Chapter 42: The Wise Scholar and the Obsessive Emperor 21

Late December.

Yun Huai returned to the capital with his team. As soon as they arrived, he heard about Yun Shu’s affairs.

First, Yun Shu divorced Zhou Yong, then she entered the Duan mansion  as a concubine, and then came the entangled story of Yun Shu and the Duan Prince.

A hint of speechlessness flashed in his eyes, with not a trace of a smile.

“The Duan Prince is with Yun Shu?”

He couldn’t help but think that these two, who were meant to be together, had actually managed to come together!

Qin Jingchuan, who had been eagerly awaiting Yun Huai’s return, immediately curled his lips at this, but his black eyes were colder than the night.

“They are a perfect match!”

He put his arm around Yun Huai’s shoulder and began to recount the events of the past few months.

“Since you left the capital, Yun Shu and Yun Qi have been constantly cursing you. As for Yun Qi, her husband keeps a close eye on her, and they live far from the capital, so they can’t cause much trouble.”

“But Yun Shu kept up her antics, so I transferred Zhou Yong to Huangzhou, hoping he would take Yun Shu out of the capital with him.”

He sighed lightly, “But I didn’t expect Zhou Yong to divorce Yun Shu and let her return home. It seems he is a devoted lover.”

Unfortunately, his love was misplaced.

Zhou Yong didn’t want Yun Shu to suffer with him in Huangzhou, but Yun Shu was heartless and ungrateful. She didn’t appreciate his kindness and instead, after the divorce, she directly entered the Duan mansion  as a concubine.

“Yun Shu became a concubine in the Duan mansion  within half a day of returning home, and she constantly provoked the Duan Prince’s consort. The Duan Prince favors her privately.”

Yun Huai’s lips twitched, “Is she planning to depose the Duan Prince’s consort and take her place?”

Qin Jingchuan nodded lightly, “Of course, she is very confident!”

Yun Huai: I really can’t believe it!

He didn’t speak, just stared coldly at Qin Jingchuan, his speechlessness evident in his eyes.

Qin Jingchuan pressed his thin lips together, “However, I have already issued an edict to reprimand the Duan Prince for favoring his concubine over his consort, and I have demoted him from Prince to Duke.”

“I have also decreed that only the Duan Prince’s consort’s son can inherit the dukedom. Yun Shu will not be able to achieve her ambitions through her son or become the consort.”

Yun Huai rubbed his temples, “I understand. Let Yun Shu and the Duan Prince deal with their own troubles. I don’t want to meddle in their affairs anymore!”

He changed the subject, “Erlang, during my southern journey, I found many good seeds. I will experiment with them in the imperial farm and then try to promote them.”

“I also found some skilled craftsmen who might be able to develop more efficient farming tools to make farming easier for the peasants.”

“By the way, I have come up with a more cost-effective and time-saving method for papermaking and printing. If successful, it will allow all the people to have access to books and more students to participate in the imperial examinations.”

Qin Jingchuan looked at Yun Huai with warmth, listening patiently to his experiences and findings, and boldly adopted his suggestions.

“Alright, I will follow your advice.”

Yun Huai smiled at Qin Jingchuan, “Erlang, I will make you a great emperor, one who will be revered by future generations.”

Qin Jingchuan pulled the alluring young man close, his broad, warm fingers resting on Yun Huai’s waist, “Ah Huai, you will also become a renowned minister and the Empress of Longteng, whose name will be remembered throughout the land.”

Yun Huai looked up and said, “Erlang, we will both achieve our goals.”

Qin Jingchuan held Yun Huai’s waist, the sharpness in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a rare gentleness.

“Yes, with Ah Huai and I working together, we will turn Longteng into a prosperous dynasty.”

In the second month after Yun Shu entered the Duan mansion , she began to regret her decision.

The Duan Prince, implicated by her, was demoted and gradually grew cold towards her. Before long, he stopped visiting her quarters.

Moreover, the Duan Prince’s consort, Jiang Wan, who was deliberately against her, frequently found fault with her and tormented her in various ways.

Yun Shu’s cries for help went unanswered, and she could only endure the consort’s torment.

Her father had completely given up on her and would never stand up for her again. Her stepmother would never intervene on her behalf.

Her younger brother, whom she had once tried to win over, remained silent and dared not associate with her.

Her former friends had long since parted ways, leaving her completely isolated and without any allies.

Yun Shu had become the lowly concubine she once despised, enduring the hardships of being a secondary wife, and even the lowest servant could criticize her.

She no longer dared to speak recklessly or curse Yun Huai, as the consort had severely punished her for it, making her thoroughly learn her lesson and lose her pride and confidence as a time-traveling .

Her protagonist aura had long been squandered, and her good fortune had completely dissipated, even affecting the Duan Prince’s protagonist aura.

These two had become indistinguishable from the masses!

The once charming and elegant Duan Prince spent the rest of his life indulging in pleasure, womanizing, and frequenting the brothels of the capital.

He never lacked for women and had long forgotten about Yun Shu, who became an unloved concubine in the Duan mansion , struggling to survive with the memories of their past.

Due to the Duan Prince’s promiscuity, the Duan Prince’s consort, Jiang Wan, gradually lost her love for him. After having a son, she no longer bothered with him.

She lived her own life, occasionally tormenting her former rival, watching her age and wither.

But she remained a beautiful and noble lady.

Years later.

The Duan Prince, after years of indulgence with courtesans and without restraint, gradually lost his male function, becoming a complete invalid.

The Duan Prince’s consort directly gave him a bowl of medicine and threw him into Yun Shu’s quarters, making the two of them live together, arguing and fighting every day.

She, on the other hand, secured a title for her obedient son, successfully making him the heir to the Duan mansion , and became a leisurely noble lady in the mansion, even secretly keeping a few young lovers.

Jiang Wan lived a comfortable and pleasant life, while the Duan Prince and Yun Shu despised each other.

The once inseparable lovers had completely fallen out, often resorting to physical violence and exchanging the most vicious insults.

Yet, no matter how they tormented each other, they couldn’t die, and so they continued to live, tormenting each other.

Without the burden of the Yun family, Yun Huai, with Qin Jingchuan’s support, shone brightly, rising from a seventh-rank official to the position of prime minister.

During his tenure, he was bold in his initiatives, dedicated to the people, and was known as a hardworking official!

Qin Jingchuan did not obstruct his career and strongly supported Yun Huai’s efforts.

The emperor and the minister worked together, and the emperor and the empress were deeply in love, creating countless historical legends.

Their names will shine through the ages, remembered for generations.