The attendant's voice was tinged with panic. "Second Prince, it's the Crown Prince's sedan chair!"
Lu Siming lifted the carriage curtain and immediately spotted a golden-threaded nanmu carriage not far away.
The five-clawed dragon on the carriage curtain looked imposing, its eyes seemingly brimming with killing intent.
It didn't seem like a chance encounter; it seemed as if the Crown Prince was deliberately waiting for him here!
A sense of unease welled up in Lu Siming's heart, but there was no way to avoid it. He jumped out of the carriage and bowed.
"Greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
The night wind blew up a corner of the carriage curtain, making the five-clawed dragon look even more ferocious.
There was no sound from inside.
In the silent spring night, the oppressive feeling rolled in. The man kneeling on the ground held his breath.
Was the Crown Prince looking for trouble with him?
Although he had been secretly stirring up the situation, he also knew the Crown Prince well. Without substantial evidence, the Crown Prince wouldn't act rashly.
This virtuous and magnanimous Crown Prince cared the most about his reputation.
Just when Lu Siming was feeling puzzled, two tall and straight figures emerged from behind the Crown Prince's carriage.
In the dim night, he looked up and squinted to identify them.
The two men exuded an extremely strong sense of oppression, their jaws tightly clenched and their expressions fierce.
"Liang Yuzhou, Shi Luohan, what do you want?"
The two of them looked at him with deep hatred and seemed ready to pounce at any moment.
Lu Siming became vigilant. Without waiting for the Crown Prince to tell him to rise, he stood up and stepped back.
Suddenly, there were whistling sounds of wind passing by his ears.
He was kicked hard in the back and fell to the ground in a very embarrassing posture.
He landed flat on his face.
Before he could let out a cry of pain, he was hit by a series of punches and kicks.
The attendants were greatly shocked. They shouted to stop while trying to step forward, but they heard a cold female voice warning, "Those who don't want to die, stand aside!"
Lu Siming's body went stiff, and his face turned extremely ugly.
He had actually been beaten by a woman?
The more than a dozen attendants following him were really stunned by Yaoguang's imposing manner.
Lu Siming covered his face with his arms and roared angrily, "Are you all dead? Hurry up and stop her!"
More than a dozen people rushed forward.
They were easily taken down by Liang Yuzhou and Shi Luohan with just a few punches and kicks.
And the two of them never laid a finger on Lu Siming.
Lu Siming howled in pain as Yaoguang beat him.
After the beating, he was lying limp on the ground like a dead dog.
His former elegance and refinement were completely torn to shreds.
He had lost all his face.
And the Crown Prince never said a single word from beginning to end.
The rumbling sound of the carriage wheels gradually faded away.
The attendants scrambled to help Lu Siming up.
He grimaced in pain.
When he returned to the Chunling Courtyard, he secretly invited an imperial physician.
The imperial physician carefully examined him from head to toe.
"Second Prince, your bones and internal organs are not injured. The external injuries are not serious. Just apply some medicine and you'll be fine."
But he clearly felt like his whole body was in excruciating pain!
Damn it, that Princess Yaoguang had hit him with such precision!
After the imperial physician left, Lu Siming gradually calmed down.
The Crown Prince had clearly wanted him to suffer physical pain today!
There were too many capable people around the Crown Prince. Whether it was Liang Yuzhou or Shi Luohan, if either of them had attacked him, it would have been enough for him to handle.
But the Crown Prince had actually sent Princess Yaoguang, a woman, to do it!
The damage was not great, but the humiliation was too strong!
Lu Siming was so angry that his chest felt stuffy. A breath was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
The Crown Prince was really good at scheming. His carriage was just parked there, clearly telling him that it was the Crown Prince who wanted to teach him a lesson.
But the Crown Prince didn't show up or say a word, leaving him with no substantial evidence!
Even if he reported it to the Emperor, the Emperor wouldn't believe that the Crown Prince would attack his own younger brother.
