As he said this, his eyes were fixed on Pei Wuwang, with a clear probing look, as if he wanted to see if Pei Wuwang would bow down for power.

Pei Wuwang remained calm upon hearing this.

A hint of coldness flashed in her eyes as she spoke calmly, "What if I don't?"

Those five short words instantly shattered the delicate balance in the air, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and confrontational.

The Third Prince, who was all brawn and no brains, immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this. He stepped forward, pointed at Pei Wuwang's nose, and angrily shouted, "How dare you! His Highness the Second Prince personally arranged this marriage for you, and Father Emperor has bestowed such a wonderful union upon you, yet you dare to refuse? You are simply ungrateful!"

The fourth prince echoed, his tone arrogant: "You are fortunate to have won Father's favor and to marry Sister Fangfei! Don't be so shameless. Do you really think you can take advantage of me just because I'm a merchant's daughter?"

The two exchanged insults, their eyes filled with malice, as if they wanted to devour Pei Wuwang alive.

The Second Prince stood aside with a cold smile on his lips, making no attempt to stop them. He was clearly letting the Third and Fourth Princes test the waters to see how Pei Wuwang and Shen Qingtang would react.

Yu Jingyuan and Yu Jingyuan also chimed in, "Nephew, don't be foolish! The Second Prince is right, this is your best chance! Shen Qingtang is just a merchant's daughter, how can she compare to Princess Liang Fangfei? If you marry the princess, you will rise to prominence in the future, and you will never have to worry about not finding a better woman."

Pei Wuwang glanced at them coldly, his eyes sharp as knives, which frightened Yu Jingyuan so much that he swallowed the rest of his words.

He turned to look at the Second Prince, his tone still calm, yet carrying a strong sense of intimidation: "I will decide my own marriage. As for returning to the royal family, I have already stated that I have no connection with the Yu family, nor with the Liang royal family whatsoever."

The second prince's smile faded, and his eyes grew increasingly sinister: "So, you're determined to defy Father's decree and protect this merchant's daughter?"

“Protecting her is something I do willingly.” Pei Wuwang raised his hand to put his arm around Shen Qingtang’s waist, pulling her to his side, his gaze firm. “As for the imperial decree, I have never acknowledged myself as a member of the Liang royal family, so naturally I do not need to obey it.”

These words thoroughly enraged the Second Prince. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he said in a sinister tone, "Fine, very well! Pei Wuwang, you'd better not regret this!"

Pei Wuwang's gaze remained calm and unwavering, as if he were merely stating a trivial matter. When he looked at the Second Prince, his tone was neither hurried nor slow.

But every word was like a knife to the heart: "Your Highness, I suppose you are unaware that these two men, Yu Jingyuan and Yu Jingyuan, who keep calling me their nephew, are not from Daliang, but rather members of the royal family of a neighboring country."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Yu brothers whose expressions had changed slightly, and continued, "These two brothers failed in their own country's struggle for the throne. They are over forty years old and are still just idle princes with no power or influence. Now, they have traveled thousands of miles to the territory of Daliang to point fingers at me, their 'nominal nephew,' and even interfere in my marriage, urging me to disobey the decrees of the Daliang royal family."

At this point, Pei Wuwang's lips curled into a subtle, mocking smile: "Does Your Highness truly believe they are acting in my best interest, genuinely intending for me to marry Princess Liang Fangfei? I doubt it. As princes of another country, they are so active within the borders of Great Liang, simultaneously courting me and negotiating with Your Highness. Could it be that they intend to use the marriage as a pretext to infiltrate the Great Liang royal family, sow discord within Great Liang, or even incite rebellion for their own country and seize Great Liang's territory?"

These words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, shocking everyone present and causing them to react in various ways.