On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness-Chapter 199 - Crown Prince Refuses Marriage

Chapter 199 -199 Crown Prince Refuses Marriage

Ye Yiheng cupped his hands in respect, “Father Emperor, your son once said that among all under heaven, only Leng Yu Yan is fit to be the Crown Princess Consort.”

The Emperor slapped the table, “You don’t care about your face as the Crown Prince, but I, as the Emperor, still value mine!”

His voice carried an authority that brooked no opposition.

He would never allow a notoriously illegitimate daughter to become his daughter-in-law!

Seemingly oblivious to the Emperor’s displeasure, Ye Yiheng calmly stated, “What your son has said holds true in the past, holds true now, and will hold true in the future.”

The imperial majesty must not be violated, yet this son dared to confront him over a woman.

The sharp gaze of the Emperor narrowed, his face growing ever darker.

As he watched Ye Yiheng’s unflustered demeanor, the Emperor’s eyes brimmed with seething anger. He casually grasped the inkstone at his side and hurled it at Ye Yiheng’s forehead.

Ye Yiheng had no intention to dodge, but thinking of how Leng Yu Yan did not want him injured, he subtly shifted aside.

The Emperor was astonished; wasn’t his son blind?

Could it be, just as the rumors suggested, that his son’s hearing had reached such a level of acuity that he could discern sounds and position so accurately?

“This imperial marriage, however you wish to conclude it, Father Emperor, you decide. The Prince Zhenbei Mansion holds military power, and Father Emperor has many Princes—any one of them marrying a Princess would do.”

Ye Yiheng once again cupped his hands, “Your son takes his leave.”

With those words, he leaned on Song Guo’s arm and departed with an air of composure.

The Emperor glared coldly at his retreating figure, murderous intent clear in his eyes, as his anger surged and resurged.

Unable to contain himself, he smashed his fist onto the imperial desk.

The first thing Ye Yiheng did upon returning to the capital city was to reject the marriage, news that quickly reached Ji Qingyu’s ears.

He was greatly surprised, having not thought the blind man possessed such audacity.

In that case, it seemed the blind man truly held Leng Yu Yan in his heart.

A sense of crisis suddenly arose in Ji Qingyu’s mind, and he immediately sent more people to search for Leng Yu Yan.

Meanwhile, the news had also spread to the ears of the other Princes.

The Crown Prince refusing the Princess Zhenbei was quite agreeable.

Prince Zhenbei, Lai Ran, was known for doting on his daughter. Three years ago, after his daughter’s unexpected death, Prince Zhenbei was profoundly impacted.

Now that he had another daughter, according to his doting nature, it could be said—

Whoever took Princess Zhenbei’s hand would take Prince Zhenbei’s military power.

Once the military power of the Northern Garrison was in hand, the throne was as good as half-seated.

With this thought, all the Princes were eager to try.

On the same day, the Crown Prince’s refusal to marry was communicated by carrier pigeon to Lai Yuyue’s people who remained in the capital city and sent to Beilan City.

Not many days later, Lai Yuyue received the message.

He relayed the news of the Crown Prince’s refusal to marry to the Father King.

Upon hearing it, Lai Ran burst into laughter, “The Crown Prince has slapped the Emperor’s face.”

After saying this, Lai Ran paused, reflecting—if even the little blind Crown Prince dared refuse the marriage,

was he, Prince Zhenbei, being disregarded?

Shouldn’t he and Yan’er have been the first to propose the refusal of this marriage?

This was a total disregard for him, Prince Zhenbei, and Princess Beilan.

“Since the Crown Prince has refused the marriage…” Lai Ran pointed to his four sons in turn, “Those of you who wish to go with me to the capital, let’s go bolster your sister’s spirits!”

The four brothers Lai Yuyue joyfully agreed.

With that, the elderly Prince Zhenbei couple also decided to go.

Only Princess Consort Yun remained in the dark, left alone in Beilan. Lai Ran was not at ease leaving her behind, so he decided to take her along.

In Lai Ran’s view, as long as the Crown Prince had refused the marriage, the matter should be considered void.

However, the Crown Prince’s refusal did, to a certain extent, damage the face of Prince Zhenbei Mansion, so they must show support for Yan’er.

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Fortunately, Lai Ran’s soldiers were both brave and skilled; with them in defense, Beilan City and the border both would remain secure.

Furthermore, if the Emperor wished to take military power from the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, he must first see if he possessed the strength to do so.

