Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Liu Yun'er stumbled and crawled to find Xiao Lie, crying miserably.

"Your Highness, those rumors outside are trying to drive me to my death. I was bestowed upon me by His Majesty himself. How could I be such a despicable person who came from a brothel?"

"Besides, I gave myself to you, Your Highness, for the first time. Don't you know whether I'm innocent or not?"

"The rumors have spread out of nowhere and are coming on strong. It must be that some despicable person is jealous of my favor and wants to frame me. I beg Your Highness to see clearly and not be blinded by the filth of these villains."

Liu Yun'er cried her heart out, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. If Xiao Lie hadn't known the details beforehand, he probably would have been completely deceived by her pitiful and beautiful face.

Xiao Lie tenderly helped her up from the ground, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips, and spoke with pity.

"Yun'er's crying breaks my heart."

Liu Yun'er's eyes darted around, and she gently pressed herself against Xiao Lie's heart, her demeanor both delicate and resilient.

"As long as Your Highness is willing to believe in me, I will not feel wronged."

These past two days, Liu Yun'er had been thinking things over and over, and she concluded that the only person who might harm her was the Princess Consort of the side courtyard. That wretched woman couldn't stand her being favored, so she was thinking of using this method to frame her, but how could she let that wretched woman have her way?

Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she timidly tugged at the young man's sleeve, hesitating.

"It's alright if my reputation is tarnished. Someone as lowly as me is not worth pity. What I'm worried about is the young master. If I really have such a shameful background, wouldn't I be dragging him down for nothing and making the Duke's mansion a laughing stock in the eyes of outsiders?"

"Furthermore, I was bestowed upon you by His Majesty. For these people to say such things is to slap His Majesty in the face. If His Majesty is angry and investigates this matter thoroughly, it may implicate the Heir Apparent and the Duke's Mansion."

Xiao Lie lifted her chin with a finger. "Oh, how so?"

Liu Yun'er hesitated for a moment, then bit her lower lip and had to speak.

"I have just arrived at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. How could I have any enemies? I think it is probably my existence that has displeased my elder sister. If my elder sister is dissatisfied with me, she will naturally be dissatisfied with the young master, and even with His Majesty..."

"It's one thing for her to be jealous of me, but she has tarnished my reputation. She is the wife of the Duke's heir. If she angers His Majesty, I'm afraid the heir and the Duke's mansion will be..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Lie's eyes.

He had initially thought Liu Yun'er was foolish, but he hadn't expected her to be quite clever, actually knowing to invoke His Majesty's name. Under normal circumstances, Xiao Lie might have actually done as she said, but he was the one who started this trouble, and even the maids whispering under the latticed window and the gossipy women inside and outside the mansion were all part of his scheme.

His Majesty bestowing upon a beauty is an honor. He used to be a dissolute man who frequented brothels, so how could he refuse such a favor? He might even take her out of the mansion to show her off.

Neglecting her is unacceptable, as it would damage the royal family's reputation and invite gossip. However, if the beauty herself has flaws, that's a different story.

After rewarding his meritorious officials, the emperor bestowed upon a former courtesan. What is this if not an insult? To put it nicely, His Majesty was deceived by his subordinates; to put it bluntly, the emperor deliberately humiliated her, showing his narrow-mindedness.

This is not the sign of a wise ruler!

Therefore, Xiao Lie deliberately provoked the two to fight. Firstly, it gave him an excuse to neglect Liu Yun'er; secondly, the two would have less energy to do other bad things while fighting; and thirdly, it also gave the emperor a hard time, thus gaining prestige for his Zhenguo Duke's Mansion.

Even if the ruler is not wise, if the ministers can endure humiliation and swallow their pride, then they are loyal and virtuous ministers. After a few more days, the people's hearts will naturally turn towards them.

A hint of a smile flashed in Xiao Lie's eyes, but he put on a skeptical expression and spoke hesitantly.

"The Crown Princess and I have been at odds for a long time, so why would she be jealous and target you? This must be a misunderstanding."

"Besides, Wan'er... she used to be kind-hearted. In truth, these days she has become extreme and acted out of line, mostly because she hates me, the young master. But that's not her true nature. Don't let some rumors outside make you prejudiced against her."

Liu Yun'er raised her head in disbelief, as if she were looking at a thousand-year-old tortoise or a ten-thousand-year-old turtle.

In the past, the Duke's son would fawn over Lin Wan'er, often drawing ridicule. Now, with Lin Wan'er's frequent scandals and the two in a cold war, it seems like they are about to break up. Outsiders think that this Duke's son, who used to be like a lapdog, has finally regained his manly spirit and become tough.

But now, judging from his words, he seems to be quite protective of Lin Wan'er and even has some lingering affection for her.

What an amazing turtle!

Liu Yun'er's eyes widened.

"Your Highness, Lin Wan'er has already done such a shameless thing as having an affair, what kind of good person could she be?"

Xiao Lie's face turned cold. "How dare you speak disrespectfully to the mistress in front of me! I think you are completely ignorant of etiquette."

"Guards, take Aunt Liu back to Qiutong Courtyard. She will be confined to her quarters for three days to reflect on her mistakes and copy the Heart Sutra fifty times. Without my permission, she is not to step out of the house."

As soon as he finished speaking, two guards stepped forward and reached out, intending to forcibly remove Liu Yun'er. If she refused, they would have no choice but to resort to force.

Liu Yun'er bit her lip, swallowing her grievances, and reluctantly followed the guards.

Back at Qiutong Courtyard, she bit her lip in resentment, filled with jealousy and hatred.

"She's seduced other men, yet she still manages to keep the young master in his thoughts. I think her seductive skills are truly top-notch; she probably can't even compare to the top courtesan in the brothel."

Liu Yun'er opened the dressing case, but suddenly noticed a lustrous pearl mixed in with the dazzling jewelry. Her pupils contracted sharply, becoming pinpoints.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she quietly closed the doors and windows, then crushed the pearl with a heavy object. The thin, translucent pearl shell shattered instantly, revealing the note inside.

Liu Yun'er slowly unfolded it, and there was a sentence written on it.

Do not get caught up in jealousy and rivalry, and forget the secret order.

Liu Yun'er's expression froze, her cheeks burning with pain.

She tore the note to shreds, snorted coldly, and gritted her teeth inwardly.

If she doesn't gain the Crown Prince's trust, how can she complete the secret mission? That person is really talking without understanding the situation.

"I... am destined to be the most favored woman in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and even Lian Wan'er can forget about surpassing me."

Although the Crown Prince favored Lin Wan'er this time, he seemed to intend to let the matter drop.

But as the victim, she naturally couldn't admit it so easily.

Lin Wan'er, just wait and see.

Meanwhile, in the West Garden, upon learning that Liu Yun'er had been confined to her quarters to reflect on her mistakes, Lin Wan'er put down her pen and laughed heartily.

"That bitch, does she really think Xiao Lie is some kind of good person? Let's see how you'll flaunt your power in front of me after your reputation is ruined."

Lin Wan'er was delighted. She took out a sum of her private money and instructed Chunxue to tell the servants to speak louder and louder so that as many people as possible would know.

Chunxue responded and respectfully left.