Chapter 64 Words Like Precious Beads

tree, she had felt ill and weak ever since.“What do you mean” Princely Uncle Yun was surprised by this."That day when I went to pray at the wishing tree, I ran into Ye Tianqiong. Afterward, my emotio...Chapter 64: Words of Wisdom

After Yun Qianyue finished speaking, Rong Jing paused in his steps and a glimpse of brilliance flashed across his usually tranquil eyes.

Night Qingran also paused and stopped laughing. He turned back to ask Yun Qianyue, "He really hit your hand Let me see what it looks like." As he said this, he reached out towards Yun Qianyue's hand.

Yun Qianyue immediately pulled her hidden hand back and said with dissatisfaction, "I won't show you! Can’t you give me some face Do you think it’s good-looking to be red and swollen"

Night Qingran paused his movement, looked at Yun Qianyue, coughed dryly, and whispered, "There is no one else here. Your Imperial Uncle isn't a stranger either. Who would laugh at you if he doesn’t Don't get upset, I won’t look."

Yun Qianyue snorted and glared fiercely at Rong Jing.

Rong Jing smiled bitterly and rubbed his forehead.

The old emperor looked from Yun Qianyue to Rong Jing before bursting out in laughter, saying as he laughed, "It seems that Crown Prince Consort is the only one who can manage this little girl! I heard you were locked up in Yong王府for half a month learning characters. Is it going well now As an outstanding talent of our Heavenly Saint Country, Crown Prince Consort certainly won’t let down Old King Yun’s expectations."

Yun Qianyue lowered her head and did not speak. Whether she had learned how to read or not was something for Rong Jing to explain. She knew he would know that it was an act on her part, so she left it up to him whether or not he wanted to be embarrassed by her.

"Ah, this little girl is spoiled and incapable. Likely, Old King Yun has been disappointed. I haven’t managed to teach her much. Now, she can only勉強識幾個字，勉強掌雲王府的家而已。其他的景實在無能無力。”容景歎息一聲，苦惱地對老皇帝搖頭，“戒尺打下去也是不頂用。”勉強 take care of the Yun family business. Other than that, I have been unable to do anything."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes inwardly. Rong Jing, you’re the one who said this. Don’t blame me for embarrassing you later on!

"Ha ha! It's good enough she’s learned how to read and take care of the household. This little girl was raised by me since young; I’m very familiar with her character. Old King Yun pampered her so much that even her father is helpless against her. When I scolded her, she retorted back eight times for every sentence. Every time her aunt mentions her, she would sigh and shake her head in disappointment. I thought this little girl was going to be illiterate all her life; now that she has learned how to read and take care of the household, I am already very satisfied." The old emperor laughed again and said gratefully, "Thank you Crown Prince Consort!"

"I only put in a bit of effort for several days. It’s more difficult for Old King Yun and Your Majesty," Rong Jing shook his head.

"Yes! This little girl and that rascal Qingran have been troubling people from young, they never listen to advice; there's nothing I can do about them." The old emperor kept looking at Yun Qianyue as he spoke. Seeing her displeased expression, he laughed even louder and turned his head to smile at the Cloud King sitting below him, "Brother Cloud, look! After saying a few words against her, this little girl is throwing me a fit again."

The Cloud King was puzzled; when he had given Yun Qianyue the token of the secret guards yesterday, hadn’t she been fine Must have missed it back then. Impossible! He looked at Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing before suppressing his doubts and said to the emperor with a bow, "My daughter is naughty and has caused Your Majesty trouble; it’s my fault!"

"Brother Cloud, don’t say that. We are one family. It’s only natural for everyone in the family to speak their minds. Qianyue may be spoiled and stubborn, unmanageable and unmannerly, but she is sincere, more so than many women of our Heavenly Saint Country. You needn't criticize her too harshly. In recent years, my daughter has been ignored by you; don’t let it happen again in the future. She’s only a little girl after all. After coming of age, when she marries someone else, her character will improve."

"Your Majesty is absolutely right!" The Cloud King immediately nodded.

Yun Qianyue's heart tightened; the old emperor’s words at the end made her suspect that he was using this as a way to investigate her. Had she been planning something all along She had heard everyone say that she would soon come of age, but how long before that was, no one knew. There was nothing left for her to do other than wait and see.

As they were speaking, the four people reached a pavilion. Rong Jing bowed respectfully to the old emperor as he had been permitted not to kneel by him. Night Tianqin and Night Qingran immediately knelt down; although Yun Qianyue was extremely unwilling in her heart, she still understood that this was the way things were done in ancient times, so she quickly followed suit.

