NOVEL NEXT Shang Wuxin got out of the carriage. As soon as he saw Shang Wuxin walking out, Leng Yufeng quickly got down from his horse and stood at her side.
Seeing the man who always stood at her side whenever she need, Shang Wuxin got moved. Leng Yufeng didn’t talk too much but he never flinched. Shang Wuxin thought that no matter what happened in the future, she would give Leng Yufeng great wealth. But at the moment she didn’t realized that the man beside her was not interested in wealth. He simply desired for a person who was special for him.
Shang Wuxin didn’t get close to the girl. She just stood at a distance, being protected by her guards, gazing at the girl who was keeping kowtowing.
Though it was hard to see the girl’s face clearly, most people showed sympathy for her as she did this in spite of ruining her face and getting hurt. Shang Wuxin stood there staring at her for a while and slowly uttered, “Do you know me?”
Hearing voice, the girl quickly raised her head. The girl wore a pink yarn dress, looking slim and graceful. The jewelry on her body made crisp sound, and the girl looked more cute and appealing with it. Sorrow could be seen between her eyebrows. Along with the horrible blood on her forehead, it made people feel pity for the girl.
“Yes… I have seen you, Crown Prince!” answered the girl obediently, kneeling on the ground. But Shang Wuxin had no intention to ask another question.
Leng Yufeng was aware that his crown prince was not interested in that girl, so he stepped forward querying with serious voice, “What’s your true purpose of stopping crown prince?” What he said was so powerful as Leng Yufeng was a general who had killed so many people. The girl’s face suddenly turned to be pale because of fear.
“I, I just have no way to go!” The girl sobbed and said, “Both of my mother and father died, so I had no one to rely on. I just wanted to sell myself, and then I could get some money to bury my father. Crown Prince, I’m an innocent girl. I just wanted to be a servant. But the man, the man not only grabbed me to be his attendant concubine but gave no payment. He even wanted to discard my father’s corpse on the street! I couldn’t persuade him and tried to resist. He got angry and then threw my father’s body…” The girl suddenly burst into tears as she said these words. “My father was finally thrown into the mass graves and was eaten by beasts!”
All people around the place sighed for the girl’s miserable past and glared at the man behind her. Most people were just like this: even though they didn’t offer help themselves, they would regard themselves as the righteous.
“So?” asked Shang Wuxin indifferently.
As the girl saw that the crown prince was not moved at all. She cried more bitterly saying, “I have escaped from him and have no way to go. But I’m so lucky to see you, Crown Prince! Please save me! I will do whatever I can to repay you!” finishing her words, the girl kept kneeling.
Though the road was quiet, it didn’t mean that there was no people here. Some people had gathered here for the moment. Leng Yufeng felt a bit worried because it would hurt the crown prince’s good reputation. However, Leng Yufeng didn’t think Shang Wuxin should save the girl in his heart.
“Well.” Shang Wuxin played her jade pendant which was hung on her waist questioning in a playful way, “Why do you think I will save you? After all, it’s a good choice for you to be the man’s concubine. Now that you have lost your parents, you can still rely on him!”
Some people thought the same way with their crown prince. Since all women relied on men at that time, it was a really good choice for the girl to be a concubine.
“No!” the girl immediately refused. “I’m a pure girl from an innocent family and I just want to find a reliable man to marry. I know you are a good man, Crown Prince! You have saved so many people in Fengzhou City. Please, please, Crown Prince! I don’t want to marry him! I just want to live a simple and pure life!”
“You bitch! It’s your pleasure to be my concubine! How dare you say these words to crown prince! Listen! Crown prince would not protect you today!” The man said so many dirty words and kept hitting the girl.
“Kill him!” Shang Wu kitted her eyebrows and said. As soon as he got the order, Leng Yufeng quickly got close to the man who was talking dirty words and killed him with one palm.
Leng Yufeng did it so quickly and so many people hadn’t realized what just happened. When they saw that the man had already been killed, they felt so scared. After all, the general’s legendary name was well earned. But now so many people knew that it was Crown Prince Shang who gave the order. The crown prince looked gracious and weak. But his behaviour made people realized that he was totally different from what he looked like.
“Thanks for saving my life! I’m willing to be your servant to repay you!” The girl said in a grateful tone, eyes filled with appreciation.
Shang Wuxin smiled slightly but her smile was so cold. People could even feel the coldness with their bones. Shang Wuxin got on the carriage but still said to the girl, “In this case, there are not enough servants in my mansion. You can be my servant as you want to.”
Then they kept going ahead. As soon as Shang Wuxin got on the carriage, Nangong Lian asked in a curious tone, “How could you allow her to be your servant? Are you really attracted by her appearance? It’s true that the girl looks pretty good!”
Though what Nangong Lian just said didn’t sound so well, her words were full of concern. She should be a simple girl. However, she was always cautious as she had seen so many plots at her brother’s side. Beautiful women were always dangerous. And Nangong Lian didn’t hope that Shang Wuxin would be hurt, either mentally or physically.
Staring at Nangong Lian who was wearing a veil, Shang Wuxin laughed in her heart. It seemed that the girl trusted her and concerned about her so much from the first time they met each other. In contrast with others’ concern out of benefits, hers was pure and warm, which made Shang Wuxin feel so comfortable.
