"Hiss—" Someone gasped.
Xu Ruolan's expression changed, and she hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief. An Xin took it and wiped her face, then picked up a glass of wine, but Xu Ruolan grabbed her hand. An Xin looked at Xu Ruolan, who shook her head frantically and whispered, "Xin'er, Mingjiao is the daughter of the Duke of the State. Even the Left and Right Prime Ministers have to give her face. Don't be impulsive."
An Xin dropped her wine glass, but still stood up and looked directly at Ming Jiao.
"What do you mean by that look?" Mingjiao raised her chin. With her noble status, she was naturally fearless. The Duke of the State was the late emperor's own brother, and even the Empress Dowager had to show him deference. She wasn't a shrew, but she just really couldn't stand An Xin.
An Xin said calmly, "It doesn't mean anything." Then she raised her hand, and a loud "slap" rang out, silencing the entire hall.
Mingjiao covered her face and stared at An Xin in disbelief: "You dare hit me!?"
An Xin said calmly, "That's exactly what I'm going to do."
"Mingjiao!" The Lady of the County Kingdom's expression changed, and she rushed over in a panic, suddenly shouting at An Xin, "How dare you! Kneel down now!"
Xu Ruolan's expression changed, and she was about to kneel down when An Xin grabbed her.
An Xin asked calmly, "Why?"
The Lady of the County Kingdom roared, "How dare you slap Mingjiao in the face?!"
An Xin said calmly, "She splashed wine on me, so I slapped her in the face. What's wrong with that? Does the Lady of the County mean for me to splash it back?"
The Lady of the County Kingdom's face changed drastically: "You, you are of lowly status..."
An Xin said calmly, "Is the Lady of the County or the Right Chancellor mocking me?"
The Lady of the County and State's expression suddenly changed.
"So what if I call you lowly!? Aren't you lowly!? Do you really think you're worthy of being the Right Chancellor!?" Mingjiao raised her hand to strike Anxin, but Anxin grabbed her wrist, her eyes cold. "The entire court is here. Your Majesty, tell me, does the Dayi Dynasty still have any law?"
Huang Yixuan was also startled. He knew Mingjiao's personality well. She was usually pampered and had never suffered such grievances. Of course, he did not expect that An Xin would actually slap her back... The case of Fengxian Village still needed An Xin to solve, so she could not be punished... Subconsciously, Huang Yixuan looked at Yan Zhen, but saw that Yan Zhen had her eyes closed and was resting, seemingly unaware of what had happened in the hall.
"Ahem... An Xin, apologize to Ming Jiao. It's not a good look for a young lady to be humiliated." Huang Yixuan was about the same age as An Xin, but he was still just a child.
An Xin coldly replied, "On what grounds?! Just because she's a member of the royal family?!"
"So what if I'm a member of the royal family?!" Mingjiao was furious. "Just because you're of lowly status, you have to apologize to me!"
An Youwei's expression changed, and the Duke of the State's expression turned ugly.
An Xin said coldly, "Impossible!"
"Xin'er, Xin'er, listen to your mother, quickly apologize to Miss Ming. Xin'er, let's bear it, okay?" Xu Ruolan was already ashen-faced with fright. The other party was the Duke of the State! Even the Left and Right Prime Ministers had to show deference to him!
"An Xin, are you trying to rebel?!" Ming Jiao was furious. She had seen bold people before, but never anyone this bold!
An Xin coldly laughed and said, "To openly cause trouble in front of the Emperor, is this not showing any respect for the Emperor?"
"You're talking nonsense! Men, drag her out and behead her!" Mingjiao shouted angrily.
Xu Ruolan's face suddenly turned pale: "Xin'er, I beg you, please apologize, okay? We can't win..."
An Xin slowly clenched her teeth.
Where is the reason?
In this feudal society, power is everything!
An Xin slightly raised her eyelashes, a sharp, cold light flashing in her eyes. Her father was an official in the court, always on edge, as if walking on thin ice. What would be the consequences if she continued to make a scene?
How can she contend with the king of this world?
An Xin took a deep breath and looked down at Xu Ruolan's tearful face. They were used to living in the village. How could they not be afraid of going up against such a huge creature?
If she loved her parents, she shouldn't let them worry, right? A pang of sadness welled up inside her, her fists slowly clenched, and the words "I'm sorry" were about to escape her lips...
Chapter Sixty-Five: A Kiss That Shocked Everyone
"I've heard that the Duke of the State has been making many friends and retainers these days, including some of the most talented. Could it be that they were introduced by His Majesty?" A lazy voice drifted over casually. The Duke of the State's expression changed slightly, and he looked at the person seated to the side and smiled, "The Right Chancellor's information network is indeed very good. Those retainers may have some minor talents, but they are far from being even one ten-thousandth as talented as the Right Chancellor. To call them great talents is really an overstatement."
Yan Zhen raised his eyelashes and smiled lazily, saying, "How could the people recruited by the prefecture and state be ordinary? Take Zhou Tong for example, he is a genius who has thoroughly studied military strategy. One man can be worth ten thousand soldiers. If he were really used on the battlefield, he would definitely be 'one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.' The prefecture and state is very thoughtful."
The Duke of the State looked stern.
Yan Zhen shook his folding fan, stood up, and slowly walked to An Xin. Everyone's expression changed, and they hurriedly retreated.
Yan Zhen leaned back leisurely and said, "The Empress Dowager once praised the Lady of the County and State for her kindness and virtue, and I have always admired her. But seeing her today, I realize she is all talk and no action..."
The Lady of the County immediately lost her composure and, suppressing her anger, said, "What is the meaning of the Right Chancellor's actions? This girl is audacious and disrespectful to the royal family; she deserves to be executed!"
Yan Zhen smiled casually: "What contempt for the royal family? In the end, it's all about reason. With reason, one can rule the world; without reason, one can't move an inch. I have always believed in reason. Even if this girl is my future wife, I will never show her any favoritism."
Everyone looked at him strangely.
Mingjiao's face immediately lit up with joy: "You bitch, did you hear me?! Apologize to me right now!?"
Yan Zhen raised her eyelashes and looked at Ming Jiao, saying, "Ming Jiao, aren't you going to apologize to Miss An? You're getting more and more outrageous."
Mingjiao suddenly choked, exclaiming in surprise, "My lord, it was she who offended me..."
Yan Zhen glanced at An Xin and asked, "Miss An, who offended whom?"
Even though An Xin was furious at the moment, she still twitched her lips, rolled her eyes, and said, "Nonsense, of course she's the one who provoked me!"
Yan Zhen then looked at the Minister with a smile and said, "Your Excellency saw it. Who offended whom?"
The Minister wiped away a bead of cold sweat and said, "Miss Ming splashed wine all over Miss An's face for no reason; that was really going too far..."