In her previous life, Yao Mengtao had used Zhou Wei to send Yao Yingying to her grave. In this life, she had enticed Zhou Wei to fall for her even earlier, securing his promises.
What could Yao Yingying possibly have to compete with her now?
The fool!
Yao Mengtao cast a smug glance at Yao Yingying, her face brimming with sincere-looking emotion. "Brother Jing... as long as I can be with you, none of these things matter to me, Tao'er."
Yao Yingying felt that she must truly be young and good-tempered, to actually listen to such a pile of drivel.
Her gaze swept over the ceremonial robes of the Dashang Crown Princess that Yao Mengtao was wearing. Within her captivating eyes lay a coldness that most people would overlook.
"The position of Empress? Repentance in a monastery? If you two are so confident, then you should first think about how to appease me."
Yao Yingying’s voice slowed with a touch of lethargy, carrying both contempt and the reassurance that the two of them remained as foolish as ever.
Zhou Wei’s expression shifted. "Yao Yingying, what do you think you’re—"
Before the word "doing" could escape his lips, Zhou Wei felt a sharp pain in his neck. His vision went black, his body suddenly lost all strength, and he collapsed to the floor.
The burly eunuchs Duijin and Jiyu followed suit, swiftly knocking Yao Mengtao unconscious.
Jinyi could not help but step forward and land two heavy punches on Zhou Wei, followed by a few vicious kicks.
When Yushi walked in and saw this scene, she felt a sense of injustice in her heart as well. "Your Highness, it would have been better to give them a sound beating to vent your anger before knocking them out! This is far too easy on them!"
Yao Yingying’s gaze fell upon the two disheveled figures on the floor. "That anger can be vented in a few days."
"How did the investigation go?"
Yushi immediately replied, "Your Highness, I checked everyone we brought with us. Only I, Jinyi, Duijin, and Jiyu remain. Not a single one of the others has been reborn."
As for the Dashang servants, they had been driven out of the courtyard earlier, so their status was unknown.
"It is time to test the Dashang courtiers." A captivating light flickered in Yao Yingying’s eyes.
Compared to anything else, whether these Dashang people were reborn was the most important thing.
"Strip them bare and throw them into the neighboring courtyard."
"Duijin, go to the front courtyard and pretend to be searching for the missing Zhou Wei. If the Crown Prince of Dashang is also reborn, he will make a scene."
Duijin, the burly eunuch, immediately acknowledged the order. He picked up one person in each hand and efficiently carried them out of the courtyard gate.
Only then did Jinyi calm down, though she couldn't help but spit at Yao Mengtao and Zhou Wei.
"The Second Princess has been married into Dashang for over a year! If these two had done even the slightest bit to promote a peace treaty between our Anguo and Dashang, why would Your Highness have to suffer this misery, traveling thousands of miles to Dashang to marry such an idiot for two lifetimes?!"
"What do their petty romances have to do with our Anguo?! They are nothing but incompetent wastes of space who can only bark here!"
Yao Yingying offered a word of praise. "Well said. You have some of my own flair."
"Though, coming to Dashang was my own choice."
Jinyi and Yushi froze simultaneously. Looking at Yao Yingying, they saw the unadulterated ambition clearly revealed in those bewitching eyes.
"I came to ascend the throne."
Yao Yingying did not feel she had said anything shocking at all. She sat back down on her stool, her tone lazy, appearing gentle and harmless.
"In my previous life, I supported Zhou Wei’s rise to the throne just to show the courtiers my own capability."
"But now that Zhou Wei is willing to pave the way and restore order amidst this chaos, I am quite happy to postpone my revenge."
Jinyi and Yushi both understood.
"Now that no one in Dashang knows of Your Highness's intentions, if Prince Jing is in the foreground, those courtiers who were also reborn will definitely jump out to testify against him!"
This way, they could take revenge without expending any effort, and Dashang would not be able to blame anyone from Anguo!
At this moment, Jinyi felt that Zhou Wei was truly a fool to have come here after being reborn.
Stupidly, blissfully, it made her feel very secure.
...
The gates of Prince Jing's Estate had been wide open all day, and the constant flow of guests and servants had kept the household staff exceptionally busy.
In the front courtyard, wine flowed endlessly. Drunken guests were everywhere, and it was no surprise to see people stumbling about in a daze.
As the night wind swept through, countless bright red lanterns swayed back and forth, flickering in and out.
In the dim light, a man dressed in the ornate attire of Anguo, wearing a royal jade pendant, stepped calmly through the gate.
The moonlight spilled down, illuminating his iron-willed physique.
The man tilted his chin slightly.
His brows were sharp, his features profound, and his body was as fierce and sturdy as tempered steel.
His gaze was defiant, carrying the oppressive authority of someone holding real power and the arrogance of one long accustomed to the highest positions.
But suddenly, the moment those eyes caught sight of the main courtyard in the rear, they turned as black as ink.
He abruptly straightened his robes and casually crushed the royal jade pendant before discarding it.
The next moment, he strode forward with resolve.
...
After only a few quarters of an hour, Duijin hurried into the room. Seeing Yao Yingying, he bowed and reported, "As Your Highness suspected, the Dashang Crown Prince has indeed shown signs of being unusual; he even asked those around him what year it was."
"I also discovered that the Crown Prince's students—the Ministry of War Vice Ministers Yan Xiaoyu and Ji Yi—as well as the Minister of Rites Xia Wenyu, who has connections to Prince Jing, and the military generals Zhang Zhiling and Qu Xingbang, have all shown changes in their demeanor."
"But since they were all drinking tonight, I did not dare to verify further for fear of raising suspicion..."
Yao Yingying mentally cross-referenced these names, her lazy phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.
"What is the Dashang Crown Prince doing now?"
"After I hinted that Prince Jing had not returned to the bridal chamber, he began demanding to see the Crown Princess, Yao Mengtao. But the servants in Prince Jing's Estate and the generals Zhang Zhiling and Qu Xingbang kept trying to stop him. The commotion is quite significant, and they don't dare to truly offend the Crown Prince of Dashang."
So, it was only a matter of time before the Dashang Crown Prince entered the rear quarters.
Yao Yingying curled her lips into a faint smile. "They are looking for the Crown Princess; we are looking for Prince Jing."
It was a spectacle not to be missed.
A young palace maid led the way with a red lantern. As they passed a junction, they could clearly hear the Dashang Crown Prince, Zhou Qiming, berating his attendants not far away.
They could also hear some officials trying to persuade him not to lose his temper on such a joyous day for Prince Jing.
Yao Yingying could clearly hear a gentle voice also trying to intervene: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess is not in any of these nearby courtyards. Perhaps she has already returned?"
The Dashang Crown Prince, Zhou Qiming, possessed the voice of a young man, but his tone at this moment was far from pleasant.
"Her maids are all still here; how could she have returned?"
The voices of the others grew more direct.
"Your Highness, please calm down. Today is Prince Jing's wedding. If the Emperor finds out you are causing such a scene in Prince Jing's rear quarters, I fear the other princes will seize the opportunity to take advantage of it!"
"Get out of my way! I am looking for my own Crown Princess; how is that causing a scene?!"
"It's bad enough that you won't help me look, but you dare to stop me?!"
With the Crown Prince in a rage, the others dared not block him further.
Yao Yingying did not falter in her pace. After only a few moments, she heard a voice call out from behind: "Who is there? Is that the Crown Princess?"