What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?

Chapter 467 - 454: Liangzhou Continued—Tang Ziqian Side Story (Part 3)

July, cool in Liangzhou.Morning, after military drills.

Dismounting at the gate, shedding the frost-covered armor, Tang Ziqian strolled into the Governor Mansion.

After just a few steps, the sound of clinking chains echoed.

Tang Ziqian smiled, stopping to watch with interest.

The young girl in white stood aggrievedly under a tree by the roadside, "Tang Ziqian, when will you help me remove the foot shackles?"

Since returning to the Governor Mansion, Tang Ziqian hadn’t captured Lu Yuan again but also hadn’t removed her foot shackles.

Thus, every day one could see this girl running around the Governor Mansion dragging her shackles.

Ting-a-ling, quite lively.

Tang Ziqian watched her with satisfaction and smiled.

Seeing him smile, Lu Yuan also felt happy, her steps light despite the shackles, "What’s making you so happy today?"

Tang Ziqian looked at her, smiling gently, "Miss Lu looks quite lovely wearing foot shackles, seeing this pleases Tang greatly." With that, he leisurely walked away.

Lu Yuan stood dumbfounded for a moment and asked the guard Ah Lin behind her, "Is your Governor purposely bullying me?"

Ah Lin nodded honestly, "He indeed is."

Lu Yuan pursed her lips.

He’s so mean!

Ah Lin found her somewhat pitiable and consoled, "It’s not just directed at you, our Governor just purely enjoys bullying people."

Lu Yuan felt even more dejected.

It might have been better if it was just directed at her!

"Really, it’s not just you," Ah Lin continued, "Our Governor has been like this since childhood, bullying everyone except his two younger sisters, even the cousin was not spared."

"Cousin? He bullies girls too?" Lu Yuan suddenly became curious.

"Bullies!" Ah Lin boasted proudly, "Our Governor even hit the Princess! He doesn’t hold back at all!"

"But as long as you don’t approach the Governor, he doesn’t have much free time; the worst off was Xin Yi—" and abruptly stopped.

The excitement on Ah Lin’s face vanished instantly, leaving him slightly open-mouthed and bewildered.

"Who is Xin Yi?" Lu Yuan asked.

She suddenly recalled the Xinyi Forest.

Ah Lin smiled slightly, "She was a maid once by the Governor’s side."

"Once? What about now?"

Ah Lin sighed, "Gone, Xin Yi is dead..."

...

Xinyi flowers bloom in spring, fruit ripens in autumn.

By late July, it’s the season for Xinyi fruit.

The moonlight like frost covers the clusters of purple-red fruits.

Tang Ziqian leaned against the tree trunk, gazing upwards for a long time, then raised his hand to pick two.

Just as he brought them closer, he suddenly let them drop.

Amidst the urgent clinking, he heard Lu Yuan’s anxious shout, "Don’t eat that! It’s poisonous!"

It’s actually poisonous?

Tang Ziqian raised an eyebrow and picked another Xinyi fruit to examine.

Lu Yuan looked at him nervously, afraid he might eat it.

After scrutinizing for a while, Tang Ziqian lifted his eyes and asked, "Is it really poisonous?"

Lu Yuan nodded hurriedly, "Really! Though not deadly, it’s quite uncomfortable!"

"I don’t believe it," Tang Ziqian shook his head, handing the Xinyi fruit over, "Eat one and show me?"

Lu Yuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief, "I already said it’s poisonous, and you still want me to eat it?"

Tang Ziqian nodded with a smile, "Yes, if you don’t eat it, how will I know it’s truly poisonous?"

Lu Yuan was too angry to speak.

Tang Ziqian sighed, somewhat regretful, "Didn’t you say you liked me? But you won’t eat the fruit I give you."

Lu Yuan shouted angrily, "I’m not stupid!"

"You’re not stupid, huh..." His smile was tinged with mischief.

Lu Yuan felt she’d never encounter anyone worse than Tang Ziqian in her entire life.

"Did you also always bully Xin Yi like this?" she suddenly asked.

It seemed to trigger something, for the smile on his face vanished instantly.

Moonlight penetrated through the branches, casting fragmented reflections in his eyes, growing cooler bit by bit.

Lu Yuan’s anger also cooled in his gradually chillier gaze.

Once the emotions subsided, she caught a whiff of wine.

Sniffing in surprise, "Have you been drinking?" She asked just as she noticed a fallen wine jar lying under the tree behind him.

Empty.

"You drank all that?" Lu Yuan was astonished.

Tang Ziqian chuckled, but instead of answering, asked in return, "Who mentioned Xin Yi to you?"

"Ah Lin," Lu Yuan didn’t see any reason not to say, "He said Xin Yi was bullied by you the worst—" At this point, Lu Yuan pouted over her shackles and glanced at the Xinyi fruit, "Did you do this to her too?"

Tang Ziqian laughed heartily, suddenly flipping his fingers to reveal the blade of a dagger.

The blade edged closer to her.

Lu Yuan watched the fragmented moonlight in his eyes and didn’t evade.

The blade pressed against her neck’s artery, and he smiled slightly, "This is how I treated her."

Lu Yuan, either out of fright or surprise, remained silent.

Tang Ziqian slowly retrieved the dagger.

As he lowered his eyes to sheath the dagger, he said casually, "Today is Xin Yi’s memorial day."

His tone was very ordinary, and when he looked up, he even smiled at Lu Yuan before gently patting the tree trunk beside him, half tilting his face to gaze at the Xinyi fruit.

"Two years ago, she died protecting my little sister, who is now the Empress, and was posthumously titled Princess by the new Emperor."

Lu Yuan frowned, "You bullied her all the time while she was alive?"

"Yes!" Tang Ziqian admitted without hesitation, "But she was more foolish than you; no matter how I bullied her, she always thought well of me."

She never resented him, even unto death.

Lu Yuan felt disgruntled again, "Even though you bully me, I—I also think well of you!"

Tang Ziqian looked at her blankly for a moment, then asked softly, "Why?"

Lu Yuan replied seriously, "When you like someone, you always think highly of them!"

"Really..." he murmured softly, slowly approaching her.

The intertwining shadows of the tree seemed to envelop them in a seemingly enclosed space.

The slightly chilly scent of wine blended with his increasingly warmer breath, intoxicatingly mesmerizing.

Just as Lu Yuan was feeling dizzy, suddenly something was stuffed into her mouth.

A round fruit, tinged with frosty chill.

"Still think well now?" Tang Ziqian laughed.