The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 11: Who is Behind the Schemes? (2)

The Crown Prince and the Empress were both taken aback, surprised by Yun Qianyue's uncharacteristic silence—she wasn't raising a loud fuss like usual. Exchanging glances, they both concluded that, being spoiled her whole life and never having faced any real hardship, she must have truly been frightened this time.

The Fourth Prince also felt that Yun Qianyue seemed different today, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly how. He glanced at the Empress and the Crown Prince, lowered his head, and drifted into his own thoughts.

"Ha! I won!" A lighthearted male voice suddenly broke the silence, his tone cheerful and pleasant. Just as he spoke, a chessboard was overturned, and pieces clattered to the ground. Following that, two chess pieces were sent flying toward Li Yun, and with two muffled cries, the guards restraining her collapsed to the ground. A moment later, there was a soft rustle of robes brushing against the table as someone stood up and approached her. As he walked toward her with easy steps, he laughed, "Little Sister Yue truly has the same spirit I had back in the day! Filthy places like Wangchun Tower deserve to be burned down. In fact, I think she's done a great service! When I set fire to Hongxiu Pavilion back then, Uncle praised me for it!"

Li Yun hadn't expected anyone to step in on her behalf, and as the pressure on her wrists was lifted, she quickly turned to see who had spoken up for her.

She finally noticed, in the midst of the crowd adorned in bright attire, a distinctive pair seated at a jade table not far away. The two young men, previously hidden from her view by the crowd, had clearly been playing chess—now scattered across the table. Both appeared around eighteen or nineteen years old, with strikingly handsome features and refined bearing. One of them had risen and was making his way toward her. Dressed in a light blue silk robe with a jade belt, a green jade pendant swayed at his waist in rhythm with his lively steps. His eyebrows were spirited, and his voice carried a buoyant lilt. As he approached, the crowd parted to make way for him.

Many of the women present shifted their gazes from the Crown Prince to this young man, their faces blushing, eyes darting with shy admiration. Even the air within the pavilion seemed lighter.

Li Yun guessed that, since he had referred to the Emperor as "Uncle," this man must be of royal descent. She observed him closely, thinking this was the first truly likable person she had encountered since arriving in this world. Hopefully, she'd learn his identity soon.

Shifting her gaze briefly to the other young man seated at the jade table, she noticed that he hadn't stood up but was instead gazing thoughtfully at the scattered chess pieces on the board. From her angle, she could only see his profile, but even that revealed a glimpse of his strikingly handsome features. Redirecting her attention to the man walking toward her, she mused that ancient times indeed seemed to produce an abundance of handsome men. No wonder tales like "peach-bearing chariots blocking the roads" existed. With these two walking down the street, they might actually cause a traffic jam.

"Qingran! I thought seven years of training away from the capital might have mellowed you out, but it seems you're just the same," the Crown Prince remarked, with a tinge of helplessness and reproach in his tone. "The fire you started at Hongxiu Pavilion as a child can't be compared to Little Sister Yue's burning of Wangchun Tower yesterday! Back then, not a single person was hurt, and you were just a child. Father dotes on you, so of course, he wouldn't scold you, but this time, hundreds of lives were lost."

"How can they not be comparable? I see no difference at all. Both places are dens of vile deeds. If it weren't for you shielding them, I would have burned the entire place to the ground, no trace left. Hundreds, thousands, it wouldn't have mattered!" The man's tone turned even more defiant as he stepped into the center of the pavilion, giving the Crown Prince a quick glance with a raised brow.

Li Yun was taken aback. So this was Qingran—the very Prince Dye her maidservant had mentioned?

The Crown Prince's expression stiffened, darkening instantly. "Those are human lives. How can you treat it as if it's nothing?"

"My dear Crown Prince Brother, seven years without seeing you, and you've become soft-hearted, haven't you? Human lives may be valuable, but for people as shameful and depraved as these, it would be no great loss! And besides, how many lives have been lost by your own hand over the years? Why all this sudden sympathy? Are you only bothered by deaths when they're caused by Little Sister Yue?"

The Crown Prince's face froze, his eyes glinting with a touch of anger.

Paying no mind to the Crown Prince's reaction, the young man's voice shifted into a pensive sigh, "I hear you don't like Little Sister Yue and don't want to marry her. But even if that's the case, isn't pushing her to her death a bit much? While the Yun Manor may have just one legitimate daughter, there's no shortage of other daughters in the family. The founding emperor never required that only the legitimate daughter could become Empress, which would mean even a secondary daughter could. Why should Little Sister Yue bend herself to act humble, restrain her nature, and force herself to fit in at the palace? She's perfectly fine as she is. There isn't another person like her in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty with such sincerity."

Li Yun's lips quirked with the hint of a smile, though it quickly faded. This man was far more charming than the Fourth Prince.

"Ye Qingran!" the Crown Prince snapped, voicing the man's name sharply. "While the founding emperor may not have specifically decreed only a legitimate daughter could become Empress, when have we ever had a woman of low birth become Empress? Your talk is nonsense."

"Is it nonsense? The Crown Prince knows well enough. Of all present here today, which among them hasn't been responsible for taking at least a few lives, if not dozens or even hundreds? I've heard that many young nobles in the court like to play a game: they put the lowliest servants in a race on the track, release arrows, and shoot at them as they run. Whoever strikes the most is the winner. It's a bloodbath. Even while I was away, I heard about it. I can't believe the Crown Prince, spending his days at court, wouldn't know of it. Or could it be that you're so uninformed?"

The Crown Prince was momentarily speechless, apparently lost for words.

Li Yun's eyes darkened at the information she had just learned. This was her first time realizing the true nature of this ancient world, where imperial power reigned supreme, and lives were viewed as mere trifles. Initially, she had thought the act of burning hundreds of people was indeed an unforgivable crime. But compared to the so-called "games" of the noble sons, it seemed almost insignificant. Just imagining such a scene sent a chill through her.