Chapter 065

Chapter 65: This Plotline Makes No Sense at All

When she heard someone had forged military weapons under Yun Zheng’s name, then used those very weapons to assassinate the princess—and had even pinned the blame on Yun Zheng after the plot failed—Madam Yun’s head spun. She nearly collapsed on the spot.

[It fits, it fits! Now that Second Brother said that, the plot finally matches up.]

[This damn story really did circle back to the original plotline.]

[No, wait… something still doesn’t quite add up.]

[In the original plot, it was because the princess pushed Su Qian Xue into the water, causing Su Qian Xue to fall ill. Grand Commandant Su couldn’t bear it and decided to scare the princess as payback.]

[He never intended to truly kill the princess—just frighten her a little.]

[But no matter the intent, laying a hand on royalty is no trivial matter. So after careful thought, he pinned the whole scheme on my father.]

[Ever since the founding of the Great Wu Nation, each department has had flaws in its systems. As a man who wielded immense power, Grand Commandant Su naturally knew about these loopholes.]

[So he had someone forge a batch of military weapons in Father’s name, planning from the start to shift the blame onto him~]

[Wait wait wait… I’m getting off track. Back to the point—what exactly is going on now?]

[On the day of my full moon banquet, the heroine fell into the water. Could it have been the princess who did it?]

[No way, right?]

[If that’s really the case, then this is beyond ridiculous.]

[In the original plot, the heroine had the script in her hands and was the one who pushed the princess into the water. How could it be reversed, with her being the one pushed instead?]

[If the princess really did push her, with Madam Su’s fiery temper, there’s no way she would’ve let it slide without a huge confrontation!]

[Aaaah, what is going on here? My head’s going bald from thinking.]

[This plot is a complete mess. I can’t understand it at all. Not even a little.]

[…]

Just when it seemed like the plot was aligning again, it swerved off course. Yun Wan Ning felt dizzy from the twists, screaming silently in her mind with utter frustration.

Yun Wan Ye’s gaze flickered, a shadow flashing across his eyes.

Well, well. That foolish princess had actually guessed right.

It really was that old bastard Su Jian behind the attack.

Assassinate the princess and frame Father for it. A brilliant two-birds-one-stone scheme.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier if it was such a big deal?”

Now that she had heard the full story, Madam Yun finally pieced everything together. Ye’er had never brought it up before, but after hearing Little Fourth’s heart voice, he had deliberately mentioned it—likely to draw out more from her.

Since he dared to speak now, things probably weren’t as bad as they seemed. Madam Yun sighed in quiet relief as the tension in her chest eased.

“Uh… I didn’t want to worry you, Mother. That’s why I kept quiet.”

“But after thinking it through, even if the enemy’s working in the dark, we don’t know what move they’ll make next. So I decided to tell you, just in case. You need to be extra cautious when you go out.”

Yun Wan Chen frowned in thought, asking softly, “What’s the current situation then?”

He had just learned that something so serious had happened to the Yun family.

“His Majesty has handed the matter to Prince Qi, who now has full authority to investigate. But the trail at the Armory Bureau has already gone cold. What happens next is hard to say.”

[Second Brother, if the plot really is falling back into the original path, then we can’t count on Prince Qi.]

[Because he’s headed in the wrong direction. He’s targeting Su Jian, so of course he won’t find anything. He should be investigating Madam Su instead.]

[Madam Su comes from the elite Wang clan. She’s the elder sister of Patriarch Wang, who respects her deeply. That’s why the Su and Wang families are closely allied.]

[Most of Su Jian’s shady dealings are actually handled by the Wang clan.]

[The Wang clan maintains several groups of death assassins. On the surface, the Xie family is the head of the noble houses, but in terms of real power, the Wang clan might not be any weaker.]

[…]

Wang clan!!!

“Mother, I still have something to do. I’ll be going now. You and Yun Wan Yao must be extra careful these days, understand?”

Now that he had the key information, Yun Wan Ye turned to leave. But before he went, he made sure to put on a show of brotherly concern.

“Got it.” Madam Yun responded and watched him leave.

Once outside, Yun Wan Ye went straight to find Yun Zheng. Since his father hadn’t returned from court yet, he waited outside the study.

Half an hour later, Yun Zheng arrived, dressed in a formal qilin-patterned purple robe. From a distance, he spotted his son standing at the door.

“Father,” Yun Wan Ye stepped forward quickly.

“What is it?”

“Good news.” Yun Wan Ye smiled, glancing around before leaning in close to whisper something in Yun Zheng’s ear.

Whatever he said made the corners of Yun Zheng’s lips curl into a smile.

