"Your servant... Your servant..." The frightened maid kept looking in the direction of her mistress, but her mistress lowered her eyes and didn't even look at her, as if letting her fend for herself.
Although it had been discussed before, she didn't want to die. She had served the Madam and the City Lord for so many years, and even if she hadn't worked hard, she had worked hard. The Madam was really cruel, and she didn't want to offend His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and become a scapegoat because of this kind of thing.
She bit the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to wake up, and steeled her heart. "Your Highness, it was the Madam who asked this servant to bring you to the Young Lady's boudoir. Then the Young Lady drank the strong liquor that was meant to provoke arousal, hoping to have sex with you and have you take her in. All of this was planned by the Madam and the Young Lady. Please spare this servant. I am just a servant and can only obey the Madam and the Young Lady. In fact, the Young Lady has been in love with you since you arrived in Luobian City..."
"Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!" The city lord's wife gritted her teeth, as if she wanted to bite the maid kneeling on the ground to death. She thought that this slave girl would obediently take all the blame, but she didn't expect that she would bite them back and expose the whole thing. This damn slave girl!
"My lord, please don't listen to this slave's nonsense. Nothing she says is true."
Zhihua also turned pale, and clenched her fingers tremblingly. "Your Highness, father and mother, in this situation... Huaer can only die to prove her resolve. Perhaps death can preserve Huaer's innocence~" As she spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes.
Luo Zhen's face was filled with heartache, fearing that his daughter would really be unable to get over it, and he wanted to persuade her with a few words, "Hua'er..."
"It's not impossible for you to have an explanation, but..." Gu Zhen put down the teacup and said slowly.
The city lord's wife asked anxiously, "Just what? Your Highness, just tell me." As long as her daughter could marry the Crown Prince as she wished, it would be okay for them to give all their family fortune as a dowry.
Gu Zhen chuckled. "Oh, but it wasn't me who broke into the boudoir, but my guards."
"How is this possible? What I saw was clearly His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Zhihua tried hard to recall the figure she saw, but found it was so vague that she couldn't remember it.
Shitou stepped forward, bowed to everyone present, and then said, "It is true that I accidentally broke into the young lady's boudoir." But he was framed by His Highness. His Highness was so mean. Shitou felt very upset. He didn't want to marry Miss Zhihua. Could His Highness save him?
"This is impossible..." Zhihua slumped to the ground, looking at the stone helplessly. The guard had a sword hanging from his waist. His face was unfamiliar, yet his figure was surprisingly similar to that of the Crown Prince. Could it be that she had really recognized the wrong person? Was this really the guard who entered the room?
Luo Zhen also understood something, and his mood was complicated. He bowed to the Crown Prince with a slightly sad face and admitted his mistake, "Your Highness, please forgive me. My daughter and my wife..." He really couldn't find the words to excuse them. How could he gamble with his innocence and set a trap for His Highness? This was a capital crime.
Luo Zhen stroked his instantly tired and old face with his hand and said, "Your Highness, please forgive your wife and my daughter this time for the sake of this humble servant." Since he came to Luobian City and became the city lord, he has not kneeled down for many years. Today, for the sake of his daughter and wife, he bent his legs and knelt down to atone for his sins to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If there is to be a punishment, punish him alone. It was because he only cared about the people of Luobian City for so many years and neglected to discipline his daughter, which led to his current situation.
Gu Zhen played with the teacup in his hand, feeling unhappy. The talented person who used to make him look at him differently was now kneeling at his feet to beg for mercy for his wife and daughter. The lord of a city had become an ordinary old father. He wondered if his wife and daughter were worthy of his protection.
"Then... can you use my guards to take charge? What if they die to prove their loyalty?"
Luo Zhen said in a hoarse voice, "No, no, this is just a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding."
"Since it's a misunderstanding, then I have nothing to do here." Gu Zhen put down the teacup, unwilling to stay any longer. "Then I will set off for the camp. Lord Luo, please stay and take care of family affairs first." After saying that, he stood up and walked out.
Luo Zhen looked at the Crown Prince leaving, feeling somewhat bewildered. He probably thought that from now on, the Crown Prince would never see him again. His heart suddenly felt bitter, and he couldn't muster the energy to deal with the trivial matters at home. He waved his hand dejectedly and said, "I'm tired. Do whatever you want. Sell this maid and spare her life."
He really didn't know how to deal with his wife and daughter, scold them or put them in solitary confinement?
It's all useless.
I just hope that this matter ends here and no one’s life is involved, otherwise, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will not forgive you easily.
The carriage and guards were already waiting at the door. Gu Zhen entered the carriage first, and Song Jiaren then lifted up her skirt and jumped on in one go. Shi Tou followed with the stirrups, but he only saw the afterimage of Song Jiaren jumping on. His eyes twitched, and he put the stirrups back on with a shudder.
