er organizing internal affairs, they would tackle external enterprises; without funds, it wouldn't be possible to support such a large family. The most crucial point was that Yun Qianyue decided from...Chapter 63: Martial Arts Competition

In the Qin Yue Pavilion, Aunt Zhao, Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and others were naturally overjoyed to see Yun Qianyue return. However, seeing her pointed chin and gaunt face, they couldn't help but feel heartache. They prepared nourishing soups and medicinal dishes, placing all the best items on the table in a full banquet.

Yun Qianyue found it amusing yet exasperating to see everyone's worried looks; she was treated as if she had been abused by Rong Jing. Indeed, she did look thinner than before. She waved her hand at them and told everyone to sit down with her; how could one person finish all this food After a round of refusal, they finally sat together for the meal.

Ever since Yun Qianyue had left for Prince Yong's residence, everyone in Qin Yue Pavilion had been listless and bored. Especially Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and others who looked forward to their mistress’s return every day; now that she was back, they were overjoyed indeed. The pavilion soon filled with laughter and chatter.

While eating, Yun Qianyue listened to Cai Lian recount the recent events in the capital city.

The first major event was about Young Prince Cold attempting an ambush on Miss Qin Yue in public but being stopped by the Shizhi Prince Rong Jing. Although many in the capital heard about it, no one dared to spread it aloud; instead, commoners whispered about it happily. The city’s high-ranking families seemed to all have hearing problems and did not report this to the emperor. Thus, the emperor was unaware of it, or perhaps he tacitly approved such private resolutions. It was rumored that Young Prince Cold was punished by his grandfather, Old Prince Cold, who made him kneel in the family shrine upon returning home, but what happened inside the royal residence remained unknown. In any case, this incident did not cause much commotion.

The second event was about Nanyang's Crown Prince Ru being drunk for half a month before finally waking up a few days ago and arriving at the capital from Lingtai Temple. The emperor arranged for him to stay in Nanyang’s temporary imperial palace. Crown Prince Ru admired the prosperity of Tiansheng, so he would often stroll through the streets daily, spending most time in bustling entertainment districts with their brothels and taverns. Handsome and debonair, his captivating eyes won over many women; he was also kind and approachable, causing a stir among the courtesans across Tiansheng. Many young ladies from prominent families were secretly smitten after seeing Crown Prince Ru on the streets. In just these few days in Tiansheng, he had become so famous that women lined up to see him; his popularity overshadowed many fine men of Tiansheng.

The third event was about a month ago when Miss Rong Linglan from Prince Yong's residence and Cold Shuli, the young princess of Prince Xiaoqin’s residence, had an intense fight over jealousy. Miss Linglan scratched Princess Shuli bald while Princess Shuli left several bloody marks on Miss Linglan's neck; both women were bleeding in Crown Prince's residence. This incident became a hot topic among citizens.

The fourth event was about Princess Qingwan attempting suicide by drowning herself but being saved in time by Young Master Yun Muhuan from the Yun Residence. Although she survived, she was injured and frail, alternately conscious and unconscious. The emperor was deeply concerned and ordered Young Master Yun to move into a palace room adjacent to the princess's quarters to take care of her. This arrangement may not be proper according to etiquette but over these years, people in Tiansheng regarded them as a perfect match; no minister objected.

These four major events were followed by many smaller incidents relayed vividly by Cai Lian and others. Yun Qianyue sighed occasionally, feeling she had missed much excitement while secluded for these months.

At 9:30 PM, despite still having more to talk about, everyone left early out of consideration that Yun Qianyue would be waking up early tomorrow to watch the martial arts contest. Qin Yue Pavilion finally quieted down.

Lying in bed, Yun Qianyue was wide awake; she reviewed her plans for the next day until late at night before falling asleep.

The next morning when dawn broke, Yun Qianyue got up without needing to be called.

She started with Tai Chi and then some kung fu exercises. Feeling refreshed, she thought that no matter what happened today, she would deal with it as it came; the old emperor better not plot against her or risk having her raid his empty treasury.

