The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 253 Why Alive

Chapter 253: 253 Why Alive

Xiang Rong watched Li Xianyun with cold eyes and said, "If the Crown Prince knew you betrayed him and were being all lovey-dovey with another man, do you think he would still consider any sense of affection and spare your family?"

Li Xianyun let out a cold laugh. "Well, he’d have to actually be able to touch my family first."

Xiang Rong froze, "What... what do you mean by that?"

"You really are naive, do you think I would leave Houtang and abandon my family if I weren’t completely sure of myself?"

Li Xianyun’s gaze was cold and distant, speaking as if discussing the most ordinary matters, yet her words caused a huge uproar in Xiang Rong’s heart.

She had always thought that Li Xianyun had been able to stay by Murong Ce’s side for over a year entirely by using her beauty to serve him.

Now, reflecting on many details, it seemed clear that Li Xianyun wasn’t just a beauty without brains.

She had been ready to leave Murong Ce a year ago.

Staying by Murong Ce’s side was just a temporary measure.

This woman hid her true self so well it was somewhat frightening.

******

When Xiang Rong was eight years old, she was sold into the Houliang Imperial Palace by her own parents. Due to her small physique, she was despised and assigned to the least favored of all, the twenty-fourth prince—Murong Ce.

At that time, Murong Ce was also eight years old, but he was even smaller than her.

Xiang Rong’s family was so poor that although they were short of clothes and food, her parents were still decent to her. They only sold her because they were at the end of their means to survive.

For this reason, she harbored no resentment towards her own parents.

In a time of chaos, where lives were full of hardships and it was common for people to exchange their children for food, she considered herself lucky.

However, Murong Ce, supposedly enviable as a prince, was often cornered and beaten by other princes, forced to bark like a dog and eat dog food, even having his face trampled in the mud.

No one cared for him, not even his own birth mother who would abuse him.

When Xiang Rong first met Murong Ce, she found him to be quite different: silent, unsmiling, and indifferent.

It seemed as if nothing in the outside world affected him in any way.

Yet, Xiang Rong still discovered his secret; he was not as indifferent as he appeared on the surface.

On a snowy afternoon, Xiang Rong was ordered by Liu Zhaoyi to find Murong Ce.

Liu Zhaoyi, Murong Ce’s birth mother, had earned her position as a consort from being a Palace Attendant for giving birth to a son.

No good ever came from Liu Zhaoyi seeking Murong Ce. She always took her frustrations out on him whenever she felt slighted outside.

Those who are timid outside always tend to be tyrants at home.

Liu Zhaoyi was such a person.

Xiang Rong pitied Murong Ce, so she only made a show of looking for him and planned to claim she couldn’t find him. At worst, she’d take another beating.

But as she searched, she began to worry that Murong Ce might genuinely be missing.

She didn’t dare alert anyone.

On one hand, she feared punishment for Murong Ce, and on the other hand, besides her, a maid, no one truly cared about whether Murong Ce lived or died.

Her concern wasn’t for Murong Ce himself, but for her own future prospects.

She feared that, should Murong Ce be punished, she would have to serve a new master.

Although Murong Ce was cold and detached, he didn’t beat or scold his servants, which was rather commendable.

Xiang Rong searched all over for Murong Ce and finally found him in a secluded and run-down shanty amongst piles of discarded items.

The narrow, dim room was filled with a strong stench of blood.

Xiang Rong saw Murong Ce’s hands covered in fresh blood.

On the ground lay a Palace Attendant—who had mocked Murong Ce a few days before—with a bloody and mutilated chest.

Xiang Rong couldn’t comprehend how an eight-year-old child had managed to kill a grown man.

It was at this moment that Xiang Rong understood why palace attendants mysteriously disappeared without reason.

Murong Ce was not as innocent, weak, or harmless as he appeared on the surface; it was all an act.

Caught in her surprise, Murong Ce looked up at her.

Xiang Rong had never seen such terrifying eyes—the eyes of Murong Ce, like a venomous snake deep in the abyss, seemed to fixate on her, as if he might strike and rupture her throat at any moment.

Xiang Rong was terrified.

Murong Ce’s face was shrouded in darkness. "If you dare to speak of this matter, this will be your fate," he warned her.

Xiang Rong quickly prostrated herself on the ground, shivering, "This servant doesn’t dare."

"Did ’she’ send you to find me again?"

"She" was how Murong Ce referred to Liu Zhaoyi.

"Yes," Xiang Rong replied, fully aware now that Murong Ce was ruthless and not to be trifled with, in an effort to show her loyalty, "Your Highness, this servant can say I couldn’t find you..."

"No need," replied Murong Ce in a flat tone, tossing the knife to the ground and casually wiping the patchy blood from his hands with a torn cloth. "I have to know why I’m alive."