FRGNM -Chapter 215 Is He the Crown Prince?

“Father, I… let go of me!” Qian Yi’s face flushed even redder as she forcefully pushed the man off her. She quickly straightened her clothes and said angrily, “Father, it’s not what you think, it’s—”

“General Qian, it was me.” Nangong Mo sat up, calmly looking toward the doorway. Anyone would lose their composure seeing their daughter in such a situation with another man.

Qian Guang’s face changed drastically. Just now, Nangong Mo had been keeping his head lowered, so he hadn’t seen his face clearly. But now—

Clang!

The sword in Qian Guang’s hand fell to the ground. He immediately dropped to one knee. “So it is His Highness the Crown Prince. This subject is guilty of offense, disturbing Your Highness—”

“Father, what nonsense are you talking about? His surname is Nangong—how could he be the Crown Prince?” Qian Yi froze. Recalling how Qingyi had addressed this man as Nangong, she reached out to pull the kneeling figure up.

Placing a hand on Qian Yi, Qian Guang pressed her down to kneel as well, saying sternly,
“Nonsense! His Highness once bore the compound surname Nangong, but after entering the palace his name was changed to Murong. You’re not a three-year-old child—how can you join in such foolishness?”

“I… he… he’s the Crown Prince?” In an instant, Qian Yi’s complexion worsened even further. She raised her head to look at the man sitting on her bed, wishing she could rush over and knock his teeth out right then and there.

How did this turn into the Crown Prince? She had planned to investigate Luo Mingyu’s actions, yet by sheer accident ended up tangled with the Crown Prince instead. What kind of absurd twist was this?!

“It’s nothing, General Qian. I have something to say to the Princess. You did misunderstand just now. However…” Nangong Mo frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice, “After the Former Emperor’s birthday celebration, I will send people to your residence to formally propose and marry the Princess.”

They had already gone this far. He truly did not want to see the woman before him become a second Ling Ruoxi. Moreover, all of this had started because of him—if he hadn’t taken her to Hanyu Pavilion, none of this would have happened.

“Yes. Then Your Highness and my daughter may speak. This subject will take his leave. Yi’er, do not be disrespectful to His Highness.” After warning her, Qian Guang quickly left the room and closed the door behind him.

He let out a long breath, his heart still pounding. He had never imagined that the dignified Crown Prince would sneak into his daughter’s room at such an hour.

“You…” Qian Yi stood there blankly for a moment, then slowly raised her head to meet Nangong Mo’s gaze. For some reason, her heartbeat slowed.

Nangong Mo frowned slightly. “Get up. There’s no need to kneel.”

“Oh…” Qian Yi stood up and walked closer to him. Seeing his unpleasant expression, she grabbed a book from the desk and hurled it at him. “So what if you’re the Crown Prince? I, Qian Yi, will hit you all the same—take this!”

“You—cough, cough…” Nangong Mo quickly dodged the flying book and stood up, retreating as he said angrily, “I came to explain things, not to fight. Stop it first!”

With a cold snort, Qian Yi set the book down and said icily, “Oh? Then what does His Highness wish to explain? What’s there to explain? If it’s about a woman’s chastity, spare me. I’ll just treat it as being bitten by a dog—none of your business!”

“Qian Yi!” Nangong Mo finally exploded, grabbing his hair in frustration. Had he really been possessed by some ghost? His secret meeting had been canceled today, yet he’d wandered here on impulse, only to be misunderstood and beaten senseless by this woman.

If word of this got out, his dignity would be nowhere to be found.

“Will you even listen to my explanation?” Nangong Mo’s gaze sharpened as he stared at her.

Qian Yi laughed coldly, crossing her arms. “There’s nothing to explain. Get out. I don’t want to see you again.”

“Hmph. Fine. I’m leaving!” Nangong Mo didn’t bother explaining further. Turning around, he kicked the door open with a loud bang and strode away.

That damned man—he just left like that?!

Qian Yi’s face darkened even more. She smashed a vase with a wave of her hand, stomped fiercely on the scattered books, then grabbed the quilt and wrapped herself tightly inside. No matter what, she would never submit to that man.

“Yi’er, what on earth happened? How did it end up like this? His Highness he—” Qian Guang trembled all over, not knowing what to say. He walked to the bedside and gently patted the bundled figure.

Pulling the quilt tighter, Qian Yi choked out, “Father, let me be alone for a while. Please go out… I’m begging you.”

“Alright, alright. Father will go. Just don’t do anything foolish…” Qian Guang sighed helplessly, glanced at her one last time, then left the room, instructing the servants to keep a close watch on the Princess to prevent her from doing anything reckless.

“Luo Mingyu!” The purple-clad figure nearly turned all of Hanyu Pavilion upside down. Brimming with murderous intent, he kicked the door open and glared at the man sitting in the hot spring, idly plucking grapes.

Raising an eyebrow, Luo Mingyu leaned casually against the artificial rock. “What’s wrong, noble Crown Prince? Who provoked you to be this furious? Looks like someone needs to help you cool off.”

