Yun Che asked softly, looking at the fat figure that had barged into the bedchamber.
“Who is she?”
“My imperial elder sister, the 4th Princess, Tantai Jianjia…” Tantai Mingyue’s thoughts trembled violently, and clear fear came through. “She always… comes to bully me…”
Yun Che, what should I do?
Every time she comes, she breaks my things and scolds me for a long time… I, I’m scared…
Yun Che immediately soothed her through their shared thoughts: “Don’t panic. Take it slow. Do you have a grudge with her?”
Tantai Mingyue replied, “No, but she always bullied me for no reason and even stole my doll once.”
Yun Che stared at Tantai Jianjia’s fat, hideous face and immediately understood.
This 4th Princess was causing trouble out of nowhere, and it was probably out of the most direct kind of jealousy over appearance.
Tantai Jianjia dumped all of her inferiority and resentment onto this beautiful and fragile younger sister.
“I’m guessing it’s jealousy between women.”
“Jealousy?” Tantai Mingyue replied, sounding half understanding and half confused.
“What you have is something she will never get… beauty.” Yun Che said softly. “But that is no reason for her to hurt you.”
Yun Che continued to ask, “This 4th Princess, does her family have a powerful background?”
Tantai Mingyue’s thoughts replied, “They’re just an ordinary noble family. Her imperial consort mother came from the military Dingyuan Marquis Residence. It’s about the same as my imperial consort mother’s maternal family.”
“Then is she very favored by Emperor Father?” Yun Che guessed another common reason.
“No,” Tantai Mingyue’s thoughts carried a hint of bitterness and distance. “Emperor Father… Emperor Father has long since stopped truly ‘caring’ about anyone.
He has spent these years obsessed with cultivating immortality and refining pills, seeking longevity with all his heart, and most of the court affairs have been handed over to the Cabinet and a few powerful ministers. He has hardly ever set foot in the harem.
We all… haven’t seen Emperor Father for a long time, except during major seasonal banquets, when we could only catch a distant glimpse of him.”
Yun Che understood immediately. This was a classic setup of an emperor cultivating immortality and neglecting court, which was why the struggle for the throne among the princes was so intense and the princesses in the harem lacked restraint.
“Then what are you afraid of?” Yun Che guided her to think. “You are a princess, and she is also a princess. There is no difference in status.”
“I… I don’t want to cause trouble,” Tantai Mingyue said softly, “and I don’t want to give brother trouble either.”
“Your brother? The prince?” Yun Che remembered that she had mentioned an elder brother.
“He is the 3rd Prince, Tantai Mingxuan. He is my biological brother.” At the mention of her brother, Tantai Mingyue’s thoughts warmed a little, but then dimmed again. “But… brother has been very, very busy lately.
Emperor Father is cultivating immortality, the crown prince position is vacant, and several princes… are all fighting for it. Even their maternal clans are competing openly and covertly.
Brother’s situation is not easy, and I don’t want to distract him with my affairs…”
Yun Che understood. This was a classic story of a kind younger sister thinking of her brother and rather suffering herself than burdening him.
No wonder Tantai Mingyue endured things in silence; she was not only lonely, but also burdened by the mental weight of not wanting to drag her relatives down.
“You,” Yun Che’s thoughts carried a trace of helplessness and more gentle rebuke, “are just too kind. Do you know the saying, ‘If a person is kind, they get bullied; if a horse is kind, it gets ridden’?
The more you back down and the more you endure, the more people like Tantai Jianjia… dark inside and delighted by bullying the weak… will push their luck.
She will not be grateful for your kindness and tolerance. She will only get worse.”
Tantai Mingyue’s thoughts fell silent for a moment, feeling a little wronged. “Then… then what should I do?”
“Dealing with evil people sometimes requires extraordinary means,” Yun Che said in a low voice. “Blind kindness and retreat will not solve the problem. They will only make the problem worse and worse.