"No need for formalities! We are outside today, there’s no need to observe them!" The old emperor waved his hand with a smile at the four of them.

Rong Jing stood up straight and Night Tianqin and Night Qingran also straightened up. Yun Qianyue heaved a sigh of relief; if she had really knelt down, her heart would have been very uncomfortable. Not having to kneel was exactly what she wished for.

"Yun Qianyue and Crown Prince Consort were harmed in the incident at Qing Shan Temple. I have instructed Ta Li Si to thoroughly investigate this matter. But the culprit has yet to be found. It can only be slowly investigated further." The old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue and spoke again, "You can learn martial arts all over again if you lose it; don’t look so miserable, or you will have wasted my intention of having you watch our Heavenly Saint men’s martial prowess."

"Imperial Uncle must thoroughly investigate this matter. I nearly lost my life there," Yun Qianyue said with a resentful expression as she nodded her head, her gloomy face looking a bit better. "I will definitely learn how to fight again; next year in the martial arts competition of the Imperial Exam, I also want to go up and have a try. Only then will I be able to truly appreciate our Heavenly Saint men’s martial prowess! Otherwise it would be painful to look but not be able to participate."

"Oh You still want to go" The old emperor raised his eyebrow and looked at Yun Qianyue with a smile.

Yun Qianyue lifted her chin, "Of course! As long as Imperial Uncle allows it!"

"Qianyue, don’t be naughty," the Cloud King murmured.

Yun Qianyue did not look at the Cloud King but looked hopefully at the old emperor.

The old emperor chuckled and nodded, "Alright, as long as you can regain the martial arts skills that you lost by next year, I will allow you to participate in the Martial Arts Champion Competition next year. How does that sound"

"This is what you said, no backtracking!" Yun Qianyue immediately beamed with joy and her delight was clearly evident on her face. Without any hesitation, she boldly stepped forward and stood before the old emperor, pointing out her small finger in a childlike manner and asked: "Pinkie swear!"

"Qianyue! Do not be impolite!" Marquis Yun's heart was pounding as if it were at his throat. He had seen Yun Qianyue being bold before, often speaking up against the emperor in front of him, but he had never seen her act so carefree and want to pinkie swear with the emperor.

"I am the Golden Mouthed Jade-tongued Emperor, naturally my word is final!" The old emperor was momentarily stunned when Yun Qianyue extended a finger before him, then burst out laughing.

"That's true. So many people are here as witnesses now, I don't fear that His Majesty the Emperor would break his promise next year." Yun Qianyue had no intention of actually pinkie swearing with this old emperor and immediately withdrew her hand. She looked at Ye Qingran in a smug manner: "What's so special about you going to participate this year Next year, I can also go up there. Hmph!"

Ye Qingran "uh"ed and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Yun Qianyue. He felt that this little girl was really smart. This year the emperor had specially allowed her to come, who knew if she would be able to next year! But she managed to get the emperor to promise the Martial Arts Champion Competition next year, not only allowing her to attend, but also participate in the martial arts competition. He couldn't help but admire her.

"It seems that I have been tricked by this little girl!" The old emperor was not angry at all; instead he laughed and said to Marquis Yun: "Your Excellency Marquis Yun, who says this little girl is unintelligent In my view, she’s very clever."

Yun Qianyue's mind moved.

"Clever but not used for the right path!" Rong Jing said calmly and without much emotion.

The Marquis Yun also immediately spoke: "How can Your Majesty let her be mischievous The Martial Arts Champion Competition has become a game in her mouth. Prince Regent Jingshi is right, this old minister sees that she uses her cleverness elsewhere, not for the proper path. Sigh..."

"That's right, Uncle Emperor, you shouldn't praise her anymore. This little girl’s tail will be so high it’ll reach to the sky," Ye Qingran said with a smile.

"You are jealous that His Majesty the Emperor is nice to me!" Yun Qianyue glared at Rong Jing and Ye Qingran simultaneously. She felt as if she had been stabbed countless times by knives and swords standing here for so long, thinking of how in this era of ancient China, every word was full of hidden meanings, more difficult to handle than disarming a modern-day time bomb.

The emperor laughed again: "You are right. This little girl truly can't be praised anymore! If you praise her any further, she really will have her tail in the sky!"

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and didn't speak anymore. The others also remained silent with smiles on their faces.

The civil and military officials sitting in order below the emperor had not made a sound since Yun Qianyue and the others arrived, instead staring at Yun Qianyue all along, thinking that even if Old Marquis Yun allowed this woman to be taught by Prince Regent Jingshi on how to read and write, it would still be useless. Mud that can't stand upright will never do so no matter what help is given, making the effort wasted. But seeing how delighted the emperor was with her, despite despising Yun Qianyue's lack of ladylike manners, they dared not show their feelings.

