Cang Lang, holding a long sword, hid in the shadows, vigilantly staring at the scene, ready to cut off the Fourth Prince's hand if he made any improper move. Even Hang Li and Hua Wu were watching the Fourth Prince with astonishment.
This man was so bold, daring to covet their master’s lady—was he ready to lose his other leg as well?
If the Governor found out about this, he’d twist his head off.
Tang Ning had never imagined that the Fourth Prince would have such thoughts. Seeing him stare at her steadily, she suppressed her disgust and let her smile fade into coldness.
"Without merit, one should not accept rewards. Your Highness, please take back this treasure, I cannot accept it."
The Fourth Prince, however, misunderstood her reluctance and hurriedly said, "How could this be without merit? The County Princess helped the Governor punish the Lu family yesterday, avenging the humiliation of my fall. Just now, you also took the trouble to offer me advice. I am deeply grateful to you, and although this pearl is rare, I am willing to give it to you. I hope you won’t refuse."
Tang Ning felt even more disgusted.
Seeing the Fourth Prince hold the pearl with such anticipation on his face, his eyes full of fiery passion and subtle affection that he couldn’t conceal, Tang Ning took half a step back.
"I think Your Highness misunderstood."
"Dealing with the Lu family was for my own revenge. I’ve had a grudge with them for a long time, and everything I did had nothing to do with Your Highness. As for offering advice, it was simply because my brother is surrounded by wolves in the court, and I didn’t want Your Highness to do something rash that would harm my brother."
Her face, which had still shown some courtesy earlier, was now completely devoid of warmth, and her words were blunt, with no regard for politeness.
"I don’t like pearls, and I certainly don’t like treasures given for no reason. Your Highness, please take it back."
The Fourth Prince’s face froze: "Did the County Princess misunderstand? This pearl is merely a token of gratitude…"
"It doesn’t matter whether I misunderstood or not. What matters is that Your Highness shouldn’t misunderstand anything."
After Tang Ning’s almond-shaped eyes lost their smile, a cold detachment radiated from her.
"County Princess…"
"Your Highness, please have some self-respect."
Seeing the Fourth Prince about to reach out to grab her, Tang Ning waved her sleeve and stepped back even further, her tone growing colder.
"If you can’t show respect to your mother, or compassion to your wife, then Your Highness is truly disappointing. I must ask you to leave. Do not come back to Jiyun Alley in the future."
"Hang Li, show him out!"
The Fourth Prince, still holding the pearl he had once treasured, was "kicked" out. By the time he reached the outside, his face was a mix of pale and green.
Cheng Ping, who had followed him, noticed the Fourth Prince was furious and quickly whispered, "Your Highness, please don’t be angry. The County Princess might have misunderstood you…"
He actually wanted to say that the Fourth Prince’s words were indeed inappropriate. He should have supported the County Princess without demeaning the Empress or the Fourth Princess Consort, but now that his master was the one in front of him, he could only carefully word his speech.
"The County Princess was raised by Lord Rong. The Rong family is strict with manners and propriety, so she is certainly not one of those frivolous women. Moreover, since the County Princess has suffered from the Lu family, she would naturally be more cautious about matters between men and women. Her refusal to accept Your Highness's gift shows that she maintains her integrity and is worthy of your admiration."
"If the County Princess had casually accepted such a precious gift, then she would have been greedy for vanity, unworthy of Your Highness."
The Fourth Prince’s face softened as he listened to Cheng Ping. He remembered how kindly Tang Ning had spoken to him just moments ago, only to suddenly turn cold. He glanced at the four-cornered brocade box in his hand.
"It’s my fault. She’s an accomplished lady, raised by the Rong family. How could she be like other women who are frivolous?"
His mother had advised him to get along with Song Tang Ning, but to be cautious in his actions and words. He had momentarily been blinded by infatuation, mistakenly thinking she was one of those vain girls, which had angered her for no reason.
However, that cold and distant look from Tang Ning had only made him like her even more.
He thought about her cold and beautiful face and couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions. But remembering what his mother had said, he suppressed his feelings.
There was no need to hurry.
Tang Ning would eventually enter his house, and then he would explain everything to her properly.
However, that girl had a bad temper. When she entered the house, he would have to train her to be more docile and humble.
"What a filthy thing, daring to covet the lady!"
After the Fourth Prince left, Hua Wu couldn’t help but step forward and mutter a curse.
Tang Ning’s expression was also unpleasant. She hadn’t expected the Fourth Prince to set his sights on her. Although she had long known he wasn’t a good person, seeing the disgusting, clingy look in his eyes, it felt as though he already regarded her as his "property." It made her feel sick to her stomach.
Tang Ning turned her head and looked toward the person hiding not far away.
"Cang Lang."
"Lady?"
"Go and teach the Fourth Prince a lesson."
Cang Lang’s eyes lit up immediately. He had been wanting to deal with that dog of a Fourth Prince for a long time. How dare he try to steal their master’s lady? As he was pondering how to handle him, Tang Ning continued, "Don’t kill him. Just teach him a lesson so he can’t get out of bed for seven or eight days."
Cang Lang was disappointed.
The lady still had a soft heart. If it were the Governor, he would have done more damage…
Tang Ning didn’t know his thoughts and simply murmured, "The Fourth Prince ran into the second son of the Lu family when he came today, and they had a conflict because of the previous incident with Lu Qin. The second son of the Lu family left Jiyun Alley first. If something were to happen to the Fourth Prince…"
Cang Lang understood immediately. "The Lu family is known for their cruelty. The second son’s father was exiled long ago, and he’s been harboring grudges. After being provoked by the Fourth Prince, it’s normal for him to take the opportunity to vent his anger."
Tang Ning smiled faintly. "Make it clean, and don’t let the Empress suspect anything."
Cang Lang grinned. "Don’t worry, Lady. I’ll go right now."
After Cang Lang left, Tang Ning turned to Hua Wu. "Don’t tell my brother about what happened earlier."
Hua Wu whispered, "Why? The Governor cherishes you so much. He wouldn’t stand for you suffering any harm. If he knew the Fourth Prince’s intentions, he would never let him off…"
Tang Ning replied, "Exactly because my brother is protective of me, don’t tell him. He has important matters to attend to, and I don’t want him distracted by these small matters."
The Fourth Prince is nothing but a toothless paper tiger—stupid, vicious, and brainless. She could handle him herself, and there was no need for Xiao Yan to be distracted by such trivial matters before leaving the capital.
"Cang Lang is already teaching the Fourth Prince a lesson. Don’t tell my brother."
Hua Wu nodded. "I understand."
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