Quick Wear: Oh no, the lady is running away with the ball again

Chapter 169 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 3

Even when Yun Qian dressed neatly, smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves, and combed her hair, the Yun Mansion was still quiet, and Qi Heyao had not yet appeared.

Yun Qian lowered her eyes slightly, recalling her past life thoughtfully.

At that time, Qi Heyao's visit to his father was ostensibly a visit, but his true intentions were clear. The influence of the royal family at court could not be underestimated, and Qi Heyao's frequent visits to the Yun family made him appear particularly close. After all, the royal family was a powerful backer of his political career, and he always preferred them, a fact everyone knew. But Prince Qi Heyao was truly exceptional: close to them without being overly dependent, maintaining a clear separation without being overly distant. His method of navigating this balance between closeness and distance was as unfathomable as he was, and Yun Qian couldn't help but admire his brilliance.

Almost everyone secretly thought that a marriage would not only consolidate the family's status, fulfill Yun Qian's wish, but also enhance the Crown Prince's influence—wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? However, things didn't go as planned; fate's gift had already come with a price tag.

How could the supreme emperor tolerate someone else taking away his imperial power right beside his bed? Being afraid of the excessive power of his descendants was almost an unchanging proposition for every emperor in his administration.

And what about the women caught in the middle? They were sent by their families at a young age to become symbols of lifelessness, exhausting their energy in bearing children and managing the harem. The more children they gave birth to, the more their bodies would be damaged, leading to their early death. What was the power they gained?

Things that the almighty emperor will take back sooner or later... will never belong to others.

The previous emperor of this dynasty was indulging in pleasure and neglecting state affairs, which gave Queen Yun the opportunity to display her power and send her niece to the Eastern Palace without any obstacles to become the Crown Princess.

Yun Qian regained consciousness, her eyes narrowing slightly. She no longer wished to wait for the prince's visit. Her face remained dignified and calm, as she used the incense spoon in her hand to gradually place the finest indigo incense sent from the Western Regions into the incense burner. Even though she couldn't wait any longer, Yun Qian didn't show any anxiety.

She asked softly, "Chunshan, when can I have my coming-of-age ceremony?" Her tone seemed nonchalant, but there was a hint of temptation hidden within. She glanced at Chunshan's expression out of the corner of her eye, as if she was thinking about something.

The way she skillfully scooped the spices revealed no flaws at all. Yun Qian thought that it was because she had been in this kind of imaginary ancient times so many times that she was familiar with it and there was nothing she was not used to.

After Yun Qian finished speaking, she glanced at her maid. There was a clear coldness in her eyes, which made people think that the coldness was only directed at the prince who had broken his promise and had not yet arrived, and made people ignore the maid in front of them.

After all...in her previous life, Chunshan, as a maid she brought from her mother's home, could not be said to be "unfaithful". Otherwise, how could she turn against her and expose her affairs in Qianqiu Temple?

Yun Qian saw that she didn't answer for a long time, so he glanced at her with pretended dissatisfaction.

The so-called Jili ceremony, also known as a girl's coming-of-age ceremony, was a ceremony that required noble women to perform after being engaged and promised to marry, but before they got married. It was usually held at the age of fifteen. If they had not yet been engaged, they would also perform the Jili ceremony at the age of twenty.

Yun Qian is now seventeen years old and has never been engaged. It goes without saying who this is for, and the meaning of Yun Qian's asking this question is also very obvious.

She wanted to know whether Prince Qi Heyao had made any verbal or actual promises before she came.

Chunshan then nodded slightly and answered, her voice a little cautious: "At the flower viewing banquet last month, you said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince promised to come to discuss with Lord Yun on the 15th of next month..." Every word was full of caution.

Yun Qian listened and smiled faintly, understanding what was going on. It was already past the fifteenth day, and Qi Heyao had indeed failed to keep his promise.

Yun Qian raised her eyes and glanced, the corners of her lips slightly raised, she stood up, straightened her clothes, casually combed her temples, and there was a clear coldness in her eyes.

"What about now?" It's already past the 15th.

It turned out that she hadn't cared about it for a long time, but she just couldn't see it before. After all... His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was a noble man with many things to do, and it was not easy for him to coax her, the daughter of an official family, after the fact, right?

Chunshan lowered his head, a little hesitant. While observing Yun Qian's expression, he added cautiously in a weak voice, "The prince has been very busy recently, and the court is also... quite busy." He was obviously trying to defend Qi Heyao.

Yun Qian snorted softly, sneering inwardly. Chun Shan, you really look like him, worthy of being the person he painstakingly planted.

"Busy" was just the tip of the iceberg of his political maneuvers. In her past life, she had also held onto all her trust, waiting for Qi Heyao to fulfill his "promises" one after another, especially after their marriage when they were equals... But this time, returning to this life, she had already seen through the hypocrisy.

She couldn't help but sneered, gently turning the sandalwood hairpin in her hand, her eyes as cold as water, her tone revealing an unquestionable coldness: "Chunshan, from now on, you don't have to keep an eye on his news for me. And you don't have to talk to me about the prince anymore."

If he really meant it, he would show up. If he wasn't sincere, Yun Qian didn't want to waste her time on it. She just wanted him to know her intentions.

"There is nothing in this world that can truly bind me." She pretended to be casual and picked up a jade hairpin, rubbing it carefully in her hand, as if she was thoughtfully admiring its icy transparency, but her eyes were filled with a subtle coldness.

Chunshan's face changed slightly, and she said quickly: "Miss, I... just want to remind you that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince treats you sincerely. Please don't say such angry words just because you are angry. You..." Before she finished speaking, Yun Qian raised her eyes, looking at her calmly with a bit of sharpness, which made Chunshan's heart tremble and she stopped talking.

"Chun Shan, sincerity can't be proven with just a few words." Yun Qian gently put down her hairpin, her tone unhurried but revealing an unquestionable calmness. "If he was sincere, why would he have let me wait until now? Could it be that the Yun family is so insignificant that he has no time to care about it?"

Chun Shan was speechless for a moment, lowering her head, not daring to answer. Yun Qian continued, "From tomorrow on, you don't have to bother trying to figure out the Crown Prince's intentions for me. If he's interested, he'll come to me. If not, I, Yun Qian, will never let myself down."

Chunshan lowered his eyes and responded, feeling surprised and anxious.

In the past, the young lady had a cold and arrogant temperament, and was deeply in love with the Crown Prince. But now, Yun Qian seemed to have been reborn, no longer willing to compromise and endure for others, but instead exuding a majestic aura that made people awe-inspiring.

Yun Qian looked up, her eyes a bit more cold and calm. Common sense would have prevented her from getting angry so early, fearing she might alert the enemy. But there was nothing she could do. After all, she had figured it out...

It was very important for him to find out what Qi Heyao was going to do this time.