Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow and looked at Song Zhao again. Before he could speak, Song Zhao hurriedly said, "What the Minister said is right. Miss An solved the case of Fengxian Village and is a meritorious person. Miss Ming's splashing was really too much."
Upon hearing this, the crowd hurriedly chimed in, one saying, "Miss An is a woman of great righteousness who saved countless people from suffering and restored peace to Fengxian Village..."
One person said, "Miss An is intelligent, kind-hearted, and straightforward. How could she be so impolite as to offend Miss Ming? Miss Ming, please don't frame Miss An..."
One interpretation is: "Even the Emperor says that the Son of Heaven is subject to the same laws as commoners. How can the Lady of the County or State bully the poor and humble An Youwei family simply because of her royal status?"
...
The Duke's face turned green.
The Lady of the County and State blushed.
Mingjiao glared angrily.
An Xin's lips twitched: "Hey, hey..."
Yan Zhen frowned and said, "Everyone says that the daughter of the Duke of the State is well-educated, so why are you all spewing such slander?! How could such a shrewish, fierce, arrogant, and hateful person be the beloved Ming Jiao?! As far as I know, Ming Jiao has always been well-behaved, knows her mistakes and corrects them, and is knowledgeable and polite... Hmm, Ming Jiao, isn't she?" After saying that, she smiled kindly with her eyelashes curved.
Mingjiao was momentarily stunned by that face and subconsciously said, "Yes..."
Yan Zhen smiled and said, "It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Apologize."
Mingjiao snapped back to reality, her cheek still burning with pain. Clearly, it was that bitch An Xin who was in the wrong, so why did the master make her apologize?!
But if she doesn't apologize, wouldn't that be admitting that she's the shrew the adults are talking about?
"I won't apologize!" Mingjiao said angrily, turning around and leaving.
The Duke of the State abruptly stood up and coldly shouted, "You insolent fool! Apologize to Miss An now!?"
Mingjiao trembled, staring at the Duke of the State in disbelief, "Father... how could you side with her and blame your daughter!?"
The Duke of the State sneered, "Disgraceful thing! Guards, take the young lady back and lock her up in confinement for a month!"
Mingjiao's expression suddenly changed: "I don't want to be locked up! Father, you can't do this to me!"
The Duke's face darkened: "Guards!"
Mingjiao looked at the Duke of the State in despair, then suddenly glared fiercely at An Xin, gritting her teeth and saying, "I'm sorry! I will definitely tear your tendons out and rip your bones out, so that you will die without a burial place!"
An Xin said coldly, "There's no sincerity."
Mingjiao nearly vomited blood from her anger, but when she met Yan Zhen's cold gaze, she suddenly trembled, slowly clenched her fist, and whispered, "I'm sorry..."
An Xin said calmly, "This is the first and the last time. If there is a next time..." An Xin suddenly leaned close to Ming Jiao's ear, her voice icy, "Even the King of Heaven himself can't save you!"
Mingjiao suddenly glared at Anxin, but Anxin looked away, sat down, and started eating.
In a fit of anger, Mingjiao turned and ran out.
Yan Zhen suddenly laughed and said, "As expected of the Duke of the State, your magnanimity is beyond even my reach." As he spoke, he casually picked up the wine cup in front of An Xin, raised it, and said, "A toast to the Duke." He then drank it all in one gulp.
The Duke of the State forced a smile: "I have not been strict enough in disciplining him, and the Right Chancellor is too kind in his praise." He also raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Yan Zhen bent down and placed the wine cup in front of An Xin.
The faint scent of incense suddenly approached, causing An Xin's heart to skip a beat. She slightly raised her eyelashes and met his eyes, which were as bright and beautiful as the morning sun.
Yan Zhen stared at her for three seconds before turning to leave. An Xin reluctantly said, "Thanks."
Yan Zhen paused, placed her hands on the table, leaned closer, and said with a smile, "How shall I thank you?"
An Xin rolled her eyes at him: "You're pushing your luck."
Yan Zhen smiled and said, "I've always liked to push my luck. How about I repay you with my body?"
An Xin frowned: "Dream on!"
Yan Zhen laughed and said, "To offer oneself in marriage is wonderful even just thinking about it; to actually eat it would be the ultimate pleasure in the world!"
An Xin suddenly felt a headache coming on. This bastard really doesn't care about the time, place, occasion, or how many people are around; he can say all sorts of rubbish!
Her ears suddenly turned red. An Xin suppressed her anger, raised her lips, and smiled at him: "My lord, can you get lost? Stay away from spoiling your shrewish wife."
Yan Zhen suddenly chuckled and whispered, "Next time, I'll take you with me to roll around in bed."
An Xin: "!" What kind of mutated gene could evolve this person's shamelessness to such a masterful level? Should she respectfully call him the grandmaster of shamelessness?
An Xin gritted her teeth and laughed, "I think it's more appropriate for adults to get lost!"
Yan Zhen opened her folding fan, covering her lips with a smile, and said, "I think you are more suitable for me, Your Excellency." After saying that, she leaned down and pecked her lips. The kiss was fleeting, but it dazzled everyone in the hall!
The crowd cried out in alarm, "Heavens above, earth below, ancestors! Where is the law and order?!"
An Xin lowered her eyelashes, her face indifferent, but the anger, shame, and resentment in her chest almost burned her to ashes!
xxx xxx
The corner pavilion of the palace garden is adorned with a profusion of flowers.
A plaintive cry rang out.
"That bitch hit me, and the lord actually spoke up for her! You should know that the lord has always doted on me the most!"
“An Xin, it’s one thing to steal the Right Prime Minister, but why did she hit you? You should know that a girl’s face is the most important thing… Look at this beautiful face, how did it get so red and swollen?” Su Miaoling said with pity.
Mingjiao felt even more aggrieved: "Your Highness, in what way is Mingjiao inferior to that Anxin? Why does Your Excellency abandon Mingjiao but protect her? In the past, no matter how lawless Mingjiao was, Your Excellency would always protect her."