flstandardbreds Chapter 126 Purple Smoke
Chapter 126 Purple Smoke
In the Xia Dynasty, it was considered disrespectful to stare at other men's wives and concubines for an extended period of time, and it was even more outrageous to stare at the wives and concubines of the royal family for an extended period of time. Liu Shan actually wanted to examine the body of the Kang King's beloved concubine.
Are you tired of living?!
Moreover, Yin Nantian was present at the time. If he remembered correctly, to verify his identity, it would require checking not only his facial features, but also his teeth, the inside of his thighs, and a certain private area shaped like a butterfly...
Thinking of this, Yin Nantian shook his head repeatedly. He absolutely could not examine Ziyan's body, otherwise he would surely anger Prince Kang, and then... it wouldn't be so easy to die.
At this moment, Liu Shan could no longer see anyone except Zi Yan. He didn't even respond to the gaze that Princess Changning was looking at him.
He had only one thought in his mind: to find out Ziyan's identity.
However, now that Ziyan is the beloved concubine of Prince Kang, there is absolutely no chance to get close to her without a legitimate reason, let alone examine her body.
Just when Liu Shan was at his wit's end, he happened to notice the look in Princess Changning's eyes once again.
A thought struck him: it seemed he could only rely on Princess Changning.
Princess Changning met Liu Shan's gaze, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
She couldn't understand why a purple smoke would suddenly appear. It was one thing for her father to dote on her, but why would Liu Shan also pay so much attention to her?
Although Princess Changning had doubts in her heart, she did not show them; she was shrewd enough to know that much.
Moreover, if she wasn't mistaken, Liu Shan's eyes seemed to hold a hint of pleading, clearly indicating that he wanted to speak with her about something.
Princess Changning nodded slightly, indicating that Liu Shan could come to see her after the banquet.
Seeing this, Liu Shan felt somewhat relieved and silently nodded in response.
The ensuing banquet was particularly boring for Liu Shan. He absentmindedly went through the various pleasantries, his eyes occasionally drifting towards Zi Yan, while his heart was like an ant on a hot pan, anxiously waiting for the banquet to end.
Yin Nantian was equally anxious. He repeatedly reminded Liu Shan not to look at him so directly, as it would cause misunderstandings, arouse suspicion in those with ulterior motives, and displease the Prince of Kang.
However, Liu Shan could not control himself; the obsession in his heart burned like a raging fire, growing ever more intense.
He couldn't wait to rush up and expose Ziyan's true identity, even if it meant offending Prince Kang.
An hour later, the banquet finally ended, and Liu Shan couldn't wait to follow Princess Changning to the side hall.
Princess Changning dismissed her attendants and asked softly, "Liu Shan, why are you staring at Ziyan? You know she is my father's beloved concubine, yet you still overstep your bounds like this? Don't you know this will bring you death?"
Liu Shan was slightly taken aback. He knew that his behavior was presumptuous, but was it a bit of an exaggeration to say that it would lead to his death?
It's just a matter of giving a look, it can't be that mysterious, right?
He took a deep breath and explained in a deep voice, "Your Highness is too kind. I just felt that Miss Ziyan seemed familiar and wanted to confirm her identity. I had no intention of offending you. I would be extremely grateful if Your Highness could help me understand. This matter is of great importance, and I hope Your Highness will understand."
Princess Changning frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke: "Since that's the case, then I'll help you this time. First, tell me, how did you meet Ziyan? What characteristics of hers make you so suspicious? You must explain in detail."
Liu Shan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Why don't you tell me first, Princess, why Ziyan became Prince Kang's beloved concubine? If I'm not mistaken, Miss Ziyan is no longer young. Why does Prince Kang dote on her so much?"
Princess Changning's eyes narrowed, and her tone became low: "The matter of Ziyan is no small matter. She..."
Seeing that Princess Changning hesitated to speak, Liu Shan's heart tightened, and he said urgently, "Princess, please speak freely. I swear that once these words come out of your mouth and enter my ears, no third person will know them."
Princess Changning hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed softly, “Ziyan’s identity is special. Although she is just an ordinary peasant woman, her appearance is eight or nine parts similar to my deceased mother. This is why my father dotes on her so much. If you really get to know her, you’d better be kind to her and not hold a grudge, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan was shocked. He had no idea that Ziyan and Prince Kang had such a connection.
He tentatively asked, "Princess, when did your mother pass away?"
Princess Changning's eyes dimmed, and she said in a low voice, "I heard from my father that my mother died in childbirth, which was eighteen years ago. My father has always been very secretive about this matter. Perhaps Ziyan's appearance is a small comfort to him."
Liu Shan fell silent. He never imagined that Ziyan had such a deep connection with Prince Kang.
He felt conflicted, sympathizing with Prince Kang and the princess, yet also worried about his own situation.
If possible, he would definitely turn around and leave the Kang Prince's Mansion immediately, no longer wanting to get involved in this complicated emotional entanglement.
For him, a minor county magistrate... oh, now he's a junior colonel.
For a lowly captain like him, if the Prince of Kang were to notice even the slightest abnormality, he would likely be crushed to pieces, and might even implicate his family.
However, there are some things he cannot easily extricate himself from.
The twenty-five lives he carried on his shoulders made it impossible for him to remain uninvolved. The loss of each life was closely related to his initial decisions; for him, these were twenty-five heavy responsibilities, and an inescapable destiny.
Liu Shan took a deep breath and said softly, "Princess, I understand."
Princess Changning nodded. "It's best that you've figured it out. It's not too late to stop now."
However, Liu Shan shook his head and said, "Princess, what I mean is, I understand how to investigate Ziyan's identity."
Princess Changning was slightly taken aback, then a hint of admiration welled up in her heart. "Since you have made this decision, I will say no more. Tell me why you feel that Ziyan seems familiar? Who do you suspect she is? Could she be a threat to my father?"
Liu Shan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Princess, I feel that Ziyan looks remarkably like an old friend of mine—Ge Yuniang!"
Princess Changning doubted she had misheard and pressed urgently, "Who? Ge Yuniang? How could it be Ge Yuniang? Are you sure you haven't mistaken me? How could this be?!"
Princess Changning's shock was not without reason; she had naturally read the case files of the injustice that had shocked Jinhua County at the time, and naturally knew who Ge Yuniang was.
Ge Yuniang was Wang Pinlian's wife. She was not only humiliated by thieves, but also framed as a murderer by Liu Xinian and suffered several kinds of torture.
Of course, while these things were hard for Princess Changning to believe, they weren't the most shocking to her.
What shocked Princess Changning was that Ge Yuniang's identity before marrying Wang Pinlian was that of a courtesan!