Qi Chengshuo frowned deeply upon hearing this: "It's fine if he sees Uncle Jiu, but why does he want to see you?"

Qi Chengshuo is now increasingly disgusted with his great-uncle, the emperor.

He's so old, yet he clings to the throne and even killed his wife and children; he's no good at all.

Even though he was his own brother, born of the same mother as his grandfather, Qi Chengshuo still wanted to say... the emperor really did nothing right.

I really don't know how he could have the heart to kill his own son and drive his wife to her death.

He's a complete scoundrel!

"He saw me, of course, because of this wooden box brought by the bird spirit." Ye Xianya said, pointing to the wooden box she had taken out of her cloth bag and casually placed on the table.

"You mean... Consort Yi is making a false accusation and wants this wooden box back?"

"It's not just a case of the guilty party accusing the innocent first; that woman is definitely up to no good." After saying this, Ye Xianya stuffed the wooden box into her cloth bag and went out.

In the main hall of Taoyuan Residence, Qi Jiu was venting his anger on the eunuch sent by the emperor to deliver an imperial edict.

"Go back and tell the old man that I am no longer his father, and there is no need for us to meet again in this life. As for you, get out of my way and don't interfere with my business." After saying this, Qi Jiu picked up a broom and tried to chase them away.

"Ninth Master, this is the Emperor's decree. Disobeying the decree is a capital offense. Please reconsider, Ninth Master!" The leading eunuch said loudly while dodging.

"Death penalty! I've had enough of living anyway. Go back to the palace and tell the old man to issue an imperial edict to execute me as well." Qi Jiu said with a cold smile, looking like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

"Ninth Master is joking!" The eunuch could only bow and smile ingratiatingly.

"Father, let's go!" Ye Xianya said as she walked out.

"Where to?" Qi Jiu asked subconsciously.

“Of course I’m going to the palace. Since someone wants to see me, I’ll go and meet him,” Ye Xianya said, turning her head.

"I want to see you!" Qi Jiu was taken aback upon hearing this.

He knew it! Why did that old man suddenly want to see him? Turns out, he had ulterior motives.

No wonder the imperial edict said that he should bring Xianya with him to the palace to meet the emperor.

"Don't go, I'll go and check things out first," Qi Jiu quickly said.

He couldn't let a young girl take such a risk.

Besides, he had already secretly vowed in his heart that he would treat Ye Miaoyun well for the rest of his life and love her as his own daughter, so he would never break his promise.

He wanted to protect his daughter!

"Ninth Master," the eunuch hurriedly said, "His Majesty said that you are welcome to bring Miss Ye into the palace for a visit, and he will absolutely not make things difficult for you and Miss Ye."

The implication was that Ye Xianya had to go.

"Father, go on your way. With me here, I guarantee you'll return safely," Ye Xianya said with a smile.

Qi Jiu: "..."

Since marrying Ye Miaoyun and having a daughter named Ye Xianya, it seems that he has no place to use his talents.

The daughter shouldered everything.

He made up his mind that when he entered the palace later, if the old man dared to bully anyone, he would protect Xianya even if it cost him his life, and he would never let his daughter suffer any injustice.

In this world, the people who truly cared for him were not his biological father, but the Ye family, his wife and daughter.

Qi Jiu has lost everything and can no longer give them a life of wealth and luxury, but he will try his best.

At the very least, a man should do everything he should, such as sheltering them from the wind and rain.

It's just that... my daughter is too amazing, and I really feel like I'm willing but unable to do anything about it.

Fortunately, his wife still needed his protection.

Qi Chengshuo originally wanted to go along, but the head eunuch said that the emperor had not summoned him.

He could only go back and think of a solution first.

...

In her previous life, Ye Xianya had visited the imperial palace of the Great Yan Dynasty. These palaces were no different from what she remembered; they remained exactly as they had been in the past.

The person sitting on the dragon throne has changed.

In her view, the current emperor is indeed senile, and letting him continue to sit on the throne is more of a curse than a blessing for the people.

She had calculated the emperor's fate; the old man was quite resilient and would likely remain on the dragon throne for at least another ten years.

However, if I help Qi Jiu, I can end all of this sooner.

Inside the Qianyuan Palace, the emperor was growing impatient.

"Your Majesty, Ninth Prince and that little girl from the Ye family have not arrived yet. In my opinion, they don't respect Your Majesty at all," Consort Yi added fuel to the fire from the side.

The emperor's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he did not speak.

"Now that the Ninth Prince is all set for himself, he's fearless. I've heard that he's very disrespectful to Your Majesty when you address him." Consort Yi feigned anger and said, "No matter what, you are still his father. You exiled him to protect him, but he resented you for it. It's a waste of Your Majesty's love for your son."

"And then there's Ye Xianya. If I may be so bold as to say something, these Taoist practitioners, relying on their superior skills, are all arrogant and disdainful of everyone. That's why His Majesty has restricted the development of the Ten Great Taoist Sects and limited their power in the capital in recent years, to prevent them from interfering in court affairs." Consort Yi snorted coldly as she spoke, "Ye Xianya, at such a young age, already doesn't take His Majesty seriously. Perhaps it's a case of the superior setting an example for the inferior."

The implication is that they were all taught by Qi Jiu.

For the first time, the emperor felt that Consort Yi was a bit too talkative, and that she always brought up topics he didn't like.

"The Ninth Prince is currently living in a rather remote place, so it's normal that he arrived a little late." The Emperor was getting a little impatient, but hearing Consort Yi speak of her son like that still made him somewhat displeased.

That kid is living off his wife's family now, which is already difficult enough. Now that they live further away, it's natural that he comes much slower than when he was a prince.

Consort Yi was very displeased to hear the Emperor protecting Qi Jiu, but she smiled and dared not say anything more.

Not long after, the voice of a eunuch could be heard from outside.

"Your Majesty, Ninth Prince has been ordered to pay his respects to Your Majesty."

"Quickly, invite him in!" the emperor said hastily.

It's been more than half a year since he last saw his son.

A moment later, Ye Xianya and Qi Jiu entered the main hall together.

The emperor looked at Qi Jiu, and his eyes lit up.

Compared to the past, my son seems much more reserved, his skin is a bit darker, but he has a lot of energy and spirit.

"This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty and to Consort Yi." Qi Jiu was still able to bend and stretch; even though he hated them to the core, he did not show it.

Ye Xianya simply nodded slightly, without bowing.

"You little girl, you have no manners at all!" Consort Yi said in a deep voice.

"I have received the inheritance of the Taiyi Sect. According to the rules of the Taiyi Sect, even if I have not formally joined, I am still considered a member of the Taiyi Sect." Ye Xianya said calmly, "Members of the Taiyi Sect, apart from worshipping Heaven and Earth, only kneel to their parents and masters. Even when they see the current emperor, they do not need to kneel."

Consort Yi paused slightly after hearing her words, and after a moment, she asked, "You have obtained the inheritance of the Taiyi Sect? What proof do you have?"