My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 22: Did I Say He Was Slandering?

　　After a long moment, he sat down on the vermillion and gold lacquered chair, and responded faintly, “Mm.”

　　It was his answer to her earlier question about whether his journey had been safe and well.

　　Yun Ling breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of her eyes curving slightly. Taking a warm pear soup from a young eunuch behind her, she stepped forward to serve him. “I heard about the great victory in Jiangzhou a few days ago, and I was overjoyed. I thought Your Highness would be returning soon, so I had people start preparing for your welcome, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. Many things aren't ready yet. It's entirely my fault.”

　　“Thinking that Your Highness must be tired and parched from your long journey, I had some pear soup prepared.”

　　Xie Jue took the bowl and tasted two sips, then casually set it down.

　　He didn't seem particularly interested.

　　Yun Ling, of course, hadn't come to chat idly. He'd been away from the capital for two months, and the entire palace had been left in her hands. She meticulously reported on all important matters of the inner court.

　　While the affairs of the harem are separate from the court, and may seem like merely the domain of women, they should absolutely not be underestimated.

　　The old Emperor, clinging to life by a thread, is beyond recovery, sustained only by medicine and a faint breath. The court and the harem are now entirely under the Prince's control.

　　Yun Ling naturally wanted to manage the palace well for him. Luckily, during his two-month absence, she had successfully managed the harem's affairs in an orderly manner without any mistakes.

　　Except for one thing…

　　Composing herself, Yun Ling continued to report on some of the important matters of the harem.

　　The Crown Prince looked at the report in his hand, his head not lifting, only occasionally giving a cold response.

　　Before long, Yun Ling finished her report and stopped.

　　With her voice gone, the hall fell silent, eerily empty.

　　After two months apart from the Crown Prince, she found herself momentarily uncomfortable, unsure what further words of flattery or appeasement to offer.

　　The sky was darkening outside, and Yun Ling, thinking he must be tired, decided that staying longer would only be a disturbance, so she politely took her leave.

　　“Your Highness has journeyed far; you should rest early.”

　　Xie Jue finally looked up, his expressionless face a mask. “Is that all?”

　　Yun Ling replied, “Yes.”

　　As soon as she finished speaking, a eunuch in a dark-colored court uniform quickly strode in. He was of medium height, not young—perhaps forty or so—but his steps were brisk and agile. He reached the center of the hall, prostrated himself, and said, “This old servant greets His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

　　It was Li Youfu.

　　Having learned of the Crown Prince's return, he had rushed here in the dead of night.

　　Xie Jue asked, “What is it?”

　　“This old servant heard of Your Highness's great victory and has come to offer congratulations on your triumphant return,” Li Youfu said, raising his head. His gaze swept over Yun Ling beside the Crown Prince; a fleeting, malicious smile flickered in his eyes before he quickly resumed his respectful tone. “And there's also another matter. The day before yesterday, this old servant finally uncovered traces of the Empress and Grand Master Yan Bo's party communicating with palace servants... but…”

　　Purging the remnants of the rebellious faction wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. Li Youfu was a fence-sitter, a shrewd individual. He had surprisingly pledged his allegiance to Xie Jue even before the rebellion.

　　Furthermore, he had been a close confidant of the Empress, privy to many of her secrets and schemes. Now serving the Crown Prince, he was a useful man.

　　Seeing his hesitation, Xie Jue impatiently pressed, “But what?”

　　Li Youfu immediately knocked his head against the ground, trembling slightly. “It's just that this old servant finds it difficult to operate within the palace and hasn't been able to continue the investigation.” He cautiously glanced at Yun Ling before adding, “Miss Yun Ling manages the affairs of the inner palace with such dedication and effort. This old servant wouldn't dare to speak further.”

　　“Miss Yun is still young, and handling the inner palace alone might lead to some overreach, causing dissatisfaction among others. It's only natural. This old servant is merely acting on behalf of His Highness, and has absolutely no intention of competing with Miss Yun. But Miss Yun seems to have misunderstood, suppressing this old servant at every turn. My foster son, for some unknown reason, angered her and lost his life unjustly.”

　　Yun Ling lowered her eyes, “This old geezer, he's here to complain, of course.”

　　He didn't directly accuse her of killing Wang Dade, instead, he insinuated that she did it to gain power and compete with him, making a big show of it. This was meant to make the Crown Prince suspicious of her.

　　Xie Jue took a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

　　A long moment passed.

　　“Oh?”

　　He set down his teacup, slowly turning his head to look at Yun Ling. His deep eyes held an unreadable expression. He said lightly, “While I was away from the capital, you acted so recklessly?”

　　Yun Ling showed no alarm, bowing slightly. “Your Highness, I admit there's been a long-standing feud between Wang Dade and myself. I've longed to kill him, but for the sake of Your Highness's grand ambitions, I've suppressed my hatred and left him untouched.”

