HLnovel Chapter 73 The Green Grass on the Third Prince's Head
Chapter 73 The Green Grass on the Third Prince's Head
Such a fawning voice suddenly rang out, which was quite surprising. Everyone looked in the direction from which the voice came and saw a poorly dressed scholar emerge from the crowd.
The man's clothes were soaked.
"Who do you think you are! What responsibility do you have to take!" Wang Ruyan was shocked to see such a poor and despicable person who actually wanted to take responsibility for her beloved child.
At this moment, someone in the crowd recognized him: "Hey, isn't this the young master who just saved Miss Gu from vomiting up dirty water on the shore?"
"You know what, it's true."
The crowd chimed in with their opinions, and the poor young master was quite pleased with himself. Such stories of heroes rescuing beauties were usually just tales from storybooks, but now it had actually happened to him. Shouldn't the beauty then repay him with her body?
"Madam, please calm down." The Prime Minister reassured his wife. He was a man who had risen from a poor family to a high-ranking official, and he knew better than anyone what this scholar wanted to do.
Gu Qingwan was kicked out of the room by Gu Hanjiao. Standing outside, she couldn't help but sneer at her father's calm and collected demeanor.
The path this scholar is trying to take is exactly the same path that the Prime Minister himself successfully followed back then. How could the Prime Minister not see through such a familiar tactic? But why would he be so kind as to let someone step on his daughter and him to rise to power?
Sure enough, Prime Minister Gu spoke.
"Young master, I am deeply grateful and need no thanks. What brings you here? I will send someone to deliver some gifts of thanks later."
Prime Minister Gu wanted to feign retreat and gloss over the matter, but the scholar was preoccupied with the conversation between the two maids on the other side of the wall. Success or failure depended on today.
"I am grateful for your kindness, but I dare not say thank you. I saved you out of a desire to help you, and I did not expect anyone to thank me."
"Young master is very righteous." Prime Minister Gu stroked his beard and praised, "Guards, quickly invite this young master away and treat him well. We will need to have a good talk with him about academic matters in the future."
The scholar, seeing the Prime Minister praising him in front of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, became quite arrogant and lost his composure. He didn't even notice the servant who came to invite him to leave, and actually tried to follow him.
At this moment, Gu Qingwan stepped forward and said, "Father, I greet the Crown Prince and the Prince and Princess of the Northern Rong."
"Rise," said the crown prince.
When the Northern Rong prince saw Gu Qingwan, his eyes lit up. This noble lady was different from the delicate and frail women he usually saw in the capital. She had the unconventional style of a Northern Rong woman.
"Who is this?"
"This is my eldest daughter," Gu Ziming said. "What are you doing here?"
"Father, my sister seems a little emotionally unstable and doesn't really want to see me." Gu Qingwan lowered her head sadly as she said this: "Let's have the imperial physician take another look."
Everyone felt that the young lady, having been away from home for many years, longed for sisterly affection, but it seemed that her older sister did not welcome her.
Upon hearing that Gu Hanjiao was emotionally unstable, the scholar assumed she was upset about her reputation and was about to die. Realizing this was a pity, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Sir, I am a man of my word. Now that I have seen Miss's body, I will take responsibility for her! Please grant my request!"
Everyone gasped in surprise. At this moment, someone was actually proposing to Gu Hanjiao in front of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince!
The third prince's face was as green as if it had been soaked in spinach; it was so green that it was unbearable to look at. He himself felt that there was a green patch on the top of his head.
Now everyone knows that the palace is about to bestow upon her the title of their prince's consort. Is this person openly cuckolding him?
That wasn't all; there were even bolder shouts coming from within the crowd.
"You're just a toad lusting after a swan, aren't you? You can talk like that, but I touched Miss Gu when I rescued her from the water. Does that mean I'm qualified to ask for her hand in marriage?"
"Ha ha ha ha"
"Me too, I touched it too."
"I was also involved in the rescue just now. I was the first to grab Miss Gu's hand underwater and pull her up."
"I also deserve credit..."
The crowd's comments caused the Third Prince's face to change color dramatically, as if a large dye vat had been opened. This was the first time a prince had been humiliated in such a way.
"And what makes you say you saw the Second Miss's body? Can we really come to marry her just by making baseless accusations?"
"Exactly! Hahaha!"
"Stop slandering Miss! You're all just lusting after her beauty. I know Miss has a red birthmark on her chest, that should prove it, right? And unlike you lecherous men, I've always been captivated by Miss's talent. Even if what you say is true, my feelings for Miss are as clear as day and night!"
The Third Prince's face turned even uglier; it was as if his future princess had been stripped naked in front of everyone.
