Chapter 7: Yang Ye's Letter

ike beads.Rong Jing put down his hand and supported himself to sit up, then pulled Yun Qianyue into his arms. His voice was filled with pain, "It’s my fault, I shouldn't have lost my temper at you, sh...Chapter 7: Yang Ye's Letter

Ye Qian seemed not to have heard Ye Qingran’s words; her kicking of the bed frame did not wake her up either. She continued sleeping soundly.

Yun Qianyue turned her head to look at Ye Qian and was incredibly impressed by her ability to sleep so soundly. Glancing at Ye Qingran, he told Yun Qianyue, "You get up first; after I drag her away to attend to official business, you can go back to sleep."

"Okay!" Yun Qianyue nodded and got out of bed, putting on her clothes, picking up the shoes beside the bed, and stepping aside.

“Foul woman, get up!” This time, Ye Qingran had no qualms about kicking the bed frame twice. The bed frame creaked in protest to his rough actions.

"My bed won’t withstand your kicks like this; if you kick it two more times, I’ll have you buy a new one for me," Yun Qianyue reminded Ye Qingran helplessly.

Ye Qingran was about to kick again when he suddenly stopped. He glanced at Yun Qianyue with some embarrassment and then slapped Ye Qian. The palm wind rushed towards her, but she remained unaware of it; Ye Qingran had no choice but to take back his hand in frustration and said angrily, "Woman, do you really not believe this little prince can strip you naked and hang you on the city gate"

Ye Qian remained unmoved.

"Nan Lingrui! What are you doing here" Ye Qingran suddenly shouted.

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes, turned around to look at Ye Qian. She saw that Ye Qian had suddenly sat up; the woman who was just sleeping soundly instantly woke up and showed no sign of sleepiness, but looked with great caution towards the door instead. Yun Qianyue thought it somewhat speechless how this pitiful child could keep falling for Ye Qingran’s tricks.

"Indeed, only this can stop you!" Ye Qingran glared at Ye Qian.

“You’re lying!” Ye Qian hadn’t seen anyone and glared at Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran snorted coldly. “Do you want to sleep some more”

"I still want to sleep!" With that, Ye Qian suddenly lay back down again.

“Dare you try sleeping once more and I’ll fetch Nan Lingrui right now!” Ye Qingran threatened.

Ye Qian immediately flew into a rage. She sat up from the bed and shouted angrily, “What’s the point in calling him This princess wants to sleep; do you want him to see us acting like lovers”

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue was instantly enticed by the drama, her eyes sparkling with interest. She hadn’t expected anything good to happen as soon as she woke up.

“You… You shameless woman! Who likes you” Ye Qingran immediately exploded like a lion whose mane has been ruffled.

"What if I don't like you I like you!" Ye Qian rolled her eyes at Ye Qingran, and raised an eyebrow smugly to him. "The whole world knows that Ye Qian likes you; what’s there to be shy about"

“You… Stop making senseless claims!” Ye Qingran's forehead twitched.

Ye Qian snorted coldly, “I’m not the one making baseless claims! Don’t you remember Nan Lingrui saw us lying together naked; he knows our relationship better than anyone else.”

The handsome face of Ye Qingran turned pale.

Yun Qianyue’s eyes sparkled even more brightly. So this was a scene straight out of a cuckold drama…

Seeing that Ye Qingran had been put off, Ye Qian smugly raised her eyebrows and moved her gaze to Yun Qianyue; the latter’s mischievous smile made her feel cold, and she blushed in anger. “What dirty thoughts are you having Although I once lay with him on one bed, it was only because I drove away his poison for him and treated his injuries! We didn’t do anything else!”

“Oh, so nothing happened” Yun Qianyue dragged out the word ‘nothing’ in understanding.

"Little girl, what’s with that ridiculous expression This little prince has no interest in this evil woman!" Ye Qingran's face turned from pale to dark; he grabbed Ye Qian by her wrist and said, "Get up now. Quickly follow me into the palace."

“Going to the palace is fine! I was going there today anyway,” Ye Qian shook off his hand. “Let go of my arm. I need to change clothes and get ready; am I supposed to enter the palace like this Is it not impolite before His Majesty, Emperor Shengtian"

“Do you even know what is polite” Ye Qingran snorted coldly but still let go of her hand.

"My luggage and clothes are at your manor. Have you brought them over yet" Ye Qian asked again.

“Don’t know!” replied Ye Qingran unhappily.

