The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

"You think this broken lock can trap me?" Dongfang Wan'er's lips curled into a disdainful smile. She smugly pushed open the door and swaggered into the storeroom.

However, when she entered the storeroom and saw the scene inside, she couldn't help but frown and mutter to herself, "So poor..." There were only a dozen or so boxes in the storeroom, all of which were her mother's dowry. There were no items belonging to the Dongfang family at all.

Dongfang Wan'er opened each box to inspect them, finding many empty, containing only some jewelry and decorations. The box containing silver was completely empty.

"That Dongfang family! Liu Qiqi, how dare you misappropriate my mother's dowry!" Dongfang Wan'er clenched her fists angrily. She took everything from the remaining five boxes and packed them into her laboratory without hesitation.

After doing all this, Dongfang Wan'er left immediately. She even thoughtfully locked the door behind her.

A short while later, the two guards woke up.

"Oh no!" The guard got up from the ground and quickly checked the lock. He was relieved to find that the lock was still intact.

The next morning, Dongfang, as always, set off for the morning court. Along the way, he vaguely sensed that the gazes cast upon him by passersby were rather strange, but for the moment, he couldn't quite pinpoint what was amiss.

"Lord Dongfang, you're amazing..."

"I never expected that Marquis Dongfang would be so vigorous for his age..."

Dongfang heard the officials around him whispering, but he was completely baffled by what they were saying. He looked around suspiciously, trying to find a clue in their expressions, but everyone looked cryptic, which only made him more confused.

He walked along, deep in thought, pondering to himself, "What kind of trick are these people playing today? It's incredibly strange..."

"Minister Li, what do they mean by that..." Dongfang Hou grabbed the person closest to him, who was none other than Minister Li, with whom he had a fairly good relationship.

"Lord Dongfang, let's talk over here." Minister Li led Dongfang Zheng to a secluded corner.

"Lord Dongfang, don't you know? The news that you missed the morning court session because you were having fun with your concubine at home has already spread throughout the entire court and the country. It's probably already reached the Emperor by now. You'd better hurry up and think of a way to deal with this..."

After hearing this, Dongfang Zheng felt his head buzzing and his mind go completely blank. He clearly remembered suppressing this matter, so how could it have gotten out? Who leaked the news...?

Just then, a sharp voice rang out: "The Emperor has arrived!" Immediately afterwards, the chief eunuch Li Fu slowly walked out, stood still, and called out in his uniquely high-pitched voice.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" As this thunderous shout of worship rang out, all the ministers in the court knelt down and performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony to the man in the yellow robe on the dragon throne, who was majestic and imposing.

For a moment, the entire court was silent, with only the unified sound of the ministers paying their respects.

"Rise, my lords—" Emperor Ye Erxiao sat upright on the dragon throne. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it carried an irresistible majesty.

He simply raised his hand slightly, and the ministers stood up as if granted a pardon, shouting in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty—" These expressions of gratitude echoed throughout the court. After the ministers had all risen, Ye Erxiao's sharp gaze swept across the crowd like a hawk's, finally settling on Dongfang Zheng, who was standing in the front row.

Dongfang Zheng immediately realized that the emperor was watching him, and his heart was filled with panic. He lowered his head, not daring to raise his eyes to look directly at Ye Erxiao's holy face, and fine beads of sweat had even begun to seep from his forehead.

"Is Dongfang Hou here—" Ye Erxiao asked, his voice still calm as still water, without the slightest ripple.

"This old minister is here..." Dongfang Zheng took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice from trembling. He slowly stepped out of the ranks, came to the center of the court, and then knelt down with a thud, bowing his head and saying, "This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Lord Dongfang, do you know your crime?" Ye Erxiao's tone was very calm, but it was this calmness that made Dongfang feel an invisible pressure coming at him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Your Majesty, this old minister knows his crime and begs for forgiveness!" Dongfang Zheng's body began to tremble slightly. He knew that this time he would probably not be able to escape punishment.

"Hmph, so you know you're guilty. As you get older, you should be more careful in your actions and not cause me any trouble. Considering your past merits, I'll spare you this time, but I'll only deduct three months' salary," Ye Erxiao said casually.

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty. This old minister is deeply grateful. I will be extra careful in the future and will not make the same mistake again."

"Alright, you may leave." Ye Erxiao waved his hand, signaling Dongfang Zheng to return to his seat...

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!" What else could Dongfang Zheng do but accept it? Fortunately, the Emperor did not blame him.

"The Regent has arrived!" As the eunuch's shrill announcement came from outside the door, the noisy discussions in the court instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by a deathly silence.

The ministers displayed a variety of expressions; some beamed with joy, seemingly filled with anticipation for the regent's arrival, while others frowned, appearing deeply worried. Nevertheless, they all knelt down to pay their respects to the regent.

"Greetings, Ninth Prince!"

"Greetings, Ninth Prince..."

For a time, the sounds of worship echoed throughout the entire court.

The regent swept his cold gaze across the crowd, nodded slightly, and then slowly said, "Yes, all of you, get up!" His voice was low, but it carried an irresistible authority.

Ye Jiuchen did not kneel or pay homage. He stood upright, arms crossed, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the emperor, and said loudly, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Upon seeing this, Emperor Ye Erxiao showed no displeasure whatsoever; instead, he burst into laughter. He greeted him warmly, "Ninth Brother, no need for formalities. Are you feeling better?"

Ye Jiuchen coughed a few times, clenched his fist and put it to his mouth, weakly replying, "Your Majesty, your subject... cough cough cough... is feeling much better..." As he finished speaking, his body swayed involuntarily.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Ye Erxiao was startled and quickly shouted, "Guards! Quickly, bring a seat!"

The eunuchs dared not delay and hurriedly carried a beautifully carved rosewood chair into the court. This chair was placed at the very front, clearly prepared specifically for Ye Jiuchen.