Chapter 29: Gossip About Beauties

n if she were an RMB, that wouldn’t mean everyone would love her either. Thinking about those chatty women from yesterday, she could guess that her Lord Father was probably quite the Lothario, having...Chapter 29: Gossip about the Red Powder知己

When Yun Qianyue heard Nan Lingrui's words, her eyes flickered.

"Damn girl, get up! The old man is waiting for you. If you don't wake up soon, he'll have all the imperial physicians here." Nan Lingrui stretched out his hand to pat Yun Qianyue on the head before getting up and standing.

Yun Qianyue pushed back the covers and got out of bed, but her thoughts were still on what Nan Lingrui had said. Was it not for him being the Crown Prince or the Southern Liang King, would the Southern Liang kingdom eventually be surnamed Mu instead of Nan because the Queen Consort was a descendant of the Mu family

Zhiri heard Yun Qianyue wake up and hurried in to serve her.

Before Yun Qianyue's hand touched the water basin, Zhiri reminded her hastily, "Miss, your hands are injured. It’s best not to get them wet."

Yun Qianyue stopped her thoughts and glanced at the bandaged hand that looked like a wrapped-up zongzi (sticky rice dumpling), frowning and feeling another sharp pain in her head.

"Your hands won’t be fine for ten to fifteen days!" Nan Lingrui watched Yun Qianyue’s injured hand with some schadenfreude. "With such deep marks, even after they heal, you’ll have a faint scar left behind for quite a while. Little girl, if you don't want to go back and face cold shoulders, then you'll just need to stay in Southern Liang for more days."

Yun Qianyue didn’t say anything; it seemed she was considering Nan Lingrui’s suggestion.

"Do you know what they’re saying outside now" Nan Lingrui continued with his schadenfreude and instructed, "Zhiri, tell her about it so she can listen."

Zhiri glanced at Nan Lingrui then Yun Qianyue, but did not speak.

"Did you miss what the Crown Prince said" Nan Lingrui was immediately displeased.

Zhiri shrank back and hurriedly said, "The palace has already spread it all around. They’re saying that General Gu went berserk and bit the lady’s hand who cured His Majesty’s illness, then personally bandaged her up…"

"There's more!" Nan Lingrui was not satisfied.

Zhiri seeing Yun Qianyue didn’t interrupt her, continued in a small voice, "They say that the lady is originally the Crown Prince’s red powder知己 (red powder companion), coming to the capital city to look for His Highness. On the way she met General Gu and fell in love at first sight… The Crown Prince and General Gu both got jealous over her, had a big fight; General Gu was in the wrong and felt sorry toward the Crown Prince, so he didn’t strike back…"

"Ha ha, that's right!" Nan Lingrui burst into laughter.

Yun Qianyue put on a stern face and glared at Nan Lingrui angrily, "Letting such idle gossip spread out of this Spirit Beauty Palace… The people who serve in your Southern Liang palace are really…"

Zhiri fell to her knees with a thud, her face pale. "Miss, please forgive me! At the time everyone thought you were brought here by General Gu and assumed he had brought you back for His Majesty’s illness cure; so they guessed your relationship with him and let their tongues run away…"

Yun Qianyue glared at Zhiri.

"Little girl, what are you upset about Even if this Spirit Beauty Palace doesn’t spread idle gossip, the fact that you were sent back by Young Mister Gu will be seen by others." Nan Lingrui did not take it seriously and laughed lecherously. "This Crown Prince and General Gu as upright young men, how many women have fallen for us This rumor isn't insulting to you at all!"

Yun Qianyue picked up the water basin in front of her and threw it at Nan Lingrui, exclaiming, "It’s not insulting me but you!"

Nan Lingrui couldn’t dodge in time; he got drenched from head to toe as the water basin clattered to the ground. Water dripped from his luxurious robe.

