Chapter 1179
The Unfavored Princess 1
"Looking at you, I just don't have any interest. It's your fault for not being able to pique my interest. Zhu Xin is quite good. From now on, Zhu Xin will follow me." Jiang Lijun glanced sideways at the thin woman in front of him, his eyes filled with disgust and disdain. As for the maid standing beside him, called Zhu Xin, he didn't like her that much either.
To get this bamboo heart into his possession was a pressing matter; he desperately needed to find a woman to resolve it.
His father, who had always favored him, actually wanted to have another child because he had no offspring. He wouldn't have known this if his mother hadn't told him with red eyes.
As the heir apparent of the Marquis of Guangde, and being a capable man himself, he didn't think his father could actually have a child with his concubine.
But he couldn't bear to see his mother's red eyes. Besides, given his position, he truly needed an heir. Otherwise, wouldn't everything have benefited someone else decades later?
Therefore, this heir was born.
But he couldn't bear to have a child with a woman of high status. The pale-faced, thin woman before him appeared to be of noble birth, but in reality, she was unworthy of the title. He had no qualms about it. What was there to fear about a princess who was neither favored by the Empress Dowager nor the current emperor, and was even disliked by them?
If he hadn't known this, why would he have asked to marry the tenth princess whose reputation was already ruined?
Isn't it because the other party can't threaten her and can still occupy a position that makes it impossible for his family to find him a wife with a good social standing?
Given his status as the heir of the Marquis of Guangde, his wife's status must be quite high. If she causes any trouble, it will be another mess.
His relationship with Gu Fang was ultimately not something that could be publicized in public.
He himself is fine, but if it gets out, it will only be detrimental to Gu Fang.
As it turned out, all his schemes were correct. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor really didn't care about the life or death of the Tenth Princess at all. Since their marriage, he had been testing them step by step, but neither of them had reacted. In fact, they were even kind to him. He then realized that they were also eager to see the Tenth Princess suffer.
Who told her to be the daughter of the Dowager Consort, and also to share the same birth date as the Ninth Princess who passed away many years ago?
I'm afraid that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager felt that if even the Ninth Princess wasn't fortunate enough to enjoy such a blessing, how could the Tenth Princess possibly be worthy of it?
Jiang Lijun sneered. He had no interest in royal affairs; as long as it benefited him, that was enough.
Zhu Xin was the princess's maid, who came as part of her dowry. She was ambitious but lacked practical skills. Not long after entering the Guangde Marquis's residence, he realized that this maid's heart was not with the Tenth Princess.
He had also made a special note that Zhu Xin could not possibly be His Majesty's or Empress Dowager's person.
Such people are the easiest to take advantage of. In the future, once the child is born, just leave them in the village to fend for themselves. No one will bother with them, and there will be no trouble.
He just needs an heir, not a mother with a child posing a threat, otherwise Gu Fang would be unhappy.
"What did you say?" Azhen asked, recalling her memories.
Jiang Lijun raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised to see the woman who suddenly raised her head and whose entire demeanor had changed.
But I wasn't surprised. Women are naturally sensitive about these kinds of things.
Even his strong-willed mother got red-eyed when she heard that his father wanted to have a younger child.
After all, he and Yuan Zhen were husband and wife in name only. It would be strange if she wasn't upset to hear that he liked the maidservant beside her and didn't like her.
Even if she usually appears indifferent to desires, there are always things she cares about.
"What I mean is that I've taken a liking to Zhu Xin by your side, and she will be mine from now on. Princess, you know your own situation. It's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm reminded of the past..." Jiang Lijun's words were tinged with difficulty, as if he were truly annoyed by this matter, yet his expression was sarcastic.
Two years of testing him had made him realize that the two women in the palace wouldn't care about the tenth princess. As long as he didn't cause a scene outside, he could decide what to do.
*Slap!* Before Jiang Lijun could finish gloating, he felt a gust of wind and was slapped across the face, which made him stagger and his cheek swell up instantly.
"Young Master!" Zhu Xin rushed forward to help him up, feeling particularly distressed. She glared at Azhen with anger, "Princess, how could you hit the Young Master?"
Azhen beckoned to Zhuxin with her finger: "Come here."
Zhu Xin was a little timid and didn't dare to go up.
The Tenth Princess must be insane.
They even hit the young master, so hitting her would be a piece of cake.
Seeing the fear in Zhu Xin's eyes, A Zhen laughed, her smile particularly gentle: "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll hit you? You're not usually very brave, why have you suddenly become so timid? Isn't the Crown Prince standing up for you? You should be fearless."
The more she said this, the more frightened Zhu Xin became.
"Princess, what do you mean by this?" Jiang Lijun said angrily. He never expected that the usually timid Yuan Zhen would slap him.
Do you really think she's some kind of noble princess?
She was just a princess born to a mad concubine, disliked by His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. To put it bluntly, even if she died in their home, neither of them would pursue the matter. They might even give her some rewards to ease her grief.
"Does it hurt?" Azhen walked over and, before Jiang Lijun could react, slapped him again.
Symmetry is always more aesthetically pleasing!
Jiang Lijun was truly enraged this time. He rushed forward and attacked, only to find that he had no idea that Azhen was a match for him. She slapped him dozens of times in a row.
Zhu Xin, who had fallen to the side, was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
“I have no objection to you taking Zhuxin away, but I didn’t like what you just said. In front of me, you call yourself ‘the young master’? Don’t you know the rules? And there are some other things you said that you should know are inappropriate.” Azhen glared at Jiang Lijun, who was lying on the ground like a dead dog.
Jiang Lijun originally wanted to retort, but when he saw that the hand that slapped him was not red or swollen at all, he realized that he would not get the better of him today, so he did not dare to argue anymore.
"Zhu Xin, why aren't you helping the young master away?" A-Zhen called out to Zhu Xin, who was still standing there dumbfounded.
Zhu Xin's actions were no longer under her control; she instinctively helped Jiang Lijun up and left.
Azhen closed the door behind her; she was now the only one left in the dilapidated courtyard.
The client also has a maid named Yinshuang, who was ordered by her to go to the palace to see the mad Empress Dowager in Wuyou Palace. She is currently the client's nominal biological mother.
She is currently in the State of Chu, with Emperor Yuan Cheng, Empress Dowager Dou Yuexin, and the mad concubine Liu Qiang.
The client was the tenth princess of the Chu Kingdom, whose life was full of hardships, and almost no one had ever been truly sincere to her.
Despite being a princess, she never enjoyed any happiness.
All the suffering I've endured stems from this very identity. (End of Chapter)