sjar Chapter 724 Being pushed into the spotlight, becoming a target with a legitimate reason for the othe
Chapter 724 Being pushed into the spotlight, becoming a target with a legitimate reason for the othe
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was unusually quiet.
The silence was broken by a servant's announcement.
"Miss, Young Master Qian, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Gu Qingchen paused in his actions, looked up, and exchanged a glance with Qian Zhenyun.
Why is he here?
Qian Zhenyun frowned slightly, propped himself up on his uninjured arm, and went to greet him.
Today, Zhao Chen'an wore a moon-white casual robe and had his hair tied up with a golden crown. He looked less imposing in court and more gentle and refined, like a young master from a noble family.
But that innate nobility could not be concealed.
He was followed only by a personal attendant, who carried several food boxes.
"I heard you were injured, so I came to see you." Zhao Chen'an's gaze swept over Qian Zhenyun's sling arm and then landed on Gu Qingchen, who was not far away.
His purpose for this trip is self-evident.
Qian Zhenyun stepped aside and bowed: "Your Highness is too kind. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
Zhao Chen'an nodded and walked straight towards Gu Qingchen.
"Qingchen, you look a bit thinner than I've seen you for a few days."
Gu Qingchen stood up, patted the grass clippings off her skirt, and replied casually, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It's fine."
Zhao Chen'an was already used to her aloof attitude and wasn't annoyed.
He sat down at the stone table and gestured for the eunuch to bring out the contents of the food box.
"These are some new desserts made by the Imperial Kitchen. Please try them."
Gu Qingchen didn't even glance at it.
Seeing her stubbornness, Zhao Chen'an's smile faded slightly.
"Are you still angry about Jiahe's matter?" He brought up the subject first. "I know you've been wronged."
"Feeling wronged?" Gu Qingchen smirked as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "What do I have to feel wronged about? It's Princess Jiahe who should be feeling wronged."
She looked up at Zhao Chen'an, her eyes filled with a hint of provocation.
“She’s a perfectly good princess, and you’ve seen her naked and even hugged her, yet she still doesn’t have a proper title.”
"Your Highness, if you have time to worry about me here, you should hurry up and go to the Prince of Yongding's mansion to propose marriage. At least bring her back with you, so that people won't talk behind your back."
These words were both harsh and offensive.
Qian Zhenyun stood to the side, silently lowering his eyes, but the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.
Zhao Chen'an's hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment in mid-air.
He put down his teacup, looked at Gu Qingchen, and finally lost the gentle pretense in his eyes.
"Jiahe... at most, is only a concubine."
That's perfectly reasonable.
It seemed that being granted the position of a concubine was already an immense blessing.
Gu Qingchen rolled her eyes in exasperation, then pulled out a chair and sat down to meet his gaze.
"Does Your Highness mean that there is someone else for the position of principal wife? You are truly benevolent."
"Gu Qingchen!" Zhao Chen'an's voice deepened, carrying a warning tone. "You should know that Father and Mother have always favored you to be my Crown Princess. This is not only my will, but also the will of the royal family."
He liked her unrestrained and flamboyant lifestyle.
He believed that in the entire capital, only Gu Qingchen of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was worthy of standing by his side.
Liking something doesn't mean condoning it.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was unwilling, and she herself always kept her distance.
But none of that matters.
He is the crown prince, the future monarch. There is no one in this world he cannot obtain, and no task he cannot accomplish.
"No." Gu Qingchen immediately raised his hand, making a gesture to stop him.
"Your Highness, please don't. I, Gu Qingchen, have a bad temper and a narrow mind. I am not worthy of such a great blessing. You should leave the position of principal wife to those gentle and virtuous ladies from noble families."
Seeing her avoidance as if she were a mortal enemy, Zhao Chen'an, who had been suppressing his anger for a long time, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
He took a deep breath, as if he had exhausted all his patience.
“I’m not here today to argue with you about these things.” He steered the conversation back on track. “I’m here to have you apologize to Jiahe.”
All expression vanished from Gu Qingchen's face. She slowly, very slowly, stood up, her eyes fixed intently on Zhao Chen'an.
"What did you say?" Her voice was soft, but as cold as ice.
“I said, I want you to go apologize to Jiahe,” Zhao Chen’an repeated, his tone firm.
"This matter has caused quite a stir in the city, and someone has to back down. You are the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the future Crown Princess, so you should have the magnanimity to tolerate others."
"Screw your magnanimity!" Gu Qingchen finally snapped.
She kicked over the stool next to her, which scraped across the floor with a screeching sound.
"Zhao Chen'an, have you got your brain caught in a door?! She provoked me first, she fell into the water herself, and you want me to apologize to her? What gives you the right?!"
She'd seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless!
"Just because I am the Crown Prince!" Zhao Chen'an also stood up.
The atmosphere between the two was tense and ready to explode.
Qian Zhenyun, who had been silent all along, made a move.
He walked to Gu Qingchen's side, shielding her behind him, and looked up directly at Zhao Chen'an. His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear.
“Your Highness, it was Princess Jiahe who provoked us first.”
He didn't say anything superfluous; he simply stated the most basic fact.
But his very act of standing next to Gu Qingchen was a resolute stance.
Zhao Chen'an's gaze shot towards Qian Zhenyun like a knife.
"Gungung, are you going to defy me for her sake too?"
Qian Zhenyun did not back down, but calmly looked back at him.
Zhao Chen'an looked at the two people facing off in front of him and suddenly laughed, a laugh full of cold mockery.
“Good, very good.” He nodded. “Do you think this is just a petty squabble between children?”
He suppressed his anger, sat down again, picked up the cup of tea that had gone cold, and slowly blew on it.
“The memorial from the Prince of Yongding was delivered to the Emperor’s desk early yesterday morning.”
Gu Qingchen's heart sank suddenly.
"The memorial says that his daughter was humiliated and nearly lost her life after falling into the water at a palace banquet. He requests that His Majesty severely punish the murderer and give his daughter justice." Zhao Chen'an put down his teacup and looked up at her.
"In the court, officials from the Yongding Prince's faction all seconded the motion. Now, in the mouths of all the civil and military officials, you, Gu Qingchen, have become a spoiled, arrogant, and disrespectful shrew who has no regard for the emperor."
"You've dragged the entire Duke Zhenguo's mansion down with you."
Every word he said was like a boulder crashing down on Gu Qingchen's heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"Now, do you still feel that it's unfair for me to ask you to apologize?"
It turns out that this was no longer just a personal feud between her and Princess Jiahe.
This is a calculated move by the Prince of Yongding's Mansion against the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
And she was the one pushed into the limelight, giving the other side a legitimate reason to attack.