Chapter 12: A Hair's Breadth

ing you within the mansion, regardless of who's right or wrong, he would deal with that person accordingly. Miss, there’s no need for me to say more; these years, you have felt how much the old prince...Chapter Twelve: A Critical Moment

Upon hearing the old emperor's laughter, Yun Qianyue tugged at her lips but did not smile from the heart.

Lie Qian seemed to understand the meaning behind the old emperor's words and pitifully looked at Yun Qianyue. She leaned closer to her and whispered, "Before I met you, every time I heard about your audacious and carefree behavior, I felt envious. But now, I feel so sorry for you! To be saddled with such a situation is truly unfortunate."

Yun Qianyue tugged at her lips and weakly smiled at Lie Qian. However, she inadvertently triggered the wound on her lip corner, causing her to hiss in pain. She immediately hid her smile and said irritably, "What's there to feel sorry about Not everyone is blessed with such a situation."

Lie Qian was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter, "You're right!"

"I wonder when Empress Leaf Princess became so close to Miss Moon" The old emperor looked at Lie Qian and Yun Qianyue who were standing closely together. He smiled as he spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, this is your first visit to the Heavenly Saint capital city, isn't it"

"Your Majesty, you are correct. This is indeed my first time in the Heavenly Saint capital city." Lie Qian stepped back from Yun Qianyue and smiled at the old emperor seated above them, "I am quite easy-going and get along well with everyone. Especially after meeting Miss Wen yesterday, I found her to be very compatible."

"Oh You mean Miss Wen Ruyan" The old emperor asked with interest.

"Yes." Lie Qian replied.

"She's the youngest and most cherished daughter of General Wen. She is also the cousin of the Crown Prince’s concubine, and they are on good terms as well. Yes, she's a well-mannered young lady who knows her books," said the old emperor with a nod.

"Your Majesty Heavenly Saint is right! Miss Wen is indeed very well-mannered. She's also quite hospitable, dragging me to talk for a long time at the entrance of Prince Rong’s manor. I like her very much." Lie Qian smiled and agreed, her expression seeming sincere as if she genuinely liked Wen Ruyan.

"Why were you talking at the entrance of Prince Rong’s manor" The old emperor asked with a smile.

"That's because my reason for coming to Heavenly Saint was to deal with someone using Nanyang’s witchcraft to cause trouble. I came here precisely to help Your Majesty." Lie Qian looked at the old emperor and continued under his inquiring gaze, "I have three reasons for being in Heavenly Saint."

"Oh What are these three things Empress Leaf Princess, tell me about them. How many days have you been in this capital city I haven't seen your face until today morning." The old emperor raised an eyebrow.

The first thing is to see if the Prince Shi has grown three heads and six arms," Lie Qian said. "Oh" The old emperor looked at Rong Jing, noticing his calm expression and asked with a smile, "What do you mean by that"

"Prince Shi is renowned as Heavenly Saint's top prodigy. And the world’s highest-ranking monk once said Prince Shi’s talent surpasses not only Heavenly Saint but also the whole of the realm! So I want to see if this person who can perform such miraculous feats really has three heads and six arms!" Lie Qian replied.

"I see!" The old emperor smiled. "What about the second thing"

The second is to take a look at Yun Qianyue’s walnut brain, seeing how she doesn’t even recognize one character and also holds her books upside down! She’s so ignorant that it's astounding! Not only does she not understand womanly etiquette, but she apparently knows nothing more than fancy hand movements. I want to see how such a useless girl has managed to survive until now!" Lie Qian said.

Yun Qianyue twitched at the corner of her mouth and inwardly cursed this woman!

"This young lady is much better than you!" Ye Qingran glared at Lie Qian不滿地瞪著葉倩。有這麼說話不給人麵子的嗎？

Lie Qian stuck out her tongue to Ye Qingran, with an unexplainably mischievous expression.