“Indeed, that is good news. And do you know how to proceed?”

“Don’t worry, Father. I know what to do. I just came to report and get your approval.”

“Good. Go then—but be careful. If anything happens, release the signal at once.”

“I understand, Father.”

Peace Keeping Courtyard.

Yun Wan Ning was still lost in thought, consumed by the twisty plot. Yun Wan Chen and Yun Wan Yao listened intently beside her.

[Even though the Wang clan operates in secret and hides well, as long as Seventh Uncle is around, Father is sure to succeed.]

[In the original plot, it was Seventh Uncle who exposed their scheme.]

[This time, Father is taking charge, so perhaps Seventh Uncle won’t need to act. But if things get truly difficult, he definitely won’t sit by and do nothing.]

[Yes, that’s right. So I don’t need to worry anymore.]

[…]

As she mused over the story, drowsiness quietly crept in. Yun Wan Ning yawned a few times, then slowly closed her eyes and drifted off.

“Little Fourth is asleep. Let me take her.”

Madam Yun bent down and gently gathered her daughter into her arms. After softly patting her for a while and making sure she was sound asleep, she laid her down on the bed.

Yun Wan Chen looked over and said softly, “Mother, I’ll head out now.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Night fell.

Moon Seizing Pavilion.

The window was slightly open. By the light of a bright candle, Yun Wan Chen sat by it, a book in hand, reading quietly.

Suddenly, Cang Yan entered hastily.

“Heir Apparent, something terrible has happened~”

“What is it?” Yun Wan Chen didn’t even lift his head as he replied calmly.

“Our men reported that Miss Su has been beaten. Her injuries are severe.”

Ever since the day of the full moon banquet, when the heir apparent had ordered Miss Su be escorted home, he had arranged for two men to watch over her in secret.

So any news about her was reported immediately.

Hearing this, Yun Wan Chen’s expression stilled. Then he slowly raised his head to look at Cang Yan.

“Beaten?”

“Yes. And to be honest, it’s kind of your fault, heir apparent…”

Cang Yan let out a low laugh, his voice brimming with schadenfreude as he said, “The heir apparent kept sending all kinds of rare and exotic food to Miss Su. In just twenty days, she’s been fed until she’s rounder by a full circle. Now her skin is snow-pale and dewy, like a plump little jade blossom.”

“That old tigress from the Su family suddenly lost her mind today and stormed into the side courtyard with her people. The moment she saw Miss Su’s changed appearance, she flew into a rage, bellowing that instead of learning proper behavior, the girl had learned to steal food.”

“Then, under the pretense of ‘discipline and family rules,’ she ordered her to be whipped—thirty lashes. Thirty! And the girl’s just a maiden! She’s unconscious now. It’s pitiful, really.”

Yun Wan Chen fell silent.

He had truly underestimated Madam Su’s cruelty. Her own concubine-born daughter wasn’t even allowed to gain a little weight—couldn’t even eat food that wasn’t from their household. How utterly absurd.

He had never seen anything like it.

“Let’s go. We’re heading to the Su family.”

The cold of winter still lingered in the air.

Two figures cloaked in black shadows flew like night winds, swiftly arriving at the Grand Commandant Manor’s side courtyard.

Cang Yan was the first to scale the wall. He silently knocked out the two gatekeepers and mimicked three irregular cat calls into the night.

The next moment, another figure leapt gracefully into the yard.

Yun Wan Chen was dressed entirely in nightclothes, only his eyes exposed. Beneath the faint, icy moonlight, his gaze swept across the small courtyard with calm detachment, yet a flicker of complicated emotion flashed in his eyes.

This place was small, shabby. There wasn’t even a single guard, only those two knocked-out servants at the gate. It was clearly a residence meant for servants.

The Su family truly was heartless. Such a grand estate, yet it had no room for a concubine-born daughter? Were they not afraid someone might one day murder her right under their noses?

If they loathed her so much, why even give birth to her?

“That one.”

Cang Yan approached him and pointed at one of the more run-down rooms. Following his gesture, Yun Wan Chen’s frown deepened.

Just as Cang Yan had described—there wasn’t even paper on the windows of her room.

Without further thought, Yun Wan Chen soundlessly made his way over and gently pushed open the door.

With a low groan, the old wooden door creaked open.

He immediately saw a frail figure sprawled on the crude bedding.

The sound of the door didn’t rouse her, though every now and then, a low moan of pain escaped her throat.

The air was laced with the faint scent of blood.

Yun Wan Chen stepped forward, his eyes catching the gory mess of wounds beneath her torn clothes. Her back was a patchwork of bloody gashes, impossible to look at for long.

