Chapter 55

y plan to heed Emperor Uncle's words and serve Grandpa Cloud in the residence! I see that Grandpa Cloud looks very good today, so there’s no need for anyone to serve him. Besides, such serving is some...Chapter 55

Qian Yan followed behind him, thinking that the Qian Clan had been peaceful for a hundred years. Now it seemed that something was going to stir up trouble. Unfortunately, it wasn’t within his control. He could only hope that the Qian Clan wouldn’t be destroyed because of this. Otherwise, he would feel guilty towards the ancestors of the Qian Clan.

Night Tianqiong glanced at Qian Yan and then looked over to the exit before following Master Ling Yin in the direction of Beishan Villa. He felt that something was off about Qian Yan’s expression and seemed as though he was hiding something. He wanted to see what it was.

At this time, Yun Muhuan and Xiangge had already carried Yun Shangyue and Rong Jing back to Beishan Villa respectively.

Before they even reached the door, Yun Shangyue heard several joyful shouts. She lifted her head from Yun Muhuan’s arms to look over.

She saw that there were more than twenty people standing at the entrance. Among them was her ducal father and Yun Meng as well as Cai Lian, Tingxue, Tingyu, and Rong Jing’s second sister Rong Linglan whom she recognized. The rest of the people she did not recognize. There were three pairs of middle-aged men and women dressed in luxurious attire standing beside Yun Duke at the front, clearly indicating their high status. Then there was an old man who was about the same age as Yun Meng wearing the same butler’s outfit, and a few young men whose ages were close to Rong Jing and Yun Muhuan. Each of them had outstanding appearances.

Yun Shangyue thought that those she did not recognize must be Rong Jing’s relatives. There were indeed many of them. She glanced at Rong Linglan in Xiangge’s arms, who was closing his eyes and hadn’t even lifted an eyelid. She then looked ahead again to see Cai Lian, Tingxue, and Tingyu standing on the edge of the crowd with their eyes red from crying tears of joy for her. Their faces were dirty as if they had been weeping. They still wore the same clothes that they wore when she fell into the underground Buddhist temple—crumpled and worn out without having changed them since then. She felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that they truly worried about her.

She shifted her gaze to observe the others carefully. Yun Duke and Yun Meng’s faces were openly filled with joy, while everyone else had different expressions on their faces. Only Rong Linglan and an old man who looked as old as Yun Meng had sincere smiles on their faces; however, the three pairs of middle-aged men and women in luxurious attire seemed to be forcing themselves into fake happy expressions, while some of the young men showed indifference, disappointment, pretended to laugh, resentment, or even a sense that it was all expected. They were truly full of various emotions.

Yun Shangyue didn’t feel jealous anymore as she watched them. She thought that compared to Rong Jing, who had money and status and ate the best food while riding in a sandalwood carriage, she was actually quite content with her current situation.

Rong Jing seemed to know what Yun Shangyue was thinking; he opened one eye slightly to glance at Yun Shangyue before closing it again. He then whispered to Xiangge: "Tell her that everyone who lives in the Yun王府 now are all from the main branch, and her family's side branches are like officials crossing a river, soon to move into the Yun王府 as well. Since she plans to take charge of running the house, there will be plenty for her to deal with. She’ll definitely enjoy it."

Xiangge twitched at this, "Young Master, what time is it Are you still competing with Miss Shangyue"

"Tell her if I say so!" Rong Jing commanded.

"Yes!" Xiangge sighed and looked towards Yun Shangyue in Yun Muhuan’s arms. Sure enough, she saw that she had a smug look on her face as though enjoying someone else's misfortune. No wonder the young master wanted to strike back at her; her expression was clearly begging for it. He couldn't help but want to do the same and immediately whispered into Yun Shangyue’s ear: "Miss Shangyue, our young master tells you that everyone living in the Yun王府 now are from the main branch, so relatively speaking, there will be fewer people than at Rong王府. But Yun王府 has many side branches like officials crossing a river, and it's said they'll soon move into the Yun王府 as well. Since you plan to manage Yun王府, you’ll have plenty of people to deal with then. You’ll definitely enjoy it."

The clear voice reached Yun Shangyue’s ears. Her smug sound stopped abruptly. She immediately turned her head angrily at Rong Jing and scolded: "Black-hearted, black-livered, black lungs, black intestines, black belly—every inch of you is black with no good part! A rotten person!"

"Thank you for the compliment," Rong Jing said without opening his eyes.

