Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

The Wing King was imprisoned in his mansion, and everyone became increasingly irritable.

He locked himself in his study and didn't come out for a full hour.

The servants waiting outside the study listened with trepidation to the sound of porcelain shattering inside.

One sound after another, crisp and short, like something being smashed piece by piece.

The butler stood at the door with a tea tray for a while, then silently turned and left.

He knew that going in at this moment would be suicide.

After smashing everything he could, Yi Wang stood amidst the broken porcelain on the floor, his hands braced against the table, panting heavily.

He lowered his head, his hair ornament was askew, and a few strands of hair fell down, obscuring his forehead.

Only his bloodshot, sinister eyes were visible.

Those eyes were like two different people's eyes, the same gentle, smiling eyes he usually had in front of others.

He grabbed the teapot from the table and took a big gulp from the spout.

The tea was cold; it had been steeping for a whole morning and was bitter and astringent.

He gulped it down, as if it were wine, not tea.

From that day on, he never lacked a wine jug.

The teacups were replaced with wine pots, which he kept within easy reach day and night.

The Wing King's smile was still on his face, but beneath that smile, something restless, cold, and increasingly difficult to conceal began to seep out.

Like a perfectly lacquered porcelain vase, which has been struck and developed its first crack.

The Wing King felt that being confined to his quarters was a great humiliation.

What they didn't know was that this confinement was, in effect, what saved his life.

He thought he was a prince, so what if Xiao Fang touched his tail?

He had even planned to take the life of the Prince of Zhenbei before. Even if he failed, what could they do to him?

Yun Shuwen's good days lasted less than twenty days before they came to an end.

That evening, Yun Shuwen came out of the side room, intending to go to the study to find Prince Yi and discuss the recent political situation.

To be a good advisor, he needs to demonstrate his own insights.

He heard a sound when he reached the corner of the corridor.

It was one of the Prince Yi's personal guards, standing at the door of the study, reporting to the Prince Yi in a low voice.

"...We've found out everything. Yun Shuwen is at the estate..."

In front of everyone, Madam Qin declared that she no longer recognized him as her son and had him thrown out.

Xiao Fang never acknowledged him as his brother-in-law, and every time he saw him, he would take action, claiming it was to avenge the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess was even more outrageous; she wouldn't let him be saved even when he fell into the water and was nearly drowning, saying that she only had her mother as family anymore.

Yun Shuwen stood behind the corner, her back pressed against the cold wall, not daring to move.

The Wing King's voice came from the study, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, as if he were commenting on something unrelated to himself.

"interesting.

I thought he was Qin's biological son, and that he could at least pry open a crack in the Qin family's defenses.

I never expected Madam Qin to be so ruthless, even sacrificing her own son.

Guardian Way:

"Your Highness, this man seems to be of no use."

The Qin family doesn't recognize him, and neither does Xiao Fang. He can't even enter the estate, let alone access the Qin family's businesses.

Staying in the manor would probably just mean being a freeloader.

The study was quiet for a moment.

Yun Shuwen clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

He wanted to rush in and say that wasn't true, that his mother was just angry for a moment and would forgive him sooner or later.

But his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he couldn't take a single step.

The Wing King's voice rang out again, unhurried and even with a hint of amusement.

"Never mind, let's just keep it for now."

This king doesn't need his few meals or a few taels of silver.

Some chess pieces are for immediate use, while others are for future use.

He may seem useless now, but who knows?

Who knows, it might come in handy someday.

The guard responded with a "Yes" and withdrew.

Yun Shuwen hurriedly shrank back behind the corner, barely daring to breathe.

Only after the guards' footsteps faded into the distance did he lean limply against the wall, like a fish whose bones had been removed.

The Wing King said he was a pawn.

They said to keep it for now, it might come in handy later.

That night, Yun Shuwen lay on the bed in the side room, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Cuiqiao was fast asleep beside her, her breathing even and deep.

He stared at the top of the tent, the words of the Wing King replaying in his mind.