Cai Lian helped Yun Qianyue get ready for the day: bathing, dressing, and grooming. Once done, Yun Meng hurriedly arrived to announce that Rong Jing's carriage was waiting at the door and would take Yun Qianyue into the palace with him.

"Rong Jing He’s here again" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was haunting her.

"Young Prince Yun went directly from the palace to the competition grounds. It's too troublesome for him to return home and pick you up; naturally, Shizhi Prince Rong Jing came instead. The old prince and Prince Yong feel reassured when you're with him," Yun Meng explained cheerfully.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips, feeling like she had been sold to Rong Jing.

"Miss, hurry up! Don't keep Shizhi Prince waiting!" Yun Meng urged again.

"Alright." Yun Qianyue stepped out the door and turned back to tell Cai Lian and others: "You don't need to follow me; you won’t be allowed into the grounds anyway. You'll suffer under the sun, better stay at home."

"Yes, Miss!" Cai Lian knew she shouldn’t tag along and nodded politely.

Yun Qianyue walked out of Qin Yue Pavilion towards the main gate.

Following closely behind her, Yun Meng advised, "Miss, today is different from usual; you must stay close to Shizhi Prince or our young prince at all times and don't wander off."

"Alright, I understand." Yun Qianyue nodded.

Yun Meng fell silent.

Exiting the inner courtyard, she saw a very luxurious carriage besides Rong Jing's black one. Yun Xianghe was dressed in gorgeous attire and seemed to be speaking to him at his carriage while his curtains remained closed. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Uncle Meng, where is she going

"In response to Miss Qianyue, the eldest miss is going to the palace to visit Empress Dowager. A few days ago, the eldest miss said she missed Empress Dowager and sent people to request permission from her. The empress dowager granted permission for the eldest miss to enter the palace today," Yun Meng whispered.

"Hmm!" Cloud Shanyue nodded, coldly snorted in her heart; Yun Xianghe was indeed a lady who couldn't bear being complacent.

"Although Empress Dowager is very kind to Miss Qianyue, she's also quite good to the eldest miss," Yun Meng whispered again. "Phoenix Concubine was demoted to a concubine due to you, and the eldest miss probably harbors resentment in her heart. Miss Qianyue, be cautious of the eldest miss from now on and it’s better to take precautions. Moreover, the eldest miss has been going out frequently recently, attending gatherings with young ladies from various mansions without missing any of them. Since you've avoided such social gatherings these years and haven't interacted much with other young ladies in the capital, the eldest miss is very popular among those young ladies,"

"Hmm, I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Uncle Meng," Cloud Shanyue nodded.

Yun Meng remained silent after that as they arrived at the door.

When Yun Xianghe heard footsteps and turned around to see Cloud Shanyue, a hint of hatred and jealousy flashed in her eyes. However, she still pretended to be close to Cloud Shanyue and said with concern, "Sis, you've lost so much weight recently!"

"I’ve been forced to study hard day and night; naturally, I would lose weight. Big Sis eats well every day and looks fuller," Cloud Shanyue smiled sweetly in reply. Pretending Who wouldn’t know how to do that

Yun Xianghe’s face stiffened as she instinctively touched her own face. Had she become plumper

Cloud Shanyue seemed to hear a low chuckle coming from the carriage, and she snorted in response before ignoring Yun Xianghe and walking toward Rong Jing's carriage without hesitation. She lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.

Yun Xianghe only saw Cloud Shanyue’s skirt as she turned back around. The curtains had already fallen, and she still hadn’t seen the man inside. Anger and jealousy welled up in her heart. Why could Cloud Shanyue ride in Prince Jing's carriage And it was so naturally

Right before Yun Xianghe could speak, she heard Yun Meng smiling as he reminded Rong Jing, "Prince Jing, you must take good care of my Miss Qianyue. The old king said that he feels at ease knowing that the lady is with you."

"Uncle Meng, rest assured! I will look after her and prevent her from running around recklessly," Rong Jing’s voice was warm.

"Who would run around I don’t need your supervision," Cloud Shanyue harrumphed in displeasure.

"You are the most troublesome. If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to watch over you at all!" Rong Jing seemed to sigh helplessly and instructed Xian Ge, "Let's depart."