Yun Shangyue felt her blood boil. She thought about all the efforts she had put into treating his chronic illness; it was sheer self-degradation! Just as she was about to scold him again,

Yun Muhuan lowered his voice, "Stop it, we're here!"

Yun Shangyue could only stop herself but still felt不甘心, glared fiercely at Rong Jing before turning her head back. She thought that if what Rong Jing said was true, she would be worse off than him! How large were the side branches of Yun王府 Her headache worsened instantly.

"Miss!"

"Shangyue!"

"Young Master!" "Brother!"

...

The moment Yun Muhuan and Xiangge stabilized their footing, a chorus of greetings rose at the villa entrance as people swarmed around them.

"Shangyue, how are you" Yun Duke quickly approached Yun Shangyue in Yun Muhuan’s arms.

Although Yun Shangyue felt indifferent towards her father, she couldn’t respond coldly to the concern and warmth shown by others. She said calmly, "I’m fine! Just very hungry!"

"Then quickly prepare some food," Yun Duke was delighted and immediately waved at Cai Lian and the others.

"Yes, I’ll go right away!" Cai Lian hurriedly ran into the yard. Tingxue and Tingyu followed closely behind her, their three figures disappearing in an instant.

"It’s good that Miss Shangyue has returned safely; Old Duke can now rest easy. I’ll immediately send a message to him," Yun Meng said immediately.

"For troubling Grandpa and Uncle Meng," Yun Shangyue nodded at Yun Meng.

Yun Muhuan continued walking, carrying Yun Shangyue towards the eastern wing of the villa.

As soon as the Cloud Old Prince took a step forward, he turned back to look at Rong Jing in Xian Ge's arms and asked, "Is Young Mister Jing all right"

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Cloud. I'm fine," replied Rong Jing, opening his eyes and nodding at the Cloud Prince.

"I'll go see Shyuan Yue first, then come to visit you later." The Cloud Prince left a sentence behind before quickly entering the eastern courtyard.

Rong Jing looked at the people surrounding him. His pale face was calm and showed no emotion.

Rong Linglan stepped forward first, looking happily at Rong Jing, "Brother, you've finally been rescued back."

"Young Mister, Old Prince has been worried about you all along. He originally wanted to come personally, but upon hearing that you went missing and fell ill, he sent Second Master, Second Madam, Third Master, Third Madam, and the old servant over together," said the grand steward of the Rong王府欣喜地道。

"It's good to be back!" Second Master’s expression was relieved.

"Right. I told you that Jing will have heavenly protection." Third Master was also very relieved.

"Now Father can rest easy, and so can we all," said Fourth Master with the same relief.

"That's right! When we first heard the news, it scared us half to death. Especially your grandfather who fainted on the spot. This time you coming back isn’t just a comfort for us If anything happened to you and another incident occurred with your grandfather, this Rong王府恐怕就要垮了。”二夫人也開口，神色同樣是欣喜和欣慰。

"Exactly! I heard that you were trapped in the Buddha Hall's secret room for three days and nights in order to save Lady Shyuan Yue from the Cloud Prince’s mansion. Tell me, why didn’t you know how precious your own life is To act so recklessly If something happened to you, what would become of the Rong王府怎麼辦？”三夫人欣慰的神色中是埋怨。

"Right. If you risked yourself to save that spoiled Lady Shyuan Yue from the Cloud Prince’s mansion, it wouldn't be worth it at all. As the only direct descendant in our family line, how could you not cherish yourself" Fourth Madam took up Third Madam's words with a hint of reproach.

"That's right! Young Mister Brother shouldn't do such things again even if he doesn’t take care of himself for us all," said a young man stepping in.

"Exactly, when we heard you had an incident everyone was in chaos. Grandfather fainted on the spot... Young Mister Brother should avoid doing such things in the future..." another slightly older young man added.

"You guys stop talking! It's good that Young Mister Brother is back," a boy around ten years old immediately said irritably.

"Right, just shut up!" Rong Linglan also grew annoyed.

While all this was happening, Rong Jing quietly listened to everyone in Xian Ge’s arms without interrupting or speaking.

The moment the young boy and Rong Linglan stopped talking, those who were about to speak fell silent. Everyone stared at Rong Jing, only now remembering that he was Rong Jing, not their target for admonishment. Even if he had made a mistake, it wasn't up to them to lecture him. Although they were elders, Rong Jing's status was much higher than theirs; even the Emperor would yield him respect. They had overstepped this time. The three ladies immediately lowered their heads, and the young men took a step back, causing an eerie silence at the entrance of the courtyard.

