Chapter 72 - The Power of Unspoken Slander

a red blush that spread across her cheeks as if they were on fire, even burning her ears. She quickly pulled the blanket up again and said angrily yet embarrassingly: "You... you bastard, get out righ...Chapter 72: The Power of Public Opinion

Yun Qianyue raised her eyes to the sky, nearly bursting out laughing but managed to hold it back. She thought that Nan Lingrui was truly exceptional in belittling others.

Cloud Xianghe watched as Nan Lingrui bypassed the front courtyard and headed straight for the rear one, treating Yun王府就像比他自己的家還要熟悉。她想要生氣，卻又發作不得，隻得羞惱地看著他的身影消失不見。回頭瞥見雲淺月憋著笑的樣子，終於怒了，對雲淺月大吼，“你彆得意！你以為你是誰？彆人不過是想逗弄你罷了，你以為景世子、染小王爺、睿太子等人對你另眼相看嗎？若你不是雲王府的嫡女，估計誰人都不會看你一眼的。”

Yun Qianyue slowly withdrew her gaze from the sky and looked at Cloud Xianghe's angry, embarrassed appearance with a faint smile. She said calmly, “Yes, what you say might be right. But I am just lucky and can't help it. Who cares that only I am the legitimate daughter of Yun王府 while others are not! If they don’t have the qualifications, then they can't even pretend to."

Upon hearing this, Cloud Xianghe's beautiful eyes flared with fire as she glared at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue brushed her front clothing with a graceful gesture. Her posture was straight and proud, looking down on Cloud Xianghe from high above with disdain. She continued in a slow tone: "Women are like flowers; when they're high up on the branch, they're fragrant and beautiful, making people look up to them admiringly. But if they fall at the end of the branch, they scatter and drift, becoming something that passersby can easily pick up. If your fate is bad, you can blame your parents. However, if you don't know yourself and want things not within your reach, then it's just foolishness." She paused, looking at Cloud Xianghe with a half-smile, "Elder Sister, do you think I'm right"

Cloud Xianghe was stunned by Yun Qianyue’s domineering aura and forgot her anger, unable to answer.

"Haha, very well said!" A loud praise suddenly came from the front gate.

Yun Qianyue turned sharply towards the door. Two carriages had just pulled up, and both curtains were lifted at the same time, revealing two people—one was the Cloud King, and the other was Prince De. Yun Qianyue’s spirit sank, her demeanor immediately softened as she twisted the silk in her hand into a knot. She then kicked out at the stone floor angrily and glared at Prince De, "Why are you laughing It's creepy; it scared me."

"Uh…" Prince De was startled.

"Forget it, I'll forgive you for old times’ sake," Yun Qianyue waved her hand dismissively. This person should be Night Qingran’s father. The old man wasn’t bad since he currently had no conflict with her. Still, Prince De's王府 was a legitimate royal family; she needed to be careful.

Prince De was stunned again and looked at Yun Qianyue. His eyes shone with intelligence for an instant before disappearing again. Ignoring Yun Qianyue, he turned towards the Cloud King and laughed loudly: "Brother Cloud, your daughter is truly a treasure!"

"This child has no mother since she was young; she just sits and stands without decorum. Look at her, how can she have the bearing of a noble lady What kind of talk is this! Please don't embarrass me. She's not a treasure—she makes my head ache every day." The Cloud King shook his head with sighs連連歎息。心中卻驚訝於這個女兒剛剛的話，如何能是一個冇學了幾日字的人說出來的？他真是越來越看不透這個女兒了。或者說從來就冇看透過。

"Where, where I think this young lady is very intelligent!" Prince De said with a smile.

“Brother De, don’t praise her. What intelligence does she have She’s more likely to create trouble!” The Cloud King stepped out of the carriage and said as he got off: "Whoever praises her will make her tail go up to heaven!"

"Hmph, Father can't bear to see me doing well," Yun Qianyue immediately put on a spoiled expression.

“Haha…” Prince De burst into laughter again. Looking at Yun Qianyue's domineering and indulged behavior, he nodded in agreement with the Cloud King’s words: "This young lady can't handle praise indeed! She is exactly like my lazy daughter; she's truly a headache."

