novelraw Chapter 723 - 703: Difficult to Quell
Chapter 723 - 703: Difficult to Quell
Dugu Jing took a slap to the face, his cheek swelling instantly. Lan Ningzhen was taken away by the doctor for treatment, and General Lan, worried, followed alongside. The Beiman King flew into a rage and punished Dugu Jing with thirty lashes of a military rod. The Sixth Prince grew anxious and asked Dugu Jing to explain himself. However, Dugu Jing remained silent and accepted the punishment. What happened was indeed improper on Dugu Jing’s part. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Beiman King couldn’t show favoritism and had to give General Lan an account. Xie Jue was injured as well — Dugu Jing had hurt both of them single-handedly.
Dugu Jing returned after taking thirty lashes, his face pale and his back a bloody mess. The Sixth Prince hurriedly helped him sit down, while the Second Prince spoke coolly, "Xiao Jiu, Second Brother knows you like Anning, but you have to use the right methods. Always shouting and resorting to violence isn’t acceptable. Anning, after all, is a girl and cannot bear such savage intimidation. Today, you hurt her, and you also injured Helian. She’ll be even less likely to pay attention to you now."
In a deep voice, Dugu Jing said, "Lan Ningzhen and Helian are irreconcilable enemies to me. From now on, there will be no more ties. Don’t bring them up again!"
The crowd: "..."
The hall was filled with members of the Dugu Family, all of whom were eager to see the marriage succeed. Many brothers had even given Dugu Jing advice, hoping he could marry the Goddess Lan Ningzhen. Dugu Jing was the ninth-ranked among his siblings, posing little threat to his elder brothers. His forthright temperament, clarity in love and hate, as well as his friendly relationship with his brothers made him fairly popular. Now that he had abandoned Lan Ningzhen, others viewed the decision with both pity and regret.
But Dugu Jing, with his lofty pride, was still fuming after being set up by Xie Jue and Lan Ningzhen. The mere mention of their names made him seethe. It was blatantly obvious that they had schemed to provoke him — and he, being inherently short-tempered, had fallen for it. In his wrath, he took action. Though Lan Ningzhen could hold her own in a fight against him, she deliberately let herself get struck by his sword just as their father and brothers arrived.
It was clearly intentional!
She and Helian Feng had conspired to set the trap. He even saw the malicious satisfaction flicker in Lan Ningzhen’s eyes when she was wounded. But if he voiced these suspicions, who would believe him?
Who would believe it?
Aside from his Sixth Brother, probably no one.
The Beiman King had punished him without even asking for the reason, leaving Dugu Jing all the more unwilling to explain.
"Don’t be reckless!" said the Sixth Prince in a deep tone. He knew Dugu Jing was still angry and acting without thinking. The Sixth Prince still hoped Dugu Jing would marry Lan Ningzhen.
He had analyzed all the pros and cons for Dugu Jing, and Dugu Jing had said he understood and taken it to heart.
"I’ve given this careful thought. Brother, you don’t need to persuade me!" Dugu Jing responded in exasperation. "I will absolutely not marry a woman this full of schemes and treachery."
The crowd: "..."
The Beiman King was so enraged that he nearly picked up a wine bowl to smash Dugu Jing’s head. This disgraceful wretch! Today’s banquet was organized entirely for him, and he had ruined everything, a wasted effort. Yet Dugu Jing, not content with the damage, now began to furiously insult Lan Ningzhen in front of everyone. Imagine how the Lan Family must feel upon hearing this. He clearly hadn’t considered their feelings at all.
"You couldn’t control your temper and hit Anning. Then you injured the strategist from your Second Brother’s residence. How do you still think you have any justification?" the Beiman King said. "It was you who insisted you wanted to marry Lan Ningzhen, asking me to grant the marriage. This banquet was precisely for the purpose of your marriage blessing. Now you’re going back on your word, refusing to marry Anning. What exactly do you want?"
"I wanted to marry her yesterday, but I don’t want to today!" Dugu Jing said stubbornly, his voice rough and defiant, his mood utterly foul. "You haven’t issued the marriage decree anyway, so why can’t I change my mind?"
The Beiman King nearly burst out in fury. General Lan strode in, his sleeves still stained with blood, and angrily knelt before the king. "My king, since the Ninth Prince has no intention of marrying my daughter, my daughter likewise has no desire to wed the Ninth Prince. Let this engagement be annulled. From now on, let the two not entangle with each other, to avoid being ridiculed. I saw my daughter severely injured, lying in a pool of blood, which set my anger ablaze. Were it a common household feud, I would be storming over with a blade to seek justice for her. But were my daughter to marry the Ninth Prince, she would only suffer oppression. As an old servant, I cannot overstep my bounds for her. Marriage should bring alliance, not enmity, and it cannot be forced. Let’s end it here."
The Beiman King found himself in a difficult position. Originally, it was meant to be a good, straightforward marriage. Once the wine had flowed, he’d planned to bestow the union. With General Lan and Lan Ningzhen already entering the Imperial Court, he would apply pressure, which General Lan would not refuse, considering the interests of the family. Who could have predicted such a twist midway? Now both parties were dissatisfied with the arrangement.
He cast a furious glare at Dugu Jing, bitterly disappointed. Yet Dugu Jing felt entirely justified, believing he had been set up and refusing to back down. Lan Ningzhen had dared to plot against him like this — how could he possibly marry her now? He believed it was all Helian Feng’s fault. Helian had misled Lan Ningzhen, driving her to turn against him.
"Father, I won’t marry Lan Ningzhen, but I cannot bear being humiliated like this. I beg you to issue an order to kill Helian Feng. It was he who orchestrated this entire matter behind the scenes, causing Lan Ningzhen to become my enemy. If this man isn’t eliminated, my rage will never subside!"