“Go ask now; if they haven't arrived, go get someone to bring them here quickly. Isn’t it what you want for me to follow you into the palace If you don't help me get ready, I won’t enter,” said Ye Qian.

Ye Qingran left with a blackened face.

Yun Qianyue found this amusing; she had never seen so many expressions on Ye Qingran’s face. This Ye Qian was indeed something special; she could make even the renowned Prince of Devils turn pale and be at his wit's end. She couldn’t help but admire her strength.

“Hey, do you want to know how we got acquainted” Suddenly, Ye Qian addressed Yun Qianyue.

Cloud Qianyue revealed a gossipy expression in her eyes, just as she was about to nod, Ye Qian suddenly shouted angrily: "If you dare to say anything inappropriate to her, I will make sure you enter the palace stark naked. If you don't believe me, try it out yourself. Don’t think this little prince doesn’t have ways to deal with you."

Ye Qian immediately stopped talking and said irritably: "Fine, I won’t say anything!"

Night Qingran had just taken a step forward and walked out.

Cloud Qianyue didn't expect Night Qingran to be so wary of her meeting with Ye Qian. She put away the gossipy expression and thought about what Rong Jing said about Ye Qian’s three pranks on Night Qingran at Lánlíng Bridge. She felt it was likely because Night Qingran had lost face, that he didn’t want Ye Qian to mention them. This made her somewhat amused.

"This little閻王 (Yan Wang) ! If I knew he would be so nitpicky, I wouldn't have provoked him!" Ye Qian shouted at Night Qingran’s back in anger.

“Let's wash up first! It’s getting late. Otherwise you will have to go into the palace for lunch.” Cloud Qianyue said with a smile.

Ye Qian responded with an “um” and got out of bed barefoot.

Cailian and Tingxue each brought in a basin of clean water, gave their greetings to both of them. When Cloud Qianyue walked up to one basin of clear water just as she was about to put her hand in, Ye Qian’s hand also came out at the same time. Cloud Qianyue raised an eyebrow and Ye Qian said to her: “Let's wash together; it saves water!”

Cloud Qianyue was speechless, "Do I have to worry about a little bit of face-washing water"

"The amount of water in this basin is enough for an entire family in the South Borderlands to wash their faces. It’s too wasteful!" Ye Qian said.

Cloud Qianyue then remembered that there had been a drought in the South Borderlands in recent years and people were very frugal with water. She smiled and nodded, "It does seem a bit wasteful. Alright, let's wash together."

Ye Qian nodded.

This was Cloud Qianyue’s first time washing her face in the same basin as someone else.

Aftr they finished washing, Ye Qian sat down in front of a mirror first and called out to Cloud Qianyue, “Come over and comb my hair!”

Cloud Qianyue shook her head, "I don’t know how!"

"You don't either" Ye Qian was stunned for a moment before she laughed without any grace, "Finally found someone who can't braid their own hair like me."

Cloud Qianyue looked up to the sky in speechlessness and instructed Cailian, “Combing her hair.”

Cailian responded with a nod and walked over smilingly to comb Ye Qian’s hair. She didn’t suspect or reject Ye Qian as she had earlier; instead, she felt that this little princess looked just like Missy in terms of character and was really easy-going.

After the two were done combing their hair, Night Qingran had already brought in a package and tossed it into Ye Qian’s arms. He said coldly: "Hurry up and change clothes! Uncle Emperor probably has just finished his court session by now; we have to go quick!"

Ye Qian didn’t argue this time, nor did she care that Night Qingran was still there. She immediately opened the package, found a clean set of clothing, shook it out, and pulled off her own clothes with one hand until only an undershirt remained. Then she changed without another thought.

Night Qingran turned his back right away, furious: "Do you know what blushing is"

"Didn't you see my body before" Ye Qian glanced at Night Qingran with white eyes.

Cloud Qianyue let out a “pu” sound. She thought this Ye Qian was too interesting! Seeing Night Qingran's face turn from black to red and back again, she found it very amusing. At that moment, she couldn't help but feel sympathetic for Night Qinggran. Even the little devil king could do nothing about Ye Qian.

“Shameless!” Night Qingran scolded.

Ye Qian didn’t care; she swiftly changed her clothes and looked in the mirror, then turned around once. She said to Cloud Qianyue: “These are new clothes I bought when I came to the capital city. The Heavenly Saint’s clothing looks better than our South Borderlands’ clothes. Do you think I look good in them”

“Um, you look even better without wearing any.” Cloud Qianyue said with a smile.

"I agree!" Ye Qian nodded and echoed her words.

