"Don't celebrate too early, Prince An will not give up." Xue Zi Ning said.
She had a premonition that Prince An would not give up easily.
He would return.
Her premonition arrived that evening in the form of an imperial decree from Prince An, which a eunuch read aloud at the Duke of Yun's mansion.
The Duke of Yun stiffly raised his head and asked, "Is there a mistake? To have Wei Shu enter the palace as a consort?"
The eunuch smiled broadly at the Duke of Yun and said, "How could I make a mistake? His Highness has been devastated since Noble Consort Yun's departure. Having Consort Yun enter the palace is merely to alleviate some of His Highness's pain. Surely the Duke would not refuse to share His Highness's burdens?"
With those words, the Duke of Yun was rendered speechless.
"Is the Duke's mansion refusing His Highness's decree?" The eunuch's smile was as sinister as could be.
The Duke of Yun suddenly knelt down, but before he could speak, someone knelt beside him and spoke first, "My daughter obeys His Highness's decree."
The Duke of Yun trembled and looked up, catching sight of Yun Wei Shu's profile. Her face, still somewhat youthful, exuded determination and courage.
"Shu'er..."
"Father, this is a great opportunity for the Duke's mansion. Daughter will also soar to become a consort." Yun Wei Shu looked at him and smiled slowly.
The Duke of Yun's hand twitched slightly. The eunuch beamed, "Eldest Miss Yun is indeed remarkably intelligent. I wish Eldest Miss Yun a continuous rise in status."
"It is still too early to speak of well wishes. Bai Shao." Yun Wei Shu gestured.
Bai Shao stepped forward and slipped a pouch into the eunuch's sleeve. "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch!"
"It is no hardship, no hardship. I shall return to His Highness to report!" The eunuch departed with a face full of smiles.
"Shu'er..." The Duke of Yun looked at Yun Wei Shu.
"Father, let us discuss this in the study." Saying this, Yun Wei Shu left.
The Duke of Yun's hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly. After a long moment, he relaxed it and walked in the direction Yun Wei Shu had gone.
Inside the study
The Duke of Yun looked at Yun Wei Shu with grief on his face, "Shu'er, the Duke's mansion does not need you to sacrifice yourself."
Yun Wei Shu shook her head and curtsied, "Father, I am doing this not only for the Duke's mansion, but also for myself."
"Shu'er..."
"Father, please let me finish speaking."
The Duke of Yun fell silent. Yun Wei Shu continued, "Father, based on your understanding of His Highness, do you think he would not trouble me or the Duke's mansion if I refused?"
"Shu'er, these matters are for your father to bear, not for you."
Yun Wei Shu shook her head, "That is incorrect, Father. Your thinking is wrong. Your son's dissolute behavior and lack of ambition are not only because he was spoiled by his mother, but also due to your tacit approval."
The Duke of Yun's gaze sharpened as he looked at her, his expression darkening, "Shu'er, why do you say this?"
"In the past, I never thought about these things. But since Aunt's departure and Brother's birth, I have thought a great deal these past few days. I finally understand. Brother's dissolute behavior and lack of ambition are merely a facade for you to show someone. That person is His Highness, isn't it?"
The Duke of Yun looked at his youngest daughter, who used to be so naive about the world, now analyzing the situation in An Cheng for him. His eyes welled up with tears, and he turned his face away, his voice tinged with sadness, "Shu'er, it is all my fault."
"Father, at a time like this, we should not speak as outsiders. My entry into the palace may not be as difficult as you imagine. The harem is currently empty, and there is no one who can threaten me. You need not worry too much about my situation in the palace. What we need to do now is to make His Highness believe that Brother is absent from the Duke's mansion, and that without Aunt in the harem, the Duke's mansion faces great difficulties in court."
"Shu'er, you are so intelligent, your father has no worries about you. However, what about your marriage?"
Yun Wei Shu looked away, and after a long pause, she said, "Father, please break off the engagement. I am about to enter the palace, and being engaged would be unfair to both me and Brother."
"Shu'er, it is your father, not the entire Duke's mansion, who has wronged you..."
Suddenly, Yun Wei Shu saw her father kneel to the ground with a thud.
Startled, she rushed forward to help her father up. "Father, what are you doing? Are you trying to humiliate your daughter?"
"Shu'er, I am incompetent. Not only can I not protect your aunt and your brother, but even you must sacrifice your happiness for the Duke's mansion. I have failed you..."
The Duke of Yun's tears flowed freely. He, who was once a fierce tiger, was now less than a rabbit.
"Father, please get up quickly. Your actions only make it difficult for me to know how to conduct myself. I do this willingly. To be able to do something for Father, Mother, and everyone in the Duke's mansion, I believe it is worth it."
"Shu'er, you should go back. Your father wishes to be alone for a while," the Duke of Yun said slowly.
Yun Wei Shu knew that today's events had dealt a significant blow to her father, but she also knew that he would soon recover.
"Father, the dew is heavy at night, you should rest early. Your daughter takes her leave!"
With that, Yun Wei Shu departed.
The Duke of Yun sighed and suddenly looked towards a certain spot, saying coldly, "Still not done looking? When will you stop?"
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness and knelt before him, kowtowing. "Your unfilial son Duan Hai pays his respects to his father."
"You..." The Duke of Yun pointed at him for a long time, and finally, a choked sob broke the silence of the night.
Outside the door, Yun Wei Shu smiled tearfully. She turned to the woman with a bulging belly and asked, "Are you the one Brother hid in the room?"
She saw the woman smile. In the moonlight, the woman's features were clear and bright, especially her eyes, which were pure and transparent. She rarely encountered eyes this clear. No, she had seen them before, the vanished Princess An Ning.
"Who are you?" Yun Wei Shu asked coldly.
"Who does Miss Yun think I am?"
The same eyes, the same expression. Could it be...
Yun Wei Shu felt she dared not imagine further.
At this moment, the Duke of Yun's deep, hoarse voice came from inside the room, "Shu'er, come in."
Yun Wei Shu blinked slightly and entered the study. She saw her brother kneeling on the ground and her father with red-rimmed eyes. In all her years, she had never seen her father cry.
Soon, she noticed her father's gaze fixed on someone behind her. She turned and saw her father staring intently at the woman behind her. She stepped forward to block her father's view and said, "Father, this is Brother's woman. She has no involvement in this matter."
After speaking, she quickly added, "Brother, haven't you told your person to leave quickly?"
She noticed that the woman not only did not leave but even took a step forward. For a moment, she felt an unprecedented pressure, a pressure emanating from this woman.
The surrounding air grew thin. Yun Wei Shu felt as though she could not breathe easily.