If he reported that Princess Yaoguang had attacked him, it would make him seem like he was being petty with a woman. Even if he got justice, he would lose face.
He would become a laughingstock among the court officials in the future!
Lu Siming's body ached, and his heart ached even more. He didn't sleep well all night.
The next day, he asked for leave and didn't go to court.
But Princess Lingyang was panicked.
She calculated the time when the court would end and rushed to the Eastern Palace in a hurry.
The Crown Prince had just returned from the court. Six eunuchs followed behind him, each holding a tall stack of memorials.
Before he could even sit down and take a sip of tea, he saw Lingyang rushing in with tears streaming down her face.
"Brother Crown Prince, during the court this morning, you proposed to Father Emperor that you would marry me off to Shu. You were just joking with me, right?"
In the Shu region of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was a Prince Xiang, the only feudal lord with a different surname in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
His ancestors for three generations had guarded the Shu region for the emperor and had made great contributions.
The fourth-generation Prince Xiang didn't have a legitimate wife yet.
The princesses of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not allowed to marry the noble lords with military power in the capital, but it was very appropriate to marry this feudal lord with a different surname.
If the Prince Xiang had a marital relationship with the royal family, he would be more loyal to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The Crown Prince glanced at her. Unlike in the past, there was no trace of affection in his eyes. His gaze was cold. "You are the only princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The country and the people have supported you. It's time for you to make contributions to the country."
"I won't go!"
When Princess Lingyang saw that the Crown Prince was serious, she burst into tears.
"Brother Crown Prince, I'm your younger sister. How could you be so cruel! The Shu region is far away, and the roads there are extremely difficult. If you marry me off to Shu, won't I never have a chance to return to the capital in my whole life?"
The Crown Prince's eyes remained cold and unmoved.
Princess Lingyang cried loudly, but he didn't even spare her a single glance. His attention was all on the memorials.
"Was it Song Wanchu or Cheng Simian who instigated you? They are in cahoots with each other. They are both vixens! They should be the ones to go to Shu for the political marriage!"
Lingyang started to lose her temper and spoke without restraint.
The Crown Prince's eyes turned cold. He slammed the memorial shut. "Lingyang, do you think everyone is as easily instigated as you? If I don't send you for the political marriage, should I just let you stir up trouble in the capital, run amok, and sow discord? Or do you think that just because you've been spoiled, you can become the second Lu Ningzhen in the future?"
Princess Lingyang had always been afraid of the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was sitting upright behind the desk. His gaze was sharp, and although his tone was not loud, it exuded a compelling aura.
She shivered in fear. With tears in her eyes, she didn't dare to say another word.
The Crown Prince picked up the memorial again and began to carefully review it.
Princess Lingyang was left ignored on one side.
She understood that this time, Brother Crown Prince was really angry.
She just didn't know whether he was angrier because of Song Wanchu or because of Cheng Simian.
"Brother Crown Prince, you don't love me anymore. I'll go and tell Mother Queen. She will never let me go to Shu for the political marriage."
The Crown Prince raised his eyes and gave her a casual look. But Lingyang saw determination and cruelty in his eyes.
Her heart sank to the bottom.
"Lingyang, you are not the sky of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I doted on you before because you were young. But now you are a grown-up girl. You should have understood things long ago. If you still act like a spoiled child and make a fuss every time you think someone doesn't love you, it won't make you look pitiful. It will only make people think you are childish! No one will always dote on you unconditionally and clean up your mess!"
The perception she had had since childhood was shattered overnight.
Lingyang's face turned deathly pale. She couldn't even imagine the consequences of losing her favor.
"Brother Crown Prince, I was wrong. I was really wrong. I'll be obedient from now on. I'll never cause trouble for Song Wanchu again!"
"And?"
"I won't go and gossip about Sister-in-law Crown Princess either."
The address of "Sister-in-law Crown Princess" made the Crown Prince's eyebrows relax slightly.
"Since you know you were wrong, go and apologize to Wanchu and your sister-in-law."
"What?"