“Yes, Your Highness!” Xian Ge flicked the whip, and the carriage left the gates of Yun王府門口。

Yun Meng watched the carriage leave with a smile before turning around to report back to the old king.

The hand in Yun Xianghe’s sleeve clenched tightly until it was almost bruised. Her teeth were bared with anger; she had spoken for so long but hadn’t received a single word from Prince Jing, while Cloud Shanyue behaved without propriety in front of Prince Jing who responded kindly to her—this truly infuriated her. She watched the completely black carriage leave and if her eyes could turn into daggers, it would have pierced through that carriage already.

"Miss…" Yun Xianghe’s personal maid, seeing Yun Xianghe's expression, shivered involuntarily and called out softly.

Yun Xianghe put away the hateful look in her eyes and turned to get into her own carriage. Her maidservant immediately followed, and their luxurious carriage left for the imperial palace.

In Rong Jing's carriage, Cloud Shanyue had been watching him since she got on. Seeing that he seemed thinner too, she pouted and mocked, "Where have you been Haven't done anything good, have you You've lost weight! This makes people suspect that you’ve gone to some place for mischief and returned with an empty body."

Rong Jing gave her a cold glance, slightly raising his eyebrows. "I asked you to look at the books in my study; did your mind fill with dirty thoughts after staying up late over these half months I seriously doubt whether you’ve read those books or not."

"Of course I've finished reading them all! Your collection of books is nothing special, and for someone with a genius brain like mine, it’s no more than a piece of cake. Surprised Missy me, naturally, I’ve read them all and even memorized them!" Cloud Shanyue proudly raised her eyebrows.

"I see that you have indeed finished reading but are still confused. What a waste to be born with the ability to never forget anything," Rong Jing said indifferently.

Cloud Shanyue had endured this guy’s venomous words many times, so she wasn't surprised by his slight put-down; she snorted and said, "You’re jealous!"

"Alright then. If I’m jealous, how about you take a test" Rong Jing looked at Cloud Shanyue with twinkling eyes, smiling as he asked.

“Sure! Go ahead!” Cloud Shanyue rolled up her sleeves eagerly; she didn’t believe this guy could stump her.

"Who finally stole the hen from Mr. Zhang's house Do you know" Rong Jing asked softly.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback; who finally stole the hen from Mr. Zhang’s house How would she know Which Mr. Zhang Looking at Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue had no idea what he meant and snapped, "What kind of question is this"

"The thirteenth volume of 'Mr. Zhang's Interesting Stories' has recorded who finally stole the hen from Mr. Zhang’s house. How can you say that you have read them all if you don’t know" Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue with a faint smile and said slowly.

Yun Qianyue felt like banging her head on a wall then; looking at Rong Jing, she had black lines on her face and was speechless for quite some time.

"Do you have anything to say" Rong Jing asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue turned away; there was nothing to say but still felt somewhat indignant. "I would have finished reading them all, except that I only had a few more children’s books left. Who knew about the... Forget it. Even if I haven't finished reading them, what can you do"

Thinking of Rong Feng whom she had seen in Rong Jing's study and his expression at that time along with his last sentence made her feel uncomfortable inside and slightly headachy.

Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue, narrowed his eyes, and after a moment leaned lazily against the carriage wall. His usually warm voice suddenly turned cold, "What can I do to you Huh..."

Yun Qianyue sensed something was wrong with Rong Jing's tone; she looked up at him and saw that he had closed his eyes, his face indifferent and aloof as if he no longer wished to talk to her. She frowned, cursed mentally for being a nerve-wreck and leaned against the carriage wall without saying anything.

The carriage was silent except for the rhythmic sound of the wheels on the ground.

Today’s streets were extraordinarily lively; as soon as the citizens woke up in the morning, they gathered in groups to talk about today's martial champion competition and placed bets guessing who would most likely become this year's martial champion. From their words, it seemed that being a martial champion was not the highest honor but rather competing with Heaven Saint’s prodigy, Prince Jing, was considered an even greater honor, one that made losing honorable.

