20demayo Chapter 510
Chapter 510
Prince Four was somewhat embarrassed, yet he truly wanted to obtain Mother's prize. The phrase "I can't take it" was stuck in his throat, and he simply couldn't say it out loud.
"I can't take it" and "I don't want it" are not the same.
He wanted it, but he couldn't take it.
The Crown Prince nudged him with his elbow: "It was originally made by Mother for you, Prince Four. Don't believe me? Take it back and try it on. That boot is your size."
Prince Four finally smiled, scratching his head in embarrassment: "Then, when Your Highness the Crown Prince's birthday arrives, feel free to ask for whatever you desire, and I will grant it."
"This is your word, and you mustn't go back on it later."
When the Crown Prince smiled, one could see traces of both the Emperor and Jiang Xinyue in his face, yet his expression was distinct from both of them.
His smile was sincere, earnest, and imbued with an indescribable warmth and purity that made one feel their soul was cleansed, filled with infinite warmth and peace.
Seeing their harmonious relationship, the Emperor was pleased: "The Crown Prince is humble and gracious. As his father, I cannot let him be disadvantaged. Tang Shiliang, bring me the blood jade bow from my personal collection to gift to the Crown Prince."
The Emperor's personal blood jade bow was a rare treasure, passed down from the ancestors of the Shen family. The founding emperor of the Great Yan dynasty had used this very bow to conquer the lands.
By presenting it to the Crown Prince now, was the Emperor intending to pass the throne to him in the near future?
The Emperor's intentions were clear to the world, and the succession of the Crown Prince was an inevitable event.
So, when Noble Consort took the blood jade bow and shot an arrow into the air, the noble ladies around him were filled with admiration, all hoping to win the heart of the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince favored them and showered them with affection, what did it matter if Yan Jinsha was the Crown Princess?
Didn't the current Emperor overthrow the previous empress's family for his beloved Empress Jiang Xinyue?
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, our lady invites you to the Dream Pavilion. She has recently arranged a new melody and, hearing that Your Highness is well-versed in music, wishes for your guidance."
"Get out of the way! Your Highness the Crown Prince, our lady knows of your fondness for woodcarving and has specially sought a camphor wood Guanyin statue from Master Tao. It's so heavy that our lady invites you to witness it for yourself!"
"What's so special about wood? Our lady is one of the top talents in the capital. Hearing that Your Highness enjoys poetry, she has been waiting for you at the Library of Manuscripts for a long time. Why not make your way to the Library of Manuscripts?"
...
"I say, young master, don't you understand what's good for you? The matters of the palace should be handled by us palace servants. This isn't something you should meddle in. Go back before your mother worries."
This was a veiled mockery of his young age, implying that he was still a child clinging to his mother's apron strings, needing to return home for comfort.
Noble Consort didn't get angry. He simply smiled and walked towards Yan Jinsha, who was surrounded by the group.
His presence was overwhelming, forcing the group of bullies to step back repeatedly.
The leading palace maid was so jealous she was practically mad with rage. Her facial features contorted, and she let out a cold laugh: "Could it be that the young master finds her beautiful and feels pity for her? Let me tell you, many men have seen her being bullied, some of whom wanted to take her for themselves. There were at least nine or ten of them, all nobles. Who knows if she used her beauty to seduce them, only to be discarded after they tired of her? If you wish to take a concubine, you should at least find someone clean, not someone with a thousand men kissing her..."
"Slap!"
"Ah!"
No one noticed that Yan Jinsha, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly got up and pounced on the palace maid, knocking her down.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
She slapped the garrulous palace maid four times in quick succession. The surrounding onlookers finally reacted, rushing to pull away the coldly determined Yan Jinsha: "Are you crazy? How can you hit someone?"
Ignoring their reprimands, Yan Jinsha's eyes were filled with the resolution of death: "Living like a dog is worse than death. It's better to take someone down with me to the Underworld and see who’s more worthless."
She pushed away those who were pulling at her, pulling a silver hairpin from her hair and aiming it at the neck of the woman beneath her.
Her fierce expression made the woman on the ground scream in terror.
"Clang!"
"Ting!"
Noble Consort rushed over, grabbed Yan Jinsha's wrist, and with a slight force, the sharpened silver hairpin fell, producing a crisp sound.
It was clear that she had planned to kill the leader who bullied her for a long time, not just on a whim.
What kind of despair had driven her to not fear death itself, yet still refuse to endure life?
"Sacrificing your life for the sake of someone like this is not worth it."
His gaze fell on Yan Jinsha's bleeding fingers and then met her stubborn, vengeful eyes, causing a strange feeling to wash over him.