“You did this today, didn’t you? You despicable, shameless, vile bastard! You actually used such methods to force the Princess of Duanyun to be with me—do you have any conscience at all?!”
Nangong Mo was practically panting with rage, itching to grab Luo Mingyu by the collar. If looks could kill, Luo Mingyu would have died countless times already.

Rolling over to lie against the edge of the pool, Luo Mingyu yawned lazily. “Huh? What did I do that’s despicable and shameless? What did I do to you? Hmm? You got together with the Princess? The one from today’s martial matchmaking? That fast? I really couldn’t tell—won her hand in the morning, won her heart in the afternoon?”

“Keep pretending! Go on, keep pretending!” Nangong Mo splashed water from the pool at him, then stripped off his clothes and stepped into the hot spring. The hot spring of Hanyu Pavilion was far superior to anything outside.

Soaking in the water, gloomy and silent, Nangong Mo finally exhaled after a while. “Maybe… what you did was right. At least it made me realize that now, I have someone I must not let down. Luo Mingyu—why are you helping me like this?”

“It’s simple. Because Ruoxi wants to help you.” Leaning against the pool, Luo Mingyu ate grapes and smiled lazily. “In Duanyun, no one but you is suitable. We’re merely acting on behalf of the Former Emperor, pushing you onto the throne. As the future Son of Heaven of Duanyun, you must have an empress, no matter what.”

“But the court still has Imperial Grandfather—”

“Imperial Grandfather?” Luo Mingyu scoffed. “Your Imperial Grandfather has become muddled and incompetent. In the early decades, he governed Duanyun well—but now? He indulges daily in the harem, while Lieyun below manipulates everything, plotting to seize the realm. Your Imperial Grandfather doesn’t know this, but the Former Emperor does. He has long withdrawn from politics, cultivating peace of mind. Unless Duanyun faces destruction, he will never intervene. His condition was for Ruoxi and me to assist you.”

He squeezed the grape in his hand—it instantly turned to dust.

Standing up, the man wrapped a towel around his waist. His long legs emerged from the water.
“Lieyun wants to seize power, and only you can stop him. After the Former Emperor’s birthday, Lieyun will surely stir up war. You’d better be mentally prepared—don’t let the realm be stolen from under your nose. Princess Qian has courage and strategy. With her by your side, she’ll help you manage the realm. Cherish her.”

Hearing the voice behind him, Nangong Mo’s face darkened further.

“Stop right there—” He reached out to grab the man behind him, but in his haste forgot that Luo Mingyu was wearing nothing but a towel.

Whoosh!

The towel fell to the ground.

“Mingyu, I was just about to say, I think later I should go—uh…” The vivid scene of two naked men nearly blinded Ling Ruoxi. Books still in her arms, she stared at the sight for a split second, then instinctively stepped backward, slowly, carefully closing the door.

“Well… you two carry on. I didn’t see anything. Need soap? Or some lubricant? I can refine some for you…”

“Another misunderstanding—see?” Luo Mingyu spread his hands helplessly, bent down to pick up the towel, and sighed as he tied up his long hair. “I’ve explained everything. As for Princess Qian, you’ll need to put in more effort. Nangong Mo, promise me—become the Son of Heaven of Duanyun. Can you?”

Nangong Mo trembled slightly in the water, frowning. He hadn’t expected Luo Mingyu to see through him so quickly—he had no interest in the throne at all. His investigations were only to preserve the realm and protect his Imperial Grandfather Murong Hua’s position. He had never planned to become emperor.

“Promise me. Even for Ruoxi’s sake—take up the position that belongs to you!” A cold glint flashed in Luo Mingyu’s eyes as he clenched his fist.

“I… I’ll think about it for a few days.” Nangong Mo’s expression grew even darker. He got dressed and left Hanyu Pavilion. Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, he wished he had never left the palace today. Then none of this would have happened, leaving him so utterly at a loss.

What should he do?

In a brightly lit room, someone held a brush, flipping through a book at lightning speed, scanning lines at a glance while frowning and calculating something on a sheet of white paper beside her.

“What, are you angry?” Luo Mingyu found it amusing. He really didn’t know what was going on in this little creature’s head—how could she possibly suspect him of being involved with Nangong Mo?

Slapping his hand away, Ling Ruoxi bit the brush and said with a frown, “When would I have time to be angry? I’ve analyzed the poison in Hu Qiao’er’s body. It’s a chronic toxin found only in the extreme northern regions, and the poisoning occurred far earlier than I initially estimated.”

“Oh? So you were studying this. What’s this scribbly mess?” Unfamiliar with Arabic numerals, Luo Mingyu pointed at the figures, frowning slightly.

Ling Ruoxi laughed helplessly. Thinking of how people in ancient times used written numerals like one, two, three, four, she rubbed her temples and smiled. “It’s nothing—just numbers. By the way, why did Nangong Mo come today? He even had the mood to bathe with you. How are things between him and Qian Yi? With their willpower, nothing serious should’ve happened, right?”

Just thinking about those two made Ling Ruoxi want to laugh.