Chapter 216

“I heard that the princess is very fond of the Crown Prince. Their wedding will probably take place within a few years. As long as there is this good news, the throne will be secure,” whispered the young woman.

When Yueqian heard this, she couldn’t help but twitch her eyebrow slightly at the phrase "Princess from the Hu Region." This character always made her feel uneasy when she read the novel.

Indeed, the princess became the Crown Prince’s wife, but when she traveled to the Du Region to strengthen ties with the Crown Prince, she ended up falling in love with the story’s hero, causing utter chaos. This made the Crown Prince despise the Du Region even more, to the point of declaring that when he became emperor, he would personally lead an army to besiege the Du Region and, upon victory, would display the head of the Du Region’s general for seven days and seven nights!

This resentment of being cheated on made him crazy. Although the plot didn’t delve too much into this part, the period when the princess from the Hu Region, who became the Crown Prince’s consort, visited the Du Region caused significant trouble for the story’s heroine and hero.

It was a major event that gave the characters a lot to act on.

Of course, Yueqian wasn’t happy at that time because just thinking about the princess’s role in the novel made her want to slap this minor villainess a couple of times to teach her a lesson. However, considering this moment, if that incident were to happen, it would undoubtedly cause the protagonists a lot of headaches. Just thinking about it amused her.

If it weren’t for this princess being a potential disaster for the Second Prince, Yueqian might have hoped for them to get married!

Ah... but it’s not like there aren’t any ways to deal with it. It’s just that those methods would require more thought and effort. She needed to decide whether to avoid getting involved altogether or to let there be some interesting scenes.

“If that’s true, it’s quite frightening. But what will your father do? Isn’t he currently supporting the Second Prince?”

“That’s true, but that’s not all. My father does support the Second Prince, but he has always been kind to the Crown Prince as well. He sends many good things his way. You could say that my father supports both of them.”

“Really? Your father does that?”

“Yes, it’s to ensure our family’s survival. We can’t separate from the Second Prince because the Wang is too formidable. His power is immense, like that of the heavens. However... my father said that if I could become the Wang’s consort, he would fully support the Second Prince.”

“You... what do you mean by becoming the Wang’s consort?”

“Exactly what I said. My father has already been discussing it. As long as I become the Wang’s consort, Ji Yao and Ping Hong will have to respect me,” the young woman finished, raising her chin slightly. However, her friend didn’t agree.

“But that’s the Wang we’re talking about. Aren’t you afraid?”

“Afraid? Afraid of what? His scary face? Or his nature of killing people without blinking an eye?”

“Both, actually. Aren’t you afraid at all?”

“Haha, if I were afraid, I’d be a foolish woman. How could I be afraid? The Wang isn’t actually unattractive. He’s just been through many battles, so his face is scarred. Besides, even if you marry a handsome man now, there’s no guarantee he won’t end up with scars too.”

“..............”

“Moreover, who is the Wang? Even if he were ugly, I would still want to be his consort! I would rather endure the hardships of being with him than bowing to everyone. Look at us now! Even Ji Yao and Ping Hong have to show respect. Hmph! I refuse to be like this forever.”

She spoke with such ambition that Yueqian felt a bit sorry for the Wang. It seemed that being of high status wasn’t easy either. Not only did he have to deal with external enemies, but he also had to be wary of being ensnared by terrifying women like this.

The two women continued their nonsensical conversation, but Yueqian was no longer interested in listening. Her mind was racing like a whirlwind, because she had to think about many things in the future

Whether it was about the princess from the Hu Region or her own path of being associated with the Wang, if things continued like this, it seemed likely that the Wang would indeed become the husband of this ambitious woman.

From their conversation, it seemed that the Wang had not clearly rejected the proposal, and there was a possibility of it happening. The other party was a Wang of the Bai Region, which was very strong and powerful. With his move alone, the second prince, who was only a prince and not very prominent, had already become the most likely candidate to become the emperor.

Given the status of the consort’s family, even though Master Gui Zhong was a highly respected individual, he was just a scholar compared to others. His fearsomeness stemmed from being the royal tutor, teaching the royal family members, and even some officials had been educated by him. This old man held considerable power in his own way.

However, when it came to the power of wealth and rank, it was impossible for Gui Zhong’s influence to be significant.