Zhiri was too scared to even lift her head, wondering which lady dared to treat His Highness like this Even Princess Luo Yao of Donghai who resided in Crown Prince's Mansion with special courtesies never acted so brazenly; it seemed the Crown Prince would be very angry now.

Just as she was scared stiff, Nan Lingrui unexpectedly burst into laughter. He began to take off his brocade robe while saying, "Damn girl! Even if General Gu of Southern Liang needs women’s blood for medicine on a full moon night, how many women would willingly offer their bodies But he always keeps them at arm's length. How many times did Cuiwei cry because she couldn't gain his favor Now that you and him have spread this rumor, what is there to be ashamed of Many women can’t even get such a chance."

"You still dare to say! Do you want me to rip your mouth off!" Yun Qianyue glared at Nan Lingrui.

Nan Lingrui saw she was really angry and immediately clamped his mouth shut, pleading, "Good sister, I won't talk anymore. Today coming here I got my new clothes torn by you, now I’m drenched with water. Princess Luo Yao will probably be furious; this robe was made for me by her, it’s still too warm on my body…"

"You deserve it!" Yun Qianyue seeing his pitiful look threw out the words resentfully.

"Damn girl with no heart of a wolf!" Nan Lingrui after taking off the robe threw it to Zhiri kneeling on the ground, saving her fragile little heart. "Go get me another robe and fetch more water."

"Yes!" Zhiri was really terrified, hurriedly holding up his clothes and carrying out the basin.

Nan Lingrui walked over and draped his arm around Yun Qianyue's shoulder, cheerfully saying, "Little girl, isn't it just Rong Jing Why are you so worked up about him Men are everywhere. We don’t need just him. What’s wrong with having many men who dote on you and protect you This is your good fortune, not a burden. Is there anything bad about being liked by someone Look at the gloomy look on your face like you can't sleep well, it's so embarrassing for me as your brother."

Yun Qianyue gave him an annoyed glance and said, "If I’m embarrassing to you, why don’t you get a different sister"

"Unfortunately, Father and Mother are no longer able to have more children," Nan Lingrui said with great regret.

Yun Qianyue reached out to pull on his earlobe and warned him in an ominous tone, "Repeat what you just said! Why don’t you think about the fact that I want to change brothers even more than you do"

Nan Lingrui immediately yelped, "Dear sister, my ears… this is our karmic connection, something we’ve cultivated over hundreds of lifetimes. How could it be casually replaced Oh… if you twist them too hard they might fall off…"

Yun Qianyue twisted his earlobe in a circle before finally letting go with a vengeance and said as a warning, "Hurry up and stop those ridiculous rumors, or when even the slightest bit of it reaches Heavenly Saint I’ll..."

"Any slight movement or sound in Southern Liang will be relayed to that rascal," Nan Lingrui covered his ears to remind her.

Yun Qianyue thought about it and agreed, "Forget it. When you have a lot of lice they don’t bite anymore; when you have too many worries they cease to matter. There are enough problems piled up already, worrying won't help."

Nan Lingrui suddenly laughed, "That's right! You haven’t married him yet, what do you have to be afraid of Give him a taste of his own medicine. Let him know that he’s not the only good man in the world."

"There’s also not just me as a good woman!" Yun Qianyue reminded him seriously.

Nan Lingrui blinked, "That’s true! Except for my beautiful Lu Yao, no one else..."

“Prince Imperial!” Someone appeared outside.

Nan Lingrui stopped talking and asked, "What is it"

The person glanced inside.

"Speak freely!"

“Princess Lu Yao has gone missing.” The man hurriedly informed them.

"Hmm" Nan Lingrui frowned and asked, "When did she disappear Was it just discovered"

The man replied while kneeling on the ground to take responsibility: “Just found out; all those who served her were put into a deep sleep by her. Prince Imperial, I’ve failed in my duties."

