8 Mobilizing Great Efforts

there will be food for you too." Yun Qianyue looked at Cai Lian; her sincere smile turned into a half-smile that was neither laugh nor serious. While she trusted people, she also distrusted everyone.C...Chapter 8 Mobilizing Resources

Rong Jing summoned Xi Feng to the bottom of West Wind Cliff on this day; Feng Jin left, and Yu Zishu took over in the kitchen. Rong Jing spent a day taking medicine and sleeping in his room.

Of course, Yun Qianyue also slept with him for a full day.

In the evening, when Rong Jing woke up, his fever had subsided, and he felt better. Yun Qianyue had gotten sufficient rest and was in high spirits; she took out the three paintings that she, Yu Zishu, and Feng Jin had drawn and showed them to Rong Jing as if presenting treasures.

Rong Jing examined the three paintings closely without saying a word.

"How are they Did we do well with our drawings" Yun Qianyue looked at the three paintings and asked Rong Jing, holding them lovingly in her hands.

“Hmm!” Rong Jing replied softly.

Yun Qianyue, having received his praise, joyfully put the three paintings away again.

"Prince Yu, would you like to play another game of chess" Rong Jing asked Yu Zishu, who was sitting at a nearby table sipping tea.

Yu Zishu glanced at the three paintings Yun Qianyue had put away and noticed the fleeting ripple in Rong Jing's clear eyes. He smiled slightly, set down his teacup, and said calmly: "Since Prince Jing has recovered and feels like playing chess, I would not dare to refuse."

Seeing Yu Zishu agree, Rong Jing pushed back the covers, got out of bed, and walked toward the desk.

As Yun Qianyue finished putting away the paintings and turned around, she saw the two seated at the table. She felt interested as well and hurriedly sat in between them, smiling and saying: "I'll be your referee."

"Alright!" Yu Zishu smiled.

Rong Jing glanced sideways at Yun Qianyue, took out his cold and warm jade chess pieces, spread the board open, and courteously said to Yu Zishu, “Prince Yu, please make the first move.”

Yu Zishu did not refuse either; he picked up a piece and placed it on the board.

Seeing this, Rong Jing also took his turn to place a stone.

The two of them were naturally refined and noble gentlemen. They said little, but playing chess between them was like watching an elegant painting come alive.

Sitting in between the two, Yun Qianyue thought that it was fortunate these two weren't enemies—otherwise, even a darkening sky would be nothing compared to their rivalry.

An hour later, the first game ended in a draw.

Rong Jing looked at the board and raised an eyebrow. “Prince Yu, shall we play another round”

“Alright!” Yu Zishu nodded with a smile.

The two of them set up for their second game.

An hour later, the second game also ended in a draw.

In her heart, Yun Qianyue thought that this was truly a battle between equals. She couldn't help but feel proud, as one was someone she loved and the other was his closest relative—two extraordinarily intelligent men of the world.

Rong Jing remained silent this time and looked at Yu Zishu again.

Yu Zishu smiled and raised an eyebrow, asking Rong Jing: "Prince Jing, do you wish to play a third game"

"What does Prince Yu think about it" Rong Jing asked back.

"Good!" Yuzishu smiled and nodded.

The two of them then set up the chessboard again.

Yun Qianyue glanced at the sky; there was no movement outside, indicating that everyone here had fallen asleep. She looked at the two of them briefly before deciding to lie down on her bed after adding some charcoal to the brazier, unable to sit still any longer.

Although she had slept much during the day, Yun Qianyue still fell into a peaceful sleep in this quiet atmosphere.

In a daze, she heard Yuzishu's voice, "Prince Jingshi, no need for another fourth game"

"No need! It's getting late. Prince Yu has been busy picking herbs for me today; you should rest early," Rong Jing said in his soothing tone.

"Picking herbs isn't hard, but playing chess with Prince Jingshi is rather exhausting." Yuzishu stood up and left a meaningful remark before walking towards the door. The room door opened and closed as he entered the adjacent chamber.

