Prince Ching laid her down gently in the bed and it took all his courage to resist his manly emotions.
Though they were already married by law but still, they did not perform any wedding rites. He still have to considered her chastity.
"Your Highness—"
His though was pulled back when he heard Xin'ers voiced.
"Take care of her!"
He said coldly before leaving Princess Ye's room.
"Yes!"
After the Crown Prince left in Ye's bed chamber, he went straight to Duke Yan's study room.
He strode long with his slender legs, like a beast attacking his prey. He was too mad and he feels like it's making him nuts.
In a study room Duke Yan was surprised to see him at all.
"Your Highness!"
He stood up like he had seen a ghost.
"Why you're here in this hour?"
"You're mansion is quite interesting and complicated than in the palace!"
Prince Ching said sarcastically. He sat himself heavily in a chair, uninvited!
Duke Yan's face darkened.
"Is that so?!"
Duke Yan sneered, annoyingly.
"Don't forget that you're in my house now and not in your East palace!"
He said emphasizing the word '' Your East palace"
"My family affair is not your concerned—"
"Maybe you forget that in your family— there's one important person that belongs to me!"
He said furiously, if Ye was hurt even the slightest. Only God knows how he's going to turn Duke Yan's mansion upside down.
He was too angry that he forgets the one infront of him is no other than Duke Yan, his Master and father-in-law.
"Should I need to remind you of that— Yuèfù?"
He said emphasizing the word "Yuèfù" acknowledging Duke Yan in advance as his Father-in-law.
Duke Yan furrowed his brow in contempt.
"What was going on?"
Duke Yan suddenly asked him. He realized that even in Prince Ching's stubborness and rebellious nature, he could not dare to confront him unless the matter is extremely important.
"Someone just intruded your manor!"
Prince Ching's voice raised a bit.
"His target was Ye—"
But when he mention Princess Ye's name his voice was almost become a whisper.
"That's absurd!"
Duke Yan bang his fist in the table as soon as he heard it.
"How could that be possible? You knew that our house is impenetrable with outsiders—"
"With outsiders!"
Prince Ching reminded him and emphasized it. He already knew that Duke Yan's mansion had an impenetrable and tight security measures throughout their generation.
And for the record, this was the first time.
"Then— it must be someone from inside!"
He made sure of it himself. if not then how on earth it make sense that someone had actually tried to harm the Crown Princess?
Duke Yan fell into silence.
"How was Ye'er?"
He said in a calm fatherly voiced.
"She's fine!"
Prince Ching said bitterly.
"If not— then, you should not expect your mansion to be still like this by now!"
His voiced was full of warning.
"You should perhaps paid more attention in your household!"
Like father like son! Duke Yan thought sourly. Hearing the Crown Prince's words is like hearing His Majesty's reprimanding him about his patriarchal duties.
"How could I do my duties here in my household when all of you couldn't stand on your ground without me?"
Duke Yan sharply asked him in anguished. Prince Ching glance at him apologetically.
"Why don't you take her away from here?"
Duke Yan suddenly muttered after a long silence.
Prince Ching's stunned. He realized that Duke Yan has already aware the danger in his daughter's life.
"That won't do!"
He snapped.
"Why—"
"Were just going to alarm the snake!"
He said tapping his finger on the table while leaning his head on his palm.
Duke Yan frowned, his mannerism had always makes him wondered. Beside of his attitude that mirrors him of his father, the Emperor.
There is also one person in the palace who had that very annoying habit, it's the Empress!
What am I thinking? Duke Yan shook his head to dismissed his nonsense thought.
"The dangerous place is actually the safest
one—"
"Then, what do you supposed to do?"
Duke Yan asked him coldly. Though the two of them are close, and besides of their master-student relationship, Duke Yan is also his adviser and number one critics.
"The keys of this game is not me— it's you!"
"What do you mean?"
Prince Ching assumed that either Duke Yan was playing with him or he was not in the mood at all.
