"Your Highness, you are simply too loyal," Yun Yan said.
"But is that not good? Yun He has been with me for eight years, how many eight-year periods are there in a person's life? Moreover, she has not committed any wrong, and I cannot cast her out. Her request is so simple, so I..."
"Your Highness, can you even send away the Imperial Son-in-law?" Yun Yan asked, word by word.
Xue Changyi covered her ears. "I don't know. I only know that Yun He likes the Imperial Son-in-law. Her feelings are obvious. I... I merely followed her wishes."
"Then what are Your Highness's wishes?"
"Mine?" Xue Changyi looked up at Yun Yan. Yun Yan nodded. "Yes, what are Your Highness's wishes? By pushing the Imperial Son-in-law away, do you feel better?"
"No, I feel terrible. Terribly, as if I'm suffocating. Yun Yan, am I ill? I feel so unwell." Xue Changyi curled up in a corner of the carriage, speaking pitifully.
"Your Highness, you are not ill. You are simply jealous, jealous of Yun He."
"I am not jealous of Yun He. Why should I be jealous of her? I have status and beauty, why should I envy someone who is inferior to me in every way?"
"If that is the case, Your Highness, why are you not happy?"
Xue Changyi remained silent. Yun Yan suddenly lifted the carriage curtain. One could clearly see Yun He holding a water kettle and offering it to Sun Zi Hanhan on horseback.
Xue Changyi tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand, as if to tear it to shreds, yet it seemed unable to release her anger.
"Your Highness, are you just going to watch?" Yun Yan asked, looking at Xue Changyi.
At this moment, Yun He handed the handkerchief in her hand to Sun Zi Han. Sun Zi Han did not refuse, he took it and wiped his hands. Xue Changyi bit her lower lip. "How can he actually use her handkerchief? How can he?"
"Your Highness, do you still insist on your previous opinion?"
"I..."
"Your Highness, time waits for no one. Missing this opportunity may lead to a lifelong regret."
Xue Changyi trembled all over. She looked at Sun Zi Han. He had wiped his hands, but he casually tossed the handkerchief onto the ground. Yun He stood there, lowering her head.
She jumped down from the carriage and walked towards Sun Zi Han and Yun He.
Although Sun Zi Han's martial arts were not very high, his hearing was excellent. He heard footsteps, and the pace sounded like Xue Changyi's. He tightened the reins and turned to look for Xue Changyi.
Unexpectedly, Yun He knelt on the ground. Sun Zi Han was stunned and quickly said, "Yun He, what is the meaning of this?"
"I beg the Imperial Son-in-law to take me in. If you refuse to take me in, I can only die to preserve my honor."
Sun Zi Han frowned and said coldly, "Yun He, you must speak clearly. What exactly is going on?"
Yun He said, "Your Highness wants to marry me off to someone else, but I refuse. Your Highness is angry, and I fear Your Highness will vent her anger on me because of this. I do not wish to marry anyone now, and I implore the Imperial Son-in-law to take pity on me and take me in!"
"Your Highness would not do that. Yun He, you are an old attendant by Your Highness's side. Even if you reach the age where you should be married, Your Highness would not mistreat you. You can be assured of this."
"Imperial Son-in-law..." Yun He never expected that the Imperial Son-in-law would believe Xue Changyi so much.
Yun He said, "Since the Imperial Son-in-law refuses to take me in, then I can only die to fulfill myself."
Saying this, Yun He was about to dash towards a nearby tree trunk.
Sun Zi Han quickly reached out to stop her. Just then, a voice rang out, "Don't move. I never knew that my good intentions, my kindness, could be misunderstood by others as utter ingratitude."
Yun He trembled all over. How could Xue Changyi have come? Wasn't she supposed to be consumed by jealousy in the carriage?
Seeing Xue Changyi arrive, Sun Zi Han breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and reached out to take Xue Changyi's hand. But Xue Changyi remembered him using that hand to accept Yun He's handkerchief, and her anger flared up. She withdrew her hand and looked at Sun Zi Han.
It was only then that Sun Zi Han realized Xue Changyi must be angry. He was somewhat at a loss. "Your Highness, you are angry?"
Seeing Sun Zi Han scratching his head in agitation, Xue Changyi thought of what Yun Yan had said. What did these matters have to do with Sun Zi Han? He knew nothing.
"Your Highness..."
"Yun He, do you dare to repeat what I told you? I never knew that my good intentions could be twisted by you into something else. Yun He, you have truly disappointed me. Previously, I thought that since you liked the Imperial Son-in-law, I could give you a chance. Now, after hearing your words, if I give you another chance, wouldn't I be inviting trouble into my house?"
Sun Zi Han froze, then his gaze turned cold. He looked at Xue Changyi and asked, "Your Highness, what did you just say? What do you mean by giving her a chance?"
Xue Changyi was startled. She realized she had spoken carelessly. She quickly explained, "Imperial Son-in-law, I didn't mean it like that. I..."
"So in your heart, I am merely dispensable? A maid can be casually passed to me without even informing me. What do I, Sun Zi Han, amount to in your eyes?" Sun Zi Han was enraged, his eyes filled with fury.
Xue Changyi was stunned. This was the first time she had seen Sun Zi Han lose his temper. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
"I, Sun Zi Han, am not a gift to be given away. So saying, Sun Zi Han flicked his sleeve and left.
"Zi Han..." Xue Changyi quickly chased after him.
Yun He fiercely pinched the handkerchief in her hand, her gaze sinister. Suddenly, a pair of boots caught her eye. She looked up and sneered, "You're smug now, aren't you?"
"Yun He, the path you chose is your own. The person you like is your own. You cannot obtain them, and if others do not like you, you blame others."
"Silence. You don't need to tell me. The Imperial Son-in-law rejected me, it's useless."
"Yun He, it seems you still don't understand. True love between two people cannot have anyone in between. Yun He, you will meet someone someday, but it won't be the Imperial Son-in-law."
Yun He was stunned by these words, then she bit her lower lip tightly and burst into tears. "But I like the Imperial Son-in-law, I really do."
"You don't like the Imperial Son-in-law. You only like the Jin family behind the Imperial Son-in-law, his appearance. You like someone for their heart, for who they are. Not for their superficial appearance. Yun He, you will eventually meet someone."
"No, I will never meet anyone more outstanding than the Imperial Son-in-law."
"Yun He, look. The Imperial Son-in-law is with Your Highness, and you are consumed by jealousy. If the Imperial Son-in-law and Your Highness share a bed every night, what will you do? Yun He, recognize your own status."