Chapter 42: A Touch of Wind and Bone

Dongfang Xuan was first stunned; the humiliation he had previously suffered surged up in his heart, a flame burning in the depths of his eyes.

He pondered a moment, reined in the rope, and shouted loudly: "Yo, isn't that Ye Qingran? How come, hearing the news of my imperial older brother's return, you came specially to see him?"

As soon as he said that, his words clearly fell into everyone's ears.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all looked around to find Ye Qingran's figure.

Ye Qingran, as the daughter of General Dingyuan, had, in her youth, been betrothed to Dongfang Qingxuan through the former emperor's matchmaking.

Before Ye Qingran disappeared, she had secretly given her heart to Dongfang Qingxuan, steadfast and unwavering. However, Dongfang Qingxuan clearly did not take a liking to Ye Qingran; instead, he was passionately involved with Ye Huanhuan.

During the five years Ye Qingran was missing, the relationship between Dongfang Qingxuan and Ye Huanhuan grew increasingly intimate, and everyone believed Ye Huanhuan would become the future Crown Princess.

As for Ye Qingran, she had long been forgotten by them.

Who would have thought that, five years later, Ye Qingran would return.

Does Ye Qingran still like Dongfang Qingxuan?

Will these two sisters come to blows over the position of Crown Princess?

On the street, Ye Qingran brought the "Dog Skin Platter" Fu Qianchen, who had just returned from outside the city. Already feeling upset because she had no news of Xiao Hu, hearing Dongfang Xuan's voice, her gaze sank a little further.

Her peerless beauty, surpassing snow in its purity.

"I thought it was some sound; turns out it's just a dog barking."

Ye Qingran cannot be said to lack a sharp tongue.

Upon saying that, everyone was stunned. To dare, under the eyes of all, to call the imperial prince a dog—under heaven, only Ye Qingran does so.

Dongfang Xuan's face instantly darkened: "Ye Qingran, who are you scolding?"

"Whoever fits the description gets scolded."

Dongfang Xuan flared up in anger, his narrowed eyes full of menace.

After a moment's thought, he again showed a sneering smile: "Ye Qingran, I know you never forget my imperial older brother. But I advise you to give up that hope—someone like you, a good-for-nothing, could never catch his eye."

"What does my imperial older brother have to do with me?" Ye Qingran said dismissively, a playful look in her eyes falling on Dongfang Xuan: "Dongfang Xuan, could it be you still want to taste my dog-beating stick?"

Just mentioning the dog-beating stick made Dongfang Xuan feel terrible.

"Ye Qingran, don't think you can change the subject—I see you still harbor ill intentions, still coveting my imperial older brother!"

Ye Qingran had long noticed the man and woman riding side by side behind Dongfang Xuan.

Dongfang Qingxuan.

Ye Huanhuan.

A dark glint flashed in Ye Qingran's eyes.

She had waited this long in Xiliang City, and the main character finally appeared.

She suddenly smiled, a touch of wickedness.

"Crown Prince, this time you've returned—is it to fulfill the marriage contract?"

Her voice was soft, as if hiding deep anticipation.

"Ye Qingran, I know you still harbor improper designs on the Crown Prince! But I suggest you take a piss and look at yourself—you don't even see what sort of trash you are, yet you still dare to covet the Crown Prince."

Zhao Yan stepped out of the carriage and spoke out mockingly.

"A good-for-nothing without even a spiritual root, constantly coveting the extraordinarily talented Crown Prince—Ye Qingran, you truly have no self-awareness at all? If I were you, I'd just kill myself!"

Mu Qingrou crossed her arms, too disdainful to even glance at Ye Qingran.

"My Crown Prince older brother likes Ye Huanhuan; Ye Qingran, if you're sensible, just get lost. Ye Huanhuan possesses a holy spiritual root, and has now joined the Qingyun Sword Immortal Sect, becoming a glorious Xuan Yuan disciple, rising straight to the clouds, her future bright as brocade."

"And you? You have no spiritual root, a good-for-nothing, and will never amount to anything!"

The Thirteenth Princess held her nose high, her words brimming with intense disdain.

