XH 28
"Second Brother, your punishment was decided earlier in order to save time," The crown prince said gleefully. "Aren't you going to thank Father Emperor for giving you a light punishment?"
It was indeed a light punishment. Cultivators like them could take normal beatings as if it were merely a small scratch. The stronger the cultivator, the more damage they could take. As for the Second Prince, he was a third-ranked cultivator; hence a hundred beatings were nothing to him. Even a thousand beatings would not give him a serious injury.
But that would be a different case if the cane was infused with Qi.
"Thank you, Father Emperor, for the punishment. Long Shan deserves a heavier punishment."
Very good, Long Qian! This prince will remember this!
Unfortunately, this pit was carried by Long Qian, a truly innocent party. This was not the first time that the Second Prince had wrongly accused the crown prince of something that was actually done by the Third Prince. The Crown prince takes every opportunity to throw mud at the Second Prince, further accumulating the misunderstandings, but the Third Prince did not bother to explain any of it.
Such a good scapegoat, why would he not use it?
Concubine He could easily dispel any misunderstandings to her son, but the Emperor love to visit her frequently, and the Second Prince would stay away from his birth mother when the Emperor was there. By the time the Second Prince was able to visit her, it was already quite some time passed and the anger in Concubine He would have cooled down. She would have then decided not to tell her son the old news.
To Concubine He, the small pranks done by the sly Third Prince would provide nothing but a distraction for her son from far more important things. In addition, she was sure her intelligent son was able to see past the snake's innocent play!
Miss Liu Chu Chu seems to disagree with the punishment but with a confident glance from the Second Prince, she was appeased. She believed that her fiancé will be fine! Long Shan was strong and can withstand most attack.
Liu Chu Chu: But this dog Emperor dared to have her fiancé to get beaten! I will pay him back one day!
The Second Prince removes his cloak and outer robe, ready to receive his punishment. He nodded at the guard that was holding onto a thick wooden stick to start the punishment.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
The guard did not use his full strength for fear of incurring the Second Prince's wrath but he was not allowed to hold back his strength too much either! One was the cold-hearted Second Prince that returned the pain twofold to anyone that offended him while the other was the Emperor that could end his family line with just one order!
After a hundred beatings were delivered, the Second Prince remained indifference with not even a hair on him was out of place. However, the guard was sweating like mad, as if he was the one that was punished. He quickly gave the Second Prince an apology before dashing away like a tiger chasing after him.
An Wan, who was standing beside Xiao Hua, looked disgruntled. "Should have sent Xiao Liu to impersonate that guard."
"Huh?" Xiao Hua asked as she had missed what An Wan had said under her breath.
"Eat this." An Wan offered the younger maid a small round pill.
"What's this?" Xiao Hua's hand was already moving to take it before she finished speaking the question.
"This is a Diet Pill to help a person to endure hunger." An Wan had already eaten something earlier but Xiao Hua was busy being Long Lian's 'tree hole' so she did not get to eat.
Diet Pill was actually a very mild version of Nutrient Pill. The nutrient pill was made for cultivators to eat for removing the toxicity in their body, at the same time providing energy to their body for a short amount of time. Diet pill was actually made for the purpose of traveling in case a person could not find food. It worked well in stopping a person to feel hungry and provide artificial energy but consuming it often for a short period was bad for health.
"Don't eat that," The Third Prince suddenly speaks up, and gotten Long Lian's attention, who happens to be seated at the table beside the Third Prince. The Fourth Prince, LongYu, who was seated at the other side of Third Prince, could naturally hear what his third brother said as well.
An Wan, noticing that the Third Prince had shifted his position to a side as if preparing for a space for someone to sit beside him, quickly speak up to remind him. "Your Highness, please remember we are in the public's eyes."
An Wan normally would not dare to challenge her master's actions, but right now they were in public, where they would need to put on a performance. It would be bad if others found out that the Third Prince treated Xiao Hua well!
The Third Prince ignored what An Wan said, not even sparing her a glance. "Xiao Hua, come and serve tea."
"Yes, Your Highness." Xiao Hua moved forward and carefully picked the teapot to refill the Third Prince's cup, hiding An Wan's look of relief from everyone's eyes with her body.
"Diet Pill is not good for the body. This Prince has a better pill back at the manor. You can eat it when we return," the Third Prince explained, his left arm supporting his head with the help of the table and his right hand lazily swaying the tea inside the cup he was holding. He carefully took a sip of the tea but it must be out of his expectation for he stared down at the tea in disappointment.
An Wan's body breaks out cold sweats when she noticed they gained more attention towards them! The Third Prince might have spoken with a low voice, but everyone here, except for Xiao Hua, were cultivators with sharp hearing!