"You guys should stop talking! It's good that Jing is safe now," said Second Master after glancing at everyone before turning to Rong Jing and saying, "Your three aunties and brothers were only concerned for you. Don't take their words to heart!"

"No." Rong Jing spoke sparingly with a calm expression that showed no displeasure as he addressed the crowd, “Now that I’m fine, you all should leave. Leave Xian Ge here to look after me. You going back will also put Grandfather at ease.” Finished speaking, he closed his eyes and instructed Xian Ge without looking at anyone else again, "I need rest; no one except Master Lingyin is allowed in this courtyard."

"Yes sir!" Xian Ge stepped past everyone and strode into the courtyard.

After Xian Ge entered the courtyard, ten hidden guards suddenly appeared to guard the entrance.

The Second Master and others glanced at each other with unchanging expressions, seemingly accustomed to Rong Jing's actions.

"Young Mister Brother, I want to stay here," shouted the young boy who was around 10 years old. His voice hadn't changed yet, still having a youthful quality. He was Third Master’s youngest son.

"Alright then." Rong Jing agreed.

"Brother, I also want to stay. We can leave together later," said Rong Linglan knowing that Ye Tianqiong hadn't left yet, so she wouldn’t either. Princess Qingwan had already been taken back to the palace by the Emperor, Qin Yuning had been picked up by someone from the Chancellor's Manor, and Leng Shuli was also heading back to the Xianqing Prince’s residence with them that day. She herself remained under the pretense of worrying about her brother’s disappearance but she truly worried for Rong Jing as well. Besides Yun Shyuan Yue, no other ladies were around, so naturally she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get closer to Ye Tianqiong. Furthermore, it was said that Crown Prince Nanliang was still in a drunken stupor, and her heart remained conflicted; thus she didn’t want to leave.

"Alright then," Rong Jing agreed, effectively blocking others from speaking up.

"Young Mister Brother is so kind!" The young boy joyfully cried out as he immediately ran towards the courtyard over the guards.

"Xiju!" Third Madam grabbed onto Rong Xiju and pulled him back, "You aren’t allowed to stay here. Go down the mountain with your mother."

"Mother, Young Mister Brother already agreed," said Rong Xiju as he slipped away from his mother's grasp and ran into the courtyard.

The Third Madam stepped forward to follow, but was stopped by the hidden guards. A cold voice rang out, "Third Madam, please stay behind!"

The Third Madam could only fume as she watched Rong Xi’s small figure following Xiangge into Rong Jing's room. The Third Master came over and whispered to her, "Xie will be safe if he stays with Jing'er. Let him stay here for a few days. It’s rare that they are getting along so well; it would be good to foster brotherly relations."

Hearing this, the Third Madam immediately calmed down. Now that Rong Jing was back alive and well, the Glory王府 (Wangfu) still belonged to him. If Xi got along with him, he wouldn’t suffer any losses. She suddenly broke into a smile and looked triumphantly at the Second and Third Madams before saying, "Right, I must have been mistaken. Our Xie hasn't seen his brother since he was born. For ten years now, he’s walked around outside the Crown Prince's courtyard countless times without ever seeing anyone. Now that the Crown Prince has finally left the王府 (Wangfu), it’s natural for him to be happy and excited. Let him stay here for a few days so they can foster brotherly relations."

The Second and Fourth Madams’ expressions immediately darkened as they looked at their own sons, seemingly disappointed in them.

"I’ll go see my brother too!" Rong Linglan was surprised that Rong Jing had agreed to this but happily walked into the room.

Rong Linglan was the daughter of the Second Madam. The Second Madam smiled. Her son wasn’t making any progress, so at least she still had a daughter. Not only did her daughter get along well with Princess Qing Wan and the Glory王府 (Wangfu)’s little princess, now she seemed to be getting on well with the Crown Prince too. She didn’t stop Rong Linglan, but instead smiled and gave instructions: "Since your brother has asked you to stay here, you must take care of her properly and not make him angry. Don’t cause any trouble."

She even omitted the title of “Crown Prince” and simply referred to Rong Jing as Linglan’s brother, as if he were part of their family.

"Mother, you can rest assured! I understand," Rong Linglan readily agreed.

The Second Madam nodded with satisfaction. Rong Linglan passed through the hidden guards and entered the courtyard.

The Second Master’s expression also eased slightly, while the Fourth Master and Fourth Madam remained solemn but powerless to change anything. There was no point in anyone lingering here anymore, so they headed towards the temple gate.

Xiangge carried Rong Jing back into his room, placed him on the bed to lie down comfortably, and then Rong Xi and Rong Linglan entered one after another.

