The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 54 Growing Discord

Emperor Jing deliberately concealed the news of Fang Xianda's death for two days, causing the Marquis of Xinyang and Prince Qing to worry anxiously for two days. However, the truth eventually came out.

The Marquis of Xinyang's Residence.

Upon hearing the news, Lady Hou, Shang Anrong, fainted immediately, throwing the Hou residence into chaos. Fang Xianda's coffin sat in the main hall, a desolate sight. This was the scene Fang Ling witnessed upon returning home.

Fang Ling stared ahead, his eyes dim. He felt as if each step he took weighed a ton. At that moment, he truly understood what it meant to be utterly despondent.

When Fang Ling finally saw Fang Xianda's face clearly, he leaned against the coffin and couldn't help but sob softly, his lips twitching, "My son, my son!"

Unfortunately, the person lying in the coffin was pale and lifeless, and could no longer respond to him.

"Prince Qing has arrived!"

Upon hearing the sound, Fang Ling immediately stopped crying. His mouth was slightly open, and his mind suddenly went blank.

Prince Qing saw Fang Ling's sorrow from a distance, but his eyes remained unmoved. He had come here only to see what was going on, why none of the people he had sent had returned, and why Fang Xianda had died inexplicably.

Fang Ling only noticed Prince Qing's presence when he approached. He instinctively reached out to bow, but Prince Qing stopped him, saying, "No need."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Fang Ling's eyes were slightly red, and his voice choked with emotion.

Prince Qing glanced at Fang Xianda lying in the coffin, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes, but Fang Ling still saw it. Fang Ling was instantly filled with anger, but dared not lash out.

When Fang Ling returned, he knew that the men sent by Prince Qing had also been wiped out, but he did not feel sorry at all. He was just heartbroken for his son. On the way back, he kept thinking about whether his son would have been safe if he had not asked Prince Qing for help.

Thinking of this, Fang Ling felt extremely regretful. A surge of anger rose within him, and he momentarily lost his balance.

Prince Qing reacted quickly, helping him up and saying in a sorrowful voice, "Please accept my condolences!"

Although Fang Ling was overwhelmed with grief, he remained rational and tried his best to suppress his emotions, keeping his head down and not saying a word.

"In a couple of days, I will send you a few beauties. You are in your prime, and you will surely be able to have another child." Prince Qing patted Fang Ling on the shoulder, his tone magnanimous.

Prince Qing felt he had already given Fang Ling a lot of face; he himself had lost a group of excellent assassins, and he still had to go up and comfort a subordinate.

He placed himself in the highest position, unaware that even the most loyal person has weaknesses and is capable of betrayal. Prince Qing had wanted that position for a long time, and he naturally assumed that he already possessed the highest power.

Fang Ling nodded, forcing a bitter smile in response, though his heart was already riddled with wounds.

"I'll give you three days off. I'll report to His Majesty myself." Prince Qing's tone was hesitant, as if he had done Fang Ling a great favor.

Jingguo explicitly stipulated that there should be a 15-day mourning period after the death of a close relative.

Fang Ling unconsciously clenched his fist into a fist, his hand hidden in his sleeve. He used almost all his strength to suppress the urge to fight back. At that moment, he felt like he was just a dog of Prince Qing.

……

After Jing Rou's accident, she naturally couldn't come to class. Strangely, even Kou Shuran had been taking leave every day, presumably because she didn't want to be around Jing Anle. Jing Anle didn't care about any of this, but why wasn't Xiao Heng here today? Chi Wenyuan had once said that leave requests needed to be given in advance, so why didn't he mention it yesterday?

She was startled by her own thoughts. Why would she care about Xiao Heng? Jing Anle gently patted her head to remind herself to be more clear-headed, but then she glanced at the sullen Jing Fengyu and an idea flashed through her mind.

after class.

"Royal brother!" Jing Fengyao turned around and saw Jing Anle smiling broadly. He immediately said with delight, "Anle?"

"Let's go together today!" Jing Anle didn't hesitate and directly took Jing Fengyao's arm. Jing Fengyao smiled helplessly, "You're still like you were when you were a child!"

Afang, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle. The two siblings then headed towards Jingfengyao's palace.

After many days, the orchids in Jingfeng Yao Palace were in even more bloom, and Jing Anle felt that the air was filled with a faint fragrance as he spoke.

"Take this!" Jing Fengyao tossed a rectangular wooden box to Jing Anle as soon as she sat down.

Jing Anle caught it with both hands in a flash, and asked curiously, "What is this?"

"Open it and take a look," Jing Fengyao said with a smile as he brewed tea.

Jing Anle glanced at Jing Fengyao suspiciously, then slowly opened the box. Her expression immediately lit up with surprise. "It's a calligraphy brush!" Jing Anle took out the brush and examined it closely. The brush was elegant and the bristles were fine. She held it and wrote a few words in the air, then said happily, "This feels so good! Thank you, Your Majesty."

"But why did you give me this?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Fengyao looked in Afang's direction with a gloating expression. Afang slowly lowered her head and whispered, "I told the First Prince that the princess has been painting lately."

"Alright, don't blame Afang anymore. I asked her to tell me about your recent situation so I can feel more at ease," Jing Fengyao said, staring at Jing Anle.

Jing Anle pouted and said, "I know."

That pitiful look was quite adorable in Jing Fengyao's eyes, and he couldn't resist ruffling Jing Anle's head.

Having been teased by Jing Fengyao, she almost forgot about the important matter and said seriously, "Has Your Majesty noticed Third Brother? He doesn't seem to be doing well."

Since Consort Yu's incident, Jing Fengyu's situation has been very awkward. Emperor Jing has also been disliking him recently. People in the palace are very opportunistic, and even though he is a prince, he cannot avoid being treated coldly.

“Of course I know that he has both enjoyed the blessings that Consort Yu brought him and the misfortunes that Consort Yu brought him.” Jing Fengyu raised his eyes and said, his face showing little emotion.

No, my brother is such a benevolent person. Even Jing Anle could see that Jing Fengyu was just a prince without any guile. My brother's current attitude can only mean that there must be something that Jing Anle doesn't know.

“Brother…” Jing Anle’s voice was hesitant, and he said half-jokingly, “Is there something you’re hiding from me?”

A surge of anger flashed in Jing Fengyao's eyes, like flying sand and stones, but it vanished completely in an instant.

Looking at the curious Jing Anle in front of him, he knew it wasn't the right time to speak. He flicked Jing Anle's forehead with his finger and said, word by word, "Nothing of the sort. Children shouldn't ask so many questions."

"Ouch!" Jing Anle winced and clutched her forehead. This time she wasn't faking it; it really hurt. She was certain that Jing Fengyao was hiding something from her, but since he wasn't willing to talk about it now, Jing Anle wouldn't ask any more questions. She decided to find out for herself.