To give a maid a pill better than Diet Pill was unheard of! There was only one type of pill that could be better than Diet Pill, which was Nutrient Pill! The other reason why Diet Pill was made because Nutrient Pill was very expensive and hard to create!
Master! Please mind your conduct! (;￣Д￣)
"Thank you, Your Highness. Xiao Hua will treasure it well," Xiao Hua said. Her reaction and expression tell everyone that she did not know what a great treasure she was given!
"I have a good pill for you too, Xiao Hua," Princess Long Lian butted in. Her phoenix shaped eyes seem to be challenging her Third brother.
Let's us compete which pill Xiao Hua will like better! ( °ᴗ°)~ð (\❛o❛/)
An Wan could feel her face drained of blood when she saw the Second Prince, the strongest opponent among the princes for the Third Prince, have his eyes on them.
Princess! Please don't join in! We are doomed if the Second Prince suspects anything! Σ(°△°|||)︴
Xiao Hua, the cause of the problem, does not want those pills but it would be rude to not accept them. She clearly remembered the days where she was forced to eat bitter pills when she was sick. Le XiaoTing has a mindset that pills were for sick people and only to be eaten when sick.
Why are they acting as if those pills are miracle pills? Aren't they afraid to die from eating too much medicine? (￣～￣;)
"We will have the main issue settle first before enjoying our meal," the Emperor announced, getting back everyone's attention from his third son's table. After the issue settled, hardly everyone would have the mood to stay for a meal. Then it will be quicker for his third son to explain himself!
"Imperial Daughter does not agree with Second Imperial Brother's decision to marry Miss Liu Chu Chu," Princess Long Lian was the first to speak up. "Miss Ping Shui is better suited to be Second Imperial Brother's Princess Consort."
"What Imperial Sister say is right," the crown prince chimed in. "Miss Ping Shui is our Grand Tutor's granddaughter. Not only that, she is a master of the four arts. From every angle, Miss Ping Shui is clearly better than a daughter of a concubine that only mastered two arts."
The heroine was originally a mercenary and only knows the two arts; chess and calligraphy. To her, painting and learning music was a waste of time.
As for how the Crown prince knew about it... he has his spies working hard inside the Second Prince's manor!
The Third Prince did not pay attention to the conversation and ordered Xiao Hua to brew a fresh him for him. The palace maids were quick to provide necessary items, leaving the brewing to Xiao Hua.
The Second Prince did not say anything to refute and just gave the crown prince a look that gave him chills. The Second Prince then turned to the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince smiled weakly. He does not want to interfere with this matter, but Father Emperor had summoned all his children and wanted to hear their opinion! He knew his father Emperor does not want to openly reject the Second brother's wish and had no choice but to use this method!
"Second Brother, the Fourth brother have no objection on who you would choose to be your Princess Consort. Your fourth brother, after all, had chosen my Princess Consort from a lower background. But this isn't what we worry about here, isn't it? You just need to give Grand Tutor a proper explanation."
The Fourth Prince, Long Yu, does not have a dominating aura like the First Prince and the Second Prince, but that does not mean he lacked a backbone. Or else he would not able to force the Emperor and Empress to let him marry his maid and succeed in making her his princess consort.
The Second Prince nodded and turned to the Third Prince, whose attention was in enjoying his freshly brewed tea. His expression seems to tell everyone that he was drinking the best tea he ever had. His eyes were half closed in intoxication, his red lips stained with tea, and the front of his robes parted slightly to reveal his long neck.
Xiao Hua, standing right next to him, was fully exposed to the maximum effect of this scene! She found it difficult not to imagine licking his lips! How regretful that her mobile phone had not transmigrated with her. She could have taken dozens of his pictures and spend all her free time gazing at them!
"Oh?" The Third Prince raised his phoenix shaped eyes lazily, and those with weaker will feel their heartbeat speed up. The ones that were most affected were the Emperor's concubines. The pregnant concubine was the one with a bold response, letting out a happy squeal.
The Emperor has no reaction to it because he was used to his harem reacted that way to his third son's beautiful looks. Inwardly, the Emperor wanted to squeal at the lovely sight too!
"Third Brother has no objection if... your new love could successfully heal my little maid's eyes."
Xiao Hua blinked dumbly at the Third Prince. Is he nuts? Why would he waste this chance for her when he could demand something crazy from the Second Prince?
Information:
[1] Tree Hole - They say in ancient times, people go into the mountains and the forests to find a tree hole, and tell the tree hole their secrets, then they seal the hole with some mud, and the secrets would stay there forever.
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