"Indeed, she can’t take any praise," the Cloud King smiled as he nodded. He looked at the crowd waiting by the door and waved them off when they came to greet him: "No need for formalities. You've had a long journey. Let this young lady arrange your accommodation now. From tomorrow on, you'll be staying in Yun王府. All matters of the house are managed by this girl. If anyone has anything, just find her."

"Yes, thank you very much for the王爺!" Everyone quickly answered with respect.

From being rejected at the door to waiting for Yun Qianyue's tardy arrival, then seeing Lord Shi escorting Miss Shallow Moon back home himself, and Nan Lingrui being driven into the compound by her few words, followed by Cloud Xianghe getting nowhere but a nose full of dust from Yun Qianyue, finally culminating in the Cloud King personally telling them that all matters of Yun王府 would be managed by Yun Qianyue, both major and minor affairs, these events clearly showed everyone that Yun Qianyue was truly the one in charge. The way they looked at her no longer dared to be as bold and probing as before; instead, there was respect and caution. No one dared to look down on her because of rumors.

“Hmph, Father is biased; you use all these people in the house but leave me exhausted!” Yun Qianyue huffed and grumbled.

"You brat! All day long, you have no sense of propriety. With His Royal Highness Prince De present, haven't you been an embarrassment" Cloud Marquis berated Yun Qianyue without any trace of anger in his tone or expression. Seeing her dissatisfied look, he helplessly said, "Didn’t I and your grandfather assign two assistants to you Starting today, Jade Bracelet and Green Twig will be assigned to assist you in managing the household. They have always been close attendants by my side and your grandfather’s side. Hopefully this will satisfy you. It might be tough at first but once you get familiar with the affairs of the mansion, it’ll become easier."

"Is that so!" Yun Qianyue felt pleased in her heart. Having someone to help was indeed good; especially these two attendants who had always served by Cloud Marquis and Old Grandfather’s side! From her observation over this period, both of them were undoubtedly reliable. Although her expression improved slightly, she still huffed at the Cloud Marquis: "If you and my grandfather make me exhaust myself to the point where I’m ruined, don’t blame yourselves for your regret!"

"Haha, this little girl is truly unwilling to lose even a bit," Prince De chuckled.

"Sigh, that’s true," Cloud Marquis smiled and waved his hand, gesturing to Prince De, "Prince De, please come in. We will have a chat inside and no longer need to bother with this troublesome girl. Let her exhaust herself then!"

"Alright, I’ll join you," Prince De nodded with a smile.

Cloud Marquis and Prince De walked into the mansion together.

Yun Qianyue watched them leave and felt that compared to her Cloud Marquis father, Prince De seemed more calculating. It appeared she had to be even more cautious in the future.

Yu Xianghe observed Cloud Marquis and Prince De leaving, seemingly ignoring her completely from start to finish. While it was understandable for Prince De’s behavior, Cloud Marquis used to have high hopes for her before. Now that Yun Qianyue had stolen all the attention, Yu Xianghe turned angrily to look at Yun Qianyue; if stares could kill, Yun Qianyue would be skewered by now.

"Big Sister looks really bad. Women should indeed care about their appearance. Big Sister used to be very beautiful but with all the dust and grime on her today, she only has a third of her previous beauty left. You’d better listen to Prince Rui’s suggestion and go wash up," Yun Qianyue waved dismissively at Yu Xianghe. She knew that this woman likely wanted to kill her right now, but what could she do about it If one wanted to kill someone, they needed the ability to do so. There was no point in underestimating oneself.

Yu Xianghe also found staying any longer pointless. This was Cloud Marquis Manor’s entrance; if she stayed and lost against Yun Qianyue, everyone would laugh at her. She glared fiercely at Yun Qianyue before turning to walk back to her own Yu Xianghe Courtyard.

Yun Qianyue dismissed several people in succession before turning to the hundred or so who were waiting outside. Her gaze swept over them all; these were Cloud Marquis Manor’s collateral relatives, and she didn’t know why they had moved into the manor yet. However, since they would be staying here under her management, she wouldn’t allow any troublemakers to disrupt things. Thus, it was necessary to sort everything out properly.

The collateral relatives of Cloud Marquis Manor felt a sense of pressure from Yun Qianyue’s calm and appraising gaze; many became nervous. Especially the elderly among them dared not show any disrespect, for compared to the main lineage, they were insignificant. Moreover, in future, everything regarding their clothing, food, shelter, and expenses would be dictated by Yun Qianyue. Younger people mostly respected her out of fear of her aura; likely having been instructed by clan elders, they remained quiet, occasionally glancing at Yun Qianyue with trepidation.

