498 A Female Commander (1/2)
”Y-you see, Princess…” Hu Dengxiao stuttered out. He scratched the back of his head, kicking himself to hurry up and say something.
The long silence was not helping his case at all. But what could he say at a time like this? The letters were incriminating. They made it seem as if the Crown Prince had specifically ordered the very things that could ruin his Wangfei.
'Your loyal friend.'
Who exactly was that?
”I see,” the Crown Princess coldly said. She pulled the letter away from his face and rose to her feet.
”So, this is how it is.” Li Xueyue could not believe she had allowed herself to be tricked to this extent. How had she not seen it sooner?
Eat this. Eat that. Was this why he was pressuring her to eat so much? So that the infertility poison would go undetected when ingested in small amounts? So that she could be childless for the rest of her life?
Li Xueyue's eyes blurred with tears. What had she been thinking all this time? She had sobbed in his arms, cried her heart out, and sought comfort in the hands of the very person out to get her.
”Princess, please let me explain,” Hu Dengxiao hurriedly said. He could see she was beginning to draw her own conclusions. It seemed the Crown Princess was not very different from Lu Tianbi, who loved to think the worst in every situation.
”The recipient of the letters might not be the Crown Prince,” Hu Dengxiao rushed out. He needed to reason with her, or else, hell would break loose.
”For example, these letters could've been intercepted or stolen from somewhere or someone. Like—”
”I don't want to hear of it.”
”Princess—”
”Go and fetch the townspeople.”
Hu Dengxiao faltered at her voice. It was lifeless and commanding. Stern and unyielding, she had the determination of a female Commander. He could picture it vividly.
Seated tall and proud on a horse, a sword raised to the crimson sky, as crows cawed, and the grounds trembled as soldiers marched onwards to the battlefield. He could picture her leading the army, a vicious sword swinging through bodies, as heads flew.
The Crown Princess was furious, more than she was heartbroken.
”And where shall you be, Princess?” he asked. Realizing how rude the question was, he quickly clarified.
”After your wishes are fulfilled, where shall I go to inform you?”
”You'll see.”
Hu Dengxiao wondered if she always spoke in circles like this.
”You're excused, Advisor Hu.”
He was worried that something drastic would happen once she was gone from his sight. An angered woman was an unpredictable thing. What was she thinking? What would she do next?
”Once again, please let me explain—”
”There is no need, Advisor Hu.” The Crown Princess smiled, but it did not reach her eerily cold eyes.
Hu Dengxiao shuffled on his feet. He could not find a way to stall time. Convincing a woman to calm down was not his specialty. From getting frequent smacks here and there from Lu Tianbi, he would know. Each time he tried to calm her down, it would only make things worse.
And in this moment, Hu Dengxiao did not want to risk that. With great reluctance, he bowed his head.
”As you wish, Princess.”