24. Am I worse than a pig or a dog? (Please add to your favorites)
"General Gao, please don't be angry or agitated. I admit that what I said just now was excessive, but it was only to objectively tell you the truth so that you can understand that I have nothing to be jealous of, and I have no reason to eliminate your daughter, right?"
Gao Debao scoffed at Liu Hanruo's words, showing his disdain. In his eyes, his precious daughter had countless merits, and was a hundred times better than Liu Hanruo in every way. He couldn't stand Liu Hanruo belittling his daughter like that. He was furious and had no respect left. He spoke without any restraint and laughed loudly, pointing directly at Liu Hanruo.
"Hahaha! Liu Hanruo, you think too highly of yourself. He only calls you 'Princess Consort' because of the Prince, and you think you're something special? Haha, that's hilarious! Why don't you take a good look at yourself? With your infamous reputation, if it weren't for the Prince of Xiaoyao's sake, do you think anyone would listen to you? Who would be your dog, at your beck and call? Liu Hanruo, to put it bluntly, everything you have today is given to you by the Prince of Xiaoyao, not your own. What right do you have to laugh at my daughter? To put it bluntly..." "Everyone knows exactly what kind of person you are and how you ended up marrying into the Prince's household. And everyone has witnessed how the Prince of Xiaoyao treats you. What are you still so arrogant about? Who knows how long you'll last as Princess Consort? Hahaha! Oh, right, I almost forgot, Liu Hanruo, I didn't expect you to have such abilities. To secure your position as Princess Consort, you actually cast a spell on the Prince of Xiaoyao, making him infatuated with you. But I'm afraid you'll have wasted your efforts. You should know that this is strictly forbidden in our court. Hahaha, Liu Hanruo, just wait to be divorced!"
Gao Debao was engrossed in his tirade, relentlessly mocking Liu Hanruo, but he overlooked the crucial point: although Liu Hanruo was a disfavored princess, she was still the nominal wife of Prince Xiaoyao. Even if Prince Xiaoyao disliked her, the matter concerned the face of the royal family, and he could not allow anyone to act so recklessly. Seeing Liu Hanruo being verbally abused by Gao Debao, and seeing the insults becoming increasingly outrageous, Prince Xiaoyao could no longer bear it. His anger reached its peak, and a deafening 'boom' resounded. This loud noise drew everyone's attention, and the table next to Prince Xiaoyao instantly turned to dust. Looking at Prince Xiaoyao's face, it was extremely gloomy, even somewhat frightening. Sensing Prince Xiaoyao's overwhelming rage, everyone immediately knelt down with their heads bowed in fear, except for Princess Liu Hanruo and General Gao Debao.
It was understandable that Liu Hanruo wouldn't kneel; after all, she was of a certain status, and as husband and wife, their squabbles were nothing to be overly concerned about. But Gao Debao was different. He was merely a subject, an outsider. Just moments ago, when Gao Debao had been verbally abusing and accusing Liu Hanruo, everyone was terrified, sweating profusely. They were thinking to themselves, "What an idiot! Even if Liu Hanruo is no better, she's still the wife of the Prince of Xiaoyao. How dare you point your finger at her and insult her in front of him? Where do you place the Prince of Xiaoyao? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Now look at him. The Prince of Xiaoyao is staring intently at Gao Debao, who stands there rigidly, without even blinking. It's so obvious; anyone with eyes can see what the Prince of Xiaoyao is angry about. But Gao Debao is oblivious, thinking the Prince of Xiaoyao is angry that Liu Hanruo has cast a spell on him. He even deliberately straightens his back, looking arrogant and extremely provocative at Liu Hanruo. This infuriates everyone, who, fearing being implicated, lower their heads even further, secretly resentful, wanting to crack open Gao Debao's head to see what's inside. As a military general, you could say you're a bit oblivious, but shouldn't you at least be able to read people's expressions? Especially since the Prince of Xiaoyao has made it so obvious, practically spitting fire in his eyes, and you still haven't noticed? One has to admire Gao Debao; you're a real oddball!
Meeting Gao Debao's provocative gaze, Liu Hanruo gave him a meaningful look, her eyes seeming to ask: Are you even normal? Are you sure you're not an idiot? This made Gao Debao even more agitated, and he angrily said to the prince:
"Your Highness, this wicked woman, Liu Hanruo, not only harmed my daughter, but also dared to cast a curse on you! Her crimes are heinous and unforgivable! Please punish her, Your Highness!"
Gao Debao's words once again surprised the ministers present. Some of those who were close to Gao Debao even tugged at his trouser legs, signaling him to kneel down and beg for forgiveness. But who would have thought...
It turned out that Gao Debao had already lost one nerve when he heard that his daughter's life was in danger, and then, after hearing Liu Hanruo's words belittling his daughter, another nerve snapped. At this point, he had no reason left. After cursing Liu Hanruo, he felt incredibly satisfied and had completely forgotten the difference in their social status. Facing the Prince of Xiaoyao, he forgot his original intentions. When he saw someone pulling at him, he felt annoyed and shouted in a rough voice:
"Damn it, what nonsense are you talking about? If you want to kneel, then kneel. I haven't done anything wrong, why should I kneel like a bunch of bastards?"
The minister who had kindly helped Gao Debao was now furious. He felt his good intentions had been met with ingratitude. He had only reminded Gao Debao because he didn't want him to die, but instead, he was called a coward. At that moment, he wished he could kick Gao Debao a few times.
Gao Debao's arrogant attitude, which he didn't understand, completely ignited the anger of the Carefree King. The Carefree King's face was gloomy, and his words were icy cold.
"It seems I need to go and ask the Emperor. I don't know when it started, but General Dingyuan has the power to meddle in my affairs, and even dares to point at my princess and speak ill of her at will!"
"Your Highness, I had no intention of influencing your decision. However, Liu Hanruo dared to cast a curse on you first, and then poisoned my daughter in public. If Your Highness were to let such a wicked woman off lightly, where would the law be, where would justice be!"
"So General Yi Gao means...?" The carefree king clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
"Your Highness, Liu Hanruo is a vile and wicked woman, worse than a dog. If I were Your Highness, I would definitely divorce her and have her executed!"
Gao Debao's accusations were vehement and assertive, seemingly forgetting that the "vile woman" he called "worse than a pig or a dog" was none other than the wife of the Prince of Xiaoyao, a first-rank princess consort. His constant use of the derogatory term "vile woman" was directed at Liu Hanruo, but it was disgracing the entire royal family. Suddenly, the Prince of Xiaoyao's expression changed. With a roar, he grabbed a teacup and threw it at Gao Debao's knee.
"How dare you, Gao Debao! I know you are worried about your daughter's life, and I originally did not want to argue with you. However, you have repeatedly pushed your luck, even insulting the princess in front of me, saying she is worse than a pig or a dog. In your eyes, as the princess's husband, am I not even as good as an animal?"
---Aside---
First choice: seeking all kinds of partners. Seeking to be taken in, seeking a sugar daddy/sugar baby.
I recommend my friend Xue Mudan's novel, *The Golden Concubine's Daughter*.
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