"It's truly a great injustice; how could I dare to play tricks on my Moon sister?" The Fourth Prince immediately pleaded for mercy. However, he did not release his hold around Li Yun's waist. Such a close gesture felt completely natural to him.
Li Yun subtly frowned. She could feel dozens of gazes focused on her and the Fourth Prince, making her even more determined not to move. She exaggerated her annoyance, trying to play the part. Logically, as an unmarried young woman in this body, being so intimate with a man in front of so many people was against decorum, especially since the Fourth Prince was clearly aware of this. Yet, he still wouldn't let her go. She wanted to see what his intentions were.
Sure enough, as soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, a light cough was heard from above, followed by a gentle voice that reproached him: "Yu'er, how have you become so mischievous? Don't you think you've frightened your Moon sister?"
"Mother, you know very well that Moon sister's courage is as great as the heavens; who could frighten her? You're being biased and blaming me." The Fourth Prince grinned and slowly released Li Yun's hand and waist. After speaking, he glanced meaningfully at the figure in bright yellow sitting to the left of the Empress, subtly hinting, "But today, Moon sister really has been frightened! I've never seen her hide in the small pavilion by the Mandarin Duck Pond, sulking, and too scared to come to the Scenic Garden..."
Li Yun's thoughts stirred, and she followed the Fourth Prince's gaze.
She saw a young man in his twenties dressed in ancient attire, sitting to the left of the Empress. Apart from the Empress's bright red clothing, his bright yellow attire stood out the most. She only glanced at him before shifting her gaze away, thinking this must be the Crown Prince, the owner of those four words she had heard countless times today.
Thanks to her years of training and experience in understanding people, Li Yun quickly recognized that this Crown Prince was indeed someone formidable. Although he shared a resemblance with the Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince had a more dignified aura. Years of indulging in power and his high status had given him deep-set features that suited the yellow attire perfectly, making him appear as if no one else could wear that color better than he could.
Particularly, his expression was devoid of emotion, and the golden crown on his head radiated an unparalleled brilliance, enveloping him in an aura of nobility and authority.
Out of the corner of her eye, Li Yun noticed several luxuriously dressed women gazing at the Crown Prince with infatuated expressions. She couldn't help but sneer internally. No wonder the soul of this body had been drawn to him; everyone around her seemed to speak of the Crown Prince. Even without doing anything, this man had an inherent ability to make others go mad for him.
As soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, the Scenic Garden fell silent for a moment, as if it had become empty.
The Empress turned to look at the Crown Prince, who sat upright with an unyielding demeanor, revealing no emotion on his face. She shifted her gaze back to the Fourth Prince, unable to decipher the emotions behind his playful smile. Sighing inwardly, she turned her attention back to Li Yun, waving her hand with a smile, "Oh? Has Moon been bullied by someone and is afraid to come to the Scenic Garden? Come, come to your aunt's side. Tell me who has bullied you; I'll see which person has the audacity to bully you in this palace."
Upon hearing this, several young women's faces instantly turned pale.
Li Yun hadn't expected the Empress to speak so boldly, assuming right away that she had been bullied without even asking. For a moment, she stood still, pondering whether the Empress truly cared for this body or had other motives. After all, the capital city wasn't that large, and everyone attending this poetry event represented various influential families. Standing out so much, it was only natural that she would attract envy and jealousy. Clearly, this body's owner had suffered losses in silence, otherwise, how could she have died so mysteriously while Li Yun found herself here?
"It's just a small matter; let's forget it! Your Majesty, it's better not to pursue it," Li Yun said, trying to appear indifferent.
"Ah? It seems you really are upset; today, you didn't even call me 'Your Majesty,'" the Empress exclaimed in surprise, clearly not expecting Li Yun to drop the matter. She glanced at the several young women, including the Princess Qingwan, whose faces had turned pale again, and chuckled softly. Her voice grew a touch heavier, "Just tell me who it was. You don't have to be afraid. Your aunt will take care of it. I want to see who has the guts to bully my niece."
Her words were firm and indicated she was indeed serious about intervening.
At this, the few young women who had just felt relieved upon hearing Li Yun wasn't going to pursue the matter turned pale once more.
"Indeed, Moon sister, you have your mother to back you. Just tell us who bullied you. With your mother here, what do you have to fear? Even if you've been bullied severely, your mother will help punish those who overstep their bounds," the Fourth Prince quickly chimed in, casting an unfriendly glance at the several young women.
Li Yun pursed her lips, contemplating whether or not to speak up. This was the palace, after all. It was said that even a fly couldn't enter the ancient palace without being noticed. How could the Empress not know about the incident of her being bullied along the way? She had felt the weight of numerous eyes watching her every move since her arrival!
Just as she hesitated, the Crown Prince, who had been silent until now, slowly remarked, "Mother, you're making a mountain out of a molehill. It's just a few young ladies playing around; calling it bullying is an exaggeration. Moon sister is unlike others; she dares to confront even the Emperor, so who could bully her?"
Hearing the Crown Prince speak up in her defense, the young women felt a wave of relief wash over them, their gazes glued to him, especially the young woman in the pink dress and the one in green beside Princess Qingwan, who seemed unable to take their eyes off him.
Li Yun focused on those two young women, recalling what her maid had said earlier about the Second Miss of the Rong Wangfu and the Princess of the Xiaoqin Wangfu teaming up with Princess Qingwan to bully her. It seemed she would soon be able to put names to the faces.
Hearing the Crown Prince's words, Princess Qingwan no longer appeared tense. She looked at Li Yun with a hint of disdain and said to the Empress, "What the Crown Prince said is true. It's just a game among the young ladies; who in the Tian Sheng dynasty doesn't know that the Moon sister of the Yun Wangfu doesn't bully others? Who would dare to truly bully her?"
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The Dandy's Duchess
ChickLit"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