　　Xie Jue: “He's dead now.”

　　“Yes, he is dead. And it was I who killed him,” Yun Ling said calmly, without a hint of concealment.

　　Seeing this, Li Youfu cried out repeatedly, “Your Highness, look! She's so arrogant and overbearing, abusing her power to oppress an innocent man!”

　　Xie Jue gazed silently at Yun Ling.

　　“Because he killed my sister.”

　　Yun Ling lowered her head, her voice soft and melodious as she calmly explained, “Not only that, Wang Dade, a eunuch, abused his power through Eunuch Li, oppressing palace maids and corrupting the imperial court, leading to countless injustices and wrongful deaths. Such a man is a festering wound, a rotten tree – he deserved to die.”

　　“Your Highness entrusted me with a heavy responsibility, and I couldn't betray your trust by leaving someone like Wang Dade alive. While he was Eunuch Li's adopted son, he was also a close confidant of the late Empress. To eliminate a threat, one must remove the roots. Such a heavy act of killing would undoubtedly harm Your Highness's reputation. I am willing to be a sword in Your Highness's hand, clearing obstacles for you. Therefore, killing him was both for personal revenge and to cleanse the palace for Your Highness. But it was absolutely not, as Eunuch Li claimed, a power struggle.”

　　“All my actions stem from unwavering loyalty.”

　　She didn't hide her personal feelings; she confessed them openly.

　　Yet, she gave a clear and logical explanation for why she killed Wang Dade.

　　She had personal motives, but she was also wholeheartedly devoted to the Crown Prince.

　　Therefore, even if she was wrong to kill Wang Dade, Li Youfu couldn't find fault with her.

　　Li Youfu was truly furious. “Yun Ling, you have a silver tongue! You use the guise of loyalty to kill those you dislike and those who threaten your position, all to cover up your ambition for power. If Wang Dade truly did wrong, he should have been sent to the Department of Punishments. How can you kill him in private? Is there still any law?!”

　　Knowing she couldn't win against him, Yun Ling didn't answer, but instead asked,

　　“You're wrong, Eunuch Li. What power do I have to contend with you for?”

　　Li Youfu immediately laughed triumphantly. “Miss Yun, why bother denying it? You are a close confidante of His Highness, and I also serve His Highness. Both of us are highly valued and trusted by His Highness. Isn't it only natural for you to worry about and be wary of me?”

　　“You jest, Eunuch Li,” Yun Ling smiled back. “I've served His Highness through life and death, while you only recently pledged your allegiance. What is there to fear?”

　　“Furthermore, your loyalty isn't necessarily only to His Highness, is it?” Yun Ling glanced at Li Youfu, then suddenly stepped closer to Xie Jue, whispering in his ear, “Your Highness may not know this, but I've heard that in private, Eunuch Li has had dealings with the Third Prince!”

　　This kind of turncoat, having betrayed once, can certainly do it again. Whether there's evidence or not, it's enough to make people suspicious.

　　Li Youfu was shocked, his face flushed crimson with rage. “You're slandering me!”

　　He repeatedly kowtowed. “Your Highness, please discern the truth! I have absolutely no private dealings with the Third Prince. She is simply slandering me!”

　　Yun Ling didn't get up; instead, she leaned even closer to the Crown Prince, appearing almost intimate. “Your Highness, truly—”

　　Li Youfu saw Yun Ling, dressed in a female officer's uniform, beside the desk. Her delicate features, fair skin, and soft body leaned gently against the Crown Prince, only a hand's breadth away. The Crown Prince allowed her this familiarity without a word of rebuke. Overwhelmed by anger and distress, Li Youfu knelt on the ground, loudly proclaiming his innocence. “Miss Yun is slandering me! She uses the Crown Prince's favor to deceive and flatter, using false words to mislead. She is truly vicious and will surely bring disaster. Your Highness, you cannot condone this!”

　　As his words fell, the entire hall fell silent.

　　Silent as the dead of night.

　　Yun Ling stood up straight without showing any emotion, taking two steps back.

　　The Crown Prince, his expression calm and composed, his emotions unreadable, slowly raised his eyes.

　　The atmosphere in the hall was thick with tension and oppression, like a heavy, suffocating cloud.

　　Yun Ling claimed that the accusations of Li Youfu secretly colluding with the Third Prince were only hearsay, lacking concrete evidence. However, provoked to anger, Li Youfu actually said that the Crown Prince was bewitched by Yun Ling—this was the real transgression, a serious offense against Xie Jue!

　　She was originally just a lowly palace maid; how could he possibly have noticed her, much less be captivated by her?

　　Yun Ling knew Li Youfu wouldn't let her go, so for the past two months she had been discreetly investigating him. She learned that while he was generally smooth and shrewd, he was easily provoked.

　　Xie Jue's tone was even, his expression seemingly amiable, yet his eyes held the chilling coldness of a boundless night. “You mean to say that I’m an incompetent and tyrannical ruler, bewitched by a woman, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and have unjustly wronged you?”

