"Is Your Highness angry that I, this humble woman, broke off our engagement back then?"
The moment Wang Jingshu uttered these words, she instantly regretted it.
It was their Wang family who had broken the engagement and wronged Prince Yan. Now, it was their Wang family coming to beg for a favor, and yet she dared to speak such words before him. Wang Jingshu felt as though she was courting death.
Yet, she held a sliver of hope.
When the Emperor had betrothed them, she was in the flush of young love and undoubtedly pleased with the marriage.
A prince of the court, decorated with military achievements, of impeccable character, and exceptionally handsome—everyone in the capital envied her. She too harbored expectations of one day becoming his bride.
However, in a mere few months, the spirited Prince Yan had become a useless cripple, unrecognizable and unable to speak or walk.
She had secretly visited the Prince's mansion with her father and seen Baili Chongyan lying on his sickbed, unkempt and neglected. Her dreams instantly shattered.
She herself had proposed the annulment of the engagement.
Because of this incident, over the years, Baili Chongyan's reputation had fluctuated, and no one dared to propose to her.
Before, his reputation was so bad that they feared retaliation from Baili Chongyan if they proposed to her. In the past two years, his reputation had improved, and he had become a well-respected good prince in the south. Yet, these people still feared him, afraid of being drowned by the public's scolding.
However, this was merely the Wang family's, or more accurately, her own speculation.
Who in the south was unaware that Prince Yan and his Princess lived in perfect harmony? They had been married for so long, yet they still acted like newlyweds. The usually stern Prince Yan would lower himself before his Princess, playfully amusing her.
As a result, they had no idea that Prince Yan had once had a former fiancée whose engagement had been broken off.
"Angry?" Baili Chongyan's expression remained unchanged. He peeled lotus seeds in his hand and replied indifferently, "Miss Wang is joking. This prince still thanks you for your refusal to marry him back then."
After so long, he had long since discovered Zhu Lin's possessiveness, which was no less than his own. She showed no outward signs of jealousy or acid remarks.
But he knew that if he ever did anything to betray her, she would, as she had threatened, kill him with her own hands.
This was because his life had been given to him by her.
Hearing his words, Wang Jingshu's face immediately turned grim.
A bit stubbornly, she asked again, "Then why did Your Highness not agree to my proposal?"
Just as she was worrying, Song Fanghua arrived and overheard their conversation. She almost burst out laughing in anger.
"Why wouldn't His Highness agree? Of course, it's because you're not worth it. Miss Wang has quite a high opinion of herself. Ugly face, beautiful dreams."
Song Fanghua was generally straightforward in her dealings. Her influence had grown considerably over the past two years, and Baili Chongyan did not suppress her, so she spoke with great confidence.
"The people in the south now live peaceful lives. Agriculture, industry, and commerce are self-sufficient. If we can live good lives, why should we meddle in other people's affairs?"
Wang Jingshu's face flushed red upon hearing the first part of her statement. She looked at Song Fanghua and asked, her voice laced with a hint of gritted teeth, "You, who are you?"
She was alluringly dressed as a married woman. Could she be from the Prince's mansion...?
"I am the Grand Minister of Agriculture, personally appointed by Prince Yan. May I ask, Miss Wang, what guidance do you have for me?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Jingshu breathed a sigh of relief. With the arrogance of a noble lady and disdain for Song Fanghua's status, she said, "A married woman appearing in public, making a spectacle of herself, is ignorant and unseemly."
Song Fanghua: "...Damn! You think knowing a few idioms makes you great? Your Wang family broke your promise back then, and now you come begging for favors while bringing personal matters into it. What, can't get married and looking for someone to take you in?"
Wang Jingshu: "..."
No matter how fiercely she cursed, Wang Jingshu could only muster words like "appearing in public" and "unseemly."
Song Fanghua was different. The irritable Grand Minister, when angered, would spout all sorts of foul language.
Wang Jingshu's face turned a mottled shade of green and white from anger, making her quite a sight.
The primary reason was that Song Fanghua's words had struck a chord. She had indeed come to the south with ulterior motives.