“Princess, the steward said he’s worried that your face might… offend the Emperor. It would be best to cover your face when meeting him.”
Yun Qingge took the veil without asking any questions.
The young maid was surprised—she hadn’t expected the princess to accept the veil and put it on without any fuss or argument.
After tidying herself up, Yun Qingge deliberately waited until the sixth watch before leaving.
The carriage at the Wangfu gate was already prepared, waiting quietly in silence.
Standing beside the carriage, Qingxuan held his longsword and wore a sour expression as he watched her arrive late.
He figured the princess must have thrown another tantrum before finally agreeing to come out.
“Princess, please.”
Before she even stepped into the carriage, Yun Qingge could feel the cold air seeping out from within.
She glanced at the man seated inside, and without any room for hesitation, she climbed in and took her seat.
However, she very deliberately shifted her body to keep her distance from him.
Ye Feimo cast a cold sidelong glance at her timid, cowering demeanor, seemingly unwilling to look any longer. He averted his gaze and ordered indifferently, “Qingxuan, let’s go.”
The carriage wheels rumbled over the ground, and the interior was exceptionally quiet—especially when passing through the market, forming a strange contrast with the clamor outside.
After a moment of silence, Yun Qingge occasionally stole glances at the silent, indifferent man beside her.
Awkward as honey!
She lowered her head and twisted the hem of her dress.
If she brought up cooperation now, he’d definitely think she was insane, wouldn’t he?
Just as her mind was wandering, the man beside her suddenly stirred, drawing her attention.
He turned his head to look at her, the deep light in his ink-dark pupils behind the mask filled with shadowy gleams. “Once we enter the palace, behave yourself.”
He smoothed his sleeves, unhurried and composed.
Yun Qingge swallowed hard and nodded. “My Lord, this concubine… has thought it through. This concubine will, will serve you well.”
She deliberately stammered, wearing a look of fear and shrinking back.
The man narrowed his eyes, looking at her with a hint of a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Saying that now—should you see Ye Tianjue, I hope the princess will remember every word she’s said at this moment.”
Yun Qingge was taken aback.
She couldn’t blame him for saying that.
The original owner of this body had been hopelessly infatuated with Ye Tianjue, having secretly loved him since childhood. It was precisely because of this secret crush that this cannon-fodder supporting female character had done many outrageous things while at the Houfu, all just to catch Ye Tianjue’s attention.
Unfortunately, the cannon-fodder supporting character didn’t know that Ye Tianjue was the male lead—he was destined to belong to the female lead, and no one could take him away!
Not to mention…
The book specifically detailed an incident from when the original owner was five years old, describing how Ye Tianjue nearly lost his life during the royal hunt when he was eleven.
It was that very accident that made the original owner fall for Ye Tianjue.
It was also after that incident that Ye Tianjue returned to his estate and launched a massive search for a young girl with a peach blossom mark on her collarbone—but unexpectedly… the five-year-old original owner suddenly fell gravely ill, and the mark on her collarbone disappeared.
In its place, a mark appeared on Yun Wanyue’s collarbone instead.
This was the secret the original owner discovered before her marriage—that Ye Tianjue should have liked her, should have been drawn to her. That was why, right before she was to board the bridal sedan, she threatened Yun Wanyue, saying she would go to Ye Tianjue with her true face and tell him the truth.
Sigh… what a truly tragic story.
As for Ye Tianjue, the male lead, he wasn’t the typical domineering protagonist found in popular web novels. The author had lavished every beautiful word in the world upon him, describing him from the female lead’s perspective—fulfilling every woman’s fantasy of a dream lover.
“My Lord, rest assured. Since this concubine has already married you, I certainly won’t be fickle-minded.” She lowered her eyelids, putting on a pitiful look.
After a pause, she added, “Last night, this concubine truly didn’t deliberately try to assassinate you. If I said I was possessed by some ghost at the time, would you believe me?”
Ye Feimo’s half-lidded eyes narrowed into slits, looking at her strangely.
She met his gaze without any hesitation, not even flinching when their eyes locked.
She was the first woman who, upon seeing his “burned” face, showed not a trace of fear.
“Mm. I will no longer pursue yesterday’s matter,” he said suddenly.
These words stunned Yun Qingge.
The Can Wang wasn’t going to pursue it? That was cause for celebration!
But why did she feel something was off?
Given the Can Wang’s temperament, he would definitely have wanted her dead.
If he wasn’t pursuing it now, he was probably plotting something sinister.
The novel had said this guy was someone who repaid every grievance tenfold.
…
Upon entering Yuhuayuan, the Emperor and Empress were already seated there, chatting and laughing amiably.
Today happened to be a day off from court, and it was said that the Emperor and Empress had always enjoyed a harmonious relationship.
The book had mentioned that while the Emperor outwardly doted most on Ye Tianjue, he secretly held Ye Feimo in great esteem—after all, Ye Feimo had displayed extraordinary military talent at a young age.
Ye Feimo could charge into battle and kill enemies at eleven, possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, and had accumulated remarkable achievements. By eighteen, he held military command, his reputation striking fear into all directions, and even the court’s military officers were willing to follow his orders.
If it weren’t for this, Ye Tianjue wouldn’t have regarded Ye Feimo as his greatest rival.
Yun Qingge followed behind Ye Feimo as they entered Yuhuayuan, and this harmonious scene greeted her eyes.
Apart from the Emperor and Empress, a young man and woman sat beside them.
The man seated below the Emperor wore a silver brocade robe, his hair bound with a jade crown, his bearing ethereal and jade-like.
Yun Qingge cast a glance at him and was secretly a little impressed.
The novel described the male lead as—startlingly handsome, a figure like a banished immortal.
At the time, she had inwardly scoffed at that description.
It turned out that a man with such breathtaking looks really did exist!
Standing behind Ye Tianjue’s chair was a woman with a seductive appearance—an oval face, peach blossom eyes, a charming smile on her delicate features, stunningly beautiful beyond words.
This was the female lead of that ridiculous novel, Yun Wanyue.
Yun Wanyue could freely enter and leave the imperial palace, all with the Empress’s permission. The book mentioned that the Empress suffered from chronic insomnia, and the author’s Waigua for Yun Wanyue was precisely Cui Mian Shu.
She stood there, her expression carrying a warm and gentle smile.
As described in the book, she was delicate and alluring, yet like a poppy flower—beautiful and addictive. Such beauty was the most irresistible to men.
The two of them, seen together, were a perfectly matched pair—a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
“Yun Qingge, why do you not kneel and pay respects upon seeing His Majesty?” Suddenly, a cold and sinister voice snapped Yun Qingge back to her senses.
Yun Qingge looked at the young eunuch who had spoken and quickly knelt to pay her respects.
Beside her, Ye Feimo, due to his leg disability, naturally did not need to kneel. He sat upright in his wheelchair and gave the Emperor a slight nod, a gesture that seemed more like a perfunctory acknowledgment.
However, the Emperor did not mind this. He raised his hand and waved, saying, “Rise.”
The harmony that had barely been restored was instantly thrown into a stalemate by the arrival of the two.
The Empress still wore a smile on her face. She glanced at her son and future daughter-in-law, then looked at Ye Feimo and Yun Qingge, and suddenly said with a gentle smile, “Your Majesty, why do you have such a stern face? The children’s wedding yesterday was a joyous occasion. Today they’ve come to offer tea—be a little happier.”