"Uncle Meng, Jade Bracelet, Green Twig!" Yun Qianyue turned to the three of them.

"Miss, what can we do for you" The trio bowed together.

"Do you think my father and grandfather would have already prepared rooms for us by now" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Yes Miss. All the rooms are ready. We’ve arranged these collateral relatives in the Western Wing," Cloud Meng immediately replied.

“Hmm, it looks like we’ll soon get rain today. You can arrange everyone’s accommodation first!” Yun Qianyue instructed after some thought: "Among this group of collateral relatives, find two people who will be responsible for drafting a list with the names and details of all those moving into Cloud Marquis Manor—details should include their identity, significant life events or accomplishments since birth, preferences, learning experiences, skills, the more detailed the better."

Cloud Meng was surprised but immediately nodded: "Yes!"

Yun Qianyue turned to look at everyone, seeing them all looking puzzled. She explained calmly, “Since you’re here now, settle in. You’ll be part of Cloud Marquis Manor from now on and will receive the same treatment as other residents. If you break rules, naturally there will be consequences too. Don’t worry; as your householder, I will strive for fairness. The manor has shops, industries, farmland, many positions that require staff—anyone with talent should present their strengths and aspirations clearly. Even if I’m not talented myself, I won’t let true talent go unnoticed."

Many people’s eyes lit up at Yun Qianyue’s words, especially the young men who had thought they’d face harsh treatment as outsiders but now saw a glimmer of hope for doing great things. The young ladies likewise heaved sighs of relief; all they wanted was a good marriage in future. Several elder collateral relatives nodded; children looked at Yun Qianyue with wide-eyed wonder, thinking she seemed nice.

Cloud Meng watched the expressions on everyone’s faces and inwardly sighed—Yun Qianyue had already won over at least two-thirds of their hearts just by that speech. Earlier he’d been worried about her managing these collateral relatives before even starting as householder, fearing she might be overwhelmed; now it seemed his worries were unnecessary. Old Grandfather was indeed wise.

Yu Zhuo and Green Branch exchanged a glance, seemingly not surprised by this outcome.

"Alright! Uncle Meng, please lead everyone to settle down. Everything should follow the regulations of Cloud Prince's Manor." Yun Qianyue thought two sentences were enough; any more would be superfluous. She waved at Yun Meng and turned to Yu Zhuo and Green Branch: "You two come with me to my courtyard! We'll discuss work assignments and organize the accounts."

"Yes!" Both of them immediately responded.

Yun Qianyue ignored everyone else, stepping towards the Shallow Moon Pavilion. Yu Zhuo and Green Branch followed behind her.

The trio walked away, Yun Meng leading everyone to the western cross-courtyard; over two hundred people marching in a grand procession.

Returning to the Shallow Moon Pavilion, Cai Lian, Ting Xue, Ting Yu, Aunt Zhao and others all came out to greet her. Unlike their usual cheerful demeanor, each person had a troubled look on their face, especially Cai Lian. Although Aunt Zhao was older, she hid some worries, but her usual smile was gone, with faint signs of concern etched in her brows.

"What's the matter with all of you" Yun Qianyue asked with a smile.

"Miss, how could you ask for an imperial decree to marry Lord Rong Feng!" Cai Lian blurted out; she thought that such a request should have come from Crown Prince Jing or Little Prince Ran at the very least!

"Yes! Miss, this isn't something to joke about. The news shocked us all when it came back to the manor. We only felt relieved after we learned you were alright," Aunt Zhao hesitated before adding.

"That's right, Miss! Why would you suddenly ask for an imperial decree Servant thinks... " Ting Xue also asked.

"Rong Feng is great! You dislike him now because you haven't met him. Once you do, you'll understand my decision was correct." Yun Qianyue interrupted with a smile, waving her hand as she addressed them: "Let's discuss this later tonight. Now find all the account books and let Yu Zhuo and Green Branch help me study household management."

Ting Xue immediately stopped talking.

Cai Lian and others noticed Yu Zhuo and Green Branch following Yun Qianyue, quickly bowing in respect to them. As they had always been by the side of Cloud King and Old Cloud King, their status was different from ordinary maidservants; they were higher in rank.

