Chapter 59: Not Disappointing Your IntentIONS

in while avoiding Yun Qianyue’s gaze.“Then why are you still standing here Don’t just stand there,” Yun Qianyue huffed as she walked towards the training field.Night Qingran immediately followed behin...Chapter 59: Not Disappointing Your Intentions

How many people in this world could match Rong Jing’s capability of acting without leaving a trace, making it impossible for him to detect And how many people would target the Yun王府 and have such a massive hidden force backing them up that they would carry out the destruction of the Rong王府 with impunity How many people could even pry into the secrets of the Yun王府 and use them to their advantage

Very few indeed.

After eliminating one by one, there was only one person left.

She had once thought that someday she might go her own way from him, but she never imagined that he would ever turn his sword against her. In the end, it was because the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was within easy reach for him; sooner or later, he would take control of the Heavenly Saint江山江山, so he could ruthlessly dismantle the Yun王府 without hesitation. Or should it be said that she had utterly chilled his heart and used such an extreme method to place her and the Yun王府 in a dire situation to satisfy his own heart

No matter what, anyway, he did take action. In the past, if one could say that he only acted to block things without harming the Yun王府 truly, then today’s actions were him dealing a decisive blow against her and the Yun王府, almost cutting off their lifeline and delivering a fatal strike.

So what reason did she have left for retreat

None!

From now on, there truly was none!

As Cloud Qianyue laughed, a profound sense of desolation rose in her heart. Five years of moonlit conversations over the wall, two young innocent friends; five years sharing storms and sunshine, secretly aiding each other. Ten years had passed, only to find everything changed when starting anew. How pitiful was she

"Cloud Qianyue, your smile is uglier than a cry! Don’t laugh!" Rong Jing turned Cloud Qianyue around and held her in his arms; although his grip seemed very strong, he handled her with utmost gentleness, "You are the softest woman. I fear that one day you’ll be so soft as to lose your backbone. Isn’t it good now At least your backbone was borrowed by others for ten years but is back with you! Do you know how difficult it was for me to wait for these ten years"

Cloud Qianyue stopped smiling and softly lay in Rong Jing’s arms, her voice muffled, "My heart feels very uncomfortable!"

"Feeling uncomfortable is a common human reaction. In this world, how can one achieve both sides of the story Can one truly not disappoint either Buddha or oneself" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow with a smile, "Although I knew you were disheartened when we returned from Mount Moutian, I still didn’t want to stand against him, so I willingly took a step back in everything; I didn’t want to compete, didn’t want to scheme, and even didn’t want to look. Actually, did you really not understand that as long as you are with me, this will inevitably happen sooner or later Can you say you weren’t waiting for this day"

"Yes! I was indeed waiting for this day. But when it truly arrived, I don’t feel the least bit happy." Cloud Qianyue said in a muffled voice.

"Foolish girl, originally, such a thing isn’t something to be happy about; how could one feel happy" Rong Jing smiled as he rubbed Cloud Qianyue’s head and then changed his tone with a smile: "But for me, it’s a happy thing at least. From now on, I no longer need to worry that your softness will become a weapon used by others against me; from now on, I’ll keep your backbone safe in my arms, where nobody can take it away."

Cloud Qianyue giggled and lifted her head, "So you are the biggest winner in this matter!"

"Yes, that’s right!" Rong Jing nodded with a smile.

"How deep and patient your planning is!" Cloud Qianyue looked at him, pretending to be angry: "After waiting so long just for me to come back around, Mr. Rong, weren’t you really hardworking"

"I endured hardships many times, followed closely behind, used my wits and patience, and waited for this day all along. If I’m not the biggest winner, wouldn’t that be a loss" Rong Jing released Cloud Qianyue, rubbed his forehead with a sigh, "It really wasn’t easy!"

The anger in Cloud Qianyue’s eyes faded as she gave him an annoyed look and reached out to grab his hand on his forehead, placing it over her heart where he could feel her pulse. Rong Jing looked at her warmly with a clear gaze and didn’t speak again. After a while, Cloud Qianyue released his hand and praised: "You’ve recovered quite well!"

"It wasn’t originally this good, but after meeting Uncle Yuan and knowing I was seriously injured, he used his skill to assist me; my body has quickly recovered!" Rong Jing smiled.

"He’s really very nice to you!" Cloud Qianyue said with a hint of jealousy in her tone.

