Wang Qingyao's attitude was peculiar.
However, Xiao Yun didn't have the spare energy to ponder this issue at the moment; a fire was indeed burning within him.
His beloved wife had gone out, only to be brought back blind. No one would feel alright about such a situation.
Wang Qingyao's words were like a spark, igniting the rage that had been simmering in his heart.
Smash! Of course, he had to smash!
Xiao Yun didn't let Yuan Bao interfere. He casually picked up a stick from the corner and began smashing things in the garden.
The garden was mostly filled with flowers and trees, which he trampled and ruined.
He couldn't smash the rockery or the stone tables, so he kicked them a couple of times to vent his anger.
The servants of the Eastern Palace dared not stop him. Someone had already gone to report to Wei Yu.
Zuo Yun was more rational and weakly advised, "Prince Ding'an, please be reasonable. This is the Eastern Palace!"
Xiao Yun snorted, "This Prince is smashing the Eastern Palace!"
Feng Jiangduo watched with her arms crossed, silently standing beside Wang Qingyao to prevent any flying debris from accidentally hitting her.
After venting his fury in the garden, Xiao Yun headed straight for the largest palace in the Eastern Palace.
He was coincidentally blocked by Wei Yu.
Wei Yu, having heard the report from the palace attendants, was quite pleased. The fact that Prince Ding'an was so enraged meant that Wang Qingyao's eyesight would likely not recover.
"Your Highness," Wei Yu stepped forward, "I know you are angry, but no one wished for this to happen. There are censors watching both inside and outside the palace. If Your Highness disregards your status and the honor of the Eastern Palace like this, and the censors impeach you, it will be a loss that outweighs the gain!"
Xiao Yun sneered, "The Crown Princess should worry about herself! My good Princess Consort was not only angered at the banquet in the Eastern Palace, but this time she was actually blinded! If the Crown Princess cannot manage the Eastern Palace properly, perhaps this Prince should speak to the Emperor on your behalf and suggest you abdicate!"
Wei Yu's expression changed drastically.
The first time she had invited Wang Qingyao to the Eastern Palace, Xiao Yun had already shown his displeasure and complained to the Emperor because of her.
This incident was even more serious.
Wei Yu's eyes darted around, and a look of guilt appeared on her face. "It is my oversight. I will personally go to the Emperor to confess my fault."
Xiao Yun snorted, dropped the stick in his hand, and led Wang Qingyao away by the hand.
The others also quickly followed.
Once in the carriage, Xiao Yun saw that Wang Qingyao's eyes were bright and showed no signs of blindness. He waved his hand in front of her eyes.
Wang Qingyao smiled and caught his hand. "Stop trying. I can see."
Xiao Yun was both shocked and delighted, almost crying out in surprise.
"You can see? Your eyes aren't blind?"
Wang Qingyao blinked her eyes. "They aren't blind. Wei Yu thought I was blind. Don't tell anyone else. I want to see what she is really planning."
Xiao Yun nodded. "What else can she do? Hasn't she always wanted to kill you? I suspect she sensed your advantage in perception but didn't fully understand it. She thought it was related to your eyes, so she struck first, believing that blinding you would make it easier to deal with you later."
Wang Qingyao let out a cold "hehe" twice.
Wei Yu was indeed a little clever. However, she would never have imagined that Wang Qingyao had clairvoyant eyes. Even if she had blinded Wang Qingyao, she would still be able to see.
Her actions were effectively futile.
Xiao Yun then asked in detail about the banquet. Wang Qingyao couldn't reveal the secret of her clairvoyant eyes, so she said she had sensed something was wrong early on. When she looked up, she deliberately closed her eyes. The poisonous powder never fell into her eyes; she had only been pretending.
Xiao Yun trusted Wang Qingyao implicitly, believing whatever she said. He patted his chest with lingering fear and said, "Fortunately, you have your perception."
Only Xiao Yun knew that Wang Qingyao's eyes were not blind.
The carriage drove into the second gate of Prince Ding'an's mansion. After getting out of the carriage, she resumed her act of being blind.
To make the act complete, Xiao Yun loudly ordered people to find all the doctors in the city.
The Old Imperial Consort also heard the news and rushed over anxiously.
"Yaoyao, your eyes?" the Old Imperial Consort asked, her face full of worry. She held Wang Qingyao's hand, her voice choked with emotion.
Wang Qingyao nodded solemnly, her voice trembling with tears. "Grandmother, my eyes can never see again. Wuwuwu..."
The Old Imperial Consort's eyes reddened, and she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Good child," she embraced Wang Qingyao, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Grandmother is here. Our Xiao family is wealthy; we will definitely find the best doctors in the world to cure your eyes."
Wang Qingyao and the Old Imperial Consort cried together for a while. Doctors began to arrive one after another.
The examination results were all similar: they all concluded that it was incurable.
Even the usually good-tempered Old Imperial Consort became angry.
"How can it be incurable? How can it be incurable?" She felt both heartbroken and indignant, blaming the doctors for their lack of skill.
Seeing the Old Imperial Consort's anxious state, Wang Qingyao felt guilty, but for the sake of the larger plan, she endured and did not reveal the truth.
Soon, the news of Princess Ding'an's blindness spread.
It was said that Prince Ding'an had thrown a tantrum in his mansion and offered a large reward for a divine doctor, stating that whoever could cure Princess Ding'an's eyes would receive a thousand taels of gold.
Indeed, the next day, the reward notices were posted throughout the streets and alleys of Duanjing.
By this time, Wei Yu had already gone to the Emperor to confess her guilt, accompanied by the Crown Prince.
The Emperor was also shocked that Princess Ding'an's eyes were blind!
There were actually poisonous snakes hidden in the Eastern Palace!
Although the matter sounded incredible, Wei Yu, dressed in plain clothes and with her hair unbound, wept profusely before the Emperor, showing her utmost sincerity.
Even more sincere was that she had found the so-called "culprit."
"...originally intended to poison His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Of course, after the culprit was apprehended, they had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, leaving no evidence.
Later, Xiao Yun also sent a letter to the palace to see the Emperor, naturally to lodge a complaint and scold Wei Yu thoroughly.
"You talk about the Crown Princess, but you yourself, without being summoned, entered the Eastern Palace and then smashed the garden. The Crown Prince said nothing, but the advisors of the Crown Prince's mansion couldn't stand for it!"
The Emperor threw two memorials at Xiao Yun, all impeaching Prince Ding'an for being arrogant and disrespectful to the Crown Prince.
Xiao Yun nervously touched his nose. "I was just too angry at the time; I didn't think that far! Your Majesty, I'm telling you, the Wei family are all bad people. You shouldn't have let the Crown Prince marry a girl from the Wei family!"
This statement also implicated Consort Wei.
However, the feud between the Wei family and Wang Qingyao had long been public knowledge. The Emperor was not unaware of this, and upon hearing these words, he did not blame Xiao Yun. He merely sighed and remained silent for a moment.
The Emperor had no other recourse. In the end, he could only bestow a pile of gifts upon Wang Qingyao as compensation and reprimand the Crown Princess for her poor management of the Eastern Palace, fining her half a year's stipend.
For Wang Qingyao, who was already "blind," these were merely superficial gestures.