Yun Qianyue admired the acting skills of Concubine Feng; she truly had a knack for drama! Naturally, she couldn't let her finish, but she wanted to provoke her further. As the Prince was about to comfort Concubine Feng, she immediately interjected, "Father! She may be your beloved concubine, but I am your daughter as well. If you listen to her, you shouldn't disregard my side of the story. Otherwise, Grandpa is right here. If you favor one over the other..."
"Yun Qianyue, are you trying to drive me to my death?" Concubine Feng suddenly stood up, glaring hatefully at Yun Qianyue, then turned and rushed toward the wall, crying out, "Then I'll die right here! Let the Heavenly Saint see how you forced your concubine to death!"
Yun Qianyue's eyes darkened. What a bold move by Concubine Feng!
"Feng'er!" The Prince exclaimed, quickly reaching out to catch Concubine Feng.
"Wuwu... I can't live anymore, Your Highness..." Concubine Feng threw herself into the Prince's arms, weeping dramatically. Though she was over forty, her careful upkeep made her still captivating, her tears reminiscent of a weeping willow, quite pitiful.
Yun Qianyue was uninterested in the exaggerated display of the concubine's false sorrow. She glanced at the Old Prince, who seemed to turn a blind eye to the scene. Pursing her lips, she realized he had indeed decided not to intervene.
"Yun Qianyue! Are you still unaware of your misdeeds? Are you truly going to push your stepmother to the brink of death?" The Prince softly reassured Concubine Feng a few times before turning his furious gaze back to Yun Qianyue.
She could clearly see the smugness flash in Concubine Feng's eyes. Any lingering hope she had for her biological father evaporated. A cold feeling gripped her heart. She coolly replied, "If Concubine Feng doesn't want to suffer again, then let Father escort her back to rest. I won't say anything in front of her; I'll only explain to you, Father. It's that simple—why must she dramatize it so much? Don't you think her reaction is a bit excessive?"
The Prince hesitated, glancing down at Concubine Feng.
Concubine Feng, gritting her teeth, suddenly intensified her cries, breaking free from the Prince's hold and charging at the wall again. "Your Highness, if you allow me to be humiliated further by her, how will I ever hold my head high in the Yun Prince's residence again?"
"Do not speak of dying! I never agreed to that! Why are you seeking death?" The Prince held her tightly, but the earlier words of Yun Qianyue lingered in his mind. He took a moment to scrutinize Concubine Feng, who was merely crying now. Feeling frustrated, he turned to Yun Qianyue, saying, "Concubine Feng has always been gentle and compliant. If you hadn't injured your elder sister yesterday and thrown her into the lake today, she wouldn't react so fiercely. Qianyue, you can't take advantage of the Old Prince's favor and act recklessly. Why don't you apologize to your stepmother?"
Apologize? Yun Qianyue glared coldly at the Prince, her eyes blazing with disdain. "I truly question whether you are my father! Am I really your biological daughter? Am I truly the only legitimate daughter of the Yun Prince's residence? You don't even give me a chance to speak, blindly believing I'm at fault. Is this the way you treat the daughter born of your wife while favoring the one born of your concubine? It's appalling! I even suspect that you listen to every whisper from your bedmate without a second thought. How have you managed not to be dismissed by the Emperor with such foolishness?"
Her sharp words mercilessly tore down everything the Prince held dear, causing his complexion to shift violently.
He moved to strike her, his hand raised in anger. "You brat!"
Yun Qianyue remained seated, unwavering. She refused to believe he would genuinely harm her! Besides, the Old Prince was present; what did she have to fear?
"Stop right there!" The Old Prince finally interjected, his eyes narrowing as he threw his cane at the Prince. "What did she say that warrants you to act so violently? Have you spent over forty years alive only to be manipulated by women? I've always prided myself on being wise; how could I have raised such a foolish son who can't even see through a woman's underhanded tactics? If you dare to lay a hand on her, just try it!"
The Prince's hand paused just inches from Yun Qianyue's face. The sudden pain from the Old Prince's cane reminded him to regain his composure. As he looked at Yun Qianyue, calm and indifferent, a vision of a young girl tugging at his sleeve for his attention surfaced in his mind. He blinked, seeing the coldness in Yun Qianyue's gaze, devoid of admiration or warmth, almost as if she were looking at a stranger. The pain in his heart intensified; when had his beloved daughter become so distant? Was it five years ago? Or ten? Slowly, he lowered his hand, falling silent.
Concubine Feng stood frozen, staring at the Prince in shock, unable to move.
"You're really becoming more foolish by the day! How dare you act so stupidly in my presence, unable to see through such a common woman's tricks! I've dedicated my life to wisdom, yet I birthed a son who can't distinguish right from wrong! Cough, cough..." The Old Prince was thoroughly enraged, his beard twitching with indignation. Before he could finish his words, he was seized by a coughing fit.
Yun Qianyue was startled. Though she was prepared to have the Old Prince support her, she hadn't expected him to genuinely care for her, even striking the Prince on her behalf. She realized her previous words had been a bit too rebellious, prompting her to hurriedly pat his back. Once he stopped coughing, she quickly fetched a cup of warm water and handed it to him. "Grandpa, please don't be angry, it's not worth it..."
"You brat..." After finally quenching his cough, the Old Prince shot Yun Qianyue a glare.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then caught sight of the Prince lost in thought, his eyes filled with anguish as he watched her and the Old Prince. She turned away, indifferent. "Forget it. I already bear a reputation as a prodigal; everyone in the Heavenly Saint knows I'm unruly. I even dared to set fire to the Wangchun Tower, so why not do as I please? I did indeed break my elder sister's hand and throw Concubine Feng into the lake. As for the reasons, it seems you're not interested, so I won't waste my breath. If you claim I'm at fault, then I am! I accept whatever punishment you deem fit!"
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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...