The sound of Rong Jing tidying up the chessboard could be faintly heard in the room.

Not long after, Rong Jing approached the bed and climbed onto it slowly, lying down beside Yun Qianyue and pulling her into his embrace.

Yun Qianyue turned over, resting her head on Rong Jing's arm. She adjusted her position and nestled against him as she mumbled sleepily, "Did the third game end in a draw"

"No," Rong Jing shook his head.

No Yun Qianyue woke up slightly from her drowsiness and asked lazily, "Then who won"

"Me!"

Yun Qianyue's sleepiness vanished instantly as she opened her eyes in disbelief. "Zishu lost How could that be Aren't your chess skills on par"

Rong Jing remained silent, not responding.

"Hmm" Yun Qianyue nudged him with her elbow. "Does this mean he lost the final game"

Rong Jing still did not speak.

After waiting for a while and seeing no response from Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue assumed there must be some hidden reason behind it and decided not to ask anymore. She intended to continue her sleep.

A moment later, Rong Jing's voice sounded with a hint of amusement: "If he hadn't lost, we wouldn’t have had the chance to rest tonight."

Yun Qianyue’s thoughts went haywire; she opened her eyes and looked at him in bewilderment under the dim candlelight. Several question marks appeared on her forehead.

Rong Jing stroked her head gently, his voice incredibly pleasant as he said, "Fool!"

Yun Qianyue didn't understand where she had been foolish. Of course, compared to him, anyone would be less intelligent; even the most clever person would pale in comparison to his brilliance. This was inherently an affront to others. She snorted and retorted angrily, "You're the fool! If you don’t want to say it, just keep quiet."

Rong Jing lowered his head and kissed her lips softly before pulling away; he spoke slowly with a hint of seduction in his voice, "Cloud Qianyue, from now on, there can't be any drawings without me. Got that"

Yun Qianyue suddenly understood something. No wonder Zishu had asked, "Do we still need to play the fourth game" and Rong Jing had said, "Picking herbs isn’t hard, but playing chess with Prince Jingshi is rather exhausting." She realized that his comment was a veiled expression of jealousy. A large exclamation mark popped up in her mind as she thought silently to herself: Lord Rong, your jealousy can't be so… refined!

In this reflection, Yun Qianyue continued to sleep.

Rong Jing gazed at her sleeping face. Her soft body was tightly pressed against his; half of her face was buried in his chest. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he smiled silently. About a moment later, he coughed softly, unable to suppress it any longer. He then waved out the lamp and closed his eyes.

The following day, Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue, and Yuzishu departed from Xi Feng Cliff in the midst of the lingering gazes of those around them.

After leaving the secret passage, she instructed Old Tie to destroy all the mechanisms leading from the Military Machine Camp to West Wind Cliff, sealing this path off. Night Tianyi and Qinger had clearly aligned their stance; regardless of Qinger's conflicted feelings towards her, he was still a young master of the De Prince’s王府, and she couldn’t risk the lives of hundreds of people at West Wind Cliff on his affection for her.

Old Tie did as Yun Qianmo instructed without any questions.

The three left the Military Machine Camp.

After the heavy snowfall, the world was still blanketed in white. The snow outside was even heavier than at West Wind Cliff, reaching several feet deep. On their way back to the city, they didn’t see a single trace of human activity. People could barely walk while carriages and horses found it difficult to travel.

The trio walked on foot without rushing; the snow was still and windless, but bone-chillingly cold.

After walking for some time, Yun Qianmo glanced at Rong Jing. Seeing that his complexion looked normal with no signs of fever or pallor, she thought silently how generally men were quite strong creatures, only occasionally showing weakness under special circumstances.

"What's wrong" Rong Jing felt Yun Qianmo’s gaze and tilted his head to ask her softly.

Yun Qianmo shook her head. "Nothing!"

"Nothing" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

She glanced at him, then spoke slowly, “I was just thinking how effective Zi Shu's medicine is; you were healed after one night.”

