Zhao Ming was speechless seeing the difference between the girl and the man she was supposed to marry.

  The girl seems to be young and looked around 17-18 years old while the man seems to be around 30 years old.

  Even Ji Cheng is younger than him.

  When the girl stood in the center, she was intimidated by Gao Lin and his father's hostile gaze. She stood there while her father passed her gaze to agree to the marriage, she seemed to ignore him and stared at Zhao Ming.

  This made Zhao Ming's brows rise in surprise. Even though the girl looks weak and intimidated, she has a personality to never adjust to the situation.

  This time, Ji Cheng glanced at her and signaled her to go ahead. Since the girl is here, he doesn't want that girl to be scared of him.

  It's better for Zhao Ming to ask that girl about the situation.

  Zhao Ming smiled and nodded as she understood the meaning of his gaze.

  She looked at the girl and asked calmly, " Xu Hua, right? You tell me, why did you refuse to marry him?"

  She doesn't remember the name of the guy, so she didn't use his name.

  Gao Lin glanced at Xu Hua when Zhao Ming asked this question. His expressions turned gloomy as he said, " Your Majesty, what can be the reason? You're asking this bitch about the reason? Because of her my reputation has been ruined.".

  " Everyone is talking about how a girl played with me. How can you ask her such a question? What's the need? We're the ones who brought this complaint against them, so she just needs to marry me, her life will be much better if she marries me. But it seems like she has found some bastard that's why she has refused to get married" The man sneered while looking at the girl in a disgusting way.

  His words were way harsher than his father's.

  Zhao Ming glared at him and said in a monotonic voice, " Did I ask you the question? How dare you interrupt my words? Don't forget that it's a court. Mind your behavior otherwise, it won't be any good for your family. Did you get that?"

  A faint smile appeared on Ji Cheng's face hearing her words.

  The man pursed his lips after being scolded by Zhao Ming.

  The girl smiled at Zhao Ming and felt comfortable seeing the man scolded by Zhao?Ming.

  " Your Majesty, I……I didn't do anything wrong. The marriage has been fixed without my permission. I wasn't asked about it before my father fixed this marriage." She said in a low voice but her eyes never left Zhao Ming.

  " Hah. You're a girl, why would your father take your permission?"

  " Is this girl some stupid or what? She wants her father to ask before fixing her marriage?"

  " I think Gao Lin is right. This girl indeed has someone and has made a cuckold of him. "

  Zhao Ming pursed her lips when she heard other people's whispers. They never shut up even if they're in court.

  However, before she could say anything, she heard Ji Cheng's cold voice from beside.

  " Who was speaking? This is a court, not your public garden. You are allowed to speak only when you are asked. Otherwise, keep your mouths shut. " His cold voice echoed in the royal palace as he glared at everyone.

  Hearing this all guards understood and stood by the crowd to keep them quiet.

  Seeing Ji Cheng's anger, everyone shut their mouth but the disgust was obvious in their eyes.

  Zhao Ming took a deep breath and looked at the girl, " If it was arranged without your permission, then why didn't you object to it before? Why only after a few months that you decided to rebel against it?"

  Xu Hua pursed her lips and glanced at her father before saying," I protested to it before as well. I don't want to get married to him but my father locked me in my room and forced me to agree to this marriage."

  " However, I don't want to marry Gao Lin because I don't want to be someone's concubine. Master Gao has a legal wife and three concubines already. Also, he said that he would take me in as a concubine and not as a consort. I don't want that to happen. That's why I protested against this marriage and tried to take my life because of it. After that, my father decided to cancel this marriage."

  " But……when he decided to cancel this marriage, Gao Lin's father threatened us saying that he will make everyone against us and make everyone boycott us so that we could not even live in the village."

  Zhao Ming frowned and glanced at the Gao Lin and his father with disdain.

  " Is what she said, right?" Zhao Ming glanced at Gao Lin''s father and asked in a cold voice.

  " Did you really threaten her father to boycott their family in the village and ruin her business?"

  The merchant was baffled when Zhao Ming suddenly questioned him. He pursed his lips and replied,

  " Your Majesty, I was just angry. I wanted to just tell him that it's better to marry Xu Hua to my son. I wasn't serious about that threat." He laughed awkwardly.

  " You……why are you so adamant to marry her? When she said that she doesn't want to marry you, then why do you keep forcing yourself on her?" She turned to Gao Lin and asked in annoyance.

  " Because I like her. I just want to marry her. Also, she has to marry someone sooner or later. Her life would be much better if she got married to me. "

  He took a liking to Xu Hua when he had first seen her. She is young and beautiful. However, when he tried to approach her, she ignored him and didn't play along with him.

  That's why he made his father approach her father for this proposal and because her family was in a dire situation at that time, he offered to support their business in return to Xu Hua being his concubine.

  Zhao Ming scoffed lightly and said, " Better? Why do you think it will be better for her if she marries you? And don't you have other three concubines already? Why are you behind this girl? If she doesn't want to marry then why force her? "

  The man was speechless hearing Zhao Ming's words. Weren't they the ones who complained against the girl? Then why is she talking from that girl's side?

  ##

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