Yu Zhuo and Green Branch nodded at everyone with a smile, displaying no airs but an aura of authority.

Yun Qianyue thought that Cai Lian, Ting Xue, Ting Yu, and the others still weren't capable. Each one was petty and had never received training, lacking stability; she needed to find a personal assistant like Yu Zhuo and Green Branch.

The group entered the room where Cai Lian found all the account books. Yun Qianyue, Green Branch, and Yu Zhuo sat down and began studying them.

Yu Zhuo and Green Branch were indeed capable assistants of Old Cloud King and Cloud King; through their explanations, Yun Qianyue quickly grasped the general situation of the manor. Although the Cloud Prince's Manor looked imposing, it was actually dysfunctional because Lady Feng, a concubine, had been misusing public funds for her own benefit. The current Cloud Prince's Manor was prosperous on the surface but internally a mess, with many businesses and properties in deficit and unable to cover expenses. Yun Qianyue’s face darkened as she read; she thought that Lady Feng deserved to be executed but regretted not having a gun.

About an hour later, after filtering through all of the Cloud Prince's Manor’s stores, fields, and properties, Yun Qianyue asked Yu Zhuo and Green Branch for their opinions. After exchanging glances, both gave their views separately; Yun Qianyue listened carefully and then pointed out several key points herself. Throughout this process, her few words hit straight to the core, leaving Yu Zhuo and Green Branch in awe. Earlier thoughts about the task being difficult were dispelled as they saw how decisive she was.

The trio spent another hour discussing various aspects of managing the Cloud Prince's Manor both internally and externally before reaching a consensus: to first rectify internal affairs then external ones, improving on existing systems, breaking old conventions. They rearranged personnel across all courtyards and abolished any practices not in line with regulations, cleansing areas where justice was lacking. This led to a thorough overhaul of the Cloud Prince's Manor from top to bottom.

Then they made simple calculations about external businesses before formulating an initial plan for implementation. After organizing internal affairs, they would tackle external enterprises; without funds, it wouldn't be possible to support such a large family. The most crucial point was that Yun Qianyue decided from now on, apart from those unable to work, the Cloud Prince's Manor would no longer support idle people. To live well, one must work hard; even she, who wanted ease and comfort, couldn't have it, let alone others who wished to live off others’ money comfortably without working.

When night fell completely, they finally drafted a simple management plan for both internal personnel and external businesses of the Cloud Prince's Manor. Everyone heaved sighs of relief. Yun Qianyue felt that despite the short time, she had gained much; Yu Zhuo and Green Branch believed today’s gains far exceeded their expectations. They thought it would take half a year before they could even start working on these tasks after Yun Shallow Moon took over management and learned about accounts, but only half a day was enough for her to come up with regulations ready to be implemented the next day. This decisiveness left them in awe; now looking at Yun Qianyue with more respect.

Yun Qianyue smiled at both of them without any airs or grandiosity she would have if holding power over the Cloud Prince's Manor, instead leaning bonelessly on the table and thanking them, "Thank you for your hard work! Stay for dinner"

The two were startled and immediately stood up. They said somewhat fearfully, "Thank you, Miss Qianyue! We will now go back to eat. Your humble servants can't deserve the title of being your sisters, or we will be cursed by others!"

"It's not that serious!" Yun Qianyue chuckled and didn’t insist. She waved her hand at them and said, "Alright then! You both are exhausted today. Go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare something delicious for you."

The two thanked Yun Qianyue again and saw how she was totally different from earlier when she had been serious and decisive. They smiled and bowed respectfully at her, saying, "Your humble servants will now take our leave!"

Yun Qianyue nodded and said, "Hmm! You don’t have to report the details of today’s events in detail to my grandfather or father. Make sure everyone who works for us is kept silent as well. To sum it up, since I am running things now, I dislike being talked about by everyone. You understand this, right" She smiled at them both and knew that they were intelligent people. At the moment, she didn’t want everyone to know what she had been hiding yet. Yun family’s internal matters needed to be handled discreetly so no one could find out anything. Especially not the old emperor who had kept a close eye on her and the Yun王府的所有內部管理事務，她需要處理得不留痕跡，讓外麵的人探不出絲毫來。尤其是那個一直盯著雲王府和她的動作的老皇帝。

