The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 91: Finding a Way to Make Rongjing Retreat into Monastic Life (5)

"Then why didn't you mention I skipped breakfast? All that lunch is long gone!" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes at him.

"You didn't have breakfast? Well, you never mentioned it, so I had no way of knowing." Rongjing looked at her with an innocent expression.

"Can't you supposedly calculate things like a sage? You knew I was eating roasted fish with Ye Qingran and almost set the back mountain on fire, and you even knew I'd be waiting in your room! So how come you didn't foresee this?" Yun Qianyue huffed, suspecting he was doing this on purpose.

"Not everything can be calculated like that. For instance, when you said you were coming back to sleep, I believed you. How was I to know you'd actually go off with Ye Qingran to roast fish on the back mountain? If I had known, I would've taken you along to listen to Master Lingyin's teachings and bask in the Buddha's light. That would've kept you from nearly setting the entire Xiangquan Mountain ablaze." Rongjing set down his teacup.

Yun Qianyue was momentarily stumped, but she couldn't let it go that easily. She quickly added, "It wasn't my idea to go roast fish. It was Ye Qingran who dragged me along."

"Mmm, I know it wasn't your idea. Ye Qingran was the one who insisted on taking you." Rongjing nodded.

"Exactly! So, I'm not to blame." Yun Qianyue, seeing his quick understanding, shamelessly shifted all the responsibility onto Ye Qingran. After all, he was the little devil prince! With him as the culprit, she was simply an accomplice, and one who had been forced into it at that. Even if they did end up blaming her, she was clearly innocent.

"Yes, which is why I sent a letter to your grandfather this afternoon, explaining that Ye Qingran had forced you to go roast fish on the back mountain, nearly causing a disaster. I made sure to stress in my letter that it wasn't your fault and that Ye Qingran was to blame." Rongjing spoke in his usual gentle tone.

"What? You actually told my grandfather?" Yun Qianyue's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes. This wasn't something that could be hidden. Did you really think all the goings-on here could be kept from His Majesty and the grandfathers back in the capital? Your grandfather entrusted you to my care, and I'm responsible for looking after you. Since it wasn't your fault, that means I wasn't negligent. It was Ye Qingran's mischief that led you astray; otherwise, you would have been safely asleep in your room, wouldn't you?" Rongjing looked at her, raising an elegant eyebrow, his face a picture of serene beauty even with such a subtle expression.

Yun Qianyue was speechless. Although that made sense, she had actually gone along willingly! But she herself had just claimed that Ye Qingran had dragged her away. There was no way to take it back now, leaving her feeling like she'd bitten her own tongue. Opening her mouth, she wanted to argue, but no words came.

"The messenger just returned and said that your grandfather was very angry. He scolded Ye Qingran for quite some time, saying how dare he take you on such mischief! Did he forget what kind of place Xiangquan Mountain is? What kind of place the Lingtai Temple is? Especially given the occasion—if a fire had truly broken out, it would have been a serious crime. The court officials and those old astrologers from the Qintianjian would have seized the opportunity to make a fuss. With your and Ye Qingran's reputations for mischief, the officials in the capital have already been displeased. Evidence like this in front of them would make it hard for you to argue against the truth, and His Majesty would have to punish you both to quell public outrage." Rongjing continued.

Yun Qianyue took a deep breath, realizing a small incident of roasting fish could become a punishable offense! She was grateful the Fourth Prince had ignored it and not made matters worse; otherwise, she and Ye Qingran might already be sitting in a cell in the Ministry of Justice instead of waiting here for hibiscus fish. This thought instantly cooled her temper.

"Your grandfather's instructions were clear: I'm to keep a close eye on you from tomorrow onward, and Ye Qingran is forbidden from leading you into mischief. So, since you couldn't settle down to sleep, you'll accompany me to the Damo Hall and soak in some Buddhist teachings starting tomorrow!" Rongjing added a final bombshell with his gentle tone.

"What?" Yun Qianyue shot to her feet. "You want me to follow you to the Damo Hall tomorrow?"

"Yes." Rongjing nodded.

"No way!" Yun Qianyue immediately thought of the phony Master Lingyin. She looked him straight in the eye, firmly adding, "I won't go, not even if you kill me!"

"I figured as much, so I told Master Lingyin I wouldn't join him for discussions in the Damo Hall tomorrow. I'll stay by your side instead." Rongjing nodded, his voice calm.

"You..." Yun Qianyue glared at him.

"What is it? Did you actually want to attend the Damo Hall for Buddhist teachings?" Rongjing raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" Yun Qianyue gritted her teeth.

"Good, then it's settled." Rongjing nodded and added warmly, "I heard from Moli that Ye Qingran asked you to see the white magnolias on South Mountain tomorrow? If you're interested, I'll accompany you instead. Ye Qingran won't be able to come along; I had Xian Ge deliver a letter from your grandfather to him, instructing him to stay away from you while we're at Xiangquan Mountain. If he disregards it and drags you into mischief again, he won't be allowed to see you at all in the future. So Ye Qingran will surely follow your grandfather's orders."

"You..." Yun Qianyue looked at Rongjing, struggling for words to describe him.

"But even without your grandfather's orders, he likely wouldn't be able to take you anyway. I heard that His Majesty sent a messenger just now, summoning him to return to camp immediately due to an issue with the military. He's likely already on his way down the mountain. So you don't need to feel guilty. After all, he's been all over Xiangquan Mountain numerous times. One less time won't make any difference." Rongjing poured himself another cup of tea, not even glancing at her.

Yun Qianyue felt her anger surge, a boiling sensation in her chest that had no release. This man... this man was as devious as they come. Her grandfather and the emperor had worked together to pull Ye Qingran away just after he'd arrived. She refused to believe it was pure coincidence that there was a problem at the military camp. He had to have had a hand in it. Frustrated, she clenched her fists, glaring at his calm and composed face. She wanted to punch him, but she knew she'd only hurt herself. Glaring at him, she shouted, "I want hibiscus fish!"

Yun Qianyue's voice rang out, her anger and frustration unconcealed.