The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 897 - 897 414 Confession (two updates)_2

Chapter 897: 414 Confession (two updates)_2 Chapter 897: 414 Confession (two updates)_2 “Then, I apologize,” Yuan Tang said, bowing with a hand folded in front of him, and then curtsied again.

After Yuan Tang left, Prince Ning looked towards the couple of Prince Rui with concern, “What just happened?”

The handkerchief on the ground had already been picked up and put away by the servants.

Prince Rui patted the Princess Rui’s shoulder reassuringly, “Right, did that guy just try to scare you on purpose?”

Princess Rui shook her head, “No, I was just… too surprised.”

Prince Rui, puzzled, said, “Surprised about what? It’s not like you’ve never seen him before.”

Yuan Tang was a hostage from Chen Country and usually did not attend gatherings of the Zhan Country royal family. However, when he first arrived in Zhan Country, to showcase the magnanimity of the royal clan, the Emperor did host a welcoming banquet for him and the emissary from Chen Country.

After some thought, Princess Rui decided to tell them about witnessing the Crown Princess meeting someone privately.

“You, you, you…” Prince Rui stammered in shock, “You didn’t hear wrong? It was really the Crown Princess and Yuan Tang?”

Princess Rui recalled, “They were deliberately speaking in low voices; I couldn’t make out whose voices they were. But, I heard the Crown Princess say ‘What have you done to Chun Yin?’ Chun Yin is a personal maid to the Crown Princess. Afterwards, I saw the Crown Princess walk out from behind the rockery, so I am sure that woman was the Crown Princess.”

“How did you confirm that the man was Yuan Tang?”

It was Prince Ning who spoke.

Princess Rui frowned and said, “I heard the Crown Princess slap him behind the rockery. Just now, I saw Yuan Tang’s face was red and swollen, with distinct marks, like the remnants of fingerprints. It immediately reminded me of that man…”

This kind of matter sounded like nothing noble; the Crown Princess fraternizing with a hostage from Chen Country, if the news got out, it would be a capital offense.

Prince Rui said in disbelief, “This Yuan Tang… he’s too daring… And the Crown Princess, why would she collude with a hostage from Chen Country? She doesn’t seem like that kind of person…”

Princess Rui huffed, “What do you mean she doesn’t seem like that kind of person? All you men are blind! I’ve told you before that she’s not a decent woman; when she was engaged to Xiao Hen, she dared to consort with the Crown Prince. Who can say now that she has the Crown Prince, she wouldn’t consort with other men?”

Prince Rui retorted, “How can you speak like that? Who is blind?”

“You!” Princess Rui snapped, and on realizing Prince Ning was also present, she forced a sheepish smile, “Not big brother! Big brother is the most perceptive person in the entire Imperial Palace! Don’t think I don’t know that you also secretly liked Wo Linlang! So did the fourth brother! Only big brother didn’t like her!”

Prince Rui choked, “That was so many years ago…”

He was just young and foolish, momentarily dazzled by Wo Linlang’s beauty. But hadn’t he stopped looking at Wo Linlang altogether since then?

Now his heart and eyes were filled with only Du Qianqian!

Prince Rui said, “Anyways, getting back to the subject, if she really… I mean if… she actually did this, can she still be worthy of the Crown Prince? Can she be worthy of our father the Emperor and the people of Zhan Country? Big brother, should we report this to the Emperor immediately?”

If it was an affair with another man, they might as well turn the Crown Prince’s head into a grassland. But it was with a hostage from Chen Country; the implications were severe.

Prince Ning paused before saying, “Don’t rush, we can’t just rely on conjecture. We need to find evidence first.” He then looked sternly at Princess Rui, “Little sister-in-law, can you stand by what you said? Are you sure you didn’t hear wrong?”

Princess Rui thought hard again and nodded with great certainty, “I am sure!”

Prince Ning continued, “Then, you didn’t alert them, did you? What I mean is, you didn’t go and confirm with the Crown Princess, right?”

Princess Rui shook her head, “Of course not! However, she did see me as she came out from behind the rockery. I said I had just arrived there; I don’t know if she believed it.”

Prince Ning nodded, “Then, was there anyone else present besides you who heard the noise from behind the rockery?”

Princess Rui was about to blurt out Gu Jiao’s name but stopped at the tip of her tongue and shook her head, “No, I wouldn’t have been discovered at all, but my personal maid and Miss Gu came looking for me. The Crown Princess saw them too.”

Prince Ning gazed at her intently, “Are you sure they didn’t hear anything?”

Princess Rui replied, “It was their arrival and calling out to me that startled the Crown Princess.”

Her words effectively ensured that Gu Jiao and her little maid were cleared of any suspicion. Actually, big brother could be trusted, but she didn’t want to involve Gu Jiao in this.