The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 47: Sharp Tongues and Witty Words

At that moment, a soft voice from outside announced, "Old Prince, the eldest daughter has arrived!"

"Let her in! Just in time to settle today's affairs. You all might not mind the exhaustion, but I'm an old man who's had enough of yesterday's chaos and today's endless drama. No one here is being considerate!" The old prince glanced at Concubine Feng and snorted.

Though Concubine Feng was seething inside, she dared not voice her anger. Even though the Crown Prince's side consort had left, there were still many outsiders present. She wanted to see how the old man could still protect Yun Qianyue in front of the Crown Prince. Even with that little devil, Ye Qingran, around, they couldn't ignore her and her daughter.

Ye Tianqing shot a glance at both Concubine Feng and Yun Qianyue, already piecing together what had happened. He said nothing and turned his gaze toward the door.

Before long, the beaded curtain was lifted, and Yun Xianghe entered, supported by a maid. Unlike yesterday's flamboyant and aggressive demeanor, she was now dressed in plain garments, her face free of makeup. She moved delicately, appearing weak and fragile. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and a wounded hand was wrapped in white cloth, drawing immediate attention. As soon as she entered, she scanned the room with her puffy eyes, lingering on the Crown Prince, Ye Tianqing, for a few seconds before lowering her head and kneeling down, breaking into soft sobs.

Concubine Feng briefly showed satisfaction in her eyes, pleased that her daughter was effectively playing the role of the fragile victim. Weakness often garnered sympathy.

The old prince let out a cold snort, clearly unimpressed by this act.

"Speak up!" he said sternly after a moment, casting a glance at Yun Qianyue, showing a hint of leniency.

Yun Xianghe shook her head, tears streaming down her face like pearls on a broken string, still refusing to speak.

"Xianghe, get up and talk! There are esteemed guests present, including the Crown Prince and Young Master Ran. You shouldn't lose your manners by crying and not speaking!" the old prince insisted.

Yun Qianyue shot the old prince a sidelong glance, noting his evident favoritism toward Yun Xianghe. The old prince wouldn't even raise his voice at her.

"Yes, Father!" Yun Xianghe stood, slowly lifting her head, her red-rimmed eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at the old prince. "I beseech Grandfather and Father to seek justice for me. My sister has crippled my hand; please help me!"

"She crippled your hand? How did that happen?" Ye Qingran turned to Yun Qianyue, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"I don't know. Yesterday, she and a group of sisters cornered me in my courtyard, insisting I confess how I seduced Young Master Jing. I told her I hadn't, but she didn't believe me. Before I could say anything, she came at me, and my maid, Cailian, took the hit for me. She was relentless, saying that just because Grandfather was supporting me, I shouldn't think too highly of myself. She insisted on teaching me a lesson. How could I let her hit me again? I had no choice but to grasp her hand, and for some reason, she screamed and fainted..." Yun Qianyue spoke slowly, articulating each word with a sense of helplessness that felt genuine. Although her expression was calm, her clear recounting made it easy to believe her, especially since it was indeed the truth.

"Of course! I thought so! With your gentle nature, how could you possibly harm someone without reason?" Ye Qingran nodded. He then turned to Yun Xianghe and snorted, "You dared to bully Sister Yue? Injuring her hand is just the start. If I were there, I'd have beaten you to death with a stick for such a joke! And now, you're here crying for justice? How ridiculous!"

Concubine Feng's face turned ugly at his words.

Yun Xianghe immediately shook her head. "That's not true! She's lying! I came to pay my respects to Grandfather yesterday with my sisters, but he refused to see us and sent us away. We were worried about his health, so we went to inquire about Sister Yue. Unexpectedly, she hurt my hand without saying a word. I have many sisters as witnesses!"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. Worried about Grandfather's health? She was probably more interested in that peach blossom belonging to Young Master Jing!

The old prince initially leaned towards believing Yun Qianyue, but now, seeing Yun Xianghe's demeanor, he hesitated.

"Indeed, after Xianghe returned yesterday, she fainted. I asked those daughters who accompanied her, and they said the same. I wanted to visit Sister Yue today to inquire about the matter, but this girl had the audacity to throw me into the lake!" Concubine Feng chimed in, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with the old prince. "Old Prince, you saw me being rescued from the lake when you returned. If those servants had been any slower, I wouldn't have made it back to see you..."

The old prince turned to Yun Qianyue.

Her expression remained calm. "Regardless of how this started, there are so many people outside. Since they have come to the old prince's courtyard, we can't let their trip be in vain, right? Let's all sit here, and the old prince can go outside to ask. The truth will surely be revealed! I believe justice will prevail in our Yun Prince's residence; not everyone here is a sycophant. There will be someone who will speak the truth."

"Alright! Since you three are involved, you shall all wait here while I go outside and ask," the old prince decided, rising to his feet.

"Wait! Since the Crown Prince and I have nothing else to do, let us accompany Uncle Wang and witness the proceedings. I can't bear to see anyone suffer injustice." Ye Qingran suddenly stood up. Though he had been away from the capital for seven years, he was still aware of the major happenings in the city. It was clear that Concubine Feng had been ruling with an iron fist for years. He didn't understand why Yun Qianyue was so confident that someone would speak for her, but he wanted to see for himself. He couldn't let her suffer.

The old prince looked at Ye Qingran and then at Ye Tianqing.

Ye Tianqing glanced at Yun Qianyue, seeing that she was still avoiding his gaze. He felt a sense of frustration and irritation rise within him, but he nodded, "Alright!"

"Then Crown Prince, Young Master Ran, please!" The old prince bowed slightly to the two and stepped out first, taking on the role of host.

Ye Tianqing and Ye Qingran followed the old prince out.

Inside the room, only the old prince, Yun Qianyue, Concubine Feng, and her daughter, Yun Xianghe, remained. The two women looked at Yun Qianyue with smug expressions, thinking about how the old prince would return in a rage and how Yun Qianyue would look then.