Chapter 97: Public Opinion (10)

Page 1/3

The time had been neither short nor long, yet no one knew what might have happened between Yunzui and Chi Mei.
And with Yunzui wearing a veil, Yunshang naturally would not miss her chance.

Yunzui gave Yunshang a cool, faint glance and replied evenly, “The Grand Consort drank a little too much on a whim last night. She woke with a blemish on her face this morning, so of course, to keep her composure, she must hide it beneath a veil.”

Then she changed the current of her words at once, her tone turning reproachful: “As for you, your habit of speaking too much never changes. After a full sixty slaps you still have not repented. With bandages tied to your face, you wander about with no sense of decorum at all. You are truly bringing the Chancellor to shame!”

Yunzui flicked her sleeves and left immediately. Yunshang was the sort who grew restless if a day passed without a punishment.
It was bad enough she had no fresh fault to lay at her; she went out of her way to provoke trouble.
Now that she had mocked her, did she feel good?
What a nature addicted to cruelty.

Inside the dining hall, Yunshang’s face flashed white and red by turns; with only a few words, that cursed Yunzui had not only made herself sound so plausible but had also scolded her thoroughly.
Especially that last line—bringing disgrace to the Chancellor.

When Yunshang turned to look at Yuntai, she saw his face turn quite bleak, and every eye in the room was on her.
For a moment she trembled with rage, then shouted, “I won’t eat.”

Page 2/3

After that she stormed out in fury.
She had never been made to lose face so publicly before, and this was all Yunzui’s doing.

Yunshang moved quickly, as if the wind itself rose under her feet. Sensing the turn in the mood, Tiefan sprang up and followed at once.
She stopped among a stand of wild grasses and, furious, flung her long whip around in furious release.

Tiefan hurried over and stopped the moment he saw her.
Yunshang shot Tiefan a glance, then swung her leather whip harder and harder.

“Shang’er, Yunzui is now in Lord Mie’s favor and is full of herself,” Tiefan said helplessly. “For now, we can leave her be.”

At first they had expected that with rumors spreading so quickly, Yunzui would surely be affected. They never imagined Chi Mei would step in for her, sending people to speak in cruelly sharp words—nothing but intimidation.
Now no one dared to chatter carelessly, fearful of losing his tongue, and their efforts were wasted for nothing.
It could only mean Chi Mei’s power was overwhelming; their painstaking plotting had been in vain.

Yunshang stared wide-eyed and shouted, “Not answer it? Let them bully me?”
Yunzui humiliating her like that—she could scarcely breathe.

Page 3/3

“The situation clearly favors Yunzui now,” Tiefan said, to comfort her. “As for us, we need not rush to spar with sharp words. As for the Lingyoutang assignment, we have failed this time, and that is their own fault. I am certain the third wave of assassins will not be easy to handle. Yunzui won’t be dead any time soon.”

After all, he had lost two fingers in the matter of attempting to kill Yunzui—a cost too great to bear.

Yunshang did not stay furious for long. She stopped wielding the whip and said, “Then let her live a few more days.”
“Right,” Tiefan said. “Her life has only a few days in it.” He drew her into his arms.

In his heart Tiefan could not help sighing. It was the first time he had wished to kill someone and found it so difficult.
Before, when money spoke, killing a person was nearly effortless, yet now it failed again and again.
He had begun to doubt Lingyoutang’s strength.

And with Chi Mei still in the picture, that was another great trouble. Yunzui’s escapes had always been because of him.
They could not afford to be hasty. They had to proceed slowly.