boyutpedia Chapter 14 I Only Like His Highness the Crown Prince
Chapter 14 I Only Like His Highness the Crown Prince
"Hurry up and throw this garment away!" Jiang Xun roared at the servants.
Then, with a serious expression, he said to Jiang Li, "Li'er, come with me."
Jiang Li glared angrily at Jiang Mian and Xiao Hengzhi, then followed behind Jiang Xun, feeling uneasy, fearing she would be punished.
Jiang Wan turned her head to look at Xiao Hengzhi, her gaze sharp as she stared at him, and asked, "How do you know about the affairs of the court?"
Xiao Hengzhi paused for a moment, then replied casually, "Isn't that what they say in the stories? Upright officials are always impeached by others. I just happened to be right."
But Jiang Wan clearly didn't believe him, staring intently into his eyes and questioning, "No, you just mentioned that His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to bring Father under his wing. How did you know about this?"
Xiao Hengzhi could tell that she was suspicious, and he also knew that Jiang Mian was not easily fooled at this moment.
But if he were to tell her directly that he had also been reborn, she would probably immediately grab a knife and chop him to pieces.
This is not okay.
His gaze wandered and landed on a tall stone pillar in the courtyard.
After a moment of contemplation, he calmly replied, "In the thirteenth year of Qi Yuan, during the Marquis of Pingnan's birthday banquet, His Highness the Crown Prince sent a rare stone from afar to celebrate his birthday. Later, when Uncle Jiang hosted a banquet for his guests, the Marquis of Pingnan also sent the same stone. With a little thought, one can guess the reason behind this. Judging from Uncle Jiang's reaction just now, I must have guessed correctly."
Jiang Mian looked at him with suspicion, but what he said was true. The Pingnan Marquis's Mansion and the Jiang Mansion had been on good terms for many years. Since Ning Zhi won over the Pingnan Marquis, he had often used him to test his father's attitude.
If one is observant and can deduce the truth from the details, it's not surprising that one could guess some of the clues.
In his previous life, Xiao Hengzhi had the ability to storm into the palace, so he should also have been able to perceive the current situation.
However, she still felt something was off; Xiao Hengzhi seemed a little too calm these days.
His personality was completely different from what she knew before; instead, he resembled the regent.
But if he were truly the regent, how could he tolerate her repeated humiliations?
Or perhaps she knew too little about Xiao Hengzhi in her previous life and was unaware that this was his true nature?
As my thoughts were in turmoil, several people walked out of the side room.
Mo Ping and several maids helped Wen Qian out, while Li Zhijing walked beside her.
Jiang Xun hurriedly went up to ask, "How is the Crown Princess? Is she seriously injured?"
Li Zhijing shook his head: "The doctor said it's not serious, she just needs to rest and recover. It's just that this place has frightened her, so it would be better for her to go back to the mansion to rest."
This place terrified her...
Jiang Xun sighed, and said with great remorse, "The Jiang family bears full responsibility for today's events. We'll postpone it until another day..."
Li Zhijing raised his hand to interrupt her: "Let's talk about it when the Crown Princess wakes up."
Jiang Xun understood the meaning behind his words and could also see that Li Zhijing's expression was displeased.
Even if Wen Qian is disliked, she is still the Crown Prince's wife. Jiang Li's disrespectful act can be seen as venting personal anger at best, and at worst, it is an act of insubordination.
Although Li Zhijing usually jokes around at the Jiang residence, he is, after all, the heir of the Pingnan Marquis's mansion. In matters that touch upon the family's reputation, he would have the right to life or death over anyone else.
Now, he's only showing a disapproving expression, which is already incredibly tolerant.
Jiang Xun then cupped his hands in respect and said, "After all, this matter was caused by the Jiang family, so they should be punished accordingly."
“Father…” Jiang Li wanted to argue further, but was silenced by a look from Jiang Xun.
Li Zhijing glanced at it and said, "Uncle Jiang, you flatter me. Our two families have been friends for many years, and we will not stand on ceremony over this matter. The Crown Princess is sensible and I think the Wen family will not know about this."
Hearing him say that, Jiang Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, today's matter is neither too big nor too small, but if it gets back to the Wen family, it might escalate into a major incident and cause them trouble in the court.
But Li Zhijing's words reassured him.
He bowed and took his leave, then led Jiang Li to the ancestral hall to kneel as punishment.
Li Zhijing glanced at Jiang Mian, said nothing, and started to leave.
Jiang Wan sensed his displeasure and followed up to explain, "We will visit your home another day to apologize. The Princess Consort will surely be alright. You know Jiang Li's temperament; please don't be angry because of her..."
Li Zhijing interrupted her, stopping in his tracks. He turned to her and said, "I'm naturally angry about Jiang Li's actions, but do you know how hurtful your words were today...?"
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, as if he had a lot to say, but in the end he turned and walked away as if in a huff.
Jiang Mian stood there watching his back, and suddenly remembered Li Zhijing from her past life.
At that time, he was a general. Occasionally, when he entered the palace and encountered her, he would gaze at her for a long time from three feet away from her carriage.
He had a princess who loved him so much, yet he wasted all his precious time on her.
Jiang Mian sighed. In this life, she would never let this happen again.
Xiao Hengzhi followed Li Zhijing to the door with his gaze, then took a step forward with some displeasure and stood in front of her to block her view.
Jiang Mian was forced to look at him, and said with a pout, "Is there anything else?"
Xiao Hengzhi looked at the doctor who had just come out of the side room and asked in a low voice, "Second Miss, the medicine for my injuries from a few days ago has run out. Could you please ask the doctor to get me some more?"
His voice carried a hint of pleading and grievance, and his eyes looked quite pitiful.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Mian really couldn't tell whether he was faking it or not.
A thought suddenly popped into her head—
If Xiao Hengzhi truly has memories of his past life, there is one thing he would find completely unacceptable.
So she gave a wicked smile and replied, "Fine, go tell your father you don't want to marry me, and I'll find you the best doctor and never punish you again."
Xiao Hengzhi hesitated for a moment: "I'm afraid..."
Jiang Wan continued, "Back then, I pretended to be in love with you only because I wanted to break off the engagement with the Xie family. As for why I wanted to break off the engagement, do you want to know?"
Xiao Hengzhi looked at her and slowly shook his head.
Jiang Wan smiled brightly: "Because I love His Highness the Crown Prince, I want to marry him!"
This was Xiao Hengzhi's humiliation in his previous life. Jiang Mian still remembers the way Ning Zhi was disemboweled by him.
If Xiao Hengzhi were truly the regent, he could not possibly remain indifferent to this.
However, after watching for a long time, she saw only a faint sense of disappointment in Xiao Hengzhi's eyes, with no other emotional fluctuations.
Jiang Mian wondered if her words were not affectionate enough.
Then she spoke again: "I did some bad things in the past and missed him. Now I don't want to miss out on the person I love again. In this life, I will only love His Highness the Crown Prince."