Cloud Qianyue was stunned for a moment. Night Qinggran’s face turned cold as he came over, grabbed Ye Qian by the hand, and carried her out of the door. Ye Qian shouted, "I haven’t had breakfast..."

"If you don't eat, you will be skinny; it would look better on you." Night Qinggran said with a grim face.

“But I'm hungry!” Ye Qian emphasized.

“You’re not the least bit hungry. Hurry up and leave. First we’ll go to the palace, there are plenty of delicious foods in the imperial study; just as long as you take care of your business and find out who is behind this murder case, you can eat whatever you want.” Night Qingran threatened.

Ye Qian immediately stopped talking. This time she didn’t need Night Qinggran to drag her along, she followed him willingly.

Cloud Qianyue watched the two leave and couldn't hide the smile on her lips. She felt that it was interesting watching those around her like this every day; any worries she had would vanish.

"Miss, this little princess is really amusing. She’s just like you - loves eating and sleeping." Cailian said with a laugh.

"Hmm! It's rare to meet someone with similar tastes." Yun Qianyue smiled and withdrew her gaze. She had originally thought that the women in this era would all be like Qin Yuc ling, Leng Shuli, Rong Linglan, etc.! Unexpectedly, Ye Qian was different. Fortunately, there was still Ye Qian to keep her from losing interest in these ancient women.

"Servant brings breakfast for the lady!" Cai Lian asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue nodded and Cai Lian left. Tingshu swept the table clean and said to Yun Qianyue, "Miss, tomorrow is the first day of the seventh month. Apart from asking servant girls like me to sew some prayer amulets for you, are there any other preparations needed when you go to burn paper money for the Noble Consort"

Yun Qianyue only now remembered that she had to burn paper money tomorrow in memory of her mother. After a moment's thought, she asked Tingshu, "Tingshu, how long have you been working at my residence"

"Replied Miss, servant and Tingyu came here about three years ago. It was even earlier than Cai Lian sister by half a year. Only Cai Lian has just come half a year ago. We used to be assigned the task of cleaning up outside the courtyard; we couldn't approach your room. Since then, we didn't have any contact with Miss and you probably forgot about servant," Tingshu replied.

"So you and Tingyu came here three years ago!" Yun Qianyue nodded and asked, "Then how did I handle the memorial day of my mother every year Do you know"

Tingshu was taken aback; she didn't understand why Yun Qianyue was asking this. Nevertheless, she replied immediately, "You never prepared anything before. You just took the prayer amulet given by Empress and burned it at Noble Consort's tomb. When I saw that Miss wanted us to sew some prayer amulets this year, I thought you were going to prepare something for her."

Yun Qianyue twitched at the corner of her mouth, "There isn't enough time left. Just sew a few prayer amulets this year! Next year, I will properly prepare everything for my mother. It's about time that I showed my filial piety."

Tingshu nodded.

"Who usually accompanies me every year" Yun Qianyue asked again. "Miss always goes alone!" Tingshu realized something was amiss and quickly enquired, "What's wrong with Miss Don't you remember"

"No, I'm just testing you. Seeing that you look terrible today, with dark circles under your eyes like you haven't slept well, I wanted to see if your brain is still working properly. Indeed, it seems fine," Yun Qianyue said, lying through her teeth.

Tingshu immediately covered her face and looked sleepy, "Miss, did you only notice that servant looks terrible Haven't you noticed Cai Lian sister and Tingyu look the same as me too We didn't sleep last night."

"Why didn't you sleep" Yun Qianyue was puzzled.

"Of course it's to sew prayer amulets for Noble Consort! Otherwise, we couldn't finish them if we work all night," Tingshu said.

"I see. Then how many have you sewn already" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Cai Lian sister is skilled and has sewn two. Tingyu and I each made one too, but if we keep working day and night today, we would be able to make more," Tingshu said.

"Forget it, no need to work anymore. This is enough." Yun Qianyue saw Cai Lian and Tingyu come in with breakfast while yawning. She told them all, "You should go back to sleep."

"Servants can continue," Tingshu shook her head.

"Miss please rest assured, we will definitely make more prayer amulets for Noble Consort before tomorrow evening." Cai Lian immediately said.

Tingyu nodded in agreement too.

"No need. When I say it's enough, it is enough. What matters is the sincerity. My mother knows that you all have a sincere heart," Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"Then we'll follow Miss' words!" Cai Lian and others nodded their heads in agreement and placed down breakfast.