……

Several prominent noble ladies from Xiliang City, chattering back and forth, in front of the city's commoners, criticized Ye Qingran as worthless, humiliating her thoroughly.

It seemed as if Ye Qingran's coveting of Dongfang Qingxuan were a heinous sin.

Ye Qingran had grown accustomed to treating these people's words as farts, but Fu Qianchen was so angry his breathing grew a little rough.

"Hey, woman, do you need me to take care of this trash for you?"

He is quite protective of his own.

Only he can bully Ye Qingran; no one else even dare to think about it.

"Adult matters, kids don't interfere," Ye Qingran said somewhat amused.

"Hmph! I certainly won't bother with your petty affairs!" Fu Qianchen said arrogantly, turning his head away.

Countless gazes lingered on Ye Qingran, many faces showing sympathy.

Actually, Ye Qingran hasn't done anything wrong; she's merely a pitiful person. She shouldn't, as the descendant of the Female War God Yun Sui Feng, lack a spiritual root!

Moreover, she shouldn't have been betrothed to the Crown Prince from childhood!

Now, she is despised in every way.

Truly, fate toys with people.

"Be good and wait here, don't run around, got it?" Ye Qingran said, bending down to instruct.

"Got it!" Fu Qianchen replied, arms crossed, a picture of arrogant cuteness.

Amidst the varied gazes of the crowd, Ye Qingran stepped forward from the street's edge toward the center of Xuanwu Street, alone facing half of the Xiliang City aristocracy's domain.

Countless charms, a touch of wind and bone.

"You've said all this, merely thinking I'm unworthy of the Crown Prince." Her expression was calm, her tone untroubled.

No longer the soft, coquettish manner she had when just asking about Dongfang Qingxuan.

Ye Qingran's gaze swept over the numerous noble ladies, and she pointedly said: "The parties involved haven't said anything, yet you're all more anxious than the next. Those who don't know might think you all yearn for the Crown Prince, all wanting to become Crown Princess."

Upon saying that, the noble ladies who had just insulted Ye Qingran all changed color, as if their fox tails had been stepped on.

The Crown Prince's bearing is outstanding, his talent extraordinary; they all harbor some affection for the Crown Prince. But with Ye Huanhuan as a peerless jewel before them, they know the position of Crown Princess is beyond their reach, so they can only silently conceal that affection in their hearts.

Who would have thought, Ye Qingran would bluntly say it out.

That feeling was like being stripped naked in public.

"The Crown Prince's answer is already quite clear, isn't it? You good-for-nothing, forget the Crown Prince—among the noble clans of Xiliang City, who would even look at you?"

A noble young man behind Dongfang Qingxuan spoke up loudly.

Ye Qingran smiled, lifted her gaze to see Dongfang Qingxuan sitting calmly atop a tall horse.

I must say, Dongfang Qingxuan is indeed as remembered—handsome and graceful, with the bearing of a dragon and phoenix. No wonder the original host was utterly bewitched by him.

Back then, under the previous emperor's arrangement, Yun Sui Feng agreed to the marriage engagement between Ye Qingran and Dongfang Qingxuan.

At age seven, she was found to possess a holy spiritual root, yet she could not cultivate; to protect her spiritual root from covetous eyes, the matter of her spiritual root was kept hidden, so the outside world thought she was born without a spiritual root, an innate waste.

After that, the people of the Donggong began to distance themselves from her.

As the years passed, Dongfang Qingxuan grew ever more outstanding, which only made Ye Qingran appear ever more incapable; aside from her face, she was nowhere near worthy of Dongfang Qingxuan.

At age ten, her mother Yun Sui Feng died on the battlefield; without the support of Grand General Dingyuan, Ye Qingran's status plummeted, and the people of the Donggong grew ever more wanton.

Dongfang Qingxuan also began, openly and secretly, to let everyone bully her, even to the point of trying to kill her.

Five years ago, she was disfigured and lost her child—Dongfang Qingxuan cannot escape responsibility!

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, do you really think that?"

Ye Qingran blinked her clear autumn eyes, appearing utterly harmless.