Rong Jing nodded seriously in agreement upon hearing this. "Prince Jade truly excels as a doctor."

Zi Shu glanced at them both and smiled. "Doctors treat illness, but not the heart of the patient. If the patient is cooperative with their mind, they recover faster. It’s not that I’m such an excellent healer; it's because Young Master Jing cooperated well."

Rong Jing nodded in agreement after hearing this, “Indeed, Prince Jade is right. Someone told me to get well quickly so I could ride the White Snow Dragon again—how could I dare delay my recovery This time, my illness was due to worries; once they were resolved, naturally I recovered quickly.”

Yun Qianmo rolled her eyes at Rong Jing and thought of mocking him but then remembered about the White Snow Dragon. She immediately changed the topic and asked Zi Shu, "Zi Shu, how about we ride our White Snow Dragons again for a horse race"

Zi Shu chuckled. "Cloudy, wouldn’t winning against me on the White Snow Dragon be quite unimpressive for you"

Yun Qianmo coughed lightly and turned to Rong Jing with a question, “Hey, do you have any other good horses besides your White Snow Dragon in your stables”

Rong Jing shook his head. "There’s only one Heavenly Mountain Snow Steed left in my stable; however, it can’t match the White Snow Dragon. It's the best horse in the world—where else could there be a better horse"

Yun Qianmo looked at Zi Shu and asked again, “Zi Shu, do you have any good horses in your East Sea”

"The East Sea also has White Snow Dragons!" Zi Shu blinked. "Cloudy, don’t you want to return to the East Sea with me The Holy Land is full of mountains while most of the East Sea consists of plains—perfect for horse racing."

Yun Qianmo's eyes lit up. “Is it similar to Inner Mongolia’s Hulunbuir Grassland”

"About the same," Zi Shu nodded and smiled, "The East Sea has mountains, water, plains; its people are outstanding and the land is fertile. It’s a place where doors stay open at night, filled with distinguished scholars— I believe you would like it there."

“That sounds wonderful!” Yun Qianmo sighed longingly, “But living in the Holy Land is too exhausting.”

Rong Jing glanced at Zi Shu and suddenly reached out to pat Yun Qianmo’s head, reminding her gently, "Yun Qianmo, don’t forget about Grandpa Cloud; he only has you as his granddaughter."

"That old man! He tied me up for so long. But now my father is back—let him keep company with him!" Yun Qianmo shrugged indifferently, “It won't stop me from going to the East Sea.”

“What about those people in Honor王府 You’ve always wanted to protect them,” Rong Jing continued.

Yun Qianmo shook her head. "My father is there; he’s quite powerful, isn’t he How could he fail to protect these people"

"The Holy Land has indeed been troubled by drought for the past few years and now faces floods—everywhere is in a state of calamity. Famine-stricken refugees are struggling to survive while the late emperor’s funeral is still ongoing, and the new emperor hasn’t yet ascended the throne. The Regent Prince holds power, and with two princes’ factions remaining discontented, there will likely be many upheavals ahead for the kingdom. While noble youths in the capital won’t worry about their livelihoods, it’s the common folk of the Holy Land who suffer. Yun Qianmo, born and raised here, you are one of its people—you should do your utmost to help the Holy Land. If you were to leave for the East Sea to enjoy yourself without a care, wouldn't that be rather heartless" Rong Jing spoke at length.

Yun Qianyue was choked up; she suddenly felt that her image had been elevated to an unprecedented level, as if the Heavenly Saint Empire could not function without her.

Yu Zishu laughed lightly and said to Rong Jing, "Prince Jing truly loves his people more than I do!"

"Of course. For generations, the Honor王府 has been dedicated to protecting all life. We hold in high regard not only the Night family's rule over the Heavenly Saint Empire but also the well-being of its common people. As a descendant of the Honor王府, it is my duty to carry forward the benevolent legacy left by our ancestors and care for the people. This justifies the people’s admiration for the Honor王府 and me." Rong Jing said slowly.

