Meng Jinyue knew why—it was simply because he looked down on her.
He was the lofty Crown Prince, naturally looking down on a lowly concubine-born daughter like her.
Because he looked down on her, there had never been any tenderness between them in bed.
He disliked her, and she, in turn, hated him.
If not for the deal she had made with that voice, if not for her desire to take revenge on Meng Jinhua and continue living, she would have felt sick even glancing at the Crown Prince.
“Ah Ye.”
Meng Jinyue lowered her gaze, tugged at Xie Yunye’s sleeve, and called out to him softly.
Xie Yunye looked down at her. “I’m sorry.”
Meng Jinyue shook her head and spoke obediently:
“It’s fine. You should talk with His Highness.”
Xie Yunye knew she was timid by nature, gentle and naive.
Though she had clearly been wronged today, she still smiled gently and softly.
Xie Yunye felt even more heartache. He squeezed her hand. “I made you suffer.”
Meng Jinyue shook her head. “I didn’t suffer at all. Seeing you safe is enough for me. Ah Ye, you should go now.”
“Oh, and please thank His Highness for me as well. Thank him for helping you.”
Xie Yunye hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Wait for me to come find you.”
He also wanted to ask the Crown Prince personally why he had acted that way.
“Does Your Highness have a problem with me?”
As soon as Xie Yunye boarded the carriage, he got straight to the point.
Only the two of them were in the carriage.
Having known each other for many years, they were as close as brothers, and in private, they did not strictly observe the boundaries between ruler and subject.
The Crown Prince rubbed his jade thumb ring and said solemnly, “What do you think?”
Xie Yunye sneered. “I think so. Otherwise, why would Your Highness have humiliated my fiancée just now? I regard Your Highness as a brother, which is why I brought my fiancée before you.”
“Your Highness treating her this way must mean you have long been dissatisfied with me.”
The more Xie Yunye spoke, the colder the Crown Prince’s expression grew.
“You know very well who I am dissatisfied with, and you should also know the reason.”
“I don’t know. Your Highness might as well make it clear.”
The Crown Prince sneered. “Are you seeking justice from me on her behalf?”
“Your Highness may think so.”
The Crown Prince found it laughable. “After so many years as brothers, are we now less important than a woman?”
“Your Highness!”
Xie Yunye’s expression turned serious. He said earnestly, “She is not just any woman. She is my fiancée, and in the future, she will be the wife who spends her life with me.”
“Wife? Are you married? Fiancée? Where is the marriage certificate?”
“His Majesty gave his word. Once I return from the battlefield, he will personally bestow the marriage.”
If he hadn’t brought this up, it might have been fine, but mentioning it only made the Crown Prince angrier.
The Crown Prince’s thin lips parted slightly, his tone dismissive. “Do you think you’ll return?”
“Why do you think Duke Xie didn’t want you to go? Why didn’t any of the generals in the court volunteer?”
“This matter is not as simple as you think.”
Xie Yunye fell silent for a long time. “Your Highness, I know everything.”
He knew that His Majesty was wary of the Su family, who had long been stationed at the border.
He also knew that His Majesty wanted to take back military power through this opportunity. Perhaps His Majesty even hoped for the war to go poorly, so he could punish the Su family.
He understood everything and knew this was a muddy situation.
“You’re a fool who doesn’t know when to quit. What do you know?”
The Crown Prince sneered and questioned, “Let me ask you, if the court withholds military provisions and cuts off your supplies, what will you fight with?”
The older the emperor grew, the more foolish and power-hungry he became.
With their years of brotherly affection, Xie Yunye knew the Crown Prince was worried for him.
“Your Highness, I am a military officer. When I was twelve, I went alone to the borderlands not just because I disliked studying, but because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors and defend our homeland.”
“Both Your Highness and I spent nearly a decade in the borderlands. The people there know us, they respect us. When we left back then, they saw us off, giving us grain they had grown themselves. I have never forgotten that.”
“Can Your Highness forget? They are living, breathing lives—they should not die in these meaningless struggles.”
“Moreover, now that I have the ability to do something, why should I not act?”
“I know that in your position, Your Highness, you have many constraints and must consider the bigger picture. But I only wish to do what I can.”
“As for provisions, I will find a way. This time, I will be extra cautious. I will return alive—I have yet to marry her.”
This time, it was the Crown Prince who fell silent. Xie Yunye cared for those people, and so did he.
But the relationship between an emperor and his son was not like that of ordinary fathers and sons.
The emperor was wary of him, so he could only lie low even more.
He had to play deaf and blind, neither hearing nor seeing, for only then would he not provoke the emperor’s suspicion.
But now, Xie Yunye had laid these matters bare before him.
