d chain”“Big fish eat small fish; small fish eat shrimp; shrimp eat purple mud. As you can see these seven big fish have eaten many smaller ones, who in turn ate countless shrimps which themselves con...Volume 1: Smiling at the World of Splendor Chapter 6

After Li Yun finished speaking, dozens of people in the garden fell silent. All eyes turned to the Crown Prince.

Liu Yun also looked at the Crown Prince. Although she had just arrived a moment ago, from the back-and-forth conversations between everyone present, she could guess what happened almost entirely. It seemed that someone took advantage of Yun Qianyue's infatuation with the Crown Prince and deliberately spread the news that he went to Wang Chun Tower. Naturally, Yun Qianyue couldn't bear her beloved man entering such a place, so she went after him, only to face rejection at Wang Chun Tower or even further provocation, leading her to impulsively burn down Wang Chun Tower in anger...

Such an incident seemed simple on the surface but likely concealed a colossal conspiracy behind it. The target wasn't necessarily Yun Qianyue herself; rather, it could be aimed towards the Cloud Manor or the Crown Prince, who was closely linked to this body. What would be the consequences if the Crown Prince saved her And what if he didn't

At this thought, a cold smile broke through the anger in Li Yun's eyes for an instant before vanishing just as quickly. She felt like grass growing between cliffs; it wouldn’t be easy to fall off either way! She would see whether the Crown Prince chose to save her or not.

The Crown Prince froze momentarily, his handsome face shifting repeatedly, and his deep phoenix eyes became increasingly enigmatic as he remained silent. Clearly, he was in a state of inner conflict.

Li Yun didn't rush him; she continued glaring at the Crown Prince with a look of anger, remorse, profound sadness, and disappointment that grew more intense the longer he stayed silent. She excelled at portraying such emotions convincingly, making it impossible for anyone to tell they were fake.

The guards escorting Li Yun also dared not move around recklessly. After all, the one they were holding was no ordinary person; she was the only legitimate daughter of the Cloud王府, destined to marry the Crown Prince and become empress in the future. If they weren't careful, their lives would be at risk.

"The Heavenly Saint Dynasty has been established for a hundred years since its founding emperor. From the very beginning, there have been high hopes placed on the Cloud王府. The women of this family possess both virtue and talent, with excellent character and conduct, having received imperial education from an early age, adhering strictly to propriety without compromising even slightly. They truly set a fine example for all girls."

The Crown Prince's expression returned to normal after a long silence. He slowly spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion, not even glancing at Li Yun’s disappointed gaze.

Li Yun felt her heart sink, thinking this man was truly ruthless and indeed worthy of being the heir to the throne.

The empress's eyes seemed to darken slightly. Her beautiful gaze never left the Crown Prince as she waited for him to continue speaking.

The Fourth Prince’s expression flickered with a mysterious, enigmatic smile tugging at his mouth corner as he watched the Crown Prince in silence.

Others like Princess Qingwan and those women dressed in pink and green revealed expressions of delight. They were all intelligent people who naturally understood what the Crown Prince's words meant: As the legitimate daughter of the Cloud王府, Yun Qianmo was a disgrace to virtue and morality, with moral deficits. How could she be an exemplary model for girls Everyone feared her as if she were venomous snakes, regarding her with shame! Such a person couldn't possibly marry into the Crown Prince’s household or become empress and set an example for all under heaven.

"Therefore, there was a decree from the Sage Ancestor Emperor that every successive Empress of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would come from the Cloud王府. This is indeed a great honor bestowed upon the Cloud王府 by the Sage Ancestor Emperor, who believed they were capable of nurturing virtuous women."

The Crown Prince remained unusually composed under Li Yun’s gaze and spoke slowly. Soon, his tone turned slightly colder as he continued, "However, even with all the wisdom and insight of the Sage Ancestor Emperor, it was impossible to foresee events a hundred years later. He certainly never imagined that such an unvirtuous woman would emerge from the Cloud王府, especially as its sole legitimate daughter. This is truly disappointing, and indeed a misfortune for our Heavenly Saint Dynasty."