The old emperor's gaze flickered between Ye Qingran and Lie Qian before landing on Yun Qianyue who stood weakly. He paused for a moment then redirected his gaze and asked with a smile, "Oh Now that I've seen Miss Moon, what do you think of her"

"The rumors are indeed true!" said Lie Qian.

The old emperor burst into laughter, saying after he stopped, "Although Yun Qianyue doesn't know the classics, she’s genuine and sincere. In this capital city's high society, there isn’t anyone who can match her in that regard. And during her month of studying under Prince Shi, she has already progressed from not knowing a single character to now managing the Cloud Manor’s household affairs. She is certainly far more than what the rumors suggest!"

Lie Qian scratched her head, "I haven't noticed yet!

The old emperor laughed and asked, "What about the third thing then"

"It is said that the Begging for Dexterity Festival in Heavenly Saint City is quite lively. We've seen too many of these festivals in the Southern Frontier and found them boring, so we came here to see the festival!" Ye Qian said.

Cloud Shallow Snow's thoughts moved slightly as she remembered it was the first day of the seventh lunar month tomorrow. The Begging for Dexterity Festival was what people called the Double Seventh Festival in her world; it was when Niu Lang and Zhi Nu met each other. Indeed, it wasn't far off. If Ye Qian hadn't mentioned it, Cloud Shallow Snow wouldn't have thought of it.

"Yes, there are only a few days left till the festival. Princess Ye has come at just the right time to enjoy yourself!" The old emperor nodded with a smile and asked again with a laugh: "Just these three things Nothing else"

"That's all! Other stuff is trivial and not worth mentioning!" Ye Qian said.

"I heard that Princess Ye likes this little devil. I thought you came to see him, but it seems he’s not so important after all" The old emperor raised an eyebrow at Ye Qian with a smile.

"Uncle Emperor, they are just rumors!" Night Qingran looked displeased as he glared at the old emperor.

Cloud Shallow Snow realized that only two people dared to give the old emperor such looks. One was Night Qingran and the other was Rong Jing, even though he did not show an unpleasant look either, but made the old emperor treat him with respect.

"Who said they were rumors You don't need to be embarrassed about denying them. Everyone knows that I like you, what’s there to feel shy about" Ye Qian glared at Night Qingran and then smiled pleasantly at the old emperor: "He's just being bashful. Yesterday when I was curious about Cloud Shallow Snow and moved into her residence, he followed me in too. He clearly likes me but is too embarrassed to admit it."

"You're lying! I was merely…" Night Qingran got furious.

“Look, you’re getting angry out of shame!” Ye Qian pointed at Night Qingran and stopped him from speaking further.

“Who’s getting angry out of shame You stinkin' woman!” Night Qingran was even more outraged.

The old emperor looked at the two of them and burst into laughter.

"Uncle Emperor, don't listen to her nonsense! I hate such a vicious woman!" Night Qingran’s forehead veins were bulging out. If Ye Qian said one more word, he would have killed her.

“Truly a match made in heaven!” The old emperor laughed and then looked at Night Qingran: "Finally someone can rein in my Heavenly Saint City's little devil who no one else could control! This is truly cause for celebration!" He paused and then smiled at Ye Qian again: "Princess Ye, how old are you now Have you come of age yet"

Cloud Shallow Snow thought that the old emperor seemed to be setting up a match between them. Now he was even asking about Ye Qian's birthday!

Night Qingran’s expression changed as he said angrily, "Uncle Emperor, why do you ask her age I don’t like this woman!"

"Brother Duke De, look at your unruly monkey! Maybe it’s time to find him a wife so that he can settle down" The old emperor asked the Prince of Virtue beside him.

The Prince of Virtue glanced at Ye Qian and his gaze passed over Cloud Shallow Snow as well. He smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty, you are absolutely correct! This unruly monkey and little devil needs someone to keep an eye on him!"