Yu Zishu nodded and said with amusement, "Prince Jing may deserve such praise, but does Yun Er need to be so concerned She is merely a woman."

"Does Prince Zishu look down on women" Rong Jing glanced sideways at Yu Zishu.

Yu Zishu coughed lightly and said seriously, "The Eastern Sea has female officials! If you still think that I look down upon women after this statement, then so be it."

"If that’s the case, Yun Er is indeed indispensable to the Heavenly Saint Empire," Rong Jing said slowly.

The words made Yun Qianyue spit out whatever she had in her mouth. She turned around and looked at Rong Jing speechlessly.

"Whether or not he is important to the Heavenly Saint Empire I cannot say, but his significance to Prince Jing, I am well aware of," Yu Zishu also said with amusement.

"Prince Zishu has keen insight." Rong Jing praised him.

Yun Qianyue looked up at the sky. The snow had covered everything in white. She thought to herself, "This person is really…"

The three of them chatted sporadically as they walked and soon arrived at the city gate.

Due to heavy snowfall, movement outside was nearly impossible except for soldiers guarding the city gate. Seeing them approach, the guards hurriedly greeted them. The trio then entered the city.

The streets within the city were already cleaned by the soldiers and free of snowflakes. Only rooftops were covered in thick layers of white snow. Everywhere else was clean and open for business. Compared to the desolate gate, the bustling street scene with people and vehicles coming and going made it quite lively.

"Indeed, this is a place of prosperity. Even with the emperor’s imminent death, there’s no sign of panic," Yu Zishu said with a smile.

"In the Heavenly Saint Empire, only here in Jing City does such prosperity remain!" Yun Qianyue sneered.

Rong Jing swept his gaze indifferently over both sides of the street and did not speak.

As they walked along the road, a carriage with the insignia of the Chancellor’s residence appeared from around the corner. She raised her eyebrows and asked Rong Jing off to one side, "Wasn’t that decree rescinded"

"No! It was an interim decree." Rong Jing saw the vehicle too and said indifferently.

Yun Qianyue raised her brows. "Respect an interim decree Investigate the two imperial edicts thoroughly before making a decision"

"Yes!" Rong Jing responded.

"Now that you’ve been appointed Chancellor, how is the Chancellor’s residence handled Did Minister Qin retire with his family" Yun Qianyue asked.

"With heavy snowfall, it's impossible to return. After the snow melts, he can go back then," Rong Jing said without much emotion on his face.

“This is indeed strange. The old emperor always valued Minister Qin. Yet, with a simple imperial decree, his position was revoked,” Yun Qianyue sneered. "Perhaps it’s because he wants Minister Qin to return to the Southern Frontier and trace his roots"

"That would not be out of line," Rong Jing said indifferently.

As she watched the carriage approach, Yun Qianyue fell silent. Was Minister Qin willing to retire Perhaps he had reached some agreement with the old emperor or even Emperor Night Tianyi for him and his family to return to their ancestral home in the Southern Frontier After all, they were from the royal lineage there. Would Qin Yuceng accompany her father away, or stay in Jing City If she stayed here, what would her identity be

While Yun Qianyue was pondering this, the curtains of Minister Qin’s carriage lifted to reveal Qin Yuceng's beautiful face. She glanced at them and quickly instructed the driver, "Stop!

The carriage immediately stopped. Qin Yucling got off and stood before the three of them, performing a standard greeting for a lady of high society, her voice gentle and dignified as usual: "Prince Regent Jing, Jade Prince, Miss Shanyue, Yucling greets you!"

Before she called her Moon Sister, now it had become Miss Shanyue. It was indeed different.

Yun Shan Yue smiled. “So you’re the Crown Princess!”

The expression on Qin Yucling’s face changed; the smile on her face froze slightly as she straightened up and shook her head, "Miss Shanyue is wrong in your statement. There isn’t a Second Prince anymore now, so I can’t be called the Second Crown Princess.”