Yun Qianyue picked up her chopsticks. Upon seeing the chicken soup, she immediately recalled Rong Jing's instructions to Cai Lian yesterday. Before she could say anything, Cai Lian said with a smile, "Miss, this chicken soup was stewed for you last night. Who knew that Miss and Princess Ye didn't even eat dinner before falling asleep Mother Zhao got up at 3 am today and stewed another pot of fresh one. Please drink it quickly! Young Lord Jing had already instructed,"

"Don't mention him!" Yun Qianyue huffed.

"Miss, do you really like Mr. Rong Feng" Cai Lian immediately lowered her voice and asked carefully.

"Of course I do." Upon mentioning Rong Feng, Yun Qianyue's expression improved slightly.

"But servant thinks that Mr. Rong Feng isn't as good as Young Lord Jing," Cai Lian murmured softly.

"That's because you don't understand his goodness." Yun Qianyue felt it would be difficult to change the thoughts of people like Cai Lian; not only Cai Lian, but who in this world was unaffected by Rong Jing's charm If she said something bad about him, the saliva from the whole world might drown her. She waved her hand and said, "You all should go back to sleep."

Cai Lian nodded and left without saying more. Tingshu and Tingyu yawned as they exited the room with Cai Lian.

After the three of them left, it became quiet in the room. Yun Qianyue sipped the chicken soup; she found that Mother Zhao's cooking skills were truly impressive—stewing a clear yet tasty and non-oily chicken soup was quite difficult. She drank several more mouthfuls before hearing footsteps approach. Looking up, she saw Mother Zhao with a small bowl of something resembling soup. Smiling, she praised her: "Mother Zhao, your skill has improved even more. This chicken soup tastes great."

"Miss, servant doesn't have such skills. This was sent over by Young Lord Jing this morning," Mother Zhao smiled and said immediately, "At that time Miss was still sleeping, so I heated it up for you once again. Otherwise, this would be even more fresh."

Yun Qianyue was taken aback: "Didn't Cai Lian say that you got up at 3 am to stew"

"Servant did get up at 3 am to stew but seeing that Young Lord Jing had sent over this, I didn't bring my own cooking. The smell is different; servant's skills are still not good enough," Mother Zhao said.

"I see!" Yun Qianyue looked at the bowl in Mother Zhao's hand and asked, "What do you have there

"I don't know what this is either. It was sent with the chicken soup. Since it's from Young Master Jing, everything must be good, so I heated it up. Miss, please drink it while it’s hot!" Mother Zhao shook her head and placed the bowl in front of Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue looked down but couldn't tell what was inside. She sniffed at the smell and seemed to have detected the scent of red sage root and winter wormwood, along with a mix of other medicinal herbs that she could not identify. Both red sage root and winter wormwood were beneficial for brain health; it seemed like the other herbal medicines would be as well. She looked up and asked Mother Zhao, "Did you say this was sent together with the chicken soup"

"Yes, they came together!" Mother Zhao nodded.

“Who did Young Master Rong send to deliver it” Yun Qianyue inquired again.

“One of the two young men who last brought dinner to Miss. His name starts with Qing.” Mother Zhao replied.

"Qingquan" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Yes, that’s it! I’m old and my memory isn’t what it used to be." Mother Zhao nodded quickly in confirmation.

“Did he say anything else” Yun Qianyue continued asking.

“No, just said he was here on Young Master Jing’s order to bring things for Miss. After that, he left.” Mother Zhao reported.

“Alright, I understand. You may go and attend to your duties now!” Yun Qianyue waved her hand dismissively at Mother Zhao.

Mother Zhao went down the stairs.

Yun Qianyue frowned as she looked at the chicken soup in her hand and the other bowl of medicinal soup. Mixing medicine into food was a skilled process. She wondered if Rong Feng had told Rong Jing about their conversation yesterday, or whether Rong Jing really knew that Yun Qianyue’s brain was blocked and thus prescribed these medicines for her Or did it just happen to be a coincidence that he knew She didn’t feel like thinking too much about this. Whatever, as long as they bring the medicine to me, I have no reason not to accept it. After finishing off a bowl of chicken soup, she drank down the medicinal soup and ate several bites of another dish before putting her chopsticks down.

At that moment, steps were heard at the entrance of Qianyue Pavilion again. Yun Qianyue looked out and saw Prince Cloud strolling over.

Yun Qianyue did not get up to greet him but instead waited for Prince Cloud to come into her room. She thought that perhaps he had specially come to see her, or maybe there was some other purpose behind his visit.

