Chapter 21
Lian'er heard every word of their conversation. She pursed her lips, thinking to herself that the Emperor was indeed as fickle as they said. Fortunately, love was never what she wanted.
She knew that her sudden rise to this position would surely attract the dissatisfaction of others, and that the favored Noble Consort outside would become her enemy.
She could only seize the opportunity to climb higher while the Emperor still favored her, and it would be best if she could conceive an imperial heir.
Only after Cui Mingyu left did Lian'er emerge from the inner room. After casting an envious glance at Cui Mingyu's departing figure, she turned her sparkling, adoring eyes back to the Emperor, not mentioning a single word of what had just happened.
The Emperor, however, noticed Lian'er's gaze and extended a hand. "Come to me."
Lian'er obediently went forward, her face blushing as the Emperor pulled her into his embrace.
The Emperor chuckled. "Is my Lian'er jealous?"
"Of... of course not. Just being by Your Majesty's side is enough to satisfy me."
"It's not good to be so easily satisfied. You are my woman. You can tell me whatever you want, and I will grant it. Lian'er, you are different to me."
While the imperial study was filled with tender affection and lingering whispers, Cui Mingyu returned to her palace and smashed several objects.
She then summoned her head maid and gave a few instructions, only then did her anger begin to subside.
At King Jing's Manor, Yun Jing looked at Qiu Chi, hesitating to speak.
Qiu Chi glanced at him. "If you have something to say, spit it out."
Yun Jing's thin lips tightened. "It's better for a girl to speak more elegantly."
"Are you out of your mind?"
Elegantly? Was she an elegant person?
The fact that she hadn't beaten him up already was a testament to her good temper.
Yun Jing was silent for a moment before saying, "Today's homecoming visit was unpleasant. I will accompany you back again tomorrow."
Qiu Chi understood now.
"You want to use the homecoming visit as an excuse to see your old flame, and you want to use me as a cover? You've got some nerve. I have no interest in accompanying you."
"I accompanied you today. What's the harm in you accompanying me tomorrow? Don't worry, I will not let them bully you."
Qiu Chi was speechless. "Do I look like someone who can be bullied? Are you sure you're not joking?"
Yun Jing: "..." Indeed, she did not look like someone who could be bullied.
But he couldn't just admit that; it would make him seem too unreasonable.
"In the eyes of others, you are still Cui Yueyue, and the Prime Minister is your father. If you are disrespectful to them, others will surely condemn you, so you should restrain your temper. At that time, I will stand up for you..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Qiu Chi interrupted him impatiently. "Do I look like someone who cares what other people think?"
"Then tell me, what must I do for you to agree to accompany me?"
Seeing that Yun Jing was dead set on going to the Prime Minister's Manor, Qiu Chi thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible for me to go with you. Tomorrow, you bring Xin'er along. Remember to be nice to her, pay attention to her the entire time. I won't stop you from seeing Cui Mingyu, but you have to be cold to her. Make the contrast obvious. If you agree, I'll agree to go with you."
Yun Jing's face instantly darkened. "What kind of request is this? Bringing Xin'er along will make you lose face. Mingyu is a Noble Consort now. What difference would it make even if she saw me being nice to Xin'er?"
Qiu Chi couldn't care less. "Just tell me if you agree or not. I'm not afraid of losing my own face, so why are you so worked up about it for me?"
Although Yun Jing was very reluctant, he still agreed with a grim face.
The next morning, when Xin'er was summoned, she was still trembling at the sight of Qiu Chi.
Qiu Chi said, "What are you shaking for? I don't hit women. Today, you're coming with us to the Prime Minister's Manor. Remember to be intimate with Yun Jing. Bring out those annoying tactics you've used in the past."
Xin'er: "..." You might not really hit women, but you might kill people.
Hearing Qiu Chi's words, Xin'er trembled even more violently. She stole a glance at the stone-faced Yun Jing.
Yun Jing said, "Just do as she says."
Since they both agreed, Xin'er naturally didn't dare to refuse.
Even though she was extremely curious about the reason for all this, she didn't dare to ask.
At the Prime Minister's Manor, someone was there to greet them at the gate this time.
But when they saw Xin'er getting out of the carriage with them, the smiles on the Prime Minister and his wife's faces froze.
"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"
Yun Jing gave the Prime Minister a cold look. "What could it mean? You all know very well on whose account I am here today. What's wrong with bringing a concubine? If the Prime Minister is dissatisfied, I can just leave right now."
Loving Cui Mingyu was one thing, but his dislike for Prime Minister Cui was another matter entirely.
Even though he knew he wouldn't actually leave, he could still make some empty threats.
The Prime Minister looked at Qiu Chi, who was standing to the side like an innocent bystander. Qiu Chi just shrugged. "Why are you looking at me? It's not like I told him to bring her. He's a king. Do you really think I can control him?"
Yun Jing and Xin'er: "..." It was, in fact, you who told him to bring her.
But at this moment, both of them remained silent.
No matter how angry the Prime Minister was, he could only let Yun Jing act so outrageously. After all, he had already done something even more outrageous, like casting aside his legal wife to perform the wedding ceremony with a concubine. What was so impossible about bringing that concubine to his legal wife's family home now?
The Prime Minister gritted his teeth and welcomed Yun Jing inside, feeling more and more that Cui Mingyu's decision to enter the palace had been the right one.
Even if Yun Jing had once been a man of honor and grace, with unparalleled talent, and had even come close to ascending the throne, that was all in the past. The man he was today was not the man he used to be.
Not long after they entered the Prime Minister's Manor, Cui Mingyu also arrived.
Her entourage was even grander than Yun Jing's, a magnificent sight to behold.
But when she entered the manor and saw Xin'er sitting next to Yun Jing, her smile couldn't help but stiffen.
Yun Jing remembered Qiu Chi's words. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, and after giving Cui Mingyu a cold nod of acknowledgment, he said nothing more.
Qiu Chi sipped her tea on the side, also silent.
In the end, it was Cui Mingyu who spoke first. "Your Highness, why did you... bring someone else?"
Yun Jing was silent for a moment before forcing out the words, "I wanted to bring her, so I did."
Beside him, Xin'er said softly, "Your Ladyship, please don't blame His Highness. It was Xin'er who was insensible and insisted on coming with His Highness."
Cui Mingyu disdained to speak to Xin'er and turned to Qiu Chi, who was leisurely drinking tea. "Sister, why didn't you try to stop him? You just watched His Highness act so foolishly?"
Qiu Chi repeated her earlier excuse. "He's a king. Are you sure I can control him? If I could, would he have cast me aside to perform the wedding ceremony with someone else?"
Xin'er, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but tremble again, but at that moment, no one was paying attention to her.
Qiu Chi continued, "Oh, I forgot. In the palace, you were blaming me. You're quite capable, aren't you? Blaming every damn thing on me. Are you trying to blame me again now?"
Yun Jing said with a grim face, "It was I who wanted to bring Xin'er. Are you all dissatisfied with my actions?"
Qiu Chi added casually, "Isn't that obvious?"
Yun Jing: "..." No one would think you were mute if you just kept quiet.
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