Secretly winning over the Idle Prince, who held military power, and now wanting to form a marriage alliance with the Dong family – was Prince Liang’s ambition truly this great?
The Crown Prince clenched his fists. If Prince Liang had already won over the Idle Prince and gained the Dong family’s assistance, holding military power in his hands, he would surely become a major threat that must be guarded against!
“Your Highness, you should immediately enter the palace…” Old Fang said solemnly, “If Prince Liang truly requests to marry a Dong family woman, Your Highness absolutely cannot allow it. You must persuade His Majesty to stop this!”
Bai Jinzhi had originally wanted to add a few more words, but remembering her elder sister’s instructions, she stood to the side without speaking.
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, nodded, and ordered someone to prepare a carriage to enter the palace.
·
Bai Qingyan accompanied Dong Tingzhen to see Dong Qingping and Aunt Song Shi, but before they could finish speaking, someone from the palace came to summon Dong Qingping into the palace.
Taking advantage of Dong Qingping’s excuse to change clothes, Dong Tingzhen had to speak briefly. But as soon as Dong Tingzhen mentioned giving her personal safety lock to Prince Liang, Song Shi became so angry she ordered Dong Tingzhen’s personal maid Haitang to be beaten to death with clubs.
Song Shi’s chest heaved violently, but her mind was exceptionally clear. She said calmly, “That lowly servant Haitang stole the young miss’s personal belongings while she was bathing. Beat her to death with clubs, and notify her parents to collect the corpse!”
Hearing this, Haitang, who was kneeling in the courtyard, turned deathly pale and trembled all over. She tried to crawl forward on her knees but was held down by Song Shi’s most capable nanny, who stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth.
“Mother! Mother, please spare Haitang! You can’t do this… I gave the item to Prince Liang myself! Your daughter truly wants to marry Prince Liang!”
Hearing these words, Song Shi’s chest heaved even more violently. She raised her hand and slapped Dong Tingzhen. Dong Tingzhen covered her face and screamed, trembling as she knelt on the ground.
If Bai Qingyan hadn’t stopped her, Song Shi would have hit her again.
“Giving personal belongings to a man! Have you lost your mind?! If others knew about this… how would they view the Dong family’s upbringing?! You’re determined to marry Prince Liang, using such shameless methods! Do you know you still have a sister? Tinglan is only six years old… if others knew she had such a shameless sister like you, how could she discuss marriage in the future?! Have you fed all your propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame to the dogs?!” Song Shi was so angry that tears streamed down her face as she glared at Dong Tingzhen, who knelt, declaring she would marry none but Prince Liang. “I might as well strangle you to death and pretend I never gave birth to such a daughter!”
Dong Tinglan was Song Shi’s youngest daughter and Dong Tingzhen’s younger sister.
Bai Qingyan supported Song Shi and spoke: “Now that Tingzhen will marry none but Prince Liang, if this reaches the Emperor, Prince Liang might put on a pitiful act, and the Emperor might directly grant the marriage! After all, Prince Liang has already reached his coming of age this year! Uncle might as well find an excuse to arrange an engagement first. As long as it’s not an imperial marriage edict, there’s still room for maneuvering. Delay for a year or two! During this time, let Tingzhen think it through properly!”
Dong Qingping’s face turned iron-blue with anger, but he calmed down instead. Looking at his daughter crying on the ground, he said: “Tingzhen, you’ve always been the child who gave your father the least worry. Prince Liang is not as simple and harmless as he appears on the surface. If you marry Prince Liang… you’ll be dragging our Dong family into the succession struggle! Your father and your second uncle will both be viewed as Prince Liang’s faction! Unless your father severs the father-daughter relationship with you and makes this matter public! In that case… your father will surely displease the Emperor, and your sisters’ future marriage prospects will be questioned regarding their character! Your father believed that my daughter, Dong Tingzhen, was not someone who would put the entire family at the eye of the storm for personal desires! If you dare say… that for Prince Liang’s sake, you’re willing to let the entire Dong family go through hell, then when your father enters the palace today, he’ll agree to Prince Liang’s request!”
