Thinking of this, Mu Nanyin tried hard to ignore the malice emanating from her and began to explain—
“Princess, I don’t know where you heard these rumors. In the past, I did make some mistakes and hurt Prince Lin, but that was because my mind was clouded and I listened to others’ slander. It was absolutely not because I had feelings for the Third Prince.”
Princess Ning’an sneered coldly, “Do you dare say you have no feelings whatsoever for my Third Imperial Brother? Wasn’t it for him that you tried to kill yourself to break off the engagement? And wasn’t it also for him that you caused such a scene at the wedding banquet today?”
Hearing her question, the surrounding ministers perked up excitedly, secretly pricking up their ears.
The drama was unfolding.
How thrilling.
Even the Emperor seated above sat steadily on his dragon throne, watching all this with amusement, showing no intention of intervening.
On one side was Prince Lin, on the other was Ning’an—both were dear to him. How could he interfere?
Tsk, better to let them argue and enjoy the show.
“Princess Ning’an…”
Mu Nanyin had just begun to speak when Shen Junlin beside her suddenly interrupted.
“Ning’an, the matters between this prince and her are none of your concern. If I recall correctly, His Majesty intends to arrange your marriage to the young heir of the Marquis of Manzhong. If you have too much free time, I wouldn’t mind asking His Majesty to choose an auspicious date for you.”
The implication was clear: mind your own business!
Though his words were polite, the icy tone sent chills down everyone’s spine.
He was actually threatening her with marriage. Ning’an felt aggrieved, and for some reason, a surge of courage rose within her, prompting her to retort.
“Imperial Uncle, don’t be fooled by this woman. Everything that happened today was clearly planned by her from the start. Her goal was to cause a scene at the wedding banquet, humiliate you in front of everyone, and then force you to break off the engagement by threatening suicide. This way, you would lose favor in front of His Majesty. She’s trying to harm you!”
Hearing her confidently lay out the plan while deliberately omitting Shen Sichen’s name, Mu Nanyin understood.
So, Princess Ning’an was sent by Shen Sichen and Mu Bailian?
Hah, that cowardly man, hiding in the shadows, unwilling to take responsibility himself, only stirring up women to do his dirty work.
First her, now Ning’an.
And such a person dared to dream of ascending the throne and ruling the world?
She must have been blind in her past life.
Ugh! What a disgrace!
“Imperial Uncle, look, she’s not speaking. She’s admitting it. Imperial Uncle, a woman like Mu Nanyin—shallow, fickle, promiscuous, and two-timing—is utterly unworthy of you. She doesn’t deserve…”
Before she could finish, the floor tile beside Princess Ning’an’s feet shattered into dust with a loud “bang.”
Amid the flying dust, Ning’an’s face turned as pale as clay, and even the dazzling golden jewels in her hair couldn’t save her complexion.
“The matters between this prince and her are not for others to lecture about. Say one more word, and your mouth will end up like this floor.”
Shen Junlin’s voice was cold, carrying undisguised killing intent.
Even when he was furious earlier and nearly ruined her reputation, he had never spoken ill of her.
How could he allow others to casually slander and tarnish her innocence now?
The surrounding onlookers lowered their heads in fear, their previously eagerly stretched necks now tucked into their collars or hidden under the tables.
Heavens, this is terrifying.
They were so engrossed in listening to the gossip that they completely forgot—the subject of this gossip was that living King of Hell, the ruthless and cruel killer who wouldn’t blink an eye at taking a life.
How could lowly underlings like them dare to listen to the love life of the living King of Hell?
May the Bodhisattva bless them—Prince Lin must not vent his anger on them.
Ning’an trembled, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. She bit her lip hard, yet dared not utter another word.
Mu Nanyin hadn’t expected that, faced with Princess Ning’an’s accusations, Shen Junlin would openly defend her, disregarding his own reputation.
A warmth stirred in her heart, and she quietly reached for his hand hidden in his sleeve.
Shen Junlin didn’t pull away, but his hand was clenched into a tight fist, veins bulging on the back—clearly, he was furious.
She gently stroked the back of his hand with her fingertips, offering comfort. "Shen Junlin, thank you for standing up for me. But Princess Ning’an is right—some things were done by my own hand, and I must bear the consequences myself."
She, Mu Nanyin, was not the kind of person who would hide behind a man after causing trouble, letting others fight her battles.
Moreover, Shen Junlin’s actions would not only fail to clear up the rumors between her and Shen Sichen but would also tarnish his own reputation.
She didn’t want to see him make any more sacrifices for her, even if it was just idle gossip behind his back.
Mu Nanyin stood up, slowly sweeping her gaze over everyone present before settling on Princess Ning’an. Her eyes were clear and resolute.
"Princess, you just said I have no right to be with Shen Junlin. Are you implying that you are more qualified than I am to be with him?"
Princess Ning’an bit her lip, timidly glancing at Shen Junlin. Seeing no sign of anger from him, she mustered the courage to speak.
"That’s right. Just at the midday wedding banquet, you were making a scene for the Third Prince, threatening to die for him. And now, in such a short time, you’ve turned around to reconcile with Imperial Uncle, insisting on not breaking off the engagement. What kind of woman who plays both sides do you think you are? What right do you have to stand beside Imperial Uncle?"
Her face was too thin-skinned to openly admit her feelings for Shen Junlin, but her words left no doubt about her meaning.
Mu Nanyin chuckled lightly. "First, let me clarify one thing: Shen Sichen likes my gentle and kind Second Younger Sister. Shen Sichen and I have completely severed ties. From now on, he and I are strangers, in life and in death!"
"Hiss—" The heads hidden under the tables collectively drew a sharp, cold breath.
The Third Prince and Miss Mu’s younger sister?!
So, the one playing both sides wasn’t Miss Mu, but… the Third Prince?!
How thrilling!
Today’s gossip was truly exhilarating!
They hadn’t even eaten at the wedding banquet, but they were already full from the drama.
"As for you saying I have no right… Princess, why don’t we have a contest?"
Princess Ning’an rolled up her sleeves. "Contest it is! Do you think I’m afraid of you? What do you want to compete in?"
Mu Nanyin said nonchalantly, "I’ve heard that Princess is exceptionally skilled at playing the guqin and takes great pride in it, with few rivals in the capital. In that case, let’s compete in guqin playing, so that later, Princess won’t accuse me of bullying you."
Princess Ning’an: ??
Who’s bullying whom?!
Everyone in the capital knew that the eldest daughter of the Mu family grew up on the border, raised like an orphan in a wild manner. After returning to the capital, she spent her days indulging in play and only had some martial prowess. As for other skills…
Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, flower arranging, tea appreciation—she was utterly incompetent in all of them.
A genuine waste of space, a useless fool.
Where did she get such arrogance and confidence to challenge her in the very thing she excelled at—the guqin—and even dare to speak such bold words?!
"Fine, then we'll compete with the qin. Since it's a contest, there must be a wager. If you lose, from now on, you are not allowed to approach Imperial Uncle even one step closer. How about that?"
Mu Nanyin frowned, her expression serious. "Shen Junlin is not an object to be wagered on!"
Hearing this, Shen Junlin looked up, casting a complicated glance at her. In the scarred and battered depths of his heart, something stirred faintly.
She said he was not an object to be wagered on.
Then, to her, what was he?