While Li Yun was furious, she also unconsciously accepted more information that she didn't understand. It turned out that all the empresses throughout history were from the Cloud王府 (Cloud Mansion)!

Especially since her body was a legitimate daughter of the Cloud Mansion, it naturally made her the most suitable choice to marry into the Crown Prince's mansion and become the empress. However, she couldn't fathom why, if they knew that this body would eventually enter the palace, they would allow her to be educated from childhood as someone so stupid and infamous

"Since you are a child of the Cloud Mansion, you should emulate the conduct of our Heavenly Saint's empresses throughout history. You should behave with decorum, uphold your dignity, treat others generously, show compassion for the weak, or how else would you be able to rule as the mother of the empire I have always wondered how my maternal grandfather could let it come to this and still indulge you so much—this is truly perplexing," said the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing these words, Li Yun was even more confused. The Crown Prince's 'maternal grandfather' referred to the empress’s father, her own grandfather Did that old man really spoil her so much that it led to this situation where she had no sense of restraint Otherwise, how could he not know about the responsibility her body carried to enter the palace This was not indulgence but harm!

Or perhaps another way to think about it: could she not be his real grandson That wouldn't make sense either. If she weren’t his actual grandson, countless pairs of eyes would have been watching her since childhood—how could anyone possibly pass off a fake as the truth

Li Yun felt a headache from thinking too much and decided to stop speculating. It seemed that the Crown Prince was determined to abandon her. What was urgently needed now was figuring out how to extricate herself from this situation. She had always known that relying on others wasn't as safe as relying on oneself. After coming back to life with so much difficulty, she cherished her life and didn’t want to die without experiencing anything—this would be too unfair to the effort it took to come here.

"If we don’t handle Moon Sister appropriately, I truly fear that she might commit even more outrageous acts in the future! Burning the Springview Tower yesterday, who knows what day will see her setting fire to this entire palace. So... although my heart aches for it, I still hope that Moon Sister will reform from now on." As the Crown Prince's eyes met Li Yun’s once again, his expression seemed to deliberate over his words before finally revealing a trace of pity. His gaze also showed a clear hint of pain as his voice dropped low when speaking to the empress: "But I still ask my mother on Moon Sister’s behalf—after all, this situation started due to me. Please don’t punish Moon Sister too severely; make an example out of her in a small way."

Li Yun inwardly scoffed at his speech which was nothing short of perfect. First he explained the dangers of not punishing her to the empress, and then pleaded on her behalf—yet throughout it all, he never explicitly said that she wouldn’t be imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice...

This Crown Prince is indeed a remarkable person!

The Empress seemed to have anticipated the Crown Prince's reaction and showed no surprise at his words. After listening, she assumed a sorrowful expression and lowered her head without speaking. She then glanced back at Li Yun for a moment; a trace of pity flickered across her phoenix-like eyes. Suddenly closing them briefly before reopening them, her countenance returned to its dignified severity. "What my son says is right," she declared firmly. "She has grown even more arrogant and lawless, relying on the favor of the Cloud王府 and this Empress. Yesterday it was burning down the Wàngchūn Tower; who knows when she might set fire to the imperial palace next Out of pity for her deceased mother, I have always favored her greatly, but little did I think such favor would foster this arrogant nature in her."

The Empress's words were filled with disappointment and indignation, ringing clear and authoritative. Pausing briefly, she continued, "With hundreds of lives lost in this case, it has truly chilled my heart. If I do not punish her, how can I befit the title of Empress Mother How could I face my role as her aunt or the Emperor's benevolent rule and the people's trust And what about disgracing the Cloud王府 through her actions For all these reasons, there are countless justifications for me to have her imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, awaiting the Emperor’s judgment!"

"Mother..." The Crown Prince looked at the Empress with a grave expression, seemingly intending to plead on Li Yun's behalf.

The Fourth Prince sneered at his brother but did not say a word.

