20demayo Chapter 507
Chapter 507
“You mean my third brother wants to marry Qingqing?”
Noble Consort shook his head: “Uncle, that’s impossible. The third prince is eight years older than cousin Qingqing, and with Qingqing’s personality, the third prince and her... it’s a stretch.”
The third prince simply couldn’t control Qingqing.
He didn’t think the third prince would like a girl with Qingqing’s temperament.
“It’s true!”
Jing Fengjie, though older than the crown prince, wasn’t much older. Despite being an uncle by relation, the two of them got along more like brothers.@@@@
He let out a heavy breath through his nose: “I saw it with my own eyes. The third prince was pulling Miss Yan through the woods.”
And there’s the Fifth Prince...
But there’s no need to mention the Fifth Prince. His Majesty and the Empress wouldn’t allow someone who poses a threat to the crown prince to gain the support of the Yan family.
The third prince is different...
Although the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng has fallen and Consort De is already dealt with, the Empress still remembers the old bonds and refuses to hold Consort De’s mistakes against the third prince.
Moreover, when the third prince voluntarily entered the ancestral temple, both the Emperor and the Empress were moved by his sacrifice.
As the saying goes, ‘when a person dies, all grudges fade,’ and with Consort De’s death, any lingering hatred has vanished.
And according to my grandfather, the Empress never truly hated Consort De. She was merely tired of Consort De’s endless schemes.
Such is the mindset of a strong individual.
Jing Fengjie admits, the third prince played a rather clever move.
But it’s a pity, he never believes the third or fifth prince has no interest in the throne.
Taking a step back, even if the Fifth Prince harbors no such ambition, what about the Zhu family?
If it weren’t for the Empress’s victory over the previous empress, the crown prince’s position would have belonged to the Fifth Prince.
Does the Zhu family truly accept their current subordinate status?
Noble Consort chuckled: “The third prince pulling Qingqing? It must be you who misinterpreted it. It’s more likely cousin Qingqing who was pulling the third prince.”
But...
Why would cousin Qingqing pull the third prince?
This was only their second meeting!
“Thank you, Third Brother.”
When she smiled, even the flowers in her hand paled in comparison, unable to match half of her beauty.
The third prince also smiled warmly at her, gently patting her small head: “You don’t need to thank me, little sister.”
Even if she wanted stars from the sky, there’d always be someone willing to pluck them for Princess Minglan.
Shen Minglan blushed again with a smile, spotting Yan Qingqing approaching and immediately waved to her.
Seeing the third prince again brought a slight uplift to Yan Qingqing’s downtrodden mood, though her worried gaze still kept flitting toward the Fifth Prince in the corner.
The Fifth Prince, however, was sharp-eyed. His piercing stare shot over upon her third glance, causing Yan Qingqing to quickly lower her head again.
“Cousin Qingqing, are you troubled by something?”
Princess Minglan looked at Yan Qingqing with concern: “You don’t seem very happy.”
Yan Qingqing’s face resembled a long face: “Princess, if you were saved by your enemy and owed them a life-saving grace, you wouldn’t be happy either.”
“How could that be?”
Shen Minglan smiled gently: “If he saved me, I wouldn’t hold onto past grudges. I’d be thankful and turn enemies into friends. Besides, he must not dislike me, otherwise, why would he save me?”
If someone truly hated you dead, how could they possibly save you?
Unless the person doesn’t really dislike you at all, or maybe... they didn’t want to see you harmed.
“Really?”
The Fifth Prince not only doesn’t hate her but actually likes her?
She meant it as friendly affection, not romantic, but surely he sees her as a younger sister, right?
Shen Minglan nodded: “If my enemy fell into the water, I wouldn’t save them. In fact, if someone else tried to save them, I’d hit them.”
As her mother said, one’s kindness should have an edge, otherwise, it becomes the obnoxious virtue of a saint.
“Turn enemies into friends?”
Yan Qingqing stroked her chin thoughtfully and nodded: “Perhaps we can try.”
After all, it’s awkward having to see the Fifth Prince every day, his constant hostility making her jumpy every time she sees him.
“Your Highness, you’re injured?”
The eunuch beside the Fifth Prince was startled, noticing the blood on his master’s arm: “There’s blood flowing here.”
The Fifth Prince only glanced and frowned: “Don’t make a fuss. I’ll bandage it myself.”