"Because I am someone you like, how can he not be nice to me To get such a person to like others is no easy task." Rong Jing smiled.

Cloud Qianyue snorted and suddenly said: "I want to go to the imperial palace for a visit. Should you rest here or come with me to the imperial palace

"For Miss Qin of Chancellor's Manor" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Cloud Shanyue nodded. With a determined expression, she said, "The old emperor won't allow Night Tianqiong to achieve this marriage, but I will make it happen just for him."

"Miss Qin of Chancellor's Manor is probably not in the palace anymore! The Seventh Prince has returned; do you think he would sit idly by" Rong Jing said indifferently. "Miss Qin from Chancellor's Manor serves a significant purpose, as she isn't merely Miss Qin of Chancellor's Manor but also a direct line descendant of Southern Frontier who broke off and went underground with an assumed identity a hundred years ago. The Seventh Prince won’t let go! If you head over now, it will be too late!"

Cloud Shanyue frowned thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "Because of the jade seal in Southland and your rescue of the Southern Frontier king, as well as having the King of Ten Thousand Curses at your disposal, Ye Qian did not make an alliance with you although she could have. This is even more important than any alliance; it means that Ye Qian can no longer influence Night Tianyi. Therefore, if Night Tianyi wants to counteract Southern Frontier, he naturally would target Chancellor Qin and Qin Yuceng!"

"Indeed!" Rong Jing nodded. "A hundred years ago, there was a major upheaval in Southern Frontier where someone from the direct line betrayed and joined the Heavenly Sage Royal Family, leading to Southern Frontier's fragmentation and submission to Heavenly Sage. Later on, those who had defected changed their names and became the current Qin family. Over the past century, each generation of Southern Frontier kings knew the truth but could not eliminate these dissenters due to Heavenly Sage’s protection, naturally harboring resentment. On that day outside the Meridian Gate, Ye Qian cast a spell on the execution platform; do you think she and Qin Yuceng would have been injured nearly fatally if it hadn’t been an internal conflict Naturally! With Purple Grass at her disposal, Qin Yuceng had the upper hand when dealing with the King of Ten Thousand Curses, suffering less injuries than Ye Qian. This also indicates that Qin Yuceng is well-versed in Southern Frontier’s magic spells, being a direct line descendant and having similar training as Ye Qian."

Cloud Shanyue narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "Does this mean Night Tianyi plans to take over Southern Frontier through Chancellor Qin and Qin Yuceng"

"That's not impossible! After all, they both belong to the direct line that掌控南方邊疆不傳之術。否則你以為為何葉倩捨棄了南淩睿而選擇了雲暮寒？南淩睿是一國太子，自然無法拋下梁國與她前往南方邊境；而雲暮寒則可以陪她去南方邊境，並且他纔是真正的梁國太子，得到他不僅得到了一個人的支援，還有你和雲王府以及整個梁國的支援。你以為梁王會不管自己的兒子嗎？”容景道。

“我早就知道葉倩心思深沉，這樣的三全之策的確極好。”雲淺月似歎似讚，“捨棄南淩睿，保護家國。換成是我，恐怕真做不到。”

“嗯？若將你換作葉倩，將我換作南淩睿，雖然做不到葉倩那樣，但你也不會任由南方邊境覆滅吧？你會怎麼辦？”容景笑道。

“我啊……”雲淺月用手支著下顎，笑著看著容景，“若是我捨棄了你，你會怎麼辦？”

“敢！”容景吐出一個字，“那我就先滅了南方邊境！”

雲淺月忽然大笑起來，“好霸道的手段！幸好南淩睿不是你，哥哥其實心善。”

容景輕哼一聲，“說心善不如說是愛得不夠深。”

“不是愛得不深，而是葉倩這幾年追在夜輕染後麵，大概已經把他的心給磨冇了！”雲淺月收了笑，輕輕歎道，“哥哥隻是涼了心，冷了心而已。”

“難道我追在你後麵的年月比他短嗎？”容景不同意地執著問道，“說說你的打算？”

雲淺月看著他，正色地道：“我會把南方邊境併入梁國。反正一直以來南方邊境依附於梁國，親如一家。南淩睿坐上梁國太子的位置，未來的帝王，那麼南方邊境隻有葉倩一個繼承人，將來兩個繼承人合二為一，兩國也合而為一，又有什麼不好？至少是兵不血刃地保全了南方邊境的家國，讓百姓不受苦。如今梁國已經是屈居於天聖之下的第二大強國，小小的秦丞相和秦玉凝即便有天聖作為後盾，又能與合併後的兩國抗衡嗎？”

