Chapter 290: Chapter 290

An unfamiliar young girl’s voice clearly rang in the Second Prince’s ears: "If you dare to cry, I’ll hit you."

The Second Prince’s mind worked slowly, having grown to five years old under the doting love of Emperor Taikang and the indulgence of Consort Fan. In his short five years of life, he had always gotten whatever he wanted. He wasn’t afraid of this threat at all.

His chubby body was jabbed heavily, and his mouth, which he had been forcing open, suddenly lost its voice.

The Second Prince was scared and continued to scream with effort.

There was still no sound.

The Second Prince’s eyes widened with terror, tears rushed out of his eyes, and his plump body shook uncontrollably. No matter how hard he tried, there was no sound at all.

Earlier, the Second Prince had his stunned acupoint pressed and fell asleep as soon as his vision darkened. Now, his dumb acupoint was pressed, rendering him able to move his body but unable to produce any sound.

Jiang Shaohua held him with her left arm, and with a slight force of her right hand, she firmly restrained his wildly flailing hands. She leaned close to the Second Prince’s ear and whispered, "If you don’t listen to me, you won’t be able to speak today."

The Second Prince struggled fiercely but, like a rabbit trapped in a snare, could not move at all.

That pleasant young girl’s voice leisurely spoke the most terrifying words in the world: "Remember, I am the Nanyang County Princess, your cousin Jiang Shaohua. On the trip to the Imperial Mausoleum these next few days, I will be watching over you."

"You must obediently listen to me."

Eunuch Yuan, who had been keeping an eye on the Second Prince, felt his heart tremble at the sight.

He mustered his courage and stepped forward, lowering his voice: "The Commandery Princess has been holding His Highness for half the day and must be very tired. Why not let this servant hold His Highness instead?"

Jiang Shaohua looked up: "Can you control him when my younger cousin causes trouble?"

Otherwise, the Second Prince wouldn’t have repeatedly run out of the mourning hall and headed to the Jiaofang Palace. He was just a lowly servant and dared not discipline the master.

"Sending off the funeral procession to the Imperial Mausoleum is the most solemn and cannot allow for his mischief." Jiang Shaohua said mildly, "I can take care of him."

Even the heavyweights like Prime Minister Wang and others had suffered in silence; Prince Wu’an and his father couldn’t get any good out of it. As a mere eunuch in the presence of the domineering Nanyang County Princess, it was best for Eunuch Yuan to stay quiet!

Eunuch Yuan dared not speak further and withdrew quietly.

Seeing the servant he was most familiar with retreat, with no one noticing him, the Second Prince felt even more wronged and tried to scream again.

But alas, still no sound.

After another two hours.

There was suddenly an unusual commotion in the rear of the procession. Soon, someone reported to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, Minister Li, Mr. Li has fainted."

Minister Li was the Crown Prince’s maternal grandfather. Hearing that his grandfather had fainted from exhaustion, the Crown Prince was startled and anxious, immediately instructing: "Have someone carry Minister Li onto the carriage to rest for a while."

During the funeral procession, the coffin must not stop, and the coffin must not touch the ground. This means the long journey required continuous movement, day and night.

Seven years ago, when the late Emperor was buried, about ten officials fainted on the way. This time, with Emperor Taikang, it’s unclear how many old officials can hold out.

As darkness fell, the Imperial Guards started lighting white lanterns, and under the white and ghastly glow, everyone silently and solemnly continued forward.

However, by this point, the marching speed was extremely slow.

The Second Prince, who had cried all afternoon, had a hoarse throat from crying. Though his dumb acupoint had already been released, he still couldn’t make a sound. Being small and unable to withstand hunger, his stomach was growling now. For more chapters visıt 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥

A cold bun was stuffed into his hand. That terrifying voice sounded by his ear: "Eat if you’re hungry, no crying."

The Second Prince was so hungry, he couldn’t be bothered to sulk against his devilish cousin and took a fierce bite. As a result, the bun stuck in his throat. In just a moment, the Second Prince’s face turned purple from choking.

If left unchecked now, the Second Prince would most likely choke to death silently.

Jiang Shaohua glanced down and, after weighing her options, had to give up on this wonderful thought. Since she had taken the initiative to care for the Second Prince, any error on his part would be accounted to her. It wasn’t worth dying for the Second Prince.

Moreover, it was Consort Fan who had truly ordered her poisoning in the previous life. The Second Prince was merely a foolish puppet.

Jiang Shaohua turned the Second Prince over so he was head down, and tapped his back with her right hand. With a ’wah,’ the bun in the Second Prince’s throat finally came out.

The Second Prince took a few sharp gasps, and tears welled up again.

Those three simple words miraculously stopped the Second Prince’s crying.

Jiang Shaohua adjusted her posture, sitting the Second Prince on her left arm, tore off a piece of the bun with her right hand, and stuffed it into the Second Prince’s mouth: "Eat."

The Second Prince obediently ate.

Mouthful after mouthful, he quickly finished the bun and drank a few sips of cold water. His stomach was half-full. The Second Prince started to feel sleepy, and his head leaned against Jiang Shaohua’s chest in the night and he fell asleep just like that.

Jiang Shaohua glanced down and saw the Second Prince’s fair and chubby cheeks, like a bun.

A five-year-old boy, with rosy lips and white teeth, handsome and adorable. Unfortunately, intelligence is innate, and the Second Prince was truly foolish and slower to react than others.

This child, in two years, would unbelievably be made the new emperor of Da Liang, just because he was the only prince of the Da Liang royal family. The thought of Da Liang’s vast empire and millions of people being handed to such a fool is truly sad, laughable, and lamentable.

After a night, six ministers had fainted.

The Crown Prince had walked a day and a night, his legs felt like they were filled with lead, becoming heavier and heavier. However, he was the main player in the funeral procession and could not collapse or rest; he had to hold on until they reached the Imperial Mausoleum.

He slowed his pace and, with the attendants’ assistance, managed to eat half a bun and drank some cold water, slightly recovering his energy before quietly turning his head for a glance.

In his line of sight, everyone was visibly tired.

The only exception was Jiang Shaohua.

Jiang Shaohua advanced at her own pace, walking leisurely in the procession. She carried the Second Prince in her arms all along and appeared completely at ease.

How much strength must she have?

The Crown Prince was utterly impressed by Jiang Shaohua.

Not only the Crown Prince, but the usually proud Zheng Chen also cast a silent, complex gaze her way.

Not far away, Prime Minister Wang, supported by Wang Jin, trembled along, occasionally glancing at Jiang Shaohua with growing surprise and wariness in his eyes.

The sun rose, and the morning light scattered.

The Second Prince, who had been sleeping soundly, stretched lazily and opened his eyes, his chubby face rosy from sleep, looking very adorable.

Jiang Shaohua looked down: "Hungry?"

Somehow, the Second Prince, who originally intended to make a fuss, shivered when he met Jiang Shaohua’s calm gaze, and his voice automatically became much softer: "Hungry."