Now, as if she had found a breakthrough, she suddenly stood up from the table, glared at Su Yunmo, and vented all the pent-up grievances and pressure in her silent tears: "I did nothing wrong. Which of the seven grounds for divorce did I commit? What he did was an insult to me." Leng Yiqing was almost roaring.
Su Yunmo didn't understand. His intuition told him that this woman loved Su Zhengyang, so he retorted in the same manner: "Then why don't you explain yourself? You can lower your head and apologize to Xue'er, and he won't treat you like this!"
Leng Yiqing stared blankly at Su Yunmo. The royal uncle before her was so unfamiliar; he didn't understand her at all. Her eyes were blurry with tears as she looked at him, trying her best to explain calmly, "I can't, I can't defend myself. Otherwise, in his eyes, it would be that I can't bear to part with him, can't bear to part with this position as Crown Princess!"
Hearing this, Su Yunmo felt a little smug; this Leng Yiqing was indeed different.
"Why don't you understand me?" Leng Yiqing asked this question out of the blue, which startled Su Yunmo.
"Why should I understand you?" Su Yunmo retorted without any politeness, completely disregarding her feelings, a stark contrast to his previous gentleness.
Leng Yiqing then realized she had misspoke; he was right. It was only because of the care and trust she had shown him before that she had been so open with him, thinking that he would understand her. But she forgot that they had only known each other for less than a month.
"Perhaps something I did caused you to misunderstand. I apologize to you, Imperial Uncle. Or perhaps I really did make a mistake. At this time, we shouldn't have gotten too close." Su Yunmo slowly expressed his apology before turning and leaving.
She forgot to stop him. Su Yunmo's sudden change in attitude left Leng Yiqing somewhat bewildered. Why had her uncle, who had previously vowed to protect and care for her, changed so drastically? And in such a short time? Had she said something wrong? Or was he truly afraid of being misunderstood?
Leng Yiqing watched him leave until his figure disappeared through the courtyard gate. A sudden emptiness filled her heart. Without Su Yunmo's protection, what would she do when she was divorced and forced to leave the manor? No matter how capable she was in the modern world, everything here was unfamiliar.
Her mind was a jumbled mess. She stood there blankly in the yard for a long, long time until it was time for dinner. Xiao Xiang came over to urge her, and she walked back to her room in a daze.
"Xiao Xiang! Help me pack my things!" Rather than waiting for someone to come and kick her out with a letter of divorce, she would rather leave on her own initiative, take the money left by Leng Yiqing, and go out to make a living. She believed that there was always a way out.
"Why?" Xiao Xiang clearly sensed that her mistress was different now. Before, the Crown Princess would only yell at her, but now she was being asked to address her as Sister Qing, and everything she did made her feel like they were sisters, not mistress and servant. So, hearing her say this, she couldn't help but ask for clarification.
Leng Yiqing understood their relationship. She didn't expect Xiao Xiang to leave with her, so there was no need to tell her. When the divorce papers arrived tomorrow, she would understand everything. She came quietly, so let her leave quietly too!
"It's nothing! I'm just going out for a few days!" Leng Yiqing replied dismissively.
Having served her master since childhood, Xiao Xiang naturally understood that this was just a perfunctory remark, but she didn't dare to ask any further questions. She didn't have much affection for this master. Silently, she followed her master as she packed her belongings. Seeing that Leng Yiqing had taken almost all the silver and jewelry, Xiao Xiang realized that her master was probably leaving.
She vaguely overheard some of Su Yunmo's conversation with her master that afternoon, but wasn't entirely sure. Should she tell that person about her master's departure now?
The master and servant were both preoccupied with their own thoughts, and neither of them said another word.
---Aside---
Please leave a comment and save this post! My heart needs motivation! Thank you so much everyone!
Chapter Sixteen: The Real Empress
The next morning, a loud shout shattered the tranquility of Phoenix Feather Palace.
"Absurd!" Su Haotian glared at his good-for-nothing son and angrily slapped him down, startling everyone in the hall.
"Zhengyang, can you be a little more rational?" The Empress was also helpless. With a son like this, no matter how hard she tried, it would probably be in vain.