Rong Jing glanced at them before telling Xiangge, "Put Rong Xi up in this courtyard. The Second Miss can stay in her own quarters." He then turned to Rong Xi and Rong Linglan and said, "I’m very tired right now. You two should go first. I’ll see you later!"

"Alright, big brother, rest well! I'll come back later," replied Rong Linglan, understanding her place. To mention that his Crown Prince brother was a lofty existence in both the Celestial Holy Dynasty and the Glory王府 (Wangfu) was an understatement. He didn’t even bother with his grandfather. How could he care about anyone else Just being allowed to stay already felt like she had been greatly favored. She gave a respectful bow before leaving quickly.

"Then I’ll come back in when big brother has rested," Rong Xi actually didn’t want to leave but seeing how bad Rong Jing’s complexion was, he nodded obediently and left the room. However, he was still very excited.

Xiangge followed Rong Xi out, giving instructions for someone to lead him to his quarters. He then returned to Rong Jing’s side, closing the door behind him before urgently asking in a lowered voice, "Crown Prince, how did you lose all your martial arts abilities That is serious! How could you not have any skills left Did losing your powers have something to do with saving Miss Qianyue"

"Do you only see the harm of me having no martial arts ability but miss out on its benefits" Rong Jing asked in return.

Xiangge was stunned, quickly taking Rong Jing’s pulse. Over these years while treating Rong Jing for his illness, he had learned a lot about medical skills himself. He started off with a doubtful expression before widening his eyes and opening his mouth in shock as he stared at Rong Jing, "Crown Prince… How could you…"

"Which would you rather have: me giving up all my martial arts abilities to get healthy again or still having them but only living for a few more years" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

"Of course getting well is better!" Xiangge, who had been in disbelief, suddenly turned surprised and looked directly at Rong Jing with trembling body, clearly very excited. "Crown Prince, how did you do this How were you able to remove both the cold poison and stubborn illness I really can’t believe it… Even Master Lingyin couldn’t help after trying twice, and for ten years, we’ve tried everything but failed."

"I don’t believe it either!" Rong Jing suddenly smiled warmly. "But the impossible has become possible."

"Crown Prince, please tell me how! Did you and Miss Qianyue meet a high-ranking person Did something extraordinary happen" Xiangge had followed Rong Jing since he was little; usually very composed, now he was so excited that it was unprecedented. How could he not be surprised For all these years, he hadn’t left Rong Jing’s side and saw how he suffered every day. He had thought there was no hope but to suddenly learn the illness has been completely cured, how could this not shock him

"An extraordinary event did happen, but I’m not sure if we met a high-ranking person…" Rong Jing shook his head with a smile and sighed, "She can be considered one! She’s even more stubborn than me. I thought no one had the perseverance and determination to endure for ten years like me, yet she was able to do it better. Without her persistence, perhaps you wouldn’t see me now or if you did, I would still be in my previous state."

Xiangge was stunned, looking at Rong Jing in confusion.

"The woman currently eating and drinking herself silly in the eastern room," Rong Jing explained with a smile.

"What!" Xiangge was thoroughly confused as he stared at Rong Jing. "Crown Prince, are you saying that Miss Qianyue helped remove both cold poison and stubborn illness"

"Who else could it be in the eastern room right now besides her eating and drinking" replied Rong Jing.

"She… How could she…" Xiangge didn’t believe it. The smell of food from the dishes currently being eaten by Qianyue was wafting over from the eastern room; who else could it be

"When she said she would help me, I also thought it wasn't possible. Even I had given up hope, but she insisted that nothing is impossible. She even quoted a famous saying: “If you are determined to achieve your goal, no matter how difficult it may seem, you can still succeed; just like the example of Xiang Yu who burned his ships and fought on with determination until he defeated Chu (206–202 BC), or Gou Jian who endured hardship day and night for 13 years until he conquered Wu (497-473 BC).” Although I don’t know its origins, hearing those words made me determined. You should have seen how surprised I was! I had no choice but to try the extreme measures she suggested, only to find out that she actually succeeded." Rong Jing said slowly as if recalling the past. Those moments when he repeatedly wanted to give up and saw her continue on with determination would never be forgotten.

"Then… How did Miss Qianyue manage it" Xiangge still couldn’t believe it.

"At that time, she was hit by the lust-inducing powder and fell into a secret passage. I went to stop her but couldn't do it in time, so I followed her into the passage. Later on, we fell into the underground Buddha Hall of Bodhidharma Temple which was sealed off. I used my energy to help her integrate the two true energies inside her body, assisting her in dispelling the poison caused by the lust-inducing powder..." Rong Jing slowly spoke.