He could no longer pretend ignorance.
The carriage remained silent for a long time.
Finally, the Crown Prince let out a heavy sigh:
“Very well. I will assist you in secret and do my best to resolve your concerns.”
What he could not do himself, Xie Yunye would do for him.
“Come back alive. Do not die.”
Xie Yunye laughed, his laughter bright and clear.
“I knew Your Highness was not a heartless man.”
“Then, Your Highness, should you not take your anger out on my fiancée? Everything was my own choice. Even without her, I would have gone. She is the most innocent one and should not bear Your Highness’s wrath.”
“Truth be told, I have wronged her. I promised to take responsibility for her, yet now, for my own ambitions and aspirations, I am leaving her behind in the capital.”
The Crown Prince sneered coldly: “I am the Crown Prince. Why should I not take my anger out on a mere common-born girl?”
“Not only do I resent her, I despise her. She is nothing but a smooth talker. Aside from a pretty face, I see nothing remarkable about her. Yet she has bewitched you so thoroughly that you would even give up your position as heir for her.”
“Have you gone mad?”
The Crown Prince could not understand what Xie Yunye was thinking.
Xie Yunye merely smiled softly: “Your Highness, I am not mad. I simply love her and want only her. Since Your Highness has no woman you love, you naturally cannot understand.”
“When Your Highness finds someone you care for in the future, you will understand my actions today.”
The Crown Prince sneered again, replying coldly: “I have told you before—I will never have anyone I care for.”
“Your Highness, I once thought the same way as you do now. But now…”
The Crown Prince threw the teacup in his hand at him: “Get out.”
Xie Yunye caught the cup: “Your Highness.”
He wiped the smile from his face and looked at the Crown Prince seriously:
“While I am away from the capital, I hope Your Highness can watch over Yao Yao for me. Her stepmother is cruel, and if I am not here, I fear she may harm her.”
“I will not help her.”
“Had it not been for her, you would have married Meng Jinrong and gained the support of the Chenguo Duke’s estate. Even if you still chose to go to the borderlands for the people’s sake, with the Chenguo Duke’s estate protecting you, at least it wouldn’t be as difficult as it is now.”
“After all you’ve done for her, how much sincerity does she truly have for you?”
The Crown Prince simply did not believe in her feelings for Xie Yunye.
A lowly concubine-born daughter would naturally resort to any means to climb higher.
“Your Highness, it is you who holds prejudice against her. Yao Yao is a good person.”
“If Your Highness understood her, you would never think of her that way. She is the most innocent and kind-hearted woman in this world. She has always been the one bullied, enduring everything passively, and when wronged, she foolishly doesn’t even know how to fight back.”
The Crown Prince sneered, “I don’t believe it. How could there be such a living bodhisattva in this world?”
Xie Yunye sighed inwardly. It seemed the Crown Prince was determined to think poorly of Yao Yao.
He could only suppress his urge to explain and change the subject:
“Your Highness, tomorrow I will bring Yao Yao to your residence for a meal.”
The Crown Prince: “…”
“Did I agree? You’ve already made arrangements?”
Xie Yunye ignored his words, “Your Highness, don’t forget to prepare.”
After saying this, Xie Yunye jumped off the carriage.
After stepping down from the Crown Prince’s carriage, Xie Yunye noticed that Meng Jinyue’s carriage was still waiting not far away.
Xie Yunye was somewhat surprised, yet a sense of joy welled up in his heart.
“Yao Yao, you haven’t left?”
Meng Jinyue nodded, “I wanted to wait for you to come out. You had bloodstains on you today, and I was worried.”
A warm feeling washed over Xie Yunye’s heart, “I’m fine. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the Crown Prince’s residence.”
Meng Jinyue pretended to be uneasy, shrinking her head and whispering, “Really? Will His Highness drive me away?”
Xie Yunye gently ruffled her hair, comforting her in a soft voice, “Yao Yao, His Highness knew me first. He treats me like a younger brother, so he considers everything for my sake, which has led to some misunderstandings about you. But if His Highness had known you first and regarded you as family, then it would be me he’d be targeting now.”
“I’m telling you this because I want you to know that His Highness is actually a very good person, but his kindness is reserved only for those he cares about.”
“After I leave, leaving you alone in the capital would be too dangerous for you. I want to entrust you to the Crown Prince.”
“For now, the only way is for you two to spend more time together. Once His Highness gets to know you better, his attitude toward you will change.”
“After I leave, only with the Crown Prince protecting you can I feel at ease.”
Since this is from the female lead’s perspective, she misunderstands the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is on a journey of realization and reversal—I love this kind of plot! ~(≧▽≦)/~