Madam Yun returned to Jing’an Courtyard together with Yun Ziyao.
The mother and daughter remained silent the entire way.
After entering the room and taking their seats, Madam Yun finally held Yun Ziyao’s hand and asked gently,
“Rao’er, do you know Prince Zhan?”
Yun Ziyao weakly shook her head.
“When Prince Zhan returned to the capital in the past, I saw him from afar once.”
“We’ve never met privately.”
Madam Yun motioned for a maid to bring some water, then fell into thought.
“How strange.”
“I wonder why Prince Zhan suddenly came to propose marriage.”
“I don’t know either.”
Yun Ziyao lowered her eyes and spoke softly.
“But your daughter is willing to marry him.”
“Mother needn’t worry.”
Madam Yun frowned.
“You don’t know Prince Zhan well.”
“What if you regret it after marrying him?”
Military commanders who held military power were always viewed with suspicion by rulers.
The greater their achievements, the more precarious their position became.
Madam Yun worried that sooner or later Ziyao would be caught in the crossfire.
“Mother, I don’t have any other choice.”
A bitter smile appeared on Yun Ziyao’s pale face.
It was tinged with self-mockery.
“If I continue staying in the Yun family, my situation will only become more awkward.”
“I know Mother cares about me.”
“But Little Sister is your biological daughter.”
“I don’t want to take away the affection that rightfully belongs to her.”
Madam Yun was about to speak when Yun Ziyao continued.
“Now that my engagement to the Crown Prince has been dissolved, no better marriage prospects will come my way.”
“Today, Prince Zhan personally came to propose.”
“If I refuse him, wouldn’t I offend Prince Zhan as well?”
What noble family would dare marry a woman rejected by the Crown Prince?
If she didn’t marry Prince Zhan, her only future would be becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine.
That scumbag deserved to die ten thousand times over.
He and Yun Zijun should stay bound together forever and stop ruining other people’s lives.
Guilt welled up in Madam Yun’s heart.
Yun Ziyao’s face remained pale.
Her voice was weak, yet resolute.
“Prince Zhan is willing to marry me.”
“Then I am willing to marry him.”
Madam Yun still worried.
“But what if—”
“Mother.”
Yun Ziyao looked up at her.
“I truly have no other choice.”
“I don’t want to become the Crown Prince’s concubine.”
“I don’t want to share one husband with my sister.”
“I hope Mother will grant my wish.”
Madam Yun remained silent for a long time.
Even then, she couldn’t fully put her worries to rest.
“If war breaks out on the frontier, Prince Zhan will certainly return to defend the borders.”
“If you marry him, you’ll spend more time apart than together.”
“And Prince Zhan…”
She hesitated.
“His military achievements are extraordinary.”
“To the Crown Prince, he is something of a threat…”
A threat?
A trace of mockery flickered through Yun Ziyao’s eyes.
A fool like Mo Jinglin wasn’t worthy of considering Prince Zhan a threat.
No matter why the author had made such a shameless scumbag the male lead.
No matter why a hero who defended his nation had somehow been cast as the villain.
In Yun Ziyao’s eyes, the male lead wasn’t fit to be compared with Prince Zhan at all.
“Prince Zhan protects the nation and its people.”
“He is a truly honorable man.”
She lifted her eyes slightly.
Though her complexion was weak and sickly, a perfectly measured hint of admiration appeared in her gaze.
“Your daughter is willing to marry him.”
“No matter what happens in the future…”
“I will never regret it.”
Madam Yun sighed softly.
After pondering for a moment, she slowly nodded.
“Since you’ve made up your mind…”
“I’ll support your decision.”
At the very least, marrying Prince Zhan meant becoming his legitimate wife.
Most military commanders in court were his subordinates.
For now, the Crown Prince still didn’t dare openly oppose him.
Even the Emperor relied heavily upon Prince Zhan.
Once Ziyao became engaged to Prince Zhan, the Crown Prince would no longer be able to force her into becoming a concubine.
Nor would Yun Zexuan dare make things difficult for her.
The more Madam Yun thought about it, the more she felt the arrangement wasn’t bad at all.
As for Zijun…
Her eyes darkened slightly.
Unbidden, she remembered something Ziyao had said earlier.
If Yun Zexuan and Yun Zijun aren’t really brother and sister…
Then which of them had a problem with their identity?
One of them had to be hiding something.
Madam Yun clenched her fingers slightly.
She had to uncover the truth.
No matter what.
She would never allow herself to be deceived and manipulated again.