“What?”
Faced with Lu Yuan’s almost humiliating words, Han Gou nearly exploded with rage.
He was the son of the Minister of War, after all. He was someone with status and reputation in the Royal Capital!
However, Lu Yuan did not care in the slightest what he thought.
“All right, you’re not taking her away today. Hurry up and get lost!”
Hearing this, Han Gou straightened his bent waist slightly. He swallowed hard and forcibly suppressed the anger burning in his chest.
“Your Highness, please calm your anger. This lowly one dares to say something.” Han Gou cupped his hands, though his voice still trembled slightly. “Marriage is traditionally arranged by the parents and matchmakers. Official Shen personally agreed to this marriage. I came today to present the betrothal gifts according to proper custom, and every required formality has been observed. Everything is reasonable, proper, and lawful.”
He continued, “If Your Highness refuses to let me take her away, surely you should at least give me an explanation?”
So what if Lu Yuan was the Ninth Prince?
Behind the Han Family stood the Minister of War.
Shen Yilei had personally agreed to this marriage, and by every customary rule, the Han Family was in the right.
“An explanation?” Lu Yuan tilted his head and looked at Han Gou. “Here’s your explanation. Get lost. Stop thinking about Shen Hanqiu. I’ve already given you more respect than you deserve.”
Han Gou’s face turned dark red with fury.
He was still a prominent young master in the Royal Capital. Yet in front of more than a dozen servants, a prince was pointing at his face and ordering him to get lost.
If word of this spread, how was he supposed to show his face in the Royal Capital again?
“Your Highness, what you’re saying…” The corners of Han Gou’s mouth twitched twice as he forced out a smile uglier than crying. “This lowly one truly cannot obey unless Your Highness gives me a clear answer. Why exactly are you stopping me from marrying Shen Hanqiu?”
He paused, then asked, “Could it be… that Your Highness has taken a liking to her as well?”
The moment those words fell, the entire street went silent.
Lu Yuan’s hand, which was holding the wine flask, stopped.
Instead of getting angry, he laughed.
He turned around to face Han Gou directly and casually thrust the wine flask into his arms.
“I have.”
Han Gou froze.
“So what?”
Those two words came from Lu Yuan with absolute confidence.
Han Gou stood there clutching the wine flask, his mind buzzing. His mouth hung open, and for a long moment, he could not close it.
Behind the screen wall just inside the gates of the Earl of Yongning Residence, Su Yuling and Shen Hanqiu had just arrived.
Both women stopped in their tracks at the same time.
Shen Hanqiu’s face instantly burned crimson, the blush spreading from the base of her neck all the way to the tips of her ears. Flustered, she hurriedly tugged at Su Yuling’s sleeve.
“Yuling, he… he didn’t mean it that way. His Highness the Ninth Prince only said that to help me out of this situation…”
“I know.”
Su Yuling’s gaze passed around the edge of the screen wall and settled on Lu Yuan’s swaying figure.
Of course she knew.
If that bastard really had taken a liking to Shen Hanqiu, Su Yuling honestly would not object.
With the protection of the royal family, this poor woman who had never gotten the chance to marry Su Yuling’s Fifth Brother would no longer be sold off by a father obsessed with currying favor with the powerful.
Even so, Su Yuling still felt her heart skip a beat.
‘That man really dares to say anything that comes to mind.’ Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Han Gou finally recovered from his shock. At first, he was dumbfounded, but then fury surged through him, twisting his face with rage.
He hurled the wine flask onto the ground, splashing wine all over his trouser legs.
“Ninth Prince, just because you’re a prince, does that mean you can steal another official’s wife?”
Han Gou roared, “Shen Hanqiu is the future daughter-in-law of my Han Family! You openly say you’ve taken a liking to her in front of so many people. Do you have any respect for the law? Aren’t you afraid the Censorate will impeach you?”
“Impeach me?”
Lu Yuan slowly rolled those words around in his mouth.
Then he moved.
His right foot slammed against the ground, and his entire body lunged forward.
Before Han Gou could even see what was happening, a fist struck him squarely in the chest.
The punch landed solidly, sending Han Gou staggering backward three steps until his back slammed into the horse-tethering post.