"Who knows, it might come in handy someday."

A voice inside him was comforting him: What's wrong with the chess pieces?

The fact that the prince could use him as a pawn means he still has some use to him.

If you're useful, you'll have food to eat, clothes to wear, and shelter from the wind and rain.

But there was another voice in his heart, cold and sharp, like a fine needle pricking the place he least wanted to touch.

His mother really didn't want him anymore.

My sister really doesn't want him anymore.

In the eyes of the Wing King, his only value was his blood relation with the Qin family.

He's too ashamed to go to the Qin family now; he's almost lost even the right to be a pawn.

Yun Shuwen turned over, buried her face in the pillow, and forced herself not to think about it.

He didn't think about it for long, because after that, the Wing King never summoned him alone again.

For the first few days, he didn't realize anything was wrong.

The prince is very busy and can't chat with him every day, but he can wait.

Five days later, he took the initiative to go to the study to request an audience, but the guard blocked the door and said something expressionless.

"His Highness is in a meeting; please return to your room to rest, Young Master Yun."

Undeterred, he waited two more days before going to see him again.

This time, the guards didn't even bother to change their excuses and simply said, "The prince is not here."

not there?

He clearly saw that the Prince of Yi's carriage was parked in the mansion and had not gone out even once.

Yun Shuwen finally realized something belatedly: he had fallen out of favor.

He found the word laughable when it popped into his head.

He, the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo's family, actually had to worry about falling out of favor.

Like a concubine waiting to be favored in the backyard.

But that's just how it is.

In the Prince Yi's mansion, the Prince Yi's attitude was the weathervane; whichever way the wind blew, the people below would lean in that direction.

The first to change were the two concubines.

Cuiqiao was alright; although she wasn't as attentive as before, she still maintained a certain level of politeness on her face.

She continued to serve tea and water as usual, but she no longer took the initiative to go into his room.

The red silk is much more straightforward.

One day, Yun Shuwen asked her to fetch a basin of hot water. She rolled her eyes and said, "I'm busy right now."

He turned and left, and only returned slowly after about half an hour, carrying a basin of lukewarm water.

When I put it on the table, half a basin of water spilled out.

Yun Shuwen was so angry that her face turned pale. She wanted to curse at her, but she swallowed the words back.

It's not that he's afraid to curse, it's that he suddenly realized, what good would it do if he did curse?

Should he complain to the butler? Would the butler stand up for him?

He didn't dare to try.

Then comes Moon Silver.

The previous one hundred taels of silver will be delivered on time.

But this month it's completely gone.

Yun Shuwen went to find the accountant, but the accountant didn't even look up as he fiddled with the abacus beads.

"The manor's expenses have been high lately, and the prince has many social engagements, so everything is being expended. Please wait a little longer."

"How long is 'wait a little longer'?"

Yun Shuwen couldn't help but raise her voice.

The accountant finally looked up and glanced at him.

There was no reverence, no guilt, not even impatience in that gaze.

It was a look of disdain, as if to say:

You do no work, you don't make any contributions, you eat and live for free and still complain about not having enough money.

"That's hard to say."

The accountant lowered his head again, and the abacus beads clattered away.

"If you really can't wait, why don't you go and talk to the Prince yourself?"

Yun Shuwen turned and left.

Of course, he dared not tell the prince.

Finally, there are the servants.

In the past, when he went to the kitchen to order food, the chef would ask him with a big smile what flavor he wanted.

Would you prefer something lighter or richer and darker? Should we pair it with a pot of wine?

Now that he's gone, the cook doesn't even look up, just throws out a few words.

"All the dishes are prepared today, there's nothing extra."

They just brushed him off like that.

If Yun Shuwen persisted, the other party would reply sarcastically.

"If Young Master Yun really wants to eat, why don't you go out to a restaurant?"

"You can find anything outside."

He has no money left to eat out.

He only had thirty taels of silver left in his pocket, which was left over from last month.