Chapter 249
“I am here to apologize to the Second Prince on behalf of my husband,” Li Hua said while keeping his gaze down on the rug.
Qiu Mu ended up chuckling upon hearing her words. Eunuch Shi Rang didn’t stay quiet and said, “Prince Lóng Wei always hurts my master. He always questions my master’s strength, who is not only an elder to Prince Lóng Wei but also holds the rank of a General. Does Princess Consort Li Hua think that her mere apology will end everything?”
“How will my sister-in-law answer these questions? Brother Lóng Wei has never been given any major responsibility, but he loves to ridicule others, especially me. My Sister-in-law witnessed it in the tea ceremony as well. How Brother Lóng Wei humiliated me in front of the Queen, the Consorts, the Concubines of the King, and my half-sisters.” Qiu Mu didn’t refrain from complaining about everything that he had in his mind.
“Your Highness, I know my apologies aren’t enough to end your anger. Prince Lóng Wei indeed hurts the sentiments of the people around him. He doesn’t understand the people, involving the royal family members. However, he saved the dignity of the Second Prince too,” Li Hua stated.
“Saved my dignity? What does my Sister-in-law mean by this statement?” He scrunched his brows.
“I believe His Highness has understood the meaning of my words,” Li Hua replied. “Today what occurred in prison should not have happened. My husband should not have raised his voice at his elder brother. When Prince Lóng Wei returns, I will make sure that he apologizes sincerely to the Second Prince,” Li Hua humbly said.
“I don’t want his apology. I just want him to not ridicule me. I might sound rude to him and even have said many things against him and even plotted against him, but it is all because he makes fun of me. I hope the Sister-in-law has understood my words,” Qiu Mu asserted.
Li Hua lifted her head and looked at him. “Your Highness, why did you send Brother Chang Shi to kill Prince Lóng Wei? Prince Lóng Wei’s odd relationship with the Second Prince is for various reasons,” Li Hua stated.
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“It seems my Sister-in-law hasn’t come to apologize but to lecture me. She should ask her husband, who made it an odd relationship. No matter how well I treat him, he always acts highly of himself,” Qiu Mu said, and asked Li Hua not to come to him to apologize.
“It’s between the two brothers. It’s up to him how he wants to take this relationship ahead. He is lucky not to be treated as a beast, despite the fact that he killed his mother. We half-siblings still bear his sight when we should not!” Qiu Mu told Li Hua. His words disheartened Li Hua. Lóng Wei wasn’t a beast. But Qiu Mu wasn’t wrong either. Lóng Wei was lucky not to be punished severely as he had committed a grave sin.
Li Hua turned silent for a while.
“Prince Lóng Wei isn’t a beast. Indeed, the crime he committed was grave, but it wasn’t proven. No one ever tried to find out what happened the day Prince Lóng Wei accepted his crimes. Everyone believed his words,” Li Hua stated. She bowed and continued, “Thank you for giving a few minutes of your precious time.” She turned and walked out of the room.
“Lóng Wei’s wife is eloquent with her words. Sometimes I feel she’s too good for Lóng Wei,” Qiu Mu remarked, and asked Shi Rang if he had sent the message to the Crown Prince.
“I did, Your Highness. By the evening, the Crown Prince will send a reply,” Shi Rang replied. Qiu Mu hummed and asked him not to disturb him for two hours. Eunuch Shi bowed and left, while closing the door behind him.
Li Hua halted after coming far from Qiu Mu’s manor. When Huang Xi informed her what Lóng Wei did in prison, she felt her apology would work. But she was wrong. Qiu Mu wasn’t like Xiaoming, who would listen to her.
She had come to the palace to find the truth. Lóng Wei found out everything for her, but it didn’t seem right. The King’s displeased glance at her showed clearly how angry he was at her.
“What is the Princess Consort thinking?” Li Hua recognized a familiar voice and turned.
“Elder Brother!” She was astonished to see him. He was supposed to stay in the Western Palace. “Please call me by my name,” she stated.
“What are you doing here all alone?” Xu Zifan inquired.
“I came to apologize to the Second Prince,” Li Hua answered.
“Elder Brother, I feel things will turn bad from now onwards. Feng Lao’s father died. I am feeling terrible,” Li Hua said, and lowered her head.
“Why do you feel terrible? He was supposed to die,” Xu Zifan coldly said.
Li Hua fiddled with her fingers and again met her brother’s gaze. “The enemy used him. His father didn’t open his mouth because of the threat he got from the enemy. I know I should not feel any sympathy towards him, but I cannot help it,” Li Hua said while sounding low.
They both returned to the manor and found Mingquan there. Li Hua asked about Lóng Wei, who still had not returned.
Mingquan informed her of what Lóng Wei had told him.
“What?” Li Hua and Xu Zifan were shocked to find that the Shui residence had caught fire in the night.
“What about Yang Mei?” Xu Zifan asked.
“Everyone is dead, Xu Zifan. The messenger reported it an hour ago,” Mingquan said. “Brother Lóng Wei has gone to bring Feng Lao. The enemy did something that was not expected,” he added.
“Yang Mei didn’t deserve this,” Xu Zifan said, and tears fell from his eyes.
Li Hua’s eyes also welled up in tears. “Who could do this to our families?” Li Hua mumbled.