Chapter 41 Warming Affection

ss the sky. Her gaze broke through the clouds and mist with determination as she said softly: "Late is late, no matter what reason, it's still too late!"Yedianyi's expression changed.Yun Qianyue withd...Chapter 41: A Tender Affair

Outside Zizhu Garden, snowflakes fluttered like a painting. The peach blossoms in the southwest corner formed a unique landscape amidst the snow.

When Yun Qianyue saw Qingying leaving to deliver a message, she turned her head and asked Rong Jing, "Although Mother is capable, she's alone now. Should people from Honglou also follow him to Xiyan"

"Yes! The main reason is to control public opinion; we need more people to work on it." Rong Jing nodded.

Yun Qianyue immediately sent a message to Hua Sheng, instructing him to lead the Honglou people and quickly join forces with Yu Qingqing in Xiyan.

An hour later, the hidden Honglou members in the capital city left the city one after another.

Half an hour later, Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue exited Zizhu Garden to head for the imperial palace.

The moment they arrived at the entrance of Yong王府 (Prince's Manor), a carriage stopped urgently in front of it. Leng Shaozhuo jumped out of the carriage, but he fell onto the ground from jumping too hard and immediately got up, rushing towards the manor.

Seeing Leng Shaozhuo's pale face and disheveled appearance, with snow still on his knees, Yun Qianyue hurriedly took two steps forward to block him, asking anxiously, "What happened What’s going on"

Leng Shaozhuo almost bumped into Yun Qianyue. Rong Jing waved and moved Yun Qianyue aside; Leng Shaozhuo stepped forward but staggered back immediately, seemingly wanting to grab Yun Qianyue. Seeing Rong Jing, his hand froze and he trembled as he asked, "Do you… do you know what happened in Xiyan He… he was…"

Yun Qianyue realized that Leng Shaozhuo was worried about Emperor Xiyuan Yue. She immediately said, "I know!"

"Is there any way to save him Quickly save him! I heard that if the Guardian Goddess isn’t chaste, both humans and gods will be enraged; she would be drowned in a pig cage. Now that the goddess is dead, her descendants are facing the same fate. Even though he has Emperor’s edict, if people are stirred up against him, the edict won't matter, right Then he wouldn’t just fail to inherit the throne but…" Leng Shaozhuo spoke hurriedly and urgently.

Yun Qianyue interrupted him, soothing him with her words, "He'll be fine. Don't worry."

Leng Shaozhuo's eyes lit up, "There is a way to save him, right"

Yun Qianyue nodded firmly, “Yes, even if he doesn’t become the Xiyan king, nothing bad will happen to him. Moreover, he must be the Xiyan king.”

Leng Shaozhuo's expression brightened. Looking at Yun Qianyue’s resolute and firm eyes made his heart calm down considerably. However, he still looked at Rong Jing for reassurance, asking, "Young Prince Rong, will he really be alright"

Rong Jing smiled faintly, “Don’t underestimate Emperor Xiyuan Yue’s abilities, Young Marquis Leng. He’ll naturally be fine.”

Leng Shaozhuo placed his hand over his heart, as if only then could he take a breath. He exhaled softly and his face was still pale, "I just received news from Father; he hurriedly went to my third brother’s residence but found that he had already left for months. Now he’s rushing into the palace to find Chancellor Wang. I’m at a loss, so I came here looking for you both."

Yun Qianyue thought about how Xiyuan Yue returned to Xiyan then came back again to attend her coming-of-age ceremony in Heavenly Saint before returning to Xiyan to inherit the throne; this had all happened within just a few months. If not for today’s incident, Prince Xiaoqing likely wouldn’t remember he once had a son and would have forgotten him completely. She asked Leng Shaozhuo, "Who is missing from Prince Xiaoqing's residence"

"A maid who used to serve my third brother." Leng Shaozhuo replied.

Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes and recalled the first time she went to the Third Young Master’s courtyard in Prince Xiaoqing's Residence because of Yun Xianghe's marriage proposal. She remembered hearing the maid speak loyally about the Third Young Master at that time; she was petite with a waxen complexion, seemingly named Xiangwu. "Xiangwu"

"Yes, since childhood, she has been his only attendant." Leng Shaozhuo said: “When my third brother left, she disappeared too. I thought he had taken her along but didn’t expect that the one who turned out to harm him would be her.”

“Is Xiangwu the only person missing from Prince Xiaoqing's residence” Yun Qianyue asked again.

"Well, these past few months since I turned over a new leaf, nothing has happened in the Prince Xiaoqin's mansion except that no one paid attention to my third brother and Xiangwu. She must be the culprit." Leng Shaozhu nodded.

"Who else is there at Xiangwu’s family" Yun Qianyue thought of how Xi Yan Yue left secretly for Xi Yan without his maid, who was then welcomed into the palace midway through their journey. As to what happened to that maid afterwards, she never asked him about it and he didn't mention it either. She had not expected such a small maid would cause trouble.

Leng Shaozhu shook his head. "I’ll have to go back and check her contract of servitude as well as the file when she entered the household." With that, he turned around and walked out. "I'll be heading back home to find it."

"It’s likely too late now since someone planned this beforehand, they won’t leave clues behind for you to trace back in the files. The Prince Xiaoqin's mansion records might have been tampered with." Yun Qianyue said.

Leng Shaozhu stopped and said, "The Prince Xiaoqin’s household is very strict about servants’ management. Servant entrance documents and contracts are kept in a separate study room which has also been watched over by Imperial Guards."

"Then you try it when you get back!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand.

Leng Shaozhu nodded, quickened his pace to the carriage, climbed up and hurriedly instructed the coachman to leave in a hurry as they had arrived.

Yun Qianyue watched Leng Shaozhu come and go so quickly. She smiled and said, "Leng Shaozhu cares about Xi Yan Yue. Who would have thought that someone who used to trample others into the dirt could one day truly awaken, understand right from wrong after turning over a new leaf and become such an adorable person."

Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue with a lazy tone and said, "Is he really adorable"

"Isn’t he" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.

"I don’t see it." Rong Jing pulled Yun Qianyue’s hand into the carriage.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and looked at him in amusement. She had seen Leng Shaozhu's urgent look when he rushed over to her as well as his slightly displeased expression when he tried to grab her in a moment of desperation. This person still got jealous even now, but did it silently…

The carriage curtain was lowered and Xian Ge flicked the whip; the carriage headed towards the Imperial Palace.

Upon arriving at the palace, Yun Qianyue went into the western pavilion of the grand hall as usual while Rong Jing attended the morning court session. Today's morning court lasted longer than usual, and after an hour had passed, there was still no sign of anyone returning. After another hour, she heard faint footsteps only when she finished reading over the documents that Rong Jing left on his desk. It was already noon.

Ye Tianyi returned to the entrance, glanced at the western pavilion and walked into the eastern one. Soon after, Rong Jing entered the western pavilion.

Yun Qianyue saw Rong Jing return and stood up, walking next to him. She asked in a low voice, "How long did morning court last today"

Rong Jing nodded and said, "They were discussing Xi Yan Yue."

"What was the outcome" Yun Qianyue asked.

Rong Jing smiled. "The Prince Xiaoqin spoke for an hour in his confession saying that he didn’t see clearly, so he failed to notice that someone from Xi Yan had been hiding inside his household all along. The next thing they talked about was how Xi Yan tricked the Heavenly Sage Empire into requesting a troop deployment by the Regent. Everyone thought it was appropriate timing and most agreed with it. Xi Yan’s former king and guardian goddess not only fooled their people but also the authority of the Heavenly Sage Emperor, deceiving everyone under the heavens. The Third Young Master was even given an official position by the emperor."

Yun Qianyue frowned. "The Prince Xiaoqin was known for having driven out a homely girl from his household in the past. Now that they discovered it was just her hiding as she fled Xi Yan’s king, using her drunkenness to put on a show under the heavens, this is surely an embarrassment and he must be very angry."