"There is no need for my son to continue," the Empress waved her hand, cutting off the Crown Prince decisively. "As the future Emperor, you must fulfill the hopes of His Majesty and our Heavenly Sage Dynasty. You cannot be overly compassionate or sentimental like a woman. Otherwise, how can you succeed him in ruling the empire If Moon兒 (Li Yun) is so unruly that she commits such grave offenses and you plead for her, you are harming her rather than helping her. After this lesson, if she reforms herself, she will understand your and my intentions today!"

Damn it! Upon hearing the Empress's words, Li Yun was rendered speechless!

Originally, I thought the Crown Prince was already highly skilled. Now it seems that the Empress is no less impressive! Indeed, those who live in the palace are not ordinary people! The reason why the Empress can still sit on her throne without being deposed must be due to her abilities. Those who want to bring down the Crown Prince may also be numerous. These two individuals have managed to survive amidst open and covert attacks; they truly are remarkable!

Especially when these words serve as bloodless knives, one repeatedly calls for punishment but still pleads for mercy on her behalf, while another speaks with all the grace of a queen, saying she is doing it for her own good even after sentencing her to death...

In this moment, I can't help but admire Empress Li Yun. What does shamelessness mean This is what it means! She really should learn from this!

“Take her away immediately!” The Empress abruptly changed the tone of her voice and looked at the two guards holding Li Yun with a stern expression, “Put her in the Imperial Prison under the Ministry of Justice, and make sure she is well guarded until His Majesty decides on her fate.”

“Yes, Your Highness the Empress!” The two immediately responded and led Li Yun out again.

“I will rescue you. Don’t be afraid!” Prince Si’s voice, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, entered Li Yun's ears.

Li Yun's eyes flickered slightly but she remained silent. Anyone can make promises, only those who keep them count! She hasn't reached the point where she trusts everyone. If she were to resist now, this is the Imperial Palace, and not complying with the Empress’s orders would likely be a greater offense for her at present. The Imperial Guards would certainly act together against her. As a newcomer here, unfamiliar with the palace, it might be impossible for her to escape...

It seems that she will have to endure this prison sentence today! She could also use this opportunity to see if the ancient Ministry of Justice prison is more secure than the Safety Bureau. She can just observe and wait for any changes. If someone manages to rescue her, then it's fine. But if no one does, she'll think of another plan!

Li Yun felt aggrieved but realized there was nothing else she could do! So she didn't resist and quietly let the guards escort her out.

The viewing platform was quiet, with dozens watching this scene. Many women wore joyful expressions. With one major rival gone in their bid for the Crown Prince's favor, how could they be unhappy Even if Yun Qianyue could escape alive from the Ministry of Justice, it seemed that the position of Crown Princess would no longer be within her grasp. And how could they possibly let her live

The Crown Prince and Empress felt surprised by this situation; Yun Qianyue was so unusually calm today and had not caused a scene. They exchanged glances, both thinking she must truly have been frightened by the sudden change!

The Fourth Prince sensed that something was off with Yun Qianyue today but couldn't explain it. He glanced at Empress and Crown Prince before lowering his head and pondering.

"Haha, I won!" Suddenly a light male voice broke the silence, sounding cheerful and pleasant. Soon after came the sound of someone pushing over a chessboard, with pieces clattering to the ground, followed by two pieces flying towards Li Yun. In an instant, two guards carrying her cried out in pain on either side as she fell, then the sound of clothes rubbing against a table could be heard from not far behind her. Someone seemed to have stood up and walked toward her while lightly pacing and chuckling: "Sister Moon truly has my style back then! That filthy place, Spring Welcoming Pavilion, should burn to ashes! It burned well indeed! From what I see, Sister Moon did nothing wrong but instead greatly contributed to the cause! When I set fire to Red Sleeve Manor, Uncle Emperor praised me a lot!"

—— Words from outside the story ——d chose Fushou Mountain outside the northern city walls as the venue.Fushou Mountain was located twenty li north of the northern city. The mountain's shape resembled a giant Buddha, hence its name. Sp...