Chapter 108: Are You Three Useless?

Princess Pingyao walked over, casually flicking the whip in her hand. “What’s going on here?”

A crowd of people was gathered at the palace gate. Princess Jiahe alone had brought eight maids, and the three sons-in-law, including Qin Yumo, were stopped by her from going to the Diligent Government Hall.

Hearing Princess Pingyao’s voice, everyone turned their heads in unison. The three princes consort bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Your Highness, Princess Pingyao.”

The maids all knelt on the ground.

Princess Pingyao could now clearly see Princess Jiahe’s furious expression. “What’s wrong? Unsatisfied with your desires, so you’ve come to the palace to vent?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Princess Jiahe’s face suddenly stiffened, then turned red with shame and anger. She pointed at Princess Pingyao and said, “Pingyao, you… you simply have no shame! You… you you you… your language is vulgar, you willingly degrade yourself, I…”

“I willingly degrade myself?” Princess Pingyao walked up to Qin Yumo and slowly lifted his chin with her hand, meeting his face, red as fire. “Why are you blushing?”

Qin Yumo’s face was like it was on fire.

Not only him, but the other two were also blushing and stiff, obviously struggling to handle Princess Pingyao’s astonishing words.

Princess Pingyao looked at them thoughtfully. Well, she was too fierce, and these scholars couldn’t handle her words.

She turned to Princess Jiahe. “This Princess and her husband are in mutual love. We meet when we want to, and when we don’t, we separate. Where is the self-degradation? Are you talking about yourself? When you had him, you didn’t cherish him, and now that you’re about to lose him, you’re desperately trying to please him.”

After Shen Huai came after attending court, Princess Jiahe wished to whip him every day to vent her frustration, not knowing where such a violent desire came from. But when Shen Huai returned to court, she chased after him like a lovesick puppy.

Shen Huai, however, was also stubborn. He had silently endured her violence in the past without ever begging for mercy, and now he was indifferent to her advances, which is why Princess Jiahe lost her reason and chased him all the way to the palace, speaking without restraint.

The other two princes consort were completely innocent victims, caught in the crossfire simply for protecting Shen Huai, and were thus included by Princess Jiahe in the “eating soft rice” category.

Although eating soft rice was indeed a fact.

However, Qin Yumo eating soft rice was something Princess Pingyao was happy to see, and she hadn’t said anything about it, so what right did Princess Jiahe have to berate and mock him?

Thinking of this, Princess Pingyao looked at Qin Yumo. “Are you three useless?”

Qin Yumo remained silent.

Shen Huai instinctively defended Qin Yumo. “Your Highness, Princess Pingyao, this matter has nothing to do with Lord Qin. It’s me—”

Princess Pingyao didn’t want to hear him speak. “I remember the Regent assigned you personal guards. The three husbands should have twelve guards, right? Yet you can’t even handle a shrewish woman?”

Princess Jiahe angrily said, “Who are you calling a shrew?”

Princess Pingyao sneered coldly. “Jiahe, do you really think you’re still a high and mighty Princess? The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have lost their say, so what are you, a Princess, worth?”

Princess Jiahe gritted her teeth. “Aren’t you a Princess too?”

“I am different from you.” Princess Pingyao, pointing at Jiahe’s face with her whip, with a hint of humiliation. “I can now mobilize the Imperial Guards and have them drive you out of the palace. Can you do that? I can also mobilize a group of people to confine you in your Princess estate. Can you do that?”

Princess Jiahe’s expression changed. “You—”

“If this happens again in the future, your guards.” Princess Pingyao’s hand turned, pointing at Qin Yumo and Shen Huai, “Will each receive fifty lashes, executed right here. If they die, they’ll be replaced. Guards who can’t protect their masters are unnecessary.”

Qin Yumo and Shen Huai lowered their heads and said nothing. Qi Mingyu, seeing the situation before him and hearing Princess Pingyao’s words, understood everything.

Princess Jiahe now had only an empty title and couldn’t do anything to them. As long as they themselves were not afraid, they wouldn’t be threatened by Princess Jiahe.

If even Princess Jiahe had lost her power, then Princess Jiayu was even less significant.

“Guards.” Princess Pingyao flicked her whip. “Escort Princess Jiahe out of the palace. Without the permission of the Regent or myself, she is not allowed to step through the palace gates again.”

Princess Jiahe glared at her angrily. “You—”

“Yes!” The Imperial Guards approached, speaking respectfully yet firmly. “Princess Jiahe, please.”

Princess Jiahe’s face turned from green to white, filled with hatred for Princess Pingyao.

She was clearly the legitimate daughter of the Emperor, her mother had become the Empress Dowager, and her brother was the Emperor.

However, because the Regent controlled the court, she, as the rightful legitimate Princess, was not as influential as Princess Pingyao, whose mother had died.

The resentment and unwillingness in Princess Jiahe’s heart reached its peak.

She also wanted to be as decisive as Princess Pingyao, to wield the power of the Imperial Guards with authority, and she wished for the Emperor to be in charge and for the Empress Dowager to be unparalleled in her dignity.

If that were the case, what would Princess Pingyao amount to? Under the imperial power, how could she be allowed to be arrogant and flaunt her power?

Not only did she control her own husband, but she also interfered with others’ husband?

Did she think she was the Grand Chamberlain of the palace?

However, no matter how angry she felt inside, facing the Imperial Guards who only listened to Princess Pingyao’s commands, Princess Jiahe could only leave in a huff, her sleeves fluttering in anger.

“Today’s incident is the first time, and I hope it will also be the last.” Princess Pingyao coldly surveyed the three men before her. “Even if you eat soft rice, you should do it with some backbone. Don’t cower all day like a pitiful little victim.”

Eat soft rice with backbone?

It was the first time they had heard such a statement.

The three prince consort looked at each other and nodded in unison. “Thank you, Your Highness, Princess Pingyao, for your assistance.”

“Go on.” Princess Pingyao waved her hand. “Head to the Diligent Government Hall early and wait. Don’t let the Regent find fault with you later.”

The three prince consort responded and soon took their leave.

^[1]“Eating soft rice”- It implies a lack of independence and can be used to criticize someone for being a “kept” person or for living off someone else’s wealth or success.