohua with any incriminating evidence. Gong Shaohua merely sought to seize this opportunity to publicly humiliate Lanyi Xuan and vent the pent-up anger that had festered for twenty years. She wanted to see him in pain, to make him feel ashamed. At this moment, she was simply a mother who had lost her beloved son, and anything she did or said could be excused. If Lanyi Xuan dodged the slap, it would undoubtedly be interpreted as guilt, but if he did not—
Regardless of his choice, Gong Shaohua would emerge unscathed.
"Do you have any evidence?" Supporting herself on Xu Mama's arm, Gong Shaohua stood up without answering, eliciting a derisive snort from Xianyue. If she had any proof, she would have presented it to the King long ago, and Lanyi Xuan would not be standing there as if nothing had happened.
"On what grounds do you claim that the Second Prince was killed by Lanyi Xuan?" Gong Shaohua lifted her gaze to meet Xianyue's, wiping away her tears, but instead of answering, she stepped forward to take Lanyi Xuan's hand. Xianyue's heart leapt in an instant; she truly feared Lanyi Xuan would shake her off.
"Xuan'er, you have suffered outside all these years. It is I, your mother, who has wronged you. Since your return, I have failed to properly compensate you. Although Shaochen can be rather frivolous and naive, he has been by my side while I have neglected you."
Gong Shaohua spoke with heartfelt sincerity, tears streaming down her face, while Lanyi Xuan merely gazed at her with those vacant, misty eyes, unable to convey any discernible emotion.
The more Xianyue listened, the more uncomfortable she felt. Her brows knitted tightly as she approached Gong Shaohua. "Mother, do you finally realize that you have been neglecting one at the expense of the other?"
Her voice, though quiet, held a chill, clearly questioning.
"The Young Lord is your son, the flesh of your flesh, yet why do I feel as though you treat him as an enemy?"
At these words, Gong Shaohua gasped, retracting her hand from Lanyi Xuan's, momentarily startled.
Xianyue understood her fear—the fear of uncovering the truth, of having to make a choice, whether to depart or remain with Lanyi Xuan. He would not, as she planned, be the object of her deep-seated hatred.
Xianyue smirked inwardly: "Indeed, Lanyi Xuan is your son, but he is also the Young Lord of the Lanyi Kingdom, the future heir. Furthermore, he is currently the husband of the Queen of Feng. Given his maturity, shouldn't the Queen consider her actions more carefully before acting? Although he hasn't been by your side as often as the Second Prince, everything he has done in the martial world has brought honor to Lanyi Kingdom and its Queen. How could the Queen cast such a grave accusation upon him?"
Lanyi Xuan said nothing, silently observing the figure in white, listening to her words in his defense, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"What Yue'er says makes sense." Finally, the King of Lanyi, seated at the center, spoke, addressing both Xianyue and Gong Shaohua.
"Queen, I understand your affection for Shaochen, but it is Xuan'er who is truly your son. I believe in his character; he would never commit fratricide."
Gong Shaohua inhaled deeply, turning to the King. "What should be done about this matter? We cannot allow Shaochen to die unjustly."
The King gazed down at the lifeless body of Lanyi Shaochen, a deep sigh escaping him as pain flickered in his eyes. After all, he was his son. For over a decade, the Queen had been favored; Lanyi Shaochen had won her heart. Compared to other princes and princesses, he had spent more time in the King's presence. Even a tiger would not harm its own cub; how much less would a human?
"I, too, am saddened by this turn of events. What do you think should be done, Yue'er?"
Gong Shaohua stared incredulously at the King, who turned to Xianyue for her input.
She had initially believed that Gong Shaohua orchestrated this affair entirely, but seeing her unwavering determination to get to the bottom of it, Xianyue felt a stir of confusion, like still waters disturbed. Her gaze shifted to Lanyi Xuan, who remained calm and collected, his demeanor unflappable. One could glean nothing from his expression—those vacant, deep eyes were as inscrutable as the night sky.
"I believe there is no need for further investigation into this matter."
Gong Shaohua was no fool; she was convinced that this incident was undoubtedly linked to Lanyi Xuan. Yet, lacking evidence, no matter what Lanyi Xuan had done, Xianyue stood firmly by her side.
