Is It Forbidden to Bully the Heroine of the Novel? - Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Li Xiting admires Murong Qing and pays great attention to her. Since the autumn hunt, she knew that the relationship between the Jiang family and Murong Qing had soured, as the Prime Minister often showed a cold face to His Highness without reason.
Moreover, after Miss Song from the Song family was kidnapped, she even accused the Seventh Prince!
Naturally, she did not believe Murong Qing would do such a thing, so she also felt some disgust towards Song Muyun.
Seeing them, she immediately wanted to ignore them and leave, but Murong Qing suddenly grabbed her hand, stepped forward, and greeted Jiang Yao and Song Muyun.
This was the first time Song Muyun had seen Murong Qing since her rebirth. She trembled with hatred but dared not raise her eyes, fearing that her emotions would spill out the moment she did.
She only heard Murong Qing’s voice, carrying a pretentious elegance, “Miss Jiang, Miss Song, it’s been a long time.”
Jiang Yao had a cold face, casually glanced at the two, and saw Li Xiting watching her warily, as if afraid she would do something to harm Murong Qing, which made her laugh.
“Seventh Prince.”
Jiang Yao called out indifferently.
Murong Qing’s gaze fell on Song Muyun, who had kept her head down and not even called out to him, showing concern, “Miss Song, is your headache better? Do you need to see the imperial physician?”
He now dared not call her Muyun, perhaps because his fiancée was present.
Jiang Yao glanced at his fiancée, who was still watching her warily, as if she was some kind of beast.
“Pfft.”
“The prince need not trouble himself, my Jiang household can certainly afford a physician. You better mind your own business.”
She hinted that Murong Qing was doomed, not afraid to argue with Murong Qing in the streets.
Jiang Yao’s words were quite rude, and Li Xiting frowned deeply, finally unable to hold back and spoke up for the man she loved, her eyes wide with anger, “Jiang Yao, the Seventh Prince is just concerned about you, why are you acting like this?”
“Me? How am I acting?”
Jiang Yao gave her a sidelong glance but was too lazy to look further, fearing it would make the young lady beside her jealous.
“Is this the upbringing of the Jiang family?”
“Tch, yes, yes, yes, you better not talk to someone of my upbringing. After all, if I get annoyed, I don’t care who is on the other side.”
Jiang Yao said while admiring the long whip hanging at her waist, frightening Li Xiting into pale submission, tightly holding Murong Qing’s hand.
Murong Qing’s expression also darkened, as if protecting Li Xiting, his voice gentle, “Xiting is a bit impulsive, but it’s for me. Don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Yao huffed, showing no respect, “Whatever her temper is for has nothing to do with me. If she offends me, I won’t care so much. Please step aside, Your Highness, the lady and I need to go in for a meal.”
Seeing Song Muyun unexpectedly touched by someone on the back of her neck, her body stiffened, followed by a blush on her cheeks. Only then did she dare to raise her head, giving Jiang Yao a reproachful look.
Murong Qing felt as if a huge hole had been punched in his heart, the cold wind howling in, leaving him restless.
“This is something unacceptable in society, and you’re going along with it?”
While speaking, he looked at Song Muyun.
Song Muyun, hearing him speak to her, flashed a hint of hatred in her eyes but only coldly said, “There’s no law that says women can’t love each other. You’d better spend more time on your fiancée and differentiate between men and women. Don’t keep bothering me, or Miss Li might misunderstand.”
Unable to say harsh words for fear of revealing something, she just coldly faced Murong Qing.
The young lady, who was originally holding Jiang Yao’s hand, was now clinging to it, her expression cold to the extreme, full of disgust.
Murong Qing, adept at reading people, could tell, still maintaining a gentle demeanor in front of Li Xiting, but his heart was filled with hatred for the two.
He didn’t understand why, knowing they wouldn’t give him a pleasant look, yet he couldn’t help but come over upon seeing Song Muyun.
As a man and a prince, he never expected Song Muyun to abandon him completely, only sticking with Jiang Yao.
He thought the Prime Minister would never allow it, that he would intervene, but that never happened.
Song Muyun now lived in the Jiang residence, and the Prime Minister was even trying to overturn the Song family’s case!
Murong Qing felt irritated and before he could speak, Li Xiting burst out, her brows tightly furrowed, “What are you saying, Song Muyun? We used to know each other, and I didn’t realize you were such a person, one who speaks nonsense and clings to power. When has the Seventh Prince ever stopped you? He was just greeting you out of past affection, saying a few words. You’re a convict’s daughter who’s been in the pleasure quarters; could the Seventh Prince possibly fancy you? Why should I… Ah, Jiang Yao!”
Before she could finish, Jiang Yao had whipped out her whip, creating a beautiful arc, and struck near Li Xiting’s feet.
Li Xiting was scared out of her wits, her face pale, looking at Jiang Yao in horror.
She knew Jiang Yao was capable of hitting people, but since she arrived in the capital, she had only seen her hit men, so she always thought Jiang Yao wouldn’t hit women!
That whip landing so close made her realize Jiang Yao didn’t spare women either. If she spoke ill of Song Muyun again, Jiang Yao would indeed hit her.
She protected the convict’s daughter to this extent; she even had been in the pleasure quarters, her body’s cleanliness questionable, but Jiang Yao didn’t care!
