"I beg you, Your Highness... P-please do not break off our engagement... please..." Pitiful sobs accompanied by words stuttered out using a pleading voice greeted Jiang Li"s ears. The place was quiet hence the familiar feminine voice was heard clearly by him. It made him instinctively open his eyes and at the same time, place his hand on the upper part of his face, a habit acquired from the previous world.
To his surprise though, no pain nor headache attacked him, proving that he was really no longer in He Chen"s body, but somebody else.
"Prince Rui..." The voice this time seemed to be from an older female, still pleasant but without the sweet youthfulness only present to young girls.
Jiang Li observed himself first and noticed that he was in a getup only seen on historical films and dramas. Everyone was dressed the same as him. The place too looked similar to an ancient Chinese palace hall.
"A drama being filmed?"
This was his initial guess, but when he looked around, there was no sign of cameras or anything like that. Everywhere he looked, his sight would be greeted by a kind of ancientness that was pleasant to the eyes yet showed signs of deep history and meaning.
Even the people around radiated this aura. The feeling these details gave him was genuine. It only meant one thing, he was transported to an ancient setting.
"This seems to be a banquet."
Sitting on the throne atop a raised platform in front was a man in his fifties dressed like an emperor. Jiang Li found himself seated at a table just one step below. There were many tables arranged below them. It was most likely, the nearest they were to the emperor, the higher their ranks and official posts were. Since he was almost next to the emperor, his own ident.i.ty must be quite amazing, maybe more than the Jiang Li of the trial world.
"So weak and cowardly."
Just then, a male voice coming from the table opposite his rang in the grand chamber.
Jiang Li"s eyes went that way and saw a tall man dressed similar to him. The person looked young, but regal and imposing. There was an unconcealed disdain in his eyes as he stared down at the beautiful and fragile-looking girl kneeling below.
Jiang Li couldn"t see the girl"s face since she bowing and knocking her forehead to the floor.
"What kind of set-up is this?"
He smiled wryly after hearing the arrogant-looking man add, "Miss Jiang, I advise you to just stop embarra.s.sing yourself."
"Why..." Even though there were many people looking and sneering at her miserable state, the crying girl seemed to be not seeing them at all. She looked at Prince Rui. Tears running down her immaculate face, she asked while shaking her head. "... why... can"t you give me a chance?"
The man only gave her a contemptuous glance then replied, "Ask that to yourself. You are so cowardly and useless. How could you be my for visiting.
Her sad cries did not arouse any pity from the departing man.
Severely heartbroken, her gaze went to the elegantly carved pillar nearest to her. Since after this event, her reputation would be destroyed and her life would become very difficult, why shouldn"t she just end it right here and right now? The girl"s thinking went that way, the determination that crossed her eyes did not escape Jiang Li and the emperor"s notice.
"She wants to commit suicide by throwing herself against a pillar?" Jiang Li"s left brow rose up. He also subconsciously stood up from his seat.
Before the emperor could issue an order to stop the girl, she had already started running with her head bowed down like a charging bull. Everyone watching her was alarmed, yet none of them managed to react, not even her mother who was by her side.
"If she collided like that to the column, she"ll surely die." This thought played in everyone"s mind. Many of the ministers and their servants seated near the pillar felt fear invade their hearts. They were at a banquet hosted by the son of heaven. If blood spilled at such a place and they were near but didn"t prevent it, what would the emperor think?
Understanding this, those near tried to block the girl. And as these people "tried" to prevent the unthinkable, the emperor"s urgent and commanding voice finally echoed throughout the hall.
"Stop her!"
This shout was followed by many scared exclaims from the others, mostly the ladies. Screams were mixing with each other and filling the entire place. However, after a couple of moments, when the suicidal girl was only a yard away from the pillar, those screams of fright died or were replaced by gasps of surprise.
"""It"s Prince Chen!"""
"Your Highness!"
The girl was too preoccupied with sorrow to notice that though. Without lifting her head, she rammed herself into the pillar. A pillar that turned into Jiang Li...Princess Consort of a King/Prince (w.a.n.g/w.a.n.g Ye)