"Young Master, do you know that what you did is very dangerous Your energy is meant to suppress the cold qi within your body. How could you easily use it and exhaust all of it to help her" Xiang Ge looked at Rong Jing with disapproval and murmured, "I knew right away that whenever Miss Chanyu appears, you're always generous!"

Rong Jing smiled and ignored Xiang Ge's complaints as he continued, "I didn't expect her to be so determined. With my help, she broke the poison from the lust-inducing powder. When it was time for me to withdraw, she discovered the cold poison and chronic illness in my body. So, she insisted on unsealing them."

"Even Master Lingyin with such high energy couldn't do that; Miss Chanyu is too overestimating herself! If I were there..." Xiang Ge stopped halfway through when he remembered that Rong Jing's chronic illness was cured. He immediately fell silent.

At the time, I thought just like you did—there was no hope at all. But she was determined; thinking it’s only a broken body, I let her do as she pleased! Her internal energy is from the same origin as mine; maybe there's still a chance after all. So I agreed under her insistence. Unexpectedly, she really unsealed Master Lingyin and used her true qi to dissolve the poison of the cold pills in my body, while my own true qi only assisted hers externally..." Rong Jing simply narrated.

"Then what happened" Xiang Ge listened with bated breath, not daring to breathe loudly.

After she unsealed Master Lingyin, she realized her plan was too simple. But instead of retreating as I imagined, she firmly used her true qi to melt the ice in my heart. When only one-tenth of the cold poison remained, her energy was depleted and so was mine…" Rong Jing paused for a moment when he reached this point and saw that Xiang Ge had stopped breathing. He smiled and continued: "I told her to leave and let me die while she lives. But she refused! When I thought we were doomed, she used the power of her mind to activate the origin energy from the Phoenix True Scripture hidden in her body, so we were saved. Not only did it remove the cold pills accumulated inside my body but also healed the palm injury caused by the Flame Palm and restored my heart meridian. But now both our energies are exhausted..."

"Are you saying that Miss Chanyu has lost all of her energy" Xiang Ge asked softly.

“Mm-hmm!” Rong Jing nodded.

Xiang Ge turned and walked out, "This subordinate will go to the eastern quarters to thank Miss Chanyu for saving my life!"

"Wait!" Rong Jing called him back with a smile. “You'll have plenty of opportunities to thank her later, no need now. This matter must not be publicized. She won't say it out loud and neither will I. You'd better keep quiet too."

Xiang Ge stopped in his tracks, momentarily forgetting that such matters couldn’t be made public. Some people were still hoping for the young master’s death! It's best if fewer people know about the young master getting well now. Especially with him losing all his martial arts skills temporarily, he must stay by the young master's side at all times from now on. He walked back over and asked: "Young Master, can you and Miss Chanyu still recover your martial arts abilities When will it be possible to do so Won't they remain useless forever"

"It shouldn’t become useless but likely won't recover in the short term." Rong Jing wasn't overly concerned.

“Then, I’m relieved.” Xiang Ge sighed with relief. His face betrayed his joy, “Young Master must be hungry by now too This subordinate has already instructed someone to prepare medicinal food. Here it comes!”

"Mm-hmm!" Rong Jing nodded.

Xiang Ge walked swiftly down and returned shortly with the medicinal food, setting a table full of dishes.

Rong Jing suddenly remembered something and whispered to Xiang Ge: "Find Qian Yan and tell him that no matter what he discovers or infers, it’s best for him to forget everything as soon as possible and never recall it in his life. I guarantee both him and the Qian family will be safe. If he speaks of anything he shouldn’t or leaks any information, he along with the Qian clan will vanish from this world permanently."

Xiang Ge was taken aback, looking at Rong Jing, "Young Master"

"Tell him right now and don't let anyone see you talk to him. He should be in Night Tianqiong’s courtyard now." After finishing his sentence, Rong Jing explained further: “The woman from the eastern quarters triggered a mechanism hiding twelve golden Buddha statues. Some traces remained which can deceive Night Tianqiong et al., but not Qian Yan."

"Yes, this subordinate will go immediately!" Xiang Ge understood and nodded. He turned to leave. Only after walking far away out of the Northern Mountain Villa did he recall that Young Master said Miss Chanyu triggered the mechanism.

Rong Jing rose from bed after Xiang Ge left and walked softly towards the table. Sitting down, he realized that despite his room being filled with the aroma of medicinal food, it was still overwhelmed by the smell of food coming from the eastern quarters. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of that woman gorging herself.

