Upon entering and seeing the man inside the room, Prime Minister Yun was instantly filled with rage. Suppressing the overwhelming anger in his heart, he even skipped the formalities and directly asked in an unfriendly tone:
“May I ask why Prince Duan has come to my Prime Minister’s Residence? And why are you in my daughter’s private chamber?”
Helian Qi’s mind had been in a daze since waking up, and it was only under Prime Minister Yun’s questioning that he gradually regained his senses. He muttered to himself, “That’s right, why am I here?”
Prime Minister Yun looked at his foolish expression with disdain. “Prince Duan doesn’t know why you’re here? Could it be that someone tied you up and brought you to my Prime Minister’s Residence? Hmph, utterly ridiculous and absurd!”
“It was Eldest Miss Yun who invited me here!”
He finally sorted out his thoughts, recalling the events of the previous night.
Meanwhile, Yun Ran, who had been standing to the side, kept her head lowered. She was also trying to piece together what had happened from last night until now. She couldn’t understand it—she had clearly sent a message inviting Prince Duan to Yayun Pavilion, yet he had come directly to the Prime Minister’s Residence. And her unusual behavior last night seemed as if she had been drugged!
A sudden realization flashed through her mind. Yes! She must have been drugged. But by whom? Yun Li?
Although Yun Li was the most suspicious, she had been confined by her father these past few days and had no contact with Yun Li. Considering what had happened last time, could there really be a traitor among the people around her?
Her heart sank. In her anger these past few days, she had completely forgotten to clean up the people around her…
Prime Minister Yun looked at Prince Duan’s earnest expression and swallowed the words he wanted to shout. Turning to his disappointing daughter standing nearby—the daughter he had once carefully nurtured and taken pride in—he felt so furious at her recent string of actions that he wished he could strangle her!
“Yun Ran, tell me exactly what happened!”
Yun Ran was jolted back to reality by her father’s angry voice. Lifting her head, she met his icy gaze and couldn’t help but tremble inside.
She knelt on the ground. “Father, it is your daughter’s fault for disgracing you. I am willing to marry Prince Duan!”
Helian Qi was shocked by Yun Ran’s words, but then a wave of joy washed over him. He had always pursued Yun Ran, but she had consistently refused, claiming that her marriage was for her father to decide. He also knew that Prime Minister Yun looked down on him. Although the Prime Minister’s Residence remained neutral in court affairs, Yun Ran was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s Residence. If she married him, he would gain the support of the Prime Minister’s Residence and immediately have the capital to compete for the throne!
Thinking this, he bowed respectfully to Prime Minister Yun and said with utmost sincerity, “Prime Minister, Yun Ran and I are deeply in love, and I am willing to take responsibility for her! I will soon enter the palace to request His Majesty’s decree to bestow Yun Ran as my princess consort! Please rest assured, Prime Minister, I will treat Yun Ran well!”
His words were filled with genuine emotion, but to Prime Minister Yun, they sounded like a lament for his daughter’s failure, filled with helplessness and disdain.
What could he do now? He knew this was the best outcome for Yun Ran at the moment. Even if she didn’t become Prince Duan’s consort, she had no chance of becoming the Crown Princess. A woman with a tarnished reputation before marriage could never marry into the royal family.
Enough. It seemed it was time to bring Yun Wei back…
Having made up his mind, he looked at Yun Ran as if she were a discarded pawn. Without another word, he turned and left in a huff.
Prince Duan looked at Yun Ran with a face full of delight: "Yun Ran, you're finally going to marry me! I'll go to the palace right now to ask Father for an imperial decree—I won't let you suffer any injustice! I'll marry you with the utmost grandeur!"
Yun Ran forced a strained smile: "Mm, then Your Highness should hurry and ask His Majesty for the decree!"
After Prince Duan left, Yun Ran slumped onto the bed as if deflated. Her nails dug into her palms, and she paid no attention to the blood trickling from her hands. Her gaze was at times vacant, at times dark and inscrutable.
