Chapter 70: Cruel Prince 19

After Feng Qitong finished speaking, everyone in the courtyard immediately dropped to their knees, trembling in fear.

Once again, Tang Wan experienced just how terrifying imperial authority truly was.

At that moment, Feng Qitong looked at her with a faint smile.

“Now then, can my beloved consort finally feel at ease?”

Forget merely hugging or kissing her openly in his own courtyard—even if he behaved more boldly, no one would dare say a word.

And if someone truly lacked the sense to gossip?

He would simply kill them on the spot.

Hearing his casually murderous words, Tang Wan felt a chill run through her heart.

This man genuinely did not value human life at all.

Still, she couldn’t simply judge him according to modern morals.

In this world, Feng Qitong’s behavior was considered relatively normal for someone in his position.

So she quickly nodded.

“At ease... I’m at ease!”

Seeing her obedient response, Feng Qitong curled his lips upward in satisfaction before openly wrapping an arm around her waist and continuing through the garden.

...

However, not long after they began walking again, a servant hurried over to report:

“Your Highness, the Seventh Prince requests an audience outside.”

The moment he heard that, joy instantly appeared on Feng Qitong’s face.

“Seventh Brother has returned? Quickly, invite him in!”

Then he lowered his head toward Tang Wan and said:

“Ai Consort, Seventh Brother must have heard about our wedding and rushed back from the border because of it. Come—I’ll take you to meet him.”

Hearing this, Tang Wan immediately nodded obediently.

Of course she knew about the Seventh Prince.

He and Feng Qitong were full brothers born from the same mother, and both were the empress’s favorite sons.

The Seventh Prince was brave, talented in battle, and fiercely loyal to Feng Qitong, always treating him as the one person he followed unquestionably.

It was precisely because the Seventh Prince controlled military power that Feng Qitong’s position as Crown Prince remained extremely stable.

In fact, anyone wanting to eliminate Feng Qitong first had to get rid of the Seventh Prince.

As a result, during the war with Zhao Kingdom one year later, the Seventh Prince would be captured and brutally killed by enemy forces.

His corpse would even be hung publicly on the city wall before hundreds of thousands of Tang soldiers, completely enraging Feng Qitong.

Feng Qitong personally rushed to the border afterward, stabilized the army, and led the Tang forces to defeat Zhao Kingdom’s four hundred thousand troops.

Two hundred thousand soldiers died directly in battle.

The remaining two hundred thousand surrendered troops were later buried alive by Feng Qitong in revenge for the Seventh Prince’s death.

However, after carrying out that massacre, Feng Qitong’s mania would completely erupt, eventually driving him insane.

The emperor would have no choice but to depose him as Crown Prince and imprison him inside his residence.

Meanwhile, the Second Prince took advantage of the opportunity to rise to power.

And because Feng Qitong had already eradicated Zhao Kingdom entirely, the Second Prince later inherited a prosperous and peaceful empire free of major internal or external threats.

...

Not long afterward, Tang Wan finally saw the Seventh Prince.

Unexpectedly, he wore a moon-white robe and possessed a youthful baby face. Rather than a battle-hardened general, he looked more like the cheerful boy next door.

The moment he saw Feng Qitong, he immediately strode forward excitedly.

“Imperial Brother! I only just heard you got married, so I rushed back immediately! I still ended up one step too late. Why didn’t you notify me sooner?” the Seventh Prince complained resentfully.

Feng Qitong laughed heartily as he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulders.

“Seventh Brother, don’t blame me. This marriage happened because of special circumstances. Otherwise, how could this prince possibly marry in such a hurry?”

Then he looked toward Tang Wan.

“Come, let me introduce you. This is your sister-in-law, Tang Wan.”

The Seventh Prince immediately looked toward Tang Wan before grinning brightly.

“Sister-in-law! Congratulations! Imperial Brother is truly fortunate to have married such a beautiful wife!”

Naturally, he already knew about the circumstances behind Feng Qitong’s marriage.

At first, he had assumed Feng Qitong had been schemed against by some woman.

However, judging from Feng Qitong’s current attitude...

that clearly wasn’t the case at all.

And since Imperial Brother liked her so much, the Seventh Prince naturally treated her warmly as well.