She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Shao Yunting's gaze followed Jiang Ruining's figure without wavering, watching her smile, watching her speak, watching her radiant... She was right. If he hadn't looked down on her, how could he have been so ashamed as to not even bother to observe her back then, and instead take other people's evaluations of her as fact?

He was the one who pushed her away and towards someone else!

He held the wine glass to his lips, tilted his head back sharply, drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and then slammed it down.

As if he had made up his mind, he got up, went towards the stable, found his horse, slung his quiver over his shoulder, hung his bow on his back, mounted the horse, lowered his body slightly, and went into the woods against the wind!

Xie Lanheng stood there and smiled: "That's right. Cut off your indecisiveness, get on with what needs to be done, and becoming a high-ranking official is the path you should take!"

Not far away, a glint also flashed in the eyes of the young emperor on his high throne, whose eyes were slightly lowered.

Fortunately, he's a decisive and intelligent person!

Otherwise, those who are both indecisive and capable will have to be eliminated!

The seemingly unassuming Princess Jing, seated at the lower end of the table, turned her gaze from the distance. When it swept over the young emperor, she seemed to be drawn to something, paused for a moment, and a fleeting look of surprise crossed her face. She then hurriedly lowered her head to conceal the secret she had inadvertently discovered.

Her movements were subtle, but right under the Empress Dowager's nose, they were naturally noticed.

The Empress Dowager followed her gaze and looked down.

Having confirmed that Princess Jing's earlier surprise was due to the young emperor, her expression and gaze remained unchanged, as if she had merely glanced at him casually. She then personally picked up a pastry and handed it to the young emperor, saying, "My son, you may also go down and participate in some activities!"

The young emperor accepted the pastries with both hands, smiling and nodding, "Yes, Your Majesty, I do indeed wish to go for a run!"

As always, he ate the food bestowed by the Empress Dowager before taking his leave.

The officials' wives below smiled and flattered, "Your Majesty is so filial, unlike my unfilial sons. Not only are they useless, but they also talk back and cause trouble all day long. When I scold them, they complain that I'm nagging and biased!"

"We arrived at this estate ahead of schedule, hoping for a few days of peace and quiet. Alas, those few wretches have to stick around, causing trouble wherever they please. It's so infuriating, it hurts my heart!"

These words immediately resonated with many of the ladies.

So the topic in the stands turned to complaining about their children.

Naturally, some people will also show off.

The autumn wind, carrying the fresh scent of grass, brushed past everyone.

From the stands.

Zheng Lingyi rubbed her arms: "Is it going to rain? It feels colder than the morning wind!"

Seeing an opportunity to shine, Xiao Qing quickly grabbed the cloak from the servant's hand and went to put it on Jiang Ruining.

However, Xiao Che acted faster, and the dark blue cloak was already draped over Jiang Ruining's shoulders.

Jiang Ruining slid in and avoided it.

His dark blue cloak slipped off and fell onto the grass.

The brocade only shimmered with a faint silver light under the sunlight. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with honeysuckle vines in red gold and pine green silk thread. When the wind blew, the gold thread would reveal a hint of sharpness. It was the same color, material, and pattern as the outer garment Xiao Che was wearing.

Indeed, from the person to the clothes to the embroidery, everything is extremely understated.

Jiang Ruining thought of matching couple outfits.

Is there something you want to express through this opportunity?

I didn't think much of it; it just happened to be a cloak that I had on hand.

She wasn't sure.

Since it's uncertain, it means the answer she wants is still vague, so we can't give her a friendly look yet.

She smiled politely, distancing herself from him: "Thank you, Your Highness, but no need!"

Xiao Qing was furious that her chance had been stolen, and the situation was at its most critical. But when she saw Jiang Ruining dodge, she was delighted.

Xiao Che's hand, which had been draping the cloak over her, hovered in mid-air, then twitched slightly before slowly retracting.

Those watching from the sidelines noticed a hint of loneliness and humility.

Would His Highness the Regent, with his ruthless methods, ever be humble?

The person with this thought shook their head violently, trying to shake off this crazy idea. Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could a mighty Asura of Hell, a living Yama on earth, possibly be so lowly!

Xiao Che bent down and picked up the cloak. Perhaps because there were too many onlookers, his tone was concerned, but his expression was cold and indifferent: "You are weak, don't catch a cold."

Jiang Ruining took a step back, as if afraid he would put the cloak on her again: "I'm perfectly healthy, not cold at all! Your Highness should keep it for yourself. You are a pillar of the court; if you get cold, the consequences will be far greater!"

