Chapter 422 – She is a Vixen (2)

Ye Zhen smiled at him. “I’m fine.”

Fifth Prince was kicked a few meters away. When he lifted his head, a big bump appeared on his forehead. However, he was so shocked he disregarded his wound as he pointed at Tang Zhen with his finger and howled. “Impudence! You… how dare you beat this prince!”

Marquis Jing Ning didn’t even look at the man, directly treating him as a bothersome buzzing fly. Instead of paying attention to him, he whispered to Ye Zhen, “Princess, you go first, let this official handle the matter here.”

“Tang Zhen! You are being impudent!” Old Prince Kang reprimanded angrily. “In your eyes, is there no law?! You dare beat the prince, do you want to rebel?!”

“Old Prince Kang, how is it a rebellion in the first place when I was just beating a prince?” Tang Zhen asked with a sneer painted on his face. Do all these opinionated and stupid old codgers still believe that the current imperial clan can still control the emperor at will?

“You…!” The Fifth Prince, who was helped up to his feet, pointed at Tang Zhen with trembling finger, so angry he could not speak

“We want to see the emperor!” Old Prince Kang shouted.

Tang Zhen’s voice was cold as he said, “The emperor does not want to see you all.”

“Does the emperor not want to see us or is he unable to see us? Tang Zhen, what is your purpose in concealing the emperor’s illness? No matter whether the emperor lives or dies, he should inform us, the imperial clan.”

“Old Prince Kang, you take yourself too seriously,” Tang Zhen said with a laugh.

“Tang Zhen, if you prevent us from seeing the emperor again, don’t blame us for entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity through other means!” Old Prince Kang said.

Tang Zhen eyed him coldly. “How does Old Prince Kang want to enter the Palace of Heavenly Purity, force his way in?”

Similarly cold, Old Prince Kang snorted. “We have to do this in order to protect the emperor’s comfort.”

What a good excuse! If they are allowed to break into the Palace of Heavenly Purity, they might kill Mo Rongzhan and enthrone another.

“If you want to go into the Palace of Heavenly Purity, go and get an order from Empress Dowager. Otherwise, you will not enter unless you kill this marquis,” Tang Zhen said sternly.

“Tang Zhen, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, or else,” Fifth Prince warned coldly.

“I, your father, don’t like any wine.” Tang Zhen hummed.

Old Prince Kang and Fifth Prince looked at each other. Tang Zhen’s unwillingness to let them enter the Palace of Heavenly Purity must be because he was worried that they would find out about Mo Rongzhan’s situation, right?

It seems that Mo Rongzhan… is really hurt and it could be life-threatening.

♚

Ye Zhen didn’t go into the palace hall immediately. She knew that someone was talking to Mo Rongzhan. She went to prepare dinner. Now she did not dare to add any lingquan to his medicine and meals, afraid that he would sleep for a few days more if she did.

There were two court ladies nearby to help her. Ye Zhen took the medicine that had been made first and went to give it to Mo Rongzhan. As for the meal, she had already prepared everything, so she could just let the court ladies watch the dishes on the stove.

“Princess, His Majesty is still discussing some matters inside with someone.” Eunuch Fu immediately guarded the door and did not directly invite Ye Zhen into the room.

Ye Zhen didn’t say anything, turned her head around, and looked outside as if she hadn’t heard the yells of the fifth prince.

Eunuch Fu said in a low voice, “Marquis Jing Ning and the fifth prince are done.”

It looked like they were also all bark and no bite. Tang Zhen refused to budge, so no matter how much ruckus they made, Mo Rongzhan was nowhere in sight.

“Princess, please wait a moment, this servant will go in and let you know if you can enter,” Eunuch Fu said.

Mo Rongzhan was talking to Tang Zhen in a low voice so Eunuch Fu went in and waited on the side for a while. The emperor, who saw him entering, frowned.

“Your Majesty, the princess has brought you medicine,” Eunuch Fu said hurriedly.

Tang Zhen lowered his head and said nothing.

Mo Rongzhan raised his head and said to him, “That’s all, you can withdraw first.”

“This official will retire first.” Tang Zhen whispered.

Upon turning to leave the bedroom, he saw Ye Zhen outside the door and smiled softly. “Yaoyao, did you get scared about what happened just earlier?”

Ye Zhen blinked back playfully and replied, “If I had been the type to get scared so easily, then I should hide in the house and dare not come out.”

Encountering a tiger at the hunting grounds that day was the biggest fright she had experienced till now. Having lived through the horror, what happened with the fifth prince just then was nothing.

Tang Zhen’s expression hardened when he heard those words. “Yaoyao, I shouldn’t have separated from you that day. If I had been there, I wouldn’t have let you—”

Ye Zhen smiled and said, “It’s all over now. Don’t worry about it.”

She believed that if she had been with Tang Zhen, he would have definitely saved her at all costs.

Yes, it’s all over.

The dream he had of them growing old together till their hairs became white was also over. She, in the end, no matter what was said and done, wouldn’t belong to him.

“I’m leaving now.” Tang Zhen’s voice, as he took one last deep look at her, was a little hoarse.

He bowed his head and went past her.