6. Am I so Ugly?

Everyone in the court, including the king, queen, and nobles, understood the significance of the ninth prince's sudden appearance. It was a clear and bold declaration of his opposition to the marriage.

The princess was not oblivious to the ninth prince's stance, and if she could choose, she would also voice her own objection to the marriage. But she was in no position to make such a declaration. Instead, she watched with a questioning gaze, her curiosity piqued.

Her maidservants and bodyguards also grasped the situation. The ninth prince's resistance to marrying the princess meant her future would be marred by difficulty.

Liu Min, the maidservant who had briefly reveled in the princess's misfortune, experienced a pang of sympathy and sorrow for her mistress. However, her true feelings remained well concealed. In this world of intrigues and politics, their fates were often intertwined but rarely acknowledged.

Among the ministers, discussions, and speculations ran rampant. Some wondered if the prince would be allowed to reject the marriage, while others saw an opportunity to exploit the situation for political gain. The courtroom was abuzz with hushed conversations, each voice adding to the tension.

Without a single glance at the princess or others, the ninth prince finally broke his silence, delivering his proclamation directly to his parents. "Father, Mother, my heart belongs to Xiao Xiu. I will wed no one else. If you force me into a marriage against my will, I would rather die." With conviction in his words, he produced a concealed dagger from within his attire, plunging it into his chest before swiftly retracting the blade.

This sudden sequence of events had unfolded with such swiftness that it left everyone in the courtroom in a state of shock and disbelief.

The ninth prince's actions had been so abrupt that it had caught everyone off guard.

Beads of sweat appeared on the king's forehead, and he hastily rose from his seat.

The queen's voice trembled as she called out to her son, her cries laced with anguish. She ran to him.

"Zimo, my baby, how could you do this? How could you do this?" Her pleas grew increasingly frantic as she saw her son's eyes nearly closing. Desperate, she shouted, "Zimo, Zimo, listen to Mom. Do not close your eyes. I will let you do anything you want."

The king, too, reacted swiftly, bellowing, "QUICKLY CALL THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN!" He hurried to his son's side, setting aside his earlier anger.

Regardless of his earlier fury, he couldn't bear to lose his beloved son. If the prince adamantly refused to marry, the king had no intention of forcing him, so long as his son survived this ordeal.

The courtiers who had been engaged in hushed conversations earlier fell into a heavy silence. Eunuchs rushed to summon the royal physician.

Meanwhile, Princess Ming Liao was left deep in thought, grappling with her own emotions. She questioned herself inwardly, "Am I so ugly that he wanted to end his life rather than marry me? Am I truly unattractive?"

As far as she was concerned, the rumors about her being unattractive were baseless, and she found it difficult to comprehend why the ninth prince had resorted to such drastic measures.

She didn't know that she was rumoured to be ugly and fat like a pig in the kingdom. If the ninth prince had seen her appearance, he would surely not resort to such length to call off the wedding.

But after hearing the rumors, the ninth prince didn't want to marry this princess from a small country. He knew his parents wouldn't force him if he wagered with his life.

With each moment, the courtroom edged closer to chaos, and the princess remained resolute amid the turmoil. It would take several minutes to summon the royal physician, and the prince's life was hanging by a thread. The situation was dire. Had the dagger not been removed after the stabbing, saving him would have been less complicated. However, with the weapon withdrawn and considerable blood loss, the prince was at risk of succumbing to excessive blood loss.

The princess reached into her sleeves and retrieved a pill, her movements deliberate. She approached the prince and administered the pill to him. The king, the queen, and the onlookers observed her actions with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. Their eyes conveyed unspoken questions.

Both the king and queen, viewing the princess through a lens of trust as the daughter of their good friend, didn't suspect any malevolent intent in her actions. Their unwavering faith in her remained steadfast.

But amidst the chaotic scene in the courtroom, the ministers voiced their concerns and outrage.

"What did you feed the prince?"

"Do you want to kill him?"

"Even though he didn't want to marry you, how could you harbor such evil intentions toward the prince?"

"This girl's thoughts are so wicked at such a young age. How frightening."

Some even called for extreme measures, shouting, "Behead her. Kill her. Lock her up."

The princess explained calmly and measuredly, "It's a pill that helps with blood loss. Look at the floor. Before succumbing to the stab wound, he might die from excessive blood loss."

The king, the queen, and everyone else obediently followed her gaze to the floor, where a substantial pool of blood had already gathered.