Nan Lingrui frowned even more tightly and asked, "How long have these people been unconscious"

"That kind of sleeping drug is the most potent; they haven’t woken up yet, but I estimate about half a day. The princess should have left this morning," said the man quietly. “When she woke up at dawn there were no signs of anything unusual; as usual she greeted and instructed the attendants to accompany her inside to stitch embroidery. After noon passed, I noticed that no one was shouting for lunch, which seemed strange, so when I went in I found out the princess had left.”

"So it’s been half a day," Nan Lingrui said after glancing at the sky.

“Quickly send people to chase her down! In half a day where could she have gone Seal all city gates and strictly search every place,” Yun Qianyue suggested, naturally siding with her brother; she couldn’t just let Lu Yao leave like that.

Nan Lingrui pondered for a moment before suddenly smiling and saying, "These days she’s already made up her mind to leave. Otherwise why would she daily summon people to stitch embroidery in her room while avoiding the Secret Guards I placed around her"

"She's gone and you're still laughing!" Yun Qianyue glared at him.

“Since she wants to go, let her go,” Nan Lingrui said with a carefree smile.

Yun Qianyue frowned.

Nan Lingrui patted Yun Qianyue's head and regained his brotherly demeanor: "Lu Yao is the princess of East Sea Kingdom; what’s it like for her to just remain in Southern Liang Even if she stays by my side, I must provide a reasonable explanation."

“That makes sense!” Yun Qianyue nodded. “But are you going to let her go this easily You really do want her, right Otherwise Zishu wouldn’t have given her to you; after all, she is his sister.”

"Of course I truly want her," Nan Lingrui leaned close to Yun Qianyue and whispered with a playful smile. "Her leaving out of jealousy proves how good I am to my foster-sister."

"Get serious!" Yun Qianyue angrily hit him.

Nan Lingrui looked at Yun Qianyue with a melancholy gaze. "Brat, you really are ruthless. I am your brother." Upon seeing Yun Qianyue staring daggers at him, he gave her an enigmatic smile and said, "Women can't be held too tightly; to give is also to take."

Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Of course, this doesn’t really apply to you. You need to be controlled closely since you are no ordinary woman." Nan Lingrui’s tone changed. "But Lu Yao is just an ordinary woman who holds herself too highly and demands a lot of herself, much like the phrase you once mentioned: someone with high competence but low emotional intelligence."

"That description was meant for you!" Yun Qianyue looked speechlessly at him.

Nan Lingrui coughed lightly and said somewhat awkwardly, "My emotional intelligence has improved. Dealing with Lu Yao is a piece of cake."

"If it's that easy, why did she escape from you" Yun Qianyue shot back at him.

"There are some women who don't care about anyone unless they fall in love. They become anxious and scared when they do fall for someone. Lu Yao is one of those kinds of women; she likes to control everything, including her own heart. When she finds out that she can’t control it anymore, she runs away." Nan Lingrui said slowly.

"Alright! Your emotional intelligence has indeed improved," Yun Qianyue looked at him with new respect.

Nan Lingrui lifted his eyebrows in pride.

"Zishu must have taught you this!" Yun Qianyue watched him and didn’t believe that he could come up with such a sophisticated theory about emotional intelligence. When it came to emotions, Nan Lingrui was straightforward and uncompromising, which is why he ended up separating from Ye Qian in the past. This kind of deep understanding of emotional intelligence wasn't something he would normally say.

Nan Lingrui blinked his eyes and muttered, "Brat, how well do you know Yu Zishu"

"Since you reached an agreement with him, he would naturally help you. He probably calculated that Lu Yao might experience such emotional changes," Yun Qianyue said, "and told you how to deal with it."

“What a bore! I thought you’d praise me.” Nan Lingrui suddenly slumped onto the soft couch.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes at him. Seeing Zhiru bringing in water, she went over to wash her face.

Zhiru placed the water down and a palace maid followed with clothes for Nan Lingrui. He took them without waiting for help and dressed himself up.