He thought to himself that he was really wasting his time. This girl was not one of those delicate girls in the boudoir. She was a domineering young lady. However, he was used to being bossed around by young ladies, and he was not used to being like Miss Zhihua, who was gentle on the surface but vicious at heart.
After a few days, Song Jiaren sat in the familiar carriage again. She felt at ease as if she was back home. She stretched comfortably and said, "It's still more comfortable to be in my own territory."
Gu Zhen was in a bad mood. He remained silent, staring at the door curtain in front of him, not knowing what he was thinking.
Song Jiaren felt the oppressive atmosphere in the carriage and was a little uncomfortable. She said, "Your Highness, let me tell you a joke."
"Oh? What's a cold joke?" Gu Zhen was very interested in whether she came up with any new words.
"Hey, that's good." Song Jiaren cleared her throat. "Once upon a time there was a swordsman. He was very cold, his heart was very cold, his sword was very cold, and in the end... he froze to death!"
The car was silent, and a cold wind blew into the car.
Gu Zhen was still waiting earnestly for what to say next. When he realized that she had finished, he felt a bit amused and helpless. This joke was really too unpleasant. He wanted to laugh but couldn't, and it was very difficult to hold it back.
"No way, are you so humorless? It's obviously very funny. Let me tell you another one." Song Jiaren did not give up. "Two men went up the mountain to play. One of them accidentally slipped and fell off the cliff. His companion shouted anxiously, "Brother, how are you? Are you okay?" Only to hear the man who fell reply, "I don't know, I'm still falling~~ I'll tell you later~ Hahahaha"
After Song Jiaren finished speaking, she laughed first. When she looked up and saw Gu Zhen's expressionless face, she felt frustrated.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a very high sense of humor. She had finally thought of an ancient joke, but he was so disrespectful that he didn't even laugh. He was just as cold as that swordsman.
"Where did you hear all this?" Gu Zhen's eyes were filled with doubt. He had never heard of such a bad joke before, so how did she know this? Did she hear it from the streets during her years as a beggar?
Song Jiaren touched her chin and recalled for a while, "It might be "Collection of Cold Jokes" or "Selected Cold Jokes". Anyway, I have seen too many of them to remember. They were all pushed by the official account, so I can't remember clearly."
"You'd better read less miscellaneous books..." Gu Zhen thought she was reading from a storybook.
Song Jiaren glared, "How can this be considered miscellaneous books? Life is already hard and tiring. If there are no such things to spice things up, what's the point? Why can't I read something that makes me happy?"
Gu Zhen said unhappily, "I didn't say you can't read. I just asked you to read less and read more books that women should read." It's also for future preparation. In case you are given the title of concubine or something in the future, what use will these jokes be now?
"Your Highness, do you have any misunderstandings about women? Your idea is very chauvinistic and unacceptable."
Song Jiaren felt that she had to correct the Crown Prince's values. Although they were living in a feudal society, this was just a book and there was no need to be so harsh on women.
"Your Highness, look, poetry, songs, calligraphy, and painting—can't they all be learned as long as you work hard? So what's so difficult about learning something that's easy to learn? Why would everyone want to learn something that everyone knows? It's all to please your future husband. But what's so special about something everyone knows? If you lose your natural advantages, what's the point of learning? Why not leverage your strengths to make up for your deficiencies and learn something that interests you? It'll delight you and inspire others. What do you think?"
"Can pleasing yourself also infect others?" Gu Zhen thought carefully about what she said. In fact, it made sense. It's just that women have always been humble, respectful, virtuous, and kind. So they attribute the reason why others don't like them to themselves, and cultivate themselves in the direction of talented women, losing themselves to please others, so that many women suffer the tragedy of marital discord after getting married.
"Since you said that you would make use of your strengths to make up for your shortcomings, then your shortcoming is that you are not good at any of poetry, songs, music, chess, calligraphy or painting?" Gu Zhen looked at the woman who had revealed the secret with a half-smile, waiting to see how she would argue.
Song Jiaren confidently said, "China has a history of five thousand years, and there is no end to the knowledge we can learn. With my talent, I would be proficient in everything as long as I am willing to learn. I just prefer to use my time wisely, such as how to make money. This is something that most women don't know and can't learn easily. I'm just knowledgeable, so I can see farther than the average woman in the boudoir." Whether in ancient times or modern times, you can't get anywhere without money. No matter how many poems and songs you know, as long as you have money, you are the boss.
Gu Zhen looked at her with amusement as she spoke such a bunch of twisted theories and said them so confidently. He was so angry that he laughed, "Then tell me how to make money. Don't just brag."
Song Jiaren whispered mysteriously, "Your Highness, since you asked, I won't hide it. Since you have taken care of me all the way, I will tell you this."
Gu Zhen thought she was going to say something to argue or fool him, but he didn't expect her to really tell him a shocking secret. He looked around.
"Tell me, I'll keep it a secret for you and I won't tell anyone else."
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