Song Wanchu was stunned.
The Crown Prince tightened his grip on her face, his tone growing more urgent. "Right?"
He was pressing for an answer.
But Song Wanchu couldn't reply.
Because she herself didn't know the answer to this question.
Did she love him? When facing Liang Yuzhou, she no longer had the shy flutter and eager anticipation she'd had in her teenage years. Every time she saw him, the heart - breaking scenes would flash through her mind. No matter how gentle and pious Liang Yuzhou was in front of her, he couldn't completely heal the long - standing wounds.
Didn't she love him? Then why did she still care so much about him? When he had a high fever, spat blood, and lay in bed delirious, it was as if a part of her had died again.
Every time they met, she would unconsciously observe his complexion. If he looked better, she would quietly let out a sigh of relief; if the smell of medicine on him grew stronger, her heart would tighten.
Her feelings for Liang Yuzhou were so complex that they defied description, and couldn't be simply summed up as "love" or "not love".
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, the Crown Prince's eyes darkened, as if a tempest was raging across his face.
Intense hatred filled his chest, and he was on the verge of exploding.
"Liang Yuzhou, what does he deserve? He stole you but didn't cherish you properly. All the wounds on your body were caused by him. Did he really feel pain when you were injured and bleeding? If he really loved you, how could he have stood by coldly while you were framed by Yu Huiyan and let you fall into a situation where everyone pointed fingers at you?
Even if he did it to make Princess Lingyang see Yu Huiyan as a rival in love, what he did caused real harm to you. His self - righteous endurance was just for his own self - gratification!
Now he's pestering you again, saying he wants to heal your wounds. Does he think he's some kind of panacea for you?"
The Crown Prince's words echoed in Song Wanchu's heart. Those words were like thorny thistles, piercing her all over with blood.
"Answer me, Wanchu. What's so special about this man that you can't forget him?"
Song Wanchu opened her mouth futilely, but her dry throat couldn't make a sound.
The Crown Prince didn't get an answer from her. Suddenly, the surrounding silence was broken by a shrill, spine - chilling scream.
...
As soon as the banquet ended, Yue Chenkong excused himself on the grounds of feeling unwell and withdrew from the plum - viewing group.
He personally selected a hundred guards and secretly searched the entire Yue Mansion.
He was very sure that the maid he saw at the banquet was the princess of Gaochang Kingdom.
He would never forget that extremely beautiful face and her vengeful, blood - thirsty eyes.
The princess should have been one of his greatest spoils of war. Unfortunately, this princess wasn't a fragile vase. Watching her relatives die one by one under his sword, her will didn't break. Instead, she showed even greater fighting strength and managed to break through the siege with only five hundred guards.
Yue Chenkong had always suspected that the masked woman who had openly tried to assassinate him on the street some time ago was the princess of Gaochang Kingdom.
But she had escaped too quickly. Yue Chenkong hadn't seen her eyes clearly and couldn't be sure.
Seeing her at the banquet today, Yue Chenkong felt as if he had seen a ghost, a mix of shock and confusion overwhelming him.
He had to catch that maid and interrogate her himself!
Unexpectedly, Yaoguang was standing beside Old Lady Yue, showing no sign of panic.
When Yue Chenkong saw her, his heart almost stopped.
Her smile was incredibly beautiful, and her glittering eyes were like two clear pools of water.
But her look was clearly a warning: Your mother's life is in my hands!
The others had no idea that a blood - thirsty killer was among them and continued chatting and laughing.
Yue Chenkong trembled, his blood running cold. He tightened his grip on his sword.
His mind raced. How could he quietly catch Yaoguang without disturbing the others?
Most importantly, he couldn't alert the Crown Prince!
Yaoguang locked eyes with him from afar. When Old Lady Yue took a few steps forward, Yaoguang even gave her a hand.
A flash of bright light caught Yue Chenkong's eye. That maid was holding a dagger and gesturing it at Old Lady Yue's back!
All the hairs on Yue Chenkong's body stood on end. The only thought in his mind was that his mother was the pillar of the entire Yue family and must not be harmed!
"Catch her! Catch that maid!"
With a roar, more than a dozen guards beside him drew their swords and rushed into the crowd.
Screams, footsteps, and cries shook the entire courtyard.
Old Lady Yue was greatly shocked. Before she could even ask a question, she was pulled away by two maids.
The sound of clashing swords rang out. Those precious green plum trees were instantly reduced to broken branches.
The more than a dozen guards were no match for Yaoguang. The remaining guards were scattered around the governor's mansion and it would be difficult for them to arrive in time.
Yaoguang was unstoppable. The guards fell one by one at her feet, and her sword pointed straight at Yue Chenkong.
Yue Chenkong had been quite skilled in martial arts, but after being disabled by Liang Yuzhou, his physical strength had declined significantly. After lying in bed for two months, his limbs were no longer as flexible as before. In front of the light - footed Yaoguang, he was like a clumsy bear.
After only a dozen moves, Yue Chenkong was stabbed in the knee, and his burly body crashed to the ground.
More guards rushed forward. Yaoguang snatched their swords. Every time she grabbed one, she would stab it hard into one of Yue Chenkong's joints.
In just a moment, Yue Chenkong's wrists and ankles were pierced by swords and pinned to the ground.
He twisted and screamed in pain, scaring the guards so much that they didn't dare to come any closer.
"Bitch, I'll kill you!"
Yaoguang looked at his blood - stained eyes and showed a contemptuous smile.
"With your little skills?"
She raised two more swords and aimed them at Yue Chenkong's eyes.
"No! Spare my son! If you dare to kill him, I'll tear you to pieces!"
Amid Old Lady Yue's furious roar, the two swords stabbed into Yue Chenkong's eye sockets.
Blood spurted three feet high. Yue Chenkong was in so much pain that he couldn't even make a sound. His limbs twitched violently.
The young ladies and women in the boudoir had never seen such a bloody scene before. Their screams grew louder and louder.
The moment Yaoguang's sword stabbed down, Shi Minglang covered Chu Yueying's eyes.
"Be good. Don't look. You'll have nightmares."
"Lord Yue, how does it feel to be pierced by a sword?"
Yue Chenkong's blood splashed on Yaoguang's face. It was still warm. She gently wiped it off and squatted down to enjoy Yue Chenkong's miserable state. "Do you like the gift I gave you? The six swords represent my six relatives. Lord Yue, when you wake up in the middle of the night, have you ever thought of their dead but unclosed eyes?"
Yue Chenkong couldn't move. His eyes were now two bloody holes. He clearly felt his life slipping away. He gasped desperately, cried, and collapsed, shouting for mercy: "Princess, it wasn't me who wanted to destroy your Gaochang Kingdom. It was the Eldest Princess who ordered me. She colluded with the Hu people to seize the bleeding rose of Gaochang Kingdom. I was just following orders. The real enemy is the Eldest Princess!"
These words were heard word for word by the Crown Prince, who had rushed over after hearing the screams.