He turned his gaze away.

After hesitating for a moment, he placed his palm gently on her forehead. A wave of heat radiated up through his skin.

As expected, she was burning with fever.

Her condition was far worse than he had imagined.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, then slowly lifted the quilt covering her waist and stomach, and reached down to carry her.

The motion roused the girl. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing confused and hazy eyes. She blinked at him drowsily for a moment, then murmured, “Who… are you?”

Yun Wan Chen was briefly startled. He hadn’t expected her to wake.

But before he could reply, the girl in his arms had drifted back into unconsciousness.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, and a faint scab of dried blood marked her lips—no doubt bitten through during the beating.

Yun Wan Chen looked away and turned to leave.

When Cang Yan saw him emerge with the girl in his arms, his eyes bulged so wide they nearly fell out of his head.

But this wasn’t the time or place for questions. He swallowed hard and bit back all the words on the tip of his tongue.

“Let’s go.”

Though carrying a person, Yun Wan Chen moved as if weightless. In a blink, he vanished into the shadows. Cang Yan immediately followed.

“Hyah!”

They boarded the carriage where their men waited. Cang Yan took up the reins, but he couldn’t help turning to peek into the carriage.

[Didn’t the heir apparent say he was just going to apply medicine? Then how did he end up bringing the girl out with him?]

[What now?]

[Was this really the heir apparent? Could he have been replaced?]

His heir apparent had always been self-disciplined and righteous—a paragon of noble conduct. Since when did he stoop to “stealing girls” in the dead of night?

And who was this girl exactly, that she could make the heir apparent act like this?

Cang Yan was utterly baffled. Something was definitely off. Deep down, he had a bad feeling about all this.

No matter how insignificant that girl might seem, she was still Grand Commandant Su’s concubine-born daughter. She could die, sure—but she absolutely could not vanish from the Su family’s eyes.

If Grand Commandant Su decided to investigate…

Then what?

The carriage soon arrived near Duke Ning Manor. Cang Yan shed his nightclothes and entered first to clear the path. After discreetly sending away the guards, Yun Wan Chen leapt onto the wall, girl in arms, and vanished over it.

Not a single servant in Duke Ning Manor knew that their heir apparent had stolen someone away under the moonlight.

He made his way straight to the Moon Seizing Pavilion.

Inside the side chamber, he gently placed the girl on the bed.

“Cang Yan, fetch the medicine. And summon Yao’er.”

“Yes.”

And so it was that poor, unfortunate Yun Wan Yao, who had just taken off her outer robe and prepared for sleep, was roused by her maid.

“Young miss, Cang Yan says heir apparent needs to see you at the Moon Seizing Pavilion.”

Her brows furrowed tightly.

“Are you kidding? Big brother’s calling me this late?”

Though she couldn’t fathom the reason, she still dressed quickly, took up a lantern, and followed Cang Yan toward the pavilion.

“Cang Yan, what’s so urgent that big brother couldn’t wait until morning?”

“You’ll understand once you see him.”

[So mysterious?]

Yun Wan Yao’s curiosity was piqued to the extreme.

Arriving at the Moon Seizing Pavilion, she found Yun Wan Chen standing just outside the side chamber door, looking solemn.

“Big brother, it’s so late—why are you standing outside a room like this?”

“Cang Yan, guard the door. Don’t let any servants into my courtyard.”

Without answering her question, Yun Wan Chen turned and gave his order.

“Yes.”

Cang Yan quickly withdrew.

Yun Wan Yao’s head was now filled with question marks.

“Yao’er, come inside.”

With that, Yun Wan Chen stepped into the room. She hurried after him.

And then—she saw it.

On the bed lay a young girl.

Yun Wan Yao’s eyes flew wide. Her expression was as if she’d just been struck by lightning. She looked at Yun Wan Chen in disbelief.

“Big—Big brother, who is she? Where did she come from?”

Big brother had been so mysterious all night—was it for a girl?

What was going on?

Swallowing hard, Yun Wan Yao could feel her brain begin to overheat.

“She is Su Jian’s concubine-born daughter—Su Qian Yue. You’ve heard about her before, from Little Sister’s heart voice, haven’t you?”

Yun Wan Chen’s tone was calm as he met her gaze.

The moment he spoke, Yun Wan Yao recalled the plot and nodded slightly.

“I remember.”

She had been stunned when Little Sister mentioned that storyline. How could she forget?

“Wait—she’s Su Qian Yue?”

“But why is Su Qian Yue here, in our manor?”

“Big brother, what exactly did you go do in the middle of the night?”