At this moment in the main house of the eastern quarters, Yun Qianyue indeed had her hands full and mouth stuffed with food. Was it just a matter of stuffing her face Her eating habits were too unsightly for others to look at. Prince Yun kept saying 'slow down', but Yun Qianyue seemed not to hear him. While Yun Muhan held the water, sitting beside her, he offered it when she choked on something, while Cai Lian and Ting Xue and Ting Yu all bowed their heads in tears; they thought Miss had suffered too much over these three days, even though she never ate like this before.

After eating half of what she wanted, Yun Qianyue put down her chopsticks voluntarily. In order to allow her stomach, which hadn't eaten for three days, to bear it, she should still be cautious and not overeat or else all the efforts would go in vain.

"Stop eating" Yun Muhan asked.

“No more!” Yun Qianyue shook her head and took a big sip of water offered by Yun Muhan.

"If you don't want to eat, just stop. You've been hungry for three days; eating too much will harm your body." Prince Yun looked at Yun Qianyue with a guilty look on his face. He knew that he had hurt this daughter's feelings over the years. It was as if he had been blinded by pig fat and ignored her because she was a wastrel who didn't listen to him. Feeling remorseful, he blamed himself, "It’s all my fault for not taking care of you well."

"That has nothing to do with you; someone else is behind this time." Yun Qianyue waved dismissively. Prince Yun had wronged the real owner of her body—Yun Qianyue, not herself. She wouldn't feel paternal love for him nor would she give him a cold shoulder. Let him suffer from guilt alone! Hopefully, the true owner of her body could find some comfort hearing these words in hell. "Mo Li," Yun Qianyue called out without waiting for Prince Yun to respond.

“Here!” Mo Li replied outside the room.

"Since you're my personal guard, where were you when something happened to me" Yun Qianyue asked.

“Miss, this subordinate has been hiding in secret and protecting Miss. When she fell into the mechanism trap, I was about to rush out to save her but saw Prince Jing rescuing Miss so didn’t take any action myself. Thinking that with Prince Jing around, Miss would be fine, I never expected that Miss would be sealed for three days; this subordinate will accept punishment from Old Grandfather and bear the charge of failing to protect my master.” Mo Li knelt down.

"Well, it's not your fault. After all, no one could have anticipated this. You don't need to go and receive punishment. Stay alert in the future and continue following me!" Yun Qianyue thought that Mo Li was not at fault since he had no ulterior motives. She now needed to thoroughly investigate who was harming her, first excluding those within, then finding those from outside.

"Thank you, Miss!" Mo Li stood up.

"Guard my courtyard well, and without my orders, do not allow anyone inside." Yun Qianyue gave another order to Mo Li.

"Yes!" Mo Li responded.

"Qianyue, what's going on Who is trying to harm you" Prince Cloud looked at Yun Qianyue. He had just seen his daughter devour food like a wolf and was saddened by how he had neglected her upbringing; normally girls would still be mindful of their image even when hungry. Now seeing her with a serious and calm demeanor, treating people kindly and being completely different from before, he felt that perhaps he underestimated this daughter. Maybe she wasn't as good-for-nothing as it seemed on the surface

"Who harmed me needs to be thoroughly investigated." Yun Qianyue looked at Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu slowly speaking: "I have always trusted you three. Tell me how I could have been affected by the love potion."

"What You were poisoned with a love potion" Prince Cloud stood up abruptly.

“Yes, I was poisoned with a love potion that day." Yun Qianyue stared at Cai Lian, Ting Xue and Ting Yu.

"Miss, what is a love potion" Cai Lian carefully asked Yun Qianyue; the name sounded like it wasn't anything good.

“A love potion is an aphrodisiac. It’s a drug that makes people lustful; without a man to counteract its effects, one will die." Yun Qianyue explained it to the three of them.

"Ah…" The three people looked at Yun Qianyue in horror, with identical expressions.

Cai Lian trembled as she looked at Yun Qianyue's calm face: "M-Miss... How could I possibly have poisoned you"

“I wouldn’t either! Miss is so kind; Ting Xue cares for Miss and can't do enough to protect her!” Ting Xue said, pale-faced.

"Me too!" Ting Yu added, also with a pale face.

"Yes! I believe you all!" Yun Qianyue nodded. She thought she was good at reading people and shouldn’t have misjudged them; the three of their reactions weren't fake. So it wasn’t her people’s fault. Mo Li had been protecting her secretly, making it hard for outsiders to slip in with poison undetected by him. The Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu inside wouldn’t harm her. That left Yun Muhan and Princess Qing Wan's box of pastries.