Thinking this through, Lai Ran decided the entire family of Prince Zhenbei Mansion would set out for the capital city.

—

After traveling for more than ten days, the caravan passed over a hill.

Xiaoshan said to Lai Yuyue, “Princely Heir, it was this hilltop where I was captured by bandits and forced into hard labor for over half a year.”

Lai Yuyue frowned upon hearing this, knowing they had already left the jurisdiction of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion.

Could it be that the bandits from within the jurisdiction had fled to the outside area?

Thinking of this possibility, Lai Yuyue immediately ordered Gao Yuan to take men into the bandit stronghold to investigate.

Several hours later, Gao Yuan returned with his men to report.

“Princely Heir, the stronghold is empty. It seems the occupants have moved on,” Gao Yuan announced.

Upon hearing this, Leng Yu Yan found it strange as well, “Big brother, there certainly were bandits on this hilltop.”

Lai Yuyue took her words to be about saving Xiaoshan and did not inquire further.

In fact, after Leng Yu Yan spoke, she was afraid he would question her in detail. If so, it would be difficult for her to explain why she had previously visited Beilan City with Ye Yiheng.

After all, apart from her, Miao Zhu, and Xiaoshan, no one else was aware of the blind man’s visit to Beilan City.

Now, with the stronghold empty and the hillside difficult to search, it would be quite time-consuming and laborious.

Anxious to proceed to the capital and considering the women they were escorting—including their grandmother, mother, and sister—Lai Yuyue decided to postpone dealing with the bandit stronghold until they returned from their journey.

Another twenty-odd days passed.

By the time the entire Leng Family from the Prince Zhenbei Mansion reached the capital, it was the beginning of August.

When the Emperor heard that the Prince Zhenbei Mansion was coming en masse to the capital, he took it as a great mark of respect from Lai Ran towards himself. Pleased, he immediately ordered the Crown Prince to take the princes, along with the civil and military officials, to the city gates to welcome them.

The Crown Prince, having refused to marry, excused himself from the task, claiming ill health.

The Emperor had no time to get angry and quickly ordered Ye Zhenyu and the Ministry of Rites to oversee the Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s entry into the capital.

The weather in the capital city was hotter than in Beilan City, and both the Old Princess Consort and the Princess Consort had no desire to emerge from the comfort of their horse carriage.

Leng Yu Yan, caring for her grandmother and mother, also didn’t want to leave the carriage.

At that moment, civil and military officials at the city gates shouted in unison, “Long live the Old Prince Zhenbei, long live, long live! Long live Prince Zhenbei, long live, long live!”

Hearing this, Leng Yu Yan realized her grandfather and father’s status was even more extraordinary than the rumors suggested.

Bloodline dictated proudly surging emotions within her.

Since departing from Beilan City, Lai Ran had been letting his beard go unshaven.

Now sitting astride his horse, he stroked his rather long beard and said calmly, “Rise, all of you.”

“Thank you, Prince Zhenbei!” the officials chorused.

Following this, Prince Liang Ye Zhenyu, accompanied by the other princes, also came forward to pay their respects.

“Prince Zhenbei, your journey must have been exhausting!”

Out of deference to the Emperor’s sons, Lai Ran got down from his horse and slightly nodded a greeting, “Your Highnesses.”

Lai Yuyue and his three brothers also dismounted and returned the gesture with a bow.

Meanwhile, the Old Prince Zhenbei sat inside the horse carriage, resting with his eyes closed.

He had been on the battlefield, on horseback, when the Emperor was still wetting his diapers.

His current demeanor was not out of arrogance but the glory bestowed upon him by the Ye Family founder, and indeed something he deserved.

Without exaggeration, it could be said that half of the Ye Family’s world was built by the Leng Family.

The young Emperor dared to bully his Leng Family, to bully his granddaughter…

Hmph, as if he, Lai Taihong, were dead?

“Keep your calm and you’ll keep cool,” they say, but even sitting still, the sweat poured down like rain.

He wondered how his wife, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were faring in such heat.

With this thought, he frowned and spoke out, “It’s much too hot in the capital. Why do you not clear the way?”

“Do you wish to broil my granddaughter alive?”

Inside the main carriage, the Old Prince Zhenbei’s voice boomed like a bell and full of vigor, sending a shiver down the spines of the princes and officials present.

From this, it was clear that the daughter whom Prince Zhenbei had recently found was not only dearly cherished by him but also doted on by the Old Prince Zhenbei.

Immediately, the princes began calculating their next moves.