"Get me out of here! Give my money back!" Shao Chen, who had been thrown into the underground jail, shouted.
He shouted ceaselessly, begged to have his money back but the guard utterly did not care. At last, Shao Chen lost all of his energy.
'Damn! Could everyone in the palace was also a thief?' he thought. If it was true then he could accept why no one spoke up for him even though he did not do anything wrong.
He was eventually satisfied with his nonsense assumption and completely stopped shouting.
If Chen Liqin knew about Shao Chen's speculation, he would have vomited blood.
When it came to financial matters, Shao Chen's brain would work miraculously smooth. Lots of ideas to get his money back came out one after another.
'Hmm … maybe I will steal it back from that thief emperor?'
However, the thief emperor had a formidable height. He won't get the money if that b*stard raised it very high. If he tried and failed again, he was sure he would get in back to this jail.
'But, I have to get my money back, no matter what!' He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he could not get any good way but of course, he did not stop and still cooking more ideas in his brain….
*****
The former emperor, Chen Guang, stared at his son who was cheerfully speaking with Ming Yu. Sigh….
"What's the matter, Guang?" a middle-aged man who was always frowning asked. This man was Chen Weimin, Chen Guang's third brother and also the most suspected one to be the perpetrator of that illegal auction.
"Nothing," Chen Guang replied briefly. He would never show the anxiousness he felt to Chen Weimin.
Actually, since the first time Chen Guang met Ming Yu, he had ordered Zhang Zhiqiang to check up on Ming Yu's identity.
However, he got nothing. Zhang Zhiqiang only found that Ming Yu was an immigrant that had came to the Xin Kingdom for a while before had contact with Chen Liqin. Where did this man actually from and why did he come to this kingdom was still a mystery.
It made Chen Guang worried. Say if his son managed to prove Weimin's wrongdoing, he must keep his promise to give a blessing of their relationship.
"Are you really okay? Is there anything that you did not like, Brother?" Chen Shoushan, who was also sitting near the former emperor, asked.
Chen Guang shook his head. "Nothing. I am very satisfied with the arrangement," he said briefly then went to his lovely wife who was talking with another woman a bit far from them.
Yan Mei noticed her husband, immediately drew away from the women, and approached Chen Guang. "What's the matter? You did not look good."
"I could not stop worrying about 'that man'."
Yan Mei smiled softly, hoped it could calm her husband down a bit. "I have ordered one of my maidservants to serve Ming Yu. Let's wait for the report from her," she whispered.
"I hope it will be good news." Chen Guang did not want his son to suffer.
Yan Mei nodded in agreement. She also hoped so.
Meanwhile, Chen Liqin, who was talking with Ming Yu, still had resentment towards Shao Chen filled his brain.
'My shinbone still hurt! Did she put a rock inside her shoes?!' Chen Liqin grumbled to himself.
"Your Majesty?" Ming Yu called, aware of the emperor's wandering thought.
'My cheeks still throbbed too! How could that crazy girl had this much power?' Chen Liqin did not notice Ming Yu's voice.
"Liqin!" Ming Yu called again, tugged at the emperor's long sleeve to get his attention back.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Ming Yu puffed his mouth. "You did not hear me."
"I'm sorry. There is something that distracts me. What were you talking about earlier?" Chen Liqin asked in regret. He immediately kicked all of the thoughts about that crazy girl out of his mind.
"That—"
"Woohoo! Who is this pretty girl? Our future empress?" a man's playful but too loud voice asked excitedly.
"Yongrui, don't be so loud! It's inappropriate," the other man besides Chen Yongrui reprimanded him in a gentle voice.
Chen Yongrui puffed his mouth, which was also very inappropriate for his age and tall figure. "Brother Shihong was too rigid! You should be more flexible and full of fun like me!"
Chen Shihong, the second prince, sighed deeply. He did not utter anything anymore as he knew this young prince only hear to forget. Even if he had hundreds of lips to lecture him, it was useless.
Chen Liqin smiled at the sight of these two princes who were the closest to him since their childhood. "You have good eyes, Ah Rui!" he exclaimed while putting his arm around Ming Yu's waist.
"She is indeed the empress-to-be!" Chen Liqin announced with great pride.
"Oooohhh!!" Chen Yongrui clapped exaggeratedly
Ming Yu flushed in red while paying respect to them and introduced himself.
Chen Shihong smiled politely then whispered to the emperor, "This is the man you told us?"
Chen Liqin nodded.
Noticing that, Chen Yongrui also could guess what were they talking about. Without thinking much, Chen Yongrui began to talk with Ming Yu.
For Chen Liqin, these two princes were very rare and precious, liked an oasis in the middle of the desert, as they were the only princes that did not participate in the competition for the throne and tried to kill him. Hence, towards these two, Chen Liqin did not try to hide his sexual orientation.
"Aiyoo … boasting about someone that still to-be. Don't cry if she ran away from you later!" a man, who hid half of his face behind a fan, sneered mockingly. The other men around him began to laugh loudly.
The man who mocked The Emperor was Chen Jingguo, the third prince and his archenemy. The rest were another prince who supported Chen Jingguo as the next emperor.
Even though Chen Liqin had officially ascended to the throne, Chen Jingguo and these lackey princes still won't give up, cooking a lot of bad plans to snatch the throne.
Chen Yongrui glared at Chen Jingguo. "
Chen Jingguo's countenance darken liked pan butt. Not only his, his father, Chen Weimin's facial expression was also not much different.
Chen Weimin sneered at his fifth brother. "Have you ever educated your son about manner?"
Chen Shoushan sighed in fear. He was the most coward of the five
"Father, this son always thinks before talking!" Chen Yongrui could not help but protest.
"You—shut your mouth, Ah Rui! Come out with me!" Chen Shoushan stood up with a dark red face.
Chen Yongrui tried to deny but what did a sixteen years old kid could do? In an instant, Chen Shoushan had tugged his ear, dragging him out of the venue.
Chen Jingguo laughed triumphantly. "What an insolent kid! Just like … who was the girl that shouted money ceaselessly again? Ah! your harem! Tsk tsk tsk … embarrassing … really embarrassing! I hope your empress-to-be won't be as shameful as your harem girl, hahaha!"
Chen Liqin could restrain himself if the taunt was directed only to him but if it offended his loved one, he would definitely give some sharp retort. Just when he was about to open his mouth, Ming Yu tugged his sleeves.
"It's okay," Ming Yu whispered, forced a gentle smile.
Chen Liqin felt bitterness inside his mouth. If only he had more power as this kingdom emperor!
"Chen Jingguo, insulting His Majesty like this … do you very eager to get 100 beats on your butt?!" The Former Emperor, Chen Guang said sternly.
"A—Ah … I don't dare, I don't dare. Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty." Chen Jingguo's braveness shrunk immediately. After bowing deeply, he fled in the blink of an eye, followed by the lackey princes.
Chen Shihong snorted looking at that coward attitude. "You don't have to tire yourself out with his nonsense, Your Majesty."
However, Chen Liqin had been infuriated toward that harem girl. If it was not for her craziness, Ming Yu won't be demeaned.
'I really have to drive that girl out of the palace! I swear!' His determination was getting steadfast.