The Third Prince laughed. “Your Highness must have misheard. She’s only fooling around with me. We’re leaving now.”
He had always looked down on the Crown Prince and despised Wei Zhao. More than anything, he wished for the Crown Prince to be deposed and for Wei Zhao to lose everything.
Jiang Yihuan cried out again,
“Your Highness, Crown Prince! He kidnapped me! Please save me!”
This time the Crown Prince heard her clearly.
“Third Brother, she’s obviously calling for help. How dare you lie to me?”
The Third Prince’s temper flared.
“She’s the woman I’ve taken a fancy to. What are you going to do about it?”
“She belongs to Grand Tutor Wei. Aren’t you afraid of him?”
The Third Prince sneered.
“Listen to yourself. You’re timid and useless—that’s your own problem. Why should I be afraid of him?”
He signaled the coachman to move on.
Even the mild-tempered Crown Prince had reached his limit.
“Stop his carriage!”
“If you dare stop me, I’ll kill this girl first!”
The Third Prince turned to drag Jiang Yihuan out—
Only to find the carriage completely empty.
Jiang Yihuan had already jumped out through the window. Ignoring the pain from scraping her palms against the ground, she scrambled toward the Crown Prince’s carriage.
“Your Highness… please save me!”
The Crown Prince quickly caught hold of her.
“Are you all right? Where are you hurt?”
The Third Prince pulled a jade-ribbed folding fan from his sleeve and viciously swung it toward Jiang Yihuan’s head.
The Crown Prince stepped in front of her.
The blow landed squarely on his back.
The Third Prince wasn’t the least bit afraid. The Emperor favored him above all his sons. Even striking the Crown Prince wouldn’t amount to much—at worst, the censors would submit a memorial criticizing him.
Jiang Yihuan climbed into the Crown Prince’s carriage. Her fall had been hard, and the skin on her palms was scraped raw. She fought back her tears.
The Crown Prince spoke gently.
“I know who you are. Grand Tutor Wei wronged you. He never should have brought you here from the countryside. If you want to cry, then cry.”
He handed her a clean handkerchief. Perhaps because of Wei Zhao, he had an especially favorable impression of Jiang Yihuan.
She shook her head instead.
“…Wei Zhao didn’t wrong me. I suffered far more bullying back in the countryside.”
Because she was weak.
Because she had no strength to resist.
Anyone just a little stronger than her had dared to torment her, taking pleasure in abusing someone powerless.
Growing up, apart from her brother and her great-uncle’s family…
Only Wei Zhao had ever protected her.
The Crown Prince took Jiang Yihuan to the Eastern Palace offices to find Wei Zhao.
The tears she had held back all the way finally burst forth.
“…Wei Zhao!”
After explaining everything that had happened, the Crown Prince concluded,
“Grand Tutor, leave this matter to me. I’ll ask Father to punish Third Brother. He even struck me.”
Wei Zhao gently wiped Jiang Yihuan’s tears away with his sleeve.
“I understand. Your Highness, please return.”
Return?
The Crown Prince didn’t dare.
If he left now, Wei Zhao might beat the Third Prince to death.
Jiang Yihuan clung tightly to Wei Zhao.
“…Come home with me, okay? Things didn’t go well at the herbal shop either.”
Wei Zhao summoned a squad of elite guards.
“I’ll take you somewhere that’ll cheer you up.”
At that moment, Zhu Xian came hurrying into the Eastern Palace, panting.
“Master! Miss Jiang!”
Wei Zhao brought Jiang Yihuan to the place the Third Prince frequented most—
The Imperial Racecourse.
Having lost the beauty he coveted, the Third Prince was in a foul mood and vented his frustration by galloping across the grounds.
Silently, he swore to pull the Crown Prince from his position and strip Wei Zhao of his military command.
Wei Zhao handed Jiang Yihuan over to Liang Jian.
Then he slung a quiver across his back and rode forward.
“Third Prince!”
Bathed in sunlight, the general, dressed in white and carrying a bow, looked every bit the heroic warrior.
The Third Prince reined in his horse in surprise.
“General Wei? What brings you here?”
He had arrived this quickly?
Without a word, Wei Zhao calmly nocked an arrow.
The first arrow shot off the golden crown holding up the prince’s hair.
The second sliced through his belt sash.
The third pierced the toe of his boot.
His crown crashed to the ground.
His belt came undone.
Pain exploded through his toes.
His face turned deathly pale as he roared,
“Wei Zhao! How dare you! I’m the Emperor’s own son—a First-Rank Prince!”
The Crown Prince arrived just then and shouted,
“Third Brother! You abducted an innocent woman and even attacked the Eastern Palace. You are cruel, unrighteous, unfilial, and dishonorable. Grand Tutor Wei is disciplining you on my behalf.”
Wei Zhao casually flicked his bowstring.
“Your Highness, it’s not that complicated.”
“I just wanted to beat him up.”
“Why would I need an excuse?”
The Crown Prince: “…”
The Third Prince: “…”
Jiang Yihuan stared blankly.
Wei Zhao lifted her onto his horse.
“Stop crying now, all right?”
She nodded vigorously.
“Mhm! I won’t cry anymore. Let’s go home.”
Back at the Wei residence, Madam Heng had been anxiously pacing in circles.
Only after seeing them return safely did she finally relax.