"Qianyue, you... could you have already..." Prince Cloud was barely standing straight; his body trembled as he looked at Yun Qianyue in horror. He didn't say the rest but it was clear what he meant: love potions had no cure except through a sexual act, and if she returned unharmed today did that mean she wasn’t a virgin anymore

Yun Qianyue ignored Prince Cloud, turning to Yun Muhan. Seeing Yun Muhan pale as well, she said seriously: "Brother, apparently the effects of the love potion only kick in half an hour after ingestion and make one susceptible to any pollen. After returning from Rong Jing’s room that day, I drank a cup of tea on my table and ate half a box of pastries given by Princess Qing Wan. Then I went with Cai Lian to pray under the wishing tree. The time between when I was poisoned and when symptoms appeared is around thirty minutes. So I’m wondering if it’s related to you Because that day, you were also in my room. Don’t take offense."

"It wasn't me!" Yun Muhan shook his head.

“Yes.” Yun Qianyue nodded and continued: "I know you were also affected by the love potion that day. I want to know why you too were affected. You should have investigated these past few days."

"What Han, he was... also poisoned with a love potion" Prince Cloud turned his head in horror to look at Yun Muhan.

Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu all widened their red-rimmed eyes looking at Yun Muhan in shock as well.

Yun Muhan didn’t look at the prince; he looked terrible. He slowly said: "I haven't had time to investigate yet. That day... After leaving Princess Qing Wan, I learned that you and Prince Shizi fell into a trapdoor and ordered my men to search for you with all their might. Even Master Lingyin couldn’t unlock it. So I hurriedly went five hundred miles away to invite Qian Yan from the first family of secret mechanisms, the Qian Clan. Until you returned unharmed today, I didn't have time to thoroughly investigate this."

Yun Qianyue’s expression softened a bit; she smiled at Yun Muhan: "So that's who you invited."

"Yes." Yun Muhan nodded.

"It doesn’t matter if you didn't have time to investigate. We can do it together! Let’s see how we unknowingly ingested the potion in question. I couldn’t have been affected while at Rong Jing's place, so it must be after drinking that cup of tea on my table and eating Princess Qing Wan’s gift pastries."

"Yes." Yun Muhan nodded, his face lighting up and darkening as he recalled the day's events.

Yun Qianyue turned to Cai Lian: "Tell me what happened after I fell. Did Princess Qing Wan’s half-eaten box of pastries remain"

Cai Lian shook her head, saying: “That half-eaten pastry box doesn’t seem to be around anymore.”

"Where did it go" Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes.

“I don't know,” Cai Lian shook her head again, pale-faced. "After Miss came down from the wishing tree that day, I noticed something was off with you and thought maybe the scent of the tree’s incense bothered you. Before I knew it, an opening appeared on the ground, frightening me so much that I grabbed hold of Miss and fell together with her. Later, we were pulled up by Prince Taizi and hit the ground; then a shadow went down, followed by another white silhouette dropping first. Not long after, Prince Taizi and Princess Qing Wan both came back up; suddenly, the opening on the ground closed tightly. Prince Taizi was furious and ordered people to check it immediately but no one could open it. After Master Lingyin and Shizi arrived, even he couldn’t unlock it. Shizi then went to invite Qian Yan from the Qian Clan, while Prince Taizi dispatched people to seal off Lingtai Temple; my three companions and I stayed there guarding Miss, not returning to our quarters until Shizi brought back Qian Yan today morning. Given our low status, we couldn’t enter to save you, so we waited outside. Soon after we returned, Prince and the Chief Steward arrived. After that, as worried about your safety, how could I have paid attention to that pastry box If not for Miss asking me now, I wouldn’t even remember it! Since you mentioned it, I haven't seen that pastry box since our return.”

Yun Qianyue nodded and looked at Tingxue and Tingyu, "Did you two notice the box of pastries"

"Our maidservant sister Cai Lian has been with us. When we returned home, all we thought about was praying for Lady to come out safely. How could we remember anything else However, I am extremely thirsty and drank a pot of iced tea as soon as I entered the house. At that time, there seemed to be nothing on the table except the teapot," Tingxue immediately replied.

"Yes, I did notice Sister Tingxue drinking tea. I was also very thirsty and finished what she left over. That tea water is from three days ago when Viscount Shi asked for some tea. Lady probably drank that as well! At the time, there really wasn't a box of pastries on the table," Tingyu immediately said.