“The imperial edict for the wedding was issued, the grand wedding carriage arrived at our gate, all the formalities of three go-betweens and six gifts have been completed. Although we didn’t hold a ceremony in the bridal chamber, I am half a Second Crown Princess; is there anything wrong with my address” Yun Shan Yue smiled amiably as she asked Rong Jing, who was beside her, "Rong Jing, what do you think Am I right"

“Right!” Rong Jing nodded.

The color drained from Qin Yucling’s face. She didn’t dare to look at Rong Jing and the tone of her voice was stiff, but she still managed a forced smile as she said, "I heard that Miss Shanyue left the capital with Jade Prince in recent days, many people were worried, especially Seventh Prince. His face hasn’t been sunny these few days because it’s extremely cold and snowy today. It’s good you’re back safely now; Seventh Prince can rest assured."

Although she said this was based on facts and seemed ordinary, Yun Shan Yue could sense many layers of meaning in her words. She had left after failing to destroy the imperial edict and even left with the prince of Donghai, her actions were scandalous. The Seventh Prince was her legal fiancé; these words were quite complex. She smiled at Qin Yucling without changing her expression, "Miss Qin is still very skilled in talking and being social, if I’m the Second Prince, I would be remembering you even after death."

Qin Yucling’s smile couldn’t hold up anymore; she spoke with a stern tone, “Are you having feelings for my dead fiancé by constantly calling him The Second Prince entrusted Fourth Prince to send a message saying he loved you before his death.”

Yun Shan Yue blinked and suddenly laughed, "I do indeed have some feelings towards the deceased Second Prince; those feelings are pity and regret. Thinking of how a good person just had a bad fate since birth that led him into the imperial family. It’s unfortunate he didn’t meet someone like Fourth Prince who loved him wholeheartedly. Although I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I heard what happened at the palace recently. Miss Qin was truly impressive! Two weak women shattered a coup to claim the throne and this story is just like a scene from a play that’s really heart-wrenching. Miss Qin has done great favors for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty but unfortunately, the emperor passed away before he could reward you while the new emperor is still in his aunt's womb now; I wonder if the regent has rewarded Miss Qin these few days"

Qin Yucling seemed to be suppressing her anger as she shook her head and said, "That day was because I was talking with Sixth Princess when I heard something happened at the palace so I hurried here for a rescue. We were weak women; how could we have had such abilities It’s all thanks to the imperial guards and Seventh Prince who were prepared beforehand that Second Prince and Fourth Prince didn’t commit any major mistakes. To save the emperor is my fortune, there’s no need to reward me."

“This is a huge favor; how can one not be rewarded for it A regular woman wouldn’t be able to accomplish such things,” Yun Shan Yue said as she turned her head and asked Rong Jing without waiting for Qin Yucling to speak, "Rong Jing, you’re now the Chancellor assisting the regent in governing the country. This is a huge favor; there should be some rewards"

Rong Jing appeared to have thought about it before he looked at Qin Yucling and said, “Rescuing the emperor is indeed a great deed. After Emperor Wu’s funeral, I’ll discuss with the regent on this matter. Miss Qin has had physical relations with Second Prince; we’ve gone through three go-betweens and six gifts even though there wasn’t a wedding ceremony; you are still his woman. This act of avenging one’s kin is an additional honor that should be greatly rewarded to set an example for all women, it cannot be taken lightly."

When Rong Jing finished speaking, Qin Yucling’s face turned completely pale as she couldn’t even hide her expression; she pursed her lips and didn’t speak.

Yun Shan Yue immediately laughed. She had talked for a long time but nothing compared to the impact of Rong Jing’s words. Looking at Qin Yucling, she nodded repeatedly, "You’re right! Miss Qin has done such great things; it should be rewarded to set an example for all women and cannot be taken lightly."

“Yes, I’ll remember this matter!” Rong Jing said while asking gently, “Did you block us for a reason If not, we’ll go back.”

The moment Qin Yucling heard that, she immediately moved away and bit her lip as she said, "I’m fine; I just saw Miss Shanyue return safely so I got off the carriage to greet you."