Then she learned Wei Zhao had shot and wounded the Third Prince—
And nearly stopped breathing again.
Nervously, she said,
“Xiguang… Madam Wang and her daughter have come to thank Yihuan. They’re waiting in your grandmother’s courtyard.”
“Yihuan scraped her hand. She’s in no condition to receive guests.”
Madam Heng rubbed her aching forehead.
If Mother-in-law learned what had happened today…
Who knew how she’d react?
Jiang Yihuan looked up at Wei Zhao.
“Wei Zhao, I still want to see them. Miss Wang is a good person.”
“All right. I’ll go with you.”
When Madam Wang and her daughter saw Wei Zhao arrive together with Jiang Yihuan, they were both surprised.
They rarely saw Wei Zhao in person. They had only heard that he was arrogant and domineering.
Yet looking at him closely now…
His features were upright and handsome, and his face radiated integrity.
Miss Wang held Jiang Yihuan’s hand and repeatedly thanked her, praising her bravery for saving a life.
Jiang Yihuan lowered her head gloomily.
“Please don’t praise me anymore. I’m actually pretty useless. The Third Prince kidnapped me today. Wei Zhao was the one who rescued me. He even shot the Third Prince.”
The moment Old Madam Wei heard that, she slammed the table and shot to her feet.
“What?!”
Jiang Yihuan thought the old lady would faint from shock.
Instead, she merely snorted, looking perfectly calm.
“Zhao’er can handle it.”
She declared confidently.
As far as she was concerned, as long as she and her natal family were safe…
Nothing else counted as a major problem.
Seeing this, Madam Wang and her daughter hurriedly excused themselves.
Wei Zhao was still the same Wei Zhao—
No matter how righteous he looked.
Still shaken, Jiang Yihuan sat curled up on the edge of the bed with her knees hugged to her chest.
Her instincts told her…
If the Third Prince had truly succeeded in taking her away…
He would never have treated her as gently as Wei Zhao did.
Wei Zhao sat beside her.
His voice was rough with restrained emotion.
“Go to sleep. It’s over now.”
“…I can’t.”
“The Third Prince was so frightening.”
“The way he looked at me… it was like he wanted to swallow me whole.”
“He even tried to touch my face.”
Wei Zhao’s fury surged even higher.
That shameless beast!
Jiang Yihuan secretly glanced at him.
“Why is your forehead swollen? Did you hit something?”
Wei Zhao replied irritably,
“A silly goose hit me.”
Since Jiang Yihuan certainly didn’t think she was a silly goose, it never occurred to her that he meant her.
“Will you sleep with me for a little while?”
“Just a little.”
After hesitating briefly, Wei Zhao lay down beside her.
Jiang Yihuan immediately smiled.
“Did I cause you a lot of trouble?”
“No.”
“Not troublesome at all.”
The only regret was…
He hadn’t killed the Third Prince.
That scoundrel had gotten off lightly.
Wei Zhao gently rubbed the center of her forehead.
“Go to sleep.”
Instead, she climbed onto him, wrapping all four limbs around his body.
“I want to sleep on top of you.”
“…Y-you…”
“Get down.”
“I’m warning you. Don’t push your luck.”
The little girl was soft and warm.
And still so innocent that she didn’t understand what she was doing.
He didn’t dare move an inch.
“I’m not getting down.”
“Not unless you promise to buy me big pearls.”
“Pei Nianfang had pearls on her shoes. I want some too.”
Wei Zhao gave a helpless smile.
Just moments ago she’d been terrified out of her wits…
And now she’d already forgotten everything?
A warm kiss landed gently on the swollen spot on his forehead.
“Does it hurt?”
Wei Zhao: “…”
Her hand slipped inside the collar of his robe.
“Your chest isn’t hurt, is it?”
“Should I kiss it better too?”
“Y-you…”
“Don’t move…”
Wei Zhao managed through gritted teeth.
“Then what about my big pearls?”
She slid down his body a little farther while still clinging tightly to him.
Wei Zhao curled his fingers into a fist.
A sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
“…You’ll have them.”
“I’ll buy them for you.”
He would simply give her the seven prized Eastern Pearls the Crown Prince had.
Jiang Yihuan beamed with delight.
Then happily rubbed against him again.
…
Outside the room, Zhu Xian shamelessly eavesdropped by the wall.
The two had been inside for over an hour.
At first they could hear quiet conversation.
Later, everything went silent.
They had probably fallen asleep.
Resting her cheeks in her hands, Zhu Xian sighed contentedly.
“Master finally got his wish and made it onto Miss Jiang’s bed.”
Liang Jian stood silently nearby.
“Our General won’t get beaten up this time, will he?”
“Probably not. If he had, he’d have run out by now.”
She paused before asking,
“Liang Jian… Master wounded the Third Prince. Will His Majesty punish him?”
“You’ve been staying with Miss Jiang lately.”
“You probably don’t know what’s been happening in the army.”
Zhu Xian’s heart skipped a beat.
“What happened? Could it be…”
“Has His Majesty stripped Master of his military authority?”
Liang Jian shook his head.
“Quite the opposite.”
“His Majesty is the one who’s panicking.”
Such a major incident at the Imperial Racecourse couldn’t be concealed.
A messenger immediately rushed to report everything to the Emperor.
The Emperor flew into a rage and summoned the Crown Prince at once.