Upon seeing Prince Ning, the two maids Rui Lan and Qiu Lu, who had never witnessed such grand occasions, were already so frightened that hot sweat broke out on their backs. Even Manager Zhong, worldly and experienced as he was, feared to raise his head in the prince’s presence.

Prince Ning’s reputation for tyranny and debauchery was well known. Having led troops in battle, he carried about him an aura of violence. His voice was deep and resonant, the sound alone enough to make one’s heart tremble with fear. Whether due to the intimidation of his position or his own formidable nature, ordinary people dared not look directly at him.

Moreover, at this moment, though Prince Ning knew full well he was meeting with a young lady from a respectable family, he still embraced a beautiful concubine! His restless hands kneaded and groped at the woman’s waist and chest, causing her to giggle coquettishly in an extremely wanton manner. His contemptuous attitude was self-evident.

Faced with such a Prince Ning, any other young lady would have been both ashamed and terrified, retreating three steps back. Even a man would likely feel humiliated.

Yet Qin Yining remained unmoved, as if she could not see what Prince Ning was doing, and performed a dignified curtsy.

“Ten thousand years to Prince Ning. This humble woman is surnamed Qin, the only daughter of Prime Minister Qin. I have recently taken over the business of Zhaoyun Company, and as the new proprietor of Zhaoyun Company, I have come specifically to seek an audience with Prince Ning regarding Miss Tang’s matter.”

“Your courage is quite remarkable!” Prince Ning snorted with laughter. “I thought Qin Meng had raised a daughter with interesting qualities who admired this prince’s martial prowess and came specially to seek an audience.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, they caused the beautiful concubine in Prince Ning’s arms to giggle aloud.

Qiu Lu and Rui Lan were angry but dared not speak, lowering their heads, not knowing what to do.

Manager Zhong broke out in cold sweat, beginning to regret why he had let Qin Yining come to plead with others, forcing a young lady from a respectable family to be humiliated in this way before Prince Ning.

Qin Yining didn’t even furrow her brow, pretending not to hear Prince Ning’s words, and said: “Prince Ning is indeed mighty and martial, with a reputation that spreads far and wide. Though this humble woman grew up in the countryside, I often heard people speak of Prince Ning’s heroic military achievements in leading the great army against Great Zhou. It is truly admirable.”

Prince Ning hadn’t expected this young lady not only to remain unintimidated but to actually heap praise upon him. Finding this increasingly interesting, though he still held the beautiful concubine in his arms, he leaned forward slightly and laughed heartily:

“Well said! This prince most despises those petty villains of Great Zhou who usurped the throne! Flying the banner of overthrowing tyranny, yet doing shameful deeds themselves!”

Qin Yining also smiled.

The three people—Rui Lan, Qiu Lu, and Manager Zhong—all breathed a sigh of relief.

Just when everyone thought Qin Yining would continue flattering Prince Ning, she suddenly changed direction: “But does Prince Ning know that if Miss Tang continues to remain in your hands, your lifetime of heroic reputation might be ruined by this affair?”

The atmosphere, which had relaxed somewhat, immediately tensed again due to these words.

Prince Ning’s thick eyebrows knitted tightly, and his full beard seemed to tremble with anger. His rough, masculine voice roared like a great bell: “Audacious!”

Manager Zhong was so frightened his body trembled, cold sweat streaming down. The two maids’ legs went weak and they knelt down directly.

Qin Yining laughed lightly: “If I lacked courage, I wouldn’t dare come to Your Highness’s residence to offer counsel today. Your Highness is wise and mighty, naturally understanding the current situation of Great Yan. To say that Great Yan is invincible in battle is pure boasting. I once struggled to survive in the border city of Liang and the surrounding major cities, so I naturally know the tragic state there—nine out of ten houses empty, corpses of the starved everywhere. The high officials and nobles in the capital city guard their small patch of heaven, like frogs in a well, unaware of the suffering outside. But with Your Highness’s experience and wisdom, surely you can see that Great Yan will inevitably face the day when the city falls?”

These words caused Manager Zhong’s body to go limp, and he knelt down directly.

Prince Ning’s face darkened as he glared furiously at Qin Yining: “You woman have tremendous audacity! How dare you curse our Great Yan! Do you believe that this prince can have you torn to pieces at any moment without needing to inform your father?”

Seeing Prince Ning’s rage, Qin Yining’s heart trembled.

But having reached this point, with the arrow on the bowstring and no choice but to release it, she curtsied and said: “Your Highness is angry only because I speak the truth. Moreover, when I say these things, I don’t mean to disparage our Great Yan. If there truly comes a day when the country falls, though I am but a woman, I will not cravenly fear death. What I say today is all for Your Highness’s sake.”

Qin Yining’s eyes sparkled brilliantly like stars: “Your Highness knows in your heart that eventually there will come that day when enemy troops press against the city walls. Since ancient times, when rulers act improperly, there are inevitably demonic women by their side influencing them. The fates of Daji and Yang Guifei—such might well be the Empress’s future. Today, Judge Tang is a criminal who attempted to harm the Empress. In the future, there may come a day when he can be a hero who died trying to eliminate the demon empress! When that day comes, it will surely be an entirely different world. At that time, how should Prince Ning position himself?”

Having said this much, Qin Yining lowered her head and spoke no more.

What she wanted to persuade had been made completely clear. It now depended on how Prince Ning would decide.

Success or failure—she had already given her utmost effort.

At this moment, Prince Ning’s mind was already turning over Qin Yining’s words repeatedly.

Actually, Qin Yining’s meaning was very clear.

