Chapter 893 I originally only considered you an opponent
Shang Ruyi was slightly taken aback, but immediately put on a calm smiling mask and said with a smile, "Of course the Crown Princess is not stupid."
"..."
"But a wise person will consider their own gains and losses."
"Yes, but gains and losses can vary in magnitude,"
Yu Mingyue said with a sneer, "Do you think I don't know what you're plotting? Making me lose the big picture for a small gain? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and shook her head, saying, "The Crown Princess is certainly not the kind of person who would lose the big picture for a small gain. It's just—"
"Just what?"
"But what if you're holding a watermelon and you trip and fall, shattering both the watermelon and yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue's face darkened, as if she had thought of something. Before she could think further, Shang Ruyi continued, "Instead of that, it would be better to pick up a sesame seed and walk steadily forward. Who knows if there will be a bigger watermelon on the next leg of the journey?"
Yu Mingyue continued to look at her coldly, but her eyes flickered for a moment.
As she said, she wasn't stupid. Shang Ruyi had already written her intentions for scheming against Tangquan Palace on her face and in her words. Even if she listened, she couldn't believe it. Her wary expression made her bright face even colder.
She said coldly, "No matter how nicely you speak, it's useless. I don't believe you."
"That would be a pity,"
Shang Ruyi sighed softly and said, "Originally, I only considered you a rival. That Consort Lou was merely a concubine of the Crown Prince; she and the women of Jinyu Garden were the real rivals. If one day you and she were truly in each other's shoes—"
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue's expression darkened even further.
"how?"
"I won't feel sorry for you, I'll only feel sorry for myself."
"..."
"after all,"
At this point, Shang Ruyi turned her head and glanced at the Hundred Blessings Hall not far away, her contempt evident in her eyes, and then said coldly, "After all, she is not worthy to be my opponent."
As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew by, and the wet nurse standing not far behind her suddenly sneezed loudly.
Shang Ruyi immediately frowned, stopped talking to Yu Mingyue, turned around and walked up to her, asking with a not-so-good expression, "What's wrong?"
The wet nurse quickly smiled apologetically and said, "I was careless; it was a little cold just now."
"Then hurry back. If you catch a cold, it will be difficult for Yuanzi."
"yes."
So the group turned and headed towards the Hall of Auspicious Autumns.
Although they had already gone far away, Yu Mingyue remained standing in the same spot until she watched Shang Ruyi's figure disappear in front of her. Only then did she lift her foot and continue walking forward. Even after leaving the palace and traveling a long way in the carriage, the gloom in her eyes had not yet dissipated.
She was well aware that Shang Ruyi's words were indeed a scheme against her.
But aren't those schemes just the nightmares that have been haunting her these past few days?
Although she had married Yuwen Qian and become the Crown Princess, she had climbed higher and lived a more exciting life than the women in the books she had read before. It could be said that she had fulfilled her long-cherished wish in this life. However, even so, Yu Mingyue only had a happy mood during the first few days of her marriage. After that, her life was hardly easy.
It's one thing to outwit and outmaneuver the King of Qin and his queen.
However, fighting with the women around the Crown Prince is another matter entirely.
Fortunately, Yuwen Yuan only bestowed two concubines upon Yuwen Qian. Although Ruan Suihe was also from a prestigious family and had a beautiful appearance, her father was a lowly official, and she herself was mild-mannered, timid, and didn't get involved in their affairs much, so she was not a threat. However, Lou Chanyue was indeed the biggest thorn in her side.
It even surpassed the anger that Shang Ruyi had once caused her.
What made her even more uneasy was that Yuwen Yuan's attitude towards her had always been lukewarm. He loved her talent but disliked her temperament. This was the root of Yu Mingyue's fear. She knew better than anyone where her "talent" came from. So, she was now like living in a house built on ice, not knowing when the ice and snow would melt and her position would be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, with Lou Chanyue and her father vying for merit and profit in front of the Crown Prince, what future do I have?
With that thought, Yu Mingyue tightened her grip on her knees, crumpling the hem of her dress between her fingers into a ball, and said to the coachman outside, "Don't go back to the Crown Prince's residence, go to the Yu family first."
The coachman outside immediately responded, cracked his whip, and the carriage turned towards the residence of the Duke of Wushan.
A short while later, the carriage stopped outside the gate of the Yu residence.
The Crown Princess returned suddenly without giving any prior notice, startling everyone in the manor. They rushed out to greet her, kneeling on both sides of the road. Yu Mingyue didn't bother to look at them and practically barged in. She saw a tall figure walking out from the backyard. Although he was burly, the few steps he took seemed unusually heavy, even weak. One hand was covering his face, and the grim look of pain was clearly visible to Yu Mingyue even through the heavy hand.
That was Yu Dingxing, the Duke of Wushan, who lost an eye in the Battle of Longmendu.
