Dong Shi looked up at the prince with a different surname who used to flatter her husband, ready to speak in defense of her daughter, but was gently stopped by Bai Qingyan’s hand on her shoulder.
Bai Qingyan’s cold, indifferent gaze fell upon Prince Xian. She had no intention of engaging in verbal disputes, but she was not someone with a soft nature who could be trampled upon by anyone.
Bai Jinxiu, who had always been able to keep her composure, bit her teeth as she looked toward Prince Xian and sneered: “Prince Xian, this is…”
But before Bai Jinxiu could finish speaking, Great Liang’s Fourth Prince Wei Qiheng couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Prince Xian’s words are incomprehensible. This Prince made a mistake… when seeking to marry Princess Liu of Nandu, it was a match made in heaven, but when seeking to marry the Zhenguo Princess, it became the Zhenguo Princess deliberately seducing? Prince Xian says Jin Kingdom doesn’t judge by appearance alone… are you calling His Highness a lecher? Or are you stepping on the Zhenguo Princess to elevate your Princess Liu of Nandu?” Wei Qiheng looked thoroughly displeased. “The Zhenguo Princess’s beauty goes without saying – naturally above Princess Liu of Nandu! The Zhenguo Princess led troops to pacify Nan Jiang, protecting the Jin Kingdom’s countless people with her virtue! Could this not compare to those affected women who play the qin and compose pretentious poetry as so-called talented ladies? What kind of logic is this?!”
“Pfft…” Bai Jinzhi couldn’t help but laugh, secretly giving Wei Qiheng a thumbs up, feeling that this Great Liang Fourth Prince’s words were devastatingly sharp, comparable to Lu Yuanpeng.
Yesterday in the palace, this Prince’s kneeling to seek marriage from Prince Xian – it was Prince Xian yourself who, to show off your daughter’s precious status, specifically sent people to spread this news widely! You think this Prince doesn’t know? Our Great Liang envoys discovered this long ago. This Prince only tolerated it because I thought you were the father of my beloved… Prince Xian, don’t tell me you think this Prince is a fool… letting you play these little tricks without knowing?” Wei Qiheng raised his eyebrows high in accusation.
Prince Xian, seeing the Great Liang Fourth Prince who had been so well-behaved and humble before him yesterday now speaking to him this way, felt a breath stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down. His expression was as colorful as it could be.
Bai Qingyan curtsied and said to Prince Xian: “Prince Xian, when my grandfather and father were alive, whenever Prince Xian came to the capital, you always visited the Duke’s mansion and always claimed to be like brothers with my father! When my father died for the Kingdom, Prince Xian never sent anyone to pay respects, and this time coming to the capital, you never called upon us either. I’ll assume Prince Xian has been busy with important matters. But… if Prince Xian truly considered my father a brother, would you step on your niece’s reputation to elevate your daughter? Bai Qingyan understands that people become distant when someone dies, but please don’t make your two-faced nature too obvious – people will talk behind your back.”
“After all, it wasn’t Bai Qingyan who dragged Great Liang’s Fourth Prince to go boating, it wasn’t Bai Qingyan who claimed to be Liu Ruofu to the Fourth Prince, it wasn’t Bai Qingyan who dragged the Fourth Prince into the palace to seek marriage and forced Prince Xian at knifepoint to agree to this marriage, and it wasn’t Bai Qingyan who forced Prince Xian to widely publicize the matter of Great Liang’s Fourth Prince kneeling to seek Princess Liu of Nandu’s hand. How can Prince Xian’s loss of face be blamed on me?”
Murong Yu raised his wine cup, smiled lightly as he took a sip, and watched from the sidelines.
“Bai Qingyan…” Prince Xian called out Bai Qingyan’s name in a dark tone. He had long heard that Bai Qingyan had a sharp tongue, but he could still maintain his composure. “Your Bai family suffered defeat in the Nan Jiang campaign. His Majesty was lenient and, considering that all your Bai family men had died, allowed you to go to Nan Jiang to redeem your family’s sins. But this Prince, as a Jin citizen, cannot forget the crime of your grandfather and father, causing hundreds of thousands of Jin Kingdom’s elite soldiers to perish in Nan Jiang! Even though Prince Xin forced them with the golden tablet and command arrow… couldn’t your grandfather have argued on principle?”