"Yue'er."
Gong Shaohua called out to Xianyue repeatedly.
Xianyue smiled calmly and replied, "Mother, regarding the reputation of the royal family, no matter who is responsible for this matter, if it spreads, wouldn't we lose all face as a royal house? From what I understand, although the Second Prince behaves well before you, he is prone to violence against others over even the slightest offense. In the presence of so many beautiful maidens in the Prince's estate and the pleasures of brothels, he often forcibly takes any woman of notable beauty if someone else disagrees. With so many enemies, and now that he has been reduced to a commoner, he will certainly seize this opportunity for revenge."
"Such a person deserves to be castrated, to spare decent women from his harm," Green Pearl declared indignantly, and the others echoed her sentiment.
"Even though he has been relegated to a commoner, he is still a prince. If this news spreads, the common people will surely believe he was killed by his enemies, leading to much speculation that would tarnish the royal family's reputation. Moreover, the Emperor and Empress will undoubtedly face criticism for their poor upbringing of their son, resulting in this tragedy."
The King of Lanyi regarded Xianyue with approval, nodding his head, while Gong Shaohua remained unconvinced, but Xianyue's assertions were indeed factual.
"Now that the news of the Second Prince's murder has yet to spread widely, we could claim that he fell ill from worry after being demoted to a commoner, and as for the deceased servants, we can provide them with a sum of money as hush money. Once this matter settles down, the common people will soon find other diversions and naturally forget about it."
The King nodded in agreement. "This is not without merit."
"Your Majesty, are you truly going to ignore Shaochen's situation? He will surely die with regrets. If I had only kept him in the palace or allocated more guards to him, he would not have met such a fate."
"If the Queen had been stricter with the Second Prince, preventing him from being so extravagant, he might not have accumulated so many enemies and thus avoided being killed."
Yilan nudged Yue Ru, who stood beside her. "Isn't that right?"
"Since the Queen recognizes her mistakes, she should reflect upon them. Let this matter be handled as Yue'er suggests," the King concluded, rising to leave. However, the Queen grasped his arm in tears, refusing to let go. "Your Majesty, is face truly more important than Shaochen? I implore you to grant my son justice; he has suffered a terrible fate. This is the last thing I can do as a mother. For the sake of our marriage, Your Majesty, please consider this as granting me a wish. I will bear all the consequences alone."
Gong Shaohua knelt on the ground, refusing to rise.
"Queen," the King sighed, turning to Lanyi Xuan, who stood nearby. "Xuan'er, you should try to persuade your mother."
With a chilling smile reminiscent of a scythe, Lanyi Xuan knelt beside Gong Shaohua. "Mother, while we mourn the unfortunate passing of the Second Prince, you must take care of your health. You should grieve appropriately. I will stay by your side in his stead, along with Yue'er; your life will not be lonely or dull."
Gong Shaohua remained silent, stubbornly clinging to the King's robes, reminiscent of the woman Lanyi Xuan had spoken of at the edge of death, willing to use any means to achieve her ends.
Xianyue smirked inwardly, stepping to the other side of Gong Shaohua, taking her hand. "Mother, Father is the King of Lanyi and must consider the well-being of his subjects. You are the mother of the nation and should be more understanding. Your actions only serve to complicate matters for Father."
"I cannot allow my Shaochen to die unjustly!"
With unwavering resolve, Gong Shaohua released the King's robes, stood up, and ran out.
"Queen!"
The King called out, rushing after her, while Xianyue looked at Lanyi Xuan and patted his arm, urging him to follow.
Upon reaching the door, the King leaned against the frame, squatting down suddenly as a violent cough seized him. Xianyue and Lanyi Xuan quickly stood up and rushed over, only to find the King's complexion had turned pale. Gong Shaohua, who had dashed out, halted in her tracks and turned back.
"Father, what is wrong?"
The King covered his mouth with his right hand, breathing erratically. His palm opened, revealing a large smear of bright red blood. He gazed at Gong Shaohua, who stood outside, and at the blinding white light before him, before suddenly collapsing.
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