Seeing the anger and hatred brewing in Qin Junhao's eyes, Dongfang Zhan sneered inwardly. He was blinded by hatred, which gave him a better chance to take revenge. The hatred of killing his family members was irreconcilable!
Turning his head and seeing the dead Ye Qianmei, a layer of sorrow clouded his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Ye Qianmei is dead. It will be inconvenient for Crown Prince Qin to travel with a corpse. I will take care of it properly for you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Prince Zhan, but I have no intention of taking this vile woman's corpse with me." A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Qin Junhao's eyes as he coldly ordered, "Guards, chop Ye Qianmei's corpse into pieces."
Pieces of flesh were either carried away by wild beasts or eaten by large birds, and could never be pieced back together to form a complete corpse. Let's see how Dongfang Heng can scheme against him now!
Dongfang Zhan's expression changed slightly, and his large hands clenched tightly. Did he want Qian Mei to die a horrible death? How despicable!
As the guards approached, raising their swords to hack the corpse to pieces, Dongfang Zhan's eyes narrowed, and he said urgently, "Someone's coming."
Qin Junhao and his guards looked in the direction Dongfang Zhan pointed, and sure enough, plumes of smoke rose from the wide road, and a number of fast horses galloped swiftly, coming on fiercely.
“They might be from the Holy King’s Mansion.” Dongfang Zhan advised with a serious expression, “Crown Prince Qin, you should leave quickly. I will stay and stall for time.”
"Thank you for your trouble, Prince Zhan." Normally, Qin Junhao would not be afraid of Dongfang Heng, but now he was seriously injured and had few guards with him. He was no match for Dongfang Heng, the God of War of Azure Flames. His humiliating escape was a disgrace, but it was better than losing his life. As long as he was alive, he could fight again. Once he recovered from his injuries, he would lead his men to storm into the Holy King's Mansion and avenge his humiliation.
"Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities," Dongfang Zhan said politely, watching Qin Junhao get into the carriage with the help of the guards. The coachman flicked the reins, and the convoy, which was dozens of meters long, sped forward. In a short while, it had already gone far away, and the fast horses behind them turned around and took another road instead of coming here.
All around was quiet, and a cold wind blew by, chilling to the bone!
Ye Qianmei's body was already cold and devoid of any warmth, and the blood beneath her had congealed into a dark purple color. The golden hairpin on her chest emitted a faint golden light, exquisite and beautiful, but its owner had already passed away.
The setting sun in the western sky was like blood. Dongfang Zhan stood in front of a small mound, holding a dagger, carefully carving a small wooden plaque that read, "Tomb of my younger sister, Qianmei."
He carved each stroke carefully and meticulously, examining it again and again to ensure there were no mistakes before carefully inserting the wooden sign next to the mound of earth.
A cold wind blew by, and his dark blue cloak fluttered gently. His solitary figure looked so lonely and forlorn, his deep gaze fixed on the small mound of earth.
Qianmei, I'm sorry. I pushed you into an abyss of no return. After spending so many days together, he noticed the resemblance between Ye Qianmei and his mother, but he didn't think about it in detail. He was shocked when Shen Lixue revealed the secret, which is why he reacted so strongly.
He was unwilling to admit it, but he had to face it: he had personally harmed his own sister!
His mother's coffin lay alone in the imperial mausoleum. Ye Qianmei was her daughter and should have been there to accompany her, but she was not a member of the Qingyan royal family and could not be buried in the mausoleum. His relationship with Ye Qianmei could only be kept in his heart and could not be spoken of.
Qianmei, please rest here for now. Watch how I act decisively and ruthlessly, slaying all the treacherous enemies to avenge you and ascend the throne. Then, I will come to take you to the imperial mausoleum and let you be buried there in grand style as a princess.
His family was destroyed, and his relatives died one after another. What right did his enemies have to be happy and joyful? Dongfang Heng, Dongfang Hong, he would not let either of them go.
As for Qin Junhao, the culprit who killed his sister, he would tear him to pieces. Letting him go now is just to make better use of him and kill him later.
As the sun sets, the sky is ablaze with crimson clouds, a sight that evokes sadness and sorrow, like blood itself.
The Empress Dowager, eager to hold her great-grandson, urged the Empress to expedite the selection of concubines. Once the list of the Crown Prince, Prince Zhan's principal and secondary consorts was finalized, it was reviewed several times to ensure there were no issues. The Empress then held a small banquet in the inner palace, where she also showed the Emperor the list.