"Indeed!" Rong Jing nodded. "The Prince Xiaoqin is fuming."

Yun Qianyue asked, "What happened after

"Later, the Regent Prince stopped him, saying that raising an army is a serious matter. Although the Filial Piety Prince made sense in his argument, they still needed to慎重考慮。先靜觀兩日。”容景溫和地說道。

Cloud Qianyue chuckled; Night Tianyi was now pushing for changes in民生in Western Liang, and naturally he would want to observe for two days. Perhaps without him taking action, Xi Yan Yue could be drowned in the criticism of his subjects.

This day passed in a blink.

The next day was the burial day of U Ke Han, side consort of the Fourth Prince. Cloud Qianyue naturally did not go to discuss matters with Rong Jing but instead went to the residence of the Fourth Prince. When she arrived, Seventh Princess and Ye Qingnuan were already there waiting.

When Ye Qingnuan saw Cloud Qianyue arrive, she immediately warmly took her hand, "Sister-in-law Cloud, are you going to send Fourth Sister out of the city or to the imperial mausoleum"

"Let's take her to the imperial mausoleum," said Cloud Qianyue.

"I will accompany Sister-in-law Cloud to escort Fourth Sister to the imperial mausoleum as well." Ye Qingnuan immediately said.

Cloud Qianyue nodded and looked at Seventh Princess. Seeing that she didn't look too good, she asked, "Sister-in-law, are you unwell"

"Oh Sister Cloud, don't you know Seven has conceived," Ye Qingnuan said to Cloud Qianyue.

Cloud Qianyue was surprised and then delighted. She quickly held Seventh Princess's hand, "Sister-in-law, are you pregnant"

Seventh Princess blushed a little, touched her stomach and nodded, "Yes!"

"When did this happen Why didn't you tell me" Cloud Qianyue thought that since she left Xi Yan to return home where she had fallen seriously ill, there hadn't been much time for her to stay at the Yun王府or deal with matters at the Yun residence. Seventh Princess was in charge of everything after marrying into the family.

"Last night I wasn't feeling well and called a court physician who told me. By then it was dark so I didn't go to Rong Prince's residence to tell you, thinking that after sending Fourth Sister off today, I would let you know. It seems Ye Qingnuan couldn't keep her mouth shut." Seventh Princess glared at Ye Qingnuan.

Ye Qingnuan stuck out her tongue, "Seven, this is good news and of course I have to tell Cloud Sister-in-law right away."

"Yes, naturally you should inform me quickly," Cloud Qianyue looked at Seventh Princess's belly. Thinking that she hadn't considered it, Yun Li and Seventh Princess had been married for several months and naturally they would be expecting. She immediately said, "Since you are with child, why aren't you resting in the residence Why come out this early in the morning Didn't your brother stop you"

"My brother tried to stop me from coming out but I wanted to send off Fourth Sister. My fourth brother was imprisoned; before, he had unlimited glory and his royal siblings all protected him. Now that things have changed, Seventh Brother is in power and everyone has distanced themselves from him. As for my fourth sister-in-law, her family moved back home when she married my fourth brother. She doesn't have any close relatives left in the capital aside from us. I didn't want her to leave alone like this. When she chose to marry my fourth brother knowing he would fail, that deserves admiration," Seventh Princess sighed.

Cloud Qianyue nodded and put on a serious face.

"Seven, you are pregnant so you shouldn't come out. I heard it's bad luck for the unborn child," Ye Qingnuan worriedly said.

"I'm not afraid; my fourth sister-in-law is kind-hearted. She'll only wish to protect her child and won't do anything to harm it." Seventh Princess shook her head.

"It's just superstition," Cloud Qianyue held the hand of Seventh Princess, "U Ke Han will know you came for this reason. Just send her out of the residence; don't take her all the way to the imperial mausoleum. The snow these past two days isn't heavy but there is still a lot on the ground and it's slippery. You are carrying your brother's first child, so be careful."

Seventh Princess nodded, "Okay!"

