Chapter 370 - Forced
Nianzu arrived at the Palace and reached his chamber. He put the zither down and heard Eunuch Chung, "The Sixth Prince and Princess Zhu Lin fought with each other again. Prince Lei Wanxi ended up getting injured badly." This bewildered Nianzu. He told them not to fight and still, they did. But how could a fight be so intense that Lei Wanxi got injured badly?
Nianzu asked to bring new clothes for him as he had worn commoner's clothes. Eunuch Chung informed a maidservant to bring the clothes for the Prince. Once he changed, he went to Lei Wanxi's chamber to meet him.
Consort Jinlong was seated on the chaise while Lei Wanxi was on the bed. "Forgive me, mother. I will stay away from all this." He lowered his eyes, keeping his voice low. "I did not know she would push me off the stairs," he added.
"You are not a child anymore. You are a Prince, and fighting with your soon-to-be sister-in-law is inappropriate. What would people say if this incident goes out?" Jinlong questioned Lei Wanxi, who got annoyed.
"She will never become my sister-in-law, mother. I request my mother to leave me alone," Lei Wanxi stated and pulled up a blanket. He covered himself with it and laid down, turning his back towards his mother. Jinlong went to the bed and shook him.
"Wanxi, do not act this way. Get up and drink this warm turmeric milk," Jinlong told her son, who put his head inside the blanket. "I will drink this later. Please leave me alone," Lei Wanxi repeated his words. Jinlong put her hand down and told the maidservant standing meters away from the bed to take care of her son.
Consort Jinlong came out of the chamber where she encountered Prince Nianzu. He greeted her and asked about Lei Wanxi.
"He wants to be alone. Go to him and make him understand not to act this way. It is so strange," Jinlong asserted.
"Do not worry, mother. I will talk to him," Nianzu assured her. Consort Jinlong passed a smile to him and walked away. Nianzu walked in and found a maidservant there. He gestured to her to leave, who bowed and left.
"Brother Wanxi," Prince Nianzu called his name. Lei Wanxi threw the blanket away and sat up on the bed.
"Elder Brother, look what happened to my face and hands!" Lei Wanxi complained. The right hand had a bandage over it and the stain of blood was visible while the forehead had a bruise. The left hand luckily was safe with minor bruises on that. Nianzu sat on the bed, facing Lei Wanxi.
"You never got involved in fights. I am shocked to see you like this. You prevent fights but today it is completely different. Why is it so?" Nianzu politely inquired from him.
"Brother, Zhu Lin started this. I was enjoying a meal with my childhood friend when she, out of nowhere, sat beside me, and then I got harmed." Lei Wanxi then narrated his entire incident to Nianzu.
"And today?" Nianzu questioned.
"I was angry at her. I told her to leave the Palace. If Brother Sheng would be here then he would have punished her to death but none of my brothers did anything for me. Even the First Brother told me to grow up. Brother, please do not marry her," Lei Wanxi joined his both hands while pleading with him.
Nianzu caught his hands and put them down. "I told our Father that I do not want to marry anyone in my life as I have given my heart to someone, but he did not agree with me. I have to marry her, Brother Wanxi," Nianzu stated.
Lei Wanxi furrowed his brows together. "You told our Father that you love Sister Chuntao?" He was befuddled because earlier their father told them Nianzu could marry the woman of his wish! Then, why did he respond like this?
"But she will never be considered official. If I marry her, then probably many people will come to question her before me. You know what the life of a concubine is! Even if I marry her, I have to marry another woman with a high status like me. I will be forced to do that," Nianzu pronounced. Lei Wanxi did not know that his Fourth Brother had undergone so much pain. Lei Wanxi had never experienced love, so he did not understand the feelings.
"But, Brother, you will never be happy this way. Your mother is also raised to the status of the Empress. I mean you can raise her status as you have powers," Lei Wanxi suggestedNianzu.
"I cannot. I am only an advisor, and I do not want any power to do that. I want people around me to acknowledge my decision. The great Philosopher of Han said in his one book, 'When there is love and duty, you follow your duty.' As a Prince my duty is to keep the people around me happy and keep the traditional values intact," Nianzu pronounced. "Brother Wanxi, I know you care for me but do not do anything as it can harm you as well."
"Don't let yourself get hurt. I will talk with Miss Huan Zhu Lin and urge her to apologize to you," Nianzu stated.
"I do not want to see her face, nor do I want her apology," Lei Wanxi furiously said. Nianzu giggled and patted Lei Wanxi's head.
"Take rest," Nianzu stated. "Your mother is worried too, and I am worried too," Nianzu affirmed. Lei Wanxi hummed while Nianzu stood up. He then headed to the chamber where Zhu Lin was staying.
Zhu Lin was murmuring while the palace maids were drying her hair when the maidservant informed her about the arrival of Nianzu. "Ahh, Prince is here!" She was astonished and also happy that the Fourth Prince finally came to meet her.
She stood up from the chair and told the maidservants to leave. Nianzu came there and found Zhu Lin near the floor table. She bent on her knees and then stood straight. "Fourth Prince, forgive me for making you wait," Zhu Lin said softly. "Please have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the floor mattress.
Nianzu took the seat while Zhu Lin sat on the other side, facing him. "Does his highness want to have tea with me?" Zhu Lin asked.
"Yes," Nianzu replied. Zhu Lin called a maidservant in and ordered her to bring the tea.
"I met Brother Wanxi a few minutes ago," Nianzu proclaimed. The smile on Zhu Lin's lips disappeared as she recalled the incident. "Brother Wanxi is never treated this way. He has a joyful personality, and he hardly gets annoyed or becomes resentful towards someone. Brother Wanxi told me how you involved him in your personal fight in the Fun House." Nianzu paused to get the answer from Zhu Lin.
The maidservant had come with tea. She served them the tea and left. Nianzu picked the teacup and sipped the tea.
"I was stuck because of the goons. I also wanted to nab them so, when I entered the Fun House, I saw him first and thought to take his help. I failed to see that he could be a Prince," Zhu Lin asserted. Nianzu skeptically looked at Zhu Lin.
"You are using informal language for Brother Wanxi. You two indeed took your fight to a different level!" Nianzu pronounced and raised the cup. "Would you like to tell me why you pushed him?" Nianzu further asked.
Zhu Lin hummed. "He locked me in a room after giving a tour. I told him to open the door numerous times, but he did not listen. It infuriated me and then he grabbed me from here," Zhu Lin stated, showing the collars of her dress. "It is my mistake that I used more strength on him," Zhu Lin replied and sighed.
"Miss Zhu Lin should be happy that the Crown Prince is not here," Nianzu affirmed and passed her a smile.
"Why?"
"Because the Crown Prince does not like when someone hurts Lei Wanxi. It does not matter to him if it's a man or a woman. Miss Lin shall apologize to Brother Wanxi," Nianzu advised her, who nodded her head. "Miss Zhu Lin, the tea is getting cold. You shall drink."
"Ahh, yes." She picked the teacup and sipped the tea. Putting it down she assured Nianzu that she would apologize to the Sixth Prince. "l am afraid if he will forgive me or not," she said.
"He will," Nianzu affirmed and sipped the remaining tea in the cup. He put the cup on the table and looked at Zhu Lin. "I have something to ask from you, Miss Lin," Nianzu menacingly said.