Chapter 195: Chapter 194: Slapping the Green Tea Empress Dowager (Part 11)
"Prince."
Anning greeted him with a smile and instructed the servants to lead Prince Kang’s horse away to be fed.
Prince Kang, with a stern face, strode into the house.
Anning immediately had the maids serve tea and water, asking, "Prince, what brings you to the manor today?"
Prince Kang, who was already thirsty from his journey, hurriedly drank a few sips of tea. After soothing his throat, he asked, "I want to know, are you thinking of arranging a marriage match for Lanzhi?"
Anning nodded, "Yes, Lanzhi is also of age. If we do not start seeking a marriage match, it’d be too late. I know you cherish Lanzhi and don’t want her to marry early. I wasn’t thinking of letting Lanzhi marry off soon; we’re just looking now. If we find a suitable match, we can settle the engagement and delay her wedding for a few more years."
Outside the house, Helan Zhi and He Zhenyu stopped in their tracks. Hearing the discussion about Helan Zhi’s marriage, they felt uneasy about entering and decided to wait outside until Anning and Prince Kang finished their discussion.
Hearing Anning mention setting up Lanzhi’s marriage match early, Helan Zhi blushed.
She often went out with Anning and knew that what Anning said made sense.
Nowadays in the Capital, any family of standing arranges marriages early. Most girls start looking for marital matches around eleven or twelve years old. Once both families agree, they settle the engagement. If delayed, the good matches might be taken by others.
Helan Zhi, feeling shy, hung her head and dared not look at He Zhenyu.
He Zhenyu teased Helan Zhi by making funny faces at her.
While the two children were being playful, out of the blue, Prince Kang’s voice came through, "Nonsense, haven’t I told you not to arrange a match for Lanzhi? I have already found a suitable match for her."
"Already found a match?"
Anning was extremely surprised, "Which family does the Prince consider? The eldest son or the younger? What about his learning?"
She asked rapidly.
Prince Kang coughed, "I am thinking of marrying Lanzhi into the palace to become the Empress."
Helan Zhi’s face turned instantly pale.
Inside the house, upon hearing this, Anning stood up abruptly.
Her face conveyed disbelief, "Prince, how could you think of such a thing? Lanzhi is several years older than His Majesty. By the time His Majesty comes of age, Lanzhi will be an old maid. Also, I do not wish for Lanzhi to enter the palace; although it signifies wealth and prestige, it is not a good place."
"Nonsense."
Prince Kang’s face darkened even more, "That is women’s talk. With Lanzhi’s family background and beauty, apart from His Majesty, who else is worthy?"
Anning was almost amused by anger, "What family background and beauty? Then, Prince, tell me, apart from the family background, what virtues or looks does His Majesty have? He’s just a little boy now. Are you so anxious to sell your daughter for the sake of glory?"
Prince Kang, infuriated, stood up and raised his hand as if to strike Anning.
Anning defiantly retorted with a sneer, "Try hitting me, Prince, and don’t forget that the bruise on your face hasn’t healed yet."
Prince Kang felt a stinging pain on his face and huffed, "I will not stoop to your level."
Anning softened her tone, "Prince, let’s not talk about family background. Our Lanzhi is a Commandery Princess, and her lineage is already esteemed. We in our mansion also lack no Silver Coins. When Lanzhi marries, we’ll provide a generous dowry, ensuring she lives a worry-free life. Moreover, as the Regent King, as long as Lanzhi does not marry His Majesty, whoever she marries will have to respect and yield to her, no one would dare mistreat her. Lanzhi will lead a joyful life."
She smiled softly, "I do not ask for a highly esteemed family, just a son-in-law with good character who treats Lanzhi well. That would be enough for me. All I want in this life is for Lanzhi to be healthy and happy. I want nothing of the glory."
Anning’s deep maternal love moved Helan Zhi greatly.
But Prince Kang was not touched at all.
He angrily scolded Anning, "You are petty-minded, long-haired but short-sighted. By finding a son-in-law from a family with no high standing, do you expect him to live off Lanzhi in the future?"
Well, it seems like a confrontation was inevitable.
Then let it be a frontal clash.
Anning was never afraid of anyone.
She said sarcastically, "What about His Majesty? If Lanzhi marries His Majesty, wouldn’t he be living off her? You should know, it was you, Prince, who enabled His Majesty to ascend the throne. Prince, I advise you not to be overly optimistic in all matters, beware that you might raise an ingrate."