Lying in her room, Gu Hanjiao was so angry with Gu Qingwan that she covered her head with the blanket and thought about how to tear Gu Qingwan apart. She didn't pay any attention to what was being said outside. Although she heard the noise, she assumed that her father was seeking justice for her.
Wang Ruyan, standing outside, thought to herself, "What are you! How dare you be so arrogant and want to marry the Prime Minister's daughter!"
Wang Ruyan instantly reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, extending her nails, adorned with red nail polish, almost pointing them at the scholar's nose.
"Madam!" Gu Ziming felt somewhat embarrassed and gently scolded, "Madam, why don't you go back and take care of Jiao'er? Your husband will take care of things here."
"But sir!"
"go back!"
Wang Ruyan didn't dare to challenge Gu Ziming. Although she was furious, she was still worried about her daughter. So she glared fiercely at the scholar and, of course, didn't forget to glare at Gu Qingwan before leaving.
At this moment, everyone remembered the plagiarism incident involving Gu Hanjiao a while ago, and they started discussing it again.
“Oh dear, I always thought that the Daqing Dynasty was a stubborn and conservative place, unlike our Northern Rong, which is more open. Now it seems that it is even more open.” The Northern Rong prince clapped his hands in surprise. “Such a warrior, Lord Gu should help him.”
“Prince, please watch your words!” Gu Ziming said, each word distinct and unfriendly, “Once I have settled my family, Prince Hulun and Princess Nazha, we will discuss this before the Emperor!”
"I'm not afraid of you! This prince is waiting! The entire Northern Rong is waiting! Let's go!"
Seeing the situation, the Crown Prince was somewhat exhausted. How could this Miss Gu be so troublesome, and how could she always manage to stir up such a big conflict?
"This... Yuheng..." The Crown Prince was interrupted by the Third Prince before he could finish speaking.
"Lord Gu, I still have some matters to attend to before the dragon boat race. I dare not disobey my father's orders. Now that the Second Miss is alright, I will take my leave."
"Third Prince... Third..." Before Gu Ziming could finish speaking, the Third Prince stormed off in a huff.
The remaining people were the Crown Prince, Gu Ziming, Gu Qingwan, the scholar, and a group of onlookers.
"Your Highness, this old minister..."
"Lord Gu, as the saying goes, even an upright official can't settle family disputes. I can't make the decision for you either. I still need to appease the Northern Rong delegation, and I have to see my father later." The Crown Prince seemed to remember something and leaned closer to Gu Ziming, whispering, "Prime Minister, you must handle this matter carefully. I heard that the Empress Dowager's decree has been drafted and is just waiting to be stamped and read aloud. After all, she's the royal daughter-in-law; we can't..."
"This old minister is aware of the situation, thank you for informing me, Your Highness." Gu Ziming felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he instantly calmed down. If this matter was not handled properly, his daughter's position as the Crown Princess would be as easy as a cooked duck flying away.
We absolutely cannot let the wealth and glory we've already gained slip away like this.
"Then I shall take my leave first."
"I hope Your Highness will put in a good word for this old minister before the Emperor."
Before leaving, the Crown Prince looked at Gu Qingwan standing there and reminded her, "Miss Gu, the meeting is about to end. Madam Ning will probably be looking for you, so don't linger too long."
"Thank you for informing me, Your Highness. Qingwan will go back to serve her grandmother now."
Gu Qingwan was very grateful to the Crown Prince for saving her. Although she would take her leave, it wouldn't be easy for her. Once these important figures left, who knew what kind of scheme her scumbag father would devise to sacrifice her in order to save Gu Hanjiao?
"Father, I'll take my leave now."
"Yes, you should properly fulfill your filial duties to the old lady on behalf of your mother!" Gu Ziming said through gritted teeth.
So Gu Qingwan followed the Crown Prince and left one after the other.
Seeing that the Crown Prince and the Third Prince had left, the scholar anxiously called out, "Lord Gu, my feelings for the Second Miss are truly sincere!"
"Guards! Take this young master back with you. I thought he was a talented and well-read man, but I never expected him to slander someone else's daughter in order to regain his wealth and status! Take him away!"
Gu Ziming knew he couldn't delay any longer; continuing like this would be very disadvantageous for him. Among those present, he held the highest official position, and no one dared to stand up and say no.
But to the amusement of the people in the capital, matchmakers kept coming to the Prime Minister's residence to propose marriage. They all said that the man didn't care about what happened that day and wanted to marry the second daughter. Or, like that scholar, some would propose marriage for themselves, saying that they had also touched the second daughter and were willing to take full responsibility.
However, wealthy and powerful families would no longer consider a daughter-in-law like Gu Hanjiao. No matter how illustrious her family was, it couldn't withstand such a tarnished reputation.
Moreover, I heard that she was even pre-selected as the Third Prince's wife. I wonder how the royal family can swallow such a daughter-in-law.