“淺月小姐請放心！奴婢二人還是知道輕重的。老王爺和王爺對奴婢兩人十分信任，將我們交給了淺月小姐幫忙，奴婢一定會聽從淺月小姐吩咐。”玉鐲立即說道。

綠枝也笑著點點頭。

雲淺月點點頭。二人對她行了一個告退禮，轉身離開了淺月閣。

雲淺月看著二人離開，心想這兩個女子的確聰明好用。她收回視線，打了個哈欠，覺得有些累了。以前對著電腦和一大堆方案資料浴血奮戰三天三夜也不覺得累，如今這個身體真是嬌生慣養啊！她伸了一個攔腰，對外麵喊，“彩蓮！”

“小姐，來了！晚膳已經做好了，請問要奴婢現在端來嗎？”彩蓮立即跑了過來，顯然是剛剛從廚房出來，身上還帶著一股飯菜香味。

雲淺月想起在醉香樓的時候容景說晚上讓藥老做了晚膳給她送來。她看了看外麵，發現天已經黑了，晚飯時間早就過了，他也冇有動靜。撇了撇嘴，看來那個傢夥是冇指望了。她點點頭，“嗯，端來吧！”

彩蓮立即跑下去。

就在這時，外麵傳來了急促的腳步聲，緊接著雲孟快步走了進來。人還冇到，聲音就已經傳來：“淺月小姐，老王爺讓您過去他那裡用晚膳。睿太子今日冇有走，還在老王爺處呢！說您辛苦了半日，總也要喝一杯。”

“不去！”雲淺月懶洋洋地窩在椅子上。每次孟叔來淺月閣都像是長了一雙腿似的，總是來去匆匆的，真是辛苦啊。

“小姐，請您過去吧！老王爺和睿太子還冇有用晚膳，在等著您呢！”雲孟立即說道。

“就告訴爺爺我累壞了，不想動。”雲淺月搖頭，非常果斷。她可冇忘記今日在文武大會上的事，恐怕那個糟老頭子正等著教訓她呢！她是瘋了纔會去捱打捱罵。不過看起來南淩睿還很得那糟老頭的心啊，那個花心大蘿蔔居然冇有被趕出來還留下來吃飯。

“那好吧！老奴一會兒就去回稟老王爺。”雲孟點點頭，將手中的那一疊東西遞給門口的聽雪，對雲淺月道：“這是西跨院那一支雲王府族親的資料，都讓人擬好了，很詳細。小姐過目吧！”

聽雪拿著那一疊紙張走了進來。

雲孟並冇有立即離開，而是站在門外等著雲淺月吩咐。

雲淺月伸手接過那一疊紙張，在燈光下看了一眼，翻弄了兩下，點點頭，問道：“孟叔，這紙張是誰寫的？”

“當時比較急，平時擬墨的賬房不在，老奴就在那一支旁係公子中隨便找了一個。冇想到這位公子字寫得很好。老奴忘記問他的名字了，小姐如果想知道的話，老奴這就讓人去問問！”雲孟連忙說道。提到那個寫字的人時，語氣中滿是讚歎。

“今日天色已晚，就算了吧！等明日我回府後再說吧！”雲淺月看了一眼外麵陰沉的天空，估計大雨很快就會來。她來到這個世界以來還冇見過下雨呢！這一場大雨把各處的塵土都洗一洗，換上濕潤的新空氣也不錯。隻不過不知道這場雨會下多久，會不會影響到明日榮楓和夜輕染的比賽。

"Yes! Is there anything else, Miss" Yun Meng asked.

"No! You've worked hard today. After reporting to Grandfather, go rest," Cloud Shallow Moon shook her head.

Yun Meng responded and hurriedly left Qianyue Pavilion. In a blink of an eye, he was gone from sight.

At this moment, Cai Lian and Ting Yu carried the food in, while Zhao Mama followed behind them with soup. Cloud Shallow Moon put down the paper she was holding and heard Cai Lian say, "Miss, you have to tell us where that Yong Feng公子 is good! Could he be better than Prince Jing Why did you ask the emperor for a marriage decree right there in public, insisting on marrying no one else"

"He's just good. He feels good, but what can't be expressed isn't called 'good'," Cloud Shallow Moon glared at Cai Lian and picked up her chopsticks, huffing, "Anyway, he’s much better than that black-hearted, liver-blackened, lung-blackened person named Rong Jing."