"Yes, I agree with your opinion too. He is one year older than Prince Rong Jing. Prince Rong Jing will come of age this winter solstice. And the little devil came of age in early spring this year. Even though I didn't arrange his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, he has reached that age."

The old emperor said.

"That's true!" The Prince of Virtue nodded.

“Princess Ye, it seems you and Miss Moon are the same age. Is this correct” The old emperor asked Ye Qian again.

Ye Qian blinked her eyes without answering but instead asked: "I don’t know Cloud Shallow Snow's birthday either and I don't know if we’re around the same age!"

Cloud Shallow Snow realized that she didn't even know her own birth date. She had always heard people say she was approaching coming-of-age, but no one had given her an exact day for it.

"I believe Miss Moon’s Coming of Age Ceremony and Prince Rong Jing's Coming of Age Ceremony were on the same day—Winter Solstice, isn’t that correct" The old emperor turned to ask Rong Jing.

Yun Qianyue was stunned. Someone had just said that Yun Jiong and she shared the same birthday This... Was too coincidental! In ancient times, a man became an adult when he turned eighteen while a woman did so at fifteen. Yun Jiong was exactly two years older than her Not one day more or less

"Seems like it!" Yun Jiong smiled slightly and nodded to the old emperor.

Yun Qianyue had been told that she would soon be coming of age, so she thought it was true. It turned out that it wasn't even the seventh month yet; there were still half a year until Winter Solstice! She no longer felt as anxious to try and prevent the old emperor from marrying her off. Six months was enough time for her to prepare herself. The emperor wouldn’t possibly marry her off before she came of age, since an ancient woman wasn't considered an adult until after coming of age and would not be married unless she were a child-bride. So, at least in the next six months, she would still be safe.

"Haha! That's exactly it! On that day, I will definitely throw Yun Jiong and Yue Er an extravagant Coming-of-Age ceremony!" The old emperor laughed heartily.

Yun Jiong smiled but said nothing, while Yun Qianyue didn't really believe him. Who wouldn’t say nice things

"So Prince Yun and Yun Qianyue are both born on the Winter Solstice" Ye Qian glanced at them before smiling to the old emperor: "What a coincidence! My birthday is also on the Winter Solstice!"

Yun Qianyue was taken aback, while Yun Jiong gave her a cold glance.

The old emperor was stunned as well. "Princess Ye's birthday is also on the Winter Solstice On the same day as Prince Yun and Yue Er"

"She’s lying! Her birthday is actually on Double Ninth Festival!" Ye Qingyan glared at her, livid: "How can you even lie without blushing Even your birthday has changed"

Ye Qian suddenly burst out laughing and looked at Ye Qingyan with a beaming smile that lit up her face. "You know my birthday—how can you say you don't like me See, I’ve caught you out!"

Yun Qianyue stared speechless at Ye Qian. Today she finally realized how sly this woman was. Ye Qingyan could not beat her and pitied him as he turned deathly pale.

"Uh… Haha…" The old emperor laughed heartily: "I see."

“You stinking wench! I remember that your birthday is because of the day…” Ye Qingyan was furious that she had fallen into her trap today, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Hush. If you dare tell me what happened on that day, I’ll reveal our affair to everyone. Then you will have no choice but to marry me." Ye Qian moved her lips as she whispered to him.

Ye Qingyan was hesitant and immediately shut up.

Yun Qianyue could understand lip reading, so she figured that the matter Ye Qian mentioned probably referred to the time when they had been together naked to extract poison from his body and were caught by Nan Lingrui. If it was true and he had ruined her reputation, considering how the old emperor and Duke De would react at this moment, he most likely wouldn't be able to avoid marrying her. Yun Qianyue couldn’t help but laugh.

"Brother Duke De, you saw that! Even this little devil has a bad day!" The old emperor laughed before smiling at Duke De.

“This little brat! Someone finally tamed him!” Duke De nodded with a smile.