"Miss! The prince has arrived!" Mother Zhao’s voice came from outside the door as she reminded Yun Qianyue softly. Since Yun Qianyue sent others like Cai Lian to sleep earlier, she had to take up the role of a temporary messenger.

"I know." Yun Qianyue nodded and said, "You can clear off the table and go about your work! No need to bother with this!"

“Yes.” Mother Zhao walked in to remove the bowls from the table and then bowed as she left to greet Prince Cloud at the door.

Prince Cloud nodded to Mother Zhao, looked at her carrying dishes and frowned. "Qianyue has just had breakfast"

"Yes, Your Highness. Last night, Little Princess Ye stayed over in Miss’s room for a chat. So she woke up late." Mother Zhao immediately explained.

Prince Cloud did not speak further but walked inside himself to pull back the curtain. As soon as he entered, he saw Yun Qianyue sitting at the table. Not even bothering to greet him properly, her lack of courteous behavior made Prince Cloud uncomfortable, but he didn’t blame her either. Taking a slow step forward, he looked at her arm and asked: "Is your injury better"

"Thank you for Your Highness's concern, nothing serious!" Yun Qianyue pointed to the chair opposite her and gestured for Prince Cloud to sit as she would with any commoner. “Your Highness, please take a seat!”

Prince Cloud nodded, sat down, then looked at Yun Qianyue again and said: "You still don’t look well. Since Young Master Jing said he wanted you back in the mansion once your injury has healed, why did you leave suddenly"

Yun Qianyue thought that Prince Cloud had come to investigate something. She replied coolly: “He’s got a strange temper! How could I know when he suddenly left”

"It's for the best then!" Prince Cloud nodded, "I was against Young Master Jing staying with you from the start; it was your grandfather who insisted on this. Now that you’re alright and no longer need bandages changed, let your brother take over instead! His medical skills are quite good."

"Okay," Yun Qianyue nodded. She thought to herself that there was no need for such fussiness—she could change her own bandages.

“Yesterday I heard that Prince Nanling and Little Princess Ye stayed over in your room” Prince Cloud then asked.

"Yes," Yun Qianyue nodded again.

"How come both of them ended up staying with you Also, I was told that Prince Nanling brought his belongings here as if he plans to stay for a long time. This is not proper etiquette!" Prince Cloud said.

“There’s nothing I can do about it! You know how Little Devil Night Qingran behaves. How could I ask him to leave Besides, Princess Ye from the Southern Frontier likes my place very much and refuses to stay anywhere else. Could I just kick her out” Yun Qianyue raised a brow at Prince Cloud.

Prince Cloud sensed that Yun Qianyue’s tone was not good and thought she had made a valid point. He sighed, then slowly said: "Although Prince Nanling treats you well, there are still differences between men and women. Princess Ye is the only daughter of Southern Frontier King; her kingdom specializes in insect curses which makes them formidable to deal with. As your father, I’m just worried that you might get into trouble because of this."

Yun Qianyue nodded, "Father, don’t worry! They treat me quite well and currently it doesn't seem like a problem."

"Just as long as you have your own judgment. In recent years, the Emperor’s attitude towards these vassal states is neither too hard nor too soft; he might eventually eliminate them all one day. Although the Southern Frontier is small, it borders South Liang and has had good relations with them for a long time, almost to the point of being indistinguishable from each other. As South Liang grows in power, it becomes a concern for the Emperor. The Southern Frontier’s proficiency in insect curses also irritates him. Therefore, you should be aware that if your connection with Ye Qian becomes too deep, since the emperor already pays attention to you, he might increase his scrutiny of you this time."

Yun Qianyue remained noncommittal and did not respond.

"Also, Nanling Rui has moved into your mansion too. It was also at my grandfather’s behest. These two individuals are the Crown Prince of South Liang and a princess from Southern Frontier, all important figures. I don’t know what my father is thinking. The Cloud Prince Manor already receives enough attention from the Emperor as it is; this time it seems to have become even more taboo. In recent days, during court sessions, the Emperor has been hinting at me indirectly about these matters." Prince Cloud added.

Yun Qianyue remained silent.

"Qianyue, the Yong王府 has stood for a hundred years. Your father doesn't want it to fall into ruin through our hands. Do you understand So we have to be more cautious in what we do, especially now that this is a time of many troubles," Marquis Yun sighed and tried to persuade her after she hadn't spoken despite him talking at length.