The Filial Xing Prince sitting next to Marquis Yun coldly snorted in his heart as he looked at Yun Qianyue. His old eyes occasionally shot out a gaze that seemed like it could devour her. His son Leng Shaozhuo had long harbored a grudge against Yun Qianyue, never gaining any benefit from her and losing face many times. He thought if he found an opportunity to catch Yun Qianyue in the wrong, she would surely be punished without mercy.

Meanwhile, the Virtuous Xing Prince looked at his son Ye Qingran laughing with joy at Yun Qianyue and showed signs of worry on his face. He glanced over Rong Jing, Ye Tianqing, and the silent Cloud Mulanhan and Fourth Crown Prince one by one. Seeing that their gazes were all focused on her, Rong Jing's gaze was as clear as always without any change, but Ye Tianqing’s eyes looked at Yun Qianyue very differently than before, no longer with disgust, instead wearing a warm smile. Even the usually indifferent Cloud Mulanhan wore an amiable expression. He pondered over it in his heart, feeling that this little girl seemed somewhat different from before yet couldn’t pinpoint what was different about her. She was still bold and spoke without restraint as usual, but today she didn't seem to provoke annoyance.

A few younger princes stared at Yun Qianyue with wide eyes. Although Yun Qianyue often entered the palace, their schedules were very tight due to many arranged courses for them, rarely meeting her in person. In addition, except when facing Ye Tianqing, she acted as if no one else existed and thus was disliked by everyone. Today seeing her this way, they felt that Sister Shanyu seemed not bad. Especially with her delicate and weak appearance, her green hair fluttering in the wind, changing expressions vividly and beautifully, making her look very pretty.

Yun Qianyue thought she was being roasted like a sweet potato on an open fire. She received their gazes but ignored them all. Thinking of how much more comfortable it would be to lie down in bed sleeping.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late," Lao Gungong softly reminded the old emperor from behind him at this moment.

“Hmm,” The old emperor nodded and then withdrew his gaze from Yun Qianyue. Apart from seeing joy on his face, he didn’t reveal any other emotions during their conversation. He asked Lao Gungong: "Why isn't the South Liang Prince Zhu still here Did you send someone to fetch him"

"Your Majesty, old servant went to invite His Highness Prince Zhu, and he said Your Majesty can start first, he will be right over." Lao Gungong leaned towards the old emperor's ear, suppressing a laugh while whispering in a voice everyone could hear: "Prince Zhu stayed at the Willow Tower last night. The person sent there just reported back that Prince Zhu had just woken up and wouldn’t make it here so quickly. They said that last night the room of SuSu at the Willow Tower was stirred up all night because he came, old servant thinks that Prince Zhu must be very tired and can’t rush over."

Yun Qianyue thought this old eunuch knew quite a bit about romantic affairs! Looking at the smile on Lao Gungong’s wrinkled face as if he were the one who had been frivolous last night, she couldn't help feeling goosebumps all over. Thinking of how Prince Zhu could still be so flirtatious despite his current situation, it really was unparalleled.

"Indeed like every day for ten years, this Prince Zhu’s licentiousness is unchangeable." Ye Qingran mocked.

"You little demon king is also as you were ten years ago. Unchangeably still a demon king," The old emperor chided Ye Qingran with a laugh and waved at Lao Gungong: "Since that's the case, there’s no need to worry about it anymore. He will come when he wakes up."

"Yes!" Lao Gungong stopped talking and retreated behind the old emperor.

“Yueer, you can instruct people to begin!” The old emperor sternly instructed the Fourth Prince standing beside him.

"Yes, Father!" Night Tianyu respectfully bowed to the old emperor and then turned back to look at the scene. He instructed a young eunuch beside him, "Announce that the martial champion contest is about to begin."

"Yes, Fourth Prince!" The young eunuch immediately ran off after receiving his orders.

"Everyone, take your seats in order!" The old emperor waved at Rong Jing and others before instructing Yun Qianyue, "Little Moon, come sit beside me."

Rong Jing's long eyelashes quivered slightly, breaking through the faint gaze with a deep look that vanished instantly.

The crowd was shocked upon hearing this. They looked at the empty seat set aside beside the emperor and then at Yun Qianyue, their eyes changing subtly. What an honor! Could it be that His Majesty truly intends to bring Yun Qianyue into the palace Would she become a candidate for the next Empress

Yun Qianyue was stunned and her heart tightened; she stepped back nervously and shook her head, "Uncle Emperor, please spare me! As it is, people already hate me, calling me lawless. If I sit beside you, won't that make them hate me even more In the future, wouldn’t people create dolls resembling me every day to stick needles into them as a curse No thank you."