Ye Qian was pleased and raised her eyebrows. Just as she was about to say something, she saw someone approaching in the distance, and her expression changed instantly.

Ye Qingyan glared at Ye Qian angrily, but when he noticed that his face had changed color, he followed her line of sight and saw three carriages stop not far from them. The third carriage opened its curtains first and a familiar figure stepped out with an elegant fan in hand; it was Nan Lingrui. He immediately grinned and leaned toward Ye Qian, gritting his teeth: "Someone finally came to deal with you! If you don’t behave yourself, I’ll strip you naked and send you to Nan Lingrui’s bed! Will you be a good girl then"

Hearing this, Ye Qian pulled back her gaze from him and gave him another mischievous smile, looking bashful: "Compared to him, I prefer your bed."

Ye Qingyan immediately moved away from her with an expression of utmost disgust.

Yun Qianyue watched them amusedly. Her gaze landed on the place where Nan Lingrui stood as handsome and debonair as ever. He was waving his fan slowly, and in the sunlight, he looked more eye-catching than his portrait. She thought that with this trio of people, today's show would be interesting.

She turned her gaze to another two carriages. Night Tianyu stepped out from the second carriage while it took a long time for the first carriage’s curtains to slowly open and reveal Night Tianqing’s figure. After Prince Night left his carriage, he pulled down the curtain personally before Miss Qin of Chancellor's Mansion appeared...

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes. So in the end, Qin Yuceng came!

"Is this Qin Yuning I don't see why she looks so special!" Ye Qian muttered to Yun Shanyue under her breath.

Yun Shanyue found it amusing and whispered, "You haven’t seen her face yet, how do you know she doesn’t look good"

"Because I saw a big scorpion on her!" Ye Qian said.

Looking at Qin Yuning in her plain dress and delicate appearance, Yun Shanyue smiled. Was Ye Qian referring to a femme fatale Did Qin Yuning fit this description Perhaps she did, but the woman had yet to reveal her venomous heart.

"So Night Tianqiong dislikes you because he likes this girl" Ye Qian asked again.

Yun Shanyue saw that when Qin Yuning stepped off the carriage and almost stumbled, the night crown prince held her in his arms out of compassion. The scene was like a romantic novel. Yun Shanyue turned her gaze to the execution platform where everyone including the old emperor was looking at them. Smiling, she nodded, "Yes, probably."

Wasn't Night Tianqiong acting too foolishly because of Rong Jing's compliment that Qin Miss could be a queen Had he forgotten that it wasn’t certain whether the crown prince would become an emperor Although the old emperor was in poor health, his age didn’t make him ready to give up power easily. For Night Tianqiong to want to ascend too hastily seemed somewhat reckless.

"It looks like Miss Qin from the Chancellor's Mansion is indeed seriously ill!" The Filial King suddenly spoke up.

“Yes, my daughter fell sick with a cold yesterday and has been bedridden ever since. She’s been unconscious for days. Many imperial physicians have visited the Chancellor’s residence but I still don’t understand why this common illness is so severe,” Chancellor Qin said worriedly.

"With Jing Shizi here, once Miss Qin arrives, let him examine her carefully. It’s just a cold and nothing serious," The old emperor glanced at Night Tianqiong supporting Qin Yuning and his eyes flashed with severity even as he spoke calmly.

Yun Shanyue had been observing everyone’s expressions clearly and saw the sharp glance from the old emperor, inwardly smirking. This was a king; under the power of the throne, Night Tianqiong was merely someone competing for authority rather than his son in his eyes.

"Now that you can see her face, she’s not really as beautiful as they say I think she looks far worse than Yun Shanyue. Why isn’t she considered the first beauty of Heavenly Saint" Ye Qian said indignantly upon seeing Qin Yuning's face.

Everyone was stunned by her words and turned to look at Yun Shanyue, noticing how thick powder had been wiped off her face showing clear features despite the pallor. Miss Yun’s reputation for being uncultured, illiterate, and lacking in etiquette made people overlook her beauty; but she truly seemed more beautiful than Qin Yuning.

