Thirty-One
rself down. Muttering to herself, "Eat then sleep, sleep then eat, play after eating well... Ah ah ah, if not for Cloud Muhan forcing me to learn literacy, or this troublesome matter of being an actre...Volume 1: Smiling at the Splendor Chapter Thirty-One
The Phoenix Concubine saw that as Yun Qianyue spoke, her expression turned almost monstrous. When did this dead girl start acting like this Her expression clearly showed distress; how could she feel distressed From yesterday to today, she hadn’t suffered any losses but instead had hurt Xiang He and thrown her into the lake. Why was she distressed
"Oh There’s such a thing" Ye Qingran was taken aback for a moment before he sneered, "You may look tough on the outside, but you’re actually the softest-hearted person around. As long as no one bullies you, that should be good enough. How could you bully others"
Truly a kindred spirit! Yun Qianyue nearly shed tears of emotion. She looked at Ye Qingran and sniffed before softly saying, "Only you understand me; others don’t think so." After pausing for a moment, she glanced at the prince beside them and continued, "Even my father thinks that I bullied someone else. He’s my own flesh and blood, yet he wants to punish me without inquiring about the reasons behind it. If even he believes this, where can I seek justice Look, you’ve arrived just as I was preparing to face punishment! How could I go out with you"
Ye Qingran suddenly turned his head to look at the prince.
The Prince suddenly showed an embarrassed and guilty expression. He had been out of town for several days and just returned to the mansion today. Upon hearing outside that his most troublesome daughter, Cloud Qianyue, set fire to Wàngchūn Tower, resulting in hundreds of casualties and causing court officials to submit a joint petition against him, he was furious. Later on, when he heard that Young Prince Rǎn and Imperial Prince Jǐng had both stepped forward to protect her, he felt relieved. But this morning upon returning home, he learned that she had crippled Xiānghé's hands the day before yesterday, leaving her unable to play the guqin anymore. Adding to his anger was finding Consort Feng being pulled out of a lake; he couldn’t help but be furious and came here with Consort Feng to demand an explanation from Cloud Qianyue without asking for any reason. He really believed that she was wrong without considering other factors, only later learning that this daughter truly had changed.
"Uncle Prince, how can you blame Moon Sister without inquiring about the reasons I think you are utterly senile. Moon Sister is a soft-hearted person. Yesterday when bullied inside the palace, she cried alone by Yuānghé Pond like a tearful figure. Later on, when the Crown Prince intended to punish her, she didn't even say a word but waited to be taken away. How could such a weak nature bully others If they don’t bully her, she would be grateful for it! I really can’t understand how these rumors outside spread. They claim that Moon Sister bullies people every day, yet what I see is the opposite: others are bullying her!" Yè Qīngrǎn glared at the Prince.
Hearing this, the Prince’s face showed even more guilt and said to Cloud Qianyue, "It's indeed my fault. I shouldn’t have…"
"Consort, your servant...your servant..." Consort Feng suddenly cried loudly, interrupting the Prince.
"Auntie, please don't be sad! Take care of yourself. Tell me what really happened yesterday! Why were my cousin Xiānghé's hands injured so severely She has been studying guqin for ten years and plays wonderfully; her talent is wasted this way. Who could have such a heartless soul to do such cruel things" The Crown Prince Consort said angrily.
"Not yet..." Feng Side Concubine found another opportunity.
"Huh, it seems I came at the right time today. Just then, this little prince will accompany you to see who said you bullied her and how did you bully her The horse race can be postponed to another day. Anyway, a horse race can always be held anytime; such matters are indeed rare." Ye Qingran interrupted Feng Side Concubine, suddenly reaching out his hand lightly, causing a chair to float gently beside Yun Qianyue. He sat down casually and very close to her.
Yun Qianyue was impressed that he could summon a chair with just a wave of his hand—it's like the soul-sucking technique from TV shows! She wondered if she could do it too, so she couldn't resist trying to pull an empty chair nearby. But the chair didn't budge, and she felt dejected; apparently, she was unable to do it. What nonsense is this Phoenix Scripture The old man made it sound so powerful.
"Moon Sister What are you doing with your hand" Ye Qingran looked at her in puzzlement as she stretched out her arm as if trying to summon something.
Yun Qianyue lowered her head in disappointment, shaking her head. She lied calmly without turning a shade of red or losing her breath: "Nothing! I was just stiff from sitting for too long and needed to stretch."
"I see!" Ye Qingran nodded, naturally believing.
The Old Cloud Marshal snorted. He naturally knew what this stinky brat was thinking. So what if she could pluck objects from afar Once she perfected the Phoenix True Scripture he had passed on to her, it wouldn't just be plucking objects from afar—it would even allow her to move a mountain with ease. No taste! He couldn’t help but scold, "Stinky brat!"
Yun Qianyue secretly stuck out her tongue at the old marshal.