He could not blame the old man, it was his fault in the first place. He was carried away with anger and burst into their mansion and even forget his manners.
"And by the way, when you said outsiders—Am I not one of those?"
What Prince Ching meant was when he intrude their mansion univited, without getting noticed.
Duke Yan look at him, uncertain. He's not certain whether to be amused or furious with Prince Ching.
"You're not an outsider— and I won't be surprised about it either!"
He said sourly.
"You two were like peas in a pod!"
Prince Ching almost laughed, actually it was Ye who told him the shortcut.
"And as of how you do it I'm not interested at all!"
The old man said annoyingly. This time he could no longer help himself but burst into laughters.
"I was wondering where Ye gets her sharp temperaments— father like daughter!"
Duke Yan suddenly calm himself.
"You'd better tell me what you were up to— or else I would asked my servants to prepared a room for you!"
"Make it two—"
"What.?!"
Duke Yan gasped, unbelievably.
"Yu is also with me and I bet he had fancied with Ye's—"
He used "had" instead of "took" to make it sound more mature than childish, knowing Yu's nature.
Even so, Duke Yan did not seems to be amused upon hearing it.
"Shut up! You two leave my daughters— alone!"
Duke Yan shouted at him imperiously, but he suddenly stunned when he realized what he just spout.
What Duke Yan said did not escaped in Prince Ching's ears. Eversince he was a young,
He's very smart and observant even a slightest details will not passed without getting noticed.
"Daughters you said?"
Prince asked him seriously.
"I'm sure I did not mention about your eldest daughter—"
"It's not what I meant!"
Duke Yan muttered defensively.
"I thought you meant—"
Prince Ching snorts.
"Does Ye'er knew about this?"
He asked Duke Yan though he already knew the answered.
If not Yu's curiousity about Xin'er he wouldn't mind it at all, but since Duke Yan accidentally spill it, then their suspicion was actually correct.
"I don't know what you meant?"
Duke Yan pretended.
"Yan's blood is quite strong as you see—"
He paused.
"By blood I am your nephew. The late Grand Princess Chun'er was your cousin in your paternal side while she was my paternal aunt. Yan clan is my grandmaternal side. Directly or indirectly the blood of Yan that flows through my veins is as pure as Flame. Haven't you noticed this annoying eyes of mine?"
Indeed their eyes were like grey of the last ashes on fire. It will alwas gets grayer depend on their mood. It's indeed warmth but extremely dangerous.
There's nothing to denied about it, this is what they called the legendary eyes of Yan clan.
One could recognized them without even asking.
Duke Yan felt into silence. Indeed, most of his children have the same eyes except for his eldest daughter, he frowned upon the thoughts of it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Note:
Yan also means fire or flame!
Duke Yan Wu was name after "Yan Wu" the first patriach of Yan clan. He's son of Yan Yan'er brother of Empress dowager Yan Ming.
Empress dowager Yan Ming is the youngest daughter of Yan Wu, "the first generation patriach of Yan clan"
Yan Ming was married to the Crown prince Ching, the only son of late Emperor Xi with his beloved Empress Yan Yu before the tragedy that drawn the whole empire into chaos.
(It was their unfinished fates where this story lies) their history will be revealed in a following chapter. .
Yan Yu is the youngest sister of Yan Wu, they were the first generation of Yan clan.
By blood Duke Yan Wu is nephew of Empress Dowager Yan Ming.
Empress Dowager Yan Ming is the mother of Emperor Xin and late Grand Princess Chun'er, Emperor Xin's youngest sister.
Which makes Duke Yan and Princess Chun'er a first cousin.
It makes the present Crown Prince Ching and Princess Ye'er also first cousins.
First and second generation of the Yan clan secured the position of Empresses.
Only in third generation that the Empress was from the other clan, however the reason of this is extremely related on how the history of the previous tragedy will be repeated
in Crown Prince Ching and Princess Ye's time!!