There were not many guests at the banquet. Apart from the members of the Eastern royal family, only a few highly respected ministers and the parents of the selected women were invited. The noble ladies and ministers chatted idly, and the banquet hall was peaceful and quiet.
There weren't many guests, so the seating wasn't as clearly defined as usual. Instead, couples sat at one table, while unmarried daughters and princes sat at separate tables.
Shen Lixue sat down next to Dongfang Heng and quietly glanced at Dongfang Zhan, who was pouring himself a drink across from them: "Heng, has Dongfang Zhan been making any unusual moves lately?"
"After he returned from outside the city, he stayed in the Zhan Prince's Mansion and didn't go anywhere or make any unusual moves." Dongfang Heng glanced at Dongfang Zhan, a cold glint flashing in his sharp eyes.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "Didn't he catch up with Ye Qianmei?"
"We don't know yet." Dongfang Heng shook his head: "The Holy King's Mansion's secret guards have found out that Dongfang Zhan returned to the city alone, without any women with him. Qin Junhao's caravan is heading south, making its way back to the Southern Frontier at a moderate pace."
Ye Qianmei is Dongfang Zhan's half-sister. Did he really fail to catch up with her, or did he catch up but refuse to acknowledge her identity? Or did he find another place to settle Ye Qianmei? After all, Ye Qianmei was bestowed upon the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. If Dongfang Zhan brought her back, he would have a hard time explaining it to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, this is the list of the Crown Prince and Prince Zhan's principal and secondary consorts. Please take a look." The Empress smiled and took out a small booklet, which was presented to the Emperor by a young eunuch.
"Let me see which daughters the Empress has chosen." The Emperor took down the booklet with a pleased expression, opened it and looked at it carefully. A faint smile appeared on his lips, clearly very satisfied with the Empress's arrangements.
She looked up at the eunuch beside her and said, "Read the list."
"Yes!" the young eunuch replied respectfully, picked up the list, and read it aloud, word by word:
"The Crown Prince's principal wife, Ye Yuli, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wu's family; the Crown Prince's secondary wife, Ling Rufeng, the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor's family..."
As the names of the Crown Prince's principal and secondary consorts were read out, Chu Youran became nervous. Her heart pounded, and her small hands, hidden in her sleeves, were sweating profusely. She didn't want to marry Prince Zhan, she really didn't. Had the list been changed?
Shen Lixue looked up at Dongfang Zhan and secretly transmitted her voice: "Prince Zhan, have you confirmed your sibling relationship with Ye Qianmei?"
Dongfang Zhan drank the wine in his cup, his eyelids slightly lowered, and transmitted his voice, "Rest assured, I will never break my promise to you."
"The Princess Consort of Prince Zhan, Li Youlan of the Prime Minister's Residence..." The eunuch's shrill voice echoed in the banquet hall.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Li Youlan was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, and she was indeed qualified to be Dongfang Zhan's principal wife. However, the Prime Minister's family was Dongfang Zhan's strongest backing. The Empress arranged for her to become Dongfang Zhan's principal wife. His relationship with the Prime Minister's family did not change much. However, he lost a powerful minister and the support of another force.
The Crown Prince and the concubines both come from powerful families holding high positions. This single selection of concubines has widened the gap in power between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Zhan.
The Empress is indeed the Empress. She has been involved in palace intrigues for decades, and with every move she makes, she subtly blocks people's escape routes. She is truly clever!
"Chu Youran, the concubine of Prince Zhan and daughter of the governor..."
"Wait a minute." Dongfang Zhan stood up and loudly interrupted the eunuch's recitation.
Everyone's puzzled and confused gazes all focused on Dongfang Zhan. What was going on?
The emperor looked at him with a puzzled expression: "Zhan'er, what's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, I would like to know, who is the Governor's daughter, Chu Youran?" Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly, his feigned curiosity quickly scanning the young women. The legitimate daughters all lowered their heads shyly, not daring to meet his gaze.
"It is I, your humble servant." Chu Youran stood up gracefully, her skin as white as jade, her eyes bright and her teeth white, and she curtsied to Dongfang Zhan with a fresh and natural air: "Greetings, Prince Zhan."
Dongfang Zhan nodded and looked at her calmly: "I have heard that Miss Chu is exceptionally talented and has a certain understanding of military strategy and tactics. Is this true?"
"Your Highness, I have been frail and sickly since childhood. In my spare time, I have read a few books on military strategy, but they are hardly of high quality and I cannot claim to have any real expertise!" Chu Youran explained with a smile.