Zhiru whispered softly, "Your Highness Prince Taizi, the King heard that Miss has awakened and wants you to bring her over for dinner."

“Mm,” Nan Lingrui replied.

Yun Qianyue had no objections; she washed her face with one hand while being careful not to get water on the other.

Nan Lingrui changed into new clothes, stood in front of the mirror and said unsatisfiedly, "They’re not as good as what Lady Lu Yao made for me."

Yun Qianyue washed her face and sat before a mirror. Zhiru immediately came to help her comb her hair. Looking at the familiar face of Li Yun in the mirror, she asked, “Do you think she will go back to Donghai or head to Tiansheng”

“That’s uncertain!” Nan Lingrui straightened his clothes and said slowly, "No matter where she goes, she’ll eventually come back to me."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. “You are so confident.”

Nan Lingrui raised an eyebrow in pride and suddenly leaned close, whispering in a low voice, "If she heads for Tiansheng to look for Xiao Jing, it will be quite troublesome. I’m not worried about that, but how about you”

Yun Qianyue glared at him. "If she dares to provoke Rong Jing, I’ll cut her down myself regardless of whether or not she’s your choice."

Nan Lingrui burst out laughing. “You are truly my sister!”

Yun Qianyue thought this person was beyond comprehension—laughing while his woman had run away. What a madman!

After tidying themselves up, the two of them left Lingxiu Palace.

Having gone just a short distance, they saw Nan Liang Wang’s chief eunuch come rushing over in a hurry to greet them respectfully. "Prince Taizi, His Majesty sent me to urge you to bring Miss there quickly."

"Got it! The old man is rather anxious, and she can't leave anytime soon," Nan Lingrui waved his hand.

"Surely the King isn’t in a hurry to see the lady He came personally yesterday when you were asleep. Now that he hears you’re awake, he’s naturally restless. The Imperial Chamber has prepared your meals; they're waiting for you. You and Miss should go quickly. I’ll head back first to report," Eunuch Liu left with those words, running off like a gust of wind.

Yun Qianyue looked at the old man who was quick on his feet despite his age. She thought that the eunuchs in the palace were not only adept at observing and adapting to their surroundings but also had agile legs. In her opinion, being a eunuch was one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Probably because Southern Liang’s King was awake, joyous sounds filled the Southern Liang Palace; even the air felt different from two days ago, more refined and elegant. Even the artificial mountains, stone carvings, flowers, and trees were exquisitely beautiful.

"Southern Liang's climate is pleasant all year round; it’s indeed suitable for living," Yun Qianyue looked at the palace scenery, which was different from Heavenly Saint's gloomy atmosphere or Southern Frontier's mysterious darkness. The Southern Liang Palace gave a sense of comfort and elegance. Even though it was winter, the servants' clothes were not bulky.

Nan Lingrui chuckled and asked Yun Qianyue, "Do you want to stay here"

"Even if Southern Liang is great, without Rong Jing, I wouldn't like it. Even if Heavenly Saint isn’t good, I’d prefer it with Rong Jing," Yun Qianyue replied honestly.

Nan Lingrui snorted, "Weakling!"

Yun Qianyue ignored him and noticed a group of young men approaching. There were about ten or so, with varying ages, all dressed in splendid attire. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Those are your cousins"

Nan Lingrui glanced at them and nodded.

Yun Qianyue tsked. "The old emperor of Heavenly Saint also had many sons but never so impressive a sight as this. Uncle is truly formidable!"

Nan Lingrui chuckled, "Of course the old man is formidable; his vigor in this aspect is still strong."

Yun Qianyue’s mouth twitched. Suddenly she wondered aloud, "Didn't previous generations of Southern Liang's royal family have fewer descendants Southern Liang was known for its lovers, and my grandparents were exceptionally affectionate with each other; otherwise, they wouldn’t have kept your father while abandoning mine when I was born. How come Uncle became a lover"

"Because he wanted to revitalize the Southern Liang royal lineage, bearing historic pressure! All these achievements are results of his efforts and hardships," Nan Lingrui explained.