"Father, I've already said this before. Do you think that over these years, your enduring insults from the emperor and yielding ground to everyone has been effective Haven’t you still ended up putting Cloud王府 in a passive situation" Yun Qianyue looked at Marquis Yun seriously and continued: "I am giving Father two choices. Now that you have put the power of managing the household into my hands, please truly let go and listen to me. If you don't agree with this, then take back the authority and from now on I won’t care whether Cloud王府 is honored or disgraced, prospers or declines, good or bad, alive or dead."

"Qianyue…," Marquis Yun frowned, his expression not too pleasant.

"Father can imagine that the rise and fall of the Yong王府 now rests solely on me If I thrive, then the Yong王府 thrives; if I perish, then the Yong王府 perishes. If you think my existence is insignificant, then from today onwards, I will only care for myself and not bother with the Yong王府. Let those capable take charge instead. For example, Yun Xianghe, who is my elder sister, or my brother Yun Muhuan, the Prince Hereditary of Cloud王府. Or even those half-sisters and half-brothers," said Yun Qianyue.

Marquis Yun fell silent.

Yun Qianyue didn’t speak further either. She believed that she needed to be firm with Marquis Yun to awaken him, for being overly cautious would only lead to being passive and getting hit back. She couldn’t understand how such a shrewd old man as her grandfather could have such a weak son. If things continued like this, the old emperor might even eat up every last bit of them.

"Alright then! From now on I won't interfere with your matters," Marquis Yun nodded after being silent for some time.

"Father is at ease" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"What’s there to worry about I’ve been in this position too long and it has worn me out. Unfortunately, I can’t step down; your mother left and I have been supporting everything alone ever since. Now I am thoroughly tired of it. If possible, I would rather let my eldest son take over this post. However, the system established by Emperor Shengshi at the beginning forbids a prince from inheriting his title without first being married and establishing a family. As long as your brother hasn’t taken a wife, he cannot inherit the throne, thus preventing me from stepping down," Marquis Yun explained.

"There’s such a rule" Yun Qianyue was stunned.

“Yes!” Marquis Yun nodded.

"Then are all four royal houses like that The Yong王府, the Ducal House of De, and the Ducal House of Xiang" Yun Qianyue asked further.

"That’s correct!" Marquis Yun nodded again.

Yun Qianyue thought about how Night Qingran, Rong Jing, Yun Muhuan, and Cold Shaozhu hadn't taken wives yet. She felt puzzled: "Night Qingran returned after a seven-year journey but hasn’t married, which is understandable. Rong Jing fell ill for ten years and hasn't married either since he just left the residence; that's also acceptable. My brother has been held back by Princess Qingwan’s troubles and hasn’t married yet, which I can understand too. But why hasn’t Cold Shaozhu, who is a notorious womanizer, taken a wife"

"It's because Xiang王府 doesn't want him to succeed the throne so soon. Once Little Prince Xiao of Cold succeeds, Duke Xiang needs to step down. Since we haven’t stepped down yet and Duke Xiang loves power greatly, how could he agree to it" Marquis Yun replied.

"I see!" Yun Qianyue nodded, "Doesn't the emperor urge them about their marriage matters They still haven't engaged yet, right"

“The emperor hasn’t made any moves or expressed his opinion. I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Marquis Yun said.

After pondering for a moment, Yun Qianyue snorted, "He probably thinks it's easier to control you this way. Letting them succeed the throne early makes it harder to control them. He might want to keep these positions for the new emperor to use as leverage or to establish authority, or even eliminate completely."

"Qianyue, be careful—there may be ears behind the wall!" Marquis Yun was taken aback when she said this; he didn’t expect her to say such things.

“No worries! Father can speak freely in my courtyard. Mo Li is guarding from somewhere dark.” Yun Qianyue felt at a loss for words about her father, wondering why he feared the old emperor so much.

The expression on Marquis Yun's face improved slightly as if he had read her thoughts. He sighed again and said in a low voice: "Since you are still young, like a calf unafraid of tigers, you have yet to experience the current Emperor’s methods. As your father who inherited the throne after marrying your mother and has been serving in court for nearly twenty years, I hardly understand his ways. You can imagine how deep and unfathomable he is."

Yun Qianyue wanted to say that it was because he was an idiot if he didn't know anything about the old emperor after twenty years of service, but she kept her mouth shut as she knew his methods were likely more cunning than she imagined. She had seen a glimpse from the martial champion's competition day. But people have weaknesses and flaws; the old emperor’s weakness is the empire, so if she could grasp this, there would still be opportunities to counteract against him when he acted. So she said lightly to Marquis Yun: "Father, I know all of what you mentioned. Please rest assured that I will handle it."