“雲淺月，果然是你纔會想出的辦法！”容景深深看了雲淺月一眼，悶聲道笑，“你的辦法雖保住了南方邊境，但南方邊境併入梁國，其實還是失去了南方邊境的國號。”

“這大概就是我和葉倩的不同之處。天下將變，大浪淘沙，南方邊境這個小國早晚要傾覆，難道你還在指望它以寸土之地稱雄天下？用區區咒術就能掌控天下嗎？完全不可能。既然早晚都要傾覆，南方邊境早晚歸於大浪之中不複存在。又如何不能成全自己？”雲淺月揚眉。

容景笑意深深，“你說得不錯！這麼說來，遇到你是我福氣，南淩睿遇到葉倩那可真是倒黴了。”

雲淺月忽然垂下頭，有些黯然，“在那一世，我也是一個葉倩。”

“嗯？”容景收了笑意。

“我在那一世將國家置於首位，信念淩駕於一切之上。包括親人好友，一生摯愛都可以捨棄，無所不捨，甚至包括我的性命。”雲淺月低聲道：“小七就是被我捨棄的那個。你說，我又怎會不是葉倩？”

容景沉默了一陣，氣氛有一瞬間冷凝。

“所以，我才同意讓雲暮寒跟葉倩走，願意成全她守護南方邊境的信念；但我不想哥哥心裡苦，所以在看到他對藍漪有興趣的時候便放縱了他的行為。”雲淺月抬起頭看著容景輕聲道：“我能夠重生不易得來，這一世我想活出自己，抓住自己想要的東西。無論是摯愛，還是親人，還有朋友。因此選擇的話，自然會選擇和你在一起，哪怕是傾覆家國也在所不惜。”

"It turns out that I am indeed the lucky one, poor Yuzi Shu." Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue and remained silent for a long time before suddenly smiling gently. His tone was soft yet solemn: "I will not辜負你的相思之意."

Yun Qianyue rarely saw Rong Jing's serious expression, and her slightly darkened mood instantly lightened. She said with amusement, "You are indeed lucky, and so am I. Meeting you, even if it weren't luck, it wouldn't be possible otherwise."

Rong Jing’s smile widened as he ruffled Yun Qianyue's head vigorously, not gently stroking her but rather trying to mess up her hair. He said lightly, "It's good that you've had this realization!"

Yun Qianyue remained silent and waved his hand away, looking at him with a smile and a glare. "Speaking of the Southern Ling Rui, there are only three days left until one month has passed. At that time, he will come to apologize to the Lan family. I must go for sure. This is my only brother; I can't let him be eaten alive by the Dragon Tiger Array."

"I'll accompany you!" Rong Jing smiled and nodded. "Not only should we prevent him from being devoured by the Dragon Tiger Array, but also marry his sister-in-law!"

"That's best!" Yun Qianyue thought that today Rong Jing would rest for one night, then set out on their journey tomorrow; in three days they could reach the Lan family. The timing was just right.

At this moment, footsteps were approaching Pavilion Shallow Moon from afar to near with a sense of urgency.

Yun Qianyue looked up at the window and soon saw Wen Lai rushing over. Her eyes flickered slightly as she turned her head towards Rong Jing and said, "The old emperor is probably still waiting for you to drink those three cups of wine with him! He sent someone to invite you."

"Mm!" Rong Jing put away his smile and spoke softly.

"Do you want to skip it You could say that you are too tired and have gone to bed." Yun Qianyue inquired.

"Let's go! This Heavenly Saint Emperor is the only one who doesn't give a damn about the emperor’s face. If there were more, it wouldn’t be good for him." Rong Jing said coldly: "Besides, I should also drink with Prince Seven; at the same time, keep an eye on Uncle Yuan and don’t let him run away."

"Then we’ll go!" Yun Qianyue thought this time he had come knocking at her door himself, so she wouldn't let him leave. She would squeeze as much out of him as possible before letting him go.

“Is Miss Shallow Moon here Is Prince Jing here” Wen Lai walked to the courtyard and stopped his steps according to protocol without getting close to the main room’s door.

"What is it" Yun Qianyue pointed at her head toward Rong Jing, her meaning clear enough.

Rong Jing helplessly reached out to fix the hairpin he had messed up for her and smoothed down her loose black tresses.