Yun Qianyue listened to the murmurings from outside and thought about this year's Rong Jing who had lost all his martial abilities. She estimated that a single finger would be enough to stun him in the competition for the martial champion title. She raised her eyelids to glance at Rong Jing, seeing that he remained indifferent as usual; she lowered her eyelids, thinking it would be best if he were knocked out dead. This deadpan expression was truly ugly.

The carriage went through several streets and stopped steadily after about half an hour.

"Young Master, the venue has arrived!" Xian Ge’s voice came from outside.

“Is Miss Yue in the carriage” Rong Jing had not answered when another very familiar voice sounded, carefree and light – Night Qingran's.

Yun Qianyue immediately sat up straight, reached out to lift the curtain. Indeed she saw that Night Qingran was walking towards her carriage; upon seeing her, his eyes flashed a hint of joy as he called out, "I originally planned to go pick you up at Cloud Prince's Manor, but when I heard that this weakling beauty had gone there, I didn't bother going and came here early instead to wait for you. Grandpa Emperor knew how much you like it so specially allowed you to come. Little girl, your grandpa emperor is still quite nice to you."

"Of course he is; after all, one must take into account that my great-grand aunt grandmother, great-aunt grandmother, aunt grandmother and aunt have all married into the royal family, right How can this uncle emperor not be nice to his niece" Yun Qianyue saw Night Qingran and her pent-up anger dissipated instantly. She smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Haha! If you tell grandpa emperor that, he won't know how to react!" Night Qingran laughed heartily; after sizing up Yun Qianyue, he frowned and asked, "Why have you become so skinny I heard that you were learning how to read at Prince Rong’s residence with the weakling beauty. Does he starve you"

After saying this, Night Qingran glanced inside the carriage; Yun Qianyue blocked his view and he did not see Rong Jing.

"You've also become skinny! Does the Military Affairs Bureau not give you food either" Yun Qianyue looked back at Rong Jing who was still leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, motionless. She turned her head to look at Night Qingran in tight-fitting clothing and asked jokingly, "Are you planning to participate today To compete for that martial champion title"

"I don't want to talk about the food at the Military Affairs Bureau; this little prince finds it hard to swallow every day. It's not surprising I've become skinny!" Night Qingran mentioned the food at the Military Affairs Bureau with a look of disgust on his face. Hearing Yun Qianyue’s last sentence, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Of course! This year’s martial champion competition is full of experts. When did Heaven Saint City start to be full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers I haven’t returned to the capital in seven years; now that I’m back, naturally I have to show them a thing or two. This little prince certainly can't fall short!"

"I hope you can win it!" Yun Qianyue said with a smile.

"Of course! You just watch me take the sword and give it to you," Night Qingran said in a confident manner.

“What sword” Yun Qianyue asked.

"Fragrant Snow! One of Heaven’s three famous swords. It has been locked away in grandpa emperor's treasure room. This year, he used it as the prize. The sword is light and perfect for a woman. I will win it and give it to you," Night Qingran said.

"Good! You must be able to get it!" Yun Qianyue also wanted to see one of Heaven's three famous swords up close; if Night Qingran really won it for her, she wouldn’t refuse.

"Hmm, I also feel that I can win this sword," Ye Qingran chuckled confidently. Seeing Yun Qianyue lying on the carriage and not moving, he waved at her, "What are you still sitting in the carriage for Come on, let's go inside! Where is the weak beauty Why hasn't she spoken up yet"

"He’s going crazy! Don’t mind him!" As Yun Qianyue said that, she stepped out of the carriage. Just as she was about to jump off the carriage, Rong Jing suddenly reached out and pulled her back. She lost balance and fell back onto the carriage with a loud cry. Her back felt slightly painful from the fall. She glared at Rong Jing angrily, "Why did you pull me"

Rong Jing didn’t look at her but leaned forward slowly and got off the carriage unhurriedly. As his feet touched the ground, he said in a gentle voice, "He’s going crazy!"

Yun Qianyue felt blood rushing to her head. She fell back onto the carriage from where she had half-rose up.

Ye Qingran burst out laughing, “Little girl, I told you that this weak beauty is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Look, you've suffered! Wasn't I right He's dark inside.”

Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran and said indifferently, "Xiangge will also participate in the Martial Champion competition this year. Are you sure that Suixue is yours" Ye Qingran’s face turned black immediately, “You bastard Rong Jing, are you deliberately provoking me”

Yun Qianyue lay on the carriage and looked at the roof of the carriage, recalling how Xiangge threw Ye Qingran out with a single move that night in Lingtai Temple. She was speechless. This black-hearted guy used Xiangge specifically to deal with Ye Qingran.

As she sighed, she heard Ye Qingran laughing again loudly, "Weak beauty, your plans might not work as you intended. I've already thought of ways to break that move in these few days. You can't do anything to me anymore! Hahaha..."

The saying goes, 'The higher the wall, the higher the ladder.' Yun Qianyue couldn’t describe this pair of people with words.

"Even if so, you might not win," Rong Jing said indifferently. He turned around and urged Yun Qianyue ruthlessly, "Are there carp fish baked in lotus leaf paper on the carriage board That’s why you don’t want to get up"

Yun Qianyue suddenly sat upright and pulled back the curtain and jumped down from the carriage with a resentful tone. "There are no carp fish baked in lotus leaf paper, I saw an entire carriage of black mushrooms growing on it, just thinking about pulling them out!"

Rong Jing raised his eyebrows and said sarcastically, "I have black mushrooms too. Do you want to pull them off for me"

"I'm afraid my hands will be poisoned. You can keep them," Yun Qianyue pounded on her clothes as if trying to shake something loose from it and huffed.

Rong Jing blinked his long eyelashes twice, didn’t continue talking and turned around to look ahead.

Yun Qianyue also looked ahead. In the distance was a garden enclosed by a three-zhang-high wall with an imposing plaque above its entrance that read 'Jiaochang'. Outside the wall were soldiers holding hooks and lances, guarding it so tightly that only one door in the center was left for people to enter or exit through. Someone was checking identities at the door.

Yun Qianyue shifted her gaze from the entrance. Not far away, many vehicles and horses had already been parked there. All were young men, ranging from about 13 years old to their late thirties. Everyone looked over this way now, most of them looking at Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing with admiration or worshipful gazes toward Rong Jing; the others gazed at her in amazement, bewilderment, disdain, and disgust. As for Ye Qingran, who was known as a little monster king, only a few dared to occasionally glance at him due to his intimidating aura.

Yun Qianyue scanned around but didn’t see anyone familiar so she turned her gaze away.

"Let’s go in!" Ye Qingran said to Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing.

The two nodded, about to take a step forward when at that moment, a carriage slowly arrived. Before it even stopped, the voice of Ye Tianqing sounded out, "I was originally going to pass by Cloud王府to pick up my sister Yue on the way here today and bring her along, but I didn’t expect Prince Jing to have beaten me to it and already picked her up. It looks like these past days you’ve been teaching each other and your feelings are very good"

When Yun Qianyue heard Ye Tianqing’s voice, she acted as if she hadn't heard him and continued walking forward.

Rong Jing stopped in his tracks and looked at Ye Tianqing’s carriage. He saw Ye Tianqing lift up the curtain of the carriage to reveal half his body. His dark gaze was fixed on Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue as he smiled faintly, "She’s a naughty girl who doesn’t listen, Prince Jing’s ruler is daily beaten down onto her hands. How could they have such great feelings Your Highness, don’t praise her anymore. She’s just a spoiled brat who will never amount to anything no matter how you teach her. Such great feelings are out of the question; she wishes to kill me right now."

Yun Qianyue stopped in her tracks and thought to herself, Is he not afraid that his tongue might fall off if he keeps lying like this His ruler has never been beaten down on my hands! She was locked up in his study for half a month during which I didn’t even see him once. That’s called teaching He did say one thing right though—how could she possibly have great feelings with someone who's second only to the number one person she hates, Ye Tianqing

"Oh" Ye Tianqing was startled and half of his dark gaze disappeared instantly as it shifted towards Yun Qianyue. Though he only saw a side profile, he could still see her clenching her teeth in anger as she glared at Rong Jing. He immediately smiled, “Sister Yue is indeed a bit naughty, but Prince Jing probably has too high expectations of her. Unlike other ladies, from young she disliked reading books and recognizing characters. Now that you're forcing her to learn, it's natural for her to reject it. I've seen her lose weight these days. If Prince Jing doesn’t care about her, there are still others who will.”