The old emperor was apparently not expecting Yun Qianyue's refusal and froze.

The crowd changed expressions again. Some thought that Yun Qianyue truly did not know how to appreciate the honor given by the Emperor, who seemed rather pitiful for being terrified of such a great favor.

"Haha, Uncle Emperor, it seems this little girl can't bear your kindness." Night Qingran's eyes flashed with surprise as he saw Yun Qianyue's frightened expression and laughed at the old emperor, "Take a look at how scared she is..."

"Your Majesty, that would not be proper. My daughter is mischievous; if she causes trouble..." The Cloud King also hurriedly apologized.

"Little Moon, you've always been fearless. When did you start being afraid Don't worry, anyone who dares to make dolls of you will definitely suffer my wrath!" After a moment's shock, the old emperor spoke with authority.

"But even so, sitting beside you would be too restrictive for me..." Yun Qianyue pouted.

"You're afraid of me" The old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue and scrutinized her.

Yun Qianyue shook her head. She quickly thought, noticing the cold face of the Filial Emperor Prince mocking her. Swiftly glancing at him, she then lowered her voice, "Although Uncle Emperor treats me well, others aren't so kind. They wish to kill me! Just half a month ago on the street, Cold Young Prince stopped my carriage and tried to kill me with his Secret Guard; if Rong Jing hadn’t saved me, I wouldn't be alive now. Didn't you see how he looked at me He wanted to devour me! If I sit so close to your Majesty while he's near, it would make me very uneasy. So I won't go."

Yun Qianyue laid out her argument. She was certain that the old emperor could not be ignorant of such a big incident and everyone praised his wisdom; she now had proof of how wise he truly was. Everyone suggested settling privately, but she insisted on bringing this matter to light. How else would she know if the waters were deep or shallow without testing them

Upon Yun Qianyue's words, the Filial Emperor Prince's face darkened; he hadn't expected Yun Qianyue to bring up the incident from half a month ago publicly.

Rong Jing's gaze fell on the Filial Emperor Prince’s gloomy face and his mouth curled slightly without comment.

"What Cold Shaozhu actually dared to use the Secret Guard to kill you in broad daylight What audacity! Has law been abandoned" Upon hearing this, Night Qingran’s expression changed, his voice rising sharply.

"Yes, I nearly died at their hands; it was so close that I could have never seen you again," Yun Qianyue nodded.

The anger in Night Qingran's eyes suddenly sharpened as he turned to the old emperor and solemnly said, "Uncle Emperor, while our dynasty allows each prince to maintain Secret Guards for protection, there is no instruction allowing them to kill at will. Especially on a public street. This must be severely punished."

The old emperor frowned and looked at Prince Filial Affectionate, "Cold Brother, could this really have happened"

"It's not as severe as Miss Shallow Moon described; it was merely a quarrel between two children. Your Majesty knows that Shaozhu has never gotten along with Miss Shallow Moon." The Filial Emperor Prince immediately straightened up and addressed the old emperor respectfully.

"Filial Emperor Prince, what do you mean by 'a quarrel' Twelve Secret Guards from your son’s side tried to kill me. This is premeditated murder!" Yun Qianyue's face darkened as she coldly said this to the Filial Emperor Prince.

From the moment she arrived and saw this old man's venomous eyes locked on her, then recognizing him from his resemblance to Cold Shaozhu, she knew it was the Filial Emperor Prince. Since he was a poisonous creature, naturally she had to bring him out into the open so as to deal with him openly; although this might not lead to immediate action now, she needed to give him a warning that she wasn't someone to trifle with and hopefully make his son behave in future or else she wouldn’t hesitate to kill that fellow.

And most importantly was the need to test the old emperor's intentions as per what the Cloud King had said: whether he intended to support the Filial Emperor Prince against her father. If so, she would know how to proceed with her plans in future.

"Miss Shallow Moon has a Secret Guard too! My son gained no benefit; instead you and Prince Jing killed those twelve men." The Filial Emperor Prince turned to Yun Qianyue angrily.

"My only Secret Guard is beside me for protection. How could he fight twelve He couldn't kill me because Rong Jing arrived in time; later, when Rong Jing tried to stop him, he refused and thus deserved his fate." Yun Qianyue snorted coldly.

"You... utter nonsense!" Prince Xiao, speechless from Yun Qianyue's words, glared angrily at her.

