My Beautiful Master is Delicate and Charming (18)

"Therefore, Your Majesty, I would like to request that Prince Qi answer a question," Little Wei pleaded earnestly.

The Emperor naturally agreed. This clever little girl reminded him of his own daughter, who had been married off to the frontier years ago—similar in age and temperament. Thus, the Emperor treated Little Wei with even greater leniency.

"What question? Let Us hear it."

The question, of course, was: "If your mother and your wife were drowning, whom would you save?"

A timeless dilemma that had stumped countless heroes and warriors.

However, phrasing it directly to the Emperor wouldn’t do. Consort De possessed the Heavenly Eyes, and so did Su Qingyun. Little Wei only needed one pair—just enough to restore her master’s sight.

Now, it was up to Prince Qi to make his choice.

Upon hearing Little Wei’s proposal, the Emperor burst into laughter. "You little imp, always thinking of your master. Very well. The divine physician once saved Our life. A pair of Heavenly Eyes is a small price to pay. We shall issue the decree as you suggested."

The proclamation was thus issued:

"Seeking one pair of Heavenly Eyes. Those who present them shall be rewarded with official rank, nobility, and a hundred taels of gold."

Though phrased as a search for Heavenly Eyes, everyone knew there were only two pairs in existence. The Emperor was well aware of this, yet he deliberately issued the decree anyway.

When Prince Qi saw the proclamation, his face darkened.

"Your Highness, what does the Emperor mean by this?"

"The Emperor has stripped you of your authority, Your Highness. Now you have nothing left. If we don’t find a solution soon, the days ahead will only grow harder," his guard lamented, his expression bitter.

Once, Prince Qi’s Mansion had been bustling with visitors. But now, rumors ran rampant. Court officials no longer greeted him, and even his attendance at court sessions had been excused by the Emperor—ostensibly to let him "lie low," but in truth, it felt like the Emperor had already revoked his right to succession.

If Prince Qi could present a pair of Heavenly Eyes now, and if the Crown Prince cleared the Prime Minister’s name in his investigation, perhaps he could still avoid disaster.

"Impossible. I am not that heartless," Prince Qi muttered, his expression twisting into something almost manic as he tore the proclamation to shreds.

"Your Highness!" the guard cried helplessly.

What did it matter if he gave them up? They weren’t the Princess Consort’s to begin with.

Ah, well. His master’s affairs were his own.

Prince Qi stormed straight into Su Qingyun’s chambers, where he found her arranging dishes. The sight abruptly reminded him of the time when she had been blind.

He had truly ached for Qingyun back then. Could he really... do this to her again?

Mo Yujun felt as though a chunk of his heart had been gouged out.

The pain was excruciating.

So excruciating he could barely breathe.

"Yujun? You’re back. Come, have some food—I made it myself." Oblivious to his turmoil, Su Qingyun cheerfully served him a portion.

No. This time, he couldn’t betray Qingyun.

But his mother...

Though they had never gotten along, she had done her best for him all these years. As her son, how could he possibly ask her to sacrifice her Heavenly Eyes?

"Qingyun," he suddenly asked, voice trembling, "if one day... I were to do something unforgivable to you, would you ever forgive me?"

Su Qingyun blinked, then smiled softly.

"Of course. I would forgive you anything. Because I love you so much."

Her words only weighed heavier on his conscience.

Four days passed. With the Crown Prince on the verge of uncovering the truth about the Prime Minister, Prince Qi could wait no longer. He brought Su Qingyun to the palace.

"Your son pays respects to Father Emperor."

Only a handful of people were present in the hall: the Emperor, Su Zhe, and Little Wei, who stood behind a screen. The Emperor regarded his estranged son with a cold gaze.

He knew exactly why Prince Qi had come.

But he hadn’t expected his son to be so ruthless—willing to harm his own wife. The resemblance to Consort De was uncanny.

Such a man would indeed make a fitting ruler. But as an emperor, he wanted no son like this.

"Have you truly made up your mind?" the Emperor asked.

Prince Qi’s face was stiff, his reluctance plain. Beside him, Su Qingyun stood in confusion after her curtsy, oblivious to what was happening.

"Your son is willing to serve Father Emperor." As he spoke, Mo Yujun felt his tongue tremble.

For the empire. For his future. To avoid being cast aside by his father.

Sacrificing Qingyun’s eyes was a small price to pay.

It was worth it.

It had to be.

"Who would’ve thought Prince Qi could be so... reasonable?"

A crisp voice rang out. Both Prince Qi and Su Qingyun turned to see Little Wei. The moment Su Qingyun recognized her, her eyes widened in shock.

"You? What are you doing here?"

Little Wei was merely the divine physician’s apprentice. How had she gained entry to the palace?

"Since Prince Qi has agreed, Princess Consort of Qi, it’s time to return what belongs to my master." Little Wei’s expression was icy. If not for necessity, she would never have bothered dealing with these two.

A pair of hopeless fools. And did the male lead even love the female lead?

She couldn’t see it. To her, he clearly cared more about power.

"You—!" Realization dawned on Su Qingyun.

This woman had come to take her eyes. She refused to return to that abyss of darkness—those days without light had been terrifying. She was deathly afraid of the dark.

Remembering past events, Su Qingyun knew begging was useless. She tried to flee, but Mo Yujun seized her wrist.

"Stop making a scene!" he snapped.

"What? I’m making a scene?" Su Qingyun was stunned. Just yesterday, he had been so tender in bed. How could he now offer her eyes to another?

It was laughable.

She barely recognized the man before her.

Her heart shattered.

"Su Zhe, escort the Princess Consort away. We have matters to discuss with Prince Qi."

As for the eye extraction, Little Wei would handle it alone.

Palace maids dragged Su Qingyun to the quarters where Little Wei and her master resided. Sobbing and shaking her head, Su Qingyun’s cries gave Little Wei a headache.

Once the maids left her in the side chamber, Little Wei promptly bashed Su Qingyun’s head with a brick she had hidden earlier.

With her strength, Su Qingyun wouldn’t die—just pass out.

After dragging her onto a soft couch, Little Wei finally asked her system, "Si, what now?"

She had waited so long for this day. This side quest had been tediously drawn out, but today’s events would surely strain the leads’ relationship.

A glance at the main quest progress showed it had already reached 30%. A cause for celebration.

"Leave it to me." Si’s voice was gentle.

A golden light enveloped Little Wei. Her eyes were covered by a pair of warm hands, and her own moved of their own accord toward Su Qingyun.

Slice—

She had no idea how much time passed or what she had done. When she opened her eyes again, Su Qingyun’s pale face was smeared with blood. Little Wei nearly jumped in fright.

Fortunately, Su Qingyun’s eyes were closed, making the sight less gruesome.

"Done," Si announced.