Seeing her mischievous expression, Ye Qingran couldn't help but laugh. He had never seen a woman like this one—calm and composed, resolute, astute in understanding situations, shrewd yet also extraordinarily clever. Just yesterday when he was trading barbs with Ye Tianqiong at the palace, she suddenly chose to go to the Imperial Prison on her own accord; it was clear that she knew if they were truly to clash, it wouldn't benefit her. And yet, the confidence and ease she had shown during the horse racing match, as well as the playful innocence when joking around, all these various facets of her character presented so vividly on her face—it couldn’t be more striking. He thought that among all the women he’d met in recent years, this person beside him was most to his liking. For a moment, he simply couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
Yun Qianyue saw Ye Qingran's handsome face smiling at her and couldn’t help but sigh—besides being beautiful, why did she have to smile like that Smiling was okay, but it didn't need to be so close! Didn't he know that her resistance to handsome men wasn't very high
Just as I was about to tell him to keep his distance, the Crown Prince's concubine suddenly smiled and said, "It's said in the capital that Young Nobleman doesn't approach any women. However, from my perspective, it doesn't seem so. Little Moon appears to have won Young Nobleman’s heart He left seven years ago without returning home, but when he came back, he was very close with Little Moon. Could it be that they had been exchanging letters these past seven years"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue slowly raised her head for the first time since Crown Prince Ye Tianqing and his concubine entered.
She saw that today, Ye Tianqing was not in his official robes but wore a dark-colored brocade robe. Without wearing the crown prince’s cap or showing off his high status, he looked just like an ordinary young scholar. Apart from his gaze towards her being even more sinister and enigmatic than before, there were no differences from yesterday. The woman by his side was extremely beautiful, dressed in fine silk and adorned with jewelry that covered her head and neck. She had a high bun that exposed her fair skin and wore several gold and jade bracelets on her wrists; she exuded great nobility and splendor. At this moment, she held the Lady Feng’s hand as she smiled at Yun Qianyue and Ye Qingran, looking inexplicably warm but with words that were clear to anyone.
What did it mean for an unmarried woman in ancient times to exchange letters with a man Especially considering Yun Qianyue's identity and the continuous involvement of Crown Prince Ye Tianqing, exchanging letters with Ye Qingran would easily lead people to think she was riding two boats at once. Who knew, maybe she even included Rong Jing who had saved her yesterday when they returned together to Cloud Manor, making it three boats. Otherwise, everyone wouldn't understand why Young Nobleman Qingran and Marquis Shizi Jing were so eager to help Yun Qianyue. This gave them an explanation.
Even the old王爺's face turned gloomy for a moment.
The Viscountess Feng leaned on the shoulder of the Crown Prince’s concubine, revealing a wicked and triumphant smile. Indeed, it was fitting that this was her niece's thought exactly as she had anticipated. Today, if she couldn’t kill Yun Qianyue, she would at least ensure that she bore the blame for indecent behavior. She wanted to see how Yun Qianyue could act so arrogantly now; this was far worse than being mocked by others due to her wasteful and debauched ways. If news of this were to spread, it would be enough to drown Yun Qianyue in the ridicule of all under heaven.
Naturally, Yun Qianyue understood the intent behind this. She thought to herself that indeed, she had expected nothing less from the Crown Prince’s concubine; a woman who could accompany Ye Tianqing would not be an easy person to deal with. With just one sentence, she had managed to pin such serious accusations on her. Instead of becoming angry, Yun Qianyue smiled and said in a cool tone, "Your Excellency the Concubine's words seem like you have personally witnessed it all; if that’s how you see things, then does my lack of punishment over the years despite committing so many wrongdoings show that I must be corresponding with Emperor Uncle"
The Crown Prince’s concubine paled immediately. She had never expected Yun Qianyue to bring up her relationship with the emperor; even if she were given all the courage in the world, she would not dare say that she corresponded with him!
"Haha! Indeed so! Your Excellency the Concubine truly possesses sharp eyesight! Uncle Emperor deals with affairs of state every day and night. How could you know what’s inside his study Beyond piles of ministers’ memorials, there are also my sister Yun Qianyue's letters. Unbelievable!" Night Qingran was about to become angry and throw this woman out when he heard Yun Qianyue say this. He immediately calmed down and burst into laughter. Looking at Ye Tianqing, he said, "Brother Crown Prince, you must be very capable to marry such a concubine. With her by your side, she will surely know everything that happens in the world, including even Uncle Emperor’s and Fourth Prince's every move!"
What Night Qingran said was venomous. If Yun Qianyue had ignited a small fire, he had transformed it into an inferno. Spying on Fourth Prince Manor wasn’t a big deal, but spying on the emperor’s every action was serious indeed. Although Ye Tianqing was the Crown Prince and successor to the throne, as long as he remained in this position, he would bear no such sin.uspected that Rong Jing is your own grandson. Am I not"This favoritism was too obvious for words! Old bastard!"Stink, girl! I wish he were my grandson!" the old王爺glared at Yun Qianmo.“If you want him...