"A woman's beauty isn't just about looks. What use is having a pretty face if one knows nothing and has no manners or grace How can such a person be the first beauty of Heavenly Saint The title should go to someone who excels in both talent and appearance," the Filial King snorted.

Everyone nodded in silent agreement, looking back at Qin Yuning as she walked weakly towards them. Despite her pale complexion, she exuded an air of grace fitting a lady from a prominent family; she truly deserved to be called the first beauty of Heavenly Saint!

Ye Qian was speechless for a moment after being rebutted and turned to Yun Shanyue. The latter smiled faintly without taking it seriously, pursing her lips but not speaking further.

Night Qingran wanted to retort but seeing Yun Shanyue's indifferent expression, he held back his words.

Rong Jing seemed not to have heard the Filial King’s words and looked at him coolly.

"I thought I was too late and missed out on something fun. But it seems I’m still in time!" Nan Lingrui approached first with a fan, bowing before the old emperor, "Long live Emperor of Heavenly Saint!"

“Has Prince Tianqiong recovered from his illness These days have been busy for me; I hope you don’t blame me,” the old emperor said warmly, pausing momentarily at Nan Lingrui's jade fan.

"I can't blame Heavenly Saint’s Emperor for my sickness due to poor adaptation. " As he spoke, Nan Lingrui glared briefly at Rong Jing; his words about adapting poorly were heavy with resentment over the earlier incident of indigestion from eating too much.

Yun Shanyue recalled that day in her room when Night Qingran was tricked by Rong Jing and found it amusing, glancing at him. His face looked ashen; she guessed he and Nan Lingrui both harbored grudges against Rong Jing for these incidents. She glanced at Rong Jing who was looking back with a hint of amusement in his eyes and silently told him "Black-hearted!"

Rong Jing blinked his long lashes without speaking, turning away.

"You didn’t stay at the imperial palace I arranged for you but instead moved to Cloud Prince's residence. Why Is Cloud Prince’s place better than mine" The old emperor asked with a smile.

Cloud Prince's expression changed as he quickly said, "My humble abode can never match His Majesty's palace!

He was thoroughly frightened by what Dr. Wang had told Yun Qianyue during her pulse diagnosis, and before he could recover from the shock, he heard an exchange between Emperor Taizong and Rong Jing about their preference for marrying Yun Qianyue, which left him even more terrified. Now hearing Emperor Taizong speak like this again made his old face pale and almost caused him to lose his footing.

"I was just joking with Crown Prince Rui! Brother Yun needn't take it seriously!" The emperor smiled as he waved dismissively.

Even though the Emperor had said so, the Duke of Cloud still couldn’t feel reassured. He looked at Yun Qianyue, who was calmly staring back at him without any sign of nervousness. Suddenly feeling ashamed, he realized that over these years of compromising and enduring hardships, his character and spirit had been eroded to a point where he truly could not compare with his own daughter anymore. Dropping his head, he didn’t say anything further.

"This old minister also feels that it seems the Cloud王府 is even better than the imperial palace! Not only has Crown Prince Rui moved into Cloud王府, Princess Ye and Young Marquis Dian have also taken up residence in Rong王府. Now, Cloud王府 is probably busier than the imperial palace!" The Prince of Filial Piety spoke with a tone dripping with sarcasm.

This comment was clearly an attempt to sow discord and provoke the wrath of Emperor Taizong against Cloud王府!

The Duke of Cloud found it hard to express his grievances. At this moment, he couldn’t think of any way to turn the situation around and refute the Prince of Filial Piety’s words while also pleasing Emperor Taizong.