Bai Qingyan narrowed her eyes: “Is Prince Xian saying that my grandfather was wrong for not defying the golden tablet and command arrow?”
Prince Xian pressed his lips together and didn’t answer this question, only sneering: “The Crown Prince pleaded for you… His Majesty was magnanimous and granted you the princess title only because of your great victory in Nan Jiang! You should be even more careful with your words and actions, diligently cultivating feminine virtue. Yet you dare speak to this Prince in such a manner. In age, this Prince is your elder; in rank, this Prince holds a royal title. Daring to be so sharp-tongued before His Majesty – do you even put His Majesty in your eyes?”
“Prince Xian, don’t use His Majesty’s imperial authority to support yourself! For generations, my Bai family ancestors… sacrificed their bodies and lives following Emperor Gaozu to conquer this realm. The Liu family ancestors… simultaneously funded Great Yan while raising money for Emperor Gaozu, wanting to gain merit for following the dragon, pleasing all sides, supporting everyone, fishing in troubled waters to get a royal title – is this worth showing off?”
Bai Qingyan spoke unhurriedly, her voice carrying some disdain and cold laughter, immediately making Prince Xian’s face turn pale.
Emperor Yan Murong Yu’s hand holding the wine cup trembled. This Zhenguo Princess had such a sharp tongue! He looked toward Xiao Rongyan, only to see Xiao Rongyan’s lips curved in a smile, as if sharing in the glory.
Murong Yu now understood – if his brother married the Zhenguo Princess in the future, he would probably lose in verbal sparring and be destined to lack authority as a husband.
“Bai Qingyan!” Prince Xian gritted his teeth. “You slaughtered surrendered prisoners with too much murderous aura, completely lacking in kindness! Before His Majesty… being so sharp-tongued and lacking in feminine virtue, who would dare marry you in the future?! This Prince is your elder… kindly advising you not to be ungrateful!”
The Emperor sat steadily in his high position, seeming quite pleased to see Bai Qingyan trapped in this situation: “Enough, enough! Prince Xian, at your age, you’re getting angry with a child!”
Imperial technique was the art of controlling people.
Only when someone was trapped in difficulty and then extended a helping hand could that person completely submit. The Emperor was waiting for the day when Bai Qingyan would be betrayed by everyone, which is why he allowed the rumors about Bai Qingyan’s cruelty in killing surrendered prisoners to spread in the capital.
“Your Majesty, this minister is precisely because I’m older than the Zhenguo Princess that I fear her murderous aura is so heavy that no one will dare marry her in the future, delaying her whole life!”
But as soon as Prince Xian finished speaking, Wei Qiheng turned to look at Bai Qingyan and solemnly presented the jade pendant in his hand to her: “Zhenguo Princess, Wei Qiheng wishes to seek your hand in marriage! This is the symbol of my Great Liang prince’s identity. From now on, Wei Qiheng seeks only you, absolutely unwavering. If I violate this oath… may heaven strike me down!”
Prince Xian: “…”
Did this Great Liang Fourth Prince have an incompatible fortune with him? Where was yesterday’s courteous, humble, and sincere Great Liang Fourth Prince? Was he possessed today, or what, specifically working against him?
“Thank you for the Fourth Prince’s favor…”
Before Bai Qingyan could finish, the Emperor interrupted her words.
“The Fourth Prince may not know that the Zhenguo Princess once vowed before Duke Zhenguo’s spirit tablet to never marry in this lifetime…” The Emperor spoke slowly, his expression dark as water. “If Great Liang wishes to seek the Zhenguo Princess’s hand for a marriage alliance with our Jin Kingdom, I’m afraid it cannot be done.”
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes and sneered inwardly. The Emperor’s intention not to let her marry into another Kingdom was crystal clear – he wouldn’t even let her finish a sentence, as if afraid she might agree.
The Great Liang envoys also hadn’t expected their Fourth Prince to pull such a stunt and were extremely troubled.