“Miss Shallow Moon! His Majesty has sent me to ask if Prince Jing has rested long enough If so, please have him go to the front hall. The emperor said that it's lively there with all officials present, including Prince Seven who’s returned. How could there be no Prince Jing His Majesty promised to offer three cups of wine to Prince Jing.” Wen Lai responded respectfully.

Rong Jing tidied up Yun Qianyue's hair and let his hand drop as he spoke gently outside: "Alright! I'll go right away!"

“Then I’ll wait for you outside!” Seeing Rong Jing agree, Wen Lai turned around and left Pavilion Shallow Moon.

"You certainly don't enjoy the wedding banquet in front. You probably also don’t want to see those people. Don’t go! After all, His Majesty didn’t specifically ask you to attend." Rong Jing slowly stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on his moon-white brocade robe that Yun Qianyue had pressed down, and gently tapped away dust that wasn't there with his jade fingers, then said to her.

"Mm! I don’t want to attend the wedding banquet. Since Qin Yuceng is no longer in the palace, I have no need to go anymore; however, I can go somewhere else." Yun Qianyue pondered for a moment and replied.

“Second Prince’s Mansion” Rong Jing raised his eyebrows.

"Mm!" Yun Qianyue nodded in agreement.

"Alright! Although he wasn't seriously injured, it's still quite severe. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau aren’t as skilled as you; you can go and check him out. Additionally, treat his heart— a living Second Prince is better than one with no hope of survival." Rong Jing nodded in agreement. He then slowly stepped forward to leave, walking to the door while saying warmly: "But don't stay too long, come back early."

"Alright!" Yun Qianyue smiled and agreed.

Rong Jing left the room and calmly exited Qianyue Hall. Wen Lai was waiting at the door; upon seeing him, he immediately paid his respects without inquiring why Yun Qianyue wasn't present. He accompanied Rong Jing to the main hall where the wedding ceremony was taking place.

After Rong Jing left, Yun Qianyue walked over to a mirror and took a look at herself. Seeing that she could still go out and meet people, she stepped out of her room. Just as she was about to leave in flight mode, Ling Lian and Yi Xue returned; she looked at them.

"Miss, are you leaving the compound" Ling Lian asked softly—she had seen Yun Qianyue's actions earlier.

"Yes, I'm going to the Second Prince’s mansion. Have you taken Brother there Is everything alright at Xi Feng Garden" Yun Qianyue inquired.

"Everything is fine!" Ling Lian shook her head and whispered: "Apart from the secret guards within the compound, Miss also arranged eight attendants for Young Master Rong. Besides that, Hua Sheng Sister brought Phoenix Face and Cang Lan personally to guard Xi Feng Garden. Nothing can go wrong."

"That's good! Since something happened elsewhere today, Xi Feng Garden must remain as secure as a fortress; there shouldn't be any mistakes," Yun Qianyue nodded in agreement. She then asked in a low voice: "Does Cang Lan know about Cang Ting"

Ling Lian nodded and said reassuringly, "Of course! But Miss needn’t worry—our seven people severed ties with the Seven Great Clans from young; our lives belong to Hong Ge. Even if Young Master Cang tries to harm Second Prince, Cang Lan would not hesitate out of kinship."

"Alright, I'm not worried about that!" Yun Qianyue nodded again and asked another question: "Have the four corpses—Yun Wu’s group—been destroyed"

"According to Young Master Rong's instructions, his secret guards burned their bodies," Ling Lian confirmed.

"Alright then. You should still take care of things in the main hall until dinner is over and don’t slack off. But now that this major incident has passed, I doubt the person behind it will make a move. Nevertheless, be careful!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand at them.

"Miss, you’re going to the Second Prince’s mansion—should we accompany you Anyway, Young Master Rong is back; as long as he's in the main hall, nothing can go wrong," Yi Xue immediately said since she had been silent until now.

"I’ve recovered my martial skills! Nothing will happen to me. You don’t need to worry—just take care of things at home!" Yun Qianyue didn’t want to discuss it further and, with a light step, left Qianyue Hall. Seeing that Yun Qianyue wouldn't let them follow her despite their reluctance, Ling Lian and Yi Xue had no choice but to return to the main hall.

After leaving Yun’s Royal Manor, both sides of the streets were lined with long tables set up by the manor for a banquet. The common folk were enjoying themselves. Yun Qianyue glanced around briefly before heading toward what used to be the Crown Prince's mansion but was now the Second Prince's residence.