Hearing this, Yun Qianyue nearly choked. This person...

As they spoke, the young men had approached them. Thanks to their good genes, all were exceptionally handsome without a single ugly one among them; even those under ten years old looked delicate and beautiful.

"Greetings, Crown Prince Brother (or Little King)!" All of them greeted Nan Lingrui in unison while eyeing Yun Qianyue beside him.

Nan Lingrui waved his hand with a reserved smile, "No need for formalities."

They all straightened up. One of the sixteen or seventeen-year-olds stepped forward and asked, "Crown Prince Brother, is this lady who cured Father’s illness"

"She's the Red Pavilion’s pavilion master, wife of Chu Family’s head from one of the Top Ten Families, my adopted sister," Nan Lingrui clarified Yun Qianyue's identity.

The young men were startled, their eyes wide in surprise. None had expected that the lady who got entangled with rumors with Crown Prince and General Gu would be Red Pavilion’s pavilion master and wife of Chu Family’s head from one of Top Ten Families. They stood there dumbfounded for a while.

The name of the Red Pavilion's pavilion master and wife of Chu Family's head had become widely known after Nan Lingrui knelt in apology to the top ten families, passed through the Tiger Den array, and left Lan Yi behind at Peach Blossom Grove. But her image hadn’t been circulated; even if someone offered a fortune for a portrait of her, they couldn't get it, and any that appeared vanished quickly. Thus, none among these princes recognized her.

The people who wanted to tease or test her earlier were left speechless, their expressions varying greatly.

Yun Qianyue glanced at Nan Lingrui, thinking he hadn't disclosed her identity before precisely for this moment. Seeing the varied yet stunning faces in front of them, she held back from laughing and remained silent.

"Sister just woke up; father sent me to escort her to his chamber for meals. I’ll head there now," Nan Lingrui said as he walked past the men.

Yun Qianyue followed him.

The pair had walked far when the young men recovered their senses, exchanged glances, and remained speechless, clearly shocked. Some of them were even pondering over it deeply.

"She's Lady Chu; she’s really beautiful," a ten-year-old boy broke the silence.

No one responded, thinking that while she was indeed pretty, not exceptionally so—her looks weren’t as stunning as Luo Yao’s. Yet she seemed more captivating and dignified than her. Her bone-deep coldness around her eyes wasn't something common women could emulate. They all had different thoughts but were similarly envious that such a fine woman was with Nan Lingrui, being either the princess of East Sea or his adopted sister—how beneficial to him! Not considering how far East Sea was from Southern Liang and whether the princess would be useful, just her dual identity as Red Pavilion’s pavilion master and Chu Family's lady made one wary.

For a moment, the place where more than ten people were as quiet as if no one was there.

Yun Qianyue thought that she didn't need to worry about Nan Lingrui. This elder brother of hers only differed from Rong Jing's black-hearted nature by a little bit. He wouldn't eat others, but who would dare to eat him

"How is it Little girl, did you get your fill" Nan Lingrui's one sentence stunned everyone present; he was immensely pleased at the moment.

Yun Qianyue shot a glance at him. Although she didn't want to praise him, she had to admit that watching their expressions change was indeed very interesting.

The two of them arrived at the Imperial Chamber.

Eunuch Liu stretched his neck and waited eagerly; seeing them arrive, he breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling warmly, he said to Nan Lingrui, "Servant just saw all the princes blocking you and the lady, thinking that this time it would likely delay some more time. But I didn't expect Your Highness to free yourself so quickly."

"Who do you think I am! They're not my match!" With great arrogance, Nan Lingrui strode in first.

Yun Qianyue followed behind him and rolled her eyes. To have the audacity to speak loudly in the Emperor's bedchamber when one was a Crown Prince—what ability!