Yun Qianyue no longer looked at Prince Xiao but instead addressed the old emperor: "Uncle Emperor, you can judge this matter. On that day, I went to the Rong王府 early as my grandfather instructed, to learn how to read and write. But I was stopped on the street by Leng Shaozhuo and his men. Half a month has passed, and Prince Xiao's王府 hasn't even apologized—it seems like it never happened. Now when I just arrived, he looks like he wants to eat me up, but now he has all the reasons in the world! Even if he is respected by Uncle Emperor for his virtue, he shouldn't act without discerning right from wrong. Although I might be a playboy, I don't do anything that goes against heaven and reason. Unlike his son who kills without blinking an eye."

"You haven't done anything against heaven and reason Then how about the hundreds of people in Wan Chun Pavilion whose deaths you caused by arson" Prince Xiao finally found Yun Qianyue's mistake.

Yun Qianyue felt a sinking feeling. How could she have forgotten this matter! Although she didn't do anything against heaven and reason, her body did it before. But based on what she inferred, since this body was fake, the fire in Wan Chun Pavilion must also have had reasons behind it. The reason definitely wasn’t for Ye Tianqing.

She pursed her lips, about to refute him when Rong Jing said calmly, "Prince Xiao is right. According to what Rong Jing knows, the fire at Wan Chun Pavilion was not started by Miss Yun Qianyue but rather arson by someone else who framed her."

Yun Qianyue was stunned and turned to look at Rong Jing. He didn’t look back at her, looking calm and collected.

"Oh" The old emperor also looked towards Rong Jing, appearing quite surprised.

Ye Tianqing pursed his lips and turned to look at Rong Jing.

Night Qingran was also stunned. "I didn't think it could be anyone else but my dear Moon Sister! She looks brave but is actually very timid, even refusing to kill an ant. When bullied, she just hides and cries. How can someone like her bear to take the lives of hundreds in Wan Chun Pavilion If this was a frame-up, I would believe it."

"Prince Rong, everyone saw that Miss Yun Qianyue set fire to Wan Chun Pavilion! Even if you want to help Yun Qianyue, there's no need for such nonsense to exonerate her," Prince Xiao said immediately when he looked at Rong Jing.

"I never speak falsely," Rong Jing replied calmly.

"Then what about evidence Can Prince Rong find evidence" Prince Xiao pressed, relentless. In the past, if he had wanted to win favor from Rong Jing, but since helping Yun Qianyue kill his twelve secret agents, he resented him. Now, there was no room for politeness.

"Without evidence, I wouldn't dare make such claims!" After saying this, Rong Jing slowly drew out a confidential report from his sleeve and handed it to the emperor. "After reading this, Your Majesty will know that Wan Chun Pavilion's fire wasn’t set by Miss Yun Qianyue but was framed."

"Present it here!" The Emperor instructed Lao Gonggong.

Lao Gonggong immediately stepped forward to take the report from Rong Jing and handed it to the old emperor. He looked at Yun Qianyue, slowly opened the report; he saw a serious matter in one glance and slammed the document shut with a "Bang!" declaring angrily, "Such deceit and framing!"

Yun Qianyue was only now seeing that his imperial visage had finally revealed itself beneath his crown.

The crowd was startled; no one knew what was in Prince Rong's report to make the Emperor believe so easily that Yun Qianyue didn't set fire to Wan Chun Pavilion and it was a frame-up.

"Prince Xiao, do you have anything else to say" Yun Qianyue took the lead. She thought Rong Jing really helped her in times of need; she believed that this body, which had given porridge to beggars and rescued children from Leng Shaozhuo, was a kind person. Wan Chun Pavilion might be dirty and despicable, but it was hundreds of lives nonetheless. This body could not have been so heartless even if it were a playboy; she was indeed framed.

Prince Xiao harrumphed, wanting to look at the emperor's report as well, but seeing his grim face, he knew it must be true. But still unwilling to admit defeat, he turned to Rong Jing and said, "Old minister mentioned Miss Yun Qianyue setting fire to Wan Chun Pavilion; Prince Rong immediately handed over a confidential report. After so long, how can you say that evidence wasn’t produced earlier"

The old emperor also looked at Rong Jing.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Rong Jing.

Rong Jing remained composed and said calmly, "After the Wan Chun Pavilion incident, I felt there were many doubts. So privately, I investigated it; only yesterday did I find evidence. Today, I planned to hand this over after the martial arts examination but seeing Prince Xiao mention it, how could I not present it"

"Prince Rong truly cares for Miss Yun Qianyue!" Prince Xiao threw a bombshell with meaning.

