Chapter 217: Chapter 217

217 No prince is allowed to go out!

“Your Majesty, I have treated the wound on the Crown Prince’s hand,” Physician Peng informed Qiu Zedong. Xiaoming looked at his hand and then stood up when Zhu Liling embraced him tightly.

She pulled away and cupped Xiaoming’s face to make sure that he wasn’t injured anywhere else.

“Is the Crown Prince sure that he did not get wounded anywhere else?” Zhu Liling worriedly examined his arms too.

“Mother, I am alright,” Xiaoming answered. “The wound wasn’t deep.” He asked her not to stress over that small wound.

“Why did the Crown Prince go out without any security?” Qiu Mu knitted his brows in bewilderment.

“The question is why was that servant around the Crown Prince? Does she know the assassin?” Zhang Xi made a deduction that Xiaoming refuted completely.

“Liu Jin Yu saved my life and I got injured instead of him. Thanks to her, I didn’t get harmed,” Xiaoming defended Liu Jin Yu.

“Why did Jin Yu follow the Crown Prince on the route which was supposed to be used by royals only?” Qiu Zedong sceptically glanced at Xiaoming.

He then shifted his gaze to Qiu Mu and General Hei.

.....

“Why was the security so loose in that part? It is close to the palace, yet there were no soldiers deployed,” Qiu Zedong reprimanded them.

“Forgive us, Your Majesty. We removed the soldiers today only. They had a military drill, and we didn’t know that the Crown Prince was going to use that route,” General Hei apologised and lowered his head. Qiu Mu also looked down and apologized to his father.

Lóng Wei and Mingquan entered the room. They both bowed to see their father and looked at Xiaoming.

“Don’t withdraw the soldiers during military drills and interrogate the assassin. Who tried to attack the Crown Prince without fearing that he might get caught,” Qiu Zedong instructed both of them.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Both of them left the chamber. Lóng Wei chuckled at seeing Qiu Mu and wondered if he would be able to interrogate him well.

“The Crown Prince didn’t tell me why he left the palace without any security. From the Queen, I found out that the Crown Prince asked Eunuch Lishi not to work for him anymore. May I know the reason?” Qiu Zedong asked.

“I went out secretly to check around the town. As the Crown Prince, I must know what people are like around me. What are their needs and what do they desire for a good life,” Xiaoming lied to his father.

“Why does the Crown Prince need to look into that? There are so many ministers for that work, who report directly to the King. The Crown Prince could have asked them,” Zhu Liling opined.

“Because as the Crown Prince, it is my duty to find out what my people are like. The ministers mostly hide the facts from the royalty” Xiaoming said.

“May I know why the Royal Father called us here? I thought the Crown Prince was gravely wounded,” Lóng Wei interrupted in their conversation.

“Does the Sixth Prince have no conscience left?” Zhu Liling turned angry.

“My wife is unconscious. I need to be with her. If there’s nothing important, then I will take my leave,” Lóng Wei stated.

“No prince is allowed to go out until this matter gets solved. Also, if anyone tries to defy it, then he will be punished severely,” Qiu Zedong pronounced, looking at Lóng Wei.

“What happened to Li Hua?” He asked.

“She is stressed and because of anxiety, she fainted,” Lóng Wei answered. “The Royal Father must punish the Shui family as soon as possible. Because of them, my wife suffered so much,” Lóng Wei requested Qiu Zedong.

“We will discuss it later. Let Shui Xiaoqing arrive at Qinping,” Qiu Zedong stated. “Right now, there is concern about the Crown Prince’s safety. Someone tried to harm the Crown Prince,” he said with an anxious look.

“I heard the Crown Prince rejected the marriage proposal with the Kang family. Who knows that it was done by the great prime minister? I even heard that the Crown Prince made his daughter cry,” Lóng Wei stated and gazed at Xiaoming.

“Shut your mouth, Prince Lóng Wei. Accusing the Kang family without any evidence. Also, he is the one who supports not only His Majesty but my son too,” Zhu Liling took a stand for Kang Xi.

“It’s proven in history that the person close to you attacks you first,” Lóng Wei proclaimed.

“That doesn’t mean that Prince Lóng Wei can accuse the prime minister,” Qiu Zedong stated.

“Forgive me, Royal Father. I will prove to you that your dear friend is the most dangerous man in the Kingdom,” Lóng Wei stated and smiled. “Please allow me to leave as my wife needs me,” he again requested.

“Princess Ai Fen, go to the Sixth Prince’s manor and stay with Li Hua until he returns,” Qiu Zedong told the Second Princess. She bowed and left to see Li Hua.

“Prince Lóng Wei must not say anything against the prime minister. He is senior to him not only in age but in rank too. The interrogation has started, so we will soon find the culprit. Until then, no prince will step out of the palace,” Qiu Zedong again repeated his statement.

“Yes, Royal Father.” All the princes said it in unison.

“Eunuch Lishi, stay with the Crown Prince all the time,” Qiu Zedong said.

“Royal Father, I do not want Eunuch Lishi to serve me anymore,” Xiaoming requested when the King asked the reason behind it. Eunuch Lishi looked at Xiaoming, wondering if he would tell the King.

“Because he needs rest now. He has been serving for more than eighteen years. His health is poor and I decided to free him from my service,” Xiaoming stated. He didn’t tell the truth about what his mother did along with Eunuch Lishi.

“Royal Father, Royal Mother, please return to your respective chambers. I am well. Thank you, my dear brothers and sisters, for coming here to show their deep concern for me. I did not want to trouble anyone, so forgive me for that.” Xiaoming asked them not to worry about him anymore.