I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

"What?"

Han Gou was furious at Lu Yuan's almost humiliating words.

He was, after all, the son of the Minister of War.

He's a person of considerable standing!

However, Lu Yuan didn't care at all what he thought.

"Alright, you're not taking this person with you today. Get out of here!"

Upon hearing this, Han Gou straightened up half an inch from his bent back.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to suppress his anger.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. If I may be so bold as to speak, please do."

Han Gou cupped his hands in greeting, his voice still weak, "Marriage is a major event, and it is all about the parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words. Lord Shen has personally agreed to this marriage, and I am presenting my betrothal today in accordance with all the proper etiquette, with all the necessary matchmakers and betrothal gifts included. It is all reasonable and legal."

"If Your Highness is not allowing me to receive them, shouldn't you at least give an explanation?"

So what if he's the Ninth Prince?

The Minister of War stands behind the Han family.

This marriage was agreed to by Shen Yilei himself, and it is legally permissible.

"statement?"

Lu Yuan tilted his head and looked at Han Gou.

"The gist is, get lost, don't even think about hitting on Shen Hanqiu. You think you're so great?"

Han Gou's face turned a deep liver color.

Han Gou was, after all, a respectable young master in the capital.

In front of a dozen servants, a prince pointed his finger at him and told him to get lost.

If this gets out, how will he ever be able to face the world again?

"Your Highness's words..."

Han Gou's lips twitched twice, forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"This humble servant truly cannot comply unless Your Highness gives a clear explanation: why are you preventing me from marrying Shen Hanqiu?"

"Could it be... that His Highness has also taken a liking to her?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the street fell silent for a moment.

Lu Yuan stopped holding the wine pot.

He wasn't angry; instead, he laughed.

He turned around, facing Han Gou, and handed the wine pot to him.

"I've got my eye on it."

Han Gou was stunned.

"What's wrong?"

The name Lu Yuan carries itself with confidence and conviction.

Han Gou, clutching the wine jug, felt a sudden buzzing in his head.

His mouth was open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.

Su Yuling and Shen Hanqiu had just arrived behind the screen wall at the main gate of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion.

The two stopped in their tracks at the same time.

Shen Hanqiu's face flushed instantly, turning red from the base of her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

She hurriedly tugged at Su Yuling's sleeve.

"Yu Ling, he... he didn't mean that. His Highness was just trying to help me out of that situation..."

"I know."

Su Yuling's gaze passed over the corner of the screen wall and landed on Lu Yuan's crooked back.

Of course she knew.

If that bastard really takes a liking to Shen Hanqiu, she really wouldn't object.

With the protection of the royal family, this poor fifth sister-in-law, who was not yet married into the family, would not be sold off by her father, who was obsessed with currying favor with the powerful.

But her heart still skipped a beat.

This person really dares to speak their mind.

Han Gou came to his senses, first stunned, then his anger flared up, and his face twisted in anger.

He smashed the wine jug on the ground, splashing wine all over his trousers.

"Ninth Prince, just because you're a prince doesn't give you the right to forcibly take a subject's wife!"

"Shen Hanqiu is my Han family's betrothed! You say you've taken a liking to her in front of so many people, do you have no respect for the law? Aren't you afraid the Censorate will impeach you?"

"Impeach?"

Lu Yuan chewed on those two words for a moment, then moved.

He pushed off the ground with his right foot and lunged forward.

Before Han Gou could even see what was happening, he was punched in the chest.

The fist slammed solidly into Han Gou's chest, causing him to stagger back three steps before his back hit the hitching post.

"This punch was delivered on behalf of Shen Hanqiu."

Lu Yuan didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. He grabbed his collar with his left hand and pulled him back, while his right fist slammed into his nose.

"This punch is for your father."

Han Gou's nose gushed blood, smearing his face.

He howled and shrank to the ground, covering his head with both hands.

"They're hitting people! Are you all dead? Get them!"

A dozen or so Han family servants exchanged glances, gripped their sticks, and rushed forward a couple of steps.

"Who dares to move!"

Su Yuling walked out from behind the screen wall, her hair tied up, her sleeves rolled up to her forearms, and a short knife tucked into her waistband.

She stood on the steps and glanced at the dozen or so servants.

"He is the ninth prince of the Great Yong Dynasty, the emperor's own son. If you lay a finger on him, your entire family will be executed. What, you really think you're something special?"

The servants stood rooted to the spot.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to Han Gou.

Han Gou curled up on the ground, his face covered in blood. He didn't care about looking at them; he just kept covering his head and taking the beating.

Lu Yuan rode on Han Gou's back, shooting arrows with both hands.

Every punch lands squarely.

Han Gou's face quickly swelled up, and he made muffled noises, unable to utter a single coherent sentence.

"Impeachment? Let the censors do it!"

Snapped!

"So what if you like it?"

Snapped!

"Can't a prince even take a fancy to someone?"

clap clap!

Han Gou's servants stood still, looking at each other in bewilderment, none daring to step forward.

Su Yuling stood on the steps, her hand on the hilt of her knife, her eyes clearly speaking volumes.

Anyone dare to take that first step?

Shen Hanqiu hid behind the screen wall, stamping her feet in frustration.

She tried to rush out, but Su Yuling grabbed her arm.

"Don't go."

"But……"

"Just watch." Su Yuling didn't let go. "Let's see how he handles this."

Shen Hanqiu bit her lip and clenched her fists.

A voice suddenly rang out in the arena.

"Your Highness, please wait!"

Lu Yuan's fist hovered in mid-air.

He tilted his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

Shen Yilei got up from the ground, his knees covered in dirt and his forehead scraped.

He bent over, rubbing his hands together, a fawning smile plastered on his face.

"Your Highness, please wait! Your Highness, please wait!"

Lu Yuan stood up from Han Gou and shook the blood off his hands.

"You're pleading for him?"

Han Gou lay on the ground, and upon hearing these words, he disregarded the pain all over his body.

He struggled to lift his head, his eyes, swollen to slits, looking at Shen Yilei.

Shen Yilei, that old bastard, is actually a decent person.

Once this is over, he will definitely have to find a way to promote him.

Shen Hanqiu lunged forward, but Su Yuling held him down firmly.

"Father! Please don't..."

Su Yuling's grip was incredibly strong. Shen Hanqiu struggled twice but couldn't break free, and her eyes turned red with anxiety.

Su Yuling stared at Shen Yilei in the arena, her brows furrowing slightly.

The old man was just kowtowing and begging for mercy on the ground, but now that he's standing up, the smile on his face looks really off.

Shen Yilei straightened up and turned to Han Gou, who was lying on the ground. The ingratiating smile on his face gradually disappeared.

"How could Your Highness trouble yourself with such menial work?"

He bent down and picked up a stick that a servant had dropped from the ground, weighing it in his hand.

"Just leave it to the younger one."

As he spoke, Shen Yilei grinned and walked step by step toward Han Gou.

This scene left Lu Yuan completely dumbfounded.

A reversal... that fast?

At the same time, Han Gou's eyes widened in surprise.

"You old fool... I'm the son of the Minister of War, how dare you lay a hand on me?"