Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

Yu Wenqian had been practicing spiritual cultivation for many years. Even when he became the Crown Prince, a position of immense power, and ventured into battles risking his life, he never abandoned his home practice.

However, since the death of Duke Shenwu, he hadn’t visited this room for a long time.

At this moment, he stood in the center of the room, which still retained a faint scent of sandalwood, facing a Buddha shrine placed on the incense table. Yet, unlike his past devout and serene expressions, his face seemed less composed and pious. Instead, when someone approached, the candlelight on the incense table flickered, casting shadows that failed to illuminate his visage, further shrouding his exceptionally handsome face in a deep gloom.

His gaze seemed cold and watchful, scrutinizing.

This kind of gaze baffled Yu Mingyue and sent a chill through her, yet she still stepped forward and softly said, "I have already dismissed those outside, Your Highness can now rest assured for a few days."

"..."

"If there is news from the palace, I will come to inform Your Highness promptly."

"..."

"Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"

Yu Wenqian remained silent and motionless, as if he had not heard her at all, as if she did not exist beside him, still gazing calmly at the Buddha shrine.

Yu Mingyue could only leave in melancholy.

Yet, as she took a step forward, a lingering discontent made her pause. She turned back, looking at the sharp outline under the dim light, and said hoarsely, "Are you angry with me because of how I handled Chan Yue, because of her?"

"..."

"But you clearly already knew that it was she and Lou Yingxiong, being reckless and acting on their own, that brought such disaster upon you. If it weren’t for the Emperor’s perceptive judgment, knowing that the matter was unrelated to you, you might have already—"

"..."

"What was wrong with my decision to deal with her?"

Yu Wenqian finally turned to look at her.

His eyes were clear and transparent; before the battle at Longmen Crossing, no matter what he encountered, his gaze carried a certain warmth and peace. But since then, his eyes had grown darker and colder, and now this faint glance was not only fathomless but seemed to conceal a sharp blade, piercing Yu Mingyue to the point where her breath halted.

She instinctively avoided this piercing gaze.

Yet Yu Wenqian spoke, his voice very calm, even gentle: "I am not blaming you; I was just pondering the two words you mentioned."

"Which two words?"

"Femineous competition."

"Femineous competition?"

She did not understand why he would think of these words at this moment. Yet, recalling his "warnings" to her days ago, and her own secret thoughts, even reprehensible ones, Yu Mingyue instinctively held her breath and asked cautiously, "Why are you dwelling on this?"

Yu Wenqian turned slowly to look at her and said, "You mentioned that early this morning, after we had just left, when you saw that person appear, you suspected it might have been the trickery of Lou Family father and daughter, correct?"

"Yes."

"You were able to associate them quickly, was it because you initially had doubts about Lou Liangdi?"

"...Yes."

"Then why did you not tell me?"

"Because—"

Yu Mingyue hesitated, seemingly embarrassed to speak, and Yu Wenqian looked at her flickering eyes, calmly saying, "It’s because I said those words to you before. You were afraid that if you continued targeting her, it would make me think of you as narrow-minded, only caring about ’femineous competition,’ so you remained silent."

Yu Mingyue bit her lower lip and gently nodded.

Yu Wenqian said, "So, if it weren’t for those words I said to you on that day, if you hadn’t avoided ’femineous competition’ deliberately, you might have uncovered the matter sooner due to your suspicion, and today when responding to the Emperor’s interrogation, I wouldn’t have been caught unprepared."

"..."

"So, it was my words that misled you."

"...!?"

Yu Mingyue never thought he would say such a thing, but thinking carefully, it was indeed so—had Yu Wenqian not advised her that if she were to ’compete’ it must be openly, had his words not made her ashamed of the idea, even resentful, her dissatisfaction and suspicions about the Lou Family would still be cautious to preserve her image in his mind.

Yu Wenqian sighed deeply, turned his head again to look at the Buddha shrine and solemnly said, "I was pondering the word ’femineous competition’ just now. How vicious is the person who coined this term."

Yu Mingyue widened her eyes in surprise, looking at him incredulously: "Huh?"

Yu Wenqian said, "The most fatal flaw in that term is the word ’feminine.’

"Why?"

"Because its contrast is ’masculine,’ according to you; ’feminine competition’ refers to two women competing. But, why can’t humans compete?"

"..."

"Even in Buddhist practice, there is a rivalry between the Northern and Southern Chan Sect, a contest between Shenxiu and Huineng; men go to war, confront each other in the court, even on the street selling goods, they want to compete over loudness. Where isn’t there competition? Yet, men’s rivalry is described as grand games of war, fierce as a tiger swallowing miles, fans and scarves, ships and sails nothing but smoke, even the ugliest fights among men can be turned pretty."

"..."

"Why must women’s rivalry be termed ’feminine competition’?"

Yu Mingyue didn’t expect him to say this, but after hearing his final statement, she seriously thought for a moment before replying, "In our places, ’feminine competition’ is mostly mentioned when two women are fighting over a man they like."

"Then, when two men fight over a woman, what is it called? Masculine competition?"

"...There is no term."

"Precisely,"

Yu Wenqian said, "This is the viciousness of the person who coined ’feminine competition’, the contention is over a man, yet that ’man’ is nowhere seen."

"..."

"Moreover, pursuing someone you love, regardless of gender, what’s wrong with that?"

"..."

"The ancients composed ’Fair lady, gentleman seeks,’ celebrating men pursuing women. Why must women pursuing men be denigrated?"

Yu Mingyue thought for a moment, then said, "Perhaps it’s hard for you to understand, but people from our place believe that the time spent fighting over a man could be better spent earning money, building a career."

Yu Wenqian said quietly, "That’s even more wrong, money, power, and someone we love hold no difference."

"..."

"The Modeng Girl adored Ananda, even in the face of rejection and obstacles, she transformed into a stone bridge enduring wind and sun for five hundred years to persevere. Would such sincere admiration be lesser compared to some people’s obsession with power and wealth? I think not."

"..."

"Affection should not be judged on high or low status. If it must be judged, it should not be by a person’s affection, but by the means employed to achieve it, whether noble or despicable."