Free Web NovelChapter 231: Chapter 231: Your Majesty Wouldn’t Bear to Make Me Cry
Tao Wanxin was dragged along by Prince Yong. She carefully protected her stomach, nearly stumbling several times.
The man, bursting with rage, finally stopped.
"I almost forgot, the Princess Consort is someone who cares so much about her reputation."
Zhao Minghong stared at her, his expression frighteningly grim.
"So many people were watching in the front hall, so you refused to tell the truth. Now that no one else is around, you can tell me right here. Who is that bastard?!"
After Tao Wanxin steadied herself, she was still panting, her face pale with fright.
Hearing him continue to insult her, she couldn’t suppress the anger in her heart, no matter how well-bred she was. She raised her hand to slap him.
Zhao Minghong’s pupils constricted violently, and a flash of hurt crossed his eyes.
He didn’t dodge or move away, just stared at her face.
Tao Wanxin’s hand stopped just short of his face.
Her fingers trembled, then slowly curled into a fist. Finally, like a lifeless doll, her arm dropped to her side.
Zhao Minghong’s voice sounded as if it came from the depths of hell, bone-chillingly cold. "Why couldn’t you bring yourself to do it, Princess Consort?"
He couldn’t contain his rage. "The Princess Consort, who has always been so proper and championed the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, was about to strike her own husband! What unforgivable crime have I committed to make you so angry you’d try to slap me!"
’The concubines in Prince Yong’s Mansion provoked her repeatedly, and she tolerated it all. But I just mention the man she loves a few times, and she nearly slaps me.’
Zhao Minghong’s eyes stung. He sucked in a sharp breath, trying to force back the bitter sorrow surging up from the depths of his heart.
Tao Wanxin’s nails dug into her palms as she forced herself to calm down.
’In my current situation, I have no family to rely on. The only one in this world who shares my blood is the baby in my womb.’
’I know in my heart that my survival is only partly due to the child in my womb. The more important reason is...’
’...the man standing before me.’
’Prince Yong was unwilling to depose me as his consort. For my sake, he had even defied the Empress Dowager.’
’Qingwu had said that Prince Yong had even knelt and begged her for help with this matter.’
’I can’t imagine the proud, untamable Prince kneeling to beg someone.’
Tao Wanxin calmed down. When she looked up again, she noticed Prince Yong’s eyes were even redder than hers.
His expression held undisguised anger, and... hurt.
Only then did she look closer and see what looked like the traces of tears on his face.
’Prince Yong got drunk at the Princess Mansion, specifically called me back, and caused a scene for half the night, all just to humiliate me in public? To force me to admit I have someone else, someone in my heart?’
Tao Wanxin’s hand slowly unclenched. She frowned. ’I think I understand what’s gone wrong here.’
Seeing her raise her hand toward his face again, Zhao Minghong’s back went stiff.
He said stubbornly, "Go on, hit me. Better make it a hard one! Leave a nice handprint. Tomorrow, I’ll parade it all over the city and let every citizen know about Princess Yong’s two faces."
To Tao Wanxin, this threat sounded both laughable and absurd.
’If I hit him, he’s going to use that harmless, barely-a-punishment action as a threat?’
’Everyone in the city knows the Tao family are villains. What reputation do I have left to protect?’
As Tao Wanxin’s hand was about to land on his face, Zhao Minghong, his face ashen, closed his eyes. Something wet trickled from the corner of his eye again.
There was no expected pain or humiliation.
Instead, the hand gently brushed past the corner of Zhao Minghong’s eye.
In the dark of the night, Tao Wanxin thought she had seen wrong. Only when she touched his skin did she feel the moisture on her fingertips.
She said in astonishment, "Prince, you were crying?"
Seeing the tear tracks was completely different from witnessing the tear fall herself.
The latter was enough for Tao Wanxin to confirm that these tears had something to do with her.
Zhao Minghong immediately opened his eyes and snorted. "I would never—"
Tao Wanxin held her finger up before his eyes. "My finger is wet, Prince. See for yourself."
Zhao Minghong said without batting an eye, "It started to drizzle."
Though it was night, the moon was bright and the stars were numerous. There was only a gentle evening breeze; the air was so dry there wasn’t even any dew.
Tao Wanxin, missing the point entirely, continued, "It’s still warm."
Exasperated, Zhao Minghong pushed her hand away. "It’s—it’s urine from an insect in the tree. It just happened to drip on my face."
He would rather admit it was urine than confess he had shed a tear.
「Deep within the thicket.」
Ji Qingwu was pulling Emperor Wu Su along, leaning against a corner of the wall to eavesdrop. When she heard Prince Yong’s pathetic excuse, she almost burst out laughing.
She leaned close and whispered in the Emperor’s ear, "Your Majesty, I never knew Prince Yong was such a crybaby. Has he always been like this?"
Emperor Wu Su denied it. "He’s never been like this."
Zhao Minghong might be asking for a beating sometimes, but he was tough, resilient, and never admitted defeat. Forget crying, he rarely even begged for mercy.
To shed tears in front of Princess Yong, he must have been utterly heartbroken.
Ji Qingwu said softly, "I believe what Your Majesty said now."
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze grew warm. "What did I say?"
"They say a man doesn’t cry easily unless his heart is truly broken. Prince Yong really does have genuine feelings for the Princess Consort."
Emperor Wu Su wrapped an arm around her waist, his mind wandering as he pulled her into his embrace.
He asked, "Are there other things I’ve said that you still don’t believe?"
Ji Qingwu was just getting to the exciting part. She gave him a light push and craned her neck again, wanting to see how things would unfold between Prince Yong and his wife.
She said hurriedly, "I believe you, I believe you! I believe everything Your Majesty says."
"Then does Ah Wu believe me when I say that if your eyes wander over there again..."
Emperor Wu Su’s voice was raspy from the wine, but his tone was casual.
"...the next person to cry will be you."
Hearing this, Ji Qingwu quickly pulled her head back, her bright eyes looking at him with a hint of guilt.
Seeing that she had settled down, Emperor Wu Su placed a hand on the small of her back and pulled her into his arms once more.
A satisfied smile touched his lips. Ji Qingwu peeked up at him and said tentatively, "Your Majesty wouldn’t have the heart to make me cry."
Emperor Wu Su’s eyes half-closed as he held her even tighter.
"There is one exception."
’What kind of exception?’
Ji Qingwu quickly understood. Pressed so closely together, she could clearly feel the change in his body.
’What other exception could there be?’
The heat on Ji Qingwu’s face, which had just been cooled by the evening breeze, rushed back all at once.
She forced herself to remain composed and whispered, "I wouldn’t be so sure about that."
Emperor Wu Su’s eyes seemed to absorb all the surrounding light, shining with pleasant surprise.
But all he said was a soft, "Oh?"
’Never lose face, even if you lose the fight,’ she thought. ’Besides, the Emperor will probably forget everything once he sobers up tomorrow, anyway.’ With that in mind, Ji Qingwu started spouting bold words again.
"Why would I be the one crying? I won’t cry. Maybe the one crying will be Your Majesty."
The corners of Emperor Wu Su’s lips curved up as he played along. "Ah Wu, how would you like me to cry?"
Ji Qingwu glanced outside. Prince Yong and his wife were too preoccupied with their own drama to notice anyone was there.
She cleared her throat and said, "Someone once said that between Your Majesty and me, it’s not yet certain who will come out on top. Your Majesty shouldn’t be so confident."
