Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“Lóng Wei refused to hear Kang Xi?” Qiu Zedong asked the spy.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Despite the truth Kang Xi was going to tell Prince Lóng Wei, he refused to listen to it,” the spy explained to the King.

“Lóng Wei isn’t betraying me but my own ministers are. Kang Xi, I can’t believe you. For keeping your position, you were going to tell the past events to Lóng Wei,” Qiu Zedong murmured and looked at the spy.

“Kill Kang Xi and do it in a way that seems to be some bandits’ work,” Qiu Zedong commanded the spy. He bowed and left to comply with the King’s order.

Now, only Qiu Zedong had left in the chamber.

“I should go with Lóng Wei’s suggestion and change the court ministers for a better future. Also, I think Kang Cha Ying should not marry Qiu Mu. His father is a traitor in my eyes and I don’t need such a woman as a wife of my son,” He took the decision. He picked up the teacup and sipped it.

“I have only my sons to lean on. Lóng Wei is completely devoted to me. Even if Qizhen exists, his own son will fight against him,” Qiu Zedong said with a smirk and continued to drink the tea.

He called in a maidservant after a while and asked her to clean the table. After she left doing her work, another maidservant walked in and informed the King about the news that had come from the Queen’s manor.

.....

“Your Majesty, the Queen has fallen sick.”

Qiu Zedong got worried to hear about it and asked her what happened to the Queen. When he found out that she didn’t have the information on this, he left to see the Queen.

Seeing the King, the servants in the manor lined up, and Physician Peng Yuxian stood from his seat to bow to the king. Zhu Liling tried to get up when Qiu Zedong asked her to keep lying down.

“What happened to my Queen?” Qiu Zedong asked.

“Your Majesty, Her Majesty got a high fever because of which her body is weakened,” Peng Yuxian stated.

Xiaoming also reached the manor with Jin Yu upon hearing the news of his mother’s illness.

“When will the Queen be well?” Qiu Zedong asked.

“Probably in two to three days, Your Majesty,” Peng Yuxian replied while keeping his gaze low.

Qiu Zedong sat on the chair next to the bed and placed his hand on Zhu Liling’s forehead. “Hmm. The fever is high,” Qiu Zedong said and asked the Queen not to worry as she would be fine soon. He asked the lady-in-waiting to take good care of the Queen. “Keep giving me the information on the Queen’s health,” he proclaimed.

He stood to leave when he saw the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. They both greeted him.

“Crown Prince, come to my manor later. I have an important matter to discuss with the Crown Prince,” Qiu Zedong said and left the chamber.

Zhu Liling had her eyes closed when she heard Xiaoming’s voice. She opened her eyes gradually and tilted her head.

“Mother,” Xiaoming said and he held her hand before taking the seat. He caressed her head and asked Peng Yuxian to give an effective medicine to his mother. He saw the paleness on his mother’s face which he never had seen. The lips had dried and her hands felt colder even though her forehead was burning like fire.

“Please do not worry, Your Royal Highness. Her Majesty will be fine soon,” Peng Yuxian assured Xiaoming. He slowly placed her mother’s hand down and told her that he would come later to see her.

Zhu Liling hummed and told Xiaoming not to worry about her. He smiled at her and left with Jin Yu.

“I am going to see Li Hua. I will see you later,” Jin Yu said and left from his sight.

Xiaoming went to see his father, who was waiting for him in his private chamber. The maidservant let him and closed the doors behind him.

Xiaoming bowed again to his father before taking a seat on a broad chair.

“Prince Tianjie has become adamant to marry a dancer named Song Jia. Why did the Crown Prince not inform me about it? Why did the Crown Prince let Prince Tianjie meet Song Jia when he was in Qijiang province?” Qiu Zedong directly came to the matter.

“Father, how am I supposed to stop Brother Tianjie when he already has given the heart to Lady Song Jia?” Xiaoming asked and told him that he did not find anything wrong with it.

“However, it had brought doom on the Crown Prince itself. He married Liu Jin Yu, whose family background is unknown. I accepted her as the Crown Princess, but now the other prince wants me to let her marry a woman, who danced before the men. Did the princes grow up to make me see this day?” Qiu Zedong’s worries were visible on his face and the deep frown on his forehead was enough to tell anyone how disturbed he was!

“Father, many ministers, and officials support me,” Xiaoming said.

“Does the Crown Prince really think it is happening? The ministry will change soon,” Qiu Zedong stated. “Also, it is no longer about the support. We do political marriages with aristocratic families for a reason. I want the Crown Prince to take an official wife from a higher class family who will be announced as the Crown Princess,” Qiu Zedong stated.

“Father, I cannot do that. I do not want to marry multiple women. I am happy with Jin Yu,” Xiaoming asserted.

“It is not a request, but an order. Since you are the Crown Prince, you need to set an example of ideal governance. If not, then you need to convince Prince Tianjie not to marry Song Jia. The Crown Prince has two days to tell me his response,” Qiu Zedong asserted.

“But Father that is almost impossible for me,” Xiaoming said with a worried look.

“You are the Crown Prince. Nothing is impossible for you. I do not want to listen to anything on this. Either you will marry a high-class woman or you will convince Prince Tianjie to do so,” Qiu Zedong pronounced.