She made her way there in silence and, without hiding herself, landed outside the main hall of the Second Prince’s manor. In these past ten years, she had practically worn out the entrance of this compound. Finding Night Tianqiong's living quarters was a familiar task for her.

"Who is it" As soon as Yun Qianyue landed, dozens of shadow figures appeared from hiding, pointing their knives and swords at her in an instant.

"It’s me! I heard the Second Prince was attacked; I’m here to check his injuries," Yun Qianyue said calmly.

The weapons came to a sudden halt. One of them, clearly the leader of the secret guards, sized up Yun Qianyue before sheathing his sword and reporting to the hall: "Second Prince, Miss Yun Qianyue from Yun’s Royal Manor..."

"Let Moon Sister in!" Before he could finish speaking, Night Tianqiong's voice came from inside the hall, somewhat hoarse.

The leader waved his hand, and within moments, all the guards had sheathed their weapons and retreated.

Two maids then stepped out of the hall to greet Yun Qianyue with a bow. They stood on either side and lifted the curtains for her as she approached the main hall. Upon entering, she walked up to Night Tianqiong’s bedchamber. The room was empty except for two maids; there were no decorations such as red silk or auspicious characters. A strong smell of blood permeated the air; the curtains were tightly shut, and the place was dimly lit. Night Tianqiong lay on a couch under the curtain, his face pale even in the shadow.

Yun Qianyue stepped across the threshold but didn’t go near Night Tianqiong. Instead, she walked to the window, opened it and let a warm breeze blow in, dispersing some of the smell of blood. She then turned towards his bed, lifted the curtain slightly, and asked him: "Should I take your pulse"

Night Tianqiong shook his head with a pale face; he was listless and replied without emotion: "The imperial physician has already done so."

"Your morale seems low from being hurt" Yun Qianyue waved her hand, and a stool landed steadily about three feet away from the bed. She sat down, pulling up her dress skirt slightly as she raised an eyebrow.

Night Tianqiong fell silent for a moment before softly saying: "I didn’t expect you to come see me! Or to enter this room...

Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "So according to you, I shouldn't come here"

Nie Tianqiong shook his head. His expression was gloomy and his voice indistinct, "No, not at all. After I realized that all these years you were just putting on an act for me while the one you truly liked was Prince Jing, I never expected you to come here again. In the past, you always loved to sprawl out on that soft couch reading books, and I wished that I could throw you out of my sight. But now thinking about it, it seems like a dream so far away yet the thing I've thought about most in recent days. Sometimes I even wish I could go back to the past. Then I would definitely not feel aversion towards you anymore and treat you better."

"I didn't come here to reminisce!" Yun Qianyue smiled.

"I know." The light that had just gathered in Nie Tianqiong's eyes faded, and he closed his eyes for a moment, "Little Moon Sister, I once thought myself high up there, looking down on you without any regard. Now that I've ended up like this, should you mock me"

"If I were mocking you, then I wouldn't have come!" Yun Qianyue said.

"That's true," Nie Tianqiong also gave a faint smile. "You never spare even a glance for the people you dislike."

Yun Qianyue didn't want to reminisce with him about the past. If they were truly serious, she had been using Nie Tianqiong's disguise all these years.

"I see no trace of any wedding preparations in this hall. Is it that nothing was prepared or everything has been removed" Yun Qianyue said, not wishing to indulge him with pointless reminiscing.

“He beat the child out of Qin Yuning’s belly; do you think he would let me marry her It’s bad enough I made a fool of myself once; I can’t make that same mistake again,” Nie Tianqiong said in an obviously angry tone. “Knowing my marriage won't come off, why bother with all the preparations”

Yun Qianyue knew whom he was referring to. Even now he didn’t call him his imperial father, clearly his heart had been chilled completely. She smiled and said, "How much do you know about Miss Qin"

Nie Tianqiong’s eyes narrowed suddenly, “Little Moon Sister, are you here to see me today Or are you trying to let me know something or get information out of me”

"You can think whatever you want! In any case, I came," Yun Qianyue said calmly.

“I don’t have less knowledge than you. Otherwise, why do you think I would forsake the daughter-in-law from Cloud Manor and choose Miss Qin of Chancellor’s Mansion Heh… Little Moon Sister, back when I was prince, I was realistic. If I were to do it all over again, I’d still pick Qin Yuning, take this path,” Nie Tianqiong said with a smile that made his already pale face look even whiter.