"Your father only fears that you don’t understand these matters and wants to remind you so that you can be clear-headed. Since it seems like you are already aware, I won't say more. I was just thinking that with a mother as intelligent as yours, she couldn’t possibly have...," Marquis Yun paused, his gaze turning towards Yun Qianyue; seeing she didn’t seem to care much about it, he changed the topic and continued: "Tomorrow is your mother’s memorial day, be careful when you go to Cloud Mist Mountain. The fog atop the mountain is thick, and there are also fierce beasts around. When your mother passed away, she didn’t want her body placed in the ancestral hall as per tradition but wanted me to bury her atop Cloud Mist Mountain. Although I disagreed at first, it was her final wish. How could I bear to see her pass away with disappointment So I had no choice but to agree. For many years, she has been alone on top of the mountain; fortunately, you visit every year."

Yun Qianyue thought that this was exactly what they called ‘the more one seeks, the less likely it is to be found, yet when least expected, it comes naturally’. She had just been wondering where her mother’s grave was and now she knew—it was atop Cloud Mist Mountain. It was said that Cloud Mist Mountain was a hundred miles away, but riding fast horses would only take an hour, so it wasn’t too far.

"Your arm is injured at the moment, and just days ago you were attacked together with Prince Hereditary Jing in broad daylight. I really can't bear to let you go out alone. Also, your mother left instructions that none of the people of Cloud王府 should visit her except for you before she died. So take Mo Li and three thousand Secret Guards with you tomorrow," Marquis Yun added.

"Why did Mother leave such instructions" Yun Qianyue asked curiously.

“Your mother...” Marquis Yun’s face showed a look of sorrow, bitterness, and pain as he uttered two words but then fell silent again.

Yun Qianyue didn’t ask further. She was still entangled with her own situation, so she had no time to care about previous generations’ matters. Soothing her voice, she said to Marquis Yun: "Father can rest assured. This time I will take the Secret Guards along."

Marquis Yun seemed lost in thought and nodded absent-mindedly.

Yun Qianyue remained silent. She was thinking about what kind of woman her mother was, as Old Duke Yun had always held high praise for her.

"Your Excellency, the emperor has sent someone to convey a message: Southern Frontier's Princess Ye has entered the palace and is searching for clues behind the murderer. He requests your immediate presence in the palace," Cloud Meng rushed into Qianyue Pavilion from afar with urgent words.

Marquis Yun was startled awake, quickly stood up, and began to walk out. After taking a few steps, he asked Yun Qianyue: "Qianyue, are you going to the palace with Father After all, this concerns your attack alongside Prince Hereditary Jing. Shouldn’t you see if Princess Ye has found any clues"

"No, Father can go alone," Yun Qianyue shook her head.

The Marquis Yun Wáng glanced at Yun Qianyue's arm, then thought about her trip to Cloud Mist Mountain the next day. He nodded and quickly walked out of Qianyue Pavilion.

Yun Meng did not leave immediately but came to the door and respectfully said to those inside, "Miss Qianyue, there is a letter for you. The old servant just brought it."

"A letter" Yun Qianyue was taken aback. "Mine"

"It's a letter addressed specifically to you!" Yun Meng nodded.

Yun Qianyue stood up from where she had been sitting and walked over to the door, where Yun Meng immediately presented the letter to her. She reached out to take it; it was an ordinary envelope made of grass paper with no signature or writing on either side. Curious, she opened it, finding a leaf inside. Gently pulling it out, she saw three characters carved onto it using bamboo: "Are you well"

Turning the leaf over, there were no more words visible except for veins and patterns on the back. She examined the front again but found nothing else written there either. She shook the envelope but found no other contents within. Her eyebrows furrowed involuntarily as she asked Yun Meng, "Uncle Meng, how did you obtain this letter"

"A little beggar boy delivered it at the door and said he was to give it to you," Yun Meng reported.

"A little beggar Did he say anything else" Yun Qianyue asked again.

"No! The old servant didn't have time to ask him before he ran off like a flash. Old servant hurriedly brought this letter here for you." Yun Meng shook his head, looking at Yun Qianyue's puzzled face and said, "Miss, who could it be from"

Yun Qianyue didn't answer but asked, "Did someone ever send me such a letter before"

"No. This is the first time," Yun Meng was surprised and shook his head.

"I thought I might have remembered incorrectly! So it's really never happened." She shook the leaf again and smiled at Yun Meng, "Someone must be playing a prank on me. There isn't anything written except for this leaf."

