Chapter 922: Chapter 920: What Are You All Even Here For?
Hongyu was truly a beauty of such stunning and effortless allure that no ornamentation could augment. Since entering the Crown Prince’s Mansion, no one could overshadow her radiance. Precisely because of this, the recent neglect felt especially unbearable for her.
That day, when she was dressed and ready to go out, several former sisters gathered together, speaking sarcastic words in her direction. Their remarks were even more piercing than before.
She was already humiliated and furious, and upon stepping out, she was scrutinized by a guard of insignificant appearance and lowly status with brazen eyes. She, who had been favored by the Crown Prince, was looked down upon like this! If she endured this now, would others treat her even worse in the future?
This led to the current situation.
The Crown Prince favored beauties, and because there were so many in the mansion, he most dreaded anyone coveting these women. Whether favored or unseen, none could be coveted.
This was his bottom line!
The Crown Prince’s face darkened, silent, only staring at Xu Hu.
Xu Hu regretted deeply, thinking that after all, she was just a woman, beautiful, but it had nothing to do with him. What was the point of looking?
Being stared at by the Crown Prince made him feel chills, immediately kneeling: "Your Highness discern, I truly did not. It was just because the Second Gate was open, and I happened to pass by, so I looked twice more." He wanted to say that this was his duty.
The Crown Prince now looked at Hongyu again and naturally saw her beauty everywhere. Hongyu’s delicate form and face were not for these lowly men to gaze upon.
"All right, as you said, you looked twice. Are servants of the prince for you to behold? Go and receive your punishment, thirty lashes."
These thirty lashes would take half his life. Xu Hu’s face immediately turned pale.
The Crown Prince gazed at the guards standing beside Xu Hu — they were not good either. Could it be that when Xu Hu stared at his beauty, these men would look elsewhere?
"You all go and receive ten lashes as well, so you remember." The Crown Prince spoke lightly.
Tan Weixian heard the order and went over, wanting the enforcer to be lenient, but the punishment was already over.
Xu Hu was unconscious first, carried back to the guard room. The other eight guards, though not unconscious, were also carried back to lessen their pain.
Before the punishment, Eunuch Li had already arranged for the physician, who was now treating Xu Hu and others.
Tan Weixian sighed, gave the physician a silver ingot, instructed him to be diligent, then silently shook his head and left.
On this day, the Crown Prince was exceptionally happy; from his embrace of Hongyu, it seemed that this beauty was not the woman he had favored for months and then neglected but a newly acquired super beauty.
Given his current mood, he was even happier than when first gaining a beauty.
And those newly favored singing and dancing concubines, besides one with an unpleasant expression acting spoiled, pushed aside by the Crown Prince, the others still danced gracefully and served devotedly, pleasing the Crown Prince. Even Hongyu beside the Crown Prince was honored.
Hongyu smiled like a flower at everyone but felt cold inside.
See, she’s back now. This group who a few days ago surrounded the Crown Prince tightly enough that he didn’t even glance at her. But now? She leans by the Crown Prince, enjoying their singing and dancing performances.
Their melodious turns, elegant postures, the charm of their talents — all for others’ appreciation and pleasure.
This feast of beauties continued, and by evening, the Crown Prince’s Mansion still held grand banquets.
The Crown Prince gleefully gazed at the unique beauties surrounding him, serving closely, trying various ways to delight him and keep him entertained.
Life is this good; he wouldn’t swap even if an Immortal came.
That evening, the Crown Prince was drunk, even several concubines beside him were intoxicated, sleeping in a heap under the gauze in the cool hall with icy basins.
Near the Zi Hour, the Crown Prince’s Mansion gradually quieted down. The people on the fringes had already retired, and all servants of the Crown Prince, tired after tidying up, returned to their rooms to rest, quickly falling asleep.
At the end of the Chou Hour, three figures, under the cover of darkness like wisps of black mist, quickly approached the Crown Prince’s Mansion.
A person emerged from a shadow outside the mansion, joining the three.
Moments later, they separated. That person returned to the corner, while the three figures silently headed into the mansion from three different directions.
Outside the Crown Prince’s outer chamber in the inner courtyard, two pages remained on duty. Since the Crown Prince wasn’t there, they leaned on the desk, dozing off into deep sleep.
One page vaguely sensed something, groggily raised his head and saw the door silently opened, immediately sitting up straight.
Before he could utter a sound, a shadow swiftly darted in, and a sharp pain in his neck forced him into unconsciousness. The other page, without even a chance to lift his head, continued to lie motionless on the desk.
At the same time, near the outer courtyard study, someone quietly approached. A shadow leapt over the low courtyard wall, stealthily near the study door, only to hear a loud shout: "Who’s there!"
Quickly followed by four guards leaping from different directions, encircling the shadow. Seeing the unfavorable situation, the shadow darted onto the roof, swiftly heading out of the mansion.
Two guards followed onto the roof, while the other two, unable to leap up, climbed the wall, joining the rooftops chase, shouting "Capture the assassin," pursuing swiftly across the rooftops.
As disturbance arose in the study courtyard, various places and even the inner court responded, lights igniting with inquiries.
During the shadow’s escape, various guards hidden throughout the Crown Prince’s Mansion joined the chase. Others emerged from the resting quarters with weapons in hand, belting "Assassin! Arm yourselves!"
The shadow was surrounded by five or six people, forced to halt, and began to fight. In a flash, the shadow knocked down two but was heavily injured by the remaining three, clearly in disadvantage.
Another shadow emerged from the Crown Prince’s chamber, dodging the crowd to quickly reach the place where their companion was engaged with the guards.
The two were skilled fighters, and the latter was even more formidable, together breaking through a gap after a few moves. They fled, one after the other, toward the mansion walls.
Before anyone could catch up, they had already leaped over the walls, swiftly vanishing.
Tan Weixian, panting, arrived at the wall where they disappeared, confronting the returning guards, he screamed: "Where’s Xu Hu? In such a big mansion, with so many guards, you couldn’t even stop two people, letting them come and go as they like! What are you all doing!"