Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 1236 - 195: Extra Story II

In Liuyun Hall, Lady Nan was fiercely strangling the neck of the Eighth Prince, saying through gritted teeth, "Why won’t you just die? Just die! Die! Die!""Mother..." The Eighth Prince was nearly suffocated, his small hands trying to pry Lady Nan’s hands open, but he couldn’t move her fingers even a bit. Just as he thought he was about to be strangled to death, Lady Nan suddenly released him, then hugged him, crying and apologizing.

The young Eighth Prince was numbly held in Lady Nan’s arms. His ears were ringing and he couldn’t hear what Lady Nan was saying.

Lady Nan suddenly pushed the Eighth Prince away, clutching her head with both hands and screaming in agony. Seeing this, the Eighth Prince quickly got up and ran outside.

It was snowing heavily outside, and the Eighth Prince, dressed thinly, stumbled out of Liuyun Hall. He didn’t know where to run, only that he should get as far away from Liuyun Hall as possible.

It was so cold; he hadn’t eaten, and he had almost been strangled again just now, so he couldn’t run very far before he was too exhausted to continue. He planned to find a corner to hide in and wait for his mother to finish her madness before returning.

The Eighth Prince looked up, his gaze blank as he surveyed his surroundings. The Imperial Palace was so vast, with so many halls, yet there was no place for him to take shelter.

He remembered there was a Cold Palace near Kunde Hall, so he headed there to hide.

Shivering, the Eighth Prince ran towards the Cold Palace. When he passed by Kunde Hall, he involuntarily stopped. He remembered that Lady Liang, who lived in Kunde Hall, was very gentle. Once when he fell, she had crouched down to help him up, dusted off the dirt from his clothes, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and asked him if it hurt.

It was the first time someone had treated him so gently and the first time someone had asked him if it hurt. If only she were his mother.

The Eighth Prince walked to the door of Kunde Hall, wanting to reach out and push the door open, but he didn’t dare. He stood at the door for a while, then turned away. The snow-covered path was slippery, and he accidentally fell down, letting out a cry of pain.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, the door of Kunde Hall opened, revealing a eunuch. Seeing him fall, the eunuch hurried to help him up. Recognizing him as the Eighth Prince, he quickly saluted and ran back to report.

In a moment, the Eighth Prince saw Lady Liang.

Lady Liang, with her swollen belly, took his little hand and led him inside. He knew he should pull away from Lady Liang’s hand and leave Kunde Hall, but her hand was so warm, he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

Seeing the Eighth Prince dressed so thinly, Lady Liang quickly asked a palace maid to bring a cloak.

The palace maid quickly brought a fox fur cloak, and Lady Liang wrapped it tightly around him. He felt his ice-cold body warm up instantly.

Lady Liang also had the palace maid bring warm water to wash his face and hands. She prepared a lot of delicious food for him, letting him eat slowly.

As the snow outside fell heavier, Lady Liang invited him to stay, suggesting he spend the night at Kunde Hall, and he nodded in agreement. He didn’t want to hide in the Cold Palace; he wanted to stay by Lady Liang’s side.

After the meal, Lady Liang had a palace maid bring a basin of hot water for him to soak his feet. After soaking, Lady Liang let him sleep on the couch, where there were warm, thick quilts and a warming stone for his hands and feet.

Lady Liang sat on the couch and, seeing the Eighth Prince staring at her, couldn’t help but chuckle, "What’s the matter?" Suddenly, her expression turned worried, "Are you uncomfortable somewhere? Does something hurt?"

The Eighth Prince shook his head slightly, timidly saying, "I’m not in pain."

Lady Liang thought of the marks on the Eighth Prince’s neck and knew Lady Nan had strangled him again.

"Are you sleepy? If you are, go to sleep."

"Mother..." The Eighth Prince wanted to call her mother consort, but he was afraid of displeasing Lady Liang, "Is the baby in your belly a brother or a sister?"

Lady Liang raised her hand to touch her belly, looking at the Eighth Prince with a face full of maternal affection, and asked, "Do you prefer a brother or a sister?"

The Eighth Prince thought for a moment and said, "I prefer a brother."

"When the brother is born, will you play with him?"

Hearing this, the Eighth Prince’s eyes lit up, and a joyful smile appeared on his small face.

"Can I play with the brother?"

"Of course you can, and the brother will like having you as a big brother," Lady Liang said, placing the Eighth Prince’s hand gently on her belly, "You can feel your brother."

The Eighth Prince placed his hand on Lady Liang’s belly, not daring to move. Just then, he felt a kick against his hand, his eyes widened in shock, filled with disbelief.