Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Still Wanting to be Punished
“Why don’t you talk anymore?” Leng Yu Yan took a step forward.
“I really won’t talk anymore!” Lai Manting stepped back.
She had been hiding just now, to attack unexpectedly.
Now that her purpose was revealed, it became even harder to catch her off guard.
Leng Yu Yan restrained her smile and grabbed her sister’s wrist, “Sister, your nails are very sharp, were you thinking of ruining my face?”
“You misunderstand, Sister, it was Jinju who screamed indiscriminately,” Lai Manting argued dishonestly.
...
Leng Yu Yan smirked, tightened her grip on Lai Manting’s hand, and swiftly scratched her face twice with it.
“If the nails are this sharp, it’s a waste not to use them.”
“Ahh!” Lai Manting screamed, her shriek piercing the sky of the East Suburb.
“I’m going to fight you!” Lai Manting’s face suddenly turned fierce, her eyes bloodthirsty as she clawed wildly at Leng Yu Yan.
Leng Yu Yan kicked her in the chest, sending Lai Manting immediately to the ground.
Just then, Lai Manting’s scream had drawn all the people from the corridor.
Seeing Prince Liang standing not far away, Lai Manting cried bitterly, “Your Highness, you must stand up for I— my Fifth Sister has scratched my face. How am I to face anyone now?”
Looking at the symmetrical ten nail marks on both sides of Lai Manting’s face, Ye Zhenyu frowned, “What exactly happened?”
Leng Yu Yan shook her head, her tone steady, “Sister, why must you do this?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, “Everyone, look at my nails and at Lai Manting’s nails.”
On hearing this, everyone could see that Lai Manting’s nails were sharply trimmed while Leng Yu Yan’s were neatly maintained with rounded edges.
With this comparison, the situation was clear.
Leng Yu Yan sighed, “Third Sister said she owed me an apology for what happened at the palace banquet, and today she wanted to redeem herself. Before I could react, she scratched her own face.”
“Now she claims that I was the one who scratched her?” Leng Yu Yan’s brows furrowed, “I ask everyone here to judge the situation.”
The mention of the palace banquet immediately caused Lai Manting’s face to turn pale.
Noticing this, the crowd started whispering—
“Miss Lai’s nails are trimmed neatly; how could she scratch anyone? They wouldn’t even tickle.”
“Yes, I see Third Miss Lai’s nails are sharp, and there’s blood on them too, obviously, she scratched her own face and is now framing her Sister.”
As Lai Manting endured the pain of tears falling on her wounds, she bitterly gritted her teeth, “You’re talking nonsense! If that’s the case, why is my maid lying on the ground? That’s because…”
Leng Yu Yan chuckled lightly, interrupting her, “Isn’t it because you scratched your own face and Jinju, being unable to stop you, was so upset she fainted?”
“Mother is always strict. Jinju, as your personal maid, couldn’t stop you from ruining your own face; mother would indeed punish her,” Leng Yu Yan said with a smile, “Dismissing or selling her, both possibilities. It’s only normal for Jinju to faint thinking of her consequences.”
Mrs. Feng of Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion was quite formidable.
Everyone present was aware of this.
Hearing Leng Yu Yan’s words, they all nodded in agreement.
Leng Yu Yan looked indifferent, her tone light and airy, “Third Sister, don’t cry now. Just now you admitted plotting against me at the palace banquet and damaging your own face today as redemption. Seeing your sincerity, I forgive you.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar.
So the truth was this!
Hearing this, Lai Manting looked utterly deflated.
Her appearance confirmed the facts in the eyes of the audience!
Lai Manting’s thoughts raced, knowing any further discussion would not spare her from Beauty Wang’s wrath, putting all the blame on her from that day. As a mere Lady, reaching into the Imperial Palace held serious consequences.
At that time, neither Consort Xian nor Prince Liang would be able to save her.
Upon this thought, Lai Manting wept and said, “Sister was wrong. Sister, please forgive me out of your generosity. I am grateful.”
“As long as you know you were wrong.”
With those words, Leng Yu Yan turned to leave with light steps.
Ye Zhenyu narrowed his eyes slightly; this Leng Yu Yan had some schemes.
Shortly after, he glanced indifferently at the dazed Lai Manting on the ground. As for this woman, she was indeed too foolish.
Soon, the incident that occurred in the corridor spread to every corner of the East Suburb.
At the Water Pavilion,
The Empress Dowager was sitting with Ye Yiheng on her left and Zheng Liqi on her right.
“My Crown Prince, Li Qi is considerate and caring. Although your Father Emperor has already decreed Leng Yu Yan as the Crown Princess Consort, which son of our Tian Family doesn’t have multiple wives and concubines?” the Empress Dowager said with a smile, “Therefore, when you marry the Lady Lai, I was thinking of also having you take Li Qi.”
Ye Yiheng replied, “Imperial Grandmother, this must absolutely not be done!”
“My child, taking Li Qi is already a compromise for her. Why do you still refuse?” the Empress Dowager questioned. “I discussed this with you to give Li Qi a proper status. How about making her an equal wife?”
Ye Yiheng abruptly stood up, “Imperial Grandmother, I will only marry one woman, and that is Leng Yu Yan! Any other women should go back where they came from!”
The Empress Dowager slammed her teacup down heavily, “How is Li Qi any other woman?”
“In my eyes, any woman other than Leng Yu Yan is an outsider,” he paused before adding, “Moreover, I am blind, my blind eyes can only accommodate one woman. Please, Imperial Grandmother, do not bring up this matter again!”
“You!” The Empress Dowager’s fingers trembled with anger.
Sitting to the side, Zheng Liqi lowered her head and wiped her tears, “Empress Dowager, His Highness despises me.”
“If the Imperial Grandmother insists on this,” Ye Yiheng said emotionlessly, “when I pass away… Lady Zheng can be buried with me, so as to not leave her alone in this world.”
The Empress Dowager was taken aback and suddenly speechless.
She truly couldn’t bear to have Zheng Liqi be buried alive.
Ye Yiheng snorted lightly, supported by Song Guo, and left the Water Pavilion.
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Not far from the pavilion, he heard from Mo Chen about what had happened at the corridor.
He frowned immediately, “Hurry and find her. We are going back to the Eastern Palace.”
There were all kinds of people in the East Suburb; truly a place filled with noxious air.
Mo Chen was swift, and in less than the time it took to drink one cup of tea, he had found Leng Yu Yan and Miao Zhu.
As they left the enclosed area of the East Suburb and walked towards the horse carriage,
Just as Leng Yu Yan was heading to her hired carriage, Ye Zhenyu forcefully grasped her wrist, “Ride our own horse carriage, not an outside one!”
“You!” Leng Yu Yan frowned.
“Hmm? Still want to be punished?”
“I do not wish for that!”
Seeing this, Song Guo walked over to Leng Yu Yan’s hired carriage, gave some silver to the coachman, and signaled for him to leave quickly.
The coachman, understanding the hint, smiled and accepted the silver before driving away.
With no other choice, Leng Yu Yan followed him and boarded the Eastern Palace’s horse carriage.
As Miao Zhu was about to step into the carriage, Song Guo held her arm, “The masters have things to discuss, we can sit outside.”
Miao Zhu furrowed her brows, “My miss is delicate and frail, needing her maid at all times.”
Song Guo smiled, “Miss Miao Zhu, rest assured, His Highness will take care of the miss.”
From inside the carriage, Ye Zhenyu suddenly spoke out, “From now on, inside and outside the Eastern Palace, she shall be called Crown Princess Consort!”
Mo Chen and Song Guo together responded, “Yes, Your Highness!”