Chapter Thirty-Six: A Destiny Born of the Phoenix

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Yao Shao Qianyu had Night Nine go and summon Doctor Leng, not just for appearance’s sake, but to do the act thoroughly. Doctor Leng was to examine Yun Ming. However, Night Nine was long in returning, which made Yao Shao Qianyu frown.

Night Nine first went to the Imperial Medical Bureau, but did not find Doctor Leng. Then he went to Doctor Leng’s residence, but again, Doctor Leng was nowhere to be found. Finally, he returned to the Prince of War’s mansion, still without success. Night Nine’s heart sank—he had failed at the very first task entrusted by the princess. Since he was already back at the mansion, he went to report to his lord, but even the prince was nowhere to be found. Night Nine guessed his master must have dragged Doctor Leng off to the Drunken Qiong Pavilion.

He hurried to the Drunken Qiong Pavilion, but neither Feng Jinye nor Doctor Leng were there. Shaking his head at Dong Nuan, Night Nine let her know that Doctor Leng would not be coming.

Meanwhile, in the inner chamber, a physician had finished examining Luo Yanqing. The Marchioness of Dingyuan was applying medicine to her daughter. Luo Yanqing’s face was swollen like a pig’s head, bruises covered her body, and her right thigh suffered a severe scald—her second such injury. She fainted from the pain...

Yao Shao Qianyu no longer wished to look upon the faces of the Luo family. Knowing Doctor Leng could not come, she had the physician examine Yun Ming instead.

The physician found only that the young lord Yun suffered from a deep cold syndrome, with no other signs of poisoning...

Yao Shao Qianyu suddenly remembered and reminded, “Doctor, earlier Luo Yanqing sprinkled powder onto the incense burner. I saw her do it and covered my mouth and nose. Please check the incense burner.”

The doctor obeyed and, upon checking, discovered residues of a drug that could induce unconsciousness. He surmised the effects had faded over time, which was why he had not detected it earlier...

Yao Shao Qianyu was confident—everything had been smoothed over. She then asked anxiously, “Doctor, can you wake the young lord? Every time he faints, I’ve seen Doctor Leng use silver needles to stimulate his acupoints.”

Prompted, the physician used a silver needle to prick the philtrum point under Yun Ming’s nose.

Yun Ming awakened, glanced around, and finally fixed his gaze on the Marquis of Dingyuan. “Marquis, how do you propose to resolve this matter?”

Yun Ming remained as gentle and refined as ever. The Marquis of Dingyuan knew full well he stood with Feng Jinye. Even if today it had been the Western Marquis’s household opposing the Prince of War’s, he could not be sure Yun Ming would help his own kin.

“However the young lord wishes to resolve it,” the marquis replied, stepping back. It was clear his second daughter was now utterly ruined.

“Very well. Dong Nuan, wake her up!” Yun Ming ordered Dong Nuan to rouse Luo Yanqing, and added indifferently, “There’s no need to be gentle.”

Dong Nuan paused, then went downstairs, fetched a bucket of cold water, and poured it over Luo Yanqing...

The Marquis and Marchioness of Dingyuan were helpless, but knew they must endure. The marchioness thought that only if Yun Ming vented his anger would Luo Yanqing have a sliver of hope.

Luo Yanqing woke with a gasp. Her wounds were so severe, and she already had a low fever; that bucket of cold water nearly took her life. She was frozen stiff, and her injuries forbade both cold and moisture—every movement sent agony and cold sweat coursing through her...

Yet she had to grit her teeth and rise, only to be pushed out by her mother...

The marquis’s family hoped the matter would not escalate. Their second daughter was already useless, but they still had a legitimate son and other children. The marquis had made up his mind to abandon Luo Yanqing.

Pushed out, Luo Yanqing saw Yun Ming and was about to speak, but Yun Ming looked at her with utter disgust and said, “I dislike noise and chaos, Marquis. Give your explanation quickly!”

He shook his fan and turned away, unwilling to look at her for another moment...

Luo Yanqing’s pale face was bewildered. She could not understand why Yun Ming was here, nor what his intentions were...

She suddenly recalled a dream she had—Yun Ming chatting with her easily and cheerfully...

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Luo Yanqing suddenly realized she had been set up—Yao Shao Qianyu had drugged her with a mind-altering powder, making her lose control and reveal the secret of the great fire at Shuiyue Pavilion...

Her whole body trembled. Yao Shao Qianyu knew she had killed her own father and would never let her go. Luo Yanqing’s face, already pale, turned ashen blue...

She thought Yao Shao Qianyu would surely kill her, but then remembered that as the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s family, Yao Shao Qianyu could not kill her openly.

As long as she insisted that she had seen Yao Shao Qianyu at Shuiyue Pavilion that day, the latter could not kill her in the name of avenging her father!

But why had Yun Ming spoken as he did?

Before she could sort it out, the Marquis of Dingyuan pleaded, “Young lord, since you are unharmed, please show mercy and spare my daughter’s life!”

Seeing Yun Ming unmoved, the marquis added, “From now on, the marriage alliance between our houses is void.”

Luo Yanqing’s eyes widened at this, and she was about to protest, but her mother clapped a hand over her mouth.

She struggled, but her injuries made every movement unbearably painful...