Su Zhengyang, on the other hand, sat dejectedly to one side, completely ignoring their reactions. In his view, Leng Yiqing had taken the initiative to ask for her freedom, so he felt that only by divorcing her could he give her true freedom. He could also use this opportunity to elevate Shen Jiaxue to his official position.
"Although Qing'er is not as virtuous as others, she has not made any major mistakes, so she is not worthy of being divorced. Therefore, Zheng Yang, your Xue'er will never be the principal wife. Stop thinking such crooked thoughts!" The Empress tried her best to restrain herself from hitting him and spoke as gently as possible.
His mother's predictions had been perfectly accurate, leaving Su Zhengyang speechless. However, he had promised to come today to request a divorce, and if he returned empty-handed, Leng Yiqing would probably laugh at him, so he was truly unwilling to give up.
"Whether I divorce my own woman or not is my business. I respect your opinions, which is why I'm asking for yours. Even if you disagree, I still want to divorce her!" Su Zhengyang said in one breath, uttering all the words he hadn't dared to say before. He did this simply so as not to lose face in front of Leng Yiqing.
Everyone knew about Leng Yiqing's father, the general, and his temper was undeniable. In terms of contributions to the Yilong Kingdom, he was the most deserving. But now, seeing his son treating his daughter this way, Su Haotian was in a dilemma. His son didn't need to ask for permission to divorce his wife, and his son genuinely respected them. But if he really divorced Leng Yiqing, he didn't know how to explain it to General Leng.
Furthermore, although his son is already the crown prince, he handles many matters quite absurdly. If he is allowed to do whatever he wants in everything, Su Haotian is truly uneasy about entrusting the Yilong Kingdom to him in the future. "If you dare to divorce her, I will depose you as crown prince!"
"I...she..." Seeing the Empress's angry eyes, Su Zhengyang dared not say anything more. He knew that his mother had gone to great lengths for the position of Crown Prince. Although he was very unwilling, he was still willing to listen to his mother so as not to lose this support.
“Go back now and we’ll pretend you never said anything. Qing’er is a poor child; her mother is gone, and her father isn’t around. You should care more about her, you know?” The Empress gently persuaded him, already leading him to the door as she spoke, afraid that he would say something that would anger Su Haotian, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
"If you continue to act so unreasonably, I will not be lenient anymore and will depose you as the crown prince!" Su Haotian was also helpless with this child. If it weren't for the Empress, he would not have allowed such a person to be the crown prince.
Thinking back to how this woman had helped him seize the throne step by step, he couldn't help but feel a chill. This woman, whose hands were stained with blood yet held leverage over him, was someone he couldn't kill, but also someone he absolutely couldn't afford to offend.
After Su Zhengyang left, the Empress slowly strolled back to the soft couch, glancing sideways at Su Haotian, clearly displeased with his words. She hated it most when others spoke ill of her son, especially when Su Haotian addressed him in such a tone. However, since her son had obviously been misbehaving, she had nothing more to say.
"Don't look at me like that. Am I wrong to discipline my son?" Su Haotian was very dissatisfied with her spoiling of their son. Su Zhengyang had become the way he was today mostly because of her pampering.
But that was all he could say. Every time he said a few more words to Su Zhengyang, she would become very impatient and use the events of the past to blackmail him. He was a rather pathetic emperor, unable to even discipline his own son, yet he was helpless. Su Hao angrily left Fengyu Palace.
In the empty bedchamber, she was alone once again. Only at times like this could she shed all her pretense and think of him in peace. Su Zhengyang was the only memory he had left her, and no matter what, she would not allow anyone to hurt him.
Bai Yuyan murmured to herself, "Brother Fei, I'm so tired! Should I just kill him to avenge you?" She slumped onto the soft couch, letting her mind and body go blank. This was also why she never wanted a personal maid. She didn't want anyone to see her vulnerable side, not even her own son.
---Aside---
The Empress's story is crucial to the entire story, so what exactly is the Empress's situation? The ending is a bit unexpected!
Chapter Seventeen: No Way Out
Leng Yiqing wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar streets, carrying her bundle. Here, she had no family, no friends. Now utterly alone, perhaps anywhere could be her home. Her most pressing need was to find a way out for herself.
