Yanran came back in tears. She ran inside and threw her arms around Tang Zhuyun's legs, sobbing so hard her whole body shook.
Linlin came running back behind her, his face full of anger.
Behind him was the Prince of Jin, his face gloomy.
Tang Zhuyun picked Yanran up and sat down on the couch, wiping her tears as she said, "There, there, don't cry. Our Yanran won't look pretty when she cries."
Yanran sniffled. "Big Sister, I don't want to go back to the prince's residence unless you come too."
Tang Zhuyun understood at once. Her "improper behavior" earlier had made the Prince of Jin think he couldn't leave his daughter with someone like her.
She glared fiercely at the Prince of Jin, then gently comforted Yanran. "Nothing of the sort. No one's forcing you to go back to the prince's residence. Aren't you living happily here at Big Sister's home?"
On the one hand, she had to wait for the Prince of Jin's silver to fill the hole; on the other, she really couldn't set her mind at ease about Yanran.
The Prince of Jin clenched his fists at his sides, but in the end, wary of smashing the vase while trying to catch the rat, he said nothing.
Linlin pointed at the Prince of Jin. "Auntie, it's all his fault! He insisted on taking Yanran away!"
Tang Zhuyun translated his words: Auntie, quick, bite her!
In Linlin's eyes, she was now the symbol of the Tang family's fighting prowess.
She would take on heaven and earth; there was no one she didn't dare confront.
But son, he was a prince, after all. If not for Yanran, he could crush your own mother to death with a lift of his foot.
Tang Zhuyun redid Yanran's disheveled hair in two little buns. She looked sweet and adorable-just like the daughter Tang Zhuyun had imagined in her previous life!
"All right, no one's going to take our pretty Yanran away. Go play outside with Brother Linlin while Big Sister has a talk with your royal father, all right?"
Linlin was her brother, and Tang Zhuyun was her sister. Tang Zhuyun said it with perfect confidence, without feeling in the least that their generations were mixed up.
The Prince of Jin's face was as still as water, but he didn't object.
If he wanted to take Yanran away, he still needed Tang Zhuyun's help. Just thinking about it was galling.
When had he ever suffered such humiliation?
If not for Yanran, he, he would have long since...
Yanran looked timidly at the Prince of Jin, then walked over and tugged at his sleeve. Looking up, she said, "Royal Father, it was all my fault. Please don't blame Big Sister, all right?"
She looked so sweet and adorable that she could melt a person's heart.
"It's all right, don't be afraid. Your royal father can't beat me!" Tang Zhuyun teased her with a smile and gestured for Linlin to take her outside.
After the two children left, Tang Zhuyun pointed to a chair. "Your Highness, would you like to sit down and talk?"
The Prince of Jin sat down, and Song Jingyang stepped behind him of his own accord, his expression stern.
Tang Zhuyun rubbed her nose. "Your Highness, if you want to take Yanran away because of what you walked in on today, I can explain."
"Speak."
Tang Zhuyun said, "If I told you I sought him out to sell him medicine, would Your Highness believe me?"
The Prince of Jin sneered. "Sell medicine? Are you going to tell me he was testing the medicine when he stripped down like that?"
"He wasn't testing it, but he did give me an idea," Tang Zhuyun said shamelessly. "I could see his kidneys were deficient, so I thought I could sell him some medicine."
"So that's how you tell when someone has kidney deficiency." The Prince of Jin sneered repeatedly.
He couldn't be bothered dealing with this woman whose tongue could make lotuses bloom.
"Well, heh, that's a personal skill." Tang Zhuyun raised an eyebrow. Not everyone had her ability to discern the whole from the slightest detail.
Song Jingyang: "..."
She was telling barefaced lies without even blushing!
"Although there's nothing seriously wrong with Yanran right now, she's very weak. If Your Highness wants what's best for her, I think you should leave her with me for the time being."
"So she can watch you fornicate with men in broad daylight?"
Tang Zhuyun slapped the table and leaped to her feet. "Which eye of yours saw me fornicating with a man? If your eyes aren't working, hurry up and see a doctor!"
She was speaking civilly to him for Yanran's sake, and he really thought he was one of the three sacrificial offerings, to be set up and worshipped!
"What do you think?" The Prince of Jin sneered. "Tang Zhuyun, my patience has its limits too! The day will come when Yanran gets better! From now on, as long as Yanran is still with you, if you want to find a man, hide him well and don't let me discover him. Otherwise, I'll kill that man, whoever he is!"
Tang Zhuyun smiled with lofty, icy elegance. "I've got my eye on Your Highness right now!"
Kill yourself if you've got the nerve!
Song Jingyang's face flushed red. "You-you're shameless!"
Tang Zhuyun sneered. "Spare me that. Food, drink, men and women-who doesn't know what that's about? Never mind that I didn't do much today. Even if I slept with Qingfeng, so what? If Your Highness had kept himself in check, would he have Yanran?"
After a pause, she continued, "Why are you interfering with me? I didn't let Yanran find out. You're the one who made her cry just now!"
What happened with Qingfeng today had admittedly gone a bit too far, but was that her fault?
Fine, even if she was wrong, was it the Prince of Jin's place to interfere?
"Don't forget, Your Highness, Yanran is staying here because you begged me!" Tang Zhuyun said bluntly. "So I ask you to be a little more polite to me, or don't blame me for turning hostile and disowning you!"
Barking orders and throwing his weight around-who does he think he is!
He was a prince, but she was also a member of an official's family. Who was afraid of whom?
The negotiations ended on bad terms, but the result was that things carried on as before.
The Prince of Jin had been thwarted here, so naturally he was in a bad mood.
Song Jingyang was troubled too when he saw the prince's face, so dark the gloom wouldn't lift. He ventured, "Your Highness, please bear with it for now. What can we do when the young miss likes her? This subordinate thinks the most urgent thing is to keep Tang Zhuyun steady and stop her from behaving recklessly again."
"If you have something to say, say it. Stop beating around the bush."
"Yes!" Song Jingyang said. "What I mean is, doesn't she just like men? Then let's find her a man to keep her steady. It would be best if he obeyed you, and the more loyal he is, the better. He should also be handsome enough for Tang Zhuyun to like him..."
When the time came, would they still need to worry that Tang Zhuyun wouldn't obediently do as she was told?
The Prince of Jin looked at him thoughtfully.
Song Jingyang's heart went cold under his gaze. He steeled himself and said, "Your Highness, this subordinate was only making a suggestion. If you think it's unsuitable, forget it."
"It's suitable," the Prince of Jin said. "I think it's worth a try."
Song Jingyang chuckled. "Then, as for the candidate..."
"I think you'd be perfect."
Song Jingyang nearly fainted. "Well, well, this subordinate really can't," he stammered.
"You've followed me since childhood and have been utterly loyal to me. I think you're the most suitable."
Song Jingyang dropped to his knees with a thud. "This subordinate would go through fire and boiling water for Your Highness, but this..."
"Do you think Tang Zhuyun would disgrace you?"
Song Jingyang nodded vigorously and once again went on at length about Tang Zhuyun's "abortion."
"Besides, this subordinate is still a virgin... I can't let her defile me!"
The Prince of Jin laughed at him. "Get up. I was teasing you. I couldn't bear to part with you."
He was the prince's capable right-hand man; there was no need to send him over for Tang Zhuyun to defile.
Song Jingyang breathed a long sigh of relief and raised his sleeve to wipe away his sweat.
"Your Highness, this subordinate has someone in mind..."
Better a fellow cultivator die than this poor daoist. Song Jingyang was going all out!