This was a disgrace to Mei Lanyi, but a mockery to the other noble ladies.
They didn't even have a chance to get close to Prince Jing, but Mei Lanyi used her methods to keep him on his toes and make him run around in circles. Wasn't this a slap in their faces?
To be honest, Mei Lanyi wasn't particularly beautiful; at most, she was quite knowledgeable. But what good is being highly educated if you're a woman?
Moreover, her father's position as the headmaster was not very high. To put it bluntly, he was just the dean of an academy. However, since the academy was specifically for the use of the royal family and nobility, the dean also had an official title.
Compared to these noble ladies, Mei Lanyi's status was simply insignificant.
Previously, they dared not touch her because of Prince Jing's sake, but now that Consort Zhao has said so, it is clear that she does not approve of her approach. Instantly, everyone had a clear target—Mei Lanyi.
Mei Lanyi never expected that Consort Zhao would say such hurtful things in public. She clearly had no such intentions, yet she was being slandered. Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, she couldn't hold back and said directly, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. My daughter had absolutely no such intentions. It was a misunderstanding with Prince Jing, and there was no romantic relationship between us. Moreover, I have already made it very clear to Prince Jing that I hope we will never see each other again. I beg Your Highness to understand!"
As she spoke, wanting to prove her resolve, she rose to kneel down to show that she was willing to die for her cause, but before she could finish speaking, someone grabbed her arm and lifted her up. Beside her was Prince Jing's voice, filled with gritted teeth: "Do you dislike me that much?"
Seeing this, Mei Lanyi tried to pull her hand away. Zhao Taifei already looked down on her, and now he was touching her in public. Who knows how bad her reputation would be if word got out.
Her father served as a priest for his entire life and was highly respected. If she were to ruin his reputation, she would be held responsible for his death!
Mei Lanyi panicked and tried to break free, but Prince Jing pulled her even tighter and dragged her out without caring about anyone's gaze.
Mei Lanyi thought to herself, "It's over. I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River."
She had initially wanted to struggle, but at that moment she suddenly felt it was pointless. Her reputation was ruined, her father would become a laughing stock, and her family would be implicated and begin to decline. Her struggle would be futile.
You can only blame your bad luck for running into this jinx.
She deeply regretted taking that particular route at the palace banquet that night. If she had taken a different route, she wouldn't be in this predicament now.
Do you really hate me that much?
Prince Jing suppressed his anger, tried his best to calm himself down, and tried to keep his tone as peaceful as possible.
"Yes, it's really annoying."
Mei Lanyi sniffed, but instead of crying, she remained calm.
Before Prince Jing could speak, she continued, "This humble woman truly does not understand what Your Highness means. If you dislike me, then after attending to my illness, we should go our separate ways and be even. If Your Highness is fond of me, then you would not disregard my reputation and drag me away in public! Yes, you are a prince, you are noble, and I, of lowly status, deserve to be humiliated! I hope Your Highness will have some self-respect and spend more time with the Dowager Consort. I wish we would never meet again!"
She had made up her mind. Her reputation was ruined, and this man had taken a liking to her. No one would dare to marry her again. So she decided not to get married at all and instead go up the mountain to become a nun. This way, she could prove her innocence and protect her father's reputation.
Her father was a good father, and she didn't want him to lose his position as chief priest because of her.
Perhaps she had figured it out, she let out a long breath, feeling that the frustration she had been carrying for many days had finally dissipated.
Prince Jing stared blankly as she left, not realizing for a long time that he had been scolded.
In my memory, she was a famous talented woman in the capital. Although she was not particularly beautiful, her scholarly air made her stand out even among a group of beauties.
She was gentle and spoke softly. Even when he got angry at her during the palace banquet, she only pushed him angrily. In Prince Jing's words, she was a very docile little kitten.
But today, the kitten got angry.
He then realized that she really didn't like him, or even hated him.
Her disgust for him, especially his act of pulling her out in public, was something she felt deep down.
Several noble ladies chased after them, only to see Mei Lanyi leaving with her maid. Prince Jing stood alone under the tree, looking very lonely. The ladies surrounded him, trying to curry favor with him.
"Your Highness, Mei Lanyi is a very cunning person. Why are you so insistent on her? Why not look at us? We are also of noble birth..."
"That's right, we're just as good-looking as her, so why doesn't His Highness notice us?"
...
The group chattered amongst themselves, their words constantly mocking Mei Lanyi.
It was at this moment that Prince Jing realized how these people outside viewed her!
"Shut up, all of you! It was I who was pursuing her, so get out of here!"
He wanted to explain, but didn't know how to say it, so he simply chased everyone away.
The servants of Consort Zhao hurriedly returned and recounted what had happened to her. Consort Zhao snorted coldly and said, "I didn't expect that even after I gave her such a warning, that woman still dared to act so willfully. Does she really think I can't touch her?"
"Come here."
She beckoned her confidant closer, whispered a few words to him, and instructed him to do as she asked. The confidant nodded and quickly left.
Meanwhile, the people Yue Shu sent out returned and briefly recounted what had happened. Although they weren't very detailed, Jiang Jiu Niang understood the general meaning behind what those people meant.
"I never expected this banquet to be like this."
Jiang Jiuniang shook her head and said, "Let's go find Mother and go back."
Yue Shu, who had been standing nearby, understood some of what was happening. She clicked her tongue in surprise and asked, "Madam, so you're not planning to help Prince Jing?"
"How can we help him now that things are like this? I originally thought that Consort Zhao was helping Prince Jing, but I didn't expect her to pull this stunt. It's just bad luck for Prince Jing to have such a mother. He should just stay single. It's fine as long as he doesn't ruin other girls' lives."
Even without Consort Zhao's actions, Prince Jing shows no consideration for the girl's feelings. If he's like this now, what will he be like in the future?
Forget it, she gave up completely.
Yue Shu nodded, agreeing with her. Having lived in the Lu family for a long time, she knew that the masters treated servants like them very well and were very considerate of their feelings. Miss Mei was, after all, a noble lady, yet she was treated like this by Prince Jing, which was simply unacceptable.
Soon Ms. Sun arrived, and she had some juicy gossip to share: Prince Jing had once again angered Miss Mei and driven her away.
Jiang Jiuniang said she had already heard about it, and then got into the carriage.
After returning home, she instructed Yue Shu, "Have someone secretly protect Miss Mei during this time, and make sure nothing happens to her."
Although she didn't have much of a relationship with Mei Lanyi, she didn't want a perfectly good girl to be harmed like this, so it was better to be careful.
As for Consort Zhao, it's best to avoid contact if possible, otherwise she might really take action to teach her a lesson.
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