Xiao Che didn't force her. He handed the cloak to Shi An and said, "Shall I accompany you for a walk?"

Jiang Ruining remained polite, but refused without hesitation: "No need. I've made many new friends, and they'll keep me company. Your Highness is very busy, and this would only take up your precious time. Since you're busy, I'll take my leave now."

Xiao Che grasped her wrist: "I had someone buy you some snacks and candied fruit and sent them to the tent. I'll go eat with you."

Jiang Ruining avoided him for several days. Every time she caught a glimpse of him coming from afar, she would run away first. To prevent him from sneaking into her tent in the middle of the night, she invited Zheng Lingyi, Chu Jin, and her close friends to sleep with her.

This prevented him from finding an opportunity to talk to her.

He said he was going to have some snacks with her, but what he really meant was that he wanted to have a private chat with her.

But she still refused, forcefully pulling her hand away: "Eating too many snacks will make me fat, and I'm currently in withdrawal! I'm sorry to disappoint Your Highness, I'll have someone return them to you later."

Xiao Che wrapped his arm around her wrist, leaving a finger's width to spare: "You're too thin, you can eat more."

Jiang Ruining frowned in displeasure: "Your Highness, it is very impolite to casually comment on a girl's figure!"

The crowd who were cautiously watching the commotion were quite frightened when they heard her words.

Although the regent was very indulgent towards her, it was too audacious of her to speak to him like that in public!

A man stepped out from the crowd, brandishing a white jade fan with a masterpiece on the surface, exuding an air of aloofness: "Princess, you're far too presumptuous! Even if you saved the Prince, you should still respect your place. You're still born without a mother; your manners are truly lacking!"

"Besides, women are born to please men. The fact that the Regent has praised you is a testament to your..."

Jiang Ruining turned and stared at the other person with a sinister look, recognizing him as Zongzheng's grandson.

A complete idiot who knows his family's stance is aligned with the Regent, yet still obsessively adores Cui Jingwei!

In the book, he humiliated the original owner in public quite a few times, just because others said that Cui Jingwei's innocent appearance made her look like a maid next to the bright and beautiful original owner. However, his infatuation with Cui Jingwei was hidden in the dark, so everyone just thought that he disliked the original owner for being stupid and wicked.

The reason he jumped out to mock her now was simply because she had replaced Cui Jingwei as the center of attention, which displeased him. He also thought that since his grandfather was the Regent's right-hand man, no one could do anything to him by humiliating her in front of the Regent!

This is... Chen Ran, the number one lackey, and Sun Ziyang, the number one simp, have both gone offline. Does this mean that the number two simp has to step in to fill the gap?

What should I do?

Although the original owner was indeed stupid and wicked before awakening, she was very protective of her own!

Now that it's been delivered right to her, how can she not hit it?

"Snapped!"

Xiao Zheng's humiliation was interrupted by a slap.

Jiang Ruining slapped him again with her backhand, making it symmetrical: "You were born a scoundrel! It's an honor for you that I'm willing to hit you. You should kneel down and kowtow to me!"

Xiao Zheng's face burned with pain; humiliation and anger contorted his features.

Xiao Che stepped aside, blocking Jiang Ruining's path, his sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on Xiao Zheng's face, carrying a clear warning.

Xiao Zheng met those eyes and his heart skipped a beat.

But relying on his grandfather's status and the fact that Jiang Ruining had struck first, he believed he was in the right and bypassed the Regent, glaring fiercely at Jiang Ruining.

Jiang Ruining wasn't afraid of him at all. She scanned him up and down with the same look she'd given him when inspecting merchandise, continuing her tirade: "The prince and the county princess are talking. What right does a good-for-nothing like you, who only got a sinecure as a fourth-rank official because of family connections, have to interrupt?"

"You were born of a mother, raised by a mother, and she taught you manners and hierarchy. How could you not know that I, the county magistrate, am of high rank and you are of low rank? You must kneel before me! To knowingly disobey is stupidity! It is wickedness! It is arrogance!"

"Your mother gave birth to six children, all of whom were outstanding, but then you, a good-for-nothing with no manners, no upbringing, no ability, and no class, were mixed in. You're simply the biggest stain on her otherwise perfect life!"

"Born among a bunch of outstanding people, yet you don't even realize you're a defective product, shameless and brainless! Your brothers and sisters are incredibly unlucky to have such a rotten brother like you!"

"A grown man like you, instead of doing your job, comes here to bully a weak woman who has never wronged you. You have no shame!"