Chapter 391: Cut Out Her Tongue
Seeing Ye Jiamei acting so arrogantly, Yu Qiuyun finally dropped her pretense.
The disdain and ridicule in her eyes grew stronger, and when she spoke again, there was no longer any trace of politeness.
“Do you think that just because you have some medical skills and happened to save the Emperor, I can’t do anything to you? Ha! Lady Ye, don’t forget your place—you’re just a criminal. Even back at the Marquis’s estate, you were nothing but a lowly servant. And now? If I give the order, you won’t even make it out of this courtyard alive. Killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant. So don’t be too full of yourself.”
“Qiuyun! That’s enough! No matter what, she’s still your second aunt. We’re family.”
Hearing Yu Qiuyun’s words, Yu Zhengqing couldn’t stand it anymore and immediately stepped forward to remind her.
“Father, she’s just the wife of a concubine. Even if the Marquis’s estate still stood, what is a concubine’s wife worth? I certainly don’t need to acknowledge a criminal as my second aunt.”
“Qiuyun, what have you become? I, too, am considered a criminal. Even if you are now the Crown Prince’s consort, you will always be a daughter of the Yu family!”
Yu Zhengqing’s heart ached with disappointment. He had always known his daughter was proud, but now she had become utterly heartless.
His relationship with Yu Haojie had already reached an irreparable state, and now Qiuyun seemed determined to sever all ties completely.
“Father, you are you, and she is she. Even if the Emperor pardons the Marquis’s household, it doesn’t change the fact that they are from the concubine’s line. I, as the daughter of the Yu family, am still a noble legitimate descendant. Moreover, I am now the Crown Prince’s consort. What is she? How dare she speak to me in such a manner!”
Yu Qiuyun’s eyes flashed with cold intent. Without hesitation, she turned and gave her command.
“Cut out her tongue!”
Ye Jiamei: …
Yu Zhengqing: …
“Hah! Yu Zhengqing, your daughter is far more ruthless than you. Look at her—cold-blooded, merciless. She’s better at getting things done than you ever were. You’d better think carefully—can you really rely on her to clear the Yu family’s name?”
The moment Ye Jiamei finished speaking, she swiftly threw a handful of powder toward the guards surrounding her.
Caught off guard, the guards inhaled the substance, their vision darkened, and one by one, they collapsed to the ground.
Without wasting a moment, Ye Jiamei turned and bolted toward the outer courtyard!
However, just as she was about to escape, several figures suddenly landed in front of her.
Recognizing them immediately, Ye Jiamei raised her hand without hesitation and pulled the trigger on her crossbow.
With a sharp whoosh, several arrows shot forward.
The guards who had suddenly appeared were caught off guard. Although they tried to dodge, some were still hit.
The injured guards, now wary of her unexpected weapon, hesitated, not daring to rush forward again.
Yu Zhengqing, however, took a quick step forward and shielded Ye Jiamei behind him.
Seeing this unexpected development, Yu Qiuyun narrowed her eyes.
She was astonished—where did Ye Jiamei even get these hidden weapons?
In the past, Ye Jiamei had been timid and cowardly. Back at the Marquis’s estate, they had barely interacted. After all, Old Madam Chen had decreed that Yu Haojie’s branch of the family was not permitted to step into the front courtyard without permission.
But in the few times they had met, Ye Jiamei had been nothing like this.
“Father, what do you think you’re doing?”
Seeing Yu Zhengqing shielding Ye Jiamei, Yu Qiuyun’s expression turned even colder, and her voice carried an unmistakable chill.
Ye Jiamei herself was stunned—she had not expected Yu Zhengqing to step in to protect her at this moment.
Her original plan was simple—knock out the guards and use her light footwork to escape.
But now, Yu Zhengqing had thrown himself into the middle of it all.
“Qiuyun, if you dare to harm Lady Ye, then you might as well kill me, too.”
Ye Jiamei: …
Yu Qiuyun: …
“Father!”
Yu Qiuyun’s composed expression shattered instantly. Her eyes burned with fury, and her anger surged violently.
Ye Jiamei, on the other hand, was completely baffled.
Just as Yu Qiuyun was about to order her men to seize Ye Jiamei, a mocking female voice suddenly echoed from above.
“Oh? You think you can use my mother and then just kill her to keep things quiet?”
Yu Qiuyun’s expression darkened, and she instinctively looked up.
Two figures descended gracefully from the sky.
When she got a clear look at them, her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Xiao Luo?! How did you get in here?!”
Seeing her daughter, Ye Jiamei abandoned Yu Zhengqing and ran straight toward Yu Luo, her voice filled with surprise and relief.
“I waited outside for too long, worried that something might have happened to you, so I came in. And it turns out, someone really was trying to keep you from leaving.”
Yu Luo’s gaze swept across the injured guards and the unconscious ones sprawled on the ground. She then turned to Yu Qiuyun, her expression ice-cold.
The man who had entered with Yu Luo was one of Chi Jinchen’s shadow guards. As soon as he landed, he drew his sword and assumed a defensive stance, ready to strike at any moment. His sharp eyes locked onto Yu Qiuyun, prepared to fight if necessary.
Seeing the seamless coordination between mother and daughter, along with their ability to evade her security, Yu Qiuyun was both shocked and unsettled.
She could hardly believe that the once-worthless mother and daughter she had looked down upon had changed so much in just a year.
The timid and weak mother and daughter from the past had become unrecognizably strong.
It was as if they were entirely different people.
“Hmph. So you’ve completely disregarded the Crown Prince, then? Do you think you can just walk into his estate as you please?”
Suppressing her shock, Yu Qiuyun straightened up and resumed her condescending tone, playing the role of the Crown Prince’s consort.
“My apologies. I did come in today. What are you going to do about it?”
Yu Luo’s icy gaze met Yu Qiuyun’s mocking eyes, her voice calm but laced with danger.
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her arm.
A crossbow bolt shot out with a sharp whoosh—without hesitation or warning—flying directly at Yu Qiuyun.
“Qiuyun!”
Yu Qiuyun had never encountered such a weapon before. Even though Ye Jiamei had used it earlier, Yu Luo’s speed was too fast.
Even as Yu Zhengqing tried to react, the bolt had already found its mark.
The short arrow embedded itself in Yu Qiuyun’s chest.
Shock and disbelief filled her eyes.
She had completely underestimated Yu Luo.
A mere lowborn girl… had actually dared to injure her?
“Mother, let’s go.”
