"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I'm Yue Jiaojiao. My father is the governor of Yunzhou. He's the most powerful official in Yunzhou. My grandmother is the wet - nurse of the princess dowager!"
Yue Jiaojiao grinned and stared at the Crown Prince obsessively.
Both her grandmother and father said she looked beautiful when she smiled. She wanted to charm the Crown Prince with her smile.
Little Anzi was utterly dumbfounded by Yue Jiaojiao's stupidity.
"Just because of your father's position, how dare you yell in front of the Crown Prince and address people so casually!"
Yue Jiaojiao blinked in confusion, not knowing what she had done wrong.
She had always spoken like this. Whenever she went out, she would introduce herself first, and everyone was afraid of her and would try to please her.
Why was it considered yelling in front of the Crown Prince?
The Crown Prince glared at her coldly, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
Chu Yueying tidied up her appearance, knelt in front of the Crown Prince, and performed a standard kowtow.
"I, Chu Yueying, pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Crown Prince shifted his gaze to Chu Yueying and was quite surprised. "Are you a girl from the Chu family?"
Shi Minglang's eyes lit up when he saw this well - behaved yet cute and lively girl.
Was this the unmarried daughter of the Chu family that Liang Yuzhou had mentioned?
What a good brother he was.
Chu Yueying was nervous and panicked. Being seen fighting with Yue Jiaojiao on the street by the Crown Prince was not a glorious thing. If her grandmother found out, she would surely scold her.
Even worse, the Crown Prince was going to stay at the Chu family's residence today. All the people in the Chu family should have welcomed the Crown Prince respectfully, but she had sneaked out.
She knelt respectfully, her back straight, her eyes downcast, behaving properly and maintaining her grace.
Little Anzi quite admired this Miss Chu. Unlike Yue Jiaojiao, who stood there like a big clumsy bear and dared to stare at the Crown Prince boldly.
Just for this, she could be charged with disrespecting her superior!
The Crown Prince looked at Chu Yueying gently. "Get up and answer."
Chu Yueying was nervous. She had just been pinned down by Yue Jiaojiao, and her legs were numb.
When she got up, she staggered. Her maid reached out to support her, but Shi Minglang was faster.
His big hand grasped her slender arm. As soon as she stood steadily, Shi Minglang immediately let go.
He was very gentlemanly.
Chu Yueying had never had such an intimate contact with an outside man before. She blushed like a rosy cloud.
"Thank you, Lord Shi."
Shi Minglang smiled. "There's a distant family relationship between our two families. Why be so polite?"
Chu Yueying seemed to understand his implication. She stole a glance at him and thought he was not as terrifying as the rumors said.
He was not only polite but also very handsome.
"Thank you, Uncle Shi."
Bang!
Shi Minglang felt as if he had been struck by lightning!
Uncle? Uncle!
He hadn't even discussed the family relationship with her yet. How did he become an uncle!
Was he that old? He was only twenty - six years old!
Shi Minglang's world collapsed. He couldn't smile anymore.
The Crown Prince had to maintain his dignity. A faint smile flickered on his cold face and quickly disappeared.
"Why were you two fighting on the street?" He helped Shi Minglang out of the awkward situation.
Yue Jiaojiao accused first. "Your Highness, you must uphold justice for me. Last time, my grandmother kindly invited the Chu family to our place as guests. Chu Yueying pushed me into the lake! Several of my fancy carps were smashed to death!"
Chu Yueying was not to be outdone. "It was you who pushed me first. I was just giving it back to you in kind!"
The girl was sharp - tongued. Shi Minglang's eyes brightened even more.
He liked this kind of personality. She wouldn't be a coward when wronged but would bravely fight back.
"That was only because you said..."
Yue Jiaojiao suddenly remembered that her grandmother had repeatedly told her not to let outsiders know that their family had once conspired to set a trap for Song Wanchu and tried to force her to marry her father as a second wife.
If she continued to argue with Chu Yueying, the secret would be exposed.
She stopped talking and glared at Chu Yueying fiercely.
"Bold! The Crown Prince is here, and you still show a fierce look!"
Yue Jiaojiao's expression of wanting to eat people was extremely impolite in front of the Crown Prince!
Little Anzi was almost driven crazy by this Yue Jiaojiao!
What Yue Jiaojiao! She was simply Yue Vulgar and Yue Rude!
She was wasting such a beautiful name.
Yue Jiaojiao thought this effeminate little white - faced man was so annoying.
No matter what she did, he would scold her. Where did he get the audacity!
In Yuezhou City, except for her grandmother, no one had ever dared to point at her nose and lecture her!
Instead of restraining herself, Yue Jiaojiao pointed at Little Anzi's nose and scolded. "What kind of neither - male - nor - female dog thing are you? My father is the most powerful official in Yunzhou. I'm the little princess here. Do you believe that my father will chop off your head with a single sword!"
All the attendants around the Crown Prince's face changed in shock.
Little Anzi was the chief eunuch beside the Crown Prince. When he spoke, it represented the Crown Prince's will.
Even the stupidest and most arrogant person would be respectful when seeing Little Anzi.
Yue Jiaojiao was truly extremely arrogant!
The Crown Prince's eyes were cold. His thin lips parted slightly. "He is my man. If you want Yue Chengkong to chop him off, do you want to chop me off too?"
His voice was full of coercion, scaring Yue Jiaojiao so much that she trembled.
"No... I didn't mean that. I just thought he was annoying. Doesn't Your Highness think he's noisy and annoying?"
Little Anzi suppressed his anger. "Come here. Teach this 'princess' Yue how to speak properly!"
Two female officials walked out from behind the Crown Prince's carriage, looking serious.
"What are you going to do?"
One female official pressed down on Yue Jiaojiao's shoulders, and the other female official raised a bamboo board and slapped Yue Jiaojiao's face hard.
Using a bamboo board to slap the face was also called flogging punishment.
When it hit the face, the intense pain would penetrate the skin.
Yue Jiaojiao's face soon swelled up like a steamed bun.
She howled like a ghost, struggled desperately, shouted, and blood and tears flew together.
But the female official who was holding her had deep internal strength, and no matter how she dodged, she couldn't escape.
The female official stopped after hitting thirty times.
The Crown Prince looked at the miserable Yue Jiaojiao coldly, his eyes showing no warmth.
"You two, send Miss Yue home. By the way, inform Yue Chengkong and Old Madam Yue what has happened. Stay at the governor's mansion for a few days and teach Miss Yue some proper manners."
The two female officials agreed and dragged Yue Jiaojiao away.
Chu Yueying felt extremely delighted!
The pain on her body seemed to have lessened.
The Crown Prince smiled at Chu Yueying. "Miss Chu, since I'm going to your place, you can lead the way."
Chu Yueying was overjoyed that her great enemy had been punished. "Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Shi Minglang whispered a reminder. "From now on, when the Crown Prince is at your home, you mustn't run out casually. Do you understand?"
Chu Yueying nodded obediently.
The Crown Prince was a bit curious. "Why did you sneak out?"
Seeing that the Crown Prince didn't seem to blame her, Chu Yueying told the whole story. "Sister Wanchu used to live at home. She moved out last night. This morning, she sent a message saying that she was staying in Yungui Alley. I was a bit worried about her, so I sneaked out to see her."
A shadow immediately fell on the Crown Prince's face.
Wanchu, was she avoiding him?