Смертная любовь в эпоху Северной Сун

Глава 67

"That's cheating!"

"All's fair in war!"

"Disgusting! Shameless!"

"You flatter me! I'm ashamed!"

"You wait, I will expose your despicable deeds to the world! I will let your people know just how vile their esteemed Second Prince truly is!"

"Hehe, Brother Jian, please make yourself at home!"

"You...you really think I wouldn't dare to do that?"

"I have never underestimated Brother Jian's courage."

"Don't think that just because you're a prince, I'll be afraid of you!"

"Oh, Brother Jian, you've misunderstood. This prince has never thought that way..."

Looking at Tuoba Chen, who was feigning innocence, Rongyue gritted her teeth in hatred, her anger almost reaching the heavens!

Turning her face to the lower left, Rongyue glared angrily at Luo Gui, who was prostrate on the ground kowtowing repeatedly. Her slender hand jabbed him hard in the air at the head: "County Magistrate! Aren't you ashamed of your pathetic state? You're supposed to be educated and have studied the law, yet you don't understand the principle that even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners! As an official, you should speak up for the people and enforce the law impartially, not succumb to flattery and sycophancy! Wealth and power should not corrupt you, nor should force subdue you. If you can't do that, what kind of official are you? A corrupt official! If you don't serve the people, you might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes! There's a saying: 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, he who loses the hearts of the people loses the world; those who act justly receive much help, those who act unjustly receive little help!' Being able to hold your position isn't a gift from heaven, but the support of the people! A corrupt official like you, who is self-centered, weak when faced with strength, bullies the weak and fears the strong, and never considers the interests of the people, will one day be dragged down by the people!"

Clap clap clap! Accompanied by several deep claps, a tall figure in red walked around the red lacquered pillars in front of the hall from behind and strode unhurriedly toward Rongyue and the other person.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Kid, this is the second amazing thing you've ever done for me!" Tuoba Jie casually put his arm around Rongyue's shoulder, his charming phoenix eyes revealing undisguised admiration.

For no apparent reason, Tuoba Chen found the hands resting on Rongyue's shoulders extremely offensive. His eyes flickered, and a look of displeasure flashed across them like a torrent.

He stepped over the tiger's body with his left leg, leaned forward, and seemingly unintentionally pushed Tuoba Jie's outstretched right arm outward with his back, while his left hand wrapped around Rong Yue's waist, pulling her slightly inward, subtly separating the two people who were close together.

Having never liked this prime minister who was bestowed the imperial surname, Tuoba Chen raised an eyebrow and greeted him with a distant and indifferent look: "So it is the prime minister."

How could Tuoba Chen's little actions escape Tuoba Jie's keen eyes? A look of surprise flashed across his eyes, and he withdrew his hand, replying calmly with his phoenix eyes raised: "Greetings, Your Highness the Second Prince. May Your Highness be well."

"I wonder if the Prime Minister, who is so busy with state affairs, has come to Yangcheng for personal or public reasons?"

Tuoba Jie bowed slightly: "Of course it is for the public good."

"Oh? For the public good? It seems this is a secret mission sent by the Emperor?"

Seeing that Tuoba Jie frowned and remained silent, he naturally took Tuoba Jie's silence as acquiescence.

He gave a knowing smile, tinged with slight sarcasm, and said, "This is truly the first time I've seen my father so recklessly, so completely disregarding his own feelings, and so readily trusting an outsider! Heh, anyone who didn't know better would think you were my father's illegitimate son! To be honest, having served my father for so long, if it weren't for your appearance, I truly wouldn't have known that my father was such a sentimental person... Heh, Prime Minister, sometimes I'm just so jealous of you. Why is it that your appearance is so perfectly proportioned..."

His knuckles trembled slightly, white from being squeezed too tightly! His jawline was taut, his demonic face as cold as ice, and his eyes, consumed by murderous intent, churned with a raging torrent of emotions, a strange red hue subtly obscuring his grey-green pupils! But in the next instant, he swiftly pulled down his eyelids, concealing the frantically surging red waves within…

When he opened his eyes again, his pupils were clear again.

Ling Mei relaxed, and he smiled faintly, saying, "Second Prince is joking."

With a casual glance, Tuoba Jie turned to Tuoba Chen after seeing Rongyue being embraced by him. His alluring phoenix eyes curved slightly upward: "Oh, by the way, I think I heard this boy accusing the Second Prince of stealing another man's wife in the back hall? Second Prince, what's going on here?"

How could Tuoba Jie not hear the sarcasm in his tone! Turning his face slightly away, a blush crossed Tuoba Chen's jade-like face: "It was just a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?" The word "misunderstanding" finally pulled Rongyue back to her senses from their verbal sparring: "How can this be a misunderstanding! It's clearly you..."

"It seems you don't want this to be a misunderstanding?" With a dark expression, Tuoba Chen pinched Rongyue's waist hard.

What he meant was...

Overjoyed, Rongyue forgot about the mischievous hand on her waist and quickly waved her hands, going along with the situation: "How could that be? It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Hehe..."

With a smug grin, Chong Tuoba Jie said, "Prime Minister, did you hear that? It's just a misunderstanding!"

The two, their bodies pressed close together, appeared incredibly intimate to Tuoba Jie. He smiled noncommittally, his phoenix eyes gleaming with amusement…

With a perfunctory bow, Tuoba Jie took his leave. His long, slender legs carried him away with a confident stride, his red robe billowing and creating a trail of crimson...

That figure looks so familiar… Rongyue frowned, staring blankly at the receding red figure. A few faint flashes of inspiration would pass through her mind, and she would try to grasp them, but they would slip through her fingers the moment she tried to hold them…

"Are you trying to break my back?! Ouch, that hurts!" Slapping away the wicked hand that had just pinched her, Rongyue grimaced and rubbed the spot he had just pinched, roaring. Why did this man like pinching people so much! Ouch, her back—

With a sour expression, Tuoba Chen's tone betrayed his sourness: "Is he really that good-looking?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Who else could it be! Who was it that made you stare without even blinking just now!"

Her two rows of eyelashes fluttered. Oh, that man! Rongyue realized and fluttered her eyelashes again.

"It is quite beautiful..." So beautiful that it's almost inhuman... Recalling that cold, charming, and seductive face, Rongyue nodded slightly and murmured thoughtfully.

An unspeakable rage almost burst forth from the depths of his heart! But since he couldn't find a reason to vent his anger, he had no choice but to suppress it, his face pale with suppressed anger and resentment as he glared at Rongyue, who was still lost in her reverie.

A burst of noise drifted into the room from outside, breaking the eerie silence between the two.

Tuoba Chen's eyes widened, and he roared, "What's going on outside! Are you tired of living?!"

The deafening roar made Rongyue's eardrums vibrate for a long time. Stealing a glance at Tuoba Chen, who looked like he wanted to devour someone, Rongyue wondered: Has this guy eaten explosives?

Upon hearing the shout, a yamen runner dressed in a black and red striped long gown hurried over, knelt down half a meter away from Tuoba Chen, and reported: "Your Highness, a woman outside the yamen, who calls herself Yu Yan, came to the gate and beat the drum to report a case, saying that she wants the magistrate to get her husband back for her..."

"Yu Yan!" Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I didn't come home all night, and when I did, I was so busy with the tiger case that I completely forgot to send her a message to let her know I was safe! She must be so worried about me right now!

Rongyue turned to rush out the door, but a large hand landed on her back: "Phoenix Jade..."

Sensing the threat in his tone, Rongyue's heart skipped a beat: "You're not planning to go back on your word, are you?"