Yun Qianyue nodded and asked, "How long has it been since you two drank from that pot Did you smell any flower powder"

"When we returned this morning, half a day has already passed," Tingxue immediately replied. "Of course I smelled the fragrance of flowers! Didn't Lady smell them too There are tea and orchid plants in this yard."

“Then it can’t be an issue with the tea water. It must have been on that box of pastries.” Yun Qianyue nodded decisively, then asked Cai Lian, “Has anyone entered this courtyard”

"I don’t know!" The trio shook their heads in unison.

“Mo Li, has anyone come to this yard in the past three days” Yun Qianyue asked from outside.

"Reporting to Miss, your servant knows that you were trapped inside a secret room and also sent people to look into it. No one stayed behind in the courtyard. Neither did anyone stay at Viscount Shi’s courtyard. Everyone was flustered," Mo Li replied.

“So someone must have taken advantage of this opportunity to take away that half box of pastries,” Yun Qianyue said to Yun Muhuan, "Brother, it seems I can only go and ask Princess Qingwan for an explanation. Have you figured out where your mistake was when you were poisoned with the aphrodisiac"

Yun Muhuan raised his head and looked at Yun Qianyue, his expression extremely ugly, "I had dinner with Princess Qingwan before coming to find you here. I waited for half an hour but after returning to her place, it began to affect me."

"Haha, looks like this princess is quite formidable!" Yun Qianyue gave a cold laugh.

“She was also poisoned by the aphrodisiac. Such poisons are extremely harmful to women’s bodies; they might even become infertile for life if not treated properly. She... she may have been one of the victims,” Yun Muhuan said.

"But can't you be sure that she did this crazy act just to make you marry her" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

“That might be possible, but what reasons does she have to harm you Hurting you wouldn’t benefit her at all,” Yun Muhuan said.

"Then we need to find out who’s behind Princess Qingwan. Where is Princess Qingwan now" Yun Qianyue was determined that after confirming that there's a connection with Princess Qingwan, she would pursue the matter to its conclusion. She didn’t believe it had nothing to do with Ye Tianqing.

"That night when something happened, the Emperor received news and brought Princess back to the palace. Along with her were Miss Qin from the Chancellor’s residence and a young lady of the Filial Queen’s Prince王府的小郡主。清婉公主雖然服用了景世子給的天山雪蓮丸，但還是被催情引傷了身子，據說現在仍然昏迷不醒。”雲暮寒看著 Yun Qianyue，一字一句緩緩道：“此事非同小可，急不得，我們慢慢查。一定要讓那個幕後陷害之人無法逍遙法外！”

Yun Qianyue nodded. "Alright."

The two fell silent for a moment.

After regaining his composure from shock, Yun King looked at Yun Qianyue and Yun Muhuan, blood drained from his face, “Qianyue, Muhuan, how did the two of you manage to overcome the aphrodisiac poison Could it be... Viscount Shi and Princess Qingwan helped you”

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes but didn’t answer.

Yun Muhuan glanced at Yun Qianyue, pursed his lips slightly, then said indifferently: "Princess Qingwan and I were both affected by the aphrodisiac. When I went to Viscount Shi’s courtyard, he noticed something was wrong with me and followed me to her place. He gave us some Heavenly Snow Lotus Pills which helped resist that poison of passion. So nothing happened between Princess Qingwan and I."

The Yun King immediately brightened up, "And what about Qianyue Did she also take the Heavenly Snow Lotus Pills from Viscount Shi"

Yun Qianyue was about to say no but then thought it better not to reveal how Rong Jing had spent so much effort and his martial arts prowess to remove both her aphrodisiac poison and his own debilitating coldness. She nodded instead, "Yes."

"Thank goodness! It’s great that nothing happened!" The Yun King exclaimed joyfully.

Yun Qianyue did not say anything more.

"Then... is there anything physically wrong Your brother knows medicine. Let him check your pulse quickly," the Yun King said anxiously, immediately sobering up when he thought of Yun Muhuan mentioning that it might affect one’s ability to bear children.

“No!” Yun Qianyue shook her head; as soon as she spoke, Yun Muhuan had already placed his hand on her wrist. She glanced at Yun Muhuan without speaking and did not resist. Her loss of martial arts would be known sooner or later anyway.

The moment Yun Muhuan’s hand touched Yun Qianyue's wrist, his expression changed slightly.

－－－－－－Sidebar－－－－－－You stinky brat!" Old King Yun scolded Yun Qianyue before continuing: “Later on, the Emperor was so furious he wanted to detain your mother. Your father said that she had become his wife regardless of...