After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

He was the son of the Imperial Preceptor, who had been pampered and adored since childhood. He had never been so humiliated in public.

Being punched by a good-for-nothing who "climbed the social ladder by relying on women" in front of everyone—this humiliation hurt ten or a hundred times more than the physical injuries.

He stared intently at Lin Fengmian, his gaze so sinister it seemed to drip with venom, his teeth grinding together, clearly unwilling to let the matter rest!

His mother was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, a third-rank official, who commanded thousands of imperial guards and was highly trusted by Empress Su Miaoyun. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was her right-hand woman.

For this reason, Ling Yun has been able to run rampant in the palace since childhood. Not to mention the sons of ordinary officials, even the princes have to treat him with deference.

At this moment, he glanced sideways at Lin Fengmian and sneered:

Young Master Lin, I saw you getting so close to Miss Chan'er just now, so I kindly reminded you—although you have been chosen by His Majesty to be the husband of the Phoenix Cry Kingdom, you are still an outsider, and you still have to abide by the rules.

"To be so intimate with a palace lady in broad daylight—if word gets out, it will be a disgrace to His Majesty."

These words, seemingly concerned, were in fact barbed and piercing.

Lin Fengmian raised his eyelids, glanced at him indifferently, and without even stopping his steps, simply uttered a sentence:

No need for you to worry.

His tone was flat, without even a hint of anger.

However, it was this indifferent attitude that was like a bucket of cold water poured on Ling Yun's heart, instantly extinguishing the sense of superiority he felt.

He paused for a moment, then his face flushed red, and he shouted angrily, "Lin Fengmian! How dare you be so disrespectful when I'm talking to you!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his right hand, his palm filled with spiritual energy, and a blinding white light burst into shape, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind, and smashed straight toward Lin Fengmian's back!

The surrounding palace maids gasped in shock upon seeing this and quickly covered their faces as they retreated.

However, Lin Fengmian seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; he slightly shifted his body, and the ball of spiritual energy grazed past the hem of his clothes.

With a loud "boom," it crashed into the stone lantern by the roadside, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing up.

Ling Yun's attack missed, and he was embarrassed, about to follow up with another move—

"stop!"

An old and majestic voice rang out like thunder in everyone's ears.

At the same time, a visible ripple suddenly spread out in the void, and several figures stepped out from the ripple like ghosts, instantly standing between the two.

The leader was an elderly man dressed in a golden python robe. He had a gaunt face, sharp eyes, and a dignified and imposing aura that had accumulated over the years from wielding power.

With a casual flick of his sleeve, a powerful spiritual energy emanated from him, as gentle as a spring breeze.

He silently and effortlessly neutralized Ling Yun's furious attack, without even making a sound.

The visitor was none other than the current Imperial Preceptor, Ling Yuanshan.

Upon seeing his father, Ling Yun's eyes instantly lit up with wild joy. He rushed to the Imperial Preceptor in three strides, his knees buckling as he was about to kneel down, but Ling Yuanshan caught him.

Ling Yun seized his father's arm as if grasping at a lifeline, his arrogance instantly transforming into resentment and indignation.

His voice suddenly rose eight octaves: "Father! You've finally come! You must stand up for me!"

He turned around, pointed at Lin Fengmian, and accused him with righteous indignation:

"This person not only insulted me, but also beat me because he had His Majesty's backing!"

"Look at my son's eye, it's bleeding from his beating! He's just a country bumpkin who climbed the social ladder by luck, yet he dares to be so arrogant and lawless!"

Ling Yuanshan didn't rush to reply. His gaze was sharp as he slowly swept over the bruises on Ling Yun's face and his tattered robes, then turned to look at Lin Fengmian, who stood with his hands behind his back on the other side.

The young man stood tall and straight, his brows and eyes showing no sign of panic, but rather an indescribable composure and calmness.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice:

"Tell me the truth about what happened."

Ling Yun had been waiting for this line, so he took a deep breath, adopted a posture of passionate speech, and began his performance with great emotion—

"Father, this is what happened: I was just passing by when I saw Young Master Lin behaving intimately with Miss Chan'er. I thought that since Young Master Lin is His Majesty's chosen husband, if this behavior is not stopped, it may damage His Majesty's reputation and bring shame to the entire Fengming Kingdom."

Out of a sense of public duty, the child kindly stepped forward to offer a few words of advice, urging him to be mindful of his actions.

To my surprise, this man not only ignored me but also flew into a rage, accusing me of meddling and taking advantage of His Majesty's favor. He then raised his hand and struck me! I was caught off guard and was hit squarely, which is why I am injured like this!

As he spoke, he deliberately turned the wound on his face toward the crowd so that the guards and palace maids who had gathered around could see it more clearly.

The guards around them looked at each other, and although they had a feeling that the words were exaggerated, Ling Yun's status was undeniable, so who would dare to question him to his face?

One of the guards quietly tugged at his companion's sleeve and whispered:

"Young Master Ling's words... something doesn't sound quite right? He was clearly the one who started it."

His companion immediately glared at him: "Shut up! Are you out of your mind?"

The newly arrived palace maids and low-ranking servants were unaware of the inside story and saw Ling Yun's upright demeanor.

Lin Fengmian remained indifferent, but instead felt that the latter was in the wrong and had a guilty conscience, so he couldn't help but whisper among himself:

"This Mr. Lin is incredibly audacious! He's only been in the palace for a few days, and he dares to flirt with other women right under the Empress's nose..."

"The worst part is that he even dared to hit someone, and it was the Imperial Advisor's son! This is truly..."

"Sigh, the Empress spent so long choosing, how could she have picked such an ignorant one?"

The whispers gradually gathered like mosquitoes, forming an invisible pressure that surged toward Lin Fengmian.

Soon, the commotion attracted more court officials and palace eunuchs.

Some officials on duty, having heard the news, took a detour and stood at a distance under the corridor to watch. Some shook their heads and sighed, while others showed expressions of schadenfreude.

A middle-aged civil official in a blue robe stroked his beard and said in a sarcastic tone:

"I told you long ago, how could a wild boy from outside be worthy of His Majesty? Now he has indeed shown his true colors."

Another burly man dressed as a military general chimed in:

"That's right. They even dare to offend the Imperial Advisor. Who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause in the future?"

Public opinion almost unanimously sided with Ling Yun.

Just then, a passage opened up at the back of the crowd, and a young man with a face that resembled Ling Yun by seven or eight points, but who appeared more composed and sharp, strode forward.

He is Ling Yun's twin brother, Ling Feng.

Ling Feng had been meticulously groomed by Ling Yuanshan since childhood and enjoyed considerable renown among the younger generation of Fengming Kingdom.

She glanced at her younger brother's injuries, then looked at Lin Fengmian, the jealousy in her eyes almost solidifying.