She was confident that with her abilities, surviving anywhere would be easy. So, she ambitiously sought out suitable opportunities, hoping to showcase her talents. She didn't aspire to a glamorous life, but at least she wanted to live a more exciting life than others.
With this thought in mind, Leng Yiqing felt full of energy and unknowingly arrived at the entrance of an inn. The inn was bustling with activity, but there weren't many staff members, so Leng Yiqing guessed she needed help. However, her purpose wasn't just to be a helper; she didn't want to be just a menial waitress.
She ordered a pot of tea and sat down to wait for the business to finish so she could have a good chat with the shopkeeper. The aroma of tea wafted into Leng Yiqing's heart. Although there were people coming and going in the hall, Leng Yiqing was immersed in the fragrance of the tea and her own thoughts, completely forgetting the people around her.
Watching the tea leaves slowly settle in her cup, she thought about everything that had happened since she arrived. It seemed like so much had happened, yet it also felt like nothing had happened at all. From beginning to end, she still felt like she hadn't figured anything out. Confused, she felt like an outsider, or perhaps being manipulated by an invisible hand, and she was utterly exhausted.
She hoped her heart could settle down like these tea leaves, allowing her to see everything around her clearly; otherwise, she would always feel lost and confused. Just as she was about to lie down and rest, a familiar figure outside the door suddenly jolted her awake.
"Royal Uncle!" she cried out, but her voice was unfortunately drowned out by the waiter's shouts, and no one could hear her. She didn't intend for him to hear either, so her voice was very soft. It was more of a lament, wondering why she and he were so destined to be together.
Meeting Su Yunmo was originally a happy and comforting experience for Leng Yiqing. However, his sudden change that day filled her with inexplicable fear. But she herself didn't understand what she was afraid of.
He seemed to sense something and turned to look in Leng Yiqing's direction. Leng Yiqing breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out they only looked somewhat alike in profile.
As people gradually dispersed, the shop assistants slowly became idle, and the shopkeeper idly fiddled with his abacus.
"Shopkeeper!" Leng Yiqing saw that it was almost time, so she gently called for the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper approached her warmly, and judging from Leng Yiqing's attire, guessed that she was a wealthy customer, so he naturally dared not neglect her.
Facing a businessman, Leng Yiqing understood that time was money, and it was best to be direct: "Let me get straight to the point! Your shop is doing so well, and you have quite a few employees, but why are you still so busy? If I told you that I have a way for you to hire the fewest employees, spend the least amount of effort, and still earn more money than you do now, would you be willing?"
The innkeeper sized Leng Yiqing up and down, touched his shiny nose, and suddenly snapped coldly, "I'll let you off the hook since you're a woman. If you don't have money to pay, then get out of here. I can afford to buy you a pot of tea, so don't try to argue with me!"
"No money to pay the bill?" Leng Yiqing wondered, reaching for the table. She found nothing. "My huge bag was here, when did it get lost? I have no idea! Ugh, I was so lost in thought!"
"Hurry up, hurry up!" the shopkeeper urged.
The fabric she was wearing was all high-quality. But when I got closer, I realized she didn't even have a purse. She claimed to have any belongings? They could just disappear from the table? Impossible! She must be a con artist. There are plenty of people who scam for food and drink, but I've never seen a woman who does this before.
However, as the saying goes, "Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with!" He didn't know what tricks this woman was up to, and he didn't want to get into trouble. Besides, maintaining harmony in business was paramount; he just hoped she would leave soon and avoid any conflict.
"Never mind that, I'm telling the truth, I really can help you!" Leng Yiqing continued to explain. She didn't want her first attempt to be ruined by some shameless thief!
"What can a woman like you know? Hurry up and go! Hurry up and go! Otherwise I won't be polite!" the shopkeeper urged helplessly.
Seeing the shopkeeper's resolute attitude, Leng Yiqing knew she had failed this time. She blamed herself for being too careless, failing to even keep an eye on such a large bundle. Not wanting to continue arguing and be seen as a rogue, she slunk away.