The three of them entered the residence of the Fourth Prince.

Rong Xi had arrived at the residence of the Fourth Prince early in the morning; U Ke Han's coffin was already on a carriage. The three of them paid their respects to her for a while before Seventh Princess was assisted back to Yun王府by her maidservants, and Cloud Qianyue and Ye Qingnuan escorted U Ke Han's coffin out of the city.

Zhao Kehan was granted the posthumous title of a secondary concubine to the Fourth Prince and thus qualified for burial in the imperial mausoleum; otherwise, she would have had to settle for a grave near it. Therefore, they proceeded along the same route used during the previous emperor’s funeral procession towards Jade Dragon Mountain.

Zhao Kehan’s funeral was naturally not grand and rather simple. By the time they arrived at Night Yanxuan's mausoleum on Jade Dragon Mountain in the early morning hours, the snow had ceased to fall and a red sun rose from the east.

After laying Zhao Kehan to rest, Rong Xi turned towards Yun Qianyue.

"Sister Yun, shall we explore this Jade Dragon Mountain Look, now that the sun has risen, it’s not as cold anymore. Besides, even if you returned early, all you would do is hide in the council hall."

Yun Qianyue agreed with Night Qingnuan; it was pointless to return early. She nodded her head and told Rong Xi, "You might as well go back first! Don’t forget to send a message to Rong Jing at the palace saying that I’m together with Sister Qingnuan and will be returning later."

Rong Xi nodded in agreement, “Sister Yun, even though it’s stopped snowing, two days of accumulated snow on top of pre-existing snow on the mountain would make for a thick layer. Be careful as the road is slippery. If Young Master sees you fall, he’ll worry."

"I know," replied Yun Qianyue with a smile and waved her hand dismissively. At ten years old, Rong Xi was like an old man. As head of household in the Honor王府 (Wangfu), he had great prestige; it made sense that Rong Jing chose him.

Rong Jing led his people away as Zhao Kehan eagerly tugged Yun Qianyue towards the mountain top.

Following Zhao Kehan, with sunshine beaming down on the snow-covered mountainside and emitting dazzling white light, their footsteps made a creaking sound. The entire Jade Dragon Mountain was quiet except for occasional bird calls.

"Sister Yun, don’t be sad; many people wish to be buried in an imperial mausoleum. Even if they were to die ten times over, they wouldn’t have the chance. Fourth Sister-in-law is now buried here, so she’s bound to enjoy great wealth and honor in her next life," said Night Qingnuan as Yun Qianyue didn't speak.

Yun Qianyue replied indifferently, "I’m not sad anymore; when one dies, it's like a candle burning out. What’s the use of being sad" Looking at Night Qingnuan with her eyes cold and emotionless, she added, “Life might not be bad if I were reborn into an ordinary commoner household. If Sister Zhao had been reincarnated in such a home this life around, perhaps she would now have a loving husband and children around her knees instead of being buried here.”

Night Qingnuan tilted her head as she thought about it before nodding her agreement. "Sister Yun is right. In Warm City, I was very happy; there were no strict rules or constraints. I could do whatever I wanted. Now that I’m back home, my grandfather and father pressure me to learn this and that. Before, they worried for my health and protected me from exhaustion. But now that I’ve recovered, it’s all changed. If not for Sister-in-law's burial today, I would have been forced to study etiquette in the manor!"

Yun Qianyue smiled, "In the capital, high-birth families want their daughters to be paragons of virtue; they're lauded as such."

Night Qingnuan nodded her head. “But it’s so boring being like them.” With that, she hugged Yun Qianyue's arm, saying, "Sister Yun is the best; you’ve always been different from others. You do what you want."

Yun Qianyue laughed dryly, "My reputation ruined across the land, this is the consequence of doing whatever I please."

Night Qingnuan giggled, “You don’t know how many women envy you! When in Warm City, people talked about your affairs and hailed Miss Shallow Moon as a true hero with genuine character. Back in the capital now, whenever they mention you in tea houses or taverns, everyone talks excitedly. Especially young men; they all look up to you.” She smiled again: "No wonder Brother Jing keeps you on such tight rein. There’s good reason for it."