Li Xiting thought this but dared not say it out loud, Jiang Yao’s fierce look warning her that if she dared, Jiang Yao would definitely hit her.
So violent, yet hitting people, not at all like the daughter of a refined and amiable Prime Minister!
These thoughts Li Xiting dared only keep to herself.
Her face showed fear.
She also clung to Murong Qing’s arm, seemingly seeking help, but she knew the Seventh Prince’s current awkward position in the court and that it was best not to cause any trouble.
For the Seventh Prince, enduring some grievances was only right.
Li Xiting, filled with unspeakable anger, found some joy in Jiang Yao’s discomfort, but Murong Qing saw an opportunity to play his role, asking Jiang Yao not to take out her temper on a woman, and if there was an issue, to direct it at him.
Jiang Yao certainly wanted to direct it at him. If he weren’t a prince and couldn’t openly approach, she would have hit him a hundred and eighty times by now.
Song Muyun gently tugged at Jiang Yao’s arm, not wanting to argue
further with those two, “Aren’t we going to eat? Let’s not waste time on unwilling people; let’s go inside.”
She didn’t want to see Murong Qing’s pretentiousness, finding it disgusting, along with those who liked Murong Qing, also making her feel sick.
After experiencing so much in her previous life, she was no longer affected by a few harsh words from others.
At most, she felt annoyed, but Jiang Yao protecting her made her feel warmly inside.
Song Muyun glanced at Li Xiting, who immediately glared back.
As Jiang Yao doted on her, always taking her side, the two were about to leave when suddenly a servant ran over, sweating profusely, bowing to Murong Qing with urgency, “Your Highness, someone from the palace has come, the Emperor summons you to the palace.”
The two paused, Jiang Yao feeling as if her father had made a move, turning her head to Song Muyun, who also looked back.
Their ears twitched slightly, hearing not only Murong Qing questioning the servant but also the footsteps of a group of people, very light, almost inaudible, belonging to eunuchs.
Jiang Yao looked up and indeed saw several eunuchs approaching.
Ordinary citizens, seeing their attire, had already made way.
The leading eunuch, who served the Emperor for years, smiled kindly at Jiang Yao before approaching Murong Qing.
Murong Qing, sensing something was wrong, clenched his fist in his sleeve but still forced a smile, “Eunuch Hai, what does Father Emperor want with me?”
Eunuch Hai, with a flick of his dust whisk, wore a fake smile, saying only, “You’ll know once you follow me to the palace.”
Then, turning to Song Muyun, his old face bloomed like a flower, “Miss Song, I was just about to look for you. Please accompany me to the palace as well.”
Song Muyun was startled, then her eyes lit up.
Jiang Yao, however, was somewhat worried, holding Song Muyun’s hand and looking at the eunuch with a much gentler tone than before, “Muyun hasn’t been to the palace for a long time; I’m afraid she might offend His Majesty. May I accompany her?”
Eunuch Hai, bending slightly, smiled more warmly than he did to Murong Qing, “The Prime Minister is also there, Miss Jiang Yao might as well come along.”
“Thank you.”
Jiang Yao responded.
Li Xiting, still indignantly defending Murong Qing, felt her cherished man had been wronged and seen as inferior, noticing the eunuch inviting them to the palace, even allowing Jiang Yao and Song Muyun to go, hurriedly asked, “What about me? Can I follow along?”
Then she muttered, “Even Jiang Yao can go.”
The eunuch’s smile faded slightly, his expression cooling, but he nodded, “Old Duke Chengguo is also there; Miss Li can naturally go.”
Hearing this, Li Xiting was stunned.
Her grandfather had long stopped involving himself in external affairs, so why suddenly enter the palace?
With her grandfather present, why did the Emperor summon the Seventh Prince?
“Please follow me.”
Eunuch Hai had even prepared carriages for them, but he hadn’t expected so many people, so the prepared carriage wasn’t large.
Jiang Yao, seeing Murong Qing’s clearly puzzled and uneasy expression, suddenly laughed, pulling Song Muyun onto the carriage seat, clearly not wanting to share a room with Murong Qing.
The four entered the palace together, with only Murong Qing looking the most troubled, yet Li Xiting, failing to notice, continued to vent her frustration to Murong Qing, “Jiang Yao is too bullying, that whip nearly hit me, and she’s always rude to you. I must speak to my grandfather, let him talk to the Emperor, who does she think she is!”
Murong Qing’s smile was strained, his heart not in the conversation, but he couldn’t ignore this foolish Miss Li from the Li family. With Old Duke Chengguo appearing in the palace, likely for his affair, he still needed to appease Li Xiting, hoping to secure a way out for himself.
“It’s nothing, a little trouble is nothing to me. It’s good she didn’t hit you. I was just too slow to react, otherwise, I wouldn’t have let her scare you.”
Jiang Yao, even just listening with her ears, could hear Li Xiting’s moved expression, “Your Highness, you’re so good to Xiting, she really didn’t misjudge you.”
Jiang Yao: …
You’re blind.
Song Muyun hugged Jiang Yao’s arm, softly asking, “Is the Emperor seeking me for my family’s case?”
Jiang Yao gently patted her arm to comfort her, “Yes, most likely. Don’t be afraid.”
Author’s note:
So sleepy, this is to make up for yesterday’s missed update.