Penniless, Leng Yiqing stepped out of the shop. The only place she could go was the Crown Prince's residence. But she knew that if she went back like this, Xiao Xiang wouldn't say anything to her face, but the maids would be laughing behind her back. Moreover, Su Zhengyang was going to divorce her today, and she had left voluntarily because she didn't want to be in a passive position. Now, leaving and then going back like this, no matter what, Leng Yiqing was still very unwilling.
She wandered aimlessly, unsure of what to do. Did she really have to swallow her pride and go back, only to be divorced? Those women would surely laugh at her then. She couldn't stand those looks.
---Aside---
Waaah, things have changed! Haha, will Leng Yiqing actually return to the Crown Prince's residence? Stay tuned!
Chapter 18: Where Emotion Leads, a Twist of Fate Takes Shape
Leng Yiqing was in a state of turmoil, unsure whether to return or not. Just then, she saw a short man carrying a bundle that was exactly the same as the one she had lost in the distance.
Without hesitation, she chased after him and kicked the man to the ground. The man quickly turned around and looked at Leng Yiqing in surprise: "You..." He suddenly remembered that he had stolen her bag in the store earlier.
He was struck by the woman's formidable strength; she had managed to find and catch him in such a short time. She must be a woman of great skill and hidden depths. Perhaps she had simply been momentarily distracted, giving him the opportunity. But now, he had to—run!
Leng Yiqing had found her burden, and naturally she wouldn't let him off so easily. Regardless of whether she could outrun or defeat him, this opportunity was not to be missed. Even if she couldn't catch up, she would have done her best! She had always been that kind of woman; once she set her mind on something, no matter how difficult it was, she would definitely accomplish it.
They charged and stumbled along, the passersby only watching the spectacle, but not a single so-called hero offered a helping hand. After chasing for an unknown amount of time, just as Leng Yiqing was nearly exhausted, the thief ran into a dead end.
At this point, Leng Yiqing had no other choice but to fight. Clinging to a sliver of hope, she believed that in broad daylight, the thief wouldn't dare harm a weak woman like her. But she hadn't anticipated that in the thief's mind, she wasn't just some ordinary, defenseless woman.
Seeing that he had nowhere to escape and that there was no one around, the thief decided he had to fight her no matter what. If he couldn't win, he would return the stolen goods. He reasoned that one shouldn't hit a smiling face. So, he pulled a dagger from his pocket and charged towards Leng Yiqing.
Upon seeing the gleaming dagger, Leng Yiqing realized this wasn't just a thief; it was outright robbery. She had seen far too many similar cases in modern times, serving as a stark warning: getting entangled with robbers often resulted in death or serious injury. She didn't want to risk her life for such a burden; she could always simply return to the Crown Prince's residence.
"Help!" Leng Yiqing abandoned her attempt to retrieve her bag and turned to flee. Just then, a chivalrous figure descended from the sky, instantly landing between her and the robber. In a flash, amidst the clash of swords, the once arrogant robber lay lifeless in a pool of blood.
Leng Yiqing was completely bewildered by this sudden change.
"Crown Princess?" The swordsman who had descended from the sky suddenly became very respectful after seeing Leng Yiqing clearly.
“Duan Feng?” Leng Yiqing remembered this person clearly, the guard who had always been by Su Yunmo’s side and was as close as a brother to him.
"Okay!" Duan Feng nodded, returned the bundle to Leng Yiqing, and then turned and left.
"Thank you!" Leng Yiqing said politely with a smile as she watched his retreating figure.
For some reason, seeing Duan Feng reminded her of that gentle and kind imperial uncle. However, the sudden change yesterday left Leng Yiqing still confused about what had happened. The more she thought about it, the more resentful she felt. For some reason, she felt that Su Yunmo was obligated to be good to her. It seemed like it was all a matter of course.
Her previously struggling heart suddenly calmed down. Before wandering the world, she wanted to figure out Su Yunmo's thoughts. She wanted to question him about why his attitude towards her had changed so drastically. Was it because of that inexplicable question she asked?
Leng Yiqing quickly caught up with Duan Feng and said firmly, "Duan Feng! Take me to see your prince!"