Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Your Highness, Xu Guang Li used to meet someone in the palace. Someone was putting pressure on Xu Guang Li for his daughter’s life,” Mingquan said and looked at Lóng Wei. “I had never seen Xu Guang Li in the palace. Not even once,” he said.

“Because they met in private, not necessarily in the palace. The message that he mentioned in his diary must be related to Li Hua. Someone wanted Li Hua to die. But, why?” Lóng Wei was confused and he knitted his brows together.

“Why would someone want to kill Princess Consort? She isn’t even a threat to anyone in the palace. She is the kindest noble woman I have ever seen, who doesn’t even look for luxury and power,” Huang Xi concluded.

Lóng Wei wondered if someone from the palace knew about the prophecy that Yuze made for Li Hua. But Yuze didn’t even tell him about the prophecy. Then how could someone from the palace know about it?

“Let’s keep it hidden from Li Hua,” Lóng Wei said.

“Again?” Huang Xi exclaimed.

“Yes.” Lóng Wei replied.

“Brother Lóng Wei, I think that night Feng Lao saved the sister-in-law. He didn’t betray her. We should not make any wrong assumptions about Feng Lao,” Mingquan suggested to Lóng Wei. “Sister-in-law does no longer possess any feelings for Feng Lao. So, Brother Lóng Wei doesn’t need to get insecure that she would choose Feng Lao.”

.....

Lóng Wei snickered. “Fourth Brother, he is involved in the murder of the Xu family. He didn’t save Li Hua that night.” He was adamant about the assumption that he had made in his head. If Feng Lao had to save Li Hua, then he would have taken her to his residence, where assassins would not have dared to go. At present, he could not make them understand, so he decided to stay quiet.

“I will see you two in the evening,” Lóng Wei said and left the hall. He wanted some alone time to tie the strings of the things that he found out a few moments ago. He didn’t go to see Li Hua. Instead, he went to the chamber, where he used to stay alone in earlier times.

Lóng Wei placed the paper on the table. “Why did this person threaten to kill Li Hua? However, the message was delivered late. In the evening, the assassins had already created havoc in the Xu residence,” he murmured and rested his hands on the table. He re-read the message and then took out Xu Guang Li’s diary.

“He got the message from Qinping after many years of Li Hua’s birth... almost eighteen years. Why was it that the person in the palace did not know or do anything earlier? Was it really related to the prophecy or was Xu Guang Li involved in a work which brought this deadly fate to his family?” Lóng Wei’s mind was occupied with many unanswerable questions.

He began to read the diary once again in the hope that he had not missed anything. However, even after spending an hour, he could not find anything that could help him to get the answers to his questions.

~~~~~~

Tang Zhaodang apologized to Xu Zifan for not coming that evening. “Had I delivered the message at your house, then such massacre could have been prevented,” he muttered in a frustrated tone.

“I had asked Feng Lao why he agreed to marry Yang Mei. He told me that he could not hold onto the past for long, so it was better to move on.” He cursed him for the betrayal he had given to all of them.

“If the Sixth Prince had not come that night, then even I would not be in front of you. Xu Zuwen died in front of my eyes. His body was half burned. He didn’t deserve this kind of death. I could not tell Li Hua everything because she was already broken apart. I couldn’t even get to see my mother and my father.” Xu Zifan’s eyes turned teary. The edges of his eyes were wet with tears.

“It must be so painful for you, bearing everything alone. I cannot even imagine myself in your position,” Tang Zhaodang said, and he clutched the fabric of his dress tightly from his knees. “I want to kill him with my own hands for doing this. All this time, he was only pretending to be nice. Even his father talks about justice all the time, yet he did such an injustice to all of you.” He gritted his teeth in anger.

“I am only worried for Li Hua. She wants to see Feng Lao. I asked Prince Lóng Wei not to let them meet, but it is inevitable now. Who knows if Feng Lao will be truthful in front of her?” Xu Zifan brought his left hand up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Xu Zifan, I have a question regarding the Sixth Prince. We all know that he killed his mother. Do you think he is good for your sister?” Tang Zhaodang’s question was legit in the eyes of a person, who was unaware of Lóng Wei. But the people who knew him had different opinions on it. Xu Zifan was one of those people.

“He gave my sister a new life. He protected her from the danger that could have fallen on her. I do not know what happened in His Highness’s past. But I surely know that my sister is safe and happy with him. For her, His Highness defied many rules in the palace. Even if I have to choose a man for Li Hua a thousand times, it will be Prince Lóng Wei only. He not only respects my sister but also adores him more than anyone.” Xu Zifan didn’t hesitate to compliment Lóng Wei. Probably that was the only possible way, he could thank Lóng Wei- by eliminating the negative thoughts from the people’s minds.