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "I care only about the integrity of the Heavenly Saint dynasty. The fire at Wan Chun Pavilion cost hundreds of lives; if the Crown Prince and all officials believe it was Miss Yun Qianyue’s doing without investigating, I felt compelled to look into it privately. Finding evidence proving my theory, as a citizen of Heavenly Saint, I should relieve your Majesty's worries. To question me like this suggests that Prince Xiao is blinded by personal grudges. The Four Princes and all officials should serve the emperor with integrity; is Prince Xiao too old to focus solely on personal matters while neglecting state affairs" Rong Jing’s voice was as calm as water, but each word was sharp.

Yun Qianyue couldn't help but silently cheer for Rong Jing. He was hateful when bullying her; yet now, seeing him bully others felt oddly satisfying!

The old face of Prince Xiao turned pale instantly; he didn’t know what to say.

"Indeed, Prince Xiao seems too focused on personal grievances and has neglected state affairs. If no one had investigated this case, my dear Moon Sister would have been unfairly blamed for the rest of her life. Uncle Emperor, we must sternly handle this matter to restore justice for my dear sister," Night Qingran spoke up at this moment, glancing at Ye Tianqing: "On that day, Empress and Crown Prince were furious in Jingguan Garden wanting to put Moon Sister in the prison!" If they had truly imprisoned her, wouldn't she have been wrongfully executed

Night Tianqiong's expression changed, and he looked at Night Qingran with a solemn gaze before hurriedly stepping forward to bow respectfully: "Your Imperial Son obeys your Majesty. Your Imperial Son was also somewhat suspicious that it wasn't Moon Sister who did this when it happened, but many people saw it with their own eyes back then, so there was plenty of evidence. That’s why I didn’t investigate further and truly wronged Moon Sister. Your Imperial Son asks for forgiveness and punishment from you Majesty!"

Yun Qianyue finally understood why Night Tianqiong had stood as the Crown Prince for twenty years without faltering. His attitude of quickly taking responsibility was indeed admirable. She sneered inwardly; she didn't believe that Night Tianqiong really didn’t know that it wasn’t her who set fire to Wanhuiting.

The old emperor fell silent and looked at Night Tianqiong before turning to look at the Filial King, his face extremely displeased.

The Filial King was alarmed in his heart but immediately bowed respectfully: "It’s merely several hundred lives from Wanhuiting that perished. How can it be compared to national affairs Prince Jing, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Although I am old, I’m not so foolish as to mix my personal and public matters up. Please allow the emperor to investigate clearly. This subject is loyal to the kingdom and the emperor, as the sun and moon can attest."

"A breach in an ant’s nest can cause a dike to collapse over a thousand miles away! The deaths of several hundred people from Wanhuiting are minor matters, but what it represents behind its scenes is major. Filial King, even such simple reasoning you don’t understand I think you’re truly old." Rong Jing sighed.

"Filial King Uncle this year is already over sixty years old! Cold Shaozhuo is your only son and also the one child you got when you were nearly forty. It’s natural that you would be tight with him. This can be understood, but to kill people on the streets and commit all kinds of evil deeds without teaching or warning him, this is a major error. When you were young, you weren’t like this with private interests in mind, are you truly old now" Night Qingran also agreed with Rong Jing.

The Filial King’s old face was pale and there was sweat rolling down his forehead. He hadn’t expected that simply targeting Yun Qianyue would lead to the Prince of Jing and Little Duke Xiao protecting her, and moreover every word pointed at him being too self-interested and old for rebuttal; he could only be furious as he stammered: "Please allow the emperor to investigate clearly! Although this subject is incompetent in raising children, I am loyal to the kingdom and the emperor, as the sun and moon can attest…"

Night Qingran pursed his lips. Rong Jing’s face was calm; he no longer spoke.

Yun Qianyue at this moment stood straight with her back erect. Since she hadn’t killed people or set fires, and hadn’t done anything that deserved the ten worst crimes, what did she have to fear The one who should be afraid was those behind plotting against her and the Filial King who let his son kill freely on the streets. She would see how this old emperor made his judgment today.

"Since Moon Girl didn’t set fire or murder anyone, it proves that she has a pure heart. Over these years, she hasn’t disappointed my thick love for her and hard work in raising her. Tianqiong as the Crown Prince was too hasty in handling Wanhuiting’s affairs and caused Moon Girl to take the blame unfairly; this truly disappoints me. I will punish you with a six-month reduction of your salary." The old emperor remained silent for a long while before his stern voice slowly opened.

Yun Qianyue lowered her head. Did she really just get away with being saddled with such a huge injustice simply because the old emperor said that she had a pure heart And Night Tianqiong was only punished six months of salary for not investigating Wanhuiting and unjustly blaming her, almost putting her in prison She felt cold in her heart but did not speak.