“That punch was for Shen Hanqiu.”
Lu Yuan gave him no chance to catch his breath. His left hand grabbed Han Gou by the collar and yanked him forward, while his right fist smashed into the bridge of his nose.
“And that punch was for your father.”
Blood burst from Han Gou’s nose and smeared across his face.
He howled and curled toward the ground, covering his head with both hands.
“They’re… they’re beating me! Are all of you dead? Get him!”
The dozen or so Han Family servants exchanged glances, tightened their grips on their clubs, and rushed forward two steps.
“Who dares move?”
Su Yuling stepped out from behind the screen wall. Her hair was tied back, her sleeves rolled up to her forearms, and a short blade hung at her waist.
She planted herself on the steps before the gate and swept her gaze across the dozen servants.
“He is the Ninth Prince of the Great Yong Empire, the Emperor’s own son. Touch so much as one hair on his head, and your nine generations will be executed. What, do you really think you’re important enough to challenge him?”
The servants froze where they stood.
More than a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned toward Han Gou.
Han Gou was curled up on the ground, his face covered in blood. He had no time to pay attention to them and could only shield his head as Lu Yuan continued beating him.
Lu Yuan straddled Han Gou and struck him with both fists.
Every punch landed solidly.
Han Gou’s face quickly swelled, and muffled cries spilled from his mouth. He could no longer form a complete sentence.
“Impeach me? Go ahead and tell the censors to impeach me!”
Smack!
“So what if I want her?”
Smack!
“A prince isn’t allowed to take a liking to someone?”
Smack! Smack!
The Han Family servants remained rooted to the spot, exchanging uneasy glances. Not one of them dared step forward. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Su Yuling stood on the steps with one hand resting on the hilt of her short blade. The look in her eyes made her meaning perfectly clear.
‘Take one step forward. I dare you.’
Behind the screen wall, Shen Hanqiu anxiously stamped her feet.
She tried to rush outside, but Su Yuling immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Don’t go.”
“But…”
“Just watch.” Su Yuling did not loosen her grip. “Let’s see how he handles this.”
Shen Hanqiu bit her lip and clenched her fists.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the courtyard.
“Your Highness the Ninth Prince, please wait!”
Lu Yuan’s fist stopped in midair.
He tilted his head and looked toward the source of the voice.
Shen Yilei climbed up from the ground. His knees were covered in dirt, and a patch of skin on his forehead had been scraped raw from kowtowing.
He bent at the waist and rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile spreading across his face.
“Your Highness, please wait. Please wait.”
Lu Yuan climbed off Han Gou and flicked the blood from his hands.
“You’re pleading for him?”
Han Gou lay sprawled on the ground. The moment he heard those words, he forgot about the pain coursing through his body.
With great effort, he lifted his head and looked at Shen Yilei through eyes swollen into narrow slits.
‘This old bastard Shen Yilei is at least a decent man.’
Once this matter was over, Han Gou would definitely have to find a way to promote him.
Shen Hanqiu lurched forward, but Su Yuling firmly held her back again.
“Father! Don’t…”
Su Yuling’s grip was frighteningly strong. Shen Hanqiu struggled twice but could not break free, and her eyes reddened with anxiety.
Su Yuling stared at Shen Yilei in the courtyard, her brows knitting slightly.
The old man had been kowtowing and begging for mercy on the ground only moments ago. Yet now that he had gotten back up, there was something strangely unsettling about the smile on his face.
Shen Yilei straightened his back.
He turned toward Han Gou, who was still lying on the ground, and the ingratiating smile on his face slowly disappeared.
“How could we possibly trouble Your Highness the Ninth Prince with such menial work?”
He bent down, picked up a club that one of the servants had dropped, and weighed it in his hand.
“Just leave it to this lowly one.”
With that, Shen Yilei grinned and walked toward Han Gou one step at a time.
Even Lu Yuan stared at the scene in astonishment.
‘The tables turned… that quickly?’
Meanwhile, Han Gou’s eyes widened until they were almost perfectly round.
“You old bastard… I’m the son of the Minister of War! You dare lay a hand on me?”