Rong Jing nodded without speaking. He turned to Yun Shan Yue and Yu Zishu, “Prince Jade, let’s go back home!”

Yu Zishu smiled as he agreed, "Alright!"

The three of them passed by Qin Yucling and continued walking forward. After a couple steps, Yun Shan Yue suddenly asked Yu Zishu, “Zishu, are our Heavenly Saint’s beauties beautiful Miss Qin just now is the most beautiful woman in our country!”

“Yes, she’s very pretty but doesn’t match Luo Yao.” Yu Zishu smiled.

"Luo Yao!" Yun Shan Yue acted as if she didn't know Luo Yao and asked Rong Jing, "Rong Jing, the one who has a marriage agreement with you!”

“Donghai ended our engagement; it’s nullified. She’s not my fiancée anymore, in no time, she might become South Liang’s Crown Princess.” Rong Jing tapped Yun Shan Yue’s head and scolded her gently, “Stop walking like a fool; your feet will hurt later.”

Yun Shan Yue stuck out her tongue at Rong Jing. She suddenly leaned in close to him and whispered loudly, "I know Miss Qin used to fancy you!"

"Women who fancy me are numerous as fish crossing the river; Miss Shanyue, there’s no need for worry that someone will shake your position in my heart; others may be like ants but only you are a pearl." Rong Jing tapped her head again and said, “Walk properly!”

Yun Shan Yue was instantly elated. "Indeed sweet talk is the most pleasant!"

Rong Jing shook his head helplessly while Yu Zishu chuckled. The three of them walked away far.

Qin Yuning's face was gloomy like rain, covered with a layer of frost. She could only watch as the three figures retreated into the distance, unable to vent her anger. Her fists clenched tightly in her sleeves, her pale lips biting down hard enough to leave red marks, and she was overwhelmed by rage, hatred, and shame.

The coachman looked at Qin Yuning but did not dare to urge her further; the Chancellor's carriage drew everyone’s attention on the busy streets.

Groups of people began whispering together. Though they whispered, their voices were still quite loud. They spoke about what Yun Qianyue had just said: that Crown Prince Niteianqin and Second Prince Niteianyu forced a succession change at night, resulting in the deaths of two princes and injuries to another; Qin Yuning and the Sixth Princess caused this by turning against the prince who loved her. In ancient times, wives were expected to put their husbands above all else, making Qin Yuning the de facto wife of Second Prince Niteianqin since she was carrying his child, even though they had not formally married through a three-kneeling and nine-bowing ceremony. Moreover, half a year ago everyone knew that Second Prince Niteianqin liked Miss Qin so much that he had dismissed Yun Qianyue with disdain when he was Crown Prince because of her; now it seemed as if Qin Yuning had turned against him in his attempt to seize the throne and was ready to abandon everything for the greater good. This left everyone who loved the prince feeling disappointed, while also making them feel disgust toward Miss Qin. They all secretly cursed her as cold-blooded and cruel.

No matter whether in modern times or ancient times, public opinion is a terrifying thing; once it starts spreading, it's difficult to stop.

Qin Yuning was overwhelmed with various emotions and when she came back to herself, she saw that many people were pointing at her and whispering. Everyone's faces showed their disgust. Kind-hearted citizens expressed their feelings very directly. Her originally pale face turned even whiter; she had always been an example for all the young ladies in the capital city, and some even compared her favorably with Yun Qianyue before Yong Jing said that Miss Qin was a woman of talent who could be a queen. The people praised every woman as the most beautiful in the capital city and even in all of Tian Sheng Kingdom; they believed no one could match her. But now to see so many disgusted faces staring at her, surrounding her from multiple layers, made her feel something she had never experienced before.

At this moment, it wasn't just anger, hatred, shame that Yun Qianyue and Yong Jing's words had stirred up in her; there was also fear. True fear. She had been accustomed to being high above everyone else for so long, but now everything had fallen apart suddenly; the sky was falling and she found herself at the bottom of it. She knew how much this made her feel like giving up.