"Smelly brat, how did you bully my sons again" South Liang King’s voice came from inside, filled with urgency, "Miss Chu arrived"

"Arrived!" Yun Qianyue smelled the aroma of food and wine; she had been asleep for two days and was a little hungry. She sniffed lightly and replied.

"You don't need to serve here. All of you can go now." South Liang King waved his hand.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" A group of people exited in succession.

Only then did Yun Qianyue see a large table set up in the center of the Imperial Chamber with hundreds of dishes on it. South Liang King was seated at the main seat, casually wearing a robe. No one else was present except for him. Seeing her and Nan Lingrui enter, he had a smile playing on his face.

Nan Lingrui swaggered over, didn't bow in greeting, and plopped down next to South Liang King, picking up chopsticks to eat.

"Little girl, come sit by me," Nan Lingrui beckoned Yun Qianyue.

Seeing the inner chamber door closed, with no one else present in the Imperial Chamber except for the three of them, she smiled and went over, calling out "Uncle" before sitting beside him. She didn't seem unfamiliar and started eating like Nan Lingrui.

"Good, good! Today both my sister’s children are here," South Liang King laughed happily, sighing: "It's a pity that the Retired Emperor is on Jiutaishan chanting scriptures; otherwise he would have seen you too. He misses you dearly."

She was somewhat disappointed to hear that her grandfather wasn't present; Jiutaishan was quite far from here.

"It's indeed far, but if you stay in South Liang for more days, I've already sent word to Jiutaishan." South Liang King patted Yun Qianyue’s head. "Little girl, since no one is present now, why don't you change your appearance Otherwise, Uncle won’t know what you look like."

Yun Qianyue covered her face with her sleeve as she instantly changed back to her true appearance.

Nan Lingrui was immediately envious. "Those two dead men and women were biased; teaching you but not me."

South Liang King rapped Nan Lingrui on the head, scolding him: "Smelly brat, they are your father and mother! How dare you speak to them like that" Then he carefully scrutinized Yun Qianyue and said with a smile, "No wonder Shi Zisi is captivated by you; little girl, you truly look like one who will have good fortune."

"Uncle actually knows face reading!" Yun Qianyue laughed. She waved her hand dismissively: "What good luck It's bad luck." Then she waved the hand wrapped with zongzi: "See that Right as I entered your imperial palace, someone bit me."

South Liang King burst into laughter: "I thought you would be bitten."

How could he say this Yun Qianyue looked at him.

Laughing, South Liang King said, "Back then when Gu Shaoqing returned, I asked him about his journey. He told me everything. At the time you left, he asked your name; you called yourself Yue Qianyun. When he came back to tell me, he said it was clearly Yun Qianyue. Never thought that the eldest daughter of Cloud Manor would come all the way to South Liang! She’s anything but a useless fop and playboy. Not only did she cross a battlefield strewn with corpses, she also saved him from death's door. Those rumors got her wrong."

Yun Qianyue twitched her mouth. She wasn't some great person; she didn't have the spirit to do good deeds anonymously. But if she were exposed as Yun Qianyue since she had sneaked out of Tiansheng, she reversed her name so clever people would know not to expose her. Those who wouldn’t recognize it despite knowing a life debt would think they had saved in vain.

"Later on, the martial arts you gave him restrained the evil poison within his body; however, during every full moon night, he went berserk and required female blood for medicine. Although this yin-yang method preserved his life, it caused him great suffering. In these five years, how many times has he been infuriated to want death when the situation would arise Now that you've come, since I pointed out to him who you were, naturally him biting you isn't strange," South Liang King said with a smile.

"So you knew I would be bitten!" Yun Qianyue stared at South Liang King and reached out to pull his beard. "Am I your niece I came all the way from South Liang, working hard to awaken you; how is this acting as an uncle Knowing that I would be bitten yet sending me

The Southern Liang King let out a "Ouch."