Today, she dared to barge in, destroy the things you cherish, and insult you;
Tomorrow, she will dare to do even worse things.
Your tolerance is enabling her wrongdoing, and in the end it may create even greater disaster, which will truly drag your brother into it.”
Yun Che continued, “And if your brother knows about this and still doesn’t… then he doesn’t deserve to be your brother!”
He paused, giving Mingyue time to digest it, then said solemnly:
“Today, since I’m here, I can’t just stand by and watch you be bullied.
Don’t worry, leave it to me. I’ll make her understand that some people are not for her to bully; some debts have to be paid. What I’ll teach her is not just rules.”
Yun Che’s words carried strong confidence, which greatly soothed Tantai Mingyue’s panicked heart.
After Tantai Jianjia entered the inner hall, her gaze harshly raked over Tantai Mingyue’s delicate, graceful little face, which was so lovely it made people feel sorry for her even without makeup.
A wave of jealousy and hatred that was almost tangible surged up from the bottom of her heart.
Why? Why could this little bastard grow such a face?
And she, as the dignified 4th Princess, had to suffer mockery behind her back for being ugly! Every time she saw Tantai Mingyue’s face, it felt like a vicious slap to her pride!
“Heh, I thought you were really sick,” Tantai Jianjia sneered, her voice sharp as she stepped closer and closer, her fat body bearing down with an oppressive air. “So you were hiding here and playing house with these scraps!
Tantai Mingyue, this is all the ability you have!”
“Tantai Jianjia, how imposing you are, barging into my palace without my permission.” Yun Che’s tone was calm, but it carried a hint of coldness.
He did not stand up, and he did not show any flustered expression. He simply used those eyes that usually belonged to Tantai Mingyue, but were now given a different luster by Yun Che, to calmly look at the approaching Tantai Jianjia.
There was no fear in that gaze, only a kind of almost indifferent… scrutiny.
This unexpected reaction made the overbearing Tantai Jianjia hesitate slightly, but her anger only burned hotter afterward.
This little bitch actually dared not dodge her gaze today? She even dared to call my name directly?
“What kind of look is that?!” Tantai Jianjia shouted sharply. “You don’t even know to pay respects when you see your elder sister, and you’re still sitting there?
Did you learn your rules by stuffing them into a dog’s stomach?
As expected, you’re a wild bastard, born to a mother but never taught by one!”
Those vicious words were like knives dipped in poison.
The chill in Yun Che’s heart grew even stronger. He controlled Tantai Mingyue’s body and stood up. “Smack!”
A crisp, loud slap landed squarely on Tantai Jianjia’s fat left cheek.
Time in the bedchamber seemed to freeze.
Qingyi widened her eyes, staring in disbelief at the scene before her. The palace maids and eunuchs standing by were so frightened that their souls nearly flew out of their bodies, and a few even unconsciously stepped back half a pace.
Even Tantai Jianjia herself was completely stunned by the slap.
She covered her swollen cheek, her thick lips slightly parted, her eyes wide as saucers, as if she had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world.
That usually obedient, timid-as-a-mouse 9th sister…
She actually dared to slap her?
“You… you actually dared to slap me…” Tantai Jianjia’s voice trembled, first in shock and then turning into raging fury. “You little bitch! You dare slap me?!”
Yun Che shook his somewhat numb hand, his tone frighteningly calm. “I slapped you. So what?”
“You… !” Tantai Jianjia trembled all over with rage.
“Go ahead, slap me again if you’ve got the guts!” she roared hysterically, completely losing her reason.
Yun Che gently tilted his head, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a very faint curve. “I’ve never heard such a shameless request.”
As soon as the words fell, another slap whistled through the air.
“Smack!”
This slap carried even more force and a sharper angle. It landed on Tantai Jianjia’s right cheek and knocked the gold hairpin from her head flying away, where it struck a pillar and shattered into several pieces.