Hearing this, Concubine Feng's face brightened, and she looked at the prince. When she saw him remain silent, she couldn't help but call out, "Your Highness..."
The prince was gazing at Yun Qianyue, his eyes filled with pain slowly clearing. After a moment, he turned to Concubine Feng and for the first time noticed the depths of her alluring eyes were not filled with deep affection for him, but rather with an unmistakable sense of triumph and smugness. Suddenly unwilling to look at her again, he turned his head, a wave of disgust rising in his heart, and fell silent.
Yun Qianyue sneered coldly; she thought Concubine Feng was truly clever, but with just one step back, she had revealed her true colors!
"Foolish! Right is right! The blood of the Yun family, whether male or female, stands tall; how can we allow some filthy person to tarnish our honor?" Old Lord Yun slammed his cup down onto the table, splashing water everywhere. He shouted angrily, "Today, I will see who is trying to turn the Yun family into a den of filth! If I do not root out this vile influence, then I, this old man, will write 'Yun' backward!"
Concubine Feng's expression instantly paled.
The prince still hung his head, remaining silent.
"Yuzhu!" Old Lord Yun called out.
"Yes, Master!" Yuzhu's voice came from outside.
"Go summon Yun Meng, the servants of that filthy girl, as well as Concubine Feng's maids and those around the eldest young lady, and all the daughters of the concubines who participated in these incidents last night and this morning. I want them all brought here! I will make them speak about what happened today. Everyone will witness whether I favor that filthy girl or whether someone is deliberately trying to smear her!" Old Lord Yun ordered.
"Yes!" Yuzhu replied.
Concubine Feng's face turned white, but she quickly regained her composure. For years, she had been the matriarch of the Yun family's rear courtyard, instilling fear in everyone. She did not believe that someone who was widely despised like Yun Qianyue could get anyone to speak on her behalf.
Yun Qianyue observed Concubine Feng straighten her back at Old Lord Yun's words and couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Those who have nothing to lose fear nothing! Now, calling everyone involved in this incident to openly discuss it, it seemed like Concubine Feng held the upper hand due to her long-standing authority. But every situation has two sides; benefits come with drawbacks. Concubine Feng might not necessarily win, and she certainly wouldn't lose.
Moreover, she believed Old Lord Yun was genuinely on her side and wouldn't push her out to be the scapegoat. Therefore, why not play along with Concubine Feng and see who would ultimately laugh last?
"Father, I think this matter should be dropped! There were faults on both sides, so let's just let it go!" The prince finally broke his silence, casting a glance at Yun Qianyue and then at Concubine Feng. His words seemed to lean toward Yun Qianyue, as he knew well that Concubine Feng had a long-standing influence in the household.
Concubine Feng's expression instantly soured, but she dared not voice her anger.
Yun Qianyue felt no gratitude; she had lost all affection for this father.
"Get out of the way! This matter cannot simply be settled like this. Ever since your mother and that filthy girl's mother took over, this household has been mired in chaos for over a decade. Now that I, this old man, am still alive, I intend to clean it up thoroughly!" Old Lord Yun rapped his cane, "You're weak and cowardly, but I'm not dead yet! This household does not belong to others to control!"
The prince fell silent at once, no longer uttering a word.
Yun Qianyue's lips curled slightly. This was a great opportunity! She wanted to take advantage of this moment to get to know the people in the Yun family. By throwing everyone involved into the pot, she would see who was black and who was white. Only through such scrutiny could she establish a foothold in this family by understanding the nature of its members.
Concubine Feng had no objections. Today, she wanted nothing more than to eliminate Yun Qianyue completely. When everyone's fingers were pointed at her, she wanted to see how Old Lord Yun would continue to protect her.
As everyone waited, Yuzhu soon hurried into the courtyard, standing outside and respectfully saying, "Old Lord, Your Highness, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have come to visit, saying they heard about the young lady's hand injury and have come to see her today."
Concubine Feng's spirits lifted instantly upon hearing this. Her niece had arrived! Now, who could bully her? She shot a cold glance at Yun Qianyue, her eyes brimming with pride. With the Crown Princess supporting her, she wanted to see how Yun Qianyue would meet her end! She immediately called out, "Hurry and invite the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess in!"
Yun Qianyue feigned ignorance of Concubine Feng's smugness and coldly scoffed to herself. What was a mere Crown Princess? Could she overturn the Yun family? She had managed to escape unscathed from the palace, and now back in the Yun residence, could the Crown Prince really drag her into the prison? Ridiculous!
"Rubbish! What time is it now? How can you invite the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess in?" The prince turned to rebuke Concubine Feng, then added to Yuzhu, "Since the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have come to visit, take them directly to Xianghe Courtyard! Ensure they are well taken care of!"
"Your Highness, how can the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess not come to greet the father first? They should come here!" Concubine Feng couldn't allow this. Now that the Crown Princess had arrived, she needed her family to back her up. Seeing the prince still favoring that dead girl, she couldn't count on him.
The prince's expression darkened. "Feng'er, family shame should not be publicly displayed! Do you not understand this principle?"
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not outsiders. They count as my family!" Concubine Feng quickly countered, leaving no room for argument.
"You..." The prince glared at her, anger simmering in his eyes. Today, he realized that the woman he had always treated with obedience and indulgence could defy him like this. For a moment, he felt he had truly made a mistake. Such a woman was hardly gentle!
YOU ARE READING
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...
