The Dragon's Flower Vol 6 - Vol 9 (END)

Side Story [Long Lian 4] - Secure the thigh of his in-laws to hug

LL 4 - Secure the thigh of his in-laws to hug

The scary frown was finally erased from Tian Liang's face. He sat down and placed his leg on top of the other horizontally, just like an uncouth youth, but he looked cool.

Tian Liang sneered as he thought of something. "That useless king from before. He has ten children. But none of them is a prince."

"Impossible..." Long Lian remembered hearing from her teacher that the previous King of Munzhu may be greedy and unsuitable to lead the country, but he was gifted with having all sons.

"That idiot fat man had all his daughters pretend to be male for the rest of their lives to avoid the throne to fall to outsiders. That selfish coward would do anything to keep his luxurious lifestyle."

This secret was tightly hidden from the public and only the royal family and close servants knew. Those that should not know, including the aunties that helped the Empress and concubines to give birth, were all silenced to hide the secret.

"It would have continued being a secret, if not for Nu Li's nanny. She seeks for us and tells us everything, in return to save Nu Li's mother."

"...Is that also why you spared Prince Nu Li?"

"Nu Li is the youngest daughter, and the king throws her out of the palace with her mother in anger when his eleventh child is once again a daughter. At least that animal did not kill her and spared his own child. She grew up as a commoner, not knowing her real identity until her nanny asked for help from us."

That was why Nu Li has darker and coarse skin unlike royalty should have. Hearing this much, Long Lian no longer understood clearly what was going on.

Tian Liang grinned, liking that Long Lian no longer treated him like her enemy and put away her sharp claws to listen to a story. Seeing his unabashed grin, Long Lian looked away with a pretty blush.

"Are you not going to explain?"

"When we decided to overthrow the useless King, we had long ago decided to make use of Princess Nu Li to appease those old geezers that would all day long speak about rules and tradition that does not help the country at all. They are willing to have the princess to pretend as a prince, and when she's of age, she will be paired with a suitable man and give birth to a prince to continue the bloodline."

"... If it's just to continue the bloodline, why not pick other princesses other than Prince Nu Li?" Long Lian's unsettled gaze fell on Tian Liang. "Why... kill them all?"

Tian Liang sneered, remembering how those princesses acted when facing life and death. They would sacrifice their servants or beg for their lives with ugly words just like how their father did. Some even go as far as to use their female body to please the rebels just to stay alive.

"None of them are worthy."

None of them were like Nu Li, who accepted her new role of an obedient prince, as long as her mother could get medical help. She knew what she needed to do and did not oppose it. It was better to work with someone willing and agreed to the plan.

Long Lian nodded, accepting his word as it was. "Training a young child is certainly easier than training an old one with their own opinion."

Tian Liang smirked. "Her mind is easily shaped."

Nu Li had lived a simple life, and her mother does not tell her anything about her father, already decided to cut ties with the royalty the moment they were banished. But her mother still worked hard to instill principles that her father failed to have, such as kindness and generosity.