Yao Shao Qianyu watched Luo Yanqing’s tears fall, sliding over the cheek she had slapped, causing her to wince in pain...

Yun Ming remained silent. The Marquis frowned, clearly realizing that even annulling the betrothal did not satisfy him. He motioned for his wife to release Luo Yanqing...

Freed, Luo Yanqing tried to explain, “Father, it was Yao—”

But a sharp slap resounded, cutting her off mid-sentence...

She stared in disbelief—her battered body could hardly bear another blow. Why would her father still strike her?

Unable to contain her grievances, tears welled up again. She raised her hand to wipe them, but brushed the cheek that Yao Shao Qianyu had slapped, hissing in pain. She inadvertently met Yao Shao Qianyu’s eyes and saw a faint, cold smile at the corner of her lips...

Suddenly, Luo Yanqing remembered two years ago, during the great fire at Shuiyue Pavilion. She had said, “Miss Yao is inside,” to Yao Shao Zhantian, and without hesitation, Yao Shao Qianyu’s father had rushed in to save his daughter...

But now, her own father—whatever his reason for striking her—would not even let her explain, only adding to her injuries!

Before Luo Yanqing could recover, she heard the marquis curse coldly, “Wretched girl!”

Yun Ming was unmoved, fanning himself idly as he remarked, “If the Marquis wishes to instruct his daughter, do it back at your residence!”

The marquis was speechless. Yun Ming clearly meant he had no patience for their theatrics and wanted a swift answer...

Suddenly, Yao Shao Qianyu’s words echoed in the marquis’s mind: “If she isn’t dead, crippled, or ruined, this matter can’t be settled.”

The marquis froze, then steeled himself, shouting at Luo Yanqing, “You wretched girl, how dare you disgrace the family like this! A daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan would never do such things! From this day, I have no daughter like you!”

The marchioness immediately fell to her knees, pleading, “Marquis, Yanqing is our own flesh and blood!”

He snorted coldly, shaking off her grasp, and said, “For the sake of our past bond, today I will break your leg. From now on, do not leave the residence and cause trouble again!”

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The Marquis of Dingyuan was filled with hatred for Luo Yanqing. Had she not sneaked out, today’s disgrace would never have happened.

Yao Shao Qianyu watched coldly. Hearing the marquis declare he would cripple Luo Yanqing’s leg, she let out a deliberate cough and said, “Marquis, do it yourself. Otherwise, if Luo Yanqing stands up in a few years, people will say your house is fond of putting on a show!”

The marquis was already furious, and Yao Shao Qianyu’s words, openly disparaging his family, only fueled his rage.

He hated Luo Yanqing even more. She had been confined, but insisted on causing trouble, dragging the family’s name through the mud—today, he had suffered repeated humiliation!

With a hardened heart, the marquis raised his foot and kicked Luo Yanqing’s knee. A sickening crack sounded—everyone knew it was the breaking of bone...

At the same moment, Luo Yanqing’s gut-wrenching scream echoed through every corner of the Drunken Qiong Pavilion.

Drenched in cold sweat, she lost all strength and looked up in terror at her father.

At that moment, Yao Shao Qianyu’s melodious voice drifted into her ears: “Yun Ming, her leg is broken. Are you satisfied? We’ve already delayed dinner—my lord must be waiting anxiously!”

Yun Ming, ever the picture of elegance, simply replied, “Yes.”

Luo Yanqing’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Yun Ming and Yao Shao Qianyu—it was Yun Ming who had made her father do this to her!

Yao Shao Qianyu stood by Yun Ming’s side, watching coldly as everything played out—watching her be slapped by her father, and abandoned like worthless refuse by the one she loved most...

Only as her mind cleared did Luo Yanqing realize she could only watch as Yao Shao Qianyu and Yun Ming left the chamber one after the other. The visual blow nearly drove her mad...

Luo Yanqing had caused Yao Shao Zhantian’s death. If vengeance were to be taken in kind, Yao Shao Qianyu would have killed her father in return...

But Yao Shao Qianyu knew that even if Luo Yanqing’s father died, it would not truly be revenge. Luo Yanqing was born vicious, heartless, and selfish...

Luo Yanqing had used Yao Shao Qianyu to bring about her father’s death. Now Yao Shao Qianyu would use Luo Yanqing’s greatest weakness—her love for others—and make those she cared for most destroy her with their own hands!

Yao Shao Qianyu had not forgotten Luo Yanqing’s smile under hypnosis, and now, she repaid it in kind, smiling as she watched her suffer.

Yao Shao Qianyu and Yun Ming each boarded their carriages to return to the Prince of War’s mansion. The marquis’s family remained in the chamber in silence, waiting until fewer people were around before returning home—after all, Luo Yanqing would have to be carried back, a disgrace too great to bear.

The Marquis of Dingyuan ground his teeth in hatred, wishing it was Luo Yanqing’s corpse being carried away.

Today, the Marquis of Dingyuan’s family lost more than just a second daughter by birth. Luo Yanqing’s dream of a phoenix’s destiny was shattered, and years of the marquis’s schemes lay in ruins.

The “innate phoenix fate” was something the marquis had plotted for long ago. The year his wife was pregnant with Luo Yanqing, he had heard a rumor: there was a family destined to produce a heavenly daughter once in a hundred years...