She opened her mouth as if to explain something, but discovered that people were whispering and arguing loudly, each adding their own opinions—her voice got lost in the wind as soon as she spoke. Suddenly, she covered her face with a sleeve, climbed into the carriage, and pulled down the curtains; her voice had fear, sobs, and trembles in it: "Drive... fast..."

The coachman of Chancellor's House was shocked, for he had never encountered such a situation before. Seeing Qin Yuning enter the carriage, he quickly whipped the horses with his whip and left.

Even as she moved further away from them, it seemed like Qin Yuning could still hear those terrible whispers; she held her face trembling continuously.

Yun Qianyue naturally didn't know what had happened to Qin Yuning after she left with Yong Jing and Yu Zishu. Of course if she had known, she might have been very interested in turning around to watch the scene and would have done so thoroughly; that day when she wounded Niteianqin with a dagger and stood over Niteianyu's neck with her sword was something she always remembered clearly.

As soon as Yun Qianyue reached the street leading to Cloud Manor, two figures rushed out of the manor gates; it was Linglian and Yixue. Seeing Yun Qianyue, both of them had red rims in their eyes and shouted: "Miss! You finally returned! We were so scared!"

Yun Qianyue thought she must have forgotten to notify them first since the place under Xifeng Cliff was very secluded. She wanted to give people there a private environment, not wanting others to disturb her. Seeing them both, Yun Qianyue felt somewhat guilty but did not want to make them cry. Thus, with an easy tone, she said: "Am I really that useless I just went out to clear my mind; when I feel better, naturally I'll come back."

Both of them looked at each other and reproached her together: "But you didn't send a message!"

"I was fighting someone! If I sent a message, they might tell him. Alright, alright, I won't do it again." Yun Qianyue patted both of their shoulders.

They nodded due to Yong Jing and Yu Zishu being around them; they didn't cry and their faces relaxed.

"Sister!" Yun Li's voice came from the gates of Cloud Manor.

"You finally returned!" The Seventh Princess followed behind Yun Li, both of them obviously coming in a hurry after hearing news.

Yun Qianyue looked at them; she saw that Yun Li had become thinner and the Seventh Princess's face was somewhat pale, walking with a limp. Yun Li supported her as they walked forward together, and Yun Qianyue immediately went up to ask: "Auntie, what happened to your leg"

The Seventh Princess sized Yun Qianyue up from top to bottom before sighing in relief but did not answer her question; instead she scolded her: "It’s such a snowy day and even if you don’t like that decree, shouldn't you return home How could you run out of the city, making everyone worried about you!"

"Sister, where have you been these days Are there any frostbites" Yun Li sized her up as well, immediately asking.

"Moon, you finally returned!" Rong Feng obviously heard news and came without carriage; he leaped down with his lightness skill.

"Stinky brat! You still know to come back I thought you froze to death outside." The Old King’s voice sounded from inside the manor, before anyone else reached Cloud Manor's entrance.

"Father, I told you she would be fine; why were you getting upset and blaming me for not looking for her" Yun Li said.

...

The voices of several more people started coming towards Yun Qianyue, making it hard to answer them all. She suddenly felt that what Yong Jing had said before was not entirely wrong—she seemed like a very important figure in Tian Sheng; this time when she didn't destroy the decree and left out of anger, it really caused quite a stir.

But even with all this commotion, she still couldn’t make that person give up. She felt extremely frustrated.

Moments later, as everyone quieted down, just as she was about to speak, a deep voice sounded: "Tomorrow the former emperor's funeral will take place; you returned today at exactly the right time. Although the two decrees are empty now, there is still one decree left that names you as his daughter-in-law by personal choice and requires you to pay your respects through mourning ceremonies tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll be busy with this too; for now rest well in the manor tonight and don’t go to the palace!t Yun Shuang, who narrowed her eyes and immediately smiled: "Uncle Emperor! Since you have already come to our estate today, why bother to go back to the palace Why not hold a banquet here instead Fen...