Yun Meng looked at the leaf in Yun Qianyue’s hand, paused momentarily, then his face showed longing and nostalgia.

"What's wrong Do you think something is strange" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.

Yun Meng snapped out of it instantly and shook his head at her. "There's nothing unusual. It's just that the sight of this leaf reminded me of my hometown."

"Oh Where is Uncle Meng’s hometown" Yun Qianyue looked down at the leaf in her hand, realizing it was just a common willow leaf, available everywhere.

“My hometown is Willow Leaf City. Although such leaves can be found anywhere, Willow Leaf City has the most of them," Yun Meng said with nostalgia.

"Willow Leaf City Where exactly is that" Yun Qianyue was puzzled.

“Willow Leaf City is in the northern border region, and it's the largest city there,” Yun Meng explained. “My ancestors moved here from Willow Leaf City when my great-grandfather took office as a government official. I once went back to Willow Leaf City twice for the sake of burying my grandfather and father’s ashes at their ancestral home. Three years ago, an uncle brother passed away, so I returned one more time for his funeral.”

"What's Willow Leaf City like" Yun Qianyue recalled that Yun Meng’s grandfather had once been a high-ranking official of the previous dynasty and later his father held the post of Imperial Historian. She remembered that because of her grandfather’s life-saving favor towards him, he chose to serve in the Yun Family Manor as a slave.

"Willow Leaf City is very beautiful," Yun Meng said.

“Isn't it said that the northern border region is harsh and cold” Yun Qianyue asked.

"The northern border was indeed harsh and cold ten years ago, but things are different now. I can’t describe it well, but when Miss has a chance to visit, you’ll see for yourself. It’s very different from the capital city here. My plan is that once I am old and unable to work anymore, I will return to Willow Leaf City to spend my remaining years and be buried there," Yun Meng said.

"Returning home in your twilight years sounds good too!" Yun Qianyue decided not to ask further and smiled as she waved at Yun Meng. "Uncle Meng, you can go back to work."

Yun Meng nodded and turned to leave but stopped after taking two steps to turn back and ask, “Should the old servant send someone out to find that little beggar who delivered the letter and bring him in for questioning I want to know who dares to play tricks on Miss.”

"No need. Even if you sent people now, they probably wouldn't be able to find him. Forget it!" Yun Qianyue shook her head.

“Miss is right!” Yun Meng gave up the thought and left quickly without another word.

Watching Yun Meng leave, Yun Qianyue looked back at the letter in her hand. The leaf was fresh and a slightly yellowish-green color, somewhat thin in texture—unlike the large green leaves that grow on willow trees in the capital during the hot summer months of July. It more resembled those that would sprout when spring winds begin to blow in February or March. Yun Meng’s words made her think involuntarily about the northern border region. Because it was colder there, while it was scorching hot now at the Holy Capital, the climate in the north might be lagging by two or three months—thus perhaps only capable of growing these newly sprouted willow leaves. She couldn't help but wonder if this leaf could have come from the northern border region, meaning that someone there knew her and was concerned about her being targeted in an assassination attempt, yet afraid to reveal their identity, hence using a beggar boy as a messenger...

—— Excerpt ——

Xiao Xiang gives authors three days off each month, but I can't bear the expectant glances of my readers. So, I've decided! No breaks during the Chinese New Year holidays either! Please give me encouragement and votes for monthly passes; pray that God grants me strength! (⊙_⊙)o（n_n）o~

Thanks to the following kind people who sent diamond gifts, flowers, and appreciations!

Lou Nainai (20 diamonds, 1 flower), Boa Qiqi86921 (100 flowers), holy502zjh (50 flowers), guiqin580231 (188 appreciation), A Fake One-Yuan Bill (1 diamond, 188 appreciation), lazytangtang (2 diamonds, 15 flowers), Feng Dan Bai Lu 2008 (2 diamonds), 499415104 (200 appreciation), 15923079137 (2 diamonds), Ren Bu Wei Ji Tian Zhū Dì Miè (3 diamonds), 437280874 (1 diamond), raphaellion (1 diamond), setting (1 diamond), bwangbwang (1 diamond), qing jing ju xi (1 diamond), Yin Yue Nuo Yun (1 diamond), Yīng Shā (1 diamond), Xu Xilin (100 appreciation), Yesican (10 flowers), Xu Jing 1986 (6 flowers). as the redness gradually spread to Yun Qianyue's ears. He smiled silently and remained silent as well.Inside the carriage was quiet, outside, the wheels of the carriage made a creaking sound over the...