Chapter 619: The Last Straw
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Shangguan Lingxiu, who was standing right behind Yun Yang, could not help the indescribable expression that surfaced on her face.
As a prince, he had behaved in a terribly pathetic manner. Not only did he fail to step forth when he was faced with danger, he had wet his pants from fright. The lack of courage did not befit his identity, especially when he had wet his pants. He knew very clearly that Yun Yang would never kill him!
Such behavior could no longer be suitably described by the word pathetic. He was simply a gutless coward!
It was hard to envision such a person coveting the title of crown prince and desiring to ascend the throne! If such a person were to become the emperor, it would be to the utter grief of Yutang's people!
Not only was Shangguan Lingxiu reluctant to witness this outcome, she was determined to stop it from being realized. She would never allow the fruit for which the generations of her family had toiled in blood in the battlefield to be wasted to dross! Shangguan Lingxiu made up her mind at that very moment; she tightened her resolve and secured her stance.
The other men belonging to the third prince had scurried up in a continuous line, obviously anxious upon hearing the ruckus. Once they saw the two dead bodies on the floor and the third prince's aghast face, they were stunned. No one had expected Yun Yang to be so bold as to have killed both the third prince's aides in broad daylight! This was no different from being blasphemous.
Yun Yang could not help frowning when he watched the men pour in. He had felt a vague sense of danger earlier, but it did not originate from the third prince's men. What was going on?
As the group bolted upstairs, they placed themselves in front of the third prince. The one who had been chased out by Yun Yang earlier sneered, "Yun Yang! You must know that there's a limit to everything you do! You have gone overboard today; in future, someone is bound to settle the score with you!"
The third prince finally recovered some color in his face upon realizing the security and safety he was in, after being surrounded by his group of men. Nonetheless, there was still fear in his eyes as he gazed upon Yun Yang once again. However, he could not afford to show his weakness any further and he forced the words out, "Yun Yang! Just you wait!"
Before the third prince's words echoed in the air, Shangguan Lingxiu's voice that was laced with a soft sigh drifted from Yun Yang's back. "Your Highness, it would be best if you were to return quickly. Prolonging this argument will only expose your bane. Is there really anything to be gained by that?"
The third prince's gaze brushed across Yun Yang to focus on Shangguan Lingxiu's delicate face. There was a deeper sense of resentment in his eyes.
To him, or perhaps to his knowledge and awareness, even if the matter today was lodged to his father, nothing much could be done to Yun Yang. Moreover, his father might have already known what he had done and was waiting for him to admit it. If so, the best outcome would be him going over to be reprimanded.
The third prince was, in truth, rather quick-witted. He had forced himself to argue in hopes that Yun Yang would do more than chastise him; it would be best if he were to sustain some minor injuries. The latter could not possibly kill him or harm him fatally anyway.
With minor injuries, he would become the victim and the situation could be turned around. With that in place, he would have an argument when he went to the Emperor of Yutang. At the very least, his father would not inflict further punishments upon seeing his injuries.
However, Shangguan Lingxiu's words took the stairway to his solution away from him. His quick wit was of no use in this situation.
The third prince knew that he could not afford to provoke Yun Yang. Shangguan Lingxiu, however, did not have the qualities for him to be fearful of. Naturally, he vented all his frustration on the lady who had been watching by the sidelines.
'I can't provoke Yun Yang, but you, Shangguan Lingxiu, have been watching me embarrass myself since the very beginning. I dare not attack Yun Yang; am I such a coward that I am unwilling to exact my revenge upon you?'
"Shangguan Lingxiu!" The third prince emphasized his words. "It's you!"
The third prince was fuming when he said this, to the puzzlement of both Yun Yang and Shangguan Lingxiu. The entire incident had only involved Yun Yang, the third prince, and his entourage; what did it have to do with Shangguan Lingxiu?
Why had he suddenly dragged her into the picture? Was it a divine plot twist?
"Say… I have never had a grudge or misunderstanding with King Yun's heir all this while. Why is he suddenly aiming at me?"
The third prince smiled menacingly with resentment clearly painted on his face. "Shangguan Lingxiu, you have obviously gone over to the Residence of Crown Prince to wait for Yun Yang before coming here. Your ultimate goal must be for Yun Yang to attack me! Do you dare to deny this?"
"It was you who came in the way!"
The third prince finally figured it out.
Shangguan Lingxiu looked at the prince in disbelief – 'Can this sort of reasoning possibly work? What kind of inference is this? Going along with whatever you can think of? How does this fool's brain work?'
The third prince called out furiously, "Yes, I have sent people to the Shangguan Family of Generals to ask for your hand in marriage. Is my status as a prince still unable to match your own? What do you mean by doing what you are doing now?"
Ask for her hand in marriage?
Shangguan Lingxiu's gaze shifted from puzzlement to confusion. She had never heard of any marriage proposals… Yun Yang's eyes squinted then, his initial anger deepening even further.
Marriage?
Was there ever a possibility of such an occurrence? What a wild wish; it was akin to aiming at the moon… He should be damned for making such a suggestion!
The third prince's emotions seemed to have been set ablaze by his own words as he spat angrily in a flustered manner, "You rejected me. Why are you still humiliating me like this?"
"What is your intention for asking Yun Yang to specifically attack me? What is your purpose?"
He growled and vented his rage in an almost incoherent tone.
"You have killed my subordinates, weakened my forces and humiliated me to this extent. You do not want me to flip my case around forever, is that it?"
He roared menacingly. He no longer knew what he was saying nor was he aware of what he wanted to achieve by saying what he did. It was an extreme fury that came from incredible humiliation after realizing his utter embarrassment that stemmed from his deepest fear.
He has completely lost his rationality after hearing Shangguan Lingxiu's words. The string that held his mind together had been completely snapped after the rollercoaster ride today.
Shangguan Lingxiu frowned and said with a slight hint of disgust, "Your Highness, I think you must have misunderstood me. What I said earlier I said with kind intentions. I don't want the argument from both sides to escalate. I don't mean anything else."
"I've misunderstood? Kind intentions?"
The third prince chuckled. His gaze towards Shangguan Lingxiu was flippant as he spoke coldly, "Shangguan Lingxiu, don't you dare think that you a noble and elegant, or how unattainable you are. You can reject me, you can reject any man… However..."
His tone was harsh as he spat vilely, "One day – one day, you'll lie beneath a man and be his toy. This is the destiny of you as a woman. No matter how noble you are, you can't escape from being f*cked…"
"Bastard!"
"Pang!"
That was the last straw for Yun Yang. He stomped upon the third prince's lower abdomen forcefully. The prince who was letting loose a string of vile words rolled away like a ball.