How should I deal with someone who treats me like a fool?

Yun Feiyue pressed her forehead, a trace of mocking smile on her delicate face. “How did Beichen Yi deal with Gongsun Ziyan?”

At these words, the little maid immediately grew gossipy, a hint of disdain in her eyes. “Her? No one knows why, but this morning she was stripped of her position as Empress. But the Gongsun family is strange too; they didn't go to plead with His Majesty, instead they came to beg you, Miss. Now the whole city is saying she was demoted because of you.”

Yun Feiyue let out a cold laugh. Wasn’t this exactly as Beichen Yi had anticipated? Gongsun Zifu, how dare you come to her for help—are you here to be humiliated?

Although, as children, they had indeed been pleasant playmates, in the face of family interests, that title was nothing more than cannon fodder in a struggle for power.

“Tell him, I won’t see him.”

The little maid looked troubled. “I’ve already said so! But he said if you won’t see him, he’ll kneel outside and won’t get up. He looks quite pitiful. And there’s a whole crowd outside pointing and whispering, damaging your reputation. Young Master Yunhai has gone to handle those rumors, but… Miss, if he won’t leave, we can’t exactly drive him off by force.”

Yun Feiyue took a slow breath. “Then let him in.”

Relieved, the little maid got up and hurried out of the garden. Before long, she returned, leading in Gongsun Zifu.

He inclined his head slightly to thank the maid who brought him in, then turned to Yun Feiyue, biting his lip as if steeling himself. “Sister Yue, you’ve finally agreed to see me. You must already know why I’ve come today, so I won’t beat around the bush. Please forgive my sister! She’s always been competitive by nature.”

“Heh…” Yun Feiyue sneered. As if a simple ‘competitive nature’ could wipe away all her crimes. Did he really take her for some naive, saintly girl? What a joke.

“Beichen Yi’s decision to depose her is his own affair—what does it have to do with me? What’s the use in begging me?”

Gongsun Zifu frowned, lips pressed tight. “Sister Yue, my sister only acted on impulse. For the sake of it being her first offense, please forgive her!”

Yun Feiyue smiled broadly. If it truly had been the first time, she might have let it go—but Gongsun Ziyan was hardly a first-time offender.

“Zifu, tell your sister not to appear before me again. And as for you, it would be wise to keep your distance as well. I want no entanglements with the Gongsun family. If she has the ability, let her challenge me herself!”

At these words, Gongsun Zifu knew there was no hope. After a long silence, he sighed. “I will pass your words to my sister. Truth be told, my sister’s temperament never suited life at court—she simply likes the Northern Prince. If… if the Northern Prince weren’t the emperor…”

As he spoke, his expression shifted, and he stole a glance at Yun Feiyue.

Yun Feiyue’s face was expressionless. She rested her head on her hand in lazy boredom, sampling a pastry with the other, as if she hadn’t heard a word.

He decided to go for broke. “Sister Yue, today I heard someone say the Northern Prince was never truly the king recognized by the Book of the White Emperor—that painting was never…”

“Silence!” Yun Feiyue interrupted before Gongsun Zifu could finish. So, she wasn’t the only one who saw through the truth. But since Mo Feiyuan had acted thus, he must have his reasons.

All that talk of the Book of the White Emperor and divine mandates—none of it meant anything to a modern soul who’d crossed time. She had never believed in gods.

“Don’t speak of this again. If you wish to live, keep your mouth shut. The Yun family has always supported Beichen Yi.”

Though she spoke thus, Yun Feiyue had her own calculations. The real reason for Gongsun Zifu’s visit today probably wasn’t to plead for Gongsun Ziyan.

Gongsun Zifu, though young and possessed of a gentle, harmless appearance, was far from simple. Unlike Gongsun Ziyan, he knew when to advance and when to retreat, and had a keen sense of gain and loss.

“Sister Yue, I understand. It’s just—I’ve heard that the Dowager Yun has proposed recalling the Prince of Chu. If he returns to the capital, our Emperor of Chu might grow wary. If so, the state will be thrown into chaos. Two sovereigns cannot rule one nation; two tigers cannot share a mountain.”

As he spoke, Gongsun Zifu kept a close eye on Yun Feiyue’s expression.

She seemed to smile faintly, but said nothing, leaving him unable to guess her thoughts.

After a moment’s consideration, Gongsun Zifu continued, “I act only for the sake of my sister and the Gongsun family’s safety. The Gongsun family has stood at court for centuries, through dozens of kings, yet remains unshaken—not because of a single trump card. If we are suppressed, we will not go quietly.”

There was an elusive undertone to his words. Was Gongsun Zifu laying his cards on the table? Planning to turn against Beichen Yi? No, he wouldn’t be that foolish.

“Zifu, if you want Gongsun Ziyan and your family to survive, there are only two choices: abandon your power, or strike at Beichen Yi. But both are paths to self-destruction, so of course you’re angry. You think all of this happened because I returned? In truth, the one you want dead is me, isn’t it?”

Yun Feiyue spoke with calm indifference, exposing Gongsun Zifu’s attempt to sow discord and manipulate her.

Gongsun Zifu pressed his lips together, hands trembling, color draining from his face. The Yun Feiyue of the past would never have considered these matters. Now, she frightened him. She was not the woman she once was.

“S-sister Yue, I, I did not…”

Did not? “Is that so? Xiaomumu, tell him—what is the punishment for deceiving me, exploiting me, and treating me like a fool?”