nashuaworldcup Chapter 222 Drama
Chapter 222 Drama
Just as the Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince's entourage were about to enter the capital, a major incident occurred in the city. The First Prince, Zhao Ruisheng, and his cousin were playing a game of cat and mouse in the city.
However, the game was played in a rather bloody and chaotic manner. The eldest prince was holding the hand of a woman who had been beaten beyond recognition and was covered in blood, while chasing after Wang Jihuai, who was also bruised and disheveled.
The strange thing is, these two cousins were usually the closest of friends. How could they have become enemies today? Because the prince was always accompanied by a large number of guards and secret agents when he went out, the common people were kept at a distance, unable to see or hear clearly.
In short, the eldest prince, while pulling the disheveled woman beside him, approached the fleeing Wang Jihuai. The guards were only responsible for stopping Wang Jihuai, but did not attack him.
Soon, Wang Jihuai was cornered. He knelt down, trembling, and explained to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, I don't understand what happened either. I was going to the palace to find you, but I fell asleep in the sedan chair. When I woke up, I was already in Miss Ma's bed. We don't remember anything that happened before that."
The eldest prince was furious. He asked coldly, "If you don't remember that one time, you could just pretend nothing happened. Why did you continue to seduce each other and even create a child? Cousin, Miss Ma is the granddaughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a lady from a prestigious family. Do you want to be condemned and rejected by the world by doing this?"
Wang Jihuai glanced guiltily at the woman whose true appearance was no longer discernible, and said ingratiatingly to the eldest prince, "Your Highness, the Grand Secretary of the Court of Judicial Review has more than one granddaughter. There are several others more talented and beautiful than her. Since this one is so shameless and promiscuous, then you should stop pursuing her. Look, I've helped you see through this woman's true nature. Please don't mind what I did in a moment of confusion back then. Is that alright?"
This was the real reason for the Crown Prince's fury, the fact he could not accept. He had taken her away and kept her in the outer courtyard precisely because she was cold and distant towards him, unwilling to have any entanglement with him.
For this woman, he humbled himself and personally went to the Ma family to apologize. He even promised the Ma family that after he ascended the throne, he would make this woman a concubine. To avoid future troubles, he also asked his mother to arrange good positions for the woman's father and brother.
But now, she's actually cheated on him with his own cousin. And being cuckolded wasn't enough; they're trying to make him a father unknowingly. That's what really made him want to kill her.
The eldest prince grew increasingly angry and alarmed. He felt that his elder cousin coveted the throne, and that the Wang family had been allowing his mother to interfere in court affairs precisely because they wanted that throne. No wonder rumors of a wicked empress were circulating and growing stronger.
The Wang family intended to use the mother and son to directly seize control of the court. Unfortunately, they underestimated the suspicious nature and cold-bloodedness of the royal family. Although he had been flattered by the Wang family and made quite arrogant, he had not lacked any of the vigilance expected of royalty.
Reflecting on his mother's actions over the past two or three years, the eldest prince was utterly horrified. His mother's blatant manipulation of court officials was no different from that of Empress Xiao and Empress Lü in history.
Thinking back on all the things the Wang family had done over the years, the eldest prince felt even more disheartened. If they had cared even a little about the reputation of him and his mother in the court and among the people, they would never have knowingly committed so many wrongdoings.
If the Wang family's ultimate goal is indeed that lofty throne, then he will only have two possible fates. First, the Wang clan successfully seizes control of the court, and he becomes a useless puppet emperor. Second, the Wang clan's rebellion fails, and influenced by his maternal clan, he is no longer qualified to covet that position.
And did Father not know any of this?
No, he must have seen everything. It's just that his behavior of turning a blind eye and doing nothing for the past few years is somewhat abnormal. His father, who used to love his people like his own children, would never have tolerated anyone committing such heinous acts under his very nose.
However, his father's quietness and tolerance over the past few years had exceeded his comprehension. Did his father intend to wait until those people committed even greater mistakes before launching a reckoning?
If that's really the case, then the Wang family could very well be eradicated. He might even be placed under house arrest.
Thinking of this, the eldest prince could no longer care about the matter between the Ma family's daughter and Wang Jihuai. Looking at Wang Jihuai's frivolous and ingratiating expression, the eldest prince couldn't help but feel disgusted.
"Guards, take Young Master Wang and Miss Ma back to the villa," the First Prince said coldly, shoving the woman in his arms before heading towards the villa with his hands behind his back.
The woman, shoved to the ground, revealed a pair of deep, dark eyes that blazed with intense hatred through her disheveled hair that obscured her face. She looked at the dejected Wang Jihuai and suddenly burst into laughter.
In truth, she had already won this time. She had turned the First Prince against Wang Jihuai and even forced the domineering and ruthless First Prince to abort his own child. That was enough; as long as they were suffering, she felt much better.
Thinking back to when the First Prince forcibly dragged her to his villa, she was utterly desperate. She spent her days plotting her escape, wanting to expose the First Prince's hypocritical nature to the world. Unfortunately, she was soon taken by the First Prince, who then threatened her family's lives, preventing her from even dying.
Later, she came to a realization. She couldn't die without knowing why; she wanted revenge. She wanted to live and see the eldest prince suffer the consequences of his own actions. She had considered poisoning the eldest prince, but that would endanger her entire clan, so she had to abandon the idea.
Until two weeks ago, someone threw Wang Jihuai, who had been drugged, into her room. At that moment, her first thought was not to call someone to take Wang Jihuai away, but to come up with a brilliant plan to take revenge on the eldest prince.
Isn't the eldest prince heavily reliant on his maternal grandparents' family? Then she'll turn these two cousins against each other and see if their trust remains unbreakable. She's going to gamble—gamble on the eldest prince's feelings for her, and on the royal family's inherent paranoia.
As expected, her gamble paid off. The eldest prince did have feelings for her. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of love she wanted. In her heart, there was a handsome and refined man. They had subtly expressed their feelings to each other. And she, sweetly awaiting his marriage proposal, was waiting for him to come and propose.
But who would have thought that she would offend the Crown Prince, that devil.
Thrown in front of the Crown Prince like a rag doll, Ma Huifang sneered, "Your Highness, the child you just aborted was your own. It was the child you always wanted me to have for you. My affair with Young Master Wang happened only half a month ago; I didn't even have time to conceive his child."
Ma Huifang's voice was clear and ethereal, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. The First Prince frowned, looking at her with suspicion. But she still felt the stimulation wasn't enough and continued to reveal more.
"Your Highness, do you know what your cousin said about you? He said you're a complete fool, just doing all the work for others. I think you understand what he means. Heh heh, what a pathetic person."
Upon hearing Ma Huifang's words, Wang Jihuai, who had previously been kneeling nonchalantly, immediately straightened up and shouted angrily, "Ma Huifang, you're talking nonsense! Your Highness, you have to believe me! I never said anything like that! Really!"