Of course, Gui Zhong was aware of this. He didn’t want the daughter he had loved and cared for all his life to become a consort, but he couldn’t stop their destined love. His daughter pursued him so hard that she would fall into despair if forced to marry someone else. Therefore, if she wanted to be the wife of the Second Prince, he would support her by ensuring a better life as a consort, at least ensuring she wouldn’t suffer or be mistreated.

Of course, as a father, he had to do this and let his daughter fight from a more advantageous position.

The Second Prince accepting her as a consort didn’t add much to his power. No noble wanted their daughter to be a secondary consort or concubine. In positions of equal rank, being the principal consort was the best position.

Thus, nobles supported others. The more power their daughters held in the manor, the more power they, as fathers, would have. At the very least, others would respect them as the father-in-law.

In this case, it iwas clear that without the Wang’s support, the Second Prince and the power of the consort’s family wouldn’t count for much. Not to mention the Second Prince’s mother, who, when compared to the Crown Prince, would hardly have any influence.

However, with the Wang still having a vacancy for the principal consort, it was like an enticing bait that made many people not give up completely. Otherwise, many who are exploring their options and comparing the two might have distanced themselves from the Second Prince long ago.

Of course, the Wang would need to end up with someone, and someone like him wouldn’t primarily care about love. He would likely seek the best benefits for himself. Anyone who once posed as a bandit to rob crucial resources from the Du Region wasn’t an ordinary person.

Nevertheless, Yueqian had a strong prejudice against this woman, perhaps because of her remarks about the Second Prince’s two consorts, who were also her own friends. How could one trust someone who could harm their own friends in the future?

“Alright, it’s the appropriate time now. The food has been prepared, and the birthday celebration wouldn’t be complete without the presentation of gifts,” the Wang’s voice rang out.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent. All eyes turned to the highest-ranking person at the ceremony.

The Wang called his royal guard, who carefully brought forth a gift box of moderate size. Since the gift was beautifully wrapped, everyone could only see the elegant box.

Still, no one thought that the gift the Wang personally bestowed would be worthless. It must be said that in the Bai Region, the wealthiest person was likely the Wang himself. The emperor, with many responsibilities and tasks to manage, often had to use his personal funds to help govern the Region and care for the people’s lives. Thus, he was only the second richest person.

In contrast, the Prince, with more freedom, could do anything he wanted, whether it was starting businesses or trading goods with other Regions. There was something else that few people knew which was that he was the one-eyed bandit who liked to plunder valuable items from the Du Region. This nefarious activity had made him even wealthier than the king.

The consort quickly stepped forward to receive the Wang’s gracious gift. Her delicate, clear hands reached out to accept the precious box. Naturally, she didn’t leave everyone in suspense for long.

She opened the gift box herself. Her initially beautiful eyes now sparkled with a slight tremor, and she bit her lips to prevent any sound from escaping. Otherwise, people might have heard her scream.

The gift that the Wang presented was truly a precious one, as it was a brush that once belonged to the former king—one of the personal brushes of the current emperor’s father. The former king was a great scholar, and because of him, the children and grandchildren of the royal family came to know her father.

The former emperor appreciated talented individuals. Gui Zhong originally came from a lower-ranking noble family, but upon meeting the former emperor, he supported Gui Zhong and helped him become one of the Region’s greatest scholars.

Many people held Gui Zhong in high regard. In other words, without the former emperor’s kindness, her family would not have achieved such heights, including her becoming the Second Prince’s consort.

Receiving this valuable gift from the Wang made her heart swell with pride. Her eyes turned to her father, who still didn’t know what gift the Wang had given. However, having followed her father since childhood, she knew how precious this item was to him.

Her father often spoke of the former emperor’s kindness, loving and revering him deeply. If he saw this gift, he would surely instruct her to worship it every morning and evening. She, having been raised with his teachings, shared his sentiments completely. The former emperor held significant weight in their hearts, making this the best gift she had ever received.

Yet, the consort still didn’t fully understand the Wang’s true intentions. It wasn’t until she showed the brush to her father that Gui Zhong’s eyes sparkled.

Although he felt joy at seeing the brush again after the passing of the benevolent former emperor, he wasn’t foolish. With one glance, he understood what the Wang was doing. He then gave a thoughtful look at the young man from the Du Region. Wasn’t this Wang too confident in the other party?

The brush that the former emperor used always resonated deeply in his heart. To him, it clearly symbolized the word "opportunity."