Chapter 534 - 537: How Very Good
Of everyone present, Hua Manman was the most terrified.
She had just been thinking that collecting the Seven Dragon Balls would summon the Divine Dragon.
She never expected to summon the Regent King instead!
She quietly turned her head toward Li Yu, trying her best to go unnoticed.
But from an onlooker’s perspective, it looked as though Hua Manman had buried herself completely in Li Yu’s embrace.
The coldness in Li Ji’s eyes nearly froze into ice.
He walked step by step toward where Hua Manman was.
He had always had men following Hua Manman in secret.
He wanted to know what Hua Manman was up to, sneaking away like that.
Who would have thought she’d run off to a restaurant to carouse with a group of men!
’Just great!’
Li Yu’s legs went soft with fear from the vicious aura emanating from the man.
But to put on a show for the little Beauty, he steeled himself, took a step forward, and shielded her behind him.
He suppressed the fear in his heart, held his head high, and blusteringly demanded.
"R-Regent Prince, we were just drinking and eating here. Did you really have to make such a scene and barge in with all these men?"
Li Ji eyed him sinisterly, his gaze as sharp as a knife, his tone dripping with thick sarcasm.
"If you were simply drinking and eating, this Prince naturally wouldn’t interfere.
But you are also consorting with prostitutes here.
This dynasty has a clear regulation: court officials are forbidden from patronizing prostitutes.
What you are doing is a blatant violation of the law.
If this Prince doesn’t arrest you, who should I arrest?!"
Li Yu immediately retorted, "Since when does the Great Zhou have such a law? We’ve never heard of it."
"This is a new law added this year.
The practice of officials frequenting prostitutes has become rampant in the court. It not only damages the court’s image in the eyes of the common people but also further encourages corruption among officials.
This Prince has decided to crack down hard on this matter, re-establish the court’s image, and purge the degenerate customs from its halls.
All of you Princely Heirs are born into power and privilege and have enjoyed special rights since birth.
But even the Emperor is subject to the same laws as a commoner if he commits a crime, to say nothing of you.
As for today’s matter, this Prince will handle it according to the law, so as to be accountable to all under heaven."
The Regent King’s speech was reasonable, well-founded, and delivered with an air of righteous authority.
Everyone present was stunned into silence.
They had assumed the Regent King had deliberately barged in with so many men because he’d found out they were badmouthing him behind his back. They never imagined he was actually here to crack down on prostitution!
And yet, they had no way to refute him.
The Princely Heirs all shrank back, and even Li Yu shut his mouth, not daring to make another sound.
Li Ji gave a cold order.
"Men to the left, women to the right. We’ll verify identities first, then take them into custody according to the law!"
The hired prostitutes hurriedly got up and ran to stand on the right.
Although the Princely Heirs were full of resentment, they eventually shuffled reluctantly to the left.
Hua Manman was torn.
’Should I stand on the left or the right?’
Seeing that everyone else was in position, she was the only one left standing in the middle.
She bit her lip, steeled her heart, and walked toward the left with her head down.
Li Yu quickly reminded her.
"You’re going the wrong way. You should be on the other side."
’How can the little Beauty not know her left from her right?’
Hua Manman pretended not to hear anything and silently stood at the very end of the line.
The few men in front of her all turned their heads to look at her.
Li Yu thought the little Beauty was too scared to go stand on the other side.
He took the initiative to walk over and grab her arm.
"Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you over there."
Hua Manman despaired.
’Can you just leave me alone?’
’Can’t I just be a handsome man in peace?!’
She tried to shrink back. "There’s no need."
But Li Yu refused to let go, wanting to thoughtfully escort her to the other side.
Just then, a hand reached out and grabbed Li Yu’s arm.
Li Yu followed the arm with his gaze and met the Regent King’s black eyes, which were as cold as a frozen pool. He was so frightened he nearly suffocated.
Li Ji said, "Let go."
He didn’t seem to be using much strength, but Li Yu felt as if his wrist was about to be crushed. The pain made his face turn deathly pale, and he hastily released his fingers.
Hua Manman took the opportunity to break free and immediately took a step back.
Li Ji’s gaze locked firmly onto her.
He looked as if he wanted to skin her alive and swallow her whole.
Seeing this, Li Yu ignored the pain in his arm and hurriedly yelled.
"Regent Prince, if you have a problem, you can take it out on us! There’s no need to make things difficult for a young woman!"
As if he had heard a hilarious joke, Li Ji’s lips curled slightly as he asked mockingly.
"They say you’re a young woman. What do you think about that?"
Hua Manman was embarrassed beyond measure, wishing she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
’This is total public humiliation!’
’If I had known I’d be forced into this situation, I never would have snuck out.’
’One misstep leads to eternal regret!’
Li Ji took a step forward, closing in on her.
"Speak."
Hua Manman subconsciously took a step back.
Li Ji reached out, pressed the back of her neck, and pulled her a step forward.
This instantly closed the distance between them.
Facing the man’s deep, dark eyes at such close range, Hua Manman felt as if her heart was about to stop.
She stammered.
"Mercy, Regent Prince! I... I won’t do it again."
Li Ji smelled the alcohol on her.
’Such a strong smell... she must have drunk quite a bit.’
The moment he thought of her drinking so much with other men, a tide of jealousy began to churn within Li Ji.
’He really wanted to kill all those men, then put the woman before him in chains and lock her away, so that she could only ever look at him and think of him.’
Li Ji’s gaze grew increasingly dangerous, and his voice became low and hoarse.
"This Prince doesn’t want to hear that. This Prince wants to hear you say it with your own mouth. Who exactly are you?"
By now, even someone as dense as Li Yu could sense that the atmosphere between the two was off.
They looked as if they had known each other before.
Hua Manman was forced into a corner.
He gave her no chance to bluff her way through.
Her face, already flushed from the alcohol, now burned an even deeper red from a mix of shame, anger, and helplessness.
Her eyelashes trembled ceaselessly, and her breathing was ragged.
"The Prince jests. Who else could I be? I am, of course, the Princely Heir of Yu Royal Mansion."
Her voice grew softer and softer until the last few words were almost inaudible.
Li Ji raised an eyebrow, a malicious smile deliberately spreading across his face.
"What did you say? Louder. This Prince didn’t hear you clearly."
Hua Manman was on the verge of tears.
’How is this any different from a public execution?!’
But the man deliberately refused to let her off the hook, insisting on forcing her to reveal her identity in front of everyone.
Finally, as if abandoning all hope, Hua Manman shouted.
"I am the Princely Heir of Yu Royal Mansion! I’m a man! Is that good enough for you?!"
As soon as these words were out, all the other Princely Heirs were dumbfounded.
Li Yu, in particular, was so shocked his eyes went wide and his jaw nearly hit the floor.
He looked at Hua Manman in disbelief.
"Y-You’re not Miss Nan Jia? How can you be a man? This is impossible!"
As if in answer to his question.
Just then, someone ran in and announced loudly.
"Reporting to the Regent Prince, an actor calling herself Miss Nan Jia has arrived outside. She says she was invited here to perform."