Yun Qianyue felt like puking at once and hoped Ye Tianqing wouldn't tell her that he was the one who cared for her; otherwise she might throw up.

"In ancient times, we had 'rise to practice dance upon hearing the roosters' crow', ‘hang a beam from the eaves above their heads’, ‘hang books on ox horns’, ‘carry firewood and study while walking’, ‘hold strategy books and read while sitting’, ‘let wheat grains flow by High Feng’s door’, ‘bind a mat made of rush to compile documents’, ‘dig a hole in the wall to steal light', 'read under the moonlight', 'put fireflies into a bag to make light' and so on. These examples are all more painful than just being beaten with a ruler for a few days. If she loses weight after only a couple of days of studying makes people feel pity, then by Prince Jing’s standards, it might be better if she doesn’t study at all and just remains an ignorant woman," Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue looked up to the sky.

The Night Tianqiong was taken aback for a moment, then he burst out laughing and said, "Indeed, the Prince of Jing is well-read. Only he can casually bring up these references. It's this prince who feels pity for Yue'er as she has endured much hardship, but I am far-sighted compared to him." Yun Qianyue wanted to vomit but couldn't do so. She wished Night Tianqiong wouldn’t disgust her!

"Prince Regent overestimates me!" Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue and smiled warmly without any arrogance.

"I wonder if Moon Sister has learned much of Prince Jing’s talents with his guidance" As Night Tianqiong spoke, he got out of the carriage and came to Yun Qianyue’s side. He tilted his head to her and asked very gently.

Yun Qianyue pretended not to hear or see him.

"When river ice freezes together, it's not due to one day's cold; when soil accumulates into a mountain, it's not done in an instant. She has been idle for years and only started learning today. Moreover, she is extremely lazy and unmotivated. How much do you think Prince Regent believes she can learn" Rong Jing’s soft voice was raised slightly as he lifted his eyebrows and asked Night Tianqiong the same question. When he saw Night Tianqiong turn around to look at him, he rubbed his forehead and sighed in frustration, "Even if Prince Jing is a man of great talent, there are some who are simply born stupid! It's truly a headache. Grandfather Yun has set a difficult problem for me, but hasn't Prince Regent seen that I too have lost weight"

Shameless! Is it possible to be more shameless Yun Qianyue’s face turned black. She hadn’t seen him in half a month since she had been at the Rong王府 (Palace). He didn't know where he went off to, but when he returned, he acted as if he taught her with great difficulty and hardship. How utterly despicable! If it weren’t for the many people around, she would have punched him right in the face.

Since Night Tianqiong’s arrival, his gaze had been on Yun Qianyue all along. Now that Rong Jing mentioned it, he saw that indeed, Rong Jing had lost weight too. He was originally slim to begin with, but now his appearance of emaciation was very obvious. He paused for a moment as the dark clouds in his eyes completely dissipated; then he smiled and said, "It looks like Moon Sister really has been causing Prince Jing much effort! Indeed, Prince Jing has lost weight."

"Not just slimming down—she's suffering!" Rong Jing sighed again.

Yun Qianyue was speechless. She continued to look up at the sky; she wished that the heavens would strike him dead with lightning!

"Then how much has Moon Sister learned Can she read and manage the household now" Night Tianqiong asked, smiling.

"Reading and managing the household should be possible, but sigh… Anyway, Prince Jing has already resigned from Grandfather Yun. He will never teach her again. I really can't teach her anymore; perhaps it’s best for Grandfather Yun to find someone else," Rong Jing sighed heavily as if in unprecedented despair.

"It's said that 'a woman without talent is virtuous.' As long as she can read and write, manage the household, that should be sufficient. In my opinion, Moon Sister doesn't need to learn more either. If Grandfather Yun still isn’t satisfied, Prince Jing has suffered enough; after this martial arts champion competition, I will take over teaching her. Since Moon Sister is his own person in the future, it’s better not to trouble Prince Jing anymore," Night Tianqiong said with a smile.