If there truly came a day when Great Zhou’s troops pressed against the city walls, given the emperor’s incompetence and cowardice, he would certainly push forward a scapegoat who had brought disaster to the country and its people. The empress, who had once bewitched him completely, would be the first choice.

Once the empress was pushed forward, she would surely die, and the Cao family would become criminals with no chance of redemption.

Moreover, if such a day truly came, Great Yan itself might cease to exist, just as Qin Yining said—at that time, with heaven and earth overturned, there would be a new world.

As a member of the imperial family, if Prince Ning wanted to survive in that world, it certainly wouldn’t be as easy as it was now.

If he still kept the Tang family’s daughter by his side, those upright officials who were like tigers and wolves couldn’t touch him now, but what about in the future?

Prince Ning had always understood these principles.

What he hadn’t expected was that a young lady from a respectable family could not only think so far ahead but also have enough courage to speak such treasonous words openly before him. And she did this not for herself, but to save someone else.

It seemed this woman was not just an empty vase with only appearance, but someone with inner brilliance—intelligent and chivalrous.

When Prince Ning looked at Qin Yining, a flash of admiration passed through his eyes.

Prince Ning’s silence made everyone in the room’s hearts rise to their throats.

Qin Yining had a thin layer of sweat in her palms.

She could feel Prince Ning constantly using his knife-like gaze to scrape at her, as if wanting to scrape off a layer of skin.

She wasn’t unafraid, but having decided to save someone, she couldn’t retreat.

After a long while, Prince Ning said coldly: “Miss Tang is indeed in this prince’s hands. You want her back—how do you plan to deal with her? Send her back to the pleasure quarters?”

Qin Yining’s heart leaped with joy—Prince Ning speaking this way meant there was hope!

She thought for a moment and said: “This matter has blown up so much that I no longer plan to send Miss Tang back to the pleasure quarters. If Your Highness truly hands her over to me, I intend to keep her by my side as my maid. As for how to explain to the pleasure quarters, I think with Your Highness’s deterrent effect, they wouldn’t dare do anything, as long as Your Highness is willing to hand her over to me.”

Outside, she would inevitably be watched by Grand Tutor Cao’s people. Even if rescued now, she might lose her life later. By her side, at least she was the Prime Minister’s daughter, and those people would have some misgivings.

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning burst into loud laughter!

His laughter shook so hard that dust nearly fell from the roof beams.

He gave the beautiful concubine in his arms a pat on her pert buttocks.

The concubine understood, gave Prince Ning a seductive look, then swayed her snake-like waist into the back hall.

Soon, they heard a series of mixed footsteps approaching from far to near. Looking up, they saw two maids accompanying a small Daoist nun around the standing screen to the front.

The small Daoist nun was petite in stature, with an apple-shaped face and a pair of round, large eyes. She was very cute, wearing a loose, oversized Daoist robe that hung loosely on her, like a child wearing adult clothes.

Seeing the small Daoist nun, Prince Ning smiled: “Meng Jie’er, did you hear everything just now?”

The small Daoist nun turned to look at Qin Yining and smiled sweetly, the cute little dimples on her cheeks very obvious: “I heard it all. Thank you for this sister’s kindness.”

Prince Ning said: “Then are you willing to go serve this sister as a maid?”

The small Daoist nun nodded: “Sister Qin is warm-hearted and chivalrous. I am now all alone in the world, and can no longer be the young miss I once was. I naturally recognize reality. Since I cannot return to the Daoist temple and cannot go to the pleasure quarters, I am naturally willing to follow Sister Qin, regard her as my master, and serve her faithfully for life to repay Sister Qin’s rescue today.”

Prince Ning nodded, his voice gentle as if he had become a different person: “Miss Qin, this is Miss Tang Meng, daughter of Judge Tang. This prince sees your sincere heart, and that you have such courage and intelligence. I believe you should be able to protect her well. Handing her over to you, this prince can also rest assured.”

As he spoke, he smiled gently at the small Daoist nun.

The small Daoist nun—that is, Tang Meng—also smiled back, kneeling down properly and bowing to Prince Ning: “Meng Jie’er thanks Your Highness for your protection these days. You bore a bad reputation for my sake, and I have no way to repay you.”

Prince Ning smiled: “Your father was kind to this prince. This prince merely lifted a finger to help. Besides, even without your affair, would this prince’s bad reputation be any less? Now go.” He waved his hand.

Tang Meng stood up and walked smilingly to Qin Yining’s side, curtsying respectfully: “Miss.”

Qin Yining, Manager Zhong, and Rui Lan and Qiu Lu were now completely stunned.

Things had changed too quickly for them to react immediately.

In Qin Yining’s imagination, this should have been a beautiful woman in distress who had been captured by Prince Ning and violated.

Qin Yining and Tang Meng were the same age, and Qin Yining, looking as she did, had preconceived notions that Tang Meng would be similar.

She never expected that the real Tang Meng would be such an adorable little girl, completely different from the beautiful woman in distress she had imagined!

And the violation she had assumed was complete nonsense—the prince had no inclination toward children, and it sounded like he had once had dealings with Judge Tang!

Indeed, it wouldn’t be appropriate to continue keeping Tang Meng in the pleasure quarters or at Zhaoyun Company.

Outside, with so many people and eyes everywhere, if Grand Tutor Cao wanted to harm someone, there would be plenty of opportunities. Given Grand Tutor Cao’s nature, how could he spare the family of someone who had once poisoned his daughter? He would certainly want to exterminate them completely!

Prince Ning capturing her and bringing her to his own residence wasn’t plunder—it was protection!