"Miss, how can you say such things Prince Jing is seen as excellent by everyone! Only you don't like him," Cai Lian scolded Cloud Shallow Moon and hesitantly continued, "Moreover, the people in charge of purchases heard that you actually mistreated and threatened Prince Jing. It's said he was tortured to an unrecognizable state..."

"Who said so" Cloud Shallow Moon paused with her chopsticks.

"It’s being spread by everyone outside now, many people witnessed it at Drunken Fragrance Tower. At first, I didn't believe it either, but everyone speaks as if it's true. Not only is this matter spreading outside, it might also be spreading within our mansion and the other major mansions in the capital city," Cai Lian saw Cloud Shallow Moon’s expression darken more and lowered her voice towards the end of her sentence.

Cloud Shallow Moon glared at Cai Lian with a grim face. Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, she turned her gaze towards Zhao Mama and the others. The three nodded in unison and said, "Miss, it is as such now. Everyone outside is talking about this."

"Damn! How can they say I mistreated him Who in this world could bully him" Cloud Shallow Moon was furious.

"I didn't believe it at first either. When Miss and Jade Bracelet, Green Branch were discussing the household matters inside the room, I went out to turn around for a while; everyone is talking about this," Ting Yu observed Cloud Shallow Moon's expression and carefully said.

Cloud Shallow Moon’s face darkened even more upon hearing that. That black-hearted one! It was clear she was being bullied by him; her first kiss had been taken away, yet it turned around to be accused of mistreating him. She abruptly stood up and angrily walked out the door.

"Miss, where are you going" Cai Lian immediately grabbed Cloud Shallow Moon.

"To find him and settle accounts!" Cloud Shallow Moon shook off Cai Lian’s hand and strode towards the door.

"But it's going to rain outside..." Cai Lian was knocked back by Cloud Shallow Moon, then hurriedly said.

Right as Cai Lian finished her sentence, a sudden thunderclap echoed outside. Heavy rain instantly poured down, the pattering sounds of the raindrops hitting the ground clearly audible and exactly stopping Cloud Shallow Moon at the doorway.

Cloud Shallow Moon stopped in her tracks and glared angrily at the heavy rain. The heavens were against her too!

"Miss, this matter might be a misunderstanding. Besides, those outside can say anything they want. Gossip can tarnish someone's reputation; Prince Jing has suffered great damage to his reputation from these rumors. He may be even angrier than Miss right now! Please don't go looking for him," Cai Lian stood her ground and quickly walked behind Cloud Shallow Moon, urgently persuading her.

"That’s true. Miss, think about what kind of person Prince Jing is That man has always been high up in everyone's eyes, respected by all the people under heaven. With such an incident now, he must also be furious," Zhao Mama immediately came over to persuade as well: "Furthermore, how can you go out in such heavy rain Even if you find Prince Jing at Rong王府 and confront him, it won't solve anything; can you stop public gossip"

"So now that something like this has happened, he's also feeling wronged" Cloud Shallow Moon became even more enraged upon hearing their words. "Who exactly are you guys working for Are you supporting Rong Jing and siding with him while leaving me behind Go to him if you want."

Ting Xue and Ting Yu shrank back, wanting to persuade her but also not daring to do so.

Cai Lian and Zhao Mama saw that Yun Qianyue was angry, so they quickly knelt down with a "thump" sound, saying, "Forgive your ladyship!"

Yun Qianyue ignored the two of them. She stared intensely at the heavy rain outside; if she were to go out like this, she would definitely be drenched and turned into a drowned rat before even reaching the Prince's Manor where it was likely that she would have been killed by the downpour. Taking a deep breath, Yun Qianyue turned around and walked back, coldly saying to Cai Lian and Zhao Mama, "You two can get up now! I won't go."

The two of them stood up but did not dare look at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue sat back on the soft couch in a fit of anger. No one dared to speak, and even held their breaths as they waited. After some time, she calmed down and rubbed her forehead, saying gloomily, "I originally wanted to watch that heartless rascal's predicament and make fun of him, but I underestimated his status in the public's hearts. Now this has spread far and wide; it’s like seeking punishment for oneself and no one else can be blamed."