Rong Jing smiled without saying anything.

Yun Qianyue's face turned cold as she looked back at Night Tianqiong and said in a frosty voice, "Even if she can't learn, I don't need your help." Then she glared angrily at Ye Qingran who had been standing by watching the spectacle all along. She asked him, “Aren’t you done looking yet”

"Cough cough, I’m done!" Ye Qingran lightly coughed as he turned away.

“Did you find it amusing” Yun Qianyue asked.

"Um, cough cough… not really," Ye Qingran covered his mouth and coughed again while avoiding Yun Qianyue’s gaze.

“Then why are you still standing here Don’t just stand there,” Yun Qianyue huffed as she walked towards the training field.

Night Qingran immediately followed behind her.

The smiling expression on Night Tianqiong’s face froze, and he glared at Yun Qianyue walking forward. His thin lips curled into a frown; he thought that Yun Qianyue was becoming more audacious day by day. She had the nerve to show such disrespect in front of so many people today. He looked around with dark eyes as those nearby discreetly diverted their gaze or lowered their heads. Clenching his fist inside his sleeve, he then turned to Rong Jing who still appeared helpless and exasperated; suddenly, all his anger dissipated. If even Rong Jing couldn’t handle her, wouldn't it be natural for him to care about and not let go of someone like her Night Tianqiong’s dark expression lightened as he bowed politely toward Rong Jing, "Our father arrived at the training field early; we should probably enter now! Prince Jing invites you in!"

"Prince Regent please lead the way," Rong Jing smiled and nodded.

The two of them stepped forward almost simultaneously and entered the training ground together.

Yun Qianyue and Night Qingran arrived at the entrance of the training field, where people immediately bowed to them in greeting. As they were about to enter, an attendant named Lu Gonggong from the emperor’s side hurriedly came out from inside the training ground.

The moment he saw Yun Qianyue and Night Qingran as well as Rong Jing and Night Tianqiong behind them, he was overjoyed. He quickly bowed to all four of them and said respectfully, "Servant greets Prince Regent, Prince Jing, Young Lord Ye, and Miss Yun! The Emperor has been here since early morning waiting for you; hearing that the rest had not arrived yet, he sent servant out to check on you. Now that you have arrived, please enter quickly! The competition will begin at three quarters past nine!"

"Alright, inform Father I’ll be in shortly," Night Tianqiong nodded.

“Yes!” Lu Gonggong turned and hurried back inside again.

Yun Qianyue, Ye Qingran, Rong Jing, and Ye Tianqing entered the training ground one after another.

This training ground was quite spacious, covering several square miles of flat terrain. On the eastern side stood a pavilion where a row of tables and chairs were already set up; elegant figures could be seen moving around them. Two large yellow banners hung above the pavilion, marking it as the imperial ceremonial guard formation. Among these figures sat an elderly emperor in yellow robes atop the highest seat, standing out prominently. Behind him stood dozens of eunuchs, maidservants, and guards, making no doubt that this was indeed the current emperor of Heavenly Sovereign.

From where they were standing, Yun Qianyue could not clearly see the face of the elderly emperor.

Beneath the elderly emperor stood or sat around ten people. Among them, she vaguely saw her father, Cloud Prince; Fourth Prince Ye Tianyu in his imperial prince attire and jade belt; and Yun Muhuan in his green robe and brocade coat. She couldn't make out their expressions but could feel that everyone's gaze was directed towards the four of them.

Yun Qianyue shifted her eyes, surveying the facilities inside the training ground. A ten-zhang-square high platform stood a hundred meters below the pavilion, with arch columns reaching up to about three zhang above the ground level. Simple stone pillars encircled the high platform like what was described in books as a martial arts arena. Various long and short weapons were placed on the high platform: swords, spears, halberds, pikes, battle axes, maces, staves, lances, forks, hatchets, glaives, shields, bows, whips, sabers, truncheons, hammers, and grapples. It was evident that this would be the place for martial arts competition.