A few days ago, when he went to Tangquan Palace with Yuwen Yuan to recuperate, the warm and humid climate there made him feel more comfortable. However, as soon as he returned to Chang'an, the wind and snow caused his old injury to flare up again. It felt as if there was an invisible arrow piercing into his eye socket. He was often in so much pain that he couldn't sleep all night. Even when he went out during the day, he had to endure the pain to walk and do things.
Upon hearing that the Crown Princess had suddenly returned, he could only grit his teeth and come out to greet her: "This old minister pays his respects—"
"Alright,"
Yu Mingyue didn't give her a friendly look, and simply waved her hand: "Father is injured, so there's no need for such formalities."
Yu Dingxing gritted his teeth, forced himself to stand up, and propped himself up on his knees.
Yu Mingyue walked into the hall and sat directly in the main seat without letting him have it. She said, "Father, do you know that in a few days, on New Year's Eve, His Majesty the Emperor will be holding a family banquet in the Hall of Hundred Blessings?"
Yu Dingxing, supporting himself on the edge of the table, slowly walked to the side and sat down. He gritted his teeth before saying, "How could this old minister know about matters in the palace?"
Yu Mingyue said coldly, "So you'll know once your daughter tells you today?"
"Naturally, this old minister has no place at His Majesty's family banquet."
"You weren't supposed to be included, but it's that bitch Lou Chanyue who's organizing this family banquet. Doesn't this have anything to do with you, Father?"
Hearing this, Yu Dingxing frowned. He had been in officialdom for many years and knew that although the knowledge of officialdom and the inner court and harem was different, they were somewhat intertwined, with one suffering as the other suffered and the other prospering. Moreover, judging from Yu Mingyue's angry tone, he immediately understood what his increasingly uncontrollable daughter was worried about.
He said solemnly, "The Lou family father and daughter have rendered great service at the Tangquan Palace this time, and His Majesty will naturally—"
"What kind of merit is that?"
Yu Mingyue grew increasingly angry and slammed her hand heavily on the table, causing the teacup that the maid had just served to tremble. Fearing trouble, the maid hurriedly retreated.
Yu Mingyue gritted her teeth and said, "It was all just an act."
Upon hearing this, Yu Dingxing, who had been covering her eyes in pain and almost didn't want to hear her complaints anymore, suddenly changed her expression and hurriedly turned her head to look. Fortunately, the maid had already retreated in a hurry and should not have heard her words. So she whispered, "You—Crown Princess, be careful with your words. How could you say such things?"
Yu Mingyue frowned, glanced outside, and then waved her hand: "Get out of the way, no one is allowed to come in!"
Upon hearing this, the palace maids and servants who were already standing outside the hall immediately retreated even further away, so that even if there was a commotion inside, they wouldn't be able to hear anything from that distance.
Yu Dingxing then lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, now that you are the Crown Princess, you must be even more careful in your words and actions. If this matter is discovered, it is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"
Yu Mingyue frowned.
She knew she had lost her composure in her anger, but she still said coldly, "I know."
"..."
"But the problem right now is that Lou Chanyue, that bitch, has been using this assassination incident to curry favor with the emperor; and Lou Yingxiong, to this day, not a single person from Wanggang Village has been captured, except for an old man who knows nothing and a court physician. What merit do they have? Why can they put on such a show of merit in front of the emperor?"
"..."
"This time, she's really acting like she's the Crown Prince's principal wife, letting her organize the family banquet at Baifu Palace!"
Yu Dingxing let out a heavy sigh and said, "But this was something they were destined to benefit from anyway. If I hadn't been injured at Longmen Ferry, Lou Yingxiong wouldn't have had a chance to go back to Tangquan Palace—"
As he spoke, his face turned ashen, his teeth clenched, and blood seemed to seep from his empty eye sockets.
Yu Mingyue said, "It's one thing to let them get away with it, but when we arrested Jiang Yan before, Lou Yingxiong took the opportunity to slander you in front of the Emperor, saying that when the plague broke out and you were looking for patients outside the city, this group of traitors slipped away right under your nose."
Yu Dingxing frowned.
At this moment, Yu Mingyue took a deep breath, as if she had finally made up her mind, leaned forward, and whispered to him, "Father, I can't let the Lou family father and daughter climb all over us. We can't let them take credit for this case!"
Yu Dingxing said, "But now that the person has been arrested and the case is under investigation, whose credit can it be?"
Yu Mingyue said, "I've thought it through too. Actually, we've already determined that the Wanggangzhai rebels plotted to assassinate the Emperor, and that Pei Xingyuan colluded with the Wanggangzhai rebels. These two charges are enough to drag Prince Qin down with them. If we continue the trial, it will just be giving Lou Yingxiong credit."
Yu Dingxing was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
A glint of light flashed in Yu Mingyue's eyes, and she leaned forward even more, bringing the father and daughter closer together. She whispered in a voice barely above a whisper, "We have to find a way to prevent this case from going to trial!"
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