Night Tianqiong immediately thanked him. "This son obeys the order! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"As for Cold Prince Brother’s loyalty to me, I’m naturally well aware of it. However, what the Prince of Jing has done truly disappoints me. If he one day takes over the Filial King Manor, how can such behavior of killing people on the streets and doing as he pleases make me at ease" The old emperor's voice was deep.

The Filial King immediately knelt down in fear to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty forgive me! My son is still young and ignorant. This subject will properly educate him! I won’t let him do as he pleases anymore!"

"Since Moon Girl was saved by Prince Jing unharmed and the Prince of Jing lost his twelve shadow guards, it’s a heavy loss; I’ll no longer investigate this matter today. If there is another such incident in the future, I will punish without mercy! Cold King Brother, you must properly educate your son!" said the old emperor.

Yun Qianyue's heart fell. As expected, her father was right; the Emperor was protecting the Filial King Manor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! This subject will surely properly educate him and not disappoint Your Majesty’s hard work." The Filial King was delighted and immediately thanked him.

"Rise!" said the old emperor as he waved his hand.

The Filial King quickly got up from the ground, already drenched in sweat after a moment.

Night Qingran frowned. It seemed that he was dissatisfied with the Emperor's light punishment; just as he was about to speak, he received Duke De’s warning look and swallowed his words back, turning his head to look at Yun Qianyue. Seeing her bowing her head without any sign of dissatisfaction or displeasure, he didn’t say anything.

Rong Jing seemed to have long foreseen this and remained calm as usual; he said nothing.

"Moon Girl, come sit next to me!" the old emperor spoke again to Yun Qianyue. His stern face changed into one that was kind and warm with a smile: "I’ve always thought you are a good-looking girl. Although you’re naughty and spoiled, you don’t do evil things. Indeed, you didn’t disappoint my expectations; your aunt needn't feel guilty every day for not raising you well."

Yun Qianyue sneered inwardly. As expected, emperors had to be able to turn their faces like a knife and change faster than flipping pages of a book. She stood with her head lowered as if she hadn’t heard the old emperor’s words.

"Are you still afraid of Filial King" The old emperor did not get angry but smiled, waving his hand towards the Filial King in a seemingly helpless manner: "Cold King Brother, please sit further away. This girl is just a child and already throwing tantrums without suffering any losses! If she really had suffered some loss, it would overturn my heaven and earth. Since she’s unhappy with you today, let her be!"

"Yes!" Although the Filial King was furious in his heart, he did not dare to show it on his face; he hurriedly moved further away.

"Moon Girl, are you going to sit down now" The old emperor looked at Yun Qianyue intently.

Yun Qianyue took a deep breath. Such a small amount of injustice was nothing to her; there never had been fairness in this world. Only with ability and power could she have what she wanted. She currently had none, only the identity as the legitimate daughter of the Cloud Manor. Of course, it was natural that others would manipulate her. Though her heart was cold, she remained expressionless; raising her head, she pouted at the old emperor while muttering to herself as she walked towards him: "If Emperor Uncle had spoken earlier and told Filial King to move away, I wouldn’t have stayed here! He’s so old and still scares people to death. In the future wherever there is the Filial King, I’ll avoid them all; remember his son too, I’ll stay away from him as well. If I can't behead them, I'll run away!

The Reclusive Prince, despite his patience, still showed signs of anger. Cloud Qianyue was really clueless about knowing when to stop. Did she truly believe that with Jing Shizi and Yan Xiaorong by her side, she could act as she pleased and speak without restraint

"Little girl, are you upset because I didn't handle things fairly That day, Jing Shizi helped you kill his twelve guardsmen as punishment. You were unharmed, right Where there is room for forgiveness, forgive. Let's put this matter to rest then! If Leng Shaohao attempts any more mischief against you in the future, I will not spare him."

Upon hearing these words, the old emperor turned towards Cloud Prince who had remained silent until now with a smile and said, "Cloud elder brother, your little girl is quite impressive indeed! I am almost afraid of her too."

The Cloud Prince glanced at Cloud Qianyue once before turning his gaze to the Reclusive Prince whose veins were visibly pulsing from restraint. He sighed and replied, "Your Majesty is mistaken. This isn't something that can be blamed on Shallow Moon's anger alone. Bearing a reputation as a murderer for so long naturally causes her distress. Furthermore, she was intercepted by Leng Shizi in the street with intent to kill only half a month ago; fortunately, Jing Shizi came to her rescue promptly. At the time, this old minister was also deeply infuriated, but out of consideration not to worry Your Majesty and in light of our camaraderie, I suppressed my anger so as not to let trivial matters between young people cause estrangement among us. Leng elder brother only moved further away from that girl now. Please don't take her actions seriously. Forgive them both! And please, Your Majesty, be more lenient."