Yun Qianyue laughed but didn’t speak.

"Take a look at Qin Yuning; she was always virtuous and elegant, even named the most beautiful woman and scholar in Heaven's Saint Province. But what happened She’s now missing, possibly hiding somewhere crying because she’s the daughter of South Frontier rebels." Night Qingnuan snorted smugly as she said: "Yesterday my grandfather criticized me for a while but when he used you as an example against me, I countered him with Qin Yuning and stumped him."

Yun Qianyue thought about the time when to get cinnabar coral snake for Third Young Master’s medicine, she heard the respected old prince's words to Night Qingran. Although it was meant for his admonishment of Qingran, every sentence was aimed at her. She smiled.

Seeing Yun Qianyue didn’t talk back, Night Qingnuan changed the topic and started talking about amusing things that happened in Warm City.

Listened to her while occasionally asking some questions. As she continued speaking excitedly, they walked up to the mountain top. Even though it was warm, the wind at the mountaintop remained chilly.

Night Qingnuan found a big stone sheltered from the wind and pulled Yun Qianyue down to sit beside her. She scooped up some fresh snow to moisten her parched lips after talking for so long, then passed another scoop of snow to Yun Qianyue: "Sister Yun, this snow is sweet! Have you eaten it before"

"I have; I used to eat it often," replied Yun Qianyue as she took the snow from her hand.

"When I first came to Warm City, I saw the children picking up snow from the mountain and eating it. I found it unhygienic and felt queasy. Later, after a year, I joined them." Ye Qingnuan laughed with bright eyes, "Warm City is really great. I only stayed for a few days but already miss it. Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Zhang, Aunty Li... they are all wonderful people."

"Warm City truly is great, I have been there too." Yun Qianyue said.

Ye Qingnuan's eyes immediately widened, "Sister Yun You actually went to Warm City before When was it Why didn't you look for me"

"It must be about four years ago. I had something urgent then and hurried back after a trip there. Since I snuck out of the capital, I also feared that searching for you would alert people in the city, so I didn’t."

Ye Qingnuan pouted at first but nodded understandingly afterwards, "We are based in the capital unlike Brother who can travel around to study. A woman cannot easily leave her city without ruining her reputation and making it hard for future marriage negotiations. I understand you snuck out and back."

Yun Qianyue smiled as she nodded.

The two chatted a while longer before Yun Qianyue stood up, "Even though this place is sheltered from the wind, it's still cold. We should go down the mountain now and head back. Your body may be better but you might still feel cold and your lips are already turning purple."

Ye Qingnuan nodded, taking Yun Qianyue’s hand and said, "Let's take this route from the top of the hill to its tail! We can walk down from the highest point to the lowest. It is said that a dragon once dwelled here, transforming itself into this mountain. The head of the dragon would be there while the tail would be over there. How majestic!"

Yun Qianyue didn’t respond to this legendary statement and simply smiled as she nodded.

The two followed along the path of Jade Dragon Mountain from its peak to its end.

Arriving at the tail end, Ye Qingnuan asked while turning her head, "Sister Yun, do you know where the imperial mausoleum of the previous dynasty is"

Yun Qianyue recalled Rong Jing pointing out the location of the former dynasty’s royal tomb. Her eyes swept around but saw no traces. She shook her head and said, "I don’t know. A hundred years have passed; it's impossible to distinguish."

Ye Qingnuan seemed to sigh, "It is said that all emperors of the previous dynasty were extremely kind and romantic. Unfortunately..." She suddenly stopped, whispering to Yun Qianyue, "The year I left the capital, I secretly ran here to see snow. That time, I saw Brother Jing."

Yun Qianyue’s mind stirred as she laughed, "That must be six years ago then Shouldn’t he have been recuperating in Prince Rong's Manor"

"He was sitting there," Ye Qingnuan pointed to where the royal tomb of the former dynasty was buried and whispered, "I recognized him immediately. He stared at me for a while before walking away. I called out to him but he didn’t answer."

