In the present Great Zhou Dynasty, it is the Crown Prince whose reputation is completely ruined.
His Highness Prince Ding is renowned for his virtue.
Everyone believed that Ye Qingxue's secret rendezvous with another man was an extremely foolish act, a betrayal of Prince Ding, which not only ruined her own life but also trampled on the dignity of the royal family and Prince Ding.
Even Uncle Tan thought so.
Therefore, Uncle Tan's words were very serious. If Madam Min and the others had said such things, Ye Qingxue would have thought they were deliberately slandering her.
But Uncle Tan is different. He was the one who spent the most time by his father's side, and he was loyal to his father. He sincerely taught her riding and archery. Now that his father is dead, Uncle Tan is scolding her on his father's behalf!
A wave of bitterness, grievance, and pain washed over Ye Qingxue, and her eyes reddened. But she held back her tears. The matter wasn't settled yet; what right did she have to cry?
Uncle Tan didn't know her purpose in doing this; he only saw the surface. It's normal for him to misunderstand. What's wrong with wanting to scold her and wake her up on behalf of her deceased father?
Ye Qingxue walked up to Uncle Tan, the two of them only a foot apart. She felt no anger at Uncle Tan after being scolded, only respect and gratitude.
"Uncle Tan, you may not know this, but because I grew up in the countryside, even though I am the eldest daughter of a marquis and engaged to Prince Ding, I am still looked down upon by others."
"It's not that I've chosen to degrade myself or ruin my reputation; it's just that His Highness Prince Ding and Lady Min have joined forces to force me to annul the engagement..."
Uncle Tan looked at her in astonishment, "Could it be that all those nasty rumors outside are fabricated by Madam Min and Prince Ding? But I saw you sitting calmly in the teahouse just now, and you weren't affected by these rumors at all."
He was a martial artist with more acute hearing than the average person, and he could vaguely hear the conversation between Ye Qingxue and Dong Bai, which involved the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
Looking more closely at Ye Qingxue's features, he instantly realized that she was the daughter the general had raised in the countryside since childhood. He had called her into the alley to talk because he didn't want to embarrass her in public.
He observed that Ye Qingxue did not appear to be persecuted, and there was no smoke without fire; many people could testify that they had personally witnessed Ye Qingxue and the eldest son of the Pan family riding into the city together early in the morning.
If Ye Qingxue weren't shameless, how could she sit upright in the teahouse without a trace of shame when rumors were rampant?
"Could it be that the young lady deliberately met with Young Master Pan in secret to get revenge on His Highness Prince Ding?" Uncle Tan asked, his brows furrowed.
Please don't give this answer, it's too stupid. This approach would obviously hurt the enemy a lot while damaging yourself a lot.
Ye Qingxue didn't want her plan to be known by more people. Although this was an alley, there were people coming and going on the street outside the alley, and she was afraid that there would be eavesdroppers.
Therefore, she did not explain, but could only say, "Uncle Tan, I was so angry that I lost my mind, there was nothing I could do! My marriage to Prince Ding was bestowed by His Majesty, and even if Prince Ding is very angry, he would not dare to easily break off the engagement, so Uncle Tan need not worry!"
With a "boom," Uncle Tan was so angry that he was completely dizzy. He kept praying that this wasn't the answer, but it really was.
How could she be so foolish! How could she be so foolish!
He raised his hand to slap Ye Qingxue's face, but when he met her eyes, he ultimately lowered his hand helplessly.
He said with deep resentment, "If you were my daughter, I would beat you to death right now!"
Who was Prince Ding?
Although his birth mother was a concubine when he was born, after the death of the empress, his mother became the empress consort, and he became the legitimate son.
Now that the crown prince has been deposed and the emperor has issued a kill order, Prince Ding is virtuous and talented. He has been on the battlefield and won battles. He has also made many incognito tours and is very popular with the people.
Prince Ding is a very likely candidate to be made crown prince.
In a fit of pique, Ye Qingxue ruined her reputation. Even if Prince Ding did not take the initiative to annul the engagement, the officials would still submit memorials to the emperor, asking him to find Prince Ding a new princess.
If Prince Ding and the Empress Dowager also intend to annul the engagement, they can manipulate the situation, and the marriage will have to fall through.
Ye Qingxue's actions harmed no one but herself; on the contrary, they helped Prince Ding marry a dignified lady from a prestigious family.
Thinking that she "lost a thousand to harm the enemy eight hundred" was an understatement.
"The general has a tragic life. If he were alive, he certainly wouldn't have raised you into the way you are now!" Uncle Tan said, overcome with grief.
He covered his face, squatted down on the ground, and burst into tears.
Infected by his emotions, Ye Qingxue couldn't help but feel sad as well. The liveliness outside the alley receded like the tide, drifting further and further away from her.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Qingxue said softly, "Uncle Tan, I will handle this matter. When you wake up tomorrow and go out, you will find that my condition is not as bad as you think."
Before nightfall, her engagement with Prince Ding will be completely terminated, and everything she has done will have a huge impact tomorrow.
Back then, Uncle Tan only needed to go to the street to understand everything, but explaining it now is too early and too dangerous.
Large tears streamed down Uncle Tan's withered fingers. He didn't believe Ye Qingxue's words, thinking that Ye Qingxue was just comforting him.
He thought of the general again, and his grief was even greater than before. He couldn't help but repeat the words he had just said: "If your father were still alive, he would never allow you to do such a foolish thing."
Ye Qingxue pursed her lips. Yes, if her father were still alive, Madam Min wouldn't dare to scheme against her like this. Even if she did, she could still get her father's support.
But now, she is all alone.
She had to eliminate as many of her enemies as possible within nine days.
Make Prince Ding pay the price for scheming against her and causing her to break off the engagement.
Uncle Tan continued to weep, “Your father survived the swords and spears on the battlefield, and barely made it back alive with his severe injuries. Even the emperor sent a royal physician to treat him, and his injuries were gradually improving. The physician even declared that he was no longer in danger of dying. Why did he suddenly die in the end? Why is this? Why is Heaven so cruel to the general!”
Uncle Tan still harbors resentment over the general's sudden death. He remembers the imperial physician's assertion that the general had survived the critical period and would definitely not die.
"Heaven not only took his life, but you also had to give up the marriage contract that he risked his life for you. How cruel Heaven is to him!"
"He protected his country and never retreated a step. For this, he suffered many injuries. Countless people of the Great Zhou benefited from his protection. Is this the end he deserved?"
The last time Uncle Tan had an emotional breakdown was when the General passed away. In the past nine years, every time he thought about how the General's injuries had clearly improved but he still suddenly died, he felt heartbroken and could not control himself.
But he endured it all, suppressing those emotions deep inside.
Today, upon learning what Ye Qingxue had done, he felt heartbroken, angry, and helpless. He felt that the General was truly unfortunate and miserable, and he couldn't hold back his tears.
Ye Qingxue, however, caught a strange message in his grief and indignation. She suddenly grabbed Uncle Tan's arm and unconsciously tightened her grip.
"Uncle Tan, you said that my father's injuries had improved and the imperial physician predicted that he would not die? But he died in the end, and his death was very sudden?" Ye Qingxue's voice trembled slightly.
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