It was rumored that the emperor doted on this princess greatly and even bestowed upon her the title of "Yongning". Li Ying didn't know what kind of temper the princess had or whether she was domineering. She bowed respectfully and quietly sized her up.
Princess Yongning was also scrutinizing her with a pair of bright eyes. When their gazes met, Li Ying immediately understood that the princess must not have come to this bustling market for no reason. Presumably, she had come prepared.
Not knowing the princess's intention, Li Ying had to suppress her impatience and be ready to face whatever came.
The noble princess ordered the attendants to disperse the on - looking commoners. Then, she strolled up to the young Master Yang and said with a half - smile, "Censor Yang is always serious in the court, but Young Master Yang is a romantic. It really surprises this princess."
Her tone was calm, neither scolding nor angry. Instead, there seemed to be a hint of joking. The young Master Yang was overjoyed. Although he didn't understand the situation, he thought the princess favored him and had come to support him. A look of pride immediately appeared on his face.
"I've made the princess laugh. It was my lack of self - restraint. I'll take this girl away right away and discipline her well. I'll never let this slut cause trouble again and sully the princess's eyes."
His words clearly showed that he regarded A Man as his possession. Li Ying frowned, and A Man tightened her grip on Li Ying's hand.
Among the princes and nobles who always talked about loving the common people, how many were truly kind?
Li Ying was determined that A Man would not be wronged today!
However, before Li Ying could say a word, Princess Yongning showed a look of confusion. She widened her big, watery eyes and said in disbelief, "Which ear of yours heard that this princess is going to protect you for forcibly abducting a civilian girl?"
"This princess hates those who bully others by virtue of their power the most. The emperor is currently strictly investigating the improper conduct in the court. You're causing trouble so openly. This princess can report this to the emperor right away. I wonder if Censor Yang can protect you?"
One moment, she was chatting amiably with the man, and the next, her tone suddenly changed, showing that she was determined to punish him severely. Her quick change of attitude took not only the young Master Yang but also Li Ying by surprise.
The man panicked. Regardless of his dignity, he quickly knelt on the ground with a thud. Most of his drunken stupor immediately vanished.
"Please calm your anger, Princess! I was just muddled for a moment. Drunk, I said something improper and did such a shameless thing. Please show mercy!"
All he could do was kowtow and apologize. He didn't care about A Man at all.
Seeing that the delicate princess didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter further, he quickly took the opportunity to retreat. He scurried away with his servants, fearing any trouble.
A Man let out a sigh of relief and whispered to Li Ying, "This Princess Yongning seems to have an unpredictable temper. Although she helped us out of trouble, her character is really strange. Sister, be careful."
Li Ying nodded non - committally and signaled A Man with her eyes not to make random comments. Then, she pulled A Man forward to express their gratitude.
Princess Yongning still wore a faint smile. After all the commoners had left, she finally turned her gaze to A Man and said casually, "Her shy eyes half - closed, red lips smiling wide. The wind fluttered her grape - like sash, and the sun shone on her pomegranate - red dress. She is truly a beauty of extraordinary appearance."
"At the birthday banquet of the imperial grandmother, her dance amazed the whole capital. Miss A Man is now the dream girl of many young talents in the capital. Despite her humble origin, she has achieved such a status. It's really rare for a common carp to turn into a dragon and a pheasant to become a phoenix."
These words were not polite at all.
The few of them exchanged glances and immediately understood that this noble princess must have come out of the palace on purpose today. It was false to help A Man out of trouble, but true to meet Li Ying!
A Man already knew the stakes between the princess and Li Ying. A look of displeasure immediately appeared on her bright little face.
Her sister was a rare beauty like a celestial being. Even though Princess Yongning was of noble birth, she was definitely no match for her sister!
It was clearly the emperor who had made a hasty decision and arranged the marriage without distinguishing right from wrong. A Man had seen clearly how much her sister and Brother - in - law Lu loved each other and supported each other all the way to this day.
How could she watch this "unexpected challenger" steal her sister's good marriage and use her origin to imply that her good sister was just an upstart?
A Man was fuming with anger. If she wasn't afraid of causing trouble for Li Ying, she would have retorted to the princess right away.
Li Ying calmly squeezed A Man's palm, and a gentle smile still hung on her face.
"Thank you, Princess, for helping us out today. This great kindness is beyond my ability to repay."
Princess Yongning saw A Man's indignation but pretended not to notice. She smiled and said, "It's easy to repay this princess."
She said casually, "Miss Li is excellent at cooking. She even managed the birthday banquet of the imperial grandmother so well that she is no less skilled than the imperial chefs in the palace. This princess has a dish in mind and would like you to cook it as a way of repayment. How about it?"
Without waiting for Li Ying to answer, she continued, "The other day, this princess was enjoying watching the koi in the imperial garden. The koi swimming around and spitting out bubbles were so cute. Miss Li, please use this as a theme to make a crystal - clear and delicate bubble - themed dish."
She casually glanced at the sky and smiled, "It's quite a coincidence. It's time for a meal now. This princess is tired and will rest in your restaurant and wait for your wonderful dish."
Li Ying couldn't decline, so she had to nod and took A Man and Hu Qinzhu to leave.
As soon as they were out of Princess Yongning's sight, A Man said angrily, "I thought this so - called princess was a chivalrous person who would help the weak, but I didn't expect her to just make things difficult for others!"
"Sister! She is really going too far! What bubble - themed dish! Such a fragile thing will break at a touch. How can it be eaten! It's obvious that she deliberately gave you an impossible task to make you look bad!"
"Sister! This princess is clearly mocking you. The marriage you've been longing for is just like a bubble, nothing but an illusion!"
If A Man could see through it, how could Li Ying not understand?
She didn't say much but stared at the table thoughtfully.
Hu Qinzhu asked in confusion, "Sister Li, Princess Yongning's visit today must be related to the emperor's bestowal of marriage to Lord Lu..."
"But as far as I know, although Princess Yongning has a strange temper, she is not the kind of person who deliberately makes things difficult for others. It's really strange that she is causing trouble today..."