She had really been angered into a state where she couldn’t think straight back then, and how could she have acted so foolishly She was already under the spotlight because of her request to the old emperor to grant a marriage order between Feng Rong and her. This time around, on top of being at everyone's attention, it had become even more scandalous; furthermore, this scandal had an impressive grand finale with the name “Rong Jing” attached to it, which meant that small matters would turn into huge scandals and big matters would be blown out of proportion!

Even those close to her thought Rong Jing was unparalleled in heaven and earth—let alone what others thought

She really had been blinded back then. Why did she drag him to the Fragrant Intoxication Pavilion

When she recalled Rong Jing’s expression at that time, it made her teeth itch with anger. She was sure that he must have anticipated this result long ago. Or perhaps a step further in speculation, after proposing his identity as Feng Rong's uncle following the martial arts champion competition and deliberately threatening to ask for dinner at Fragrant Intoxication Pavilion, on the carriage ride he had intentionally provoked her into dragging him there; then she was so angered that she lost control of herself and dragged him to the Fragrant Intoxication Pavilion—until now this rumour is spreading like wildfire... all these must have been premeditated.

Thinking about it, she was even more certain. She couldn’t help but grind her teeth in frustration.

"Lady… Is that what you are saying" Cai Lian looked at Yun Qianyue and opened her mouth tremblingly; just now, she had been frightened to death. It had been a long time since she had seen Lady lose her temper.

"You all can leave! I want some peace." Yun Qianyue didn’t wish to say more and waved her hand dismissively at the four of them. Besides Zhao Mama who was more composed, those three were still young maids who loved to chatter beside her, speak quickly, and nag endlessly. Even though they annoyed her, their intentions weren’t bad; all they wished for was to be nice to her. In a world full of cautious people who had lost their innocence, it would make life more interesting if there were some lively, innocent ones by her side. She shouldn't take out her anger on them.

"Yes!" The four of them exchanged worried glances at Yun Qianyue and saw that she was slightly calmer; they all quietly left in a row.

When the room door closed, Yun Qianyue leaned against the soft couch and shut her eyes. She thought about why Rong Jing had deliberately lured her into this predicament Defaming her reputation would damage his as well; what did he stand to gain from it After thinking for a long time she still couldn't think of any benefits for him. It felt like that bastard was born just to oppose her, and not let her have an easy life—no matter if he had to sacrifice himself in the process. She ground her teeth fiercely once more as she thought about how this wasn’t the first time her reputation had been tarnished; with Feng Rong’s precedent, what difference did it make even if another scandal involving Rong Jing came along If he didn't fear falling from grace, why should she be afraid

With that thought in mind, Yun Qianyue wasn’t bothered to feel angry anymore. She glanced at the food on the table but lost her appetite for it. Getting up and lying down again, she pulled the blanket over herself and closed her eyes; after tossing and turning for a long time, she finally fell asleep under the heavy rain.

She had just fallen into a deep sleep when several footsteps entered Shallow Moon Pavilion from outside, waking her up. She frowned in annoyance as she heard Yun Meng’s voice say, "Miss Yun Qianyue, Prince Consort Jing has sent someone to deliver your evening meal!"

"What time is it What nonsense is he talking about delivering an evening meal" Yun Qianyue sat up abruptly. Hearing Rong Jing's name made her feel like a rooster whose feathers had been ruffled. Who eats dinner in the middle of the night

"Miss Yun Shallow Moon, it’s still not past midnight! Our Prince Consort said that since he promised to deliver your evening meal yesterday, he has sent me and Qing Quan to bring this over for you. It's still hot!" Qingshang’s voice came from outside, extremely clear. "It includes lotus leaf-stewed chicken, braised pork ribs, eight-treasure stewed pig trotters… all the dishes that you like!"

Out of Character Note:

The plot is progressing and laying groundwork at the same time; don't worry, everyone! Don’t rush me; when I get anxious it makes me angry. The drama is on its way… What You don’t believe me Look up at a gloomy sky, my reputation... (⊙_⊙)

Yun Shallow Moon looked up at the sky with an equally gloomy look and added another kick—If you don't let me unleash myself soon I will f*cking ruin you… (⊙_⊙)o(n_n)o Ha!

Thank you to those who have sent diamonds and flowers below!ying towards the residence of the Deking Prince. Despite being furious with his eyes narrowed, there was nothing he could do as his acupoints were sealed. Every time he was outwitted by a weakling bea...