　　Only then did Li Youfu realize he had spoken out of turn. His legs trembled uncontrollably, his head banging repeatedly against the stone floor. “Your Highness, forgive me! Your Highness, forgive me! I didn't mean it that way, Your Highness!”

　　Yun Ling's brows furrowed slightly. “How dare you, Eunuch Li, make such slanderous accusations! His Highness will naturally make his own judgment!”

　　Li Youfu's eyes widened in fury. “It's all because of you—”

　　“Silence!” A thin veil of fury covered Xie Jue's face. He had no patience for excuses. “Hasn't anyone told you that I hate excuses and justifications? You can't even handle a small matter; you are useless to me. Therefore…” He paused, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air, “...drag him away.”

　　He closed his eyes, speaking casually, “Beat him to death.”

　　Two guards quickly stepped forward and dragged Li Youfu, who was continuously begging for mercy, away.

　　Yun Ling unconsciously clenched her hands tightly.

　　Beaten... to death.

　　He had actually ordered him beaten to death!

　　She knew, of course, that although Li Youfu had pledged his allegiance early on, Xie Jue would never truly trust a turncoat. Keeping him around served two purposes: firstly, Li Youfu had deep roots in the palace after many years, and secondly, he possessed many secrets about the Empress. Therefore, Xie Jue had given Li Youfu a high position and treated him with favor, someone even she had to show respect to.

　　Naturally, Li Youfu became complacent.

　　He used the investigation as a way to frame her, unaware that Xie Jue despised those who deliberately shifted blame.

　　Furthermore, her willingness to kill Wang Dade was also because the Empress's hidden forces in both the harem and the court had been almost entirely eradicated, leaving Li Youfu with little remaining use. Therefore, she calculated that the Crown Prince wouldn't kill her for this.

　　Li Youfu, provoked by her, blurted out those words—words the Crown Prince absolutely could not tolerate. It was a grave offense. The high and mighty Crown Prince could never allow anyone to say he was infatuated with a mere palace maid.

　　Understanding even a sliver of the current Crown Prince's character was her greatest advantage.

　　The pleas for mercy faded into the distance, leaving the grand hall silent and empty.

　　Yun Ling withdrew her gaze.

　　She felt no pity for Li Youfu's fate. As a former lackey of the Empress, the amount of innocent blood on his hands was likely more than he could even count.

　　If not for Li Youfu's support, how would Wang Dade have dared to act so recklessly?

　　She hadn't expected the Crown Prince to order Li Youfu's immediate execution by beating.

　　She had thought, at most, he would only be reprimanded.

　　After all, although Li Youfu was smooth-talking, he was still considered useful.

　　But regardless, with him dead, the Wang Dade matter is closed.

　　Yun Ling slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

　　A cold, thin voice suddenly sounded above her. Xie Jue said indifferently, “I didn't know that you are so scheming now.”

　　Yun Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly.

　　She didn't know what he meant. Was he accusing her of killing Wang Dade or deliberately provoking Li Youfu?

　　It wasn't her first day knowing that he didn't play by the rules. If he was displeased, no matter how many reasons she had, it wouldn't help.

　　Like Yama, like a malevolent ghost. He was truly reckless, doing whatever he wanted, killing without restraint.

　　She absolutely couldn't disobey him in the slightest.

　　After thinking for a moment,

　　“This servant is at fault,” Yun Ling immediately lowered her head and admitted her mistake. “Your Highness taught me that revenge is the only way to alleviate hatred. Wang Dade cruelly murdered my family, and this servant truly couldn't bear it. But Eunuch Li was Wang Dade's foster father, so he harbored resentment and used this matter to frame this servant for abusing power.”

　　“He was negligent in his duties, shirking responsibility first, and then uttering wild words to slander Your Highness. He truly deserves a thousand deaths!”

　　Xie Jue stood up from his chair and chuckled lightly. “What did he slander?”

　　“He slandered Your Highness as being…,” she paused, then changed her words, speaking softly, “...bewitched by a woman, therefore the judgment was unjust. To thus sully Your Highness's reputation, death is not enough.”

　　“Reputation…”

　　Xie Jue's lips curled into an ambiguous smile as he savored those two words. Finally, he turned sideways, walking step by step towards her until their robes touched.

　　He slowly leaned down, his head lowering until his nose almost touched her face. The smile had vanished from his eyes. “Did I, say he was slandering?”

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Translator's Note: The term used to address Yun Shanggong shifts between formal (“Yun Shanggong”) and informal (“Miss Yun”). The use of “Miss Yun” by Eunuch Li is deliberate; while seemingly respectful, it subtly diminishes her authority and implies a false sense of equality, reflecting his attempt to manipulate the situation and downplay her position. This nuanced use of language highlights Li Youfu's cunning and manipulative nature.

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