Shang Wuxin stretched out her finger and touched the chin of Nangong Lian. Then she acted like a hooligan who was tossing an innocent girl saying, “Well, I have such a pretty girl beside me. Who can still attract me? Princess, would you like to come to my Crown Prince Mansion?”
Even though she knew that Shang Wuxin was just kidding, Nangong Lian blushed with her words. It was all because of the crown prince’s excellent appearance and wonderful voice that attracted all her attention.
Nangong Qian had never seen a man dare to toss his sister in front of him. And no one dared to toss his sister when they saw her face. Nangong Qian took no measure to do with the situation as Crown Prince Shang’s eyes were so pure and it was obvious that she had no dirty thought in her mind. Still, Nangong Qian felt uncomfortable in his heart. He was not interested in women’s charm but it didn’t mean that he was against those people who love it. Maybe it was because the person who was tossed was his sister that he would feel like this.
Without thinking too much, Nangong Qian pushed Crown Prince Shang’s hand off his sister’s face. It was the second time that he touched the pair of hands. He was not peaceful as he looked, instead, he really felt that a special feeling was attacking his tightly closed heart.
Being pushed away by Nangong Qian, Shang Wuxin just calmly withdrew her hands. After all, she was tossing his sister. She was lucky enough that Nangong Qian didn’t took out his sword and pointed at her. Meanwhile, Shang Wuxin was still considering the fact that she couldn’t be single all her life as she was the crown prince of the Shang State, though it really didn’t matter. But now there was such a beautiful girl in front of her, she would really have some special thoughts in her mind if she was a man.
At the same time, seeing what her brother did to Crown Prince Shang, Nangong Lian was a bit afraid that her brother would break Crown Prince Shang’s hands. Her brother was not that kind of nice person and hated others to get close to him. Even she was thrown out when she tried to please him. To her surprise, her brother just pushed Crown Prince Shang’s hands away and showed no dislike or detestation.
“Crown Prince Shang was really good at making trouble for yourself!” said Nangong Qian meaningfully. After all, Crown Prince Shang took in the girl just now and Nangong Qian was clear that Crown Prince Shang was not the kind of man who could be attracted by beautiful girls. He could see that there must be a plot behind the girl, and Crown Prince Shang could see it too. But she still kept the girl. Nangong Qian couldn’t helping having admiration for Crown Prince Shang’s courage and indifference.
“I never make trouble myself. They just come themselves!” replied Shang Wuxin indifferently. “And it couldn’t be regarded as trouble as she was such a beautiful girl,” added Shang Wuxin.
Talking on the way, they soon came into the emperor palace. Shang Wuxin led them to their residence that was arranged for them. It was a palace that specially prepared for the envoys from other countries.
“Prince Qian, Princess Lian, enjoy yourselves! I have something else to do so I have to leave now!” After finishing her words, Shang Wuxin turned around and left. Her back-view looked thin but handsome, giving people the same feeling as cool wind that made them wanna stay here.
Shang Wuxin knew that there would be a banquet to welcome Nangong Qian. It was still early now so she was about to have a sleep in the Kunning Palace (Palace of Earthly Tranquility). She was bound to say that she really liked the palace as she was fond of the environment there. It always made her feel peaceful.
Kunning Palace was as beautiful and peaceful as it was before since the noise outside the wall never appeared in this place. All flowers and trees here were lively. This kind of scenery which was hard to see in the complex palace made Shang Wuxin feel peaceful in her heart.
Shang Wuxin eluded so many invisible guards and got into the Kunning Palace to have a rest in the side hall which the former queen prepared for her. She didn’t expect that she would meet her father here. As they saw each other, both of them didn’t say a word.
After a long time, Shang Wuxin nodded greeting, “Father!” She then gave no more words and directly walked in. Arrogance covered her body as if the man standing beside her was not an emperor but a subordinate.
Emperor Shang saw his child stepping into the side hall which he and his queen specially decorated for her. Blankness and confusion could be seen in his weather-beaten, sharp eyes. As Shang Wuxin nearly entered the side hall, Emperor Shang asked, “How could you be here?”
He knew clearly how fierce the invisible guards were as it was he who built the team. But now Emperor Shang was only afraid that those invisible guards would hurt his child, regardless of her identity as crown prince. Emperor Shang dared not to think about it at all.
“It belongs to me. Shouldn’t I come here?” asked Shang Wuxin with a smile on her face, “Or you just forget it as you have pretended for a long time?”
Emperor Shang noticed his child walk in to the side hall. Standing there for a long time, the emperor finally walked in too. Shang Wuxin was lying on the soft bed which he decorated himself when his queen got pregnant. But now his beloved had passed away and he couldn’t help feeling painful in his heart.
Seeing his child, the emperor got suddenly blank. It seemed to be a long time that he hadn’t seen his child so carefully. All his wife’s and his advantages could be found on Shang Wuxin’s face. She was attractive enough even though she was just lying there.
Maybe the emperor thought too much in the Kunning Palace. Maybe it was because he was staying with his child that made him recalled so much things. “Xin’er, have you ever hated me during the past years?” he asked.