“About the box of pastries Qing Wan Princess sent me which contained an aphrodisiac and led to my bribery of Cailian to lure me to pray for blessings beneath the sacred tree, then taking advantage to activate the underground temple’s mechanism in Lingtai Temple to fall down with me in an attempt to kill me—perhaps if she failed to kill me, it would be so that you could take advantage of my aphrodisiac. Then I’d have tarnished my reputation and you’d be forced to marry me, allowing her to get what she wants—Rong Jing. And after Rong Jing and I escaped from the underground temple, she arranged for a hundred secret guards to attack us as dead corpses; in truth they were mainly aiming at me. All of this was done by her, correct” Yun Qianyue asked calmly.

“Little Moon Sister already knew it was all her doing” Nie Tianqiong was stunned.

"No! Not early! Since the last time you were switched with Ye Qian and sent to Cloud Manor by my brother Yun Muhuan, I guessed through our brief exchange that she was behind it. Later when Ye Qian returned south with my brother, I had some business in the capital so I left for Yuncheng where I ran into the returning southern army. Then I made a deal with her using a jade seal from Southland to learn that Chancellor Qin was originally part of the Southern Clan’s main branch but had defected to the Imperial House of Heaven Saint. At this point, everything became clear to me. But while guessing one thing is one matter, finding someone to confirm it is another."

"So Little Moon Sister came to verify these things" Nie Tianqiong said with sudden realization.

“Not entirely. One, I’m here to see you; if you’re seriously hurt then I would help—seems like that’s unnecessary now. Two, of course, is verifying these matters. And three, it's about making your dead heart beat again," Yun Qianyue said straightforwardly.

"Huh Little Moon Sister plans to help me now" Nie Tianqiong arched an eyebrow as he looked at her. "I know my fourth younger brother once sought you out but you refused, saying that you wouldn’t help him against the seventh younger brother. What happened now Did something make your heart cold towards the seventh younger brother and thus you want to save me and help me Do you plan on working with this person whom our imperial father considers a waste child, or using him"

Yun Qianyue lowered her eyelashes. "He did chill my heart! But I won’t work with you; all I can say is it will be mutually beneficial."

"I wonder how exactly you see this as mutual benefit Is there anything left on me that you value" Nie Tianqiong said, raising the corners of his mouth in a self-deprecating manner.

“You living is my benefit and interest.” Yun Qianyue explained: "By restraining him, I can gain advantage!"

"Little Moon Sister speaks very frankly. So what will you give me" Nie Tianqiong looked at Yun Qianyue.

“Transform your resentment into a sharp sword. Even if we don’t fully cooperate, I can secretly assist you in some ways. You should be able to imagine that my assistance might prove fatal for him.” Yun Qianyue said nonchalantly.

"It looks like he really has chilled your heart all the way through!" Nie Tianqiong suddenly sighed. "I thought you’d never act against him. After all, you were kind to him from a young age, and when I learned that you had been helping him these years, I was so jealous. I wished it were me who had been exiled to Northland."

"If it were you, you might not even have made it to the Northern Frontier alive," Yun Qianyue couldn't help but taunt him.

Night Tianqiong nodded in agreement, "That's right! If my seventh brother was the Crown Prince and I was the seventh prince back then, maybe I wouldn’t have lived to reach the Northern Frontier." He didn't feel angry about what Yun Qianyue had said.

Yun Qianyue remained silent. She had come with this purpose today, and she had already said everything that needed to be said.

"After all, my seventh brother isn’t in the capital city. Having been Crown Prince for so many years, there are some matters His Majesty would entrust me to do as the Crown Prince. So I am somewhat aware of certain things; even if I don't know them entirely, I can still figure out a bit. What you said was correct: The incident at Lingtai Temple was indeed orchestrated by Qin Yuceng. A hundred years ago, when the grandfather of Chancellor Qin, who is also the elder brother of the Southern Frontier King's direct lineage, joined the Imperial House of Tian Sheng and built the underground Buddhist hall in Lingtai Temple, he contributed to its construction. Therefore, it’s natural that he knows about the secret passage and trap mechanism of the underground Buddhist hall. It wouldn’t be surprising for Qin Yuceng to learn from her ancestors about the underground information and traps at Lingtai Temple. That day, apart from me, she was also there. I guessed correctly that she wanted to harm you. The reason is just as you said: Either tarnish your reputation or kill you. However, later on, she was exposed by Prince Jing and brought up along with me, while you fell down.

Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows slightly and listened quietly.

"The fire at the Wanchun Pavilion is also related to her. Do you remember when Prince Jing presented evidence of the fire at the Wanchun Pavilion that made His Majesty extremely angry It was just an act because he didn't pursue it further in the end. Because he instructed Chancellor Qin to do so, there was no need for him to investigate it. He wanted to use the purple herb on me to get rid of Xiaojiao. Naturally, he wouldn’t personally put it on me as I always wear court attire and change clothes after court sessions. That day, apart from him, only Uncle Yun, Mingfei, and Qin Yuceng came close to me. Uncle Yun would naturally not do that, leaving Mingfei and Qin Yuceng. As a mother empress, Mingfei wouldn’t get too close to me either, and I always kept my distance from His Majesty’s concubines. Therefore, it couldn't have been her; after returning home that day, I changed clothes and then met Qin Yuceng who had just left the palace. She slipped and I helped her up, so the purple herb on my clothes was definitely placed by her.

Yun Qianyue blinked as she thought about how Cold Shaohuo probably didn’t know that Xiaojiao is actually his brother.

"After returning home, before I had a chance to change clothes, the Crown Prince’s concubine brought ginseng soup and waited for me in the main hall. At that time, I didn't understand His Majesty's purpose and allowed her close proximity because I was unaware of the purple herb on my body. That's why she died later on; it took me a while to figure out what had happened."

Yun Qianyue nodded as Night Tianqiong continued, "On that day when Prince Jing substituted for lessons, you encountered a hundred secret guards trying to assassinate you right outside the palace gate. I can’t be certain if it was His Majesty or Chancellor Qin who ordered this; their aim was naturally to use the South Frontier’s curse to create chaos in the capital and lure the Southern Frontier King here to demand justice, then kill him so that the Qins could take over the Southern Frontier. However, Leafian arrived instead because she has been secretly protected by Night Qingran and Rong Jing.

Yun Qianyue nodded, thinking that it's not surprising that after twenty years as Crown Prince, Night Tianqiong is still capable of figuring things out. Today wasn’t in vain for her visit. Although she had some speculations about these matters, the specifics were unknown to her until now; he being a firsthand witness made everything clear.

"That's all I have to say!" Night Tianqiong concluded and looked at Yun Qianyue earnestly, “Sister Moon, did what you just said hold true”

Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows, "What do you think"

"You're right. I am indeed resentful; His Majesty has used me for all these years to guard the position of Crown Prince for his most favored son. In the end, he used me completely and then tried to eliminate me without giving me any chance to compete fairly with my seventh brother. Naturally, it’s understandable that I harbor resentment," Night Tianqiong stated calmly. "I do wish to turn this resentment into a sword but don't expect full cooperation from you as I know that if you fully support me, the outcome between my seventh brother and myself remains uncertain. But what I hope is just your covert assistance; even for revenge, I can’t let His Majesty discard me so easily."

"Covertly assisting won’t be a problem! I said it’s mutually beneficial," Yun Qianyue replied calmly. Night Tianqiong's words showed that he still had the will to fight and could thus be utilized.

"Let’s make an agreement then!" Night Tianqiong suddenly smiled and awkwardly reached out his hand towards Yun Qianyue.

Seeing him stretch out his fingers, Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows and stretched out her own hand to hook with his.

"We don’t need a written contract; let’s make it official by linking our little fingers," Night Tianqiong’s eyes had a hint of hope.

Yun Qianyue's gaze flickered slightly as she hooked her fingers with his. Night Tianqiong tightly grasped Yun Qianyue’s hand and then let go, smiling at her; this smile seemed to clear the clouds. "Thank you for coming to visit me today, Sister Moon. I’m very pleased."

"No need! Take good care of your wounds. Goodbye," Yun Qianyue said as she had accomplished what she came for and left without delay. Two steps into her walk out of the room, she suddenly reached into her robes to pull out a bottle and tossed it to Night Tianqiong, "This is Glycerin Dew."

Even though she didn’t turn around, the bottle was accurately thrown into Night Tianqiong’s hands. He looked down at the bottle and then raised his head again only to find Yun Qianyue had already left the room; his gaze revealed a hint of reluctance as he tightly clenched the Glycerin Dew in his hand.

-- Aside --

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