"Indeed, Cloud Prince is right. The moon princess has indeed suffered injustice!"

The old emperor nodded and tightened the clasped secret document in his hand before passing it to Rong Jing.

With a solemn voice he said, "Prince Jing, your efforts have not been in vain. Fortunately, we found out that this was not done by Moon Princess and gave her justice as well. Keep this carefully; I will discuss this matter thoroughly with you after the martial exam today."

Lu Gongong immediately stepped forward to take back the document from Rong Jing.

"Yes!"

Rong Jing nodded and received the document, tucking it into his sleeve.

All officials present looked at Rong Jing's sleeve where he had hidden the document. They speculated its content but no one dared to speak up as the emperor hadn't shown them anything. However, some people turned stiff upon hearing that the Emperor would have a secret discussion with Rong Jing regarding this matter.

Cloud Qianyue sat casually beside the old emperor and observed everyone below her, taking in their expressions all at once. She coldly smiled inwardly as she saw most of them had visited Wanting Spring Tower before, and now they looked uneasy upon hearing that a thorough investigation would be carried out.

She glanced at Ye Tianqing; seeing he was unaffected by the situation, she turned away but resolved to uncover any connection between him and the fire at Wanting Spring Tower or the incident in Lingtai Temple. She wouldn't let him off easily if there was one.

Ye Tianqing seemed aware of Cloud Qianyue's gaze and looked back at her, yet she refused eye contact and stared at the floor instead.

"Everyone, please take a seat!"

The old emperor waved his hand towards Rong Jing, Ye Tianqing, Yan Xiaorong, Reclusive Prince, and others before turning to Ye Tianyu. "Yuyu! It's getting late; how are preparations on your end"

Ye Tianyu had been watching the spectacle silently but quickly bowed in response.

"Father Emperor, everything is ready."

The old emperor nodded and said, "Alright then. Let's begin!"

"Yes!"

Yue Tianyu shouted his command to commence the martial competition below.

All present turned their attention downward.

Cloud Qianyue also looked down, noticing that the area was already crowded with young men who were full of vigor and excitement. She was about to look away when a figure in white suddenly leaped onto a high platform, performing an elegant landing which drew everyone's admiration.

Cloud Qianyue stared at the man on stage.

"Excellent!"

The old emperor exclaimed appreciatively.

"His lightness of footwork is indeed superb! Who is this young lord Why does he resemble Jing Shizi so much When did we have such a person in the Royal House"

De Prince also praised, glancing at Rong Jing.

"That's right. I've never seen him before either," echoed the old emperor as well.

Rong Jing glanced at Cloud Qianyue who was staring blankly at the stage; her eyes met his for a moment and he frowned slightly, yet soon returned to his expressionless state. He answered in an indifferent tone, "His name is Rong Feng, a distant relative of the Royal House from the grandfather’s generation. Ten years ago, because one talented individual emerged from this branch, Emperor granted him the title Marquis Wenbo. The marquis died fighting alongside Prince for our country and never returned. Later on, the entire family was assassinated overnight; over three hundred people were killed without a trace of evidence. Your Majesty had investigated but no culprit was found then either. However, the family did not die out completely as Rong Feng, who had been sent to Heavenly Snow Mountain to train in martial arts since childhood, returned recently and is now prepared to serve his country. He arrived in the capital just yesterday and is currently residing at the Royal House. Therefore, it's understandable that Your Majesty and De Prince have never seen him before."

"So he’s from Marquis Wenbo's family!"

The old emperor nodded thoughtfully.

De Prince also nodded in agreement as he looked at Rong Feng and said, "No wonder they look similar to Jing Shizi. Indeed a distant relative of the Royal House! It’s been over ten years since Marquis Wenbo died. The disappearance of his family was one of the biggest mysteries for a hundred years with no clues left behind. Back then, Marquis Wenbo was considered our country's most talented individual – not inferior to today's Jing Shizi. Unfortunately, he never returned after accompanying Prince Rong in battle. It’s reassuring that there is still hope for his descendants."

"Indeed! Over a decade has passed since Prince Rong and Marquis Wenbo left," the old emperor sighed.

Cloud Qianyue's heart stirred as she glanced at Rong Jing who showed no reaction to this discussion about his family. She frowned slightly before turning back to observe the competition, coincidentally meeting Rong Feng’s gaze.

——

The monthly vote count seems precarious...atters added up to an unstable era for Tiansheng every year.This year, the second and fourth princes rebelled against the throne. The rebellion ended with the death of Second Prince and the imprisonme...