"Father, please think about it—your daughter was wronged…"
Yun Qingshan flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly, "Hmph! Of course I know you were wronged! You schemed to frame someone else, but your skills were inferior, and you ended up being framed instead—you deserved it! Have I not taught you to use your brain when doing things, to plan and strategize? If you’re not completely sure, don’t take risks. You’ve ended up losing everything!
From now on, you will stay in Fangfei Ge and reflect on your actions. Don’t come out and embarrass me again!"
Yun Ran was astonished. "Father… you already know? But… but how can I just let go of such a great injustice? I can’t swallow this anger!"
"What? I’ve turned a blind eye to your petty squabbles with Yun Li in the past, as they never crossed the line. But this time, you’ve gone too far.
From now on, don’t cause any more trouble for Yun Li. She poses no threat to your position. In a few days, I will arrange a marriage for her and have her married off!
Enough… Spend more time practicing your talents, reading books on women’s virtues and teachings, and focus your efforts on the Crown Prince. Think about how to win his favor…
I’ve already suppressed this matter for you. Do you know that if word of today’s events spreads, you will never have a chance at becoming the Crown Princess? Weigh the importance of this yourself. If you ruin my plans again, I will have your second sister return as soon as possible! Hmph!"
Yun Ran said reluctantly, "I understand, Father…"
After speaking, Yun Qingshan didn’t even glance at Yun Ran and walked straight out of the room.
He ordered two guards to stand at the entrance of Fangfei Ge, ensuring Yun Ran remained confined to the courtyard and preventing her from leaving. Unauthorized visitors were also strictly forbidden!
As soon as Yun Qingshan left, his wife, Su Meixian, hurriedly arrived at Fangfei Ge.
The two guards at the entrance stopped her.
"Madam, the master has ordered that the eldest young lady be confined to Fangfei Ge during this period."
Su Meixian glanced at the guards. "How dare you stop me? Step aside!"
"Madam, please don’t make things difficult for us…"
Su Meixian said impatiently, "Did the master say that I, the madam, am not allowed to visit? You’ve got some nerve, taking an inch and asking for a mile! Get out of the way!"
The two guards exchanged glances. It seemed the master had only said unauthorized visitors were forbidden, and the madam didn’t fall into that category… So they stepped aside.
Inside the room, Yun Ran threw herself into Su Meixian’s arms, full of grievances. "Mother, it’s all because of that little wretch Yun Li! She caused Father to hit me, made me the laughingstock of the household, and humiliated me so terribly.
You know Yun Li has been bullied by me since childhood and has always acted half-dead. I don’t believe she had the courage to do something like this to me. And how could she possibly have managed to sneak that filthy beggar into my room without anyone noticing…"
Su Meixian lovingly held Yun Ran’s face and gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "Ran’er, I also find this matter very strange. Yun Li’s temperament isn’t this ruthless, and her mind isn’t sharp enough to come up with such a sinister trick."
"Mother, Yun Li may not have the brains, but Zhao Momo by her side is no pushover… Could it be that she arranged this?"
Su Meixian frowned, thinking for a moment. "That old hag has been locked up in Qionghua Yuan for three years now. Even if she's not dead, she's probably hanging on by a thread. Does she still have the energy to do something like this? Mother doesn't think it's possible…"
"But Mother, you said yourself she's not dead! I think that old hag has a long life—she's been locked up with consumption for three years and still hasn't died. She's really tough! Could there be someone she planted among my people? Otherwise, I can't help but feel this whole thing is very strange…"
"Don't panic just yet. What's done is done. Mother will go to Qionghua Yuan herself. If that old hag is still alive, I'll deal with her personally."
"Mother, you should have dealt with that old hag long ago! Then today's incident wouldn't have happened."
Yun Ran was already convinced that the old beggar in her bed was part of a plot orchestrated by Zhao Momo and her accomplices to frame her.
"If it weren't for your father stopping me, I wouldn't have kept her alive until now. I always thought she was just an old hag who wouldn't live much longer anyway. Leaving her in Qionghua Yuan to fend for herself wouldn't cause any trouble… By the way, Ran'er, after the thief cleaned out your room, did you check if anything that could prove your identity was missing? Mother can't shake the feeling that this is very odd! Who could be so skilled as to steal everything overnight without a sound, with so many guards in the Prime Minister's Residence and not a single one noticing…"
Yun Ran thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Mother. The things in my room were mostly expensive decorations. The jewelry in the jewelry box was all valuable, but similar pieces can be found on the market. There were also fifty taels of silver notes in the drawer, which were taken too. I'm just upset about losing those things…"
"It's fine. As long as you're safe, that's what matters. These are just material possessions. Once your father calms down, Mother will replace them for you from the storeroom. For now, just listen to your father and stay quietly in your courtyard."
Yun Ran nodded. "Yes, Mother, I understand!"
Su Meixian looked at Yun Ran with both relief and heartache, picking up the ointment to apply to her swollen cheek.
…
Meanwhile, Yun Li and Ying Tao had just finished touring the busiest streets of Yueqi's capital, their hands filled with bags of various snacks.
"I'm really curious about the woman you're looking for. Could you elaborate a bit? What happened that night when An Ye and An Bai left you at Huaxianlou? Could Your Highness Prince Yu satisfy this humble one's curiosity?"
About a kilometer away from Xiangyun Lou stood a two-story elegant building called Yayun Pavilion, a teahouse.
On the top floor, a handsome young man in white robes chattered incessantly with a smile as he watched the pedestrians below.
However, the man sitting across from him had his eyes closed, his brow furrowed tightly, completely ignoring the other's words. His breathtakingly handsome face, capable of captivating anyone at a glance, showed a hint of impatience.
Two silver needles shot out with a whoosh, grazing past the ears of the man in white.
"Damn it! You're serious!" The man in white covered his ears, jumping up in fury.
"If you keep babbling, I won't mind sewing your mouth shut."
"Hmph! I just want to meet that woman. All these years, you haven't had even a female mosquito by your side. Hearing An Ye say you ordered him to investigate a woman, I'm burning with curiosity… And it's been a day, but An Ye and An Bai haven't found a single trace of her… How about this? Tell me what the woman looks like, and I'll send people to help you find her. After all, I'm more familiar with places like Huaxianlou than you are."
"She's dead!"
"Ah? Who died?"
"The woman you mentioned!"
Meanwhile, downstairs at Yayun Pavilion, the woman whom Prince Yu had declared "dead" was passing by, holding a stick of candied hawthorn berries and eating happily as she walked. The two were on their way back to the Prime Minister's Residence…
The thought of this woman filled Prince Yu with irritation! The fact that An Bai and An Ye still had no news only added to his frustration! He swore to himself that he would dig three feet into the ground if necessary to find this damned woman!