As a result, no one doubted Yue Hengyan’s words. Subsequently, the onlookers’ gazes toward Qiu Liuyue grew increasingly strange. With Lin Jiarui’s example fresh in their minds, they couldn’t help but lean toward the idea that “Qiu Liuyue was delusional and mentally unstable.”
Lin Jiarui’s aloofness and Yue Hengyan’s forgetfulness deeply wounded Qiu Liuyue. In her eyes, these two men were supposed to be her devoted, lovesick supporting characters—how could they treat her this way? How could they stop loving her? It was impossible!
Repeatedly provoked, Qiu Liuyue grew increasingly frenzied, which only deepened the sympathy the crowd felt for Yue Hengyan and Lin Jiarui. Meanwhile, the Second Prince stood alone in a corner, arms crossed, his expression dark and unreadable, making it clear to anyone who saw him that he was in an extremely foul mood.
Others found this understandable—after all, given the circumstances, it would be strange if the Second Prince *weren’t* upset.
Thanks to the Consort’s high-profile efforts to select a principal wife, concubines, and consorts for the Second Prince, many already knew that Qiu Liuyue was one of the women she had chosen for him. While her exact future position remained uncertain, it was practically a foregone conclusion that she would eventually marry into the royal family.
And now, this scandal had erupted.
Though everyone knew this was only the first day Qiu Liuyue and the Second Prince had agreed to spend time together to foster their relationship, she had already been unofficially branded as “the Second Prince’s woman.” This scandalous affair was nothing short of dragging the Second Prince—and by extension, the entire imperial family’s dignity—through the mud.
No wonder the Second Prince looked so grim. Ironically, though, his mood wasn’t actually that bad.
While Qiu Liuyue’s disgraceful behavior had angered and displeased him, he was privately quite satisfied with the outcome.
After all, his woman (forced upon him by the Consort) had tarnished the imperial family’s reputation, which would inevitably reflect poorly on him. The conservative ministers would never approve of him now. Even if his mother’s faction tried to push him onto the throne in the future, this indelible stain on his name would ensure stiff opposition from those rigid officials. For the Second Prince, this was nothing short of a blessing in disguise.
The slimmer his chances of ascending the throne, the more secure his elder brother, the Crown Prince’s position would be. And that was exactly what he wanted.
Moreover, with his mother causing such a mess, the Emperor and the Empress now had ample reason to rein her in—and even target her family’s influence.
Not that the Second Prince felt any guilt over this. Blood ties aside, affection was something nurtured through time and interaction—and he shared little genuine warmth with his mother or her so-called “family.” In contrast, his bond with the Empress and the Crown Prince ran deep.
The Second Prince knew himself well. He had no desire for the throne, nor did he wish to labor under its burdens like his father.
Besides, what was so bad about being a carefree, idle royal? He was perfectly content with that life.
His elder brother, the Crown Prince, raised since childhood as the rightful heir and groomed for rulership, was far more suited to the role. Let the capable shoulder the responsibility—the Second Prince had no intention of competing. Unfortunately, his mother was stubbornly fixated on her own ambitions.
Previously, the Emperor and Empress had been somewhat constrained by her family’s influence. But now, his mother had handed them a weapon against herself. How could this not be a good thing?
With that thought, the Second Prince found himself bizarrely regarding Qiu Liuyue in a slightly favorable light.
He shook his head, dispelling the strange notion.
Since the incident involved a prince, the matter escalated quickly. Eventually, all parties involved—even the surrounding onlookers—were “summoned” for questioning. Chi Huai was no exception.
On the way, Chi Huai mused to himself: *I’d only wanted to enjoy a refreshing piece of gossip. Who knew this seemingly small, harmless melon would explode into such a colossal scandal, delivering such an unexpected surprise? Truly, life is full of surprises (and shocks)!*
Upon hearing the news, the Consort and the Duke’s expressions turned ashen. They scrambled to mitigate the fallout. Unfortunately for them, the shop where Qiu Liuyue had caused the scene was one of Chi Huai’s pastry stores—a favorite among nobles and high-ranking officials. Why else would Yue Hengyan and the others have gone there?
Given its clientele, the scandal spread like wildfire among the upper echelons. And because Qiu Liuyue had made such a spectacle, even commoners at the fringes of society caught wind of it.
Gossip about the aristocracy’s romantic entanglements was catnip to the idle masses, and the rumor mill churned at full speed. Fortunately, You Qi, wary of Chi Huai’s safety, had stationed men nearby. They reported the incident immediately, allowing swift containment before the rumors spiraled out of control.
A small mercy in an otherwise disastrous situation.
The Emperor massaged his temples, exhausted after a long day of state affairs. On top of the endless paperwork, he now had to deal with petty schemes from the inner palace. The fatigue was bone-deep.
With a weary sigh, he turned to his trusted advisor. “Minister You, what have you uncovered?”
You Qi stiffened slightly before silently handing over the investigation report. His silence spoke volumes, and the Emperor’s anger flared.
Though known for his benevolence, the Emperor was no pushover. His reign had brought prosperity to the Great Zhou precisely because he knew when to be ruthless. Qiu Liuyue’s actions had crossed a line—cuckolding a prince and defiling imperial dignity. Were it not for the need to maintain his composed demeanor, he would have erupted in fury.
Moreover, while he disliked the Consort, he was rather fond of his second son. The boy was self-aware, loyal, and free of ambition—qualities the Emperor, who had once fought his own brother for the throne, deeply appreciated. A son content to live idly as a royal was a rare blessing.
Pity such a fine son had such a foolish mother.
The Crown Prince, as heir apparent, was exemplary in every way—capable, composed, and diligent. Yet the Consort, driven by ambition, sought to destabilize the succession by pushing her own son forward. No wonder the Emperor held little affection for her.
Unlike the Empress, who had been his devoted partner since his days as Crown Prince, the Consort had been a political concession—a reluctant addition to the harem due to her family’s influence. Worse, her clan had initially backed his rival brother. Only her father’s last-minute defection and her brother’s military power had spared them from purges.
Yet the Consort remained oblivious (or willfully blind) to the Emperor’s disdain, stirring up endless trouble. Each time his beloved Empress suffered from her antics, the Emperor’s resentment grew.
He had long resolved to deal with the Consort’s family first—those opportunistic turncoats—before settling accounts with her. With her extensive list of transgressions, finding grounds for punishment would be effortless.
And now, just as things had quieted down, she’d orchestrated another disaster. Exhausting. But duty called, so after learning of the Qiu Liuyue debacle, the Emperor swiftly issued orders for damage control and tasked You Qi with a thorough investigation.
You Qi had been monitoring Qiu Liuyue for some time and was aware of her numerous romantic entanglements. However, his focus had been on her ties to subversive groups, so he’d paid little attention to her dalliances.
Distracted by other matters, he’d missed her involvement with the Second Prince—until it exploded into this scandal. Even he was taken aback.
In the end, he chose silence, compiling the evidence and presenting it to the Emperor.
Truthfully, while he’d known of Qiu Liuyue’s indiscretions, seeing them laid out in full was staggering. The sheer scale of her exploits left even the well-informed You Qi stunned.
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