"I am one of a kind at Cloud王府! Who wouldn’t want to see me It doesn’t matter if it is the revered Crown Prince Rui or Princess Ye or Young Marquis Dian who have taken up residence in Cloud王府; even beggars on the streets would be curious about how they raised such an unusual person like myself." Yun Qianyue spoke softly but clearly, her voice making everyone hear her words. "The imperial palace and imperial retreats of Your Imperial Uncle are not accessible to just anyone. Is this not saying that Cloud王府 is vastly different from those places Nowadays, Cloud王府 is a melting pot. If the Prince of Filial Piety does not want to live in his own residence anymore but prefers to stay at Cloud王府, he can do so!"

The Prince of Filial Piety choked on his words and his smug face instantly froze; with a dry voice, he said: "I have no interest in Cloud王府!"

"Even if you lack interest, you cannot stop others from being interested!" Yun Qianyue continued without paying attention to the Prince of Filial Piety anymore. This old man was likely going to be an enemy until death. She hoped he would not provoke her into taking action against the Prince's residence.

"Haha, I knew this little girl is formidable and never lets others gain any advantage through words." The emperor laughed heartily; it seemed Yun Qianyue’s words had worked their magic. Seeing a glint of gloom lift from the Duke of Cloud’s eyes, he burst into laughter.

The Duke of Cloud breathed a sigh of relief and felt that entrusting the management of his household to Qianyue was wise. Glancing at Yun Muhan who hadn’t appeared today, he realized that he could not count on this son for help in these matters; unlike Qianyue, Yun Muhan had never shielded him from difficulties.

"The Imperial Palace of the Heavenly Sage Emperor is naturally excellent but too lonely. Besides, it lacks beautiful companions which makes one feel very isolated. Cloud王府, however, has beauties like clouds; over these days, this prince has been living more and more comfortably." Prince Nan Lingrui waved his fan at the Prince of Filial Piety with a mischievous smile: "I wonder if there are also beauties as numerous in your residence as in Cloud王府 If so, I won’t stay at Cloud王府 today but go to live in your residence!"

"I advise you to abandon this idea. With a licentious person like Leng Shaoyue in the Prince of Filial Piety’s residence, there can be no beauties there; even if there are, they will have been ruined by him. Only ugly women remain." Before the Prince could speak, Ye Qingran sternly said.

The Prince of Filial Piety’s face froze in anger: "Young Marquis Dian! You—"

"Uncle Cold, did I say something wrong" Ye Qingran raised his eyebrows.

The Prince was stunned; indeed, the Prince’s residence had been thoroughly messed up by Leng Shaoyue.

"Then according to what you’ve said, your residence must be a filthy place! This prince will definitely not stay there!" Nan Lingrui snapped his fan shut with a loud “snap” and said: "This prince would rather stay at Cloud王府!"

"Is Cloud王府 then not filthy" The Prince of Filial Piety was deeply offended by Ye Qingran’s and Nan Lingrui’s words, but trying to recover some face, he looked at Yun Qianyue with disdain: "Cloud王府 is no better than my residence!"

"Is the Prince implying that all empresses of Heavenly Sage in history were born from filthy places Isn’t it true that even Empress Zhenjing and her ancestors originated from such places" Yun Qianyue suddenly laughed as she spoke to Emperor Taizong: "Uncle Emperor, is this a sign of the Prince’s disrespect towards our imperial family and his defamation of Cloud王府 I wonder if he should be punished for such words! Our forefathers, Empress Zhenjing, and all empresses in Heavenly Sage history are watching from above. The spirits in the Imperial Mausoleum would likely come back to life out of anger upon hearing these words!"

The Prince’s face changed dramatically as he jumped up from his chair: "Emperor! I didn’t mean that—"

"Then what did you mean Have we all misunderstood your words Although weak and ill, I haven’t died yet. These words were heard clearly by me, a descendant of Cloud王府. We must clear the name for my aunts and great-aunts!" Yun Qianyue coldly looked at the Prince as she said this with a mocking smile.

