Chapter 36:The Wise Jinshi x The Obsessed Emperor 15

Just as Yun Shu was drowning in sorrow over the news that her beloved was marrying someone else, she learned an even more devastating truth: this imperial marriage had been personally agreed to by Prince Duan himself.

It struck her like a bolt of lightning on a clear day, shattering her world into pieces.

“Impossible! It’s impossible!”

“He told me he would marry no one but me! He said it—how could he lie to me?”

“We shared so many beautiful memories, made so many vows to each other. He wouldn’t abandon me. He wouldn’t…”

Her chief maid sighed helplessly. “Miss, please wake up. The wedding date between Prince Duan and Miss Jiang has already been set. They’ll be married in just two months.”

Yun Shu’s breath hitched, and an icy chill seeped into her bones from head to toe.

“He wouldn’t break his promise…”

The blow left her dazed, her expression vacant. She suddenly collapsed as if all the light in her had been extinguished.

The maid panicked, rushing to her side. “Miss! Someone come quickly!”

Yun Shu fell to the ground, her face pale as a sheet. Her head struck the edge of a nearby table with a resounding thud, and she lost consciousness completely.

And so, the Yun household now had not one but two sickly daughters. To outsiders unaware of the details, it seemed as though the Yun family’s women were all delicate flowers, frail as willows swaying in the wind.

But in truth, both sisters’ illnesses were intricately tied to Qin Jingchuan’s covert manipulations. Yun Qi was bedridden because she had attempted to harm Yun Huai and was “forced” into her current state. Yun Shu’s condition, on the other hand, stemmed purely from her inability to tolerate seeing others happy.

The most ironic part? Both sisters loved to harp on about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring!

If legitimacy truly mattered so much, then neither Emperor Qin Jingchuan nor Prince Duan Qin Hanyu would qualify as heirs of noble birth—they were both sons of imperial concubines rather than the empress. Yet Yun Shu never seemed to mind that Prince Duan wasn’t a legitimate heir; instead, she loved him with all her heart.

What a double standard!

This obsession with legitimacy ought to be abolished entirely!

Among the many aristocratic families in the capital, there were plenty larger than the Yun family. Naturally, these households also had children born of both legitimate wives and concubines. Yet they understood that unity was key to maintaining their family’s prosperity for generations.

Even if there were conflicts between legitimate and illegitimate offspring, no family would be foolish enough to cast out capable members simply because of their birth status.

If the legitimate heir was competent, they would eventually divide the family estate and allow illegitimate children to live separately when they came of age. If the legitimate heir was lacking in ability, then families would cultivate talented illegitimate offspring to support them and ensure their continued prosperity. After all, legitimate or not, they were still family—and when crises arose, they could band together and support one another.

But the Yun family? Yun Shu and Yun Qi had turned it into a chaotic mess. Their meddling had even led to Yun Huai—the most talented member of the family—being expelled from their clan registry.

As a result, the once-respected Yun family became a laughingstock in the capital, reduced to nothing more than idle gossip for people’s amusement over tea.

Meanwhile, unlike his two sisters, Yun Huai was steadily forging his path toward a brilliant future. After excelling in the provincial examinations (hui shi), he no longer confined himself to the library but instead immersed himself in scholarly circles within the capital.

Gradually, he carved out his own place in this world.

His reputation as a poet and scholar spread far and wide across the capital. And during April’s palace examinations (dian shi), he once again emerged victorious.

He claimed not only first place in the provincial exams (hui yuan) but also top honors as the imperial scholar (zhuang yuan)!

Even Emperor Qin Jingchuan—a ruler well-accustomed to encountering brilliant minds—couldn’t help but marvel at him.

“My empress,” he mused privately, “has talents worthy of being a marquis or prime minister!”

Even without my protection, Yun Huai’s abilities would have allowed him to break free from the shackles of his family and soar into the heavens.

My Ah-Huai is like a free-spirited crane soaring through boundless skies—not some caged sparrow raised by the Yun household.

As Yun Huai thrived and gained renown, preparations for Prince Duan’s wedding with Miss Jiang from Marquis Xuanyi’s household were also in full swing. Both families bustled with activity as they planned this grand celebration.

Prince Duan dared not defy an imperial decree—nor did he dare maintain any contact with Yun Shu, who had fallen out of imperial favor.

As someone who had survived this long as an imperial prince, Qin Hanyu possessed an acute sense of danger far beyond that of ordinary people. While others might not notice Emperor Qin Jingchuan’s disdain for members of the Yun family, Qin Hanyu saw it clearly.

In fact, one could say that His Majesty made no effort whatsoever to conceal his feelings from his younger brother.

The emperor openly expressed his loathing for all members of the Yun family—refusing them any honor or respect!

Whether for self-preservation or obedience to imperial orders, Qin Hanyu dared not continue his entanglement with Yun Shu. He refused even to meet her again.

As the saying goes: “Husband and wife are like birds sharing a tree; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.”

And Prince Duan and Yun Shu weren’t even husband and wife—merely lovers whose hearts once aligned. Their families hadn’t exchanged betrothal gifts or formalized any engagement.

With Prince Duan’s household fully focused on wedding preparations, they paid no further attention to anything related to the Yun family.

This neglect only worsened Yun Shu’s condition.

Her futile pursuit left her with nothing but an empty basket—and it became yet another topic of ridicule among noblewomen in the capital. Previously, she had carried herself like she was already Princess Duan—but in the end? The position went instead to Jiang Wan from Marquis Xuanyi’s household.

Not only did His Majesty deny Yun Shu her dream of becoming Princess Duan; he ensured that her most despised rival took that coveted place instead!

Truly, what goes around comes around—heaven spares no one!

Serves her right! Let this be a lesson for someone so arrogant and domineering—to act like a proper wife before even entering Prince Duan’s household! In the end? She gained nothing—not even a position as a secondary consort!

Worse still? Her reckless actions tarnished not only her own reputation but also that of all female members of her family—causing Yun Qi’s previously promising marriage prospects to fall apart entirely.

Already at odds with each other like fire and water, these two sisters now quarreled endlessly over this matter. Yun Qi became obsessed with removing Yun Shu entirely from their lives; meanwhile, both women—sickly as they were—exhausted themselves battling one another.

Back-and-forth they went until their health deteriorated further still.

Their endless antics turned them into laughingstocks—and pushed their father Yun Ai—who prided himself on appearances—to his breaking point. Unable to endure any more disgrace brought upon his household by these two daughters’ behavior…

He locked them both away!

Not stopping there, Yun Ai hurriedly began arranging marriages for them—determined not to let these troublemakers ruin his family name any longer.

Marry them off! Marry them off—all of them!