Is it really so Are you sure that person is him Yun Qianyue asked with a smile: "Isn't it possible you misidentified him"

"It must be him, there’s no mistake. Anyone who has seen Brother Jing from his childhood onwards can recognize and remember him instantly."

Yun Qianyue turned back around as she walked towards the city, "Since that's the case, it should have been him."

"I guessed at the time that Brother Jing must also be tired of being cooped up in Prince Rong’s Manor like me and snuck out to see snow," Ye Qingnuan said while following behind Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue nodded, "Mm, probably."

"My illness is congenital, whereas Brother Jing was poisoned by others. Our situations are somewhat similar but now that my condition has improved, it's said his hasn’t and I wonder how long he can endure," Ye Qingnuan suddenly softly asked: "Sister Yun, if you’re in love with Brother Jing, what will you do if one day he..."

Yun Qianyue’s steps paused as she thought about the fact that no one other than her parents knew about him curing Rong Jing of his chronic cold poison. Of course, Ye Qingnuan wouldn’t know either. She said slowly and deliberately, "If he lives, I will live; if he dies, I will die. We share life and death."

Ye Qingnuan’s expression slightly changed as she suddenly fell silent.

Yun Qianyue looked back at her, and saw that she had a somewhat pale complexion. She smiled and asked, "What's wrong Such an ordinary sentence scared you"

Ye Qingnuan suddenly lowered her head and shook it. "Nothing, I just feel that Brother Jing and Sister Moon have such deep feelings for each other. Seventh Brother and Eighth Brother both like you, they're probably going to be heartbroken for life."

The corner of Yun Qianyue’s eyes flashed slightly. "They will find good women eventually. I am a person with many flaws and no advantages. Their feelings towards me are simply misplaced."

Ye Qingnuan lifted her head and softly said, "Among those imperial relatives in the palace, Lady Lan was not favored by the emperor, and Seventh Brother wasn’t either at that time, but he treated people very well. Back then you were also good with Seventh Brother, I always thought that Aunt Yun would end up with Seventh Brother in the future. Unexpectedly, now Seventh Brother is heartbroken. As for Eighth Brother...

Yun Qianyue didn’t speak and turned to walk forward.

Ye Qingnuan hadn't finished her sentence when she saw that Yun Qianyue no longer wanted to listen, so she closed her mouth and followed behind her without speaking further.

The two of them entered the city in silence.

At the fork leading to Duke De's residence, Yun Qianyue stopped walking and turned back to look at Ye Qingnuan. Ye Qingnuan’s expression had already recovered and she also stopped, looking at Yun Qianyue seriously and saying, "Aunt Yun, I actually really want to go back to Huai City."

Yun Qianyue looked at her.

"But as you said, there are reasons why I have no choice but to return," Ye Qingnuan softly continued. "Aside from the Sixth Princess, none of the royal princesses in the imperial family have amounted to anything great. The Sixth Princess first liked Brother Jing and then broke off her engagement because of Yun Lie's appearance before she started liking Prince Yu. Although she still holds the title of a princess, her reputation has already deteriorated. Therefore, Father sent people to pick me up here. Do you understand"

Yun Qianyue smiled but didn’t speak.

"Uncle Yun went south to congratulate Prince Yu on his ascension, but there was another secret reason; he wanted me to marry into the Southern Liang kingdom. If Prince Rui agrees, after Uncle Yun returns to the city, people from South Liang will come to ask for my hand and discuss marriage arrangements. Then I would go to South Liang," Ye Qingnuan whispered.

The corner of Yun Qianyue’s eyes flashed slightly. Although she hadn’t heard about this from Rong Jing or her father, she had already guessed that there was such an intention behind it. The timing for Ye Qingnuan's return was too convenient. Looking at Ye Qingnuan, she asked, "Then do you want to marry Prince Rui"

Ye Qingnuan’s face turned slightly red as she nodded. “Yes.”