"I—" The Prince shuddered in fear, nearly losing his balance, desperately trying to explain himself to Emperor Taizong but failing when his words were seized upon by Yun Qianyue. Especially since he had brought up Yellow Emperor and Empress Zhenjing; this was a serious matter!

"Yes, Uncle Cold likely thinks that way!" Ye Qingran also sneered: "Defaming Cloud王府 is bad enough, but insulting the empresses of Heavenly Sage through history, including the late Empress Dowager. The late Empress Dowager was born in Cloud王府 and is Your Imperial Uncle’s birth mother; she has to carry the reputation of having come from a filthy place even after death—how pitiful!"

Ye Qingran deliberately left his sentence unfinished, letting out two sighs with clear meaning.

The Prince’s face instantly turned as white as paper. Looking at Emperor Taizong, he finally couldn’t bear the enormity of this offense and dropped to his knees: "Your Imperial Majesty forgive me! I had no intention—"

"Brother Cold, you still have the habit of speaking without thinking after decades! How could Cloud王府 be a place of filthiness Are you saying that His Majesty the Founding Emperor has poor eyesight That's outrageous!" The old emperor did not show any emotion on his face, but his voice was extremely stern.

"Your Majesty, forgive this old minister. It is this old minister who speaks inappropriately; how could I dare to insult His Majesty the Founding Emperor and Empress... " Prince Xiaoqin was terrified, bowing down and not daring to raise his head.

"I didn't see Prince Xiaoqin being afraid. As the ancients say, what one thinks about during the day is reflected in dreams at night. Speaking inappropriately isn't something that happens by chance either. It seems that Prince Xiaoqin has already convinced himself of this idea for a long time. Not daring to do it doesn't mean not thinking about it; when thoughts become too many, they naturally slip out one's mouth without caution, letting everyone know what he thinks." Yun Qianmo decided she wouldn’t let the old man off easily today. She wanted to see how the old emperor would protect him. Didn't the old emperor want to use Prince Xiaoqin’s family to attack Cloud王府 She would make sure this pawn was useless.

"Yun Qianmo, what nonsense are you talking How could I... Your Majesty, Yun Qianmo is speaking nonsense! This minister has no other intentions, and I am loyal to the Heavens, Your Majesty, and His Majesty the Founding Emperor!" Prince Xiaoqin looked up, glaring at Yun Qianmo furiously before bowing his head again to show his loyalty to the old emperor.

"Whether I'm speaking nonsense or whether you're slandering me, those present know very well!" Yun Qianmo smiled faintly. Her voice was light as she said, "Prince Xiaoqin is truly loyal and sincere! There are acts of mischief in your household, but the people under Prince Xiaoqin’s command act more brazenly than even the imperial guards. They walk down the streets with arrogance; commoners don't fear imperial guards or Crown Prince Nan Lingrui as much as they fear Little Prince Cold from Prince Xiaoqin's family and his guards. Even a dog from Prince Xiaoqin’s household walks around unchecked, causing havoc in the streets. When one of these dogs went berserk and killed several people, no one dared to report it to the authorities. Tsk tsk, Prince Xiaoqin’s family must be very loyal to His Majesty the Founding Emperor!"

"Utter nonsense! Who said such things Yun Qianmo, don't slander... Your Majesty should judge clearly…" Prince Xiaoqin wanted to slap Yun Qianmo and shut her up.

“Oh! So that day when the mad dog attacked people was a dog from Prince Xiaoqin’s family. I heard about it too.” Nan Lingrui looked as if he had just understood, “That day, Crown Princess SuSu and I were shopping on the street; nearly got SuSu bitten by that dog."

"Prince Xiaoqin's household doesn’t just allow dogs to run rampant, but even a tiny cricket from Little Prince Cold can kill dozens of people. This isn't new either!" Ye Qingran snorted as he looked at the old emperor. "Uncle Emperor, this is what my uncle Cold prides himself on being loyal and sincere about every day. If everyone were to be loyal like him, your subjects would dwindle."

