0p0 Chapter 230 The Crown Prince Protects His Faults
Chapter 230 The Crown Prince Protects His Faults
Princess Lin'an looked at the Crown Prince with disbelief: "Your Highness, look carefully, it was Lu Zhiyuan who hit me!"
The Crown Prince's eyes shifted slightly, and he said in an almost icy voice, "Liu Ying, slap yourself!"
Just as Princess Lin'an was about to feel smug, she was caught off guard and hit again.
Liu Ying's slap was much harder than Lu Zhiyuan's, knocking Princess Lin'an to the ground.
"Your Highness, have you hit the wrong person?"
"You should seek justice for Lin'an!"
“I did not hit the wrong person, and I have no reason to seek justice for you!” The Crown Prince said, “On the day of my wedding with the Crown Princess, the Princess did not visit. Why is she here to visit today? Who is she visiting? Why is she visiting? As far as I know, the Crown Princess and the Princess have no relationship.”
Before Princess Lin'an could speak, the Crown Prince continued, "Is your visit a pretense, and your real intention to cause trouble? Princess, you really don't take me, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, seriously."
Princess Lin'an shook her head: "No! Lin'an respects Your Highness, and my heart and eyes are only for Your Highness. Lin'an just feels that Lu Zhiyuan is not worthy to be your Crown Princess!"
The Crown Prince curled his lips slightly: "If A-Yuan isn't worthy, then who is? You?"
Before Princess Lin'an could speak, the Crown Prince mocked, "In terms of background, appearance, talent, and ability, how can you compare to A-Yuan even a fraction? As a princess, you don't understand royal etiquette. Upon entering the Eastern Palace, you not only failed to bow to the Crown Princess but also spoke rudely. Princess Lin'an, tell me, shouldn't you be punished?"
“Your Highness—” Princess Lin’an shook her head gently: “Is Lin’an so unworthy in your heart? In terms of background, Lin’an is a daughter of the imperial family. She is just a legitimate daughter of a fallen marquis’s family who has not been recorded in the family genealogy.”
"Princess, you're making a fuss over nothing! My lady created her own family genealogy. Although my lady's surname is Lu, she's listed in my lady's genealogy. His Majesty approved it, Her Majesty the Empress approved it, and the government has a record of it. How come, when it comes to you, Princess, my lady is just the legitimate daughter of a fallen marquis's family? Besides, it's not that the marquis's family wouldn't let my lady be listed in the genealogy; they begged and pleaded, but my lady refused. They've wronged my lady, and my lady doesn't want to be on the same genealogy as them, for fear that they'll suck her blood."
Princess Lin'an's face paled slightly. She didn't know what Liu Ying was saying, but judging from the Crown Prince's expression, it must be true.
Undeterred, she said, "Even if she had no flaws in her background, in terms of appearance, Lin'an is no less beautiful than her. She has a vixen-like appearance; how could she be worthy of being Your Highness's Crown Princess? Lin'an is the one Your Highness should choose."
Lu Zhiyuan tugged at the Crown Prince's sleeve, blinking her eyes: "Crown Prince, what does 'seductive look' mean? Does it mean that anyone who is good-looking is seductive? Liu Ying, Ping Le, and even the Empress Dowager are all prettier than the Princess. Does that mean they are seductive too?"
"Lu Zhiyuan, stop trying to smear me." Princess Lin'an, forgetting her lesson, pointed at Lu Zhiyuan in front of the Crown Prince: "I'm talking about you. Don't drag others into this, and especially don't involve the Empress."
Lu Zhiyuan blinked innocently, then tugged at the Crown Prince's sleeve and shook it: "Crown Prince, why is the Princess angry again?"
Knowing that Lu Zhiyuan was doing it on purpose, the Crown Prince suppressed a smile and pursed his lips: "She's petty, A-Yuan, don't take it to heart."
Narrow-minded?
The Crown Prince actually said she was petty!