Yun Qianyue's eyes lit up at the sight of these ancient weapons. She asked Ye Qingran, "Hey, is your military camp also like this Are there such weapons there"

Ye Qingran snorted with disdain, "This is merely a fancy training ground for princes and noble sons to play around in; it's only occasionally used by the emperor uncle to test the martial skills of his princes. It’s only during the annual Martial Champion Grand Ceremony that this place comes into use. How can it compare to the military camp"

Yun Qianyue nodded, her eyes fixed on the weapons, "These weapons are excellent!"

"Just a few weapons! Little girl, don’t act as if you’ve never seen anything bigger than this. Wait until you visit the military camp’s armory one day; I’ll show you what true weaponry looks like," Ye Qingran said with another air of disdain.

Yun Qianyue was about to say "good" but swallowed it back instead.

"I was just saying that. Of course, I know the military camp is a place of great importance." Ye Qingran didn’t look at Ye Tianqing and turned to Yun Qianyue: “But there’s no need to visit the military camp. When you go to Prince Deying's residence one day, I’ll show you my treasure vault where I have many fine weapons."

Yun Qianyue’s eyes lit up again; Ye Qingran had a weapon room at home She turned her head to look at him. Ye Qingran winked at her and she immediately smiled and nodded, "Okay! I’ll visit your place one day to see your treasure vault."

Ye Tianqing frowned but said no more. As was expected of someone who loved collecting weapons since childhood, it was unsurprising that Prince Deying had his own small treasure vault. He also couldn't stop Yun Qianyue from visiting.

Ye Qingran happily raised an eyebrow.

Rong Jing calmly glanced at the duo and then lowered his eyelashes behind them.

The four of them were silent as they walked towards the pavilion.

As they drew nearer, Yun Qianyue could finally see the elderly emperor's face. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed; this elderly emperor was just an imposing old man. His appearance bore no resemblance to what ancient books described as a majestic and outstanding imperial figure with dragon-like features. The wide dragon robe he wore looked odd on his thin, dry body except for his sharp and spirited eyes. If he were dressed in rags instead of the robe, she wouldn’t think twice about him being a beggar rather than the ruler of Heavenly Sovereign.

However, as they say, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Yun Qianyue well understood this saying; one couldn’t assess someone based on their appearance. If he were truly like what he looked like, how could he have ruled the vast Heavenly Sovereign Empire for over twenty years without being swallowed up by small neighboring countries Thus, her disappointment was fleeting as she lowered her head and followed Ye Qingran onto the pavilion.

"Haha, Little Moon, why are you so ladylike today Usually, when you see such a setting and given your love for martial arts, you’d be jumping with joy to come before me. Has this really been due to Viscount Jing’s guidance these days that has changed our little Lady Yun" the elderly emperor said cheerfully as they approached.

Yun Qianyue paused in her steps, realizing she had perhaps overacted for this character's usual demeanor; how could she quietly walk up like this She composed herself and was about to speak when...

"Uncle Emperor, you didn't know This little girl lost her martial arts skills and is now feeling upset that she can’t compete with the men of Heavenly Sovereign. How would she be so quiet otherwise" Ye Qingran said with a smile.

“Oh Is it like that, Little Moon” The elderly emperor looked at Yun Qianyue, his brows raised, sharp eyes fixing on her.

A chill ran through Yun Qianyue’s heart; indeed, one couldn’t judge by appearance. She pursed her lips and her eyes immediately filled with a look of grievance as she slowly lifted her head to pout at Ye Qingran angrily: "You know I’m feeling upset and miserable, yet you still say it out loud." Then she looked up at the elderly emperor on the upper seat, resentfully complaining: "It’s all because Uncle Emperor doesn’t care for me and colludes with my grandfather to make me learn characters every day. How could Viscount Jing teach me well It's sheer torture; his ruler has swollen my hands."

———

A vote of confidence from you is my spiritual sustenance, so don't starve me of it or I'll lose strength (⊙_⊙).en I heard about Miss Yun’s situation today, I ran madly to the gate of the ancestral hall. So I came here to beg you for help…" Ke’er's voice was urgent and she almost cried.“How did Madam Feng find...