After speaking, Dong Qingping went to change clothes.
Standing in the study, Dong Tingzhen’s face instantly lost all color. Dong Qingping was usually gentle and amiable, but his words were sharp and direct, stabbing straight into Dong Tingzhen’s heart, no different from psychological torture.
Dong Qingping had even blocked off what Dong Tingzhen wanted to say about never implicating the Dong family and severing ties with them!
How could she dare say she was willing to let the entire Dong family go through hell for Prince Liang’s sake?! If she dared say such a thing… where would that leave her parents and siblings?
Bai Qingyan had said similar words to Dong Tingzhen earlier, but Dong Tingzhen felt that since Bai Qingyan was the Crown Prince’s person, she naturally had to consider the Crown Prince’s interests and fear that Prince Liang harbored succession ambitions, worrying that the Dong family would support Prince Liang. So Dong Tingzhen couldn’t listen.
Dong Tingzhen felt heartbroken and couldn’t help but cover her face and cry bitterly.
Dong Qingping changed clothes in the side room, walked to the study door, but didn’t enter, asking: “Tingzhen… have you decided? Your father is about to enter the palace…”
Hearing this, Dong Tingzhen cried even more sadly but didn’t answer.
“Good, your father will enter the palace now and agree to this marriage with Prince Liang for you! The whole family is going through hell… to fulfill your wish. I hope your conscience can live with this for the rest of your life!”
After Dong Qingping finished speaking, he lifted his foot and walked toward the courtyard.
“Good! Good! Truly a fine daughter I’ve raised! You alone commit sins, and the whole family must accompany you!” Song Shi was so angry her heart burned, and she immediately broke into tears. “What sin did I commit to give birth to such a thing like you?”
Dong Qingping came out of the inner courtyard. Not seeing Dong Tingzhen chase after him, he felt utterly disappointed.
Dong Tingzhen had given her personal belongings to Prince Liang – this was already impossible to explain clearly. The matter had reached the Emperor, and she was determined to marry Prince Liang. What could Dong Qingping’s opposition accomplish?
Fortunately, his niece Bai Qingyan had detected this matter early and informed the Dong family, so he wouldn’t be completely caught off guard.
Bai Qingyan wasn’t as pessimistic as Dong Qingping. Not to mention that the Crown Prince should have already entered the palace by now and wouldn’t sit idly by while Prince Liang married a Dong family woman.
From what Uncle had just said to Dong Tingzhen, she could also hear that Uncle’s mind was clear, and he knew the Dong family couldn’t get involved in the succession struggle.
The worst outcome would just be an engagement. As long as they weren’t married, there was still room for reversal.
Song Shi had already cried several times over Dong Tingzhen giving her personal belongings to Prince Liang, and was finally calmed down by Bai Qingyan’s persuasion.
When Dong Tingzhen appealed to Dong Qingping and Song Shi, she concealed everything perfectly. Now, the other children in the Dong residence didn’t know what had happened in the family, but they could sense something was wrong with the atmosphere.
·
After Dong Qingping entered the palace, he was surprised to find the Crown Prince was also there.
The Emperor spoke to Dong Qingping about Prince Liang and Dong Tingzhen’s matter. Dong Qingping pretended not to know and kowtowed to the Emperor in great shock, claiming his daughter couldn’t possibly have romantic feelings for Prince Liang. His daughter was like a real sister to her cousin Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan, naturally sharing the same sentiments… to put it bluntly, Prince Liang had caused such a great disturbance and nearly harmed the entire Bai family. How could his daughter possibly develop feelings for Prince Liang?
The Crown Prince also chimed in from the side, asking the Emperor if there might be some misunderstanding.
Only then did the Emperor mention that Dong Tingzhen had given her safety lock to Prince Liang as proof of their mutual affection.
Dong Qingping was even more shocked and kowtowed: “This humble minister’s young daughter’s safety lock has been missing for several days. Today, my wife discovered it was stolen by my daughter’s maid, and has already beaten that maid to death!”