Yun Qianyue looked at him and said, "If you don’t explain yourself properly, I’ll pull off your beard."

"You’re just like your father and mother," the Southern Liang King scolded with a smile. He then explained, "That boy has been suffocated these past few years, causing him to become sullen and moody. The suppressed resentment in his chest could lead to negative repercussions for my Great General, so it’s best for him to vent out this repressed emotion through you."

“So that means I’m the one who has to suffer” Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a bite. My brother-in-law’s treasury is full of treasures, so why don't you go pick something out later" The Southern Liang King asked in a consulting tone.

“Old fox! You must’ve woken up not long ago and were already plotting against others. You should have slept for forty-nine days straight to become stupid.” Yun Qianyue pouted, removing her hand from him. It turned out there was another reason why she had been bitten.

The Southern Liang King sighed, showing a sad expression. "It’s the nature of an emperor! If you don’t scheme and plot, you can't fall asleep, which is quite detrimental."

Seeing him put on such a show, Yun Qianyue couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She said to him, “You just said that yourself: I’ll take whatever treasure catches my fancy.”

"As long as you don't empty the treasury," the Southern Liang King promised.

Yun Qianyue thought for a moment before asking, “I won’t empty it; instead, I want one thing that will be given to me directly.”

The Southern Liang King blinked his eyes. "Oh What do you want"

"The set of jade pendants," Yun Qianyue said.

"Little girl, those are the most valuable treasures in my treasury," the Southern Liang King looked at her and replied.

“Won’t give me That’s not keeping your word!” Yun Qianyue glared at him.

“Alright! Here it is. This meeting gift isn’t small, right” The Southern Liang King chuckled as he looked at her. “You don't need to pull my beard now.”

"No need!" Yun Qianyue immediately broke into a smile.

Nan Lingrui rolled his eyes at Yun Qianyue, saying, "That little brat! You’re so good at demanding things. I was originally going to give that set of jade pendants to my wife as her wedding gift, but now it’s yours. What merit has that dead young boy earned The treasury is already quite full; this time it should be so full it can’t hold any more!"

Yun Qianyue proudly raised an eyebrow and said, "Who would dislike having too many treasures The more, the better!"

Nan Lingrui snorted, “If you don't marry him, there’s no way for you to be named Rong.”

Yun Qianyue reminded him, "Even if I marry him, my treasures will still belong to the Rongs and I myself would also become a member of the Rong family. There's no way I can remain a Yun."

Nan Lingrui exclaimed in surprise, “That’s too bad!”

Yun Qianyue laughed as she leaned on the table.

The Southern Liang King also burst out laughing.

This meal was for just three people. The atmosphere was extremely pleasant and laughter never ceased. Yun Qianyue told him about some interesting things that had happened in her life over the years, as well as some of her experiences outside of the palace, moving her hands around enthusiastically when she mentioned something amusing.

Amused by what Yun Qianyue said, the Southern Liang King chuckled and remarked, “That’s just like mother, like daughter. Your mother was also restless back then and traveled all over the place; your grandfather and I could only hope for her to come home once in a while. She would only stay for two days at most before leaving again. Later on, we could only bind your father down, making him become the Southern Liang’s Imperial Tutor. They would only spend two months each year at our palace; that was when they stayed longer.”

Yun Qianyue thought about how the fox had finally settled down, but her dad was still a fox. After failing to bind her father down, she supposed he switched his attention to binding her father’s son instead. Yun Qianyue looked at Nan Lingrui with pity in her eyes.

Upon receiving Yun Qianyue’s gaze, Nan Lingrui seemed to know what she was thinking and rolled his eyes dramatically.

The meal lasted from noon until the sun set. It wasn't until then that the two of them left the Imperial Palace.

—upon hearing the commotion and saved both himself and Princess Qingwan, who then committed suicide out of shame and anger. That's what happened. I'd like to ask Uncle Emperor why you ordered my brothe...