The expressionless face of the old emperor finally showed signs of anger.

"Your Majesty, this minister..." Prince Xiaoqin was terrified; he hadn't expected his one slip-up to expose all these sins. No matter how many words he said now, they wouldn’t make a difference, let alone those incidents, which were hard to argue against. He suddenly thought of something and shut his eyes in despair, "This minister doesn't know what I did to offend Prince Nan Lingrui and Little Prince Cold that made them pin all these black pots on me; this minister speaks too much and makes mistakes more often, Your Majesty is the only one who can judge fairly!"

Yun Qianmo thought Prince Xiaoqin was indeed somewhat capable, no wonder he could keep his position for so many years. Except for having an unruly son, he was also as slippery as a fox. Seeing that the old emperor's expression had eased slightly, Yun Qianmo didn't want to miss this opportunity; her eyes showed a hint of determination, today she must give Prince Xiaoqin a hard blow.

Thinking thus, just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a woman’s scream behind her. Although the voice was weak, it wasn’t low and immediately grabbed everyone's heartstrings; their eyes followed the sound.

Yun Qianmo narrowed her eyes slightly. She thought Qin Yuning was really lucky with timing, and moreover, this shout had excellent skills. Not only did it capture the attention of the old emperor et al., but also stopped Yun Qianmo from speaking; she saw that missing the chance to speak now wouldn’t attract much attention anymore. She calmed her expression and slowly turned around.

She saw Ye Tianqing and Qin Yuning standing behind her, while Ye Tianqing was staring at her with a dreamy look on his face, and Qin Yuning was about to fall onto the ground. The direction she fell into was the steps below them; this execution platform was five meters high. If someone fell down, they wouldn’t necessarily die but would certainly be crippled.

"Quick! Hold her!" The old emperor was startled and shouted at Ye Tianqing in a trance.

Ye Tianqing had just arrived when Yun Qianmo mentioned his name; he looked at Yun Qianmo. She stood there looking weak but beautiful, even though her face was covered with makeup that obscured some of its features, her eyes still glowed brightly, and thus he became enchanted by her beauty. He gradually loosened his grip on Qin Yuning until he heard everyone's shouts and the old emperor's shout; he suddenly woke up. Seeing Qin Yuning falling towards the edge, he quickly reached out to catch her.

Crack! Ye Tianqing only tore off a piece of Qin Yuning’s skirt as she fell down from the platform. He was alarmed and tried to grab her again but it was too late; he could only watch helplessly as Qin Yuning fell.

"Yuning!" Chancellor Qin shouted in alarm.

The old emperor jumped up, "Quick! Save her!"

Ye Tianqing immediately threw the torn piece of clothing and leaped down to rescue her. But no matter how fast he was, it could not change the fact that Qin Yuning had already fallen for several seconds.

Yun Qianmo glanced at Ye Qingran who stood unmoving, and Nan Lingrui also did nothing; even Ye Tianyu behind Ye Tianqing seemed to be stunned. Ye Qian was watching it as if it were a good show. Her brows furrowed slightly. What would happen if Qin Yuning died She looked towards Rong Jing.

Rong Jing glanced at her, and immediately she saw a flash of white; the spot where he had been standing was now empty. He jumped down at that moment, catching Qin Yuning just as she fell to the ground with his arm outstretched. Yun Qianmo wondered when Rong Jing regained his abilities Just then, she heard a crack and her heart tightened; it was the sound of bones breaking. She looked closely and saw blood leaking from the elbow area where he had caught Qin Yuning.

———

Wouldn't you love for Qin Yuning to die (⊙_⊙)

You have to trust our Rong Jing, who only loves Qianmo and never saves useless people~ O（∩_∩）O~es and held her forehead with one hand. The confusion was overwhelming. When would she emerge from these clouds of uncertainty Perhaps if she could clear that blockage in her brain and regain this bod...