Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

"Snapped……"

"Get up! The sun is high in the sky, and you're still here."

"Hurry up and take these things to the river to wash them, and bring them to me at noon."

The girl opened her eyes and saw her father's fierce and menacing face.

"Father...please let me rest a little longer. I'm so tired. I did so much work yesterday."

“All you ever do is make me do hard labor, or you make me herd sheep.”

The girl's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with fear and apprehension.

"Don't give me any nonsense. You're a good-for-nothing. It's all your mother's fault for being so useless and giving birth to a girl..."

Before he could finish speaking, he picked up a stick, ready to give her a beating. The girl reacted quickly and fled.

She came to the clear riverbank, where the stream babbled and the water was so clear that you could see the fish clearly.

She looked down at the pretty face, her eyes filled with sorrow.

She stroked the stray hairs on her forehead with her slightly rough fingers, and unconsciously threw the coarse linen clothes into the river with one hand.

The next second, the icy cold river water lashed against her, and she instantly felt the chill and shivered.

Having lost her mother early, Zhao Qing had long been accustomed to this kind of life. Her father had made a living by herding sheep for many years, while she herself had become a victim of hard labor.

Thinking of the past, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, unstoppable.

She missed her mother's warm embrace, but sadly, it was gone forever.

In a daze, a long robe drifted away slowly with the stream.

"Oh no!"

She didn't care about anything else and kept rushing into the water. At that moment, all she wanted to do was pull the clothes up as quickly as possible, otherwise, if her father found out about this, she would probably get a beating again.

But when her feet were submerged in the water, she realized that she couldn't swim at all.

My feet had absolutely no foothold in the lake water; it felt like I was walking on cotton.

She used all her strength to try to maintain her balance.

"boom……"

As he plunged in, a splash of water more than two meters high rose up.

The icy lake water instantly soaked through her body, and Zhao Qing turned pale with fright. The more she struggled, the more she fell.

She kicked the water clumsily while shouting desperately.

"Help, help me..."

"Help! Someone, please help me!"

Before she knew it, she had drunk several more mouthfuls of water. Her consciousness began to blur and her strength was rapidly waning.

At that critical moment, a powerful force supported her slender waist and lifted her upwards with considerable force.

Her petite body lifted off the icy water in an instant.

She was panting heavily on the shore, spitting out water one mouthful after another. Her jet-black hair was already soaked through.

"Young lady, are you alright? Young lady..."

A gentle, warm voice rang out.

In a daze, she saw a dashing man standing in front of her.

The man wore a golden robe, which was exceptionally elegant and luxurious, and the embroidery on it was full of auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns.

The folding fan he carried was clearly no ordinary object; the man was tall and imposing, with striking features and a handsome appearance.

"Young lady, what's your name? Does your home live far from here?"

The attendant standing next to the man spoke slowly.

"My name is Zhao Qing. Thank you for saving me! My home is here too. I'll go back by myself, it's not far."

She struggled to her feet, but after taking only two steps, she stumbled and collapsed back down, the biting cold making her shiver uncontrollably.

"Miss, why don't you rest in the carriage for a while? I'll take you home when you feel better."

Zhao Qing then noticed that there was an exquisite mahogany carriage not far away, with two tall black horses beside it.

"No, no, no, you are from wealthy families, I can't afford to ride in this kind of carriage."

Zhao Qing wanted to decline, but her body couldn't take it anymore, so she had no choice but to get into the carriage to rest for the time being.

"Is anyone home? Open the door..."

"Open the door quickly!"

"Who is it?"

Mr. Zhao grumbled and reluctantly pushed the door open.

He stared intently at the two unfamiliar faces in front of him, and in an instant, he was terrified, his previous cursing and swearing demeanor vanishing completely.

Looking at the two men, who were well-dressed and had a distinguished appearance, it was clear at a glance that they must be rich and noble.

His lips curled up in a forced, insincere smile, like a groveling lapdog.

"Why have you two young masters suddenly come to my place?"

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

The man glanced at him coldly, his eyes filled with disgust, and said, "We brought this young lady back!"

Master Zhao instantly understood and immediately raised his hand, calling out to his daughter solicitously.

"Zhao Qing, get down from the carriage right now! Come in and we'll talk!"

As night fell, Master Zhao busied himself preparing a table full of food in the house, filling the entire room with a rich aroma.

"Thank you both, gentlemen, for saving my daughter. You have no idea how precious she is; she's my only daughter, and we've always depended on each other for survival!"

“Her mother died early, and I raised this daughter all by myself with great difficulty! If I hadn’t met a benefactor today, and my daughter were gone, I wouldn’t want to live anymore.”

He spoke vividly, even squeezing out two crocodile tears.

Zhao Qing stood to the side, her face ashen, silently listening to her father's absurd tales. She was already used to her father's words and actions.

The man beside her kept his gaze fixed on Zhao Qing, reluctant to look away, and seemed to be plotting something in his mind.

Master Zhao, observing the subtle changes in the sky's expression, immediately noticed the shift from sorrow to joy.

"Young master, have you fallen for our daughter?"

"If you really like my daughter, I can let her marry you."

"Judging from your appearance, you must be of high status and wealth. I imagine my daughter would live a life of luxury if she married you."

Zhao Qing couldn't sit still any longer; she opened her bright, lively eyes and looked at her father.

"Dad, what did you say?"

She felt angry, annoyed, and ashamed; how could she say such things to a stranger?

Her face immediately turned red, like the brilliant red sunset on the horizon.

"Since we've come this far, I'll be frank and speak plainly."

"The noble young master beside me is none other than the current emperor. He took a fancy to your daughter during his incognito travels. I wonder if your daughter would be willing to return to the palace with our lord?"

Upon hearing this, Master Zhao was so frightened that he froze, and the bowl and chopsticks in his hands shattered on the ground.