…
In the palace, Prince Duan knelt in the Yushu Fang: "Father, I wish to request an imperial decree for marriage!"
Helian Tian, who was reviewing memorials, paused his brush slightly, looking up at Prince Duan with a hint of surprise.
"Oh? Which young lady has caught your eye, Second Prince? Tell me."
"Father, I have taken a liking to Prime Minister Yun's legitimate daughter, Yun Ran."
Upon hearing this, Helian Tian's eyes darkened as he gave Helian Qi a deep look. "Does Prime Minister Yun know of this?"
Helian Qi quickly nodded. "Prime Minister Yun knows, and he has no objections to the marriage between me and Yun Ran."
Hearing this, Helian Tian reassessed this son of his. He had heard that Prime Minister Yun's eldest daughter, Yun Ran, was among the top noble ladies in the capital in terms of appearance and talent. As for his own mediocre son, he knew exactly how much he was worth. How could Prime Minister Yun possibly take a liking to him?
And was Second Prince trying to win over the Prime Minister's Residence? It seemed there might be something more to this…
In an instant, the Emperor's mind raced with thoughts. After a moment, he said calmly:
"Second Prince, you may leave for now. In a couple of days, I will send Eunuch Li to the Prime Minister's Residence to deliver the decree."
Helian Qi exclaimed joyfully, "Thank you, Father!"
After Helian Qi left, the Emperor sent someone to investigate the Prime Minister's Residence.
…
The events that had occurred in the Prime Minister's Residence these past few days had become the talk of the capital's commoners during their leisure time. Word spread from ten to a hundred, and those who had climbed walls to watch the commotion at the Prime Minister's Residence described it vividly. Although they had only seen men being carried out from the rear courtyard of the residence, after embellishment, it was as if they had witnessed the scene in the Prime Minister's wife's bedroom firsthand…
Although Yun Ran was also discussed, since no one had been seen carried out from her courtyard, the rumors were not too outrageous.
During these days, even the storytellers in teahouses began recounting the tale.
Suddenly, a song spread through the streets and alleys: "Where is spring? Where is spring? Spring is in the rear courtyard of the Prime Minister's Residence! There is green grass, there is lush land, and there is also a vast grassland…"
…
In the Wutong Courtyard, Yun Li listened to Ying Tao's vivid descriptions. Without even stepping outside, she could imagine how exaggerated the stories crafted by the commoners must be…
The power of the masses was formidable. She wanted to bring Su Meixian and Yun Ran down from their pedestals—otherwise, why would she have gone to such lengths, even controlling a drone to summon so many commoners in the capital? Gossip was just gossip, but what many people witnessed with their own eyes was no longer mere rumor! Even if embellished, it was an undeniable fact!
Hmph, she would make it impossible for Su Meixian and Yun Ran to defend themselves, no matter what they said!
And this song was indeed her creation. She had merely adapted it slightly, placed it in an envelope, and slipped it into the storyteller's pocket at the teahouse. She hadn't expected the storyteller to be so cooperative—it spread immediately.
However, the rumors about Yun Ran were not as widespread as those about her mother. Yun Li's brow furrowed slightly as she considered that her scoundrel of a father might have had a hand in this.
After all, the prime minister's wife could be replaced, but his daughter was his bargaining chip—carefully nurtured for so many years, now on the verge of bearing fruit. Naturally, he knew which to prioritize and which to sacrifice.
Tsk tsk… No matter, there will be plenty of time ahead…
These past few days, she finally enjoyed a bit of peace. She helped Zhao Momo recuperate, though Zhao Momo had yet to wake up. It was a chronic illness, not something to be rushed. After the surgery, proper rest and care were essential, so she needed to settle the residence properly. She planned to go out tomorrow to buy a few more maidservants, then arrange for Zhao Momo to be moved out.