Prince Kang slammed the table furiously, "I am the Regent King and Lanzhi’s father. My decision is final. Lanzhi is to be the Empress. Without my consent, I’d like to see who dares propose a marriage alliance with Lanzhi."
This very phrase made Lanzhi, who was outside the door, burst into tears.
Anning was also furious.
Her face was already cold as ice. She reached out, grabbed Prince Kang, and with a forceful pull, the tall figure of Prince Kang was dragged to the ground by her.
Anning stepped on Prince Kang’s face: "Well, for the Empress Dowager and the little Emperor, you don’t even care about your dignity, do you? To please them, you ignore the life and death of your daughter, and you plan to offer up my Lanzhi? I’m telling you today, as long as I am here, Lanzhi shall not enter the palace. If you really irritate me, be careful I might spread the matter between you and the Empress Dowager so that everyone in the world will know."
Prince Kang was scared silly.
Firstly, he did not expect Anning to be so strong that she was able to drag him to the ground and hold him there.
Secondly, he did not expect Anning to know about his relationship with the Empress Dowager.
"Let me go."
Prince Kang struggled desperately: "You... who are you? The wife of this prince is frail and delicate..."
Anning pressed harder with her foot: "Naturally, I am Princess Kang, the mother of Lanzhi. Don’t forget what family the Xu Family comes from. When the Xu Family was at its peak, they were generals commanding an army of a hundred thousand. I have also learned martial arts since I was a child, but later my mother wanted me to marry into a good family, thus that frail and delicate image was contrived. Over these years, I’ve had martial skills that I couldn’t use, and it has been suffocating."
Anning bent down, and slapped Prince Kang’s face.
"When I was young, I also visited the border and went to military camps. I know the rascal methods used in the army. I respected you and acknowledged you as my husband, and thus I was the virtuous and gentle Princess Kang. But if you anger me and plan against my children, I can also enact the vile methods used by ruffians and shrews in the villages; let’s just wait and see."
Being humiliated like this by Anning, Prince Kang truly had the heart to kill her.
He never had much affection towards Anning as his wife, and now he was furious and began to hate Anning.
"Let me go, else I will make you suffer."
Anning’s press made Prince Kang’s face turn pale from pain; he couldn’t help but howl in misery.
"What can you do if I don’t let go? If you really have the capability, openly state your selfish intentions. Don’t tell me it’s for Lanzhi. You merely want to please your old lover, He Tingzhang, and you truly disgust me."
As Anning spoke, she picked up a feather duster and started beating Prince Kang.
While hitting him, she scolded Prince Kang: "If you really want to divorce me and honorably marry the Empress Dowager, I would still respect you as a real man. Behaving like a respectful couple with me on the surface, but coveting someone you shouldn’t in secret, what kind of man are you? If the Empress Dowager truly has feelings for you, if she truly sincerely likes you, she would relinquish everything in the palace and marry you. I would actually respect her then. What you two are doing secretly, what is it?"
"You are talking nonsense."
Once Prince Kang heard Anning speaking ill of the Empress Dowager, he became agitated, despite the pain from being beaten, and retorted with red eyes: "The Empress Dowager just can’t let go of Your Majesty. She has me in her heart. We are truly in love, it was just that the situation back then forced us..."
"Bah."
Anning struck him again with the stick: "You dare to talk to me about true love with your neither human nor ghost behavior? Don’t insult the word ’true love’; you two are both selfish, despicable scum."
Outside
He Zhenyu quietly led Helan Zhi away.
After some distance, Helan Zhi could not help but sob.
"Yu’er, my... will mother be alright?"
He Zhenyu shook his head.
He wore a look of shock, never expecting his own biological mother to be so fierce, able to overpower his father.
Moreover, it was only today that he truly comprehended the true nature of the Regent King.
Just as his mother said, his father’s actions were shady, truly neither human nor ghost.
Thinking about how Prince Kang always defended the Empress Dowager, he deeply understood that his mother was right; Prince Kang would really do anything for the Empress Dowager.
He Zhenyu clenched his fists, determined at this moment, he must not let Prince Kang act recklessly.
He could not let Prince Kang drag the entire Prince Mansion into peril; he could not let him do as he wished.
Everyone in the Prince Kang Mansion should not be sacrificed for Prince Kang’s selfishness.
He wanted to live, to live well, and also wanted his mother and sister to live a life of peace and happiness.