Speaking of it, if it hadn’t been for that bastard asking Weiyang to plead for Li Yuan and his sons back then, Li Yuan would have died long ago. Speaking of it, today’s disaster was indirectly caused by that bastard.

Ever since that bastard was born, everything had gone wrong for him. She was simply his unlucky star! The more Yang Guang spoke, the more hateful he became. His chest felt like it had a ball of evil fire burning that couldn’t be extinguished. He suddenly rose and rushed out like a gust of wind, with Zheng Ying hurrying to follow behind.

In Feixiang Hall, Yunyi was standing under the eaves, watching palace servants use poles to catch the noisy summer cicadas in the trees. Before long, they had caught a full cage. Jixiang wiped his sweat and walked over: “After catching them this time, Your Highness won’t be kept awake by the noise anymore.”

Ruyi shook her head: “Unfortunately, after a while, new cicadas will climb the trees again. I don’t know why there are particularly many cicadas this year – the trees are almost completely covered. When we were in Luoyang before, though there were some, they weren’t this numerous. Could it be that the Jianghuai region has particularly many cicadas?”

Jixiang said helplessly: “It’s not that Jianghuai has particularly many, but that those cicadas have nowhere else to go.”

Ruyi said puzzledly: “That’s a strange thing to say. There are trees everywhere – how could they have nowhere to go? It’s not like anyone tied them here with ropes.”

“No ropes were used to tie them, but…” Jixiang glanced at Yunyi and didn’t continue. The latter said: “But there are no longer any trees outside the palace for them to survive on, is that right?”

Jixiang nodded: “Yes. Yesterday this servant heard from someone who had been outside the palace that except for our imperial palace, you can’t see a single tree with leaves in all of Jiangdu. Looking around, all the hilltops are bare. As soon as tree leaves grow out, they’re picked and eaten completely. Those cicadas have nowhere to perch, so they all flew into the imperial palace.”

Yunyi said nothing. Though she pitied those common people suffering under harsh governance, she was powerless to help, only hoping this disaster would pass soon.

Seeing her expression wasn’t good, Ruyi said: “It’s very hot outside. Let this servant help Your Highness go inside to sit. Aguang and the others will handle things here properly.”

Just as Yunyi was about to agree, she heard footsteps. Looking up, she actually saw Yang Guang. Since that incident, she had never gone to see Yang Guang again, nor had he set foot in Feixiang Hall. Why had he suddenly come today? Could it be that he again wanted to… No, she would rather die than suffer his humiliation!

Yang Guang stopped one step away from Yunyi. Ruyi and the others, coming to their senses, hurriedly bowed. Yang Guang paid them no attention, only staring at Yunyi with cold, dark eyes.

“What are you here for?” Ever since learning of Yang Guang’s true relationship with herself, Yunyi no longer had the slightest respect for him, only hatred – hatred that he had killed her father; hatred that he had made her mother live in such pain all these years; hatred that he treated human lives like grass, causing so many common people to die for his selfish desires; hatred that he had tried to rape her that day in Chengxiang Hall.

Yang Guang said darkly: “You knew Li Yuan had rebellious intentions early on, didn’t you?”

Yunyi said puzzledly: “What do you mean?”

Yang Guang said coldly: “Even now you’re still playing dumb with me, aren’t you? News came from Taiyuan that Li Yuan has rebelled and publicly executed Wang Wei and Gao Junya, whom I sent there!”

Yunyi stood there stunned. Li Yuan had actually rebelled. Before she could react, her face had already received a heavy slap. The one who struck her was naturally Yang Guang.

Seeing this, Ruyi said in panic: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your Highness truly knew nothing about Li Yuan’s rebellion, otherwise she would definitely have told Your Majesty.”

Yang Guang kicked her away and stared at Yunyi: “Back when Li Shimin defied the imperial decree, if you hadn’t had Weiyang plead for them, those two would have been beheaded long ago. Where would today’s rebellion be? It was you! You’ve been in collusion with them from the beginning, haven’t you?”

“No!” Yunyi denied: “I never knew Li Yuan had rebellious intentions. That day I only couldn’t bear to see them die unjustly, so I asked mother to intervene and let them escape the death penalty.”

“You think I would believe that?!” Yang Guang said with a fierce expression: “These nineteen years, I have never mistreated you. The food and clothing were all the finest, yet you conspired with that Li surname to seize my empire. Had I known this, I should have killed you long ago!”

Yunyi laughed coldly: “Haven’t you always wanted to kill me? It’s just that mother protected me, so you couldn’t find the opportunity.” After a pause, she said: “That’s right, these nineteen years, in terms of food, clothing, and material needs, you indeed never mistreated me. But what about other things? When I was sick, where were you? When I practiced painting to fill an entire cabinet, hoping for just one word of praise from you, where were you then? When Xin’an and Wenyu received your affection, I could only wait silently on the side, waiting for you to turn back and look at me just once.”

“And when I was severely injured and nearly died while trying to eliminate Li Yuan for you, where were you then?” Without waiting for Yang Guang to answer, she shook her head: “Nowhere. You never even thought of me, this so-called daughter. You even wished I would die outside, so I wouldn’t continue to be an eyesore!”

Yang Guang said expressionlessly: “You should have died originally!”

Yunyi sneered: “Unfortunately, Heaven refused to let me die. It wants me to live and watch how you lose this Great Sui empire!”

“Bitch!” Yang Guang swung his hand to slap again, but this time it came up empty. Yunyi stepped back and looked coldly at Yang Guang: “If I were you, I would be thinking about how to quell the rebellions right now, not venting anger by hitting people here – unless you really want to lose this foundation.”

Hearing her mockery of him, Yang Guang’s eyes twitched repeatedly. If not for Weiyang’s sake, this bastard would have died a thousand or ten thousand times already.

Yang Guang had resolved more than once to kill Yunyi, but ultimately couldn’t bear to hurt Xiao Shi. This time was the same – he forcibly suppressed the hatred in his heart and left with a flourish of his sleeves.

After he left, Ruyi let out a long breath. Remembering the slapping incident, she quickly supported Yunyi: “Your Highness, how are you? Is it serious?”

“Your Highness’s face is very swollen. I’ll go get some medicinal ointment right away.” Soon, Jixiang brought medicinal ointment and carefully applied it to Yunyi: “Apply it once more before sleeping, and it should reduce the swelling by tomorrow.”

Ruyi sighed: “Your Highness, knowing that His Majesty is a madman, why did you say those things to anger him? Fortunately it was only one slap. If he had murderous intent, that would truly be troublesome.”

Yunyi said coldly: “I would rather he killed me, so I wouldn’t have to see that disgusting face of his anymore.”

Jixiang said hurriedly: “Your Highness, don’t say such inauspicious words. Besides, if something happened to you, what about Her Majesty the Empress? You know better than anyone how much she loves you.”

Mentioning Xiao Shi, Yunyi’s eyes reddened: “If not for me, mother wouldn’t have suffered so many years.”

Ruyi grasped her hand: “This servant believes that for Her Majesty the Empress, these years have not only not been bitter but very happy, because Your Highness was there.”

After a moment of silence, Jixiang said: “But this servant really never expected that even Duke of Tang would rebel.”