Yun Qianyue was taken aback. She was very familiar with the expression of a young girl like Ye Qingnuan, which was one of budding affection when mentioning someone they liked. Confusedly, she asked, "Have you met Prince Rui Do you like him"

Ye Qingnuan nodded her head and added, "I have seen him before."

Yun Qianyue was enlightened; it must be five years ago. Ye Qian moved on to a new lover, the matter spread throughout the world, and Southern Ling Rui went to Huai City for three months. Yun Qianyue recalled half a year ago when Prince Yu visited the Heavenly Saint Kingdom during the Prayer Festival, he said he wanted to take Ye Qingnuan’s younger sister back with him. Afterward, however, he was captivated by Su Su and then Blue Yi. Later on, he fancied Tianxian Beauty Luo Yao. Currently, he still remains alone. Those women didn’t capture his heart while she knew when Luo Yao left in a fit of anger, she advised him to follow her but he said it would be better if they stayed together vaguely without an explanation and also mentioned that there was an agreement with Zi Shu. At the time, she was worried about Rong Jing’s reaction upon hearing rumors about her and Gu Xiaqing. Her mind was in a mess then and hadn’t thought much about it; but now thinking back, Southern Ling Rui is his brother and he understands him well since they are all alike. Once he sets his heart on something, there wouldn't be many reasons or hesitations to stop him from doing so. If he could easily let Luo Yao leave, then maybe she didn’t capture his heart But if it was true that he liked her How would he allow her to leave alone

Like how he gave up on Ye Qian without hesitation and used Su Su as a shield to avoid糾纏 from women like Rong Linglan in the Heavenly Saint Kingdom, then later finding Blue Yi interesting but abandoning her after realizing she wasn’t what he wanted. He even turned around and gained an advantage for South Liang. Luo Yao was his mother’s choice for his wife; he happily accepted it and agreed with Zi Shu's exchange agreement, but upon spending time together in South Liang, he realized that she didn't fit him, so he let her leave smoothly. Therefore, now still being alone indicates that his heart is still reserved.

"Aunt Yun, why aren’t you speaking You’re very smart, you shouldn’t not have thought of this," Ye Qingnuan said softly seeing that Yun Qianyue hadn't spoken for a long time.

Yun Qianyue looked at the petite and bright girl in front of her. Her skin was warm under the sunlight; she wore a white snow fox fur cloak, with large eyes twinkling like rabbit’s eyes. Even though she came from Duke De's residence and even though her brother Ye Qingran didn’t seem to be on good terms with her now, Yun Qianyue couldn't dislike her and even felt a bit fond of her. Could she be the match for her brother She gathered her thoughts, smiled, and said, "Although I had thought about it, I hadn’t imagined that you knew Prince Rui."

"When I first met him, he wasn’t like his current debonair appearance; instead, he was icy cold. No matter how I tried to cheer him up, that ice never melted. He didn't smile for three months," Ye Qingnuan said with a puffed-up chest. "Wait, no, there was one time when he smiled. That day it rained and I slipped on the ground, getting all muddy. With mud covering my face, he stood by without helping me up but laughed at me. Just that one time."

Yun Qianyue thought about then; because of Ye Qingran and Ye Qian, him not smiling was normal.

"At the time I didn’t know who he was, only when he left did I find out he was Prince Rui of Southern Liang. He said he would come back to Huai City again but hasn’t visited for five years since then. Later on, hearing many rumors about him, I stopped hoping," Ye Qingnuan lowered her head with a slightly downcast tone and continued, "I originally wanted to stay in Huai City forever, but my father sent people to pick me up and said he wants me to marry Prince Rui of Southern Liang. Although I didn’t want to return at first, hearing that from Heng Bo, I came back." She reached into her robe and took out a small wooden sword. "Aunt Yun, look, this is what he gave me five years ago when he left."y forward the benevolent legacy left by our ancestors and care for the people. This justifies the people’s admiration for the Honor王府 and me." Rong Jing said slowly.Yu Zishu nodded and said with amuse...