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Chapter 157: Carriage Encounter
Chapter 157: Carriage Encounter
A young woman with a diamond crown and a robin's crest... the royal family's emblem?
Peering through the rear window of the carriage, she spotted the luxurious carriage adorned with the robin's crest. Her expression darkened, and the cheerful yet cunning smile on her face instantly transformed into boundless anger as if a storm were about to break.
"The carriage behind us... it must be His Highness Joshua's."
Looking at the cargo carriages that had been pushed off the road and toppled over, as well as the small merchants who had scrambled out of their carriages, frantically gathering their goods and glaring at the luxurious carriage with resentment, the middle-aged noblewoman's face also turned sour.
Although she was equally displeased with the other prince's conduct, the young woman's anger deepened in her furrowed brows. Nonetheless, she quickly spoke up to dissuade the other:
"Her Highness Veronica, you are traveling privately today without an entourage, let alone a guard.
If you go out now, not only will you disrupt the Lionheart Duke's succession ceremony, but if the rebels find out you're here, they'll surely cause a big commotion!"
"Hmm... I know..."
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. The once lively and cheerful girl vanished, and the solemn and dignified young woman from before reappeared.
Glancing a glance at the luxurious carriage behind them, the young woman, or rather, Princess Veronica, withdrew her gaze and calmly instructed:
"Move the carriage off the road. Let His Highness Joshua's carriage pass first. After the succession ceremony is over, have someone write down what happened today in a small ledger, in the style of those small merchants, and make it as tragic as possible."
The middle-aged noblewoman was momentarily startled by her words, then slightly confused.
"Are you planning to take this ledger to His Majesty and complain, asking him to discipline His Highness Joshua?"
"No. In the past, when we were fighting with the nobility over the Ministry of Finance, my father owed too much to His Highness Joshua's mother, so he has been overly indulgent towards him. Even if he finds out about this, he will only scold him verbally at most."
The princess shook her head and continued, her gaze fixed on the passing luxurious carriage as she spoke calmly:
"If we really want to solve the problem, this small ledger should be given to the Lower House, into the hands of those members of parliament who have been watching me closely, giving them an opportunity to exploit the situation.
No matter how I try to persuade him, it's useless. Only when the entire royal family's reputation is tarnished and their interests are severely damaged will my father's hand fall upon His Highness Joshua's face, teaching him what he should and shouldn't do."
"Your Highness, you are truly..."
After hearing the princess's words, the middle-aged noblewoman couldn't help but chuckle, then shook her head as she watched the departing luxurious carriage.
"Knowing His Majesty's temperament, His Highness Joshua is in for a rough time. If, under the 'pressure' of those members of parliament, he has to give up something, His Highness Joshua might not have a carriage to ride for half a year."
Just a slap and half a year without a carriage—is that considered miserable? After hearing the noblewoman's words, the princess remained silent. Instead, she looked through the carriage window at the dozens of overturned carriages on the side of the road and the large and small cargo boxes scattered on the roadside.
It had rained the night before, and even on Redwood Drive, a well-maintained road, there was still some mud on the sides.
Among the goods these small merchants were transporting, the broken porcelain and lamps didn't need to be mentioned. The coal, flour, and spices were all water-sensitive items.
As for the remaining silk ribbons and such, meant to adorn the succession ceremony, if they got soiled by the mud, the Lane family would certainly not accept them, and the merchants would have made the trip in vain.
And previously, Char Department Store, in order to protect themselves, had no choice but to conduct half a month of low-price clearance sales. The small merchants were already struggling, and this opportunity to supply for the Lane Family's Marquis Ceremony was a rare chance for them.
If she hadn't guessed wrong, many of the merchants' payments were likely on credit, and some might have even taken out loans. Now, all of them were overturned on the roadside by Joshua's guards.
If she turned a blind eye, most of these carriage owners would likely go bankrupt. As for the few with tattered clothing, crying while gathering their goods, they might end up in the slums of the capital in no time...
"Forget it, I'm not going to the Marquis Ceremony."
Looking at the ribbons lying in the mud and the merchants crying on the roadside, the princess couldn't help but shake her head in resignation. She waved her hand with a lack of enthusiasm and said,
"Let's go find Joshua's guards and have him compensate these people. Otherwise, some of them might..."
"Make way! Quickly clear the way!"
"Why is a cargo carriage on the Nobility Road? Get it off immediately!"
"Push them all down! There's a Duke's carriage behind, and the Marquis Ceremony will be delayed!"
Hearing the commotion from behind again, the princess's frown deepened as she leaned out of the carriage window and looked back.
The new carriage, pulled by eight tall and robust Char Horses, almost completely filled the nearly ten-meter-wide road. Its opulence surpassed even that of Joshua's carriage.
The sandalwood carriage, adorned with the Golden Crowned Lion Crest, not only had gilded brass nails everywhere but also had panels inlaid with clusters of jewels. Even the steel wheels bore imprints resembling beast feet, leaving lion-like footprints on the ground as it moved, achieving perfection in every detail within the regulations.
The Duke of Lionheart's carriage? This is going to be a problem...
Seeing the chaos on the road again, the princess couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
To avoid Joshua, that bastard, most of the carriages ahead had gone down the Nobility Road. Many had just barely returned to the road, and it would take at least twelve to thirteen minutes just to restore order, let alone make way again.
As for the new Duke of Lionheart, if he wanted to make it to Lane Manor on time, he would likely have to imitate Joshua, that bastard, and forcefully push these carriages off the road, probably causing a mess...
...
"Everyone, halt!"
Just as the princess was hesitating about revealing her identity to talk to the Duke of Lionheart, a head suddenly popped out of the carriage window, stopping those who were about to push the carriages off the road.
"Why are you rushing like this? Is this wide road not enough... Um..."
Looking at the Nobility Road, half-occupied by the carriages ahead, and estimating the situation, she silently swallowed the rest of her sentence. Turning to the sweating, elegantly dressed old man beside her, she said with dissatisfaction:
"I told you, we don't need a carriage. Walking there directly wouldn't take long either. You guys always have so many issues. I've already arrived, and now you want me to go back and walk again... Look! We're blocked!"
Feeling suffocated by the old man's words, but unable to find a solution, the former duke's steward could only smile and persuade him:
"Your Grace! Riding the 'Lionheart Coach' into the manor is a Lane Family tradition and part of the Marquis Ceremony. Please bear with it for just a little longer, just a little while more!"
(End of Chapter)
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