"Your Highness, open your eyes and look at her!" Princess Lin'an was carrying a bronze mirror with her. "She has neither the Empress Dowager's grace and nobility, nor the Empress's poise and elegance. Her eyes and brows are filled with the cunning and allure of a fox spirit. And look at that smile on her lips, it's as if it can bewitch one's soul. My mother said that only those with wicked hearts could be born with such a face."
Lu Zhiyuan remained calm and asked in return, "Princess, have you seen the fox clan? Could it be that there are really demons in this world? And this smile of mine... I've been smiling like this since I was born, how is it bewitching? My brother, the Crown Prince, has spent seven years with me day and night, has he been bewitched by me? And Princess, it's been almost half an hour since you entered the Eastern Palace, I've been smiling at you for so long, has my smile bewitched you?"
"That's just sophistry! Lu Zhiyuan, you're just being unreasonable!"
"If you can't win an argument, then you're just making excuses?" Lu Zhiyuan's expression changed: "I am magnanimous and originally didn't want to argue with you, but you are so stupid that you can't even take the opportunity to save face! You have called my life again and again. Do you really think I have no temper?"
"So what if I have a temper? I am the Princess of Lin'an, personally appointed by His Majesty. Can you kill me?"
“If you’re going to kill me, then kill me. What’s wrong with that?” Lu Zhiyuan leaned against the Crown Prince. “The back garden of the Eastern Palace is short of fertilizer. It’s perfect to bury you there.”
"Fertilizer? How dare you turn me, the princess, into fertilizer?" Princess Lin'an was both angry and anxious. "Your Highness, did you hear that? She wants to turn Lin'an into fertilizer! How can such a vicious woman be the Crown Princess!"
"You say my Crown Princess is vicious?" The Crown Prince embraced Lu Zhiyuan: "Was it my Crown Princess who went to the Princess's residence to find the Princess? Was it my Crown Princess who said to the Princess that the Princess was not good enough for the Prince Consort? Was it my Crown Princess who called the Princess by her given name and said that the Princess was ugly and unattractive?"
Every word was a stab to the heart, driving Princess Lin'an to the brink of madness. She wished she could tear Lu Zhiyuan apart and turn her into fertilizer!
The word "fertilizer" had barely crossed my mind when I got a jolt.
She saw Lu Zhiyuan's guard stand beside her. He held a sword, his eyes were fierce, and he exuded a palpable killing intent. She had seen bandits on her way to the capital; those ruthless killers gave off this same feeling.
He held his breath and moved to the side.
"Lin'an spoke without thinking, but what she said was also true. His Highness's soul was bewitched by her. Seven years ago, how old was she? Even if His Majesty wanted to choose a Crown Princess, he wouldn't have chosen a child like her. It's understandable that Lin'an had some doubts."
"You really are persistent!" Lu Zhiyuan practically had the word "idiot" written all over her face: "You call yourself a member of the royal family? I wonder what the royal family looks for in a daughter-in-law?"
"Of course I know!" Princess Lin'an glanced at Lu Yun, then said defiantly, "When the Crown Prince chooses a consort, she must have a good family background, good looks, good upbringing, be skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, and needlework, and be able to handle domestic affairs to become His Highness's virtuous assistant. You say that apart from a decent family background and passable looks, how do you meet the requirements?"
"The weather's nice today, so I'll make you accept your role as fertilizer!" Lu Zhiyuan snapped her fingers. "As for manners, everyone has seen it. Even if mine is bad, it's still better than yours. How about we have a contest now, in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, and needlework, to see who's better?"
"Let's compete then! I refuse to believe I can lose to you!" Princess Lin'an said angrily.
She was a member of the imperial family, carefully nurtured by her father and mother since childhood, and further cultivated by the Empress Dowager and Empress after entering the palace. How could she lose to a little girl who grew up in a secluded courtyard, did nothing in the palace, and only relied on the Xie family to curry favor with His Highness?
"If it's a competition, there should be a prize!"
"Alright!" Lu Zhiyuan readily agreed, "If you win, I'll have my brother, the Crown Prince, take